You, Me & Religion

C.S. Lewis

2012-02-22T19:12:00.001-08:00

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

Today's quote is brought to you by C.S. Lewis:

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.

There is a new interview coming up Saturday so be sure to check back!

Courtney

2012-02-18T05:23:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Saturday!

First up I wish to thank Ian Crossland for his wonderful interview last week. Thanks so much for sharing with us all Ian!

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

Here Is Courtney's Introduction:

I am thirty-one years old and live in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I was raised in a Christian environment and have been generally encouraged to think for myself. I’ve enjoyed talking about religion since I was twelve years old, and have often felt like an outsider because of that! After high school, I was a nanny for a family that practiced Judaism. During that time I went to meetings about theosophy. I also explored existentialism and atheism during this time. Later in college and afterwards, I practiced Christianity, following along with my then-husband’s religion. Afterwards, I explored Buddhism and practiced meditation. I spent last year teaching in a private Islamic school. So I like to think that these experiences have exposed me to many different religions and perspectives on life; I’m so grateful to have had the opportunities to explore these different outlooks on life! I blog at http://tosomeonelikeminded.blogspot.com.

1) What religion do you practice?
I’m not sure I would say I practice a religion—I’m a very lazy religious practicioner—but I consider my religion to be a mix of Buddhism, Christianity, and atheism. I would probably say that I’m a practicing Buddhist because I meditate and try to bring myself to the present moment whenever I notice that I’ve lost that moment. Buddhism probably encompasses my viewpoint, but I feel very uncomfortable calling myself a Buddhist because then I either feel pretentious or ignorant.

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 was raised in a Christian church and I converted to existentialism in high school. After high school, I spent some time studying theosophy. Then I went back to believing in Christianity. That period lasted a while and then I began practicing meditation and Buddhist principals in my late twenties. Right now I find a lot of reassurance through Buddhism, and I go to a Methodist church when the mood strikes. I also have fun believing that it’s all absurd (most of the art I love arises from thinking about life’s absurdity). I’ve done a lot of sifting through ideas that I once loved and came to reject and then loving ideas I used to reject (oftentimes over and over again). I think, in all, I’ve converted to allowing myself to let religion take the role I want it to take (and not the role I think it should take, based on my background, beliefs, etc.). So, I do think religion is important because, to me, religion is how we are framing our worldview.

3)Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
Oh, you have to be a radical observer if you’re going to do religion this way! Pema Chodron writes that you should stick with one boat (one religion) because you’re going to find what you need no matter what you observe. I’ve decided that my boat is my own boat; and if you’re going to stick with your own thing, then you need to be critical and heartfelt about everything that comes your way. I think that’s a radical and liberal process.

4)Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
I chose this radical observance because I think it’s the only way that makes sense to me. I tend to think that Orthodox and conservative views stick to what a book says or what clergy say. I can’t put a lot of belief in books or people because meaning is so slippery and both, in my opinion, are fallible. So I choose to be liberal because I think it’s a way to think for myself and agree or disagree with things that come my way.

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)
I have no idea what happens. I know that our body particles will find their way into the Earth again; I know my body is made up of various other particles. As for the spirit, I just simply don’t know. I love the idea of reincarnation. I don’t really believe in a reward/punishment system, other than the concept of reaping what one sows. But I haven’t really found a direct relationship between reaping and sowing—usually things are more complex.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
When I was young, I heard the phrase that we make our own heaven and we make our own hell. As a kid, I took this to mean that my heaven didn’t have to be a boring place, like church made it out to be. As I’ve gotten older, I see that we don’t have to wait until we die to have a heaven or hell. So I do think everyone makes it into heaven here on Earth; or they don’t and they make their own existence a hell. In such cases, I think this makes someone closer to heaven because you learn (eventually, I believe) another way to exist in your world. I do believe that everyone makes their own world however they want it to be. And I don’t believe that any form of afterlife is going to exclude some people.

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
Well, I need a religion that is smart because there are religions that ask its adherents to take certain texts literally. A literal view of many religious tracts mean that women, for one, are subservient—I refuse that position. A literal view frequently means, too, that there are loads of contradictions that people don’t know how to sift through and they do so without logic. I don’t think religion is a logical thing, but I do think logic is a type of religion. So I need a religion that can support all aspects of my rational and emotional sides; I need a religion that promotes curiosity and values the material world without taking that world too seriously.

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
I really like Lent and the idea of doing without in order to prepare for a rebirth. I try giving up something little so I can observe my patterns of responding to the world. I love Easter for its symbolism, but I don’t do much to celebrate—maybe cook a nice meal. I enjoy celebrating Christmas with my family; everyone has his/her own views and we’ll read the Bible before opening presents. Now that I’m taking time thinking of this, pretty much any holy day involves eating an involved meal. Maybe food is my first religion?!

9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
I would have to or I would have no friends!

10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
Yes, and I think it’s very exciting to do so. I’ve had the privilege to nanny for a Jewish family, and I enjoyed celebrating Rosh Hashanah and Hanukkah with them. While teaching at an Islamic school, and I tried my hand at fasting during Ramadan and then celebrating during Eid. I celebrate Christmas, and I don’t generally feel like an insider during that holiday. I like when others are excited about something, so in this sense it’s fun to be around different faiths during holy days. I like learning why others would do things.

11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I think the burqa is different from the hijab, which covers a woman’s hair, but not the face, like the burqa does. Even before war in Afghanistan began, a fellow undergrad wore a burqa to raise awareness about the Taliban and what women in Afghanistan faced. During one talk, she let us take turns wearing the burka, and I was horrified by how it felt. It was heavy and I felt invisible. I know I have a Western perspective, but I think burqas are repressive and I think they should be discouraged.

Where I worked, all Muslim girls/women needed to veil once they were in the fifth grade. I think if the goal is to promote female modesty, then this is (frankly) a poor practice because women still look beautiful in a hijab and there are still ways to decorate your garments to distinguish yourself from other women. I don’t think it should be mandatory for girls or women to wear the veil; I think it should be a choice. I see some girls who struggle with their hijab—they hate it! And I know plenty of women who embrace the veil. I just think putting choice at the forefront of the issue is what’s important.

In America, I think fretting over Shariah Law is asinine. I think it’s pure fear of Islam and Middle Eastern cultures. Oklahoma, where I live, had a vote on outlawing Shariah Law; I found this embarrassing and a waste of money, which is always on the forefront of political conservatives’ lips, but not their practices (in my opinion). I’m not knowledgeable about Shariah Law, but I know it’s not going to supersede any local, state, or federal laws.

12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
I don’t think we should trust systems that discriminate on the basis of gender. It’s real hard to believe a system that tells me and/or shows me that men can do things I can’t. From my own experience I see that men are no more special than women—I honestly don’t think this should have to be said in 2012! While I was married, I was part of a Christian denomination that had just, in the ‘70s, allowed women to hold office. It was interesting to see these arguments in comparison to their discussion on whether openly gay individuals should hold office.

13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
There is gender segregation where I worked, and I didn’t like it. That’s just my opinion, though, and I understand arguments for and against gender segregation. I think segregation doesn’t allow those in positions of power to learn as much as they otherwise could. And this ignorance affects everyone, sometimes to a very detrimental end.

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 have long been for abortion and gay marriage, and I couldn’t understand my Christian friends telling me that I was wrong for believing in these things. This is partly what turns me against Christianity. Religion very much affects my everyday life. I try to approach everything with a sense of gratitude. I try to worship by smiling and by being in the moment. I try to end my own suffering and to promote happiness and joy. I very much feel that there is something larger than myself at work in the world, and I feel comforted by this thought. But I know that even if there was nothing larger than me that I would still want to live my life the way I’m living it now. It’s difficult for me to make decisions and so when I put happiness first, things become easier. That’s how my religion works in my life.

15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
I would be bummed if I had a child who was a conservative adherent to a religion. And if s/he was marrying into a conservative faith, I would worry that s/he wasn’t making her/his own decisions. Similarly, if I had a child who didn’t have some thoughts about religion, I might worry that I raised a selfish person.

16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
I think heaven and hell is what we make of it. I’m less concerned about what might happen in the future compared to what is actually happening right now. And, right now, many people are suffering, and I think that’s a hellish existence. There are many ways out of that type of existence, and I believe everyone should have the right to find out what works for them.

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?
I think a whole bunch of Christians aren’t practicing in loving each other or in turning the other cheek. I don’t think there are a whole lot of people speaking up for mixing together a bunch of religious practices. I see many atheists who profess to not believe in anything, but then pursue that idea with some vigor . . . I tend to think that their denial of a god becomes their religion. I also see some Buddhists who talk a good talk, but don’t put into practice what they say, either. But I don’t really hear Buddhists talking about how others should live their lives, and I respect that fact. I look up to religious thinkers like Pema Chodron and Thich Naht Han. And I look up to good writers and musicians—that’s probably where I draw my main source of religious fulfillment!

18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
I have had people not talk to me because they disagreed with my views. But I haven’t had crimes committed against me. Unless ignorance could be classified as a crime--I’ve had a lot of that thrown my way (but probably not intentionally)!

19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
When it does, then I change my views. I can’t believe in some things Paul has said about women, for example. When something feels bad or dumb to me, then I am learning to devalue it and find something that feels better and promotes my true nature.

20) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Yes and no. I think it’s important to find peace of mind and I think the pursuit of that is a religious pursuit. I think not having peace of mind is a good place from which to seek out some peace. I don’t ever feel content or that I know all aspects of my religion, but I find that comforting because it’s a sign I’m still growing.

21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
I do believe in reincarnation partly because it’s a fun belief to hold. Sometimes I imagine what other lives I may have lived in order to explain the life I have now. This helps me learn why I do some things I do. It helps me make some sense out of what is, really, either a completely absurd or absolutely lucky life! I like to think of doing my best now so that I can get even more out of my next life. I’d hate to screw things up for me in the future! Basically I think reincarnation is a fun mind game and it promotes a positive morality. I don’t really think it matters a whole lot whether or not we can prove reincarnation exists. It doesn’t hurt me to believe in reincarnation—in fact, I think it helps a lot.

Emily Carr Quote

2012-02-15T06:35:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

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

Perfectly ordered disorder designed with a helter-skelter magnificence.

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

Ian Crossland

2012-02-11T07:07:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Saturday!

I wish to thank Emberlyn Rayne for her very interesting and enjoyable interview last week. Thanks so much for sharing with us Emberlyn!

Today we have a new interview so please welcome Ian Crossland. Ian is a Mathematics and I know you'll enjoy his interview as well!

Here Is Ian Crossland's Introduction:

I've been in the entertainment industry for 11 years or so, having gone to college for theatre before that and doing theatre since I was about 15. I'm mainly in to science, but seem to constantly be drawn to the entertainment media. I do believe all faiths are connected, at this point at least, through science. String theory fascinates me. I'm from Ohio, moved to and lived in New York, Chicago and LA (where I am currently based).

http://www.iancrossland.net
http://www.youtube.com/iancrossland

1) What religion do you practice?
No religion, body health. Mathematics, I suppose.

