Saturday, October 29, 2011

Elinor Predota

Hello and Happy Saturday!

First up I wish to thank Christina for her wonderful interview last week. Thanks for sharing with us Christina!

Today we have a new interview so please welcome Elinor Predota. Elinor is a Pagan and I know you'll enjoy her interview as well!

Here Is Elinor Predota's Introduction:


Elinor is a Pagan, a Witch, an Interfaith Minister and a firm proponent of pluralism. She blogs regularly, in many venues and on many topics. Her spiritual blog can be found at http://ahamsa.wordpress.com/ - her other public web presences are at http://newcastle.academia.edu/ElinorPredota and http://folksy.com/shops/ahamsadesigns . She lives in rural southern Scotland with her partner and their dogs.

http://ahamsa.wordpress.com/



1) What religion do you practice?
I am a Pagan, and a Witch. I am part of the Reclaiming Tradition community, locally, nationally and internationally, and am a student of the Anderson Faery tradition.

2) Are you a convert/revert or were you raised within this religion? If you converted, what did you need to do to convert? And what did you practice prior to converting?
The word 'convert' doesn't really apply - I've always been Pagan, although I was a very enthusiastic (Methodist and ecumenical) Christian during my adolescence. Throughout my childhood, my parents took me to stone circles, prehistoric sites and ancient woodlands across the British Isles, and I loved every minute of it. During my early childhood, they were committed Greens, liberals and peace activists. Combined with my own early feminism, these influences gave me very Pagan roots, although I didn't realise that until later. A close friend introduced me to both Tarot and feminist spirituality in my late teens, but it wasn't until a few years of seeking, involving Buddhist meditation, Sufi philosophy, A Course In Miracles, followed by my training as an Interfaith Minister that pushed me to the self-realisation that I'm a Pagan and a Witch as well as a Mystic - down to my mitochondrial DNA!

3)Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
Not really. Paganism is such a diverse faith and spirituality, but its diversity doesn't fall into those categories. I strive to be extremely observant - in both meanings of the word. Paganism also tends to be very flexible and diverse in terms of both personal observance, and public ritual, so I wouldn't even know how to begin to define those categories! There are no dogmas as such, or if there are, they are held by such a small group of people that they don't really affect anyone else.

4)Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
Not applicable - see above.

5)What is the Afterlife within your religion? For example: what happens when a person dies? Are there places for reward/punishment? (such as a Heaven/Hell concept)
Most Witches hold with some version of the Summer Lands - a part of the Faery realms, where the apple trees hold bud and flower and fruit at the same time, where all is golden and joyful, where the lessons of the last life are examined and laughed over, and the choice is made whether, when and how to reincarnate. But really, nobody knows. It's entirely possible to hold an entirely secular vision of Pagan afterlife, in which our bodies and energies are rewoven into the fabric of Life, rotting into the earth, passing into the cycles of entirely physical death and rebirth - it's even possible to hold with several versions of afterlife at once; Witches are good at living with paradox :-). The Summer Lands are at the very least useful image and 'place' for connecting with the Other realms and the spirits of our Ancestors and Beloved Dead.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
Well, I don't believe in Hell, in the Christian or Muslim sense. I think the closest to it is when people live trapped by their beliefs about themselves and others in constant suffering - which certainly feels eternal! I do think it's possible that if someone dies in that state of mind, heart and soul, that experience may follow them into the afterlife, and even into future incarnations. This, to me, is the real meaning of karma, which originated with Hinduism, but came into Paganism in the early 20th century. The Summer Lands isn't something to be achieved by good behaviour, or repentance - unless by repentance we mean forgiveness of self and others which brings peace of mind, heart and soul which enables the experience of joy.

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
That question raises confusion in me, as 'my religion' and 'me' aren't separate enough for one to be a fit for the other. It's who I am, it's how I live, it's how I breathe and see and pay attention, it's how I relate...

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
Every day is a holy day, and I often make offerings to the local sidhe (spirits of various kinds), but there are also 'special' times of year at which particular energies are stronger and easier to connect with. Personally, I celebrate Samhain (31st October - 2nd November), Yule (21st December - 2nd January), Imbolc (1st-2nd February), Ostara (21st-22nd March), Beltaine (31st April - 2nd May), Litha (21st-22nd June), Lughnasadh (1st-2nd August) and Mabon (21st-22nd September).

Samhain: I set up a special ancestor altar, with a white cloth, candle, glass of water and images, objects and food and drink which I associate with my beloved dead and ancestors (e.g. my grandparents, my first dog, etc.).

Yule: I bake - a lot! And make cards, gifts, and other things. I make libations outside over the doorways of my home. I celebrate Giftmas along with everyone else on the date of Saturnalia (25th December), and also Hogmanay (31st December-2nd January) as the final section of the twelve-day Yule time-out-of-time between one year and the next.

