Are your beliefs based on the "norm" in your sphere of influence?

Question

Parents? Spouse? Friends? Neighbors? Community on a whole?

Namaste

Peace and Love

Answer 1

No way. My beliefs are a gestalt of all sorts of stuff: science, buddhism, Christianity, yogic practices, intuition, hypothesis. No one thinks like I do.

Religion is not one size fits all.

Answer 2

I don’t identify myself with any particular belief system, philosophy, or religion. Just as a computer wouldn’t identify itself as the software it runs, I don’t identify myself as the beliefs I hold in my consciousness. I strive to install and understand lots of different beliefs, even seemingly conflicting ones. I’m neither a Christian nor a Buddhist nor an agnostic, just as my PC is neither MS-Word nor Photoshop nor iTunes.

To me a spiritual belief system is simply a perspective with which I can choose to view reality. To turn any particular belief into my identity is to fix my perspective and thereby cripple my freedom of thought. Think about what you would do if your computer decided that it was a word processor and only a word processor? The machine would be fulfilling only a fraction of its potential.

This is what people do when they fix their beliefs.
A belief is just a perspective, and every fixed perspective is inherently limited and incomplete. The main reason I study individual belief systems is to learn new ways of perceiving the big picture I hadn’t yet considered. But once I integrate those perspectives into my thinking, I no longer have a need for the individual belief systems. They are the shells one discards after consuming the tasty nut within.

While I am not a religious person, I am a deeply spiritual one. My entire life is centered around my spiritual beliefs, and they flow freely through all areas of my life. When I desire spiritual guidance, I go straight to the source and connect with God or other spiritual beings.

My true "religion" is enlightenment — the pure spirituality on which all major religions are based but which none retain in practice. And the most promising pathway I’ve discovered that has led me steadily in this direction is the unyielding intention to eliminate every last drop of fear from my consciousness. When all the fear is completely gone, enlightenment is what remains.

Answer 3

Used to be my parents, never was a spouse interested, neighbors not believing, community on a whole not really, now it is just the answered prayer. I took what I was taught by my parents church, I researched other churches and faiths, and I came back to the truth.

Answer 4

There is no "norm" regarding beliefs in my sphere of influence. People believe all sorts of things, material, spiritual, you name it. The only norm is that you are expected to be a decent human being :)

Answer 5

I'm not even sure there's a label for my belief system. It just isn't that neat and tidy. So I know nobody who has much in common, except here on R&S.

And even here, I'm sure we all have differing ideas, even about the fundamentals such as 'reality' or 'god'. But there's enough common language for me to have learnt from others, for which I am grateful.

But that's OK. I think we all walk our own paths. Even if we appear to be in a crowd. Because each of us has to, as I understand the Buddha said, work out our own salvation diligently.
.

Answer 6

Parents - Yes
Spouse - Yes
Friends - Yes
Neighbors - no
Depends on what you call community if your talking the town Ilive in no if your talking about the people I spend time with yes.

Answer 7

No one is an island, so I have to think that I've been influenced by other people in my life. As for my views on God, I don't think there is a norm among the people in my life, so I've come to my own conclusions.

Answer 8

I think there is a way to 'believe' inquiringly, in a way that is not against Norms, but still very individual, and continually developing.

It does not necessarily depend on peers overly ideationally, but is open to 'inspiration', and can share it's fruits.

The lotus grows through the water & the mud, but comes to be untouched by it.

It comes to add beauty & fragrance to the landscape.

It's 'in it', but not 'of it'. :-)

Answer 9

My beliefs are simply trying to be a good person, to treat others with respect and to follow my heart over my wallet.
I think these beliefs are international. If you are good to people most people will be good to you. ^_^

Answer 10

Parents: somewhat
no spouse
Friends: mostly
Neighbors: no
Community : No