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 was "baptized" at a Christian church camp awkwardly in 5th grade. More coerced in to saying I took Jesus in to my heart than anything. My mother was raised Catholic and my father was raised Lutheran but we never (maybe once, but I don't think so) went to church as a family. They sent me to a Methodist youth group from 6th grade to 8th grade.

3)Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
If science is a religion. I still have a feeling in some years people will look at modern day science as archaic. I try not to act violently but there is a time and a place for everything it seems.

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 very liberal and open to other view points. I suppose I choose to be liberal with my views because it makes sense that what other people believe is real to them and so real to me.

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)
I think the energy leaves the body, like a swarm of insects dissipating. I'm not sure if there is intelligence within the energy field after the body dies.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
I think heaven is a state of mind that exists while we are alive and that everyone is touched in to it.

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
Science makes sense literally. Numbers are reliable, no matter what religion you are.

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
I think celebration should happen to reflect on something good that happened. Not for arbitrary dates. Especially when the world is as fucked up as it is now. It sickens me to watch people celebrate and not know why.

9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
If they are cool.

10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
Yeah. A party's a party.

11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I'm not familiar with it.

12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
Yes, women are as important and intelligent as men.

13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
Not consciously, there are men/women issues throughout society though and probably many of them deep rooted and unseen.

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 think math speaks for itself. It affects everything I do. Sometimes I let emotions take over because I've found that math works in two ways.

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

16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
No. I think hell is a state of mind that everyone experiences on earth.

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?
Scientists. Ed Witten formed M-Theory and seems to know what he is talking about. Though admittedly, no one knows for sure.

18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
I have been verbally abused for speaking my opinion on Youtube for years.

19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
No. People seem to listen in awe when I explain that math is my religion.

20) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Yes. Then I go insane with all the possibilities.

21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
I think the energy field animates matter. The energy in you is always passing through and changing though. Your physical matter degrades in to the ground and probably ends up in other creatures. I don't know if the mind reactivates.

Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale Quote

2012-02-09T07:01:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Thursday!

Today's quote is brought to you by Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale aka Big Edie:

The cat’s going to the bathroom right in back of my portrait. I’m glad he is. I’m glad somebody’s doing something they want to do.

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

Huge Thanks!

2012-02-07T06:53:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Tuesday!

I wish to thank ymr participants:

Liorah Lleucu/Myfanwy, Christopher Darren Horn, Heather Cardin, Manuel Araujo, Helio Pires, H. Jeremiah Lewis and Emberlyn Rayne.

Thank you all for your wonderful contributions to this blog! Your interviews were insightful and interesting and I loved learning and reading each of your answers. Thank you so much for participating! You are all very much appreciated.

Emberlyn Rayne

2012-02-04T07:40:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Saturday!

First up I wish to thank H. Jeremiah Lewis for his wonderful and interesting interview of last week. It was great to learn more of your faith. Thanks so much for sharing with us!

This week we have a new interview so please welcome Emberlyn Rayne. Emberlyn is a Wiccan and I know you'll enjoy her interview as well!

Here Is Emberlyn Rayne's Introduction:

Merry meet!!
My name is Emberlyn Rayne and I am a 30-something stay-at-home mother of 3 witchlets living with my husband in Ontario, Canada.
I am Wiccan - a solitary eclectic domestic Witch would be the best way to describe my path.
I can be found on line at:
http://momsawitch.blogspot.com
http://practicalmagick.net
http://www.facebook.com/thepracticalmagick

1) What religion do you practice?
Wicca. I am an Eclectic Wiccan - which simply means I incorporate both traditional and newer Wiccan practices into my beliefs. I am a solitary Wiccan - meaning I am not part of a coven and I would also classify myself as a Kitchen/Domestic Witch. This is a unique term in Wicca and focuses on honouring the mundane in life.

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 self-dedicated to this path after more than 10 years of casual study. I really don't think of this as conversion though, it is simply a realization as to what makes me feel more close to the Divine. I was raised Baptist, although we did not actively practice.

3)Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
I'm not sure I know how to answer this question... I don't feel these terms really apply to Wicca. Wicca is a religion that can be molded to the individual - so the degree of observance depends on the person.

4)Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
n/a

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)
I believe in the Summerlands, a resting place for souls - this is the Wiccan equivalent of Heaven. This is a natural place of beauty where we go after death to reflect on the lessons learned in this life and to meet with our ancestors. If there are more lessons to be learned, we will be re-incarnated and returned to Earth. Once all lessons have been learned, the Divine will allow you to remain in the Summerland. This is not a place of judgement - but rather a place of reflection.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
Yes, I believe they do. However if they have inflicted pain and suffering on others, they will be made aware of their wrong-doings and must rectify it in future lives.

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
It just feels right.

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
There are 8 holy days - called Sabbats. Which reflect the changing of the season and the points in between. We also celebrate the lunar phases. A meeting or ritual done on the full moon is called an Esbat.

We (my family and I) celebrate a little differently with each Sabbat. But there is usually a delicious meal followed by a ritual. Sometimes the ritual will be a very casual one, and other times (like at Samhain, Oct 31 - the Witches' New Year), we do a complete ritual.

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

10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
Yes, because my parents are not Wiccan. We celebrate Christmas and Easter with them because it is important to their beliefs. Similarly, my mother has joined us once for a Samhain ritual.

11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I do not know enough to comment on this.

12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
Yes and I think it's wonderful. In Wicca, everyone has the possibility to be a preist or preistess.

13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel? Although it is not a set rule - there are covens that consist of only females. To be honest, it really doesn't bother me either way - as long as you are able to find your path to the divine no one can tell you it's the wrong path.

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?
As a domestic witch, it effects everything I do.

15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion? I would not have a problem with that. In all honesty, I would likely expect them to marry outside of our religion because we are from such a small community - there are very few pagans here. I only hope that they find someone who is understanding and does not try to convert them or steer them away from their beliefs.

16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
Wiccans do not believe in Hell. That is a Christian concept.

17) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
No I have not.

18) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
Not at all.

19) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Oh yes.

20) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not? Yes. {see above #5}

March Interviews

2012-02-02T07:10:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Thursday!

Here's what ymr will have in store for you for the March Interviews:

we'll hear from H. Kaur who is a Sikh, Laura Dartez/Onyx Moon who is a Pagan, Kristine McGee who is Non-denominational, Christian Mengele who is a Christian and Ed Grainger who is an ex-Jehovah's Witness.

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

Frank Sinatra Quote

2012-02-01T06:47:00.001-08:00

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

Today's quote is brought to you by Frank Sinatra:

Fear is the enemy of logic. There is no more debilitating, crushing, self-defeating, sickening thing in the world--to an individual or to a nation.

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

H. Jeremiah Lewis/ Sannion

2012-01-28T08:20:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Saturday!

Thank you to Helio Pires for his interesting and enjoyable interview of last week. Thanks so much for sharing with us Helio!

This week we have a new interview so please welcome H. Jeremiah Lewis/ Sannion. Jeremiah is a Classical Polytheist and I know you'll enjoy his interview as well!

Here Is H. Jeremiah Lewis/Sannion's Introduction:

H. Jeremiah Lewis, who goes by the religious name Sannion, is a Classical Polytheist and Dionysian who lives in the Pacific Northwest. He serves his gods as an oracular priest and is a prolific author, having just released his fifth book – Ecstatic: For Dionysos – through Nysa Press. You can learn more about him by visiting his blog and website at thehouseofvines.com.

1) What religion do you practice?
Religious identity as we tend to think of it is a fairly recent development. Before the Jews and Christians came on the scene there wasn’t really a sense of “religion” as something you belonged to, something composed of a set of beliefs and practices that marked off one group of people as distinct from another, which is why you won’t find a cognate for that term in Egyptian, Akkadian, Greek, Etruscan or any of the other languages of antiquity. Religion was merely a part of everyday life, comprising the customs and traditional notions handed down from the ancestors involving a community’s relations with its local gods and spirits. Each community – to say nothing of separate ethnic groups or nations – had its own unique way of being religious, but there were also broad commonalities such as polytheism, purification rites, sacrifice, divination and oracles, temples and priesthoods that seemed to be shared by the whole of humanity. Recognition of these commonalities allowed civilizations to peacefully coexist without religiously motivated warfare, persecution, heresy trials and the like, with many cultures borrowing ideas, imagery, ritual procedures and even their neighbors’ gods with great frequency. As such I tend to think of myself as a Classical Polytheist who incorporates elements from the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans into his contemporary worship of the gods – though I am predominantly devoted to Dionysos, the god of wine, madness, liberation, fertility, the dramatic arts and many other things as well. Thus I shall endeavor to answer your questions from the perspective of a Dionysian, with the understanding that another Classical Polytheist who primarily honored a different deity (and even some other Dionysians) would likely have their own take on things. Also keep in mind that while I tend to emphasize the continuity among these ancient civilizations the majority of polytheist reconstructionists today view Kemeticism, Hellenismos and the Religio Romana as distinct and autonomous faiths.

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?
Like most polytheists today I began my spiritual life in a totally different religion before eventually finding my way to Dionysos and the other gods. My family moved around a lot in my youth so I was exposed to pretty much every form of Christianity imaginable, as we attended whatever church was close by (often the only church in the small, rural towns we tended to settle in.) Eventually I came to have serious misgivings about some of the core tenets of Christianity which led me to look elsewhere for divine truth. On top of that in late adolescence I had a series of encounters with a strange, earthy, sensual, masculine figure – dreams, visions and related phenomena – the memory of which haunted me through my early teen years. I chased his shadow through a variety of different religions and philosophical systems before coming to realize his true identity as Dionysos. Wishing to learn everything that I could about his nature, history and preferred forms of worship I began an extensive phase of research on all aspects of ancient Greek culture and religion. Eventually I discovered that I wasn’t alone in my love of antiquity and desire to see this religion revived when I encountered a thriving community of Hellenic Reconstructionists online. I spent the next few years active in this community, participating on the lists and forums, writing voluminously, organizing events and founding and leading a number of different groups. Then around 2004 I had a series of powerful encounters with the Kemetic deities which led to an interest in the fusion of cultures that took place in Hellenistic Egypt under the Ptolemies. Eventually I discovered some kindred souls and we formed a syncretic Greco-Egyptian religious group called Neos Alexandria. My time there was extremely pleasant and we had many ambitious plans, including the founding of a publishing line to bring about devotional books honoring the gods of Greece, Egypt and neighboring lands – which is still going strong several years on! However running such a large and active group took a lot out of me and my religious practice suffered as a consequence. So around 2009 I parted ways with Neos Alexandria to focus on my own solitary worship and writing and to put my energy into local activities to honor the gods, independent of the internet which I think has some serious problems and actually impedes the growth of minority religious groups. And that’s pretty much where I am at today.

3)Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox, conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
Although those types of division are plentiful in the world of contemporary polytheism – especially when it comes to the methodology of reconstructionism which has been the source of a great deal of contention – you don’t find much of that among worshipers of Dionysos. We tend to be pretty laid-back and libertarian, preferring to do our own thing when it comes to honoring the Wild One and letting others do likewise. In fact Dionysian worship seems especially suited to blurring the lines and bringing everyone together in a spirit of mirth and revelry. I’ve participated in (and led) rituals attended by more than a hundred and fifty people – people from every conceivable religious orientation and degree of strictness – and they were able to put aside their theological, philosophical and methodological differences in order to drink and dance and rave in ecstatic celebration of the great giver of life’s bounty. And frankly that’s the way it should be if you ask me – everything else is incidental.