Imbolc: I look out for snowdrops and oyster catchers.

Ostara: I bake a Pagan version of Simnel cake, cleanse, and meditate on balance.

Beltaine: I beat the bounds of our land and tie bright ribbons.

Litha: I look out for thunderstorms. If I feel up to it, I keep vigil - staying awake overnight. I at least stay up to midnight and track the sun, which can be followed by the light still showing on the horizon where it's passing below the horizon.

Lughnasadh: I bake (again!), and make summer pudding with the 'first fruits' from the garden (raspberries, currants, gooseberries usually).

Mabon: I breathe the air and meditate on balance.

9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Absolutely! I have and/or have had friends who are Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist, as well as many varieties of Pagan, and also many atheists and agnostics.

10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
Yes, of course, if they were generous enough to invite me. Celebration of Life is always joyful to me.

11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I think whether or not to wear a burka should be a Muslim woman's personal decision, between herself and Allah alone. It is not a matter for pronouncements by male religious or community 'leaders', and most certainly not a matter for secular law.
If a community of Muslims choose to live by Shariah Law, that is up to them. It should not, in my view, be imposed by some Muslims upon others; nor should it take the place of whatever the laws are of the state or nation in which that Muslim community live. (I recall that living in accordance with the laws of the land in which a Muslim lives is one of the commands within the Koran.)

12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, imam etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
I find the word 'allowed' amusing, within the context of Paganism! Within British Traditional Wiccan covens - i.e. Gardnerian or Alexandrian (neither of which are my tradition of Witchcraft, but is what many people think of when you say, "Witch"), initiation into the coven and tradition is also initiation into the Priest/esshood, and covens within those traditions have both a High Priestess and a High Priest. Solitary and non-initiatory coven traditions have quite a fluid version of what 'religious office' means, if they have any concept of it at all.

13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
Well, my place of worship is anywhere I am, so, no ;-) Some covens and groups have 'women's mysteries' and 'men's mysteries' groups in addition to the whole group, which is not segregation but provision of space for deep recognition of the sacredness of all bodies and experiences. It doesn't appeal to me, currently (although it used to), as the version of gender and sex it encapsulates is too binary to match with Life, in all its diversity. Fortunately, nothing within my faith is compulsory.

14) How much does your religion affect your daily life and how much thought do you give it when making a decision? Does it affect in any way your decision on abortion, gay marriage, etc?
My religion *is* my daily life. I don't give thought to it when making decisions - it's naturally present in every decision I make. I'm not sure whether my approach to questions of life and love is affected by my faith, or whether my approach to both those questions and to my faith come from the same soul-place: whatever increases love; whatever opens the heart; whatever offers compassion; whatever deepens connection.

15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
I don't have children, so this is a hypothetical question for me. I think it would depend on the person they wanted to marry, and on the version of their particular faith that person practiced. I would want to make sure my child was truly following hir heart, while safeguarding hirself from bullying, browbeating and manipulation.

16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
See my comments on hell above.

17) Who in the public domain claims to speak for your religion? Do you agree with them or not?
There is only one person I can think of who claims to speak for Pagans/Witches in public, and he's worthy of nothing but ridicule (a certain gentleman who claims to be "King of the British White Witches". Why yes, I am rolling my eyes). Other than that, the Pagan Federation exists to protect the rights of Pagans to practice and to have our faith recognised, but they do not claim to speak on behalf of Pagans in matters of belief or practice, beyond the three principles to which all members subscribe.

18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
Not directly, no, but I have heard my faith being ridiculed, and I have chosen to stay 'in the broom closet' on many occasions to protect my livelihood and/or my personal safety.

19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
In no way. Neither as a woman nor as a person who is capable of sexual and emotional attraction to all genders have I ever felt anything other than cherished by my Gods and Guardians, and the sidhe of the land, anything other than accepted fully by my fellow Pagans and Witches.

20) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
It is a constant challenge to my (natural, human) tendency to think only in terms of my small circle of interaction. It is a reassurance that I am a small part of an infinite Universe, which will carry on fine without me, and yet of which I am an essential part. It is an experience of deep, vast, endless, passionate Love. I'm not sure whether or not that counts as 'peace of mind'.

21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
Sometimes :-)

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Desmond Tutu Quote

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

Today's quote is brought to you by Desmond Tutu:


Do your little bit of good where you are; its those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.



There's a new interview coming up on Saturday so be sure to check back!

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Christina

Hello and Happy Saturday!


Thank you so much to Adrian Worsfold for his very interesting and informative interview last week. Thanks for sharing with us Adrian!


Today we have a new interview so please welcome Christina. Christina is a Pagan and I know you'll enjoy her interview as well!


