Welcome to Gaia! ::

Are there any other faiths you wish to learn about? Any others you find interesting, even though you have no desire to convert?

Judaism and Hinduism are the next two on my Religions-to-Learn-About list.

I dabbled in the Bahá'í faith (derived from Islam, who knew) and Taosim officially.
I do like to read random articles about faiths in general.

I'm put off by Buddhism, since it just seems that their practices are a waste, though their morals are good. I also kind-of looked at Shinto during a bout of weeaboo-ism, but nothing solid came out of it. Wicca (and, by extension, many pagan-esque faiths) makes me laugh due to the sheer self-deception involved. And LaVeyan satanism seems to me like something Emos do to scare their parents.

I'm taking cues right now, because I'm almost out of things to read and I'm stocking up before the fall semester.
(Hinduism and Zoroastrianism seem the next logical choice, but I don't feel attracted to anything about them.)

Call me prejudiced, but i really think LaVeyan Satanism is atheism with a fancy name. I read the biography of Anton LaVey (secret life of a satanist) and it seems that religion has no diety but oneself.

The bolded would be correct.
I was reading The Satanic Bible a while ago, but never got a chance to finish it. I'm not entirely sure I'd classify it as just atheism, but I can't quite put my finger on what differentiates LS from atheism either blaugh .

He is amusing; I always heard his voice in my head when I was reading the Satanic Bible as yelling every word xd

I think it has some merits for those who find it of interest....but I like my gods. I couldn't give them up.

my eyes are litteraly twitching having read that. o_O;

i have studied all of these an more myself, and i am shocked to hear what you have to say about them, especially since it sounds like you didn't even read up on it yourself, but rather got the info secondhand.

Buddhist practices are very healthy, for mind, body and spirit. breathing excercises, meditation, healthy diets, willful love, abandoning negative thoughts and energies, personal hygene and cleanliness... how are these practices a waste? how are they an abandonment of the physical?

Shinto involves a philosophy of respect, cleanliness, and the philosophy that the outside is a reflection of the inside, so that by changing one you change the other as well. they strive to be honourable, proper, polite, pure and clean. it is a form of Japanese Paganism.

Wicca i dislike as well, mostly because it is alot of fluff, but other Witchcraft traditions that it is based upon and which often use the term Wicca to describe themselves (as store-bought Wicca products are often bought by people who prefer to b called "neo-paganists") are th ereal deal. these practices and beliefs are made of rich metaphorical symbolism, and the mythologies are full of moral stoies meant to guide students with lessons on how to live a proper life in tune with nature and the divine.

Paganism itself is often similar in that regard but with honest research into the workings of the universe and oftentimes the entire multiverse. Pagans thrive to connect with their gods and understand them.

LaVayan Satanism doesn't even believe in any god or gods, and they agree only on that human beings deserve free will. they are neither malicious nor without moral value. they are not rebellious to an extreme, and the fact that disrespectful kids claim to be satanists for the coolness factor has nothing to do with LaVayan Satanism at all.

no. what i am saying is, the term Wicca seems to be used in different ways by different people in so many different situations that it confuse sthe HELL out of me! xp i'm too dizy about it realy.

Buddhist practices are indeed of a noble breed, don't get me wrong, however the Buddhist philosophy of ''middle way'' (which is a less extreme and more philosophical version of a Jainism tradition to neglect the body in order to concentrate on the spiritual and thus attain enlightenment). The practices are noble, but the underlying philosophy makes me feel like they think life in this world is but a transitory state, which I think is a real waste, since that I think that, even if this was but one of many existences, that we should live it like our last and that our good deeds should be done in their own right and not towards some underlying goal, even if that goal is enlightenment.

The self-worshipping ideas seem to me more like either atheism with a few gimmicks attached or simply something that is meant as a joke towards the established religions. This strictly a personnal impression, but it is one that I stand by.