4)Within your religion what degree of observance are you (ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
I’m just a devotee of Dionysos – I don’t really care about identity politics and labels. I have a great respect for the reconstructionist approach, as solid a grounding in the literature and ideas of the ancients as one could want, and I doubt even the staunchest traditionalist would find anything to complain about in how I conduct my rituals. But I don’t really identify myself as a recon because I feel that we should remain open to inspiration and innovation if we are going to have a living religion centered on our relationships with living deities. If the gods communicate that they would like to receive an offering unattested in the lore or show themselves to us in a novel form, I don’t think it’s proper to disregard that in order to preserve some sort of artificial “authenticity.”

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)
One of the most fascinating – and vexing – things about the ancients is that they often entertained a variety of mutually contradictory accounts without attempting to reconcile or favor one above the others. So for instance the Greek view of death and the afterlife included everything from metempsychosis (reincarnation) to dissolution into nothingness to posthumous survival as an impotent shade of one’s former self in a gloomy underworld abode to a blessed existence of eternal joy and pleasure and communion with the divine for those who had undergone initiation into the mysteries to spiritual evolution into a higher category of being or even the notion that the dead remained with us, bringing luck and wealth or illness and trouble to their families, depending on how they were treated. Sometimes you find several of these expressed simultaneously by the same individual!

Which is generally my approach. For instance I tend to believe that most people end up as shades in the underworld, unable to act or recognize themselves unless fed with sacrificial blood. A few, however, retain a measure of vitality and so can interact with our world as ghosts or heroes. An even fewer number experience a better fate because of their close relationship with certain deities – Dionysos in particular. His ancient cults had a strong eschatological concern with the initiates gaining entrance into an eternal symposium with endless food and wine, dancing and love-making. This is what I look forward to when my time comes – to revel in the presence of my god and experience a mystical union with him closer and more intensely intimate than anything I’ve felt here on earth.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
No. Most people end up in Haides, which is sort of a shadowy realm comparable to the Catholic purgatory. It’s not a place of torment or punishment; it’s just kind of dreary and boring. But then again since that’s what most people’s lives are like here on earth I suspect they’ll hardly notice any difference when they arrive there.

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
Everything about it! It nourishes me spiritually, intellectually, aesthetically and in every other way that matters. It provides me with a firm conception of the world, how it works and my place in it. It brings me into direct contact with the divine powers who are the source of all good things in life so that my experience of existence can be enriched and it provides me with an eloquent vocabulary to express my profound gratitude to them. More, the rituals that I perform are beautiful, exciting and full of complex meaning. Every part of my life is suffused with religious sentiment and shaped by my devotional practices. I honestly can’t imagine finding this kind of fulfillment in any other religion – except, perhaps, some other type of polytheism. But since it’s Dionysos, Hermes, Spider, Aphrodite, the Ptolemies and a few others that I am closest to, any religion that is not built around their worship holds little to no appeal for me.

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
I have an extremely large calendar of festivals, important anniversaries, seasonal observances and set devotional days each month to honor my gods and spirits. Some of these are taken over directly from the ancients and kept in a manner that resembles what they did as closely as my modern circumstances permit. Others have an ancient festival as their starting point but were adapted to my local climate and environment or combined with other ritual and festival elements in such a way that it’s best to think of them as an altogether different and new festival. Others were invented by members of my extended religious community or by myself to celebrate a specific aspect of a deity or commemorate an event or experience that has deep personal significance. And the monthly devotional days are times that I set aside to focus on and commune with my various gods and spirits or to perform specific activities that help bring me into their particular sphere of activity. As such my calendar is highly idiosyncratic and in a state of constant evolution and thus few of the dates on it are observed by anyone else. If you’d like to learn more about how this calendar was developed and what my religious practice entails I recommend you follow my blog where I talk at length about such things.

9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Absolutely! Most of my friends, in fact, belong to other polytheistic traditions and I also count Buddhists, Christians, Jews and Agnostics among my acquaintances. The character traits that create a good person are not the prerogative of any one religion. I have learned a great deal and had my life enriched immensely through these relationships.

10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
Well, that depends. I won’t participate in an observance that I feel brings about ritual impurity or which requires the espousal of beliefs that are contrary to mine or which I find deeply offensive. I will not, as an example, deny the existence of my gods, seek atonement for sins I don’t believe in, permit others to pray for me or attempt to spiritually “heal” or “deliver” me – nor do I feel the need to participate in any kind of vague, watered down, ecumenical service. But on the other hand I’ve proudly stood by others as they offered sacrifice to their gods even though they weren’t my gods, I’ve marched in a Catholic procession through the streets at night, and been witness to many beautiful and touching displays of religious sentiment. I think that we can learn a lot about what makes good ritual by exposing ourselves to the practices of others, since it is fundamentally an art form whose essential components cut across cultural and ideological divides. And as a polytheist I affirm the reality of all divinities and believe they are worthy of our respect and worship, even if I tend to limit my cultic activity to only a handful of them. My gods are not jealous and have no problem with me honoring the rest of their compatriots.

11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I am totally opposed to the institution of Sharia Law because it is totally opposed to me in its condemnation of my gods, their worship and many of the things associated with them such as sex, alcohol, dance and music. In fact Islam represents everything that is antithetical to the Dionysian way of life. If a Moslem wishes to adhere to that system of law himself it is no concern of mine, but I’ll fight to the bloody end if he gets it in his head to try and coerce me into doing likewise.

Now the burka is a different matter entirely. As an advocate of absolute individual freedom – liberty, after all, comes from the Latin name of my god, Liber Pater – I believe that a Moslem woman has every right to dress in whatever way she finds most suitable. If she chooses to wear the burka as an expression of modesty, fidelity to her husband and respect for her god and her people’s traditions then she has my full blessing. I may find it ugly, repressive and extremely uncomfortable to wear but that’s why you’ll never find me wearing one! If she feels differently, why should I care? So, on those grounds I am totally opposed to the recent efforts in France and other European nations to ban the wearing of this garment, which I consider hypocritical, tyrannical and just plain idiotic since it plays into the Jihadis hands. However I’m well aware that in many parts of the world the wearing of the burka isn’t a choice the woman gets to make herself. Or rather she does get to choose – between covering herself from head to toe in heavy, hot fabric or face insults, ostracism, abuse, rape and sometimes even murder. I find that extremely reprehensible, surpassed only by the infantile excuses the men use to justify their barbaric and disgusting treatment of women. “They must dress this way to ensure men are not inflamed with lust.” Well, where’s your decency and self-control, you weak hypocrites!?! The truly temperate and pious man ought to be able to pass a naked woman in the street without a single carnal thought entering his mind and distracting him from loving communion with his god. “It’s against Allah’s wishes!” If Allah is the creator of all that is then certainly he is responsible for feminine beauty and sexual longing. Why should he have given women clitorises if he didn’t want them to be used? Why create things like flowers and rainbows and pretty faces if beauty wasn’t meant to be appreciated for its own sake? “But the wife belongs to her husband!” No human is a commodity to be bought and sold and owned outright. She is a human, not a precious vase or a camel! And so on and so forth.

12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
Women actually play a very important role in the worship of Dionysos – to the point where he is frequently described as the woman’s god. Not only did females feature prominently in his myths, serve him in a priestly capacity, were responsible for the promulgation of his cult – but the role of mainad was open only to females, the mad-women who were his nurses, lovers, hunting companions and ecstatic revelers who tore him to pieces and roused his spirit up from the earth with the flowers and fruit in due season. The mainades are essential to Dionysos and his worship.

13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
Yes and no. Dionysos’ worship involves an orgiastic blurring of lines. It is a mad throng reveling in the woods, comprised of all segments of the population – young and old, rich and poor, citizen and stranger, male and female. And yet, as I mentioned above, there are certain roles in his cult that can only be fulfilled by women just as there are other roles that belong to men alone. Likewise there is a distinction between the casual reveler and the initiate in his mysteries, one who has come for the feast and returns to their ordinary life afterwards and those who have given up everything to follow him and been torn apart and remade in the image of Dionysos. Although everyone may freely receive the blessings of the god, he gives different things to different people, depending on their need and their level of commitment.

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?
Religion is the primary focus of my life, to the point where scarcely any part of who I am, what I do or how I think about things remains untouched by it. I can’t take a stroll through a park without feeling the presence of the nymphai and other nature-spirits. I can’t watch a movie or listen to music without my mind being flooded by religious imagery and thoughts. When I hear about contemporary events I flash back to what I’ve read of history and how the ancients dealt with similar matters. I strive to have my every act reflect the greater glory of my gods and conduct myself with piety, righteousness, gentleness and consciousness of the delicate balance that preserves all life on this planet. On the other hand I believe that intelligence is a divinely given faculty and that we honor the gods most when we use our brains to the best of our ability. So while I consider the traditional teachings of Classical antiquity to be a sound guide through the confusing and dangerous labyrinth of life, I have no problem parting ways with them when I feel that our ancestors were in error or a situation requires a more nuanced approach. As an example, slavery was widely practiced in the ancient world, and though some intellectuals (especially among the Stoics) abhorred it they never got around to abolishing the institution entirely and probably couldn’t have with their level of technological advancement. (We moderns only succeeded in doing so after the industrial revolution was well underway.) I have no problem condemning slavery and saying that we’re much better off now without it. Ditto the misogyny and xenophobia that one all-too-frequently encounters in ancient writings.

So, if you want my take on these issues as a contemporary Dionysian, here they are: it is my adamant conviction that there ought to be plenty of abortion and gay marriage for those who want it and none for those who don’t.

15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
Well, that’s kind of an academic question for me. Between realizing that I’d make an atrocious parent and that the primary cause of nearly every major problem we’re facing today is overpopulation, I made sure to get a vasectomy a while back. But as long as this hypothetical child of mine – let’s call him Ptolemy Eleutherios Nietzsche Innamorato Sannion for argument’s sake: and yes, this is one of the many reasons why I will not be reproducing – was in a happy, loving and supportive relationship he’d have my blessing to marry whatever boy from whatever religious background he pleased to – excluding, of course, Scientologists ‘cause those folks are nuttier than baklava, and not in a fun way!

16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
The ancients were not psychotic bullies who believed that you had to bribe or threaten people into loving the gods. The gods simply were and those who acknowledged them reaped the benefits of communion with the divine while those who didn’t deprived themselves of such blessings.

While the soul is judged after death in both Greek and Egyptian thought, with our good and evil deeds weighed in a balance, “belief” doesn’t really enter into the equation. There is punishment for our wickedness, but it is commensurate with our actions – not an excruciating torment from which there is no hope of escape. Once we have atoned for our wrongdoing we either go on to our posthumous abode – Haides for most, the Isles of the Blest for a few or Tartaros for an even smaller number – or else, according to the Orphics and Pythagoreans at least, we are born again on earth in order to improve our future lot. But you have to be exceptionally evil to end up in Tartaros – Sisyphos, Tantalos, or Lykourgos level evil. Or in terms most will understand: Hitler, Dahmer or Phelps.