Here is Christina's Introduction:



The Spirituality of the Goddess and the people who honor the Great Goddess

I am Christina Morales ( Ahhotep) Paramdhan Kaur, A High Priestess, Modern Medicine Woman and Soul Teacher. I have a traditional background and I was raised in the christen faith. I have a background in the psychology human services field. As a child I knew I would be a healer, teacher and raise consciousness and awareness. Being a Transpersonal Hypnotherapist and Egyptian Shamanic practioner I knew there was more to healing the soul and embracing enlightenment. When I was a young girl I was connected to nature and all living beings and being a medium and channel I was aware of spirit as a very young child. I have an awareness of being connected to the goddess as a preteen girl. The goddess Diana came to me an eighteen year old girl and the Wicca came into my life. The magickal path called me since I was young and each experience was a stepping stone like a piece of the puzzle. Developing my psychic abilities with several spiritual teachers who served my spiritual journey along the way, I began studying Metaphysics in Junior High reading everything I could get my hands on. I explored and experienced tarot in HighSchool. I embrace my abilities in a hidden sort of way from those who knew me at that time. It was not unusual for me to just know certain information about events or people. I journeyed to psychic fairs and eventually found a teacher who would over see my psychic development training for two years. I studied crystal therapy and healing with crystals and stones. I went to Hypnosis school and studied psychology earning a degree and began studying shamanic healing arts and Alchemical Healing and Angel Healing and Readings. I began my studies of Energy Medicine with Aromatherapy, Flower Essences, Plant Spirit Shamanism, and Women Mysteries. I studied Hindu Religion and Sanskrit and Religious Studies and Goddess Spirituality. I work with sacred living and dying and raise awareness and consciousness. I offer ritual design and consultation and ceremonies honoring the life cycles of women and help them remember their light. I am a Mulit-Dimensional Practioner and Teacher and host services to the community and teacher of women circles in Denver, CO.

my blogs are:
www.thepathofthepriestess.blogspot.com
www.firesofsekhmet.blogspot.com
www.medicineofsekhmet.blogspot.com

1) What religion do you practice?


Goddess Spirituality and the old religion of the great Goddess

2) Are you a convert/revert or were you raised within this religion? If you converted, what did you need to do to convert? And what did you practice prior to converting?


I a convert and I studied the ancient religion of the goddess and her worship. I was Catholic before and felt a connection to Mother Mary and the honor of the divine mother. I studied Wicca and nature based religions.

3)Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
We honor the goddess and celebrate the wheel of the year. The Sabbats and the Esbats & the Moon Rituals. There are different traditions that are under the ancient pagan religion. Wicca has in a sense different styles; it is not based on dogma or a set of beliefs, nor scripture or a sacred book revealed by a prophet. This is a nature based religion and even though the style may be different it is the same foundation.

4)Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
I came from the Dianic Tradition because of the feminist perspective.

5)What is the Afterlife within your religion? For example: what happens when a person dies? Are there places for reward/punishment? (such as a Heaven/Hell concept)
No Hell concept. We go to the afterlife and some may have a belief in recarnation and being a Multi-Dimensional being going into other dimensions or realties. In Wicca, a funeral is often referred to as a crossing. We believe that existence is a never-ending cycle of lives. A crossing ritual celebrates an individual's achievements in this life, & wishes the person well on his/her journey to whatever next life in which they choose to incarnate. Some believe that the spirit travels to another plane of existence where it prepares itself for the next life it chooses. This is sometimes referred to as the Summerland. It is also a place where a soul ultimately finishes its journey, after it has incarnated often enough to acquire as many life lessons & as much knowledge as it feels necessary. The Summerland is not considered a reward, akin to the Christian concept of Heaven. Nor is it a plane of punishment comparable to Hell. The rewards for how you live your life come to you while you live it. A crossing eases the transition of the deceased's spirit from this world to the presence of the ancestors, who care for the spirit until it is prepared to reincarnate. In a crossing, the spirit of the deceased is invited to attend, much the same way the deities & ancestors are invited. Crossings can also be performed to aid a spirit who has become lost or confused in its transition. If an individual has died in a traumatic fashion, a crossing will sometimes be performed to help it detach from this plane of existence & help it on its way.
A crossing may be performed with the body or ashes of the individual present, but it is commonly performed without. Crossings are often performed as memorial services, which provide a sense of comfort & a sense of closure for those left behind.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?


Everyone is returned to creator source and back into the arms of the Goddess mother.

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
The honor and sacredness of all living beings and the honor of women and the Goddess we are her daughters.

