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I'm very much a Christian too, and like Laura, I believe ALL people deserve respect and compassion.

 

I don't fit in with any religion. I guess I'm a biblical Christian because I don't belong to or agree with any denomination. I've actually read the bible, many times, and what it says is different from what is preached.

 

I hold very, very strong beliefs. Among those are that we will ALL have a chance, at some point in time, perhaps in this life, perhaps not, to learn what is the REAL truth. I think most people are good when you come right down to it, and we are all seeking our purpose in life. I believe that some day we will all be enlightened. Obviously I'm a Christian and believe in God and his word but it does no good to argue with people, whether Christian or not. I thoroughly enjoy a good debate, but I hate arguing. It's pointless.

 

The bible says there is faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love. I believe that, so even though I have my own faith, and my own hopes, I feel it's my obligation to show love and that's what I strive to do, regardless of who or what I am dealing with.

 

People who try to shove their beliefs down the throats of others, religious or otherwise, make me sick. I try to live my faith, not commercialize it. I'm not always successful! But I really do try.

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Amen to that last statement Michelle!

What a great discussion this has turned into. To quote the Bible, "all things work together for good, for those who believe". I was raised in a strict Christian home and I have always struggled with my faith, but the one universal truth I believe in is love. In my, um. . . experimental stage, I had to deal with a lot of questions, but things have settled now, and I really dont think about it as much as I used to. I have an odd mix of beliefs I suppose. Some pagan, some christian, some spiritualisim. I guess I have the opposite problem of Sandra. What scares me is feeling small. I want to feel connected and, I dont know, like I have a purpose for something more than just existance.

I have developed a pretty good shell against people who try to "fix" my beliefs. Just today I had someone I knew as a teenager ask me when was I going to starting singing again. Of course I told him that I was still singing, never stopped. His reply was that I needed to be using my voice for the Lord. I let these kind of statements roll right over me. I know they mean well, but dont really understand. When I talked to my stepmom about problems I was having in my marriage, her answer was that I wasnt "right with God". How does she know that? Just because I dont go to church doesnt mean that my heart isnt on the right path. Oh well, Im rambling now.

My heart is open to all those who will accept me for who I am, and I will do the same.

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i was told by a good friend that tikki's devastating hepatocutaneous syndrome and molly's horrible death last year were all because i wasnt at one with the lord, i cant tell you how much that hurt. i think that is the point when i lost my faith for a while.

now however, spring is coming, homeopathy is making my tikki better depite the vets prognosis, miracles do happen and even if he cant beat this disease long term he can at least go for a walk again and play a little fetch.

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Ouch your friend was a little harsh on you wasnt she????? I suppose she didnt mean to upset you though. Are you going to this reiki session tomorro? You'll have to let us know how it goes!!

 

And I'm so glad you've found something to help Tikki enjoy his life to the fullest even with his problems.

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Tammy,

 

No need to apologize for anything you have said! You haven't offended me at all!!! I guess those of us who have been judged harshly for our beliefs are a little more wary about revealing ourselves to others. You have been courteous and the love of our dogs over comes all, right?

 

I think what it comes down to is that if the bible tells you to try to convert people, fine. Just keep us in mind if you run into someone who says "no thanks". Take them at their word and let it go, respecting them and remembering your friends here.

 

I think that while I do try to let stuff like that run off my back, when I do try to tell people (the real aggressive ones) no, I often get hounded, making me very defensive and resentful. I would never try to make someone feel like that, no matter what book or god or goddess says.

 

Olivia

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Oh Donna :D , dont you let yourself believe for one second that what your "friend" said had even the slightest hint of truth. What a horrible thing to say to someone. Sometimes people just dont think. . .

 

Olivia,

I have found that if you dont argue to much, the "smile and nod" approach works well. :rolleyes:

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yep, i feel so much better for having something new to look forward to!

i didnt realise that this lovely man was also there for my sister (used to work in the same place as me) 15 years ago when she was suffering with ocd. he has already sent me some healing, and to think i used to think of his as one of the guys who work down the dairy! he and his wife are even picking me up and taking me to the meeting to introduce me to the others. i am just sooooo grateful to have so many good friends around me (including all my cybermates!)

