Welcome to Gaia! ::

Recently I was sneaking my way around the GD (center of acceptance and intelligence here on Gaia you know.) And I spotted a thread asking us to name off our religions.

Now I'm an...alternative person. I follow Gredism. (Don't bother looking it up I'm fairly sure my grandfather made it up but I believe in it. Just because he thought of it doesn't make it false right?)

As soon as I posted it I was assulted by people who thought I was a lier (Which is understandable.) and people who began to attack me for being a member of a dangerous and sick cult. Only two people actually wanted to know more about it before attacking me.

It struck me. Every new religion is automatically labeled a cult and associated with the stigmas that accompany that word.

Do you think that's right? I can of course see why it's done but shouldn't people try to find out a little more about it before associating it with death and chaos?

Well, something comes to mind, but I am also still a little blazed from the other night. But, when I think about it I see, a bunch of people looking at a square, they have never seen a square before and they no nothing about the square, so they quickly pick up sticks and knives and any object and begin beating the square to death, because..they don't know what a square is.


Now yes, through out history people have done that to..'squares' but, most people just like pushing people around, and they know they aren't going to get their a** beat because it is over the internet, people are bullies.

Now, I am a Christain and well I am pretty confident with my reiligon, but I wont try and convert you, and I wont hold up signs and pickets and scream that 'abortion is evil' and 'gay is devil worship' or some bull crap like that, because that isn't what a true christain does, a true christain in my oppion is accepting and forgiving. Now, I want to know more about your lovly little cult. if it is a cult...<.< but I say that being catholic is a cult bo offense to chatholics out there, but that is because I use to date a catholic and I have witnessed some pretty bizzare things that they do. But, just because you are catholic doesn't mean I wont be your friend, and it doesn't mean that I am going to start to undermind you as a person just because you are.

Now, me personally I think it is wrong to attack anyone just because of their religion. Now, if you know alot about that persons reiligon and you want to know more about the other persons feelings towards that reiligon then that is fine. But to post a question asking what everyones religion is, then attack people who post their religion just because you disagree is very very very wrong. The question was asked out of curiosity I am going to assume, and not to degrate people and attack people. Or..maybe it was asked to start a fight, but that is the wrong reason to ask

that is just how I feel. whee

For some reason, I'm reminded of the old Roman and Grecian celebrations, when I hear about your festival. If I were a more flesh bound person, I would be piqued with excitement, at the thought of sex of a goddess. However, I do have my own goddess as my own, and she's excitement enough for me.(and she never friggin' posts here. >>;;)

Technically, you could consider places like MySpace and Gaia "cults" because people get together with similar interests, and often similar sentiments about the world, and then schmooze.

What do you think that church mostly is today? It's socialization with Jesus hanging on the bloody cross in the background.

I am under the personal belief that most people don't TRULY believe in god (like you do as a child) after a certain age. It's like me and the easter bunny. For awhile I just pretended I did believe because then I knew that the "easter bunny" would still keep coming. But guess what? The second I get married, and mostly move out of the house? No more bunny.

And not only that, but I *had* to acknowledge the nonexistence of the Easter Bunny at that point. It was one of those things that people just didn't talk about.

But then again, the Easter Bunny plays such a SMALL role in what I do and how I live, it's stupid for me to think that it was a big significant thing.

Same thing with religion. You're either a Priest or clergy-member if religion takes up a significant portion of your day. Otherwise it's a periphery thing that you have to sort of force yourself to think about.

People ignore their religion for so long, and then sink into the memes very comfortably when surrounded with other "believers".

Seriously, I find all religions to be premodern ways of creating community in the "well, we are different from those other people and come together to do big important things" kind of way.

I am not a religious person. So when I see a religious person (people who describe themselves as "religious" for example), I get wary.

The number one thing that self-proclaimed religious people do is try and convert other people.

The second thing they do is brag about how great their beliefs are and their god/diety/meatloaf is going to save and protect and watch over them.

The third thing they do is denounce anyone who isn't religious (like me).

And as far as I've seen, the common thread of most religions goes about like this. If you're of a specific "mindset" or philosophy, that's slightly different. Having your own "rules" for living and interacting with others is one thing, but trying to get people to join your group "or else" is another.

So, if you're not trying to convert, denounce, or otherwise hurt other people because of your beliefs, I would say that you probably aren't a religion or religious person at all, but simply trying to reconcile your beliefs on how to live with a spiritual longing.

There's nothing wrong with this, but as far as I can tell, it's really ******** annoying to deal with people who constantly believe that they've got "all the answers" by completely letting themselves be ignorant and blindly believe in whatever some book or some "holy" preacher tells them.

I am a rational person, and cannot abide by the whole "well it's a mystery" kinds of explanations for religious stuff.