What's your religion?

[Tom]

Christian

 

[Streetwise]

I'm Jewish but my practice is very personal. I have found I don't work well going to a synagogue I just find it overwhelming and I in fact pretty much left for a few years. Now that I have accepted being autistic will affect my faith I have been able to connect with G-d in a better way.

I don't exactly believe in a higher power but instead an energy around us free to access if we choose. That does of course against Judaism a little bit in the way we believe in one higher power and not a vague energy field but it works for me and that's between G-d and me. I find that needing a higher power does not matter and it is instead the mindful time I can take to connect to my own spirit and the world around me that is the most holy and the more cleansing and calming. Judaism tends to emphasize religion not just as belief but as practice and I guess I just emphasize that even more. Alongside that I have a strong ethical code.

I'm Jewish but my practice is very personal. I have found I don't work well going to a synagogue I just find it overwhelming and I in fact pretty much left for a few years. Now that I have accepted being autistic will affect my faith I have been able to connect with G-d in a better way.

I don't exactly believe in a higher power but instead an energy around us free to access if we choose. That does of course against Judaism a little bit in the way we believe in one higher power and not a vague energy field but it works for me and that's between G-d and me. I find that needing a higher power does not matter and it is instead the mindful time I can take to connect to my own spirit and the world around me that is the most holy and the more cleansing and calming. Judaism tends to emphasize religion not just as belief but as practice and I guess I just emphasize that even more. Alongside that I have a strong ethical code.

I wonder if you're at the messianic Jewish stage I've seen testimonies and they sound like you

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

I have none (Athiest) as I cannot ever forgive any god that would create me this way. My views were forged when I read "Why I am Not a Christian" by Bertrand Russell when I was 15.

That said, my view and enjoyment of nature could mean that I'm a closet Panthiest, though that would contradict my view that the cosmos is entirely natural and materialistic.

 

[PastelPetals]

I wonder if you're at the messianic Jewish stage I've seen testimonies and they sound like you

I am not.

Edit: There is no "messianic Jewish stage' It is not a natural progression or anything believing in a messiah is not closer to enlightenment. I don't believe in Jesus or the trinity and saying that I can still celebrate passover is not the good Jewish thing you might think it is. Plus I said my belief was more vague I am pretty sure inserting Jesus into it would make it much less like how I currently exist. I don't need to be evangelized to thank you.

 

[Greatshield17]

I wonder if you're at the messianic Jewish stage I've seen testimonies and they sound like you

Interesting, what is the Messianic Jewish view and understanding of God?

 

[oregano]

I have none (Athiest) as I cannot ever forgive any god that would create me this way. My views were forged when I read "Why I am Not a Christian" by Bertrand Russell when I was 15.

That said, my view and enjoyment of nature could mean that I'm a closet Panthiest, though that would contradict my view that the cosmos is entirely natural and materialistic.

The "deity" I believe in, "Providence" is more like an energy force that keeps the universe going and is infused through all things. So I'm basically pantheist. I think that the God Of The Bible may have been an extraterrestrial, or a group of them, and that the sacrifice of Yeshua (who I do NOT believe died on the Cross, but simply went into deep shock) was its/their way of saying that they were sorry for the messes they made on earth. As for what or whoever created this existence, they are LONG gone, and have no bearing on how a single person turns out.

 

[UberScout]

Yes.

Spoiler

I am saying simply "Yes" and nothing else as sort of a pseudo-humorous way of saying "I am religious, I'm Christian, but I prefer to think of myself as Christian-Wiccan because of my involvement in White Magick."

 

[tree]

I have my own theology:

Welcome to The Dheghem International!

Best described as a combination of Buddha and Karl Marx, with some bits and pieces from a few other faiths thrown in.

1. Who originated this belief system?

2. Does "humen" mean "human"?

 

[Judge]

I have my own theology:

Best described as a combination of Buddha and Karl Marx, with some bits and pieces from a few other faiths thrown in.

"Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people."

- Karl Marx, 1843

 

[Misery]

I tend to simply admit that I dont know the answers to the big questions. Granted, I have my theories, and certain events in recent times have caused me to theorize that much more. But I cant exactly tear a hole in reality to see what's underneath it, so... just theories and ideas.

My belief system has no name, and as far as I can see doesn't require one.

Yeah, this sorta echoes my thoughts on the matter.

When I began reading the Seth books - that made more sense, and felt very empowering. I think this is because what it teaches transcends religion and science.

I'm curious, what does this mean?

 

[Streetwise]

I am not.

Edit: There is no "messianic Jewish stage' It is not a natural progression or anything believing in a messiah is not closer to enlightenment. I don't believe in Jesus or the trinity and saying that I can still celebrate passover is not the good Jewish thing you might think it is. Plus I said my belief was more vague I am pretty sure inserting Jesus into it would make it much less like how I currently exist. I don't need to be evangelized to thank you.

Could i ask what you understand as I wonder to mean ?does it mean for instance I know every single thought you have had since birth?

