Waves of Life

 

Day Four: Discuss your views on religion

I was raised Roman Catholic. I was in Catholic school until high school. I think when your in this type of strict and religious environment you are denied the options of choice. You are not introduced to faith, you are being told what to believe, when to believe it and how to believe and depict faith. Then criticized if it’s not their definition of a right depiction.   Your homework assignment is to attend Sunday Mass and write about the sermon then be graded on it in class… grade your faith? That’s basically being conditioned to believe that if you don’t know all the patron saints or all the milestones of Jesus Christ it’s solely because you are lacking in faith and therefore disappointing your Lord and Savior and falling prey to a life of unholiness and sin. Who is anyone to determine your relationship and standing with God?

And holy hell, those nuns. One Sister held me back for detention for hours to repetitively write  o’s correctly in cursive.  You never catch me writing in script since elementary school.

The moment I entered high school I stopped attending church services.  Truth be told, I stopped believing in traditional religion in a church setting long before then.

For awhile, I’m going to guesstimate around 12 years old, i seriously believed in Wicca. There was something about the simplicity of spirituality and connecting to nature.  And a Goddess. I vividly remember one Saturday my family took a trip to the racetrack. I brought with me various books on Wicca and a notebook and i dutifully spent the day taking notes in my notebook.

I drifted from Wicca during high school.

And i was adrift for quite some time.

I studied various religions  like Buddhism and Islam.

Nothing seemed right. Nothing fit me 100%. Something always left  a nagging  feeling.
So you know what i did? I put aspects from every religion i know that connected with me and I stirred it up.

And that’s what I practice and believe in.

I believe there is a God. But i also believe there is many Gods and Goddesses. I believe in nature and there is spiritual connections to mother nature. I believe in Peace. I believe in the Three Folds Law, whatever energy you send out into the world is returned to you three times. I believe in Karma. I believe in heaven and hell but  i also believe in reincarnation. I do tie in beliefs to supernatural happenings,  I believe in angels and guardian angels and ghosts.

I believe all traditional religions are right and all are wrong at the same time.

I pray. I pray to my maker – you call it God or Goddess or any other name. I just identify with a higher entity and usually i call it a God. But, i do believe in a Goddess as well ( mother nature ).  When i pray I’m not reciting a memorized mantra. It’s like talking just like I am talking to you all here. I live my life with a moral code. I try to make better choices  and treat myself and others with compassion an respect.  I face life with understanding for others and consideration. I practice being open and honest.

I do no identify with organized traditional religions. I do believe we have choices and should not live our lives line for line according to a doctrine. Life has much fluidity. We have to be willing to be swept into the currents. I believe religions are like a dam preventing life from flowing. If the official labels are taking off and the wall is brought down then we can freely swift through the waves of life.