Unique Religious Beliefs--pagans, heathens, others wanted!?

Question

If you have a rather unique religious belief what is it? I know the board has hundreds of Christians, Jews, Muslims, and atheists so I really don't need an answer from you guys...

but if you have a religious belief that is unique and you feel probably not shared by thousands of others on this site--

...could you sum up your belief structure in a paragraph? I know it's not possible to really do it justice, but just an idea of the crucial elements in your beliefs, any rituals, afterlife beliefs, and of course most importantly--don't forget to say what your religion is!

I'm sure this would be really interestign to a bunch of people and would allow more intelligent questions to stem about your religion (instead of a stereotype)

Answer 1

I beleive in shamanism. It is a spiritual beleif that everything earthly has a spirit or energy. I do not beleive in a death, our spirits just take new physical forms. When people travel into the spirit world they transform in the trees, animals, dust, earth,...basically the things that accompany us juring our life. I called the guides, spirit guides and the ancestors. The spirits of the ancestor talk through these things. Its the beleif in the earth.

I think, many religions contribute to the whole,..and that truth can be found in each one. I belong to the earth, and this is what the earth tells me.

Answer 2

Celtic Reconstructionist, and, surprisingly, seems like there's a couple of us here.

The basic gist is that it's the pre-Christian beliefs of the Celtic people. Most CR's focus on a particular culture (such as Welsh or Irish), though some do a more "pan-Celtic" routine. We honor the gods, the ancestors, and the spirits of the land.

The "Reconstructionist" part means that we're a "religion with homework." So much has been lost that there's a lot of rebuilding that needs to be done. So, there's a lot of research going on, not just learning the stories, but reconstructing the ritual structures and all the "little things."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_Reconstructionism has a pretty good write-up on what we believe.

Answer 3

I consider myself Nondenominational Pagan. I've had friends "correct" me and say that I'm Eclectic Pagan, and that "Nondenominational" sounds too "Christian". I respond that I don't have anything against Christianity and that that Jesus dude had some good points. I haven't met a religion I didn't like, but according to most of them, Divinity is Perfect, (some say Divinity is male, others say female, I figure It's neither or both, and It might have MPS), and they also all say that we're imperfect. You think about this, and how in the world can religion (manmade) or religious texts (also manmade) can claim to be 100% correct when they deal with something that is Perfection and are created and/or written by something that is Imperfect? Divinity is that which has put order to the universe. Made the rules, so to speak, and also enforces them. I don't believe Divinity shows a day-to-day interest in us, or says "Oh, I haven't checked on Joe Smith today, I wonder how he's doing." Divinity's too busy dealing with other things. I don't care how we got here, creation or evolution makes absolutely no difference to me, what matters now is that we're here now and what we do with what we have while we are here. I think Divinity, however, WAS smart enough (being Perfect and all) to know that we wouldn't be able to all get along and agree on everything when it came down to It, so at least made sure that all belief systems contained enough truth to be useful and to steer people in the right direction. I see no difference between prayer, spellwork, and crossing your fingers and thinking "I hope, I hope, I hope", it's all in how much energy you apply to it. Apply enough of the right energy and it -might- catch Divinity's attention.


Sorry, this is more than a paragraph.... I'm working on getting it all down on paper, so much goes through my head sometimes....

Answer 4

I believe in spirituality which is based on pure intuition and being a good, kind, honest person. But in all honesty... no one truly knows the truth regarding religions and God. We all are born into this world conditioned by what our parents and peers were conditioned to be believed. And if we do take on another belief system, it is still based on faith as again none of us know the truth and won't until we cross over into the after life. In my opinion all religions stemmed from one core truth in the beginning and has since been told many different ways, kinda like the telephone game.

Answer 5

I practice a religion called Wicca. We generally believe that Deity is to be honored in male and female polarities (God and Goddess), that the universe itself is the body of the Divine and therefore that separation from Them is impossible, and that the natural world is to be revered as a manifestation of Them. We conduct ourselves by the moral code of the Wiccan Rede ("If it harm none, do what you will"). We have holy days aligned to the solstices and the equinoxes and four points in between (the solar calendar) and the full moons (the lunar calendar). We create sacred space where and as needed and invite the spirits of the four Platonic elements (air, fire, water, and earth), as well as the Goddess and the God, to join us therein. Most Wiccans practice witchcraft. Many Wiccans believe in an afterlife where all, not just Wiccans, are reunited with the loving God/dess prior to reincarnation.

