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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

    Good grief Elfis, what planet does your "dad" live on? By the way why do you always put him in "thingy" marks?

    i think it is sheer ignorance to think that left handed people are somehow bad, I think it comes from the Latin Dexter-right and Sinister=left, sinister came to take on more negative connotations somewhere along the line, possibly from shield walls in warfare where you hold your shield with your left arm and your sword or spear in your right. A shield wall is a line of interlocking shields protecting not just your own body, but that of the person to the side of you, swords or spears and then jabbed or slashed over or under the shields, if someone's domminant hand is the left and they naturally want to hold a shield in their right hand and a sword with thier left it would leave a gap in a shield wall that would make it vulnerable in what is basically a pushing match.

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

    Almond, I would like to see the church and state seperated too, but it dosent' gaurantee a state not dominated by religious thought and beliefs, America has no state religion, but it's politics seem to be very much dominated by Christianity and seems to be becoming more so.

  • in reply to TheCatWoman

    Ahh ok thank you! I have a better understanding now and the link Iain had sent me in your polytheism post was very helpful too. Though I would probably say I’m more monotheistic, I am definitely not against polytheism and say I have prayed to many Gods and Goddesses in the past. 

    I actually believe I have a Goddess as a guardian angel and as you say it’s like making a friend and them building you and looking after you! 

  • in reply to Elfilis

    Polytheism is a belief that there are many Gods and Goddesses, all equally valid, some come in families like the Greek deities, some are more loosly connected. For me interactions with the divine are a bit like making a friend in this world, you meet one and get on and they guide you and work with you, challenging, comforting and loving.

  • in reply to Iain

    Hiya Iain, don’t you worry I wasn’t talking about you or anyone on the forum, I was meaning about all the bullies I have encountered but I do admit I was quite vague in my post. I’ve been scared since I was little but I remember having terrible panic attacks back in 2015, 2018 and 2023 so it was before I joined the forum. But I’ve been able to connect with Christianity as well as other religions and I do feel that have helped me overcome the fear. I also find hearing of other peoples experiences with the afterlife interesting and reassuring but all we can do is either believe them or not. 

    I must admit I can’t say I’ve seen all of your posts but I was not offended in anyway and I can completely understand and respect your views. I’m very grateful for your kind response as well and I’m so sorry if I have offended yourself or anyone in any way at all. I think it is very good you have been able to put your views across as well as everyone else here and I feel very reassured and happy to have participated in this discussion. Thank you for being so kind though I am very grateful! 

    I apologise for the vagueness of my responses. I’m currently feeling sick and vertigo and haven’t got much to do.

  • in reply to Elfilis
    Elfilis said:
    I have had the exact same issues with atheists! I mean if they don’t believe in God or afterlife then why don’t they just make the most of what they have instead of making us all scared

    If my posts caused you to be scared then I apologise. This was not the intent.

    What I was trying to do is promote critical thinking rather than blind belief as the religions that push their set of "rules" are often untrustworthy and many have very dubious historical credentials.

    I think that faith is a great thing, just not organised religion.

    For the record I am somewhere between athiest and agnostic - I don't believe there is a god but I remain open to the concept if proof of one is forthcoming.

  • in reply to ArchaeC

    Aww mate I am so sorry to hear about that, I’m sure your toes were and still are fine but how can people just be so cruel. It might seem silly to them but to us and others that can be very hurtful! I started getting bullied in year 3 because of a horrible teacher and the students I was in class with at the time. It was then when I started showing more signs of autism as I was more lonely and if I was made to give an answer which I didn’t know I’d get bullied and then I’d cry then get shouted at and bullied for crying. I’m glad to hear that some primary schools are trying to accept the NDs of this world, I mean we don’t ask for a lot, just to be kind more than anything as it’s harder to just shake the horrible things off. They also need to be kinds in nurseries too as I can even remember being bullied there as well by kids and the staff were rude as well. My mum managed to get me out of them in the end.

  • in reply to TheCatWoman

    I have had the exact same issues with atheists! I mean if they don’t believe in God or afterlife then why don’t they just make the most of what they have instead of making us all scared. I will admit they are the reason why I have had such awful panic attacks about death and I also get upset about how people say your belief is that only a belief. I would honestly hate to have a life like that if I’m honest as well, I suppose in a way I feel blessed that I have a religion calling to me and I have the ability to accept it. But I also love the Greek and Egyptian Gods and Goddesses as I find them really fascinating too! Also like Roman Gods and Goddesses as well as many others, there’s a lot of choice! I must admit those of other religions never bullied me, if anything they were the ones who stuck up for me. But I’m very sorry you have also been a victim of bullying especially religion related.

    I am embarrassed to ask this but what exactly is polytheism? I noticed your other post and I wanted to participate but I can’t really get any answers from Google or AI lol!

    As for the left handed thing, yeah I had to pay for my own set of left handed scissors and the ironic thing was I was allowed to bring them into school as I said I was left handed but I actually got them banned in the tuition centre as I was thought to be some baddie or something. I mean they were like blunt but I don’t know. I did feel embarrassed being the bad example though. I’ve noticed they mark up the prices on left handed stuff as well, I think that naughty I mean just because there aren’t as many of us doesn’t mean to say we need to pay extra does it? I honestly don’t know how handedness works, I assumed it was genetic but who knows. I might do a post of handedness at some point! 

  • in reply to TheCatWoman
    TheCatWoman said:
    I think some people are just bullies and it dosent' matter what faith or none they adhere to, they just look for differences to point out and try and make you feel bad about yourself.

    I agree with that. Those sort of people actively look for a difference they can use as an excuse for their vileness. 

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