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?
I consider non-practicing Dionysians to be those who don’t, well, practice the religion. Since there’s no set worship routine that’s a fairly subjective thing and I prefer not to concern myself overly much with what others do or don’t do. After all their relationship with Dionysos is necessarily going to differ from mine. They may only feel the need to pray and make offerings to him every couple of months and never have an element of ekstasis and enthousiasmos as part of their worship. Others still may feel that writing and talking about him is all the “worship” that’s necessary for them. I disagree, obviously, and feel that you get out of any relationship – divine or mortal – pretty much what you put into it, so I’m always trying to find ways to deepen my connection with him and honor him. But ultimately I think such matters are best left between the individual and their deity. If Dionysos wants more from a person he’s quite capable of asking for it!

To answer the second part of your question – yeah, there are plenty of folks in the Hellenic, Kemetic and Greco-Egyptian communities whose opinions and actions I disagree with and who I feel do not, under any circumstances, speak for me. Even so I do not contest their right to claim such an identity for themselves. There’s no litmus test to belong to these religions, no office of the holy inquisition going around policing people’s thought and making sure that they conduct their rites in the proper manner – and we can thank the blessed gods for that! While it’s annoying to see some megalomaniacal buffoon spouting off about “this is what True Hellenes do and believe” I don’t worry that outsiders are going to lump me in with them because it’s usually abundantly clear that we’ve got nothing in common. Most of them are ignorant of the primary sources our tradition is based on, just aping the arguments they’ve heard others make and too busy participating in endless online flame-wars to abother actually worshiping the gods and celebrating their festivals. Quality shines through in the end, so I consider such people of no account and instead concern myself with my own practice. When I stand before Dionysos after my Journey West he’s not going to ask me, “Why didn’t you wag your finger at more people Sannion? You didn’t argue nearly enough.” He’s going to say, “You were fearless and creative, you danced and drank, sang my praises and lived every moment that was given you to the fullest – well done my son!” At least he’s going to say that if I’ve done my job well.

18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
Nope. The worst I’ve had to endure is listening to some idiotic fan-boy of Christ go on about how I’m deluded, my gods are really devils and I’m destined for hell when I die. Thankfully we were given a pair of middle fingers especially for situations like that.

In all seriousness though I’ve never been subjected to any kind of discrimination based on my religious affiliation, though I know that there are plenty of Pagans and other polytheists out there who have. People that have lost their jobs and homes, had their beliefs brought up in divorce and child custody cases, suffered vandalism, threats and physical violence. Things have certainly improved a great deal since the days of Cyril, Theodosios, Justinian and their ilk – but we’ve got a long way to go yet before we live in a truly just, tolerant and pluralistic society. I sometimes forget how bad my co-religionists have it because I live in an ultra-liberal hippy mecca where you can parade through the streets in full ceremonial attire and ivy-crowns and no one’ll even bat an eyelash. Frequently you’re not even the weirdest person out on the street! Of course that begs the question why anyone with an “alternative lifestyle” would choose to live in the Bible belt or anywhere else you’ve got to keep up appearances and hide what you are and do – but hey, no one has ever accused us humans of being a rational species.

19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
This question confused me because I couldn’t comprehend why anyone would remain a part of a religion that they felt under or devalued them. And then I realized that you probably had to ask this because it’s the experience of a lot of people and that deeply saddened me. So, my message to the readers of your blog would be this: Listen up, folks! No religion holds a monopoly on truth or the sole means of connecting with the divine. Either find one better suited to your needs or hell, go off and create your own! The only thing you’ve got to lose is your shackles.

20) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Definitely not! My religion provides me with many things but peace of mind certainly isn’t one of them. It’s probably the biggest cause of stress and anxiety in my life – and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

You see, one of the core values of Classical Polytheism is αρετή, a Greek word meaning virtue, excellence, exceptionalness. Areté represents the ideal, the peak of perfection, our highest aspirations which as humans we are ultimately unable to attain. But that’s beside the point – we must strive with all we have, offer and become our best – and in so doing come as close to divinity as we are ever going to. For the ancients this was not just a deeply cherished social value but rather a fundamentally religious concept. Hence most festivals contained an agon or competition in the fields of athletics, music, dance, poetry or beauty. It was felt that the gods desired and deserved to see humanity at its best and that the struggle to attain that purified not only the individuals but the whole community. Further because of their perfection it was necessary to give to the gods the very best that we have: the most beautiful temples and statues, the choicest sacrificial animals, the costliest perfumes and incenses, the first-fruits of our labor and the sweat of our brow and mastery of our craft gained from long hours of discipline and practice. Anything less than our best is an affront to their greatness.

Therefore no matter how good I get I am always trying to improve on that and challenge myself in new and different ways. I refuse to sit on my laurels and congratulate myself on past accomplishments. Whether in my writing, my studies, my oracular and other spiritual work, the rituals I perform and any other part of my life that comes under their purvey I am constantly looking for ways to improve, things I neglected or got wrong, new directions I could take it in or techniques to try out. I do not compare myself to my contemporaries but rather to the giants and geniuses who came before. And I won’t be satisfied even once I’ve surpassed them, because there is always room for improvement. Always. So no, my religion does not offer peace of mind – but it holds out something infinitely preferable: greatness.

21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
Plenty of the ancients held to the doctrine of metempsychosis, especially the Orphics, Pythagoreans and later philosophical schools. It even seems to have been an element in the eschatological beliefs of certain Dionysian groups – though these tended to overlap a good deal with the Orphics and Pythagoreans, especially in Southern Italy where the idea was most prevalent. However, I remain agnostic on the matter. It strikes me as about as probable as any other theory of what happens to us after death and equally as unlikely. Ultimately though I don’t think it matters much what we think about it – either it happens or it doesn’t, and our beliefs aren’t likely to change things one bit. However our beliefs do affect the quality of life we have here and now, and that’s what truly matters. You’ve got to live this life as best you can and deal with the consequences of your choices and actions. Too many people who believe in reincarnation use it as an excuse for their poor circumstances and a way to abdicate personal responsibility. Or else they are obsessed with discovering the details of their former lives and create elaborate fantasies for themselves to make it easier to deal with the fact that they’re just some poor schmuck working a dead-end job. Even if all of that stuff is true it’s incidental to what’s happening now. This is the life you’re leading and you’ve got to make the most of what you’ve been given. If you don’t you’re the only one who will suffer the consequences – even if you come back again that’ll be a different “you” than the one that’s here now, no?

Jimi Hendrix Quote

2012-01-25T10:57:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

Today's quote is brought to you by Jimi Hendrix:

Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.

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

Helio Pires

2012-01-21T07:29:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Saturday!

First up I wish to thank Manuel Araujo for his really interesting interview last week. It was wonderful to learn more of your faith. Thanks for sharing Manuel!

Today we have a new interview so please welcome Helio Pires. Helio is a Roman Polytheist and I know you'll enjoy his interview as well!

Here Is Helio Pires's Introduction:

In a quick label-rich introduction of myself, I'm an academic in
training in Medieval History and a Roman polytheist, born and raised
in Portugal and currently living in Lisbon. I'm also an
environmentalist, a gay rights activist, the occasional guide for lost
tourists and curious friends, an amateur potter every now and then, a
big fan of humour on just about anything (including religion), a dog
person, and a literal tree-hugger and kisser (it's ways of saluting
the local wights).

1) What religion do you practice?
Roman polytheism, AKA Religio Romana.

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?
A convert, but with no ceremony to mark that step. I simply started
worshipping ancient Roman deities and it grew from there. Before I
was already a polytheist, but a Norse one.

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's something of the sort in terms of degrees of reconstructionism
in modern-day Roman polytheism: a stricter one that calls for the
(re)creation of ancient Roman political and social structures, a
conservative trend that takes orthopraxy to the extreme of wishing a
return to the exact ritual practices of the past, and a more liberal
group that does a lot of concessions to the modern world, seeking to
adapt ancient Roman religious ways to today's context. And, of course,
there are a lot of grey areas in-between these three categories.

4)Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((ie.
Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this
degree of observance?
I'm a liberal in that I have no desire to reconstruct political and
social structures of 2000 years ago nor do I think that ritual
practices should be immune to the modern world. To put it simply, I think
that ritualistic traditions must conform to the social morality.

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)
There's no dogma on that and I personally believe there are several
options when it comes to the afterlife: the underworld, becoming a
local wight, joining different gods, reincarnation, etc. There may be
places of punishment and there may be rewards, but it may normally be a
neutral thing.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If
they do not, why?
If by paradise you mean joining one's ancestors and/or chosen gods in
a sort of blissful existence, then I believe people generally do.

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
Its diversity of gods and paths, its cultural connection (since I'm
native to a Latin culture), its openness towards other gods and
religions, the freedom it grants with regards to one's choices, and
its respects towards personal identity traits.

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
That's a long list.... On a monthly basis, I celebrate the 1st, 5th or
7th, and 13th or 15th day (Calends, Nones, and Ides), plus an offering
to Freyr and other Vanir every month. But then there are also yearly
festivals like New Year's, Parentalia in February, Quinquatria in
March, Mercuralia in May, a sacrifice to Juno on June 1st, Neptunalia
in June, and Saturnalia in December. I don't celebrate every ancient
Roman holiday, but only those that were dedicated to gods Whom are
part of my personal pantheon and also add dates that are meaningful to
me (like the anniversary of the fulfilment of a vow to a god).

9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Religion is not a criterion for friendship. At least not to me.

10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of
their holy days? Please explain why?
Yes, because I'm not an exclusivist and I recognize sacredness and
divinity in others' rituals and gods.

11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
To be honest, I find the burka disgusting because it is removes women
from role in public life by denying them a basic element: a publicly
know face! As for Shariah, I'm a big fan of a secular State, so I
don't think religious law should rule civil life.

12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister,
rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
Traditionally, yes, but to what extent is a matter that will get
different answers depending on whom you're asking. Personally, I see
no problem with women taking on a priestly role in almost every cult.

13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
I'm mostly solitary, so I don't usually have a collective place of
worship. But, traditionally, some cults had exclusively male rituals
(like Hercules', if my mind serves me right) and some exclusively
female (like Bona Dea's).

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's present in my daily life, it affects it by means of ritual,
sacred etiquette (if you will) towards urban and natural elements
(trees, rocks, crossroads, etc.), by means of the Gods' inspiration,
or by asking Them directly for advise (usually through some form of
divination). Then again, I also like to keep a critical eye, so Their
input is taken with a grain of salt.

As for topics like gay marriage or abortion, it s my conviction that
moral is essentially social, so I tend to discuss those topics beyond
the religious context, even if I may get some input from it.

15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside
your religion?
My only concern would be the degree of freedom the child would have.
Is the other person’s religion respectful towards his/her choices?
His/her sexual orientation and that of family members? These are the
questions that matter to me and not the simple fact that it’s another
religion.

