|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 4:28 pm
Post your personal testimonies here on why you believe what you do and how you came to the conclusions that you have.
Enjoy!
*this forum is more for sharing personal experiences on religion(or a lacktherof) than it is for debating so try to keep that in mind when posting here*
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:58 pm
OK! I can do that....
this actually happened just a few days ago my frind was wearing a pentagram and my old english teacher came up and asked her if she knew what that was and she resonded in telling that it ment protection and she said that it was not even close to protection that it ment demons and monsters note she is breaking an amendment in the constitution so could get fired so as she is telling this to my friend I interupt and say that it is actually a part of Wiccan religion and that I have been reading a whole bunch of books about it, anyways she finishes of in asking are friends if there wearing one!
anyways I am now wereing one every day!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 5:24 pm
I guess I'll share my story.
To start at the very, very beginning, my parents took us kids to the Methodist Church. Now, my dad is Unitarian and my mom prefers not to think about religion, but they wanted a moral compass for their children and, seeing as how there were no Unitarian Churches available at the time, they decided the Methodists were the "least obnoxious." So those are some of my earliest memories.
Eventually, my big brother got old enough to start questioning things and declared he was an Atheist. My little brother is autistic, and he was getting too old to stay in daycare during services. His autism is extremely severe; he can't speak. So there really isn't any keeping him quiet for any extended period of time like for a service or a movie. Also, my mom was a doctor, so half the time she was at the hospital and unable to make it on Sunday mornings. However, the last straw was when on Mothers' Day, the pastor made a speech about how it's a shame so many women work and mothers should stay at home. My mom being the breadwinner for our family, she said through tight lips that day, "We're not coming back."
Going through school, though, all my little friends were Christian, and so I tried out a whole bunch of different churches when I got old enough to try to figure out what I believed. Christianity was the only religion available to me, though, where I lived in the middle of nowhere. So I went with the friendliest group of people, which happened to be the Southern Baptists.
Unfortunately, I really took it too far. I swallowed every bit of dogma the church ever spouted, and I let the church run pretty much every facet of my life. I truly believed my parents, friends, and family were all going to hell. Even though my beliefs made happy at first, it really weighed on my mind that no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get to everyone I cared about. I felt like their blood was on my hands because I was unable to convert them.
Then I went to college. And I made a big mistake. I fell in love. heart With a girl. sweatdrop I literally thought, "Satan is tempting me." I talked to my Sunday school teacher and, to be fair, she really felt like she was doing the right thing in the way she counseled me. She gave me the "Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve" speech, a book called "Stairway to Hell" and a video that was all about how God was punishing homosexuals by giving them AIDS. It was all very hateful propaganda.
I thought, "I'm not like these people they're talking about. I'm not going and having promiscuous sex. I'm just in love. I just want to spend my life with this person? What's wrong with that?" Eventually, I decided that a loving God who gives His children love to share together, but then says that sometimes love isn't okay... I just couldn't believe it anymore. The Southern Baptists, particularly, preach that if every single word of the Bible isn't verbatim truth, then it's all a crock. So with one thing I couldn't reconcile for myself, I looked at other things, and it just made less and less sense. I totally lost my faith.
There were various unfortunate side effect to my time as a Christian. I still struggle with some of the ways I really messed myself up during that time.
I studied a lot of different religions, and eventually came to the conclusion that, probably, nobody has it 100% right, even IF there is a God/gods. So, I consider myself an Atheist these days, but more importantly, I have always believed in being good to your fellow man, and so I identify myself more closely with Secular Humanists.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 6:41 pm
My Testimony begins when I was born on Tishrei 14th, 57_ _.
Yes, a Jew was born in Ireland to a Catholic man. But the woman was Jewish, anyway, so I'm Jewish. My mom is Conservative-Reform and I am Reform. The Circumcision was medical. According to a Family Legend, my great- great- grandad is from the line of The Baal Shem Tov, founder of the Hassidic Movement, who himself is traced through King David, a member of the tribe of Judah. My word that sounds vain. And it is vain...
I was not particularly religious for most of my childhood, save for a real knack for Hebrew towards the end, which we were taught in Hebrew School (I've been going to Jewish schools for years).
Around my Bar-Mitzvah at 13, however, the Chosen Person within me kind of awoke. I became far more religious. Thoughtful. Ethical. Scrupulous.
Then came the fall. I had a nervous breakdown. It turns out I have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, among a few other psychological labels, a fairly uncommon symptom of which is Scrupulosity. It's the thing that made me so religious and so nice, at least in part, and also convinced me I was evil G-d was going to smite me and, well, broke me down nervously. I was in Hell for about a month, until I got help and fxed things.
I stil have OCD and Scrupulosity, but I now try to keep it in check. I am still religious, more so than in my childhood.
As many of you have likely seen me post:
Lumanny the Spae Jew My religion is Reform Judaism.
Why am I Jewish?
I was born into it, having been born Shmuel to a Reform Jewish mother.
Because I believe in the One true god Hashem, Creator of all things.
Because I believe in the Ancient Israelites' covenant with Him through the Torah.
Because I believe in the values and ethics of Judaism such as Tikun Olam, repairing the world.
Because I feel that faith is important and though, as the Rambam said, G-d's existence can never be proven, I still can and do believe in Him.
Because i believe that G-d does have a plan and all bad things happen for a reason. though we have free will.
Because I am a fervent Zionist who believes in Israel, the Spiritual Homeland of the Jews, given to us by G-d thousands of years ago.
Because I feel a strong connection to my Homeland and Ancestry through the Holy Language Hebrew, which I speak fluently.
Because I believe in Circumcision from experience.
Because I believe I am a Chosen Person of G-d.
Why Reform Judaism?
Because I believe in Educated, Informed Decision about how we as Jews practice our covenant.
Because I fell that ethics are often more important than rituals in terms of commandments.
Well, I believe it. I believe in it.
I don't go to Temple, but I'm in between Synagogues right now and I'm working on it.
I debate Religious Circumcision on Gaia a lot, too.
And I still want to be a Rabbi, probably at a school but maybe at a Synagogue, when I finish school.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