There are many other Wiccan beliefs, and many variations within the faith, but you asked for only one paragraph, so there's my personal experience.

Answer 6

who're you asking? there's a brilliant form of religions that for the duration of positive condition into those categories. maximum communities, to this point as i'm conscious, have not have been given any e book that acts as a preparation for each and each member. There are some efficient books... The e book of the lifeless working example, grow to be efficient. Hesiod's Theogony grow to be additionally efficient. Then there is the Principia Discordia. ;) And to this point as the way you comprehend what to do and the thank you to speak, you in basic terms artwork on it with the non-public relationship you determine between your self and your deity. there is likewise the passing down from guy or woman to guy or woman in an oral/aural custom, along with folk thoughts, own awareness and functional journey.

Answer 7

I'm an Eclectic Pagan. My deities are Hellenistic, while my "worship" and rituals to those deities take a more shamanistic form, similar to the rituals of the mystery cults dedicated to Hecate, Aphrodite, and Dionysus. I practice Herbal Witchcraft among other forms of magic, I incorporate some elements of Hermeticism and Theurgy into my practices.

Answer 8

All organized religions are spiritual stages that you pass through or pass by on your way to spiritual maturity. You know you're getting closer to that maturity when you no longer believe you have all the answers and know the only "truth".

The one thing you do know is that you can't go wrong by living to the best of your ability by the one rule that has been a part of many of the organized religions. Treat other people as you would like to be treated, yourself. That's the only rule that matters.

You are here to do one thing. Experience what you can't experience in an incorporeal state. You choose what you are going to experience while you are here. You have the major events of your life planned out, but leave flexible most of the details.

When you leave this life, you reintegrate with other souls on your emotional and spiritual level. You are a part of everything and everything a part of you in a way that is almost incomprehensible to you in corporeal form.

Kindergarteners don't comprehend adulthood. Earthbound souls don't comprehend the afterlife. But it's not necessary to comprehend it. It's only necessary to fully experience who you are now, while you're here.

When you're confused, lost, afraid, or alone, trust your own heart to lead you in the direction you are meant to go. What your heart tells you is true. The echoes of your life plans resonate there, guiding you when you need it.

Organized religions make life far more complicated than it needs to be. Worship is not required. Love is. Worship is easy. Learning to love your fellow man is the real challenge.
Clinging to tradition is easy. Change is a challenge. Imposing your belief system on other people is easy. Accepting that everyone has a right to believe in anything they want is one of the biggest challenges of all.

Answer 9

Asatru is the modern rebirth of the pre-Christian indigenous faith of the Norse peoples -- the ancestors of the Norwegians, Danes, Swedes, and Icelanders. This faith honored many Gods and Goddesses, some of whose names are still familiar to us today, such as Thor, Odin and Freyja. The indigenous faith of Scandinavia, upon which Asatru is based, fell into shadow after the year 1100, with the advent of Christianity in Northern Europe.Asatru is an independent faith. Its tenets are belief in the Æsir and Vanir; the exchange of gifts with the Gods and one's kinfolk, and living one's life in accordance with Nine Virtues of Asatru. The Havamal, also referred to as "The Words of Odin", has several translations, and are words of wisdom, to help guide one in their daily life. Asatru has no ties to any Judeo-Christian religion, nor is it a part of any New Age or "neo-Pagan" belief system, including Wicca.

Answer 10

I am a Celtic Faerie Shaman in training. It is a European indigenous version of Siberian "shamanism", includes both Celtic faerie lore and Celtic diety systems, as well as indigenous shamanic practices and ancestral/animal guidance. It is not a religion, it is a spirituality, and most definitely a way of life. The work is Pagan in orientation, but pre-Gardnerian (Wiccan) in specifics. It is also pre-Christian as well obviously if it is indigenous. It is not Druidry, but very much a Celtic path all its own practiced concurrently alongside Druids in ancient times. I am currently working to reopen the gates and help myself and others find the paths again, especially those of us who have been inadvertently transplanted by ancestral migration.