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
The Holy Days are following the Wheel of the Year and the cycles of nature and Moon Rituals. Because the Moon was seen as a symbol of the Goddess, ceremonies of adoration and magick took place in its light. The waxing and waning symbolize the cycle of life and death, and the three aspects of the Goddess can be seen in the increase and decrease of the moon's light. The waxing moon was seen to represent the Goddess as Maiden, the full moon as Mother, and the waning moon as Crone. Wiccans do not respect any of these aspects over the other, but it is most common to celebrate the full moon because at that time the moon's energy is at its fullest. This is the triple goddess aspect. Four of the Sabbats take place on the solstices and equinoxes, which are the times of the least and greatest balance between day and night, respectively. Yule (circa December 21) takes place at the winter solstice, Ostara (circa March 21) at the spring equinox, Litha (circa June 21) at the summer solstice, and Mabon (circa September 21) at the autumn equinox. These solstices and equinoxes are the astronomical beginnings of the seasons, and are considered by some Wiccans to be the lesser Sabbats. In our Tradition, they are not. All of the festivals are important to us, and all of the times of the year are sacred. The other four ritual occasions are based on old folk festivals associated with agriculture and the mating and bearing cycles of animals. These are Imbolc (February 1), Beltane (May 1), Lughnassadh (August 1), and Samhain (October 31). These names are Celtic and are quite common among Wiccans, though many other names exist. These are sometimes thought of as the greater Sabbats, although our coven tries to look at them all equally. The images of the Sabbats are more meaningful when you keep in mind that in some of the Sabbats the Goddess is the Earth and the God is the Sun, while in others they represent the cycles of the spirit; life, death, rest and rebirth.
These rituals give structure and order to the Wiccan year, and also remind us of the endless cycle that will continue long after we are gone. Many cultures all over the world celebrate similar holy days at similar times of the year.



9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?


Yes, I honor others spiritual journey to divinity



10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?


Yes, Again I honor the sacredness of all religions and how they connect to source energy.



11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law? Not sure what this is.



12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?


Yes, Priestess and we are all connected to cosmic mother and as her divine daughters we hold the goddess energies.



13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
In feminist Wicca, it is women only circle, but in other Pagan Festivals families and men are involved in honoring the goddess and god energies. Also in some ancient cultures was the Red Tent for women and women who were menstruating.


14) How much does your religion affect your daily life and how much thought do you give it when making a decision? Does it affect in any way your decision on abortion, gay marriage, etc?


I live a spiritual life and the goddess is always with me and she changes everything she touches and I listen to my high self and when making choices and decisions. I tap in and tune in to my divine intuition and I honor people’s lessons and journey and do not oppose gay marriage etc...And abortion is a woman’s right to choose what is right for her and her body.



15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?


I would not react, he will choose who he will love.

16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
No

17) Who do you think is not a practicing ----- in your religion and why? ie who in the public domain claims to speak for your religion? Do you agree with them or not?
The goddess movement is increasing and she is calling those who hear her call to follow the wiccan/pagan path. We have some great leaders in the movement to create community and awareness to remember our connection to the earth and the cosmos.



18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
No, But not long ago was the Burning Times.



19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
No. I am Empowered in my female power

20) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Yes



21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
Yes, Because we are learning and growing in our spiritual development through experience and we are working out karma on the Wheel of Life.


Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Emily Bronte Quote

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

Today's quote is brought to you by Emily Bronte:


Yes, as my swift days near their goal, 'tis all that I implore: In life and death a chainless soul, with courage to endure.



There's a new interview coming up on Saturday so be sure to check back!

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Adrian Worsfold

Hello and Happy Saturday!

Thank you so much to Louise Rogers for her wonderful interview last week.
Thanks so much for sharing your faith journey with us Louise!

Today we have a new interview so please welcome Adrian Worsfold. Adrian is a Unitarian and I know you'll enjoy his interview as well!

Here Is Adrian Worsfold's Introduction:


I was confirmed an Anglican in 1984 during my early years doing a PhD in Sociology and Social Anthropology and have slipped in and out of Unitarianism since and have had contact with Bahai's, Methodists and Buddhists. I considered Anglican ministry for a time and Unitarian ministry, but neither happened. At present I attend a Unitarian church and help with its music and take some services. Among some Anglican punk bloggers (liberal inclined people who say controversial things at some disadvantage to themselves) I am a terror blogger, helping to point out the implications of what they are saying. Unitarians have often been a pain in the backside of people who are in the 'orthodox' communities but cross their fingers behind their backs, like I did but with my arms out.


http://www.pluralist.co.uk
http://pluralistspeaks.blogspot.com



1) What religion do you practice?
Unitarian

2) Are you a convert/revert or were you raised within this religion? If you converted, what did you need to do to convert? And what did you practice prior to converting?
I am a deconvert. People are deconverted to Unitarianism. I was a liberal Anglican for a time, and I remain sympathetic to Western Buddhism.

3)Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
There are Liberal Christians, Religious Humanists, Easterns and Neo-Pagans; there is a span from rationalism to romanticism, and from denominationalism to ecumenical/ interfaith.

4)Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
I am a religious humanist with a small portion of liberal Christianity and Western Buddhism and the tiniest touch of the Pagan.