16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
Hell as in a place of punishment... no! And I'll say it again: 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?
I'm aware that different people have different degrees of ritual
practice, but that's usually a personal matter that I don't get
involved in. As for people who speak for Roman polytheism, even if not
a sacred leader of any sort, there's Piscinus, who blogs at «Religio
et Pietas»

18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
No.

19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
Definitely not!

20) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Yes! Some gods are particularly good at that.

21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
I like to keep the option on the table. For one, because I believe
there are various possibilities with regards to the afterlife
(underworld, godly realm, turning into a local wight, etc.) and,
secondly, because I do not claim to know the absolute truth of things,
so I don't rule out reincarnation.

Susanna Moodie Quote

2012-01-18T06:49:00.001-08:00

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

Today's quote is brought to you by Susanna Moodie:

Ah, Hope! what would life be, stripped of thy encouraging smiles, that teach us to look behind the dark clouds of today, for the golden beams that are to gild the morrow.

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

Manuel Araujo

2012-01-14T06:41:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Saturday!

I wish to thank Heather Cardin for her very interesting and informative interview last week. Thanks so much for sharing with us Heather!

Today we have a new interview so please welcome Manuel Araujo. Manuel is a Polytheist and I know you'll enjoy his interview as well!

Here Is Manuel Araujo's Introduction:

Hello! My name is Manuel Araújo, I’m 20 and I’m from Portugal. I am studying to become a Law Technician (something the Portuguese government came up with) at university and I’m almost finishing my first year.
My major hobbies are gardening, writing, reading, drawing (nothing too fancy), going out with my best friends and playing with my cat.
I am quite distanced from my family, with absolutely no regrets, and I plan to live alone once I finish my degree and gather enough money to be able to sustain myself. Before someone wonders, my family has no knowledge of my Polytheistic/Pagan "tendencies". I would like to eventually return to my parents’ home, once they’ve departed, to establish a Nemeton (a sacred grove), which I have already started planting in the large field that’s behind the house.
I occasionally take some time, at least three times every month, now that I have exams every week, to write on my blog – http://www.clareiraoculta.blogspot.com/ - that has detailed my religious and personal progress, for the year and a half.

　
　
1) What religion do you practice?　
I am a Gaulish Reconstructionist, a subgroup within Celtic Reconstructionism (CR for short) denomination. To put it plainly, I attempt, to the best of my abilities, to reconstruct the religion and culture of the Gaulish tribes. I do this according to archaeological evidence, written records, comparative religious studies (between the Indo-European cultures) and some Unsubstantiated Personal Gnosis (UPS). I am also trying to learn how to speak (and write) Gaulish.
I worship a total of 30 Gods and Goddesses - some carefully selected according to my "tribal preferences" and others due to natural affinity - honour various Spirits as well as my blood and cultural Ancestors.

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 convert. It’s a long story, so I’ll try to put it short. I grew up in a Catholic family and I kind of believed in the Christian God and all of that, though it never made much sense to me that one deity alone could create and manage everything. I wondered why people didn’t worship many Gods and Goddess like the Egyptians and the Hellenes...
Eventually, at the age of 9, I became an atheist and remained so until I was 13 (2004) which was when I discovered Wicca. Curiously enough, Wicca filled a void in my life that I did not even noticed before I found it. But I was cautious enough to learn as much as I could before actually getting serious about it. I converted, or better yet, celebrated an Initiation ceremony, in 2008, when I was 17.
I did not predict that I would ever leave Wicca, but the more I tried to uncover about the ancient religions, the more my view of the cosmos began to change – I was going down the road to hard polytheism. At first I didn’t take such changes seriously, but at a certain point I knew that my views did no longer go according to the Wiccan traditions.
After some inner searching I realised that the Celtic culture (in a pan-Celtic context) was the one that I felt most drawn to, and so I began researching about the various Celtic peoples. But in the end, the Gaulish culture was the one I favoured the most, and here I am, almost a year after my "conversion"; I use quotes because there really isn’t a need to convert, all you need to do is to believe and be loyal.
　
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 far as I know, there can be practising CRs and non-practising CRs. The first ones are those that actually conduct ceremonies in honour of the Gods, Spirits and Ancestors alone or with a group. The latter ones are those that only do research, whilst believing in the divine form a Celtic point of view. Be warned that I am only guessing, because I have never actually met a non-practising CR.
There also is a distinction according to where the entities you worship are from. Hence, you can be a Gaulish Reconstructionist, like yours truly, a Brythonic Reconstructionist, Gaelic, Celtiberian, Lusitanian and Gallaecian (probably Manx as well, but I’ve never heard of one).
I’m not sure, but I think Gaulish and Brythonic Reconstructionists would be willing to divide themselves, during rites, according to the ancient sacerdotal functions of druid (druits), ovate (vátis) and bard (bardos).
Aside from these three things, there are no literal degrees, like in Freemasonry, Wicca, etc.

4)Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? Why did you choose this degree of　observance?
Well, according to my previous answer, there are no degrees, but I am a practising, solitary CR. Do I fit in the old traditional priest roles? I try to do the same things, but I wouldn’t dare to call myself a druits, vátis or bardos. I have nowhere near as much knowledge as they would have had.

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)
Though there is little evidence of what the Gauls believed in terms of afterlife, most people think that their concept was similar to the Brythonic (and later Welsh) one.
To better explain the Other World, I should explain the cosmos from a Gaulish point of view. I believe that there are three realms, all connected by a massive and cosmic world tree (an oak).
The upper one, called Albios, is where the celestial deities –Taranos (thunder and storm), Granos (Sun), Arduina (moon), Sirona (stars and night), Vintios (wind) and Brigindona (dawn, amongst other things) - live. It is situated atop the skies and mountains.
The middle one, called Bitus, is where we all live, along with all other living beings, as well as the Spirits, some Gods and other less pleasant beings.
Finally, the lower realm, known as Antumnos, is the land where the dead travel to feast and rest for as long as they stay there. Though it is beneath the earth and the deepest waters, it is a splendid place, where it is always summer – a land of endless prosperity and youth.
As to what happens when a person dies, I think that there must be a deity that is responsible for picking up the souls of those whom have died and to lead them to Antumnos, which can be entered through caves and rivers.
There is no place of punishment in the Gaulish conception of the cosmos, nor in the other Celtic cultures. That might be because the tribes’ ruling classes were responsible for punishing those whom acted against the law and as such, all required punishments would be suffered whilst being alive.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?　　
Yes, I believe everyone makes it to the Other World, but since I believe in the existence of many Gods and not just the ones I worship, where other people end up is up to them to determine.

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?　　
I’m very inquisitive and I love history, so I think it makes sense for me to follow a path like this. Above all, of course, I love the Celtic culture, especially the Gaulish one. I’m also very fond of the concept of tribal union, though I will probably never experience it from a CR point of view. The closest I can get is when I’m with my best friends, who I love as if they were my brothers and sisters.

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
I have so many holy days I won’t even bother to describe them all for the sake of maintaining your interest. The most important ones are equivalent the famous four pan-Celtic quarter-days: Trinoxtion Samoní (April/May), Lugonascetis (July/August), Sébronoxtion (October/November) and Ambiuolcia (January/February).
Apart from these, I celebrate the Solstices and Equinoxes and, in a way, the phases of the Moon, which indicate when certain celebrations must be held. As such, there is a considerable number of holy days in a single month.
In fact, the Gaulish calendar is regulated primarily by the Moon and the stars and secondarily by the sun, since it’s lunisolar; and the 24-hour period is considered to begin when night falls.
The ways of celebrating vary considerably, but the primary method of worship is sacrificing (no killing of animals involved) and leaving offerings to the entities honoured in that particular time period – some holy days are actually many days long.

9) Do you consider people of other faiths　to be your friends?
It depends. Their faith won’t instantly make them my friends or my enemies – unless they are prejudiced enough to think that I’m evil, or something -, their personalities and deeds will.

10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days?　Please explainwhy?
It would depend on what they would be celebrating. If it were something like Easter or Christmas, I certainly would not join them because of the great cultural gap... and it would be far too awkward for me. I have, however, attended a funeral mass in honour of one of my "sisters’" grandfather. She knew that I wouldn’t be praying to the Abrahamic God and Jesus, but to my own Gods, but she didn’t care. All that mattered was that I was there for her.
So would I attend another polytheistic/pagan holy day celebration? Almost certainly, but it would depend on the sense of comfort in the presence of another culture and other Gods. I would, for example, most likely attend a Wiccan rite and a Norse blót...

11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?　　
I don’t know much about the Shariah, but I think I can comment on the burka subject. Honestly, I think it’s a cultural matter that ought not to be challenged by those whom are not part of the Islamic culture.
I’m not saying that it should be obligatory, I’m saying that if change is needed, then it is those who are part of the said culture that ought to do something if they have the need to.
I think the same of the swastika. Some countries wish to prohibit the use of this symbol because the Nazis used it, but dozens of cultures used it long before, often as symbol of a deity. Just because some think that something needs to change doesn’t mean it really has to.

12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
There is no evidence of the existence of female druidos (druids), vátés (ovates) and bardí (bards) – there isn’t even a feminine form for these words -, but there are some records of figures akin to the Norse volur, though with less shamanic traits.
However, I think that CR groups usually have no problem in accepting a woman as a priestess. I know no other Gaulish Reconstructionist but if I belonged to a modern toutá I would definitely accept a woman as a fellow priestess/celebrant.

13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?　
I’m a solitary, so it obviously doesn’t.

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?
In a way it does, because the Gods are everywhere – from the water I drink, to the words I utter every day. Being so, I try to be as respectful and thankful as I can for each gift that they grant me. They don’t affect my decisions per se, but they do help if they want to.
About abortion, gay marriage, and other "difficult" matters, my faith has absolutely no influence in me when it comes to that. I fully support freedom of choice and the right to be happy.

15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?　 I don’t even consider that as an option since I’m not interested in having children or a wife. But pretending I do, I would gladly accept my son or daughter’s decision – I’m all for freedom.
　

16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
I don’t believe in such a thing as hell, so that’s up to them to know if they go there or not, in case they believe in it or not.

17) Who do you think is not a practicing Gaulish Reconstructionist in your religion and why? ie who in the public domain claims to speak for your religion? Do you agree with them or not?　　
Probably someone that does not perform sacrifices, leave offerings, pray... I don’t know and I’ve never bothered to wonder, in fact. I’ve never met another Gaulish Reconstructionist and probably never will.
There is no central authority, but those who choose to expose themselves and their beliefs to the world are kind of speaking for my religion, but, more precisely, for their own practises. Hence this kind of exposure should be done carefully in order not to create misconceptions.

18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
In a religious way, no, I have not. The closest I’ve been to being a victim of a religious "hate crime" is having some religious items thrown, by my mother, to the rubbish bin (which I later got hold of again). She doesn’t know I’m not Christian, but she’s not fond of candles and incense and quickly associates them with the Occult. I have, however, been bullied in the past, though not for religious reasons – very few people know about my faith.

19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
It certainly does not. Though it doesn’t give me any extra value as a person, I think that it has helped me grow up mentally/emotionally, as I established bonds with some of the Gods and became more immersed in the Gaulish culture.