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Originally posted by prosperia:

Oh Donna :D , dont you let yourself believe for one second that what your "friend" said had even the slightest hint of truth. What a horrible thing to say to someone. Sometimes people just dont think. . .

 

Olivia,

I have found that if you dont argue to much, the "smile and nod" approach works well. :rolleyes:

well i must admit that my thoughts to that were if ANY god/goddess/divine being could really do that to a sentient being because the owner didnt believe the way they should have, then that god/etc wasnt worth the effort of a single thought. if that really was the truth (which i'm sure its not) then i am already in hell!

but like i said, miracles do happen and he is much much better.

and i am very proud of myself for not ripping her head off!

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I'm proud of you too! I'm not entirely sure I would have shown very much restraint in that situation.

 

No divine being worth revearing would hurt a harmless animal just to get even with a human. I do know the feeling though. A guy I knew in high school told me that AIDS was God's way of punishing/killing the homosexuals. This was after I just got done telling him and another friend about a boy I went to elementary school with who was dying of AIDS, received from a blood transfusion because he was a hemophiliac!!!! I asked where my dying 16 year old friend fit into that and he said that he must have been going to grow up to be homosexual and deserved to die young before committing any more sins!?! I knew right then that whatever god he was following was not for me. For a 7 year old boy to deserve to get a disease like AIDS because a god wanted to commit genocide, killing a whole subculture of people? I was crushed and I don't think I spoke to him again.

 

Donna,

Doggie kisses work wonders. Ask your pup for some! Carlie sends lots of them your way and while Griffin doesn't kiss he sends hugs and I send good thoughts and vibes.

 

Olivia

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It's neat to see so many Wiccans on this forum. I am not Pagan, nor am I Christian. Closest you could get to definining my beliefs is Agnostic, I guess. I don't believe in gods, I don't believe in a heaven or hell or afterlife. But I still manage to find spirituality in things. Like my dogs. It sounds silly to a lot of people (the people NOT on this forum), but it brings me to a peaceful place to immerse myself in my dogs simply joys.

 

I'm the kind of person who is searching for a "purpose" - I have a mild form of OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) so I like to throw myself into projects. I feel best when I'm creating things - whether it's scrapbooking or graphics or programming code... it's a means of expression. I like to be surrounded by things that make me feel good - colors I like, treasured objects from my past, my pets and family.

 

I studied Wicca for a while when I was a young teenager. I found a lot of great things in it. I really respect it as a religion, a set of beliefs. I like that it's so connected to nature, to the world, and that it has great respect for other people and things.

 

I too often have problems with christianity, mainly because of the reasons people use it for hateful things, or say they're christian but don't act like it. But I've had friends who range from athiest to christian to wiccan and everything in between. I judge people on how they act, who they are - not the label by which they call themselves. Or at least, I try not to. And one of my main meters of judging people is how they treat not only other people, but other creatures. If you treat animals well, if your respectful to my pets, then you're okay in my books. (I have a lot of relatives who would snidely ask why my family let our dog on the couch, or even inside. "It's just a dog." I would tell them that it's the dog's house, and if they didn't like the dogs on the furniture they were welcome to leave. :rolleyes: ) So everyone here, simply by the fact that we all love our dogs, I think we're all pretty good people.

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Donna, that is awful!! It is a statement like that which kept my DH away from God for 25 years. Your friend has no idea what they are talking about, I had an uncle and aunt who told us we could have saved my precious neice from her brain tumor if we had only prayed for her more. Well, the following year they were stricken in the worst way with multiple immediate family members, they had to go through it, they were not protected from it. Not one of us said that back to them, we just continued to pray for them.

 

God is not in those statements, he must spend all of his time trying to keep us from ruining his good name!!

 

You have really been through it, people can be very insensitive at those times, believe me I know!! I am glad you have found something to help Tikki.