5)What is the Afterlife within your religion? For example: what happens when a person dies? Are there places for reward/punishment? (such as a Heaven/Hell concept)
We rot, but some might believe in spiritual existence. I don't. When you are dead it's as if you were never alive. However, consciousness is a mystery, how the me of me becomes experienced me.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
No one does: it doesn't exist.

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
Because it is a means of reflection and contemplation, the question about where next (either forced on you or with some freedom of action). It is where I encounter that everything is transient.

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
I find Christmas a chore. Easter is a lot of well worn arguments but it is a symbol of saying yes to life. I will refer to 'It's spring again' but it seems a bit obvious. Let's live while we have life.

9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Yes, I got on with Buddhists and Bahai's, and of course Anglicans.

10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
I'm happy to join in with anyone's other celebration. It's all about reflection on the passing calendar.

11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
It is repression. Some people need repression for a sense of liberty, but humans should grow up. People should wear, or not wear, what they want; it's for people who might respond to behave themselves.

12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
Unitarians were the first to have full professional religious ministers - the first in 1904. There is no discrimination based on sexuality.

13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
There are plenty of seats for individuals to be separated from other individuals.

14) How much does your religion affect your daily life and how much thought do you give it when making a decision? Does it affect in any way your decision on abortion, gay marriage, etc?
The religion changes according to our views. When new people come into the congregation, the church changes. I dislike abortion but would have it legal as now, and I favour gay marriage and heterosexual civil partnership (added to present arrangements)

15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
No children but in general they do. I don't know what physical distortions might come about if Unitarians limited themselves to the Unitarian gene pool.

16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
They could well be going to hell if they are of my faith. I don't believe in heaven or hell. It's nonsense.

17) Who do you think is not a practicing ----- in your religion and why? ie who in the public domain claims to speak for your religion? Do you agree with them or not?
No Unitarian ever agrees with another Unitarian. We don't represent the denomination. All Unitarianism amounts to is a tradition of evolved religion that settled upon the individual as the seat of authority.

18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
People hate me in the blogsphere. I am a terror blogger among Anglican punk bloggers.

19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
No. It tends to affirm the human being. It doesn't stop us misbehaving to one another.

20) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Should it?

21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
No. The only possibility is another meness of me in a conscious being, but I still think it is biologically dependent and it is likely as not to be on planet zog as on earth. Our universe and our reflectivity as beings of a short time stretch on a 10 billion year planet is fascinating enough. The purpose of religion is to come to terms with the fact that this existence ends and that's it, goodbye.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Steve Jobs Quote

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

Today's quote is brought to you by Steve Jobs:

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.



There's a new interview coming up on Saturday so be sure to check back.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Louise Rogers

Hello and Happy Saturday!

First up, I wish to thank Dalyn Montgomery for his very interesting interview last week. Thank you so much for sharing with us Dalyn!

Today we have a new interview so please welcome Louise Rogers. Louise is a Unitarian and I know you'll enjoy her interview as well!


Here Is Louise Rogers's Introduction:


I am a Unitarian and am a member of Staffordshire’s Unitarian community which meets at the Newcastle-under-Lyme Meeting House. Born and raised in London, I am a middle-aged woman with an 18-year old daughter living in rural North Staffordshire. I work mainly for charities on organisational development and mentoring staff to achieve organisational change. I write two blogs – one on governance for Unitarian communities and one of developing spiritual community. I lead the occasional service and do a lot on communications, internal and external. I am a board member of the National Unitarian Fellowship. I like to write, listen to music, watch films and eat.

dev-spiritual-community.blogspot.com
unitariancommunications.blogspot.com


1) What religion do you practice?
Unitarianism although the title of the national organisation is the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches.

2) Are you a convert/revert or were you raised within this religion? If you converted, what did you need to do to convert? And what did you practice prior to converting?
Convert although that’s not a term we would use. I grew up in an atheist family. I was always interested in religion – I guess at times I would have described myself as an atheist and at times an agnostic. I have been a Unitarian for 12 years now. It is an open faith – you walk through the door and attend a few services and you either stay or you don’t. If you stay then at some point you realise that you have morphed into a Unitarian without really noticing it

3) Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox, conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
There are differences in belief but not in terms of strict observance because we do not have a creed or any rules to follow. Some Unitarians would describe themselves as for example Free Christians, some as humanist, some as Earth Spirit/Pagan Unitarians. Not all Unitarians believe in God.

4) Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
I know what I am not – I would not describe myself as a free Christian or an Earth Spirit/Pagan Unitarian. I like the word Unitarian, plain and simple. I will take ideas from a variety of places including the Bible and Pagan thought and from other religions, poetry, writing, arts etc. However I am very involved and spend a lot of time doing things for my local community and a bit for the national one. So I am heavily involved and highly committed.