20) Does your religion give you peace of mind?　
It gives me some peace of mind, but not in a absolute way. My Gods are not omni-everything so they can’t control every aspect of my life, and I seriously doubt they would want to. As such, other mortals such as myself don’t allow me to have much peace of mind. But in terms of fear of death and all of that, I’m fine.

21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
I believe it because it makes sense to me and because it’s a common belief amongst the Celtic peoples. As I’ve said, I believe that when someone dies (a modern Celt, at least), they are taken to the Other World and they stay there for unknown period of time – unknown, at least to me – feasting in the company of their Ancestors and resident Gods. When the time comes, we are born again. I’m not exactly sure how that may work, but I think that our souls are taken to a new body.
Something I personally believe – and that I’m not too happy with – is that we reincarnate in the same family. Being so, I may reincarnate as the grandchild of a cousin, for example. (if I die first, of course). I like to think that I’ll eventually meet my current "siblings" again in my next incarnation, since they’re my "emotional kin", but that’s not up to me to know

Louisa May Alcott Quote

2012-01-11T06:17:00.001-08:00

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

Today's quote is brought to you by Louisa May Alcott:

We all have our own life to pursue, our own kind of dream to be weaving, and we all have the power to make wishes come true, as long as we keep believing.

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

Heather Cardin

2012-01-07T07:11:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Saturday!

First up I wish to thank Christopher Darren Horn for his wonderful interview of last week. Thanks so much for sharing with us Christopher!

Today we have a new interview so please welcome Heather Cardin. Heather is a Baha'i and I know you'll enjoy her interview as well!

Here Is Heather Cardin's Introduction:

I am a Canadian Baha'i. I am a wife, mother, teacher, and author. I have lived in several countries, travelled fairly extensively, and have a passion for knowledge. My prevailing attitudes, in my fifties, are of curiosity and gratitude.
And lastly, if you have a website, blog or whatever, that you would like me to link to, just let me know!

You are no doubt aware of the best source for information about my faith, which is http://www.bahai.org/. I also have a blog but no need to link to it unless you wish to; I only write in it from time to time. http://www.heathercardinbookwoman.blogspot.com/.

1) What religion do you practice?
I am a Baha'i.

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 was raised by Baha'i parents, who themselves had become Baha'is from Christian backgrounds. Although I have not always practiced the laws, I have always believed. Baha'i children and youth are always given the option of choice; it's never expected that they will automatically choose to be Baha'is. I have never doubted that Baha'u'llah, our founder, is the most current revealer of the Creator's message for today, but I have not always been successful at practicing the very high standards of the faith.

3)Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
Yes, and no. There are no formal differences, but the degree of observance is chosen by the participant. Since it is such a 'voluntary' type of faith, how much time and energy a person gives is entirely at their discretion, but there are people who are very "active" and those less visible in the Baha'i community but who still practice. Although there are no specific defining differences, I think that it is part of observance to conform to Baha'i laws as best as possible.

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 currently actively observant, to the best of my ability. There are certain laws of practice. I think of them as the "visible" and "invisible" laws. I have always practiced the law of non-consumption of alcohol or other drugs, for example; it's a Baha'i law, but in this day and age it's also a really smart social choice. So I have never had alcohol or other drugs. This is a Baha'i law, but it also made a lot of sense to me: I don't know anyone who has not been touched, in some way, by alcohol and other drug abuses in their family or within their friendships, so following that particular Baha'i law was a no-brainer. There are other standards of behaviour which are much, much more difficult, ranging from chastity to daily Obligatory prayer to yearly Fasting to not backbiting to how one gets married or buried.

The law against backbiting is considered the most grievous of all to break, and is probably the most difficult to regulate in yourself. I am trying, at this stage of my life, not only to practice these laws, but to understand that the spirit of practice is to get your own "self" connected with the great spiritual laws of the universe. Baha'is don't believe that the God of others is different from ours; there is only one Creator. So to practice the faith is not just a question of law-abiding or community life, but is an intricate and in-depth mystical experience if you open yourself to its possibilities, nurtured with prayer. I am trying to attain that level of observance, but I understand that all spiritual development is found on a spectrum of progress, and one of the teachings of our faith that I am very grateful for is that God is the All-Merciful.

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)
The Baha'i belief is that each soul is on a journey towards the Creator. While we can't "know" God in a literal sense, we can be guided by the teachings of all of the great prophets, and in following that guidance (think of the universality of the Golden Rule, for example) we both develop our own spirit and contribute to the development of what is thought of as "an ever-advancing civilization." So the world beyond this one is a continuum of spirit, and one of our teachings, articulated by 'Abdu'l-Baha, who was the son of our founder and whom we consider to be a perfect Exemplar, is that it is "closer than [our] life-vein." In other words, that world is invisible to us but it is very close. We pray for those who have passed away, and are assured that they, too, pray for us; intimacy does not end with death, it simply changes form.

The analogy is made of a child in the womb being oblivious to the world he or she will come to when born into this world; in the womb, the baby develops the characteristics it will need to live here. Similarly, the purpose of this world, for a Baha'i, is to develop spiritual qualities which will assist when we are "birthed" to the next world. Our body dies, but our spirit lives, and it will be farther along the continuum of spiritual creation if the acts we have done in this life are virtuous. So kindness, love, and understanding, for example, are practices which will give us "arms" and "legs" and "vision" in the next dimension. Having said all of this, Baha'is believe that the next world is more glorious than we can imagine from here; the world we live in is said to be a 'shadow' world by comparison, and we also acknowledge that there is a tremendous mystery inherent in our thoughts about that world of spirit. Baha'i imagery about it focuses on light and beauty.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
This question made me laugh. I have no idea. For me to say who goes and who doesn't would imply that I am capable of making a judgment about someone else's spiritual development, and I just can't do that. Having said that, I believe in a merciful God, so I am hopeful that we all proceed after the physical world. I think if a person has been grievously behaved, their entrance to the next world might happen but they would probably not be as far along the spectrum of spiritual growth as someone whose entire life has been devoted to service of humanity, but only God can make those decisions. I emphasize, however, that this is only my own speculation; it's not a part of Baha'i Scripture per se.

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
I think it's a combination of a number of factors; I am a logical person who is given to appreciation of a mystical element in life. The Baha'i teachings are both: they make a lot of sense and they also appeal to the part of my spirit that searches out mystery. Also, the Baha'i teachings are ecumenical; the oneness of mankind is very important to Baha'i theology. The elimination of all forms of prejudice is vitally important; Baha'is are involved in the life of society inasmuch as we choose areas of service, whether working towards race unity, or gender equity, or economic justice. Such social action is an important part of Baha'i practice.

A great example would be the Tahirih Justice Center, named for one of the heroines of our faith, http://www.tahirih.org/, which is an initiative in support of women and girls, and which has Baha'i input. My faith encourages independent thought; simply being a Baha'i because your parents might have been is not enough, at least in principle. A Baha'i is a Baha'i from personal choice; the life of the mind is encouraged as connected to the life of the spirit. I would not do well in a faith which expects unquestioning blind adherence, and which includes teachings which are not inclusive of all people, regardless of culture or religious background. Baha'is are comprised of just about every nationality and religious background under the sun; I love this "unity in diversity."

The Baha'is are a very inclusive faith; that is not to say that we are accepting of an "anything goes" philosophy, because we are not, but we tend to be fairly broad-minded. I also like the grassroots nature of our administration; there are no "power" structures in the traditional sense within the Baha'i faith, at least as I understand it. We are all servants of the faith and servants of humanity; some are called to serve in elected ways, some through appointments, but none are viewed as better than anyone else through such a role.

I find that more comfortable than I would in a structure that permitted campaigning or electioneering; I like the democratic foundation of Baha'i structures.I think it's a good fit for me, also, because of the emphasis on the principle of Beauty. I don't mean the trite, fashion-model beauty of popular culture, but the true, deep, powerful principle of Beauty of the World. I wish I could explain this better, but the Baha'i Faith has a beauty to it that is about the peoples of the world, the blessings of the natural environment...oh, so many things. For example, there are some writings called The Hidden Words which are just magical in their beauty, poetry, and spiritual insight.

Also, I am very drawn to the ideals of justice which are central to the Baha'i teachings. The name of our international guiding body is "The Universal House of Justice." I find that compelling.

It's also a good fit for me because of vision and hope. I can't describe the implicit and explicit nature of how hopeful this faith is when you truly study it, but it helps to give a holistic perspective which allows me to keep from being discouraged by the state of the world. This is not naive optimism but relates to the writings by Shoghi Effendi, the great-grandson of our founder, who had a keen and perceptive understanding of the workings of the secular world, and left us books that help keep a balanced perspective on the times in which we live.

Finally, I think it's a good fit for me because I like history. Picture, if you will, a timeline which shows the development of religions over the thousands of years of human existence. Depending on geography, and period of history, you'll find Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, Zoroastrians, Jews, Muslims...the list goes on. Probably if I'd been born in India, I'd have been a Hindu, or in China, an atheist, but Baha'i teaching holds that birth is not destiny, or at least as I understand it. This site does a service to all of us by exploring the different belief systems; at core, I really do appreciate understanding the idea of "Progressive Revelation" that is central to our Baha'i teachings, and which implies that all of us have a fundamental unity, whether we recognize it any given time or not.

Progressive Revelation is the idea that God sent us messengers, or prophets, over a long period of time, each connected with the other, yet each independent. So a Baha'i, in a broad sense, fundamentally accepts all of these teachings as valid, and understands that time is our friend: we can understand more of divinity each time such teaching is given. Baha'u'llah, our founder, is viewed as the most recent of these Divine teachers, and thus confirms the teachings of previous faiths but also expands upon them. Thus, there is no division or "better or worse" mentality in the Baha'i Faith. I like that, too.

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
Holy Days, and "Feasts", are designated on the calendar throughout the year, and recognize things like Baha'u'llah's birthday, the birth of his forerunner, the Bab, and events such as Baha'u'llah's death, probably the "normal" things most religions recognize. Baha'i communities celebrate differently, and often according to their own cultural traditions, but I would think that something in common to all of these events is prayer. There is often music, also: the art of music is given a very high standing in Baha'i thought, and music is considered to be 'as wings' of the spirit. These events welcome all.

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

10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why.
I often have, and I often do. I am always delighted to be included in such events, and am happy to invite others to Baha'i gatherings if they want to come. Why? Because we are all one. I know we look different on the outside, but I just find that another form of beauty. I don't really see others as "other", in a spiritual sense. I don't think it's the name you give a faith that makes it important, but the essence of its teachings, and Baha'is view all faiths as being in unity with us.

11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
One of the central principles of the Baha'i Faith is the equality of women with men. So I think it is possible that as time goes on, "traditional" practices which have not supported such equality will have to evolve and change to accommodate this great principle. However, it is also very difficult to separate such traditions from cultural practice, and I think great sensitivity is needed to not make sweeping judgments about such ways of life. Patience and understanding are needed; I think justice is going to change shape all over the world, in time. It has to, doesn't it? We can't continue indefinitely to have a world which creates and perpetuates oppression in any form.

