Religion and Spirituality

I was christened CofE when I was six months old. My dad is a practicing Catholic. My mum isn’t religious nor atheist. Though she has had moments of atheism. I personally class myself as a Christian but over the last couple of years I have taken life and religion more seriously. I don’t go to church as there aren’t any local for me and I can’t drive or take public transport due to mental health issues so I do my prayers at home but admittedly I have lost a bit of a schedule due to too many things happening in my life. I do personally believe in afterlife and heaven but I also believe in reincarnation too and I enjoy studying different religions. I actually did quite well in RS at the second school I went to. 

As for holidays, I feel Christmas and Easter get celebrated more for the fact that it involves exchanging presents or chocolate and forget the true meaning of these holidays. That’s just what I think I am not to say if it’s true or not. I’m only saying because a friend of mine was atheist and she said her family celebrate those holidays but renamed them. Don’t get me wrong she was an amazing person but unfortunately I was asked to leave school and I never got her number. I don’t know as much about other religions holidays but I think maybe they can go under the radar because it doesn’t involve exchanging goods? I’m not too sure. I have never really thought too much about this until recently. 

Also as for politics, I get so confused. Isn’t Kier Stramer an atheist? I know he’s not House of Lords but I must admit I didn’t think religion had anything to do with politics. I know the royal family are Protestants, except for queen camilla who I believe is Catholic, but again didn’t Protestantism come from King Henry 8th because he wanted a religion that allowed divorce? And he made it up? Sorry I’m not the most knowledgeable of people on this planet. My gift was gaming haha

I think you're fairly right in your interpretations, although Protestantism was fairly well established although there were different sects, they really just believed in worship according the Scriptures rather than the Vulgate bible that was used by Cathilics. Nor did they like monastries, saints, monks, nuns and all the "bells and smells" of the catholics. Henry VIII's creation was very similar to traditional Catholicism, just with him at the head instead of the pope and of course the wealth, never forget the wealth that was held in religious institutions, Henry was skint when he disolved the monastries. Along with the destruction of the monasteries he destroyed the already terribble existance of many poor and disabled who were supported by church alms distribution.

I believe in reincarnation too, although I wouldn't be bothered by death being the end of everything, I've always had this fear that the day I die someone will come up with a foolproof was of doing necromancy and I'll still end up no peace from people asking me stupid questions, lol.

I completely understand that and thank you for filling in the details I never knew. I had studied in the past but must admit had forgotten about. If I were to get reincarnated I hope the next life would be better than this one haha. I mean for some reason I also believe I could have been alive before I was born if that makes sense. I mean it’s impossible to prove it but for some reason I feel like I have a strong connection with Singapore despite the fact I’ve never been there. But there again it could just be because I like the look of it from pictures haha. Like has someone been reincarnated into my life? Or is it just the mind playing tricks? All so mysterious but interesting. I do like to believe that there is an afterlife though as the thought of death does scare me I’ll be honest, hence the reason why I have taken religion more seriously lately. But everyone is different 

Wow, that’s really interesting, I never learnt any of this at school but I do think it should be considered to be studied. These events seem to go under the radar and as I said I think Christmas and Easter to most people are more just days of giving and getting presents so that’s why those two dates are very well known but they don’t know the true meaning of those dates. Or the meaning of the Christmas trees and ligbts. But there again we don’t know the date that Jesus sacrificed himself hence Easter is a different date each year. And though Jesus was meant to be born on 25th of December, there are also theories of Jesus not actually being born that date. I do also believe in other Gods and Goddesses as well though and I do think they deserve more attention and so do other religious holidays. 

As for death, I believe the thing is people are actually more afraid of dying than death itself but I do like to believe that as long as we have been good on earth then we can have an even better life up in heaven But that is my personal belief and I am choosing to go down the religious path but there again I also believe that we should have a good life too. I also believe in reincarnation as I’ve said as well. I think what can put people off religion is the fact that people can abuse religion and use it as their excuse to be bullies and wicked so then they can pray to God that they will be forgiven for being bullies and then assume God will forgive them and then this vicious cycle continues but I believe that God will see that as abuse of religion and then go to hell but who am I to say. Hope this hasn’t offended anyone and I hope I haven’t come across as preachy. I respect everyone’s views x

I fear being in pain and the indignity of dying, but I'm not afraid of being dead, lots of people are which I find really strange.

The next life will be different to this one, better that's a matter of interpretation.

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So many Christian festivals were either moved, taken over by Christians or had Pagan ideas attached to them, it's a bit hard to seperate them. Then of course there's the official Roman calendar which everything had to fit into, many people don't realsie that when Constantine officially turned Rome Chrisiian that it was a change of God/s slotted into an already existing beaurocratic calendar. 

The word Easter come from the Pagan Goddess Eostre, who was Goddess of spring and fertitlity to Anglo-Saxons.

Candlemass or St Brides/Bridget's day is also a fusion, 2nd of february also known as Imbolc was a festival of returning light, the Goddess Bridget, was sort of melded with and became a saint, I'm not sure anyones really knows how or why?

Just about every culture has a midwinter festival, xmas has been called so many things, Saturnalia by the Romans, Yule, by the north western Europeans.

I fear being in pain and the indignity of dying, but I'm not afraid of being dead, lots of people are which I find really strange.

The next life will be different to this one, better that's a matter of interpretation.

*******************************

So many Christian festivals were either moved, taken over by Christians or had Pagan ideas attached to them, it's a bit hard to seperate them. Then of course there's the official Roman calendar which everything had to fit into, many people don't realsie that when Constantine officially turned Rome Chrisiian that it was a change of God/s slotted into an already existing beaurocratic calendar. 

The word Easter come from the Pagan Goddess Eostre, who was Goddess of spring and fertitlity to Anglo-Saxons.

Candlemass or St Brides/Bridget's day is also a fusion, 2nd of february also known as Imbolc was a festival of returning light, the Goddess Bridget, was sort of melded with and became a saint, I'm not sure anyones really knows how or why?

Just about every culture has a midwinter festival, xmas has been called so many things, Saturnalia by the Romans, Yule, by the north western Europeans.

Wow, that’s really interesting, I never learnt any of this at school but I do think it should be considered to be studied. These events seem to go under the radar and as I said I think Christmas and Easter to most people are more just days of giving and getting presents so that’s why those two dates are very well known but they don’t know the true meaning of those dates. Or the meaning of the Christmas trees and ligbts. But there again we don’t know the date that Jesus sacrificed himself hence Easter is a different date each year. And though Jesus was meant to be born on 25th of December, there are also theories of Jesus not actually being born that date. I do also believe in other Gods and Goddesses as well though and I do think they deserve more attention and so do other religious holidays. 

As for death, I believe the thing is people are actually more afraid of dying than death itself but I do like to believe that as long as we have been good on earth then we can have an even better life up in heaven But that is my personal belief and I am choosing to go down the religious path but there again I also believe that we should have a good life too. I also believe in reincarnation as I’ve said as well. I think what can put people off religion is the fact that people can abuse religion and use it as their excuse to be bullies and wicked so then they can pray to God that they will be forgiven for being bullies and then assume God will forgive them and then this vicious cycle continues but I believe that God will see that as abuse of religion and then go to hell but who am I to say. Hope this hasn’t offended anyone and I hope I haven’t come across as preachy. I respect everyone’s views x