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Religion and Spirituality

TheCatWoman

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. 

  • in reply to Elfilis

    Faith is a personal thing. We should all be able to have one if we want. A personal relationship with the faith makes all the difference in my faith. Your dad doesn't seem to understand things properly. It is not his thing to have a monopoly or interest of a faith. Jesus said to people to follow him and he wants more people to. He asked them to seek and knock and find him and that applies to everyone if they are ready to. He also said that people need to believe in him for eternal afterlife.

    I would say ignore if interested and perhaps listen to something like an mp3 Bible on your own and take it from there. Faith Comes by Hearing may be a good place to look. I use one downloaded from there, non dramatised version.

    If this continues with your father and remember you don’t have to discuss your faith with him if you don't want to, but secrecy can be hard at home to. Could you look into alternate housing to get away from this, It's not good.

    About end of life, some Saints are in Heaven, but we are now waiting for the 2nd Resurrection with Christ to return and then will go to New Jerusalem or Heaven itself and only God determines that in my faith and I am a Christian, but I am a non demontioal, but was baptised as a Catholic. There is something called the Cennacle charismatic and I am not young and don' go, but I have seen it. They support people with social media to so may be that might be something to look at as well. Good luck

  • in reply to RachelO

    Ahh well I live alone now so I’m not being watched or anything now but when I was living at home that’s when things got out of control, considering I needed comfort with my panic attack with worrying about ceasing to exist. I expected more comfort and thought my “dad” would be happy that I showed more interest but guess not. Say when on holiday there was a bible in the bedside table draw and I got moaned at for just picking it up, as you said I don’t think he really understands religion at all. 

    I am feeling more of a calling towards following Jesus and Christianity but I do have interests in other religions but I do feel the strongest connection with Christianity. I am C of E but I’m unable to find any local churches in my area so I tend to practice in my own time, I just feel guilty doing so as I keep getting my “dads” voice in my head which is a real struggle. I will have a look into something like an mp3 or podcast though, lately I have read some of the children’s Bible stories online but when I go to Liverpool I might go into a shop that sells biblical stuff, I actually felt a sense of peace when I went there earlier this year. 

    I also believe in heaven and afterlife and I remember one of my therapists who used to be a nurse, she worked in a small hospital for people who had intense surgeries and the ones who were proven “dead” actually said about experiencing heaven which I thought was very reassuring. When I told my dad this though he refused to believe it so I can’t understand why he claims to be catholic and say I can’t understand why he would want religion all to himself. I’d be happy to share religion, though I do like to keep religion to myself at times too but if someone else is interested then I’m happy to talk. I do worry if I’d be welcome in heaven because I am left handed. Hmm. 

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  • in reply to RachelO

    Ahh well I live alone now so I’m not being watched or anything now but when I was living at home that’s when things got out of control, considering I needed comfort with my panic attack with worrying about ceasing to exist. I expected more comfort and thought my “dad” would be happy that I showed more interest but guess not. Say when on holiday there was a bible in the bedside table draw and I got moaned at for just picking it up, as you said I don’t think he really understands religion at all. 

    I am feeling more of a calling towards following Jesus and Christianity but I do have interests in other religions but I do feel the strongest connection with Christianity. I am C of E but I’m unable to find any local churches in my area so I tend to practice in my own time, I just feel guilty doing so as I keep getting my “dads” voice in my head which is a real struggle. I will have a look into something like an mp3 or podcast though, lately I have read some of the children’s Bible stories online but when I go to Liverpool I might go into a shop that sells biblical stuff, I actually felt a sense of peace when I went there earlier this year. 

    I also believe in heaven and afterlife and I remember one of my therapists who used to be a nurse, she worked in a small hospital for people who had intense surgeries and the ones who were proven “dead” actually said about experiencing heaven which I thought was very reassuring. When I told my dad this though he refused to believe it so I can’t understand why he claims to be catholic and say I can’t understand why he would want religion all to himself. I’d be happy to share religion, though I do like to keep religion to myself at times too but if someone else is interested then I’m happy to talk. I do worry if I’d be welcome in heaven because I am left handed. Hmm. 

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