5) What is the Afterlife within your religion? For example: what happens when a person dies? Are there places for reward/punishment? (such as a Heaven/Hell concept)
We each have our personal ideas, there is not one which we all subscribe to. I suspect that whilst some may believe in heaven, few will believe in hell.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
Not sure that I believe in heaven but I certainly don’t believe that believers are saved and the rest of us aren’t. Don’t really understand the concept of salvation.

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
I am a pragmatist and like to think of myself as a free-thinker. I believe in social justice and equality of opportunity. I believe that our own consciences are the prime deciders on spiritual and faith matters. I believe in an evolving and emerging spiritual life as we grow and change. I believe that our goal is to be the best ‘me’ that we can be. I believe that to be spiritual in community can be a wonderful experience. I believe that we each only see a small fraction of whatever is the divine and we need to listen to others to expand our own understanding. I believe that there are many ways to live a good life. So that all makes me fit well with Unitarianism.

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
We don’t have them exclusively for Unitarianism. We tend to celebrate Christian festivals but some also celebrate Pagan festivals and those of other faiths. Most of our celebrations involve some worship (in the sense of recognising the worth and value of all life), some celebration and singing, lighting our chalice, community time together and food – we do seem to celebrate everything by sharing food together. We also like to mark personal milestones together.

9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Of course! Of other faiths and of none. Often you don’t know what faith another person has. Fear comes from ignorance – it is difficult to fear that which you are familiar with. It is only through dialogue and deep respect for each other that we can build a strong and cohesive society.

10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
Yes. We have done some inter-faith work. I have been to Pagan Festivals and Christian services.

11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I find the burka hard to get my head round. Our sexuality is part of who we are – and beauty is a joy to behold. I am not sure how hiding yourself behind a veil is empowering. It just seems to be hiding. But if that’s how some women choose to dress then I don’t think it is for me to say otherwise. It is a debate that I am still having in my head.

There are two issues I think about Shariah Law. The first is whether it should supersede the law of any country which I don’t think is appropriate. The second thing that is levelled at it is that it is anti-women. I think from discussions with people who know more than me on these things that there are some excellent parts and I guess a lot is down to interpretation and who is doing the judging.

We should keep these debates going. Perhaps we could learn a thing or two.

12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
Yes, our first woman minister in the UK was in 1904. Women have always been active. In 1672 two local women had their houses registered for worship when Presbyterians (the forerunners of many Unitarian congregations) were not allowed to meet in a worship space.

We also have openly gay ministers – men and women. We believe that the things that you have to have to become a Unitarian minister are the qualities that make a good minister – we are in all things pragmatic – and thankfully so. We also support a range of equality issues.


13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
No – although our organist would say that we always make him wash up!

14) How much does your religion affect your daily life and how much thought do you give it when making a decision? Does it affect in any way your decision on abortion, gay marriage, etc?
It helps me to be a little bolder – to try to be on the side of right rather than convenience because I think about what others have given up for my religious freedom. As a national faith community we support gay marriage.

15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
The issue is not about her religion or that of her intended spouse but about what that religion adds or detracts from their lives. I would be very unhappy if she entered the world of religious fundamentalism – whatever the religion. For me religion should not be fixed but expansive, growing as you grow. Also religion should foster love not hate.

16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
If I believed in hell and judgement then I would think that we would be judged by our deeds and not what we professed to believe. It is relatively easy to believe but so much more difficult to do the right thing and be compassionate at all times. If there is a God and that God is vengeful then I don’t really want to associate myself with that God. If there is a God and that God is loving then I would ask, ‘Does hell exist?’

17) Who do you think is not a practicing ----- in your religion and why? ie who in the public domain claims to speak for your religion? Do you agree with them or not?
No Unitarian in UK would claim to speak for all Unitarians – we are much too diverse a bunch. What I would agree with is the right to say what they thought, as long as it was said with kindness and with the best of intentions. We must never close down public debate and as a faith community must be open and transparent.

18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
No. But not everyone likes the Unitarian faith. Some say it’s too easy and we make it up as we go along. Not sure why being too easy is a bad thing and if we base things on our own consciences, well it will seem like we are making it up. I think that you can only believe what you believe – you can’t make yourself believe things. So I think that there is an inherent honesty in Unitarianism. Not everyone thinks that.

19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
Never! The religious experience is not just about spirituality but is also about membership of a community. Religious people are people in spiritual community. Being a part of a strong faith community adds value to my life every day.

20) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Not always but then I wouldn’t want it to. Sometimes we need to be challenged and taken out of our comfort zones. But ultimately it completes me – when I was not connected to any faith community I felt OK but felt that something was missing. Now I feel complete.

21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
Don’t know and don’t much care. There are so many things that are unknowable and I am happy to keep them that way. There are too many knowable things that I haven’t a clue about so will work on those first.