I appreciate many of the teachings of Islam, but I am not sure that all of the current cultural practices of some countries are truly found within the Holy Quran. This is not an area where I am a scholar, however, so don't think I'm speaking for Baha'i doctrine here. I don't even think there is unity about this in the Islamic cultures themselves, so will be curious about how time will change practices in any religion which finds ways to designate that women should act in a particular way. I emphasize that these are my impressions; I am just one Baha'i giving an opinion.

12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
Yes. We don't actually have a priesthood or its equivalent; Baha'u'llah abolished such designated roles. We don't have that kind of power structure. The Universal House of Justice is an elected institution for which men are eligible; there are all kinds of theories about why this is, but I don't think any of them make particular sense, and I have certainly had some ambivalence about it. However, these people are not "powerful" in the traditional sense; they are more 'servants' of the Baha'i world. In all other ways, women hold office. How do I feel about it? I think it's very interesting to see what happens in a faith that is not based on power, but still has authority; it is the faith that has the guidance, though, not the individual. I feel like such service is more of a test than a blessing, and I think that women's inclusion in such service is so much part and parcel of the faith that it doesn't make sense to do anything else. I understand why women have not been included in some of the faiths in the past, from a historical and cultural perspective, but the Baha'i teachings are intended for now and the future, and I think it's a virtual miracle that Baha'u'llah, who came from 19th Century Persia (now Iran), stated unequivocally that women have been, are, and always will be spiritual equals to men, and that the only thing missing has been universal suffrage and education. This is the era for women to shine!

13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
No.

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's pretty constant, now. It hasn't always been, but at this stage of my life, my faith is pretty important to me. It affects me every day, and I give it a lot of thought when decision-making. Yes, it does affect my views on social issues.

15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
I assume that it is likely that my children will marry "outside" my religion, if they marry at all, (although since Baha'is are pretty embracing of faiths generally, that may be a strange way of saying it). I have three grown children; one has chosen to be a Baha'i, one doesn't pay much attention to religion, and one is an atheist. As I said, it's a critical principle of our faith that our children have the right to choose. There is no coercion about being a Baha'i. Both of my daughters are in committed relationships, and neither of the young men in question is a Baha'i. I am doubtful that my son would choose a Baha'i to marry, since he is an avowed atheist, but those kinds of things are impossible to predict.

I think marrying ANYONE these days, and making it work well, is hard. Having said that, it's worth the effort. I think it's probably easier if the person you are together with is of like mind on the big issues. But whether my future sons-and-daughter-in-law might be Baha'is is far less important to me than what kind of people they are. Right now, I am very fond of both of my daughters' choices. My children are terrific people. They have chosen, or will choose, terrific people to love, and if they marry, I am hopeful that it will be because of love, joy, commitment to family, and commitment to doing good works in the world. All of that makes me happy: don't most parents really want their children to be happy? A good marriage is one way in which that can occur, and a good marriage is not predicated on having the same beliefs, but in having ways to consult about shared values and about any challenging problems that may arise, and they will arise. Regardless of their respective faiths, I hope for my children to experience both love and respect in their alliances/marriages.

16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
No. The concept of "hell" is not really a part of Baha'i theology, except as metaphor. I think hellishness is viewed more as a state of being, and people can be in hell here on earth, and often are. I have already described my understanding of the Baha'i view of life after death. Hell, such as it is, might be a sense of remoteness from the joy that would come from proximity to the Divine. But that's just a way of speaking; in Baha'i teaching there is no hellfire or damnation.

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?
I'm not sure I understand this question. There are Baha'is who are prominent; people like Rainn Wilson, who is an American actor, or Omid Djalili, who is a British-Iranian actor and comedian, or Eva LaRue, an American actress. When I was a teenager, Seals & Crofts, the musicians, were prominent Baha'is, and for the current generation, I believe the musician Andy Grammer is on the way up the musical charts. There are surely other prominent Baha'is who have spoken about the effect of the faith in their lives.When they speak for our faith, they always publicly acknowledge that theirs is their opinion, not a formal Baha'i doctrine. I have said the same thing, here, several times. There are designated spokespersons for the Baha'i Faith in places like the U.N., where we have non-governmental status, or in written texts from the Universal House of Justice, and the like. But Baha'is are free to speak about our faith, any time, and anywhere, when people ask us, as you have asked me today. Why not? As to my agreement, I don't see whether it's relevant or not. We're all on a spiritual journey. These "prominent" people have declared to the world, as I do from my point of view as a writer, the influence of faith on their lives. What's to disagree with? We all follow the teachings in our way, and hopefully bring a little light with us. It's a blessing to be able to speak of the faith.

18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
Minor persecution, yes. Hate crime, no. However, I think it's important to say that the hearts and minds of all Baha'is around the world are now very much with the persecuted Baha'is of Iran, many of whom have been targeted, imprisoned, tortured, and killed for their faith. I believe that a film is in the making about one such young woman, Mona Mahmunizad, who was killed for her faith in Iran in the '80s.

This is an issue very much in the public eye right now, and governments all over the world are rising up in protest at the treatment of Baha'is in Iran; young people have been denied the right to education, or marriage, or travel, because of their faith. So Baha'is in Iran are subjected to hate crimes, and the world beyond Iran is trying to intervene on their behalf. Only time will tell as to whether justice for these Baha'is will come sooner or later.

19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
No.

20) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Often. I work at it, primarily through prayer.

21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
Not really. I believe that this world is a crucible for spiritual development and entrance into the next...so there's not much point in coming through this one more than once. However, I am intrigued by the idea of the influence of spiritual memory, a kind of collective Jungian unconscious, if you will, impacting generationally. But I don't think that's what you mean by reincarnation. I do not believe that I will come back here, if I've been bad, as a worm, for example; I am stating it simplistically, but I am not trying to trivialize. I just believe that souls progress, not regress, and that the body here is simply a vehicle for the stage on the planet when we are preparing for the next phase of our eternal existence.

Alice Walker Quote

2012-01-05T06:23:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Thursday!

Today's quote is brought to you by Alice Walker:

In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they're still beautiful.

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

February Interviews

2012-01-03T07:05:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Tuesday!

Here's what ymr has in store for the February Interviews:

we'll hear from Emberlyn Rayne who is a Wiccan, Ian Crossland who is a Mathematics, Courtney who is a Buddhist and Galina Krasskova who is a Heathen.

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

Christopher Darren Horn

2011-12-31T07:36:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Saturday!

I wish to thank Liorah Lleucu/Myfanwy for her very interesting and enjoyable interview of last week. Thank you so much for sharing with us!

Today we have a new interview so please welcome Christopher Darren Horn. Christopher is a Noahide and I know you'll enjoy his interview as well!

Here Is Christopher Darren Horn's Introduction:

I am an ex christian. I had a strange series of events that caused me to rethink my ideas about G_D, my place in this great creation and what we can do to make it better. I don't try to push others into believing what I do, because frankly, I wouldn't know where to start. LOL. You can, if you want, go to this link; http://www.nightghost.ws/2009/06/old-post-strange-happenings.html, and read about some of the strangeness, but that is not nearly all of it. I guess, I would be a searcher of truth more than anything else. I believe in Hashem and what he has taught and will teach me. I'll stuff as much as I can in the ol' 'noggin.

Yes, if it is ok, my blog/website is at http://www.nightghost.ws. I just title it "Ponderings and Other Things from the Nightghost"

1) What religion do you practice?
I guess I would be classified as a Noahide.

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 think, I could be called a convert. Strangely, I was shown this by a weird series of events. I was not raised within this "religion" I used to be christian.

3)Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
I don't see there being degrees of observance and the acquisition of knowledge of creation, to me seems to be the defining characteristic.

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 always looking to learn something new and meet others and hear their opinions and ways of doing things, I would think it is not about degrees of observance as it is about trying to find the truth.

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)
I am not sure, I guess I'll leave that question to the philosophers, LOL!!

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
I have no idea, but I would like to hope, evil is punished and good is rewarded.

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
The constant learning, any kind of learning and the desire to see everyone have that chance.

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
I guess I would have to say, any day I am alive is holy, to me, LOL.

9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Yes, I like to learn about other faiths, some are really strange, but no reason we cannot be friends.

10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
Sure I would. It would be interesting to see.

11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I think if someone wants to wear a burka, it is ok, but I do not like Shariah Law, it seems way too restrictive for my tastes.

12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
Yep, they sure can. I hold women in high regard. They are much better at everything, just ask my wife, she'll tell you so.

13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
Nope, no segregation. Unless she wants to. Then I leave her alone (I don't like pain, LOL).

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 really don't know. I don't like the idea of aborting a little baby, it is a hard thought. Concerning gay marriage, sure let them marry, as long as I can have more than one wife, that would be cool, maybe!

15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
That would depend on the religion, but if it makes my child happy and doesn't involve hurting others, beating them on the head, or scaring them into accepting it, it is ok with me.

16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
I think everyone will learn, not hell, but sometimes, you have to learn the hard way

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?
I don't think I see anyone in the public domain who is a Noahide, so can't really answer.

18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
Yes, my wife hates it when I act stupid and gets mad at me. I thought it was ok to leave my cigarette butts on the ground, but I guess not.

19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
No, as a matter of fact, it has set me free.

20) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Yes it does. There is a strange mystery in it, because of the ability to reach out and touch all things, the worry is gone.

21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
I believe in it, but only if I get the choice to come back as someone more interesting than myself.

Irving Karchmar Poem

2011-12-29T07:20:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Thursday!

Slightly different today! Instead of a quote, here is a beautiful poem written by Irving Karchmar:

Answered Prayers

The knowledge of You
Comes swift as light
To sit within the circle
Of zekr and gratitude
A presence felt in darkness
The soul’s delight

The knowledge of You
My bones remember
My blood, nerves, sinews
And my eyes, this poet’s sight
That writes only You, who
Are pen and ink and paper

You are love and turmoil
Hope and answered prayers
Fathomless as oceans
Encompassing as night
My heart’s rest as winter comes
And all the leaves take flight.

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

A Look Back

2011-12-27T07:11:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Tuesday!

I can't believe YMR is turning 2 years old in a couple of weeks. It wouldn't have been possible without all of you!
As we enter the new year, I'd like to take a look back and thank all of the wonderful participants:

Ebtesam
Alan B. Jones
Irving Karchmar
Beth Chapman
Carina
Tricia Nolan
Michael Webb
Diana
SJ
Lily Shahar Kunning
Leah Jane
Derek Leman
Upasana
Loga Abdullah
Michelle
Sarah
Miss Grace
Hesham A. Hassaballa
G*3
AnnMarie
Wee_Beastie
Jason Hughes
CF
Kriss
KV
Stephanie
Friko
Skeptitcher Rebbe
Judy Dudich
Renee Olson (aka Sosanna)
Monica Chase
Bill Jiryu Webb
Adam
Jenny (aka The Retro-Housewife)
Justin Whitaker
Musa Talib
Umm Salihah
Joel Holopainen/Jouji Heion
Harry/Hanrei Banzan
Dalyn Robert Montgomery
Louise Rogers
Adrian Worsfold
Christina
Elinor Predota
Janie (aka Mother Moon)
Larry Tanner
Modern Girl
Vincent Enlund/VikingJack
Malwina
Navjeet Singh Sandhu
Omar Ghraieb
Liorah Lleucu/Myfanwy
and
Christopher Darren Horn

I also wish to thank all the amazing followers on the blog, twitter and facebook, as well as everyone who has contributed comments!
You are all very much appreciated and I thank you deeply.
All my best for 2012
~Debra

Liorah Lleucu/Myfanwy

2011-12-24T07:12:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Saturday!