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Donna,

 

I was teasing about how this thread went from Border Collies, to Depression, to religion!

 

But on the positive side in that, I can see a difference in your posts already. Just having something else to talk about and someone to talk about it with is good for depression. And find YOUR faith again, and use it to YOUR best interests.

 

Someone else mentioned exercise. YUCK! Who wants to do that? Especially when you are feeling depressed? However, it does help. And I knew I could not "pick myself up" and join a gym and work out everyday, but what I did was to start with stretching. My own "Yoga, since I am not trained in Yoga. I worked this into my spiritual times. First taking the time to stretch all my muscles out, listening to wellness music, with a candle and incense burning. Then I went on to my spiritual part of the day. It was really amazing, how the stretching helped me in the beginning, taking a small step instead of a big one, and encouraged me to do a bit more than just stretching. And I include this in my spiritual time everyday, believing that I have the right and the need to keep my body healthy.

 

So instead of trying a marathon, stretching might be a good start!

 

Tonya

From the other side of the ?pond?, who will light a candle for you tonight!

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Originally posted by Tammy525:

Donna, that is awful!! It is a statement like that which kept my DH away from God for 25 years. Your friend has no idea what they are talking about, I had an uncle and aunt who told us we could have saved my precious neice from her brain tumor if we had only prayed for her more. Well, the following year they were stricken in the worst way with multiple immediate family members, they had to go through it, they were not protected from it. Not one of us said that back to them, we just continued to pray for them.

Tammy, you are really an amazing person! And while none of us want to "convert" you, look at all you have learned.

 

I hope all the other "crafty folk" agree with me on this, but one of the main beliefs in Wicca is that you do not EVER wish someone evil. Because if you do, it will come back to you three times over. (That is not the exact creed, but I am loosely stating that so that everyone can understand)

 

So, by your ignoring those statements said to you, seeing that "karma" worked it's way into that person's life, and still "praying" for them, you have experienced what we believe, without even knowing it.

 

Blessed be to you Tammy! And may your God bless you as well!

Tonya

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Wow, what a nice open-minded thread this is! I'm very impressed. Let's just not bring up the AKC and we will be fine, huh?

 

Donna, I hope things start to swing into a better light for you. Find what makes you smile and surround yourself with thousands of them.

 

Theology is something I wish I would have majored in. I love religions. I love their history, their passion, their mistakes. It's fascinating to me. I am probably an atheist, although I do border on being agnostic at times. I was raised Roman Catholic. In a catholic school with nuns and preists and memorization of the books of the Bible (as if that would make me a better person!). It wasn't until 8th grade that I discovered that - GASP - there were other religions out there!

 

This killed me. And I think it was the beginning of my wandering from the "church." They do not teach compassion, understanding or tollerance. They taught me to believe in one way. If other people didn't believe in the same, they were going to hell and let us all pray for their souls.

 

So I began my investigation into other religions. Baptist (they like to party!), Mormon (If I'm going to have a huge family and need help, I'd like to be Mormon! They are all set-up to take care of their own!), Christian, etc. I lived in Japan for 2 years and got involved with the Shinto and Buddhist views as well. That really opened my eyes to so many things that Catholic/Christian, etc beliefs left out....raised more questions, opened more holes.

 

I can and usually do spend hours talking to religious folks. When the Mormons show up at my door I ask them more questions than they know the answers to. I've never met a Wiccan and know nothing about it. I wish I could sit you all down in a room and talk your ear off!!!

 

Luckily, my husband is atheist so we will not have any problems in the future. Our wedding was non-denominational. The word "God" popped into our ceremony a few times and that bugged be a bit, but I got over it. She could have said anything as I don't feel there is a "god" to witness anyway.

 

Let the trees, clouds, bugs and birds be my witness. Let my friends and family be my witness. That's what makes your life here and now anyway.

 

Ok, enought of the taboo subject! Donna - I do hope you feel better. And remember, what comes around goes around. Your friend is just throwing off bad energy by making those comments and that will come back to her in the end. (ah, just read Tonya's post...I guess I have a little Wiccan in me already!)