Thursday, October 6, 2011

Walt Disney Quote

Hello and Happy Thursday!

Today's quote is brought to you by Walt Disney:

All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.


New interview coming up on Saturday so be sure to check back!

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

November Interviews


Hello and Happy Tuesday!

Here's what YMR has planned for the November Interviews:

We'll hear from Janie who is a Pagan, Larry Tanner who is an Atheist, Modern Girl who is a Unitarian Universalist and Vincent Enlund/Viking Jack who is an Asatru.

All excellent interviews you're not going to want to miss!

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Dalyn Robert Montgomery


Hello and Happy Saturday!

I wish to thank Harry for his interesting and enjoyable interview last week. Thanks so much for sharing with us Harry!

Today we have a new interview so please welcome Dalyn Robert Montgomery. Dalyn is a Mormon and I know you'll enjoy his interview as well!

Here Is Dalyn Montgomery's Introduction:

Dalyn Montgomery is the Bishop of a congregation in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. He was raised in the suburbs of Salt Lake City, attended both Utah State University and the University of Utah, earning a B.S. in public relations. He has worked mostly as a field sales rep and is currently a corporate consultant for a large company in Wilmington Delaware. Dalyn has a wife and two daughters, all of whom are gorgeous. Dalyn is an artist and writer, painting mostly in acrylic and publishing short stories on varied subjects, in varied venues.

Please go visit www.brohammas.com to see my artwork and read my stories.



1) What religion do you practice?
I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Many call us “Mormons” which is simply a nickname.

2) Are you a convert/revert or were you raised within this religion? If you converted, what did you need to do to convert? And what did you practice prior to converting?
My paternal grandfather was a convert and my Mother’s family goes back to the late 1800’s. I was raised in a suburb of the church’s worldwide headquarters (Salt Lake City, Utah) as a very observant member of the church.

3)Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
As with any religion, individuals express their faith, or live their lives in various ways. Among Latter Day Saints the most tangible definer of observance is probably temple worship. Churches and the weekly services held there are open to all no matter what. We encourage all, member or not, observing member or not, everyone, to attend. Temples are a bit different. While we encourage all to attend, or work towards attending, one must first be a) a baptized member of the church b) live the basic tenets and principles of the faith. The most obvious of these being abstaining from coffee, tea, alcohol, illegal drugs, and tobacco, no sexual relations with anyone other than a lawfully wedded spouse, full tithe payer, and one who makes a good faith effort to attend weekly meetings.
Those who meet these (and some other) requirements are given a “recommend” or small card that must be shown at the door to gain admittance to a temple.
Those who do, and those who do not, hold one of these recommend would probably be the most obvious distinction in level of observance…. But we do not advertise who does or does not have a recommend.

4)Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
I strive to be as observant as possible. I believe in the church deeply and any failing to live up to its teachings is purely my own weakness.

5)What is the Afterlife within your religion? For example: what happens when a person dies? Are there places for reward/punishment? (such as a Heaven/Hell concept)
We believe that we will one day be held accountable for our thoughts and actions in this mortal life. Only those who are completely free from sin or mistake can be worthy to return to live with our Father in Heaven (God) after this mortal life. That is of course none of us, hence the need for a “savior” (Jesus Christ) to have suffered and died to appease the laws of justice on behalf of those who repent.
We believe all will one day be resurrected and brought to stand before Christ in judgment. Here we will be assigned the state of our eternal existence, which can be in one of three basic realm or “kingdoms”:
Telestial: a place for those who are judged to be wicked.
Terrestial: good people who were not necessarily obedient to God’s command to repent and be baptized by one’s holding the proper priesthood authority.
Celestial: those who did repent, get baptized, and then were diligent in remaining faithful till the end of mortal life (repenting along the way when inevitable mistakes are made).
All three have been described as heavenly places and all are thought to be a better existence than our present temporal world.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
All who are born will receive one of the “degrees of glory”. As stated, all three are thought to be better than here, but we strongly believe that we will be held accountable for what we do, or do not do, during mortality… unless we repent.

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
We believe it is a good fit for everyone and invite all to join.
No really, we do.
I could list a number of things I enjoy about the current congregation I attend, or positive benefits from living the church’s teachings, but the root of it all is that we believe that God is very literally the Father of all people, making us one large family. We believe he wants the same blessings and has the same goals for all of us, which challenges us to reach out and include everyone.

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
We observe most Christian Holidays or other cultural celebrations but do not really have any religiously dictated religious rites attached to the calendar other than the weekly Sabbath observed on Sundays.
Most congregations (called Wards) will have special programs for Christmas and Easter, but those who choose not to celebrate or make special observance of these days will not be considered less observant, but will probably be called a Scrooge.