 

[PastelPetals]

Could i ask what you understand as I wonder to mean ?does it mean for instance I know every single thought you have had since birth?

I will be honest I read this a few times and comprehended very little I do apologise that might be on me.l
Are you asking what I think you mean when you quoted me the first time?
I am sorry I just don't wanna answer till i'm clear what i'm answering.

 

[Streetwise]

I will be honest I read this a few times and comprehended very little I do apologise that might be on me.l
Are you asking what I think you mean when you quoted me the first time?
I am sorry I just don't wanna answer till i'm clear what i'm answering.

Im asking what I wonder means?

 

[oregano]

1. Who originated this belief system?

2. Does "humen" mean "human"?

1) I originated it myself.
2) "Humen" means "humans", but is a plural usage I feel is more correct, since the word "human" is derived from a variant of "man" as far as I can determine. So, the correct plural would be "humen". I consider this a plural that covers all expressions of human gender, biological sex, and other spectrums of human self-identification. For the more sensitive a more neutral plural such as "humxn" may be substituted.

 

[PastelPetals]

Im asking what I wonder means?

Oh your asking if I understand your reply.

It's fine to wonder but unfortunately messianic Judaism has been used to convert Jews into more christian line of thought and while that well and good to invite people to join a religion system that works for you and others the sad fact is Messianic Judaism takes our holy words and our traditions and twists them to serve a narrative they were never meant to serve for us.

Due to this historical context I did get defensive your are correct but you "wonder" didn't seem of pure motive I could similarly "wonder" if all the christians in this thread who don't believe strongly in a higher power might be Jewish because the lack of distinct separate states of G-d and Jesus could show that there is only one true G-d. But I won't not only because I don't thank that is a good use of my time and I think people should worship how they may but also because Judaism is against proselytizing and let's people convert because they want not because somebody else told them they should.

I think that the holidays that I have celebrated and the torah I have read out of are wonderful and I glad others think so as well. Messianic Judaism came about in around the 70s out of evangelical christianity they themselves having a pertictual fascination with Judaism. People have used our religion as a pawn for other movements and I am allowed not like that. I am aware of who started this thread and I aware of who populates it so I was hesitant to post however I expected it to be pretty civil as most things here are.

It would be rude for me to say "I wonder if you are on the path to Islam" or "I wonder if you are on the path to Catholicism" as that implies you are currently on the wrong path and heading towards something different. I made it very clear in my post most more than once that that my relationship with G-d (or adonai or hashem) is between me and Him and nobody else. There is no messianic stage it not an inevitability or a process it's just different religions.

We can see the similarities between us without making one right or even saying another place might be a better fit. If it is I will find that on my own as will all of us on our lifelong faith journey.

I apologise for the long post

Respectfully
and sincerely ,
Petal


Edited for typos

 

[oregano]

"Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people."

- Karl Marx, 1843

The central irony of Marx's life and work is that some of his central ideas work better as religious canon than political imperative/legal system. Specifically, his "from each according to ability, to each according to need" (a variant of which is the Platinum Law) is nearly unenforceable as a political system but much more workable on the smaller scale of individual and small commune. In addition, Marx was likely thinking of the big organized religious structures of 19th century Germany, the two main ones being Lutheranist Christianity and Catholicism, which in his view dangled the carrot of eternal paradise to keep people slaving away in dreadful conditions on earth. The priests and pastors promised eternal rest as a reward for backbreaking toil on earth. The capitalists would be judged eternally, while the proles would find bliss. Marx viewed this promise as vaporware that kept people from demanding the beheading of their capitalist oppressors in the here and now.

 

[Judge]

The central irony of Marx's life and work is that some of his central ideas work better as religious canon than political imperative/legal system.

I wouldn't say that within earshot of the Vatican.

 

[oregano]

In @PastelPetals defense, she is right that Messianic Judaism was invented by Evangelical Christians as a "have your cake and eat it too" compromise between "stubborn" Jews who refused to become Christian and the Evangelical belief in the imminent need to Christianize the Jews before Jesus showed up. It was basically a "splitting the baby" halfway point-Jews could maintain their customs and laws while worshipping Jesus as the Jewish Messiah. Despite Messianism being illegal in Israel, there is a tiny underground practicing it in secret.

 

[Greatshield17]

"Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people."

- Karl Marx, 1843

Always interesting to see the contexts of famous quotes.

 

[Greatshield17]

1) I originated it myself.
2) "Humen" means "humans", but is a plural usage I feel is more correct, since the word "human" is derived from a variant of "man" as far as I can determine. So, the correct plural would be "humen". I consider this a plural that covers all expressions of human gender, biological sex, and other spectrums of human self-identification. For the more sensitive a more neutral plural such as "humxn" may be substituted.

The word “man” originally meant “human,” while in Germanic languages, words like “wer” meant “man” as in “male.” (This where we get words like “werewolf.”) It’s worth noting that the word “human,” actually refers to human nature,mrather than individual human beings; thus it’s more accurate to say “human persons,” or “human men” or “human women,” instead of “humans.”