 

Denise

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And I knew I could not "pick myself up" and join a gym and work out everyday, but what I did was to start with stretching. My own "Yoga, since I am not trained in Yoga. I worked this into my spiritual times. First taking the time to stretch all my muscles out, listening to wellness music, with a candle and incense burning. Then I went on to my spiritual part of the day.
This is a great idea, I need to start doing this. I know I *should* exercise, but I'm always exhausted and exercising is soooo not fun. I have no will power. :rolleyes: But stretching... that I could do. Especially if I made it about more than just exercising because I "have" to. I actually looked at a place near here that does yoga and pilates classes, as well as reiki and other meditation teaching. The only thing that worries me is the money, but I'd love to at least take a yoga class.
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I wanted to say Thank you to Miztiki and Tammy for having the courage to say what I thought when I read all these. I wanted you to know I am a Christian as well. The idea of Wiccan is very scary to me because of what I was raised thinking it is. Is Wiccan really what I was raised to believe it is? I dont know.

 

But I wanted to say thank you for voicing your opinions in a way I couldnt. I was afraid of offending people by diagreeing. Which for my part is wrong, I shouldnt be like that... anyway..

 

thanks.

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What ever you do comes back to you 3 times over, both good and bad.

 

An' it hamn none, do as ye will.

I'm big on doing my own thing and not harming any - and not having anyone intrude on me either. I also try to always put positive energy out there. My husband is a really angry driver and it upset me a lot. When he'd start ranting about stupid people, I'd say, "Well maybe that person was having a problem with their child in the car?" or "Maybe they're lost and just don't know the lanes - they aren't painted very well you know." I try to give the benefit of the doubt. I always try to smile and thank cashiers. I like to think that a little kindness from me will make its way around. And in that way I guess I kind of follow the wiccan crede.
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I worship Jesus because that is what makes my life meaningful when the trees are too thick to see the forest. If it gets me to Heaven as well, so be it.

 

I have never and will never cram my religion down anyone's throat. My hope is that people see the Jesus in me and ask about it.(which actually happens more than you might think). I have been more forward about it here because my Bible tells me to "make disciples" and spread the Word. You don't know me or my life to be able to see it. I have been more strong in some of my opinions as well that may not have showcased Jesus like I should in all my interactions.

 

I was brought up in a Christian home, but it was also an open and questioning home. There wasn't anything that was off limits.

 

I understand the resentment people feel when they are judged. It is unfair and someone who is doing that may be a Christian, but they are sinning by judging. They will have to answer for that at some point, IMO.

 

Please don't let ignorant Christians, or any church (especially the Catholic church, sorry to all of you who are Catholic) get in your way of your relationship with God, however you choose to worship. I have had some exposure to other religions, but nothing ever rang as true for me, perhaps due to my upbringing.

 

I am no longer scared to death of you, I am more secure in my beliefs than I realized I guess. Any kindness that can be added to this world is of benefit to this world, no matter its form.

 

Donna, it looks like we may have enlivened you a bit, I hope you find what you are looking for.

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Donna,

 

Nothing to be ashamed of in taking medications for depression. My mom works in mental health and would have words of wisdom for you; however, I don't know much about depression. I do know that it can be debilitating (spelling) so do what you have to in order to feel better (meds).

 

I am impressed to see the way in which religion is being discussed here.

 

Unfortunately, Michelle's last comment in her last post is one reason that I am turned off from religion...among other various reasons. I respect everyone's right to choose what they believe; however, like Michelle, I don't like people to push those ideas down my throat. I don't appreciate someone telling me if I don't believe exactly what they do then I will go to hell.

 

I'm agnostic and I can really appreciate a good discussion about various religions just like Denise.

 

Good luck to you Donna and I will be thinking of you!!!

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I wanted to say Thank you to Miztiki and Tammy for having the courage to say what I thought when I read all these. I wanted you to know I am a Christian as well. The idea of Wiccan is very scary to me because of what I was raised thinking it is. Is Wiccan really what I was raised to believe it is? I dont know.
I don't think anywhere here will bash you for your beliefs.

