Religion and Spirituality

I know this is a contentious issue, but I wnat to talk about it anyway and I hope people can be respectful to the beliefs of others. 

It seems to me that although we in the UK are called a Christian country, we're not, most people don't attend church, many are nominally Christian, church for hatchings, matchings and despatchings, maybe xmas and easter too. Many will attend church to get their children into a high performing church school. Our main bank holidays focus on a Christian festival calendar, Easter, Pentecost, Xmas etc, but I wonder if we should add the holy days of other faiths, like EId, Diwali, the Solticies?

We have so many faiths in this country and many people who don't identify with any particular faith, but are broadly believers in something.

I'd like to see bishops removed from the House of Lords and the Church of England disestablished, in a multifath society I don't see what their place is in the giovernance of the country, I think you either have to have representatives of all faiths or none and seeing as many faiths don't have an episcopal system I don't see how it would work where the representatives come from and which community would they be representing? I think the same is true of the current situation and bishops, there are many Christian sects that do not recognise and episcopal system.  

Parents
  • I am not able to express religion even in my own time now because of my “dad” guilt tripping me for it. Like it’s ok for him to be as religious as he wants but if I want to be religious or show more interest then it’s wrong because I’m stealing “his thing”! Plus he doesn’t even believe in life after death so I think what’s the point in claiming religion to be his thing if he doesn’t believe in heaven and hell? Am I missing something? Are there religions that don’t believe in afterlife? Sorry I’m new to all this I admit. He claims to be a catholic so I thought they were believers in heaven and hell. 

  • Some Pagans don't believe in an after life or reincarnation, but I don't know about any others. As a Catholic he should believe in heaven and hell, it all part of the point of it, isn't it? 

    Does God only belong to one person? How can he claim it's his thing? Christianity of any sect is an evangelical religion, it actively seeks out converts, so how can it only be his thing?

    I'm sorry to say this, but your Dad sounds like a really abusive and manipulative person, is there anything you can talk about with your family and not get put down or guilt tripped?

Reply
  • Some Pagans don't believe in an after life or reincarnation, but I don't know about any others. As a Catholic he should believe in heaven and hell, it all part of the point of it, isn't it? 

    Does God only belong to one person? How can he claim it's his thing? Christianity of any sect is an evangelical religion, it actively seeks out converts, so how can it only be his thing?

    I'm sorry to say this, but your Dad sounds like a really abusive and manipulative person, is there anything you can talk about with your family and not get put down or guilt tripped?

Children
  • I am aware of that. I don’t know that much about it and I have seen protests against it. The SpongeBob religion may be better. I’d probably stick with Christianity and the more original religions more than anything. I tend to like to go into details and see various views. 

  • You're very welcome and I'm glad that I was able to help you.

    I'd be a bit wary of Scientology though, it seems to be one of those where it's hard to get away once they've got their hooks into you. 

  • When my mum comes back off her holiday I might ask her if she can take me to some churches for reassurance. There are a couple of Cathedrals in Liverpool as well so we will probably pay them a visit at some point too. I don’t have any local churches near me at the moment and I’m not best with public transport so as I said I tend to practice at home in my own time. I will definitely explore other religions though, say I do have a strong interest and belief in the Greek and Egyptian Gods and Goddesses but I also enjoy studying Judaism and Scientology as well. I think they are all very interesting if I’m honest. I actually have a little table top zen garden with a tiny Buddha statue and I do that daily and get a sense of spiritual peace as well. I actually remember praying for either me to get my own place or the horrible neighbours at my mums place moved and well I got my own place so my prayer got answered but I prayed to so many Gods and Goddesses and well at least someone answered me hehe! I was kinda like Lisa Simpson when she prayed to Buddha, Jesus and SpongeBob. Surprised I haven’t prayed to SpongeBob myself haha. 

    Thank you for being so kind and understanding and I am grateful you respect my views and I respect yours and everyone’s views here. I’m glad I was able to talk about this so thank you! 

  • Have you thought about talking to your priest about this nonsense your Dad comes out with? Maybe talk to a couple of different priests, a Catholic and a CoE one, they will all tell you God is for everyone and no one has the right to try and deny God to you because they've taken some sort of ownereship of him/them. Maybe what this is telling you is that it's time to start exploring your faith outside of your family? Maybe a god is calling you? The only way to find out is to take the time to listen and explore. Nothing you've said about any crisis of faith is in any way wrong or uncommon, most people have the same fears at some point or other, some never get past them. If you don't explore these crisis's, then I think and this is only my belief, that your faith is either extremely deep in that you have no doubts at all, or it's superficial, because you're not really engaging with it fully.

  • Don’t be sorry at all! What you have said about him is completely true. Had time to myself lately so I’ve been doing my own things which has been much nicer! The only things I can talk about in my family are things they are interested in, not me. I just come across as boring to them but it’s because I have nothing in common and I just feel the outcast. 

    I always thought God belonged to everyone but it depends on whether or not the people choose to accept him and believe in him. I don’t understand why my “dad” doesn’t like me talking about religion when for years he’s always tried to convince me to become catholic myself but when I started taking Christianity in general more seriously, he didn’t like it and said only he can be the religious one as it’s his thing. Not to mention that time when I had an awful panic attack by the fear of death and nothingness afterwards, I honestly expected to have more comfort and reassurance but all I got was “JUST LIVE YOUR FLAMING LIFE AND STOP CRYING AND MOANING!!” Ouch! Did not expect that from a catholic. It was my mum who calmed me down and reassured and she was struggling with her faith at the time but as far as I’m concerned she has reclaimed her faith again.  

    As for afterlife, I think you are right about pagens and if I’m correct some Buddhists don’t believe in afterlife either. I know Lisa Simpson is like that. I am a big believer in heaven and the afterlife and even reincarnation if I’m honest and I also enjoy studying other religions whether it’s Christianity, Buddhism or even Greek or Egyptian Gods and Goddesses. I believe in all of them but I choose to follow the Christian faith. I just have to keep quiet from my “dad” which really upsets me considering he’s supposedly catholic.