9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
If we are following our own teachings than we should. Our leaders have taught that there is good in all faiths and that the positive should be recognized and celebrated. We have been charged to respect the beliefs of others just as we wish for ours to be respected.
I personally love studying and exploring other religions and cultures. I find points of similarity and departure in the human family to be completely fascinating and I really wish more were open to discussing those points openly without antagonism.

10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
Absolutely! As long as that celebration did not in any way require me to compromise my own faith, for example we are strictly forbidden to drink alcohol. If a ceremony required us to do so we would need to respectfully decline.
If a holy day had some observance that required one to do something along the lines of praying to a God other than the singular one we profess than again we would have to respectfully bow-out, but over all we see expression of faith in all forms to be positive and I think all would benefit from the experience.

11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I am an expert on neither so any strongly held opinion on my part would be unfounded. As to the burka we strongly support the idea of dressing modestly on the part of both men and women (though admittedly there is a cultural tendency to direct such teaching more to the dress of girls than boys, but this is not spelled out in our doctrine exposing any double standards in this area as cultural rather than religious).
As to sharia law, we believe deeply in an individual’s right of self determination or freedom of choice. Were I to force, or enforce, my religious beliefs on another I would place myself far outside my own teachings and belief. Our whole view of the purpose of life hinges on an individual’s freedom to choose for themselves.

12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
The priesthood is defined as “the authority to act in the name of God”. The priesthood has various offices (deacon, priest, bishop, apostle, elder, etc.) and has very specific duties or responsibilities. The priesthood is required to baptize, preside, give blessings of healing and comfort, and must be received by someone else who has this authority. It is received by one who has the priesthood placing the hands on the head of the one receiving it, and in essence saying a prayer-like pronouncement of conferral.
The priesthood is given to all worthy males (worthy being determined in very similar fashion to those who are given a temple recommend).
It is only given to males but is not required to teach classes, be the president of various organizations within the church, or to make, or assist, in making decisions.
We feel man and woman are equal in the sight of God and we should do our best to see things the way God does. We do however feel that God has charged man and woman with somewhat differing roles or primary responsibilities but he has never said these roles are hierarchal or varying in value or worth.
We as mortals often struggle to not place varying cultural values on gender roles but those struggles are ours, not God’s.


13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
No it does not… directly.
Our congregations, or wards, are determined by geographical boundaries. So where one lives determines what building you attend your weekly meetings and at what time (many wards share a common building and just meet at different times). Consequentially the wards will reflect the demographics represented in those geographical areas. This results in congregations that reflect our cultures tendency to self segregate by race and economics. I have been in some areas where the geography slices in such a way that I worship with a more diverse group of people than I have ever been privileged to assemble with in any other organization or function. These wards are and always have been my favorite.

14) How much does your religion affect your daily life and how much thought do you give it when making a decision? Does it affect in any way your decision on abortion, gay marriage, etc?
My religion is at the core of who I am. It has a profound effect on every little thing I do or think. If I believe that our whole existence is one laid out by God, but that some issues or choices are outside religious consideration, then I would need to re-think my whole life concept.
This is not to say that God has given us direct societal instructions on every little thing or issue, bringing us back to that fundamental belief in an individual’s divine right to choose their own actions and beliefs… We do believe that God has spoken on homosexuality and abortion.
We are taught that abortion is forbidden except in the case of rape, incest, or health of the mother/child.
We are taught that sexual relations are only to be had between man and women, and then only within the bonds of marriage.
This being said we still believe God loves all his children and we should act in a way that shows that love.

15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
I would love that child but would surely be very sad and disappointed.

16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
No (see questions 5 and 6), but they will not be able to take full advantage of all that our Father wishes us to enjoy.

17) Who do you think is not a practicing ----- in your religion and why? ie who in the public domain claims to speak for your religion? Do you agree with them or not?
It is very specifically spelled out who speaks for our religion and who does not. There are defined officials who speak for us as a religion (a prophet and 12 apostles) and they do so in a rather formal fashion. Outside that realm people are essentially speaking for themselves though they may be members of our church or faith.
It is surely not my place to say if someone else is, or is not, practicing the faith.
There are Latter-Day Saints at both political ends (Harry Reid and Mitt Romney) and to my knowledge both are temple attending… but neither speaks for the church.

18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
I have been quite openly mocked, spit on, and insulted for my faith. It happens much more often than you may expect. As a full time missionary in Atlanta Georgia I was physically knocked off my bicycle into a ditch, doused with beer, pelted with objects, and almost constantly verbally abused.
I have been professionally and socially teased and mocked with no consequence.
There are no real social consequences to belittling Latter-Day Saints.

19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
In my mind, of course not. To some others yes, and in other realms it is quite the advantage.

20) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Very much so.

21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
We believe we are God’s children. We lived with him before being born on this Earth and hope to return to him after we leave this Earth. We do not believe we will live repeated lives on this Earth or live in the bodies of creatures not human.