 

Wicca may or may not be what you were raised to believe... it probably isn't, as there are a lot of misinterpretations and assumptions that get passed around. I say this from someone who, as a 13 year old researching Wicca, was told by an aunt that it's all evil and should stop looking at that stuff. (As if it was porn or something?) I can tell you what Wicca is not: it's not Satanism. Wiccans do not believe in God or the Devil, so obviously do not worship either. The feeling I got when I did all that research was that Wiccans have a very deep reverence for nature. The "gods and goddesses" they worship (some believe they are actual gods, some think they are just a metaphor) are those of nature: wind, and water. They believe everything is interconnected, and everything in this world is beautiful and spiritual.

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Hey, if you really want to gnash your teeth over someone, I'm an atheist. Never been religious or felt anything lacking in my life, never been seriously depressed or needed guidance. I think the world and everything in it is a miracle unto itself (with no religious overtones to the word "miracle" intended) and enjoy every day and marvel at life even without any divine hand behind any of it.

 

I have very religious friends (hello, you know who you are!) and that's totally cool with me. I also know that it's built into your religion to think I'm going to hell and that you think I need saving and all that, and that's fine too, I actually tend to be rather touched by the sentiment, as long as no one tries to impose their beliefs on me. Then I become Not a Very Nice Person.

 

My father's mother was Catholic, and my mother is a nonpracticing but believing Buddhist, and my mother's mother was a very devout Buddhist. I kind of like the idea of reincarnation (it would be interesting to come back as a big strong guy, or a dolphin) but can't honestly say I believe in any of it. If someone forced me to choose an organized religion I suppose it'd be Buddhism. Of all the religions out there, its outlook and practice appeals the most to me.

 

The nice thing about religions is that they're like dog breeds. There's something for everyone out there, and it's all fine as long as us kids can all play nicely together. Unfortunately, this usually proves to not be the case, so I'm going to bow out of this discussion just after coming into it in case things get ugly, although with the currently civil tone of thing I don't think they will.

 

Donna, I am not offended by you at all, and I hope your spirits are up. Go out there and enjoy dogs and how much they enjoy life and keep things simple. That's always worked for me.

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I don't think we Christians are supposed to go around trying to convert people. I think what we are supposed to do is act in such a way (witness) that others are inspired to see what makes us so caring.

 

That does not mean turning our backs on what others believe or castigating them for believing it. It means living my life in such a way that others say, "Gee whiz, what has she got going for her?"

 

I highly recommend The Dream of God by Verna Dosier. It's the only time I've ever read a whole chapter of a book while walking home from the library. I, literally, could not stop reading.

 

Also, while meds really can help with depression, not all meds are for all people. My husband had been on doxipin (as had I until I got tired of dry mouth, constipation, and feeling too out of it for my daily drive) with great success. Then his doctor decided that Prozac would be much better. He got almost suicidal. Luckily, we were starting to question doctors then. His said it couldn't possibly be the Prozac. But he insisted on switching back. Now we hear the Prozac can induce suicide!

 

Everyone reacts individually. Make your doctor listen to you if you're not happy with your meds.Jump up and down and scream if neccessary to get attention.(Actually, get tons of documentation from reputable medical sites on the web; jumping and screaming will probably bring men in white suits.) For me, thyroid was the real problem. No wonder the doxipin wasn't right for me!

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Been thinking about this wonderfully civil discussion while studying phyisology. One thing kind of stands out to me. More than one person has spoken of being scared of Wicca or of being scared for us Wiccans. Now please keep in mind I was raised Wiccan. It's not something that I chose to pursue during college or as I learned about it. It is therefore as deeply ingrained in me as Christianity is in ya'll. It would never cross my mind to be scared for ya'll because of your religious choice. I personally think that a lot of Christianity is pretty hipocritical and almost cultish but I don't worry about people who participate in it.

 

Just a thought.

 

Olivia

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