First up I wish to thank Omar Ghraieb for his very interesting and informative interview of last week. Thanks so much for sharing with all of us Omar!

Today we have a new interview so please welcome Liorah Lleucu/Myfanwy. Liorah is a Jewitch and I know you'll enjoy her interview as well!

Here Is Liorah Lleucu/Myfanwy's Introduction:

I am fifty years old, a divorced mother of 3 adult children and grandmother of 6 grandchildren, with my seventh grandchild on the way. Both a registered professional nurse and a biochemist by education, I was born and currently live in the Midwest. I am a Celtic Jewish American with Welsh, British, Irish, Germanic, Jewish and Native American ancestries. My maternal ancestries are Welsh, British and Jewish. My paternal ancestries are British, Irish, German and Native American.

http://walking-on-fire.blogspot.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/LiorahLleucu

1) What religion do you practice?
Jewitchery to put it into one word. I am an eclectic witch whose nature-based ritual practice combines elements of Celtic Witchcraft and quasi-traditional Kabbalistic Judaism, with splashes of Germanic Paganism and Native American Shamanism thrown into the mix - the ancient traditions of my Ancestors. My religion is idiosyncratic and doesn’t fit neatly into any category, but Jewitchery is a term that most closely describes my religious practice.

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?
This is a complicated question for me to answer. I wasn’t raised a Jewitch, but I was indeed born one. Raised Christian, I rejected Christianity as a religious path for me in my late twenties or early thirties, and returned to Torah (the tradition of my Jewish ancestors) in 1996 (formally through a Beit Din and mikveh immersion in 1997 under the auspices of the Reform Judaism movement), from there, progressing my study of Judaic Kabbalah and Jewish Law in Liberal to Hasidic environments. Not raised Jewishly, as a Reform Jew at the time of my return to Torah, I ritually converted. My mother’s mother’s mother’s mother and father were both observant Jews, so halachically (by Jewish religious Law), I am Jewish by birth and according to Orthodox ways, conversion was actually unnecessary to reclaim my Jewish heritage as part of the Jewish people. I reclaimed my Celtic heritage, my place among the Celtic people, and returned to Witchcraft (the tradition of my Celtic ancestors) in 2006 (formally through a self-initiation ritual), combining both ancient Ancestral traditions (Judaism and Witchcraft) into a spiritual path uniquely fit to me, best described by the term Jewitch. At this point in my journey, my concept of the Divine is pantheistic-atheistic (similar to Reconstructionist Judaic conceptions of the Divine, I believe), naturalistic, earth-based and as a woman, focuses on Divine Feminine constructs. My studies and practice currently focus on traditional herbalism, artisan craftwork, meditation, Torah study, and using mystical alphabets to channel creative consciousness. Sacred alphabets I work with are Hebrew, Ogham and Runes.

3)Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
Certainly. There are other Jewitches but many, if not most, were raised in Judaism, unlike me. However, like me, in Jewitchery they are reclaiming the pagan and shamanic heritage of our Ancestors - so in that way, we are the same but arriving as Jewitches from different angles.

4)Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
I’m a mutt. In some ways, I am all of these. I’m artistic and very mystically oriented, so I lean toward meticulous metaphysical Orthodox observance. I’m a rationalist, so I tend toward a liberal religious emphasis on ethics and critical thinking. I live in the Bible belt, so I’m a realist and recognize that my observance level is unavoidably subject to my surroundings and circumstances.

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)
I’m an anomaly. I was born remembering my soul journey into physical existence and the entire story (in a very wholistic sense) of my Being. There is more to what we are as human beings than may be discerned while within a physical body. I do not remember either a heaven or hell as commonly taught – such is not my experience of Being. More than this I will not say.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
I don’t believe in heaven and hell as commonly taught, so no one, in my opinion, makes it to either of them. Based on my experience and remembrances, I do believe that every living creature is an amazingly rare and treasured spark of the Divine who made into physical existence against highly improbable odds. So, my experience of remembering informs me that the existence of every living creature is a miracle whose full value is totally beyond normative comprehension. Every living creature is an indispensable part of the Whole, and to where we are going, we will all surely arrive.

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
Because it allows me to be true to myself, to evolve, and to get to where I am going.

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
I observe all of the Traditional Jewish and Celtic Pagan holy days. It is my birthright to do so. I observe them in a myriad of ways, sometimes with ritual, sometimes not. Like I wrote earlier, I am a realist. My ritual practice has evolved and shape-shifted many times over the years. Sometimes I feel like a nut, sometimes I don't :)

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

10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
It would depend on the context and purpose. I value interfaith sharing within a context of mutual respect.

11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I really am not qualified to make a fair comment on either of those things. These two things exist within the context of a culture and religion which is not my own.

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

13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
I honor the Divine in private spaces generally.

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 very act of breathing is a religious act for me – there is no separation between my daily life and my religious life.

15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
My adult children do not identify as Jewitches and are raising my grandchildren a Christians. I honor the right of my children to choose their own path toward Divine consciousness. We are all different as human beings, yet even so, we all share a wonderful ultimate human Destiny, so I’m not worried.

16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
No. I don’t believe in hell.

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?
I can’t think of anyone.

18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
A hate crime – no. Illegal discrimination – yes. I’d rather not explain. It’s complicated and not useful to any discussion here.

19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
No.

2) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Yes, absolutely – peace of mind and more importantly, deep joy.

21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
Yes.

Bob Dylan Quote

2011-12-22T06:20:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Thursday!

Today's quote is brought to you by Bob Dylan:

People seldom do what they believe in. They do what is convenient, then repent.

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

Big Thanks!

2011-12-20T06:14:00.000-08:00

I wish to thank ymr participants:

Janie (aka Mother Moon), Larry Tanner, Modern Girl, Vincent Enlund/VikingJack, Malwina, Navjeet Singh Sandhu and Omar Ghraieb.

All very interesting interviews that I very much enjoyed reading and learning more from all of you.
Thank you for sharing your unique voices with us!

Omar Ghraieb

2011-12-17T06:58:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Saturday!

I wish to thank Navjeet Singh Sandhu for his wonderful interview last week. Thanks so much for sharing with us Navjeet!

Today we have a new interview so please welcome Omar Ghraieb. Omar is a Muslim and I know you'll enjoy his interview as well!

Here Is Omar Ghraieb's Introduction:

I am a Journalist\Blogger\Translator from Palestine. I was born and raised in Cyprus Island, I wrote for many important international media venues and I have numerous friends around the world which all helped me to be liberal, understanding and accepting to all kinds of human beings.

Blog: www.gazatimes.blogpost.com

1) What religion do you practice?
Islam.

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 was raised as a Muslim.

3)Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
Of course, just like every other religion, Islam has degrees of observance. I am not an expert to name them or explain them but from my understanding and point of view I would say that there are 3 basic degrees:

1- Conservative: A person that includes religion in all aspects of life, practices religion in a literal way and makes sure he isn’t missing any detail.

2- Moderate: A person who finds the balance between being religious yet modern.

3- Liberal: A person who is Muslim yet very open minded and manages to balance between religion and his own thoughts.

4)Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
I consider myself liberal. My European background, personal thoughts and level of tolerance all played a role of turning myself into a liberal person that values religion and owns a broader idea of god.

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)
Islam revolves around the basic human idea of good and bad. Just like everything in life, you do good you are rewarded but if you do bad you are punished. So its heaven for good people and hell for bad people but of course with exceptions because god is all about mercy, love, compassion and tolerance.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
I do believe that in the end everyone will make it eventually into heaven even bad people will make it to heaven after paying their dues.

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
I solemnly believe that if I wasn’t Muslim I will end up being one, from my point of view Islam is a perfect fit for me because my ideas, beliefs and values match with the concept of Islam.

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
We have many holy days of worship, eids and celebrations. Every holy day has its own rituals.

9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Of course, not just because Islam asked us to accept everyone and that there is no difference between anyone except for their level of faith but because I also have a great amount of tolerance in me. Islam asked us not to be racists and I was born to be against racism anyway.

10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
Of course, and I already did. I lived for so many years in a European country and 90% of my friends were Christia. I always celebrated their holy days with them and they always fasted Ramadan with me.

11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
Burka isn’t obligatory in Islam, it’s a personal choice. Since I am very open minded and I accept all kinds of people I don’t mind accepting women who choose to wear burka, life is all about personal choices and if we seek respect we have to give it back.

Shariah law is something that I value and believe in, but it can't be implemented in a literal way. Yes Islam covered everything in life in the Shariah law and foresaw many stuff yet we are in 2011, and many laws have to be amended and more liberal.

12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
Women can play a role in spreading Islam and offer a more understanding of it but I don’t think Women can hold religious office. I trust Islam on this one.

13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
We all know that you can worship god anywhere but just like every other faith we do have a place of worship, the mosque. If you don’t go to the mosque that doesn’t mean you are not a believer or a not a worshiper, it only means you are missing a spiritual experience that you can share with others but only god can judge for that because you can have good solid reasons like work or other reasons.

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 think we are driven by our own personal choices, beliefs and thoughts which of course have religion as a part of it. In Islam, abortion can be wrong for some reasons and regulations and accepted for others while gay marriage is wrong. But that doesn’t mean I have to judge people who get abortions or who are gay or be a racist towards them. I am not god to judge. I accept them. Their relationship with god and right and wrong is their business. I accept them if they accept me, I respect them if they respect me.

15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
Honestly, I don’t know. I never thought about it and I don’t know how I will react then. I believe feelings can't be controlled yet religion should be put in consideration of course.

16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
Of course not, only god can decide that. How would I know?

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?
I don’t necessarily agree with all of them. Yes, we might be all Muslims but we are all entitled to have our own thoughts and approaches so I might agree with some and disagree with some others.

18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
It didn’t get serious or harmful but yes I have been judged for being Muslim, judged for being Liberal and judged for a few other reasons which makes me even more determined to be opened and tolerant.

19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
Of course not. Islam honors human beings.

20) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Yes it does. Maybe I don’t give myself peace of mind, but my religion does.

21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
No, I don’t. I think every individual is created and born to live his own life and fulfill his own destiny. I don’t believe that anyone can be reincarnated. Maybe people who know me will meet people who have many similarities with me after I pass away but that doesn’t mean I got reincarnated. I know so many people that are similar to me already and I am alive.

Ella Fitzgerald Quote

2011-12-14T06:10:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

Today's quote is brought to you by Ella Fitzgerald:

It isn't where you came from, it's where you're going that counts.

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

Navjeet Singh Sandhu

2011-12-10T07:50:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Saturday!

I wish to thank Malwina for her very interesting interview of last week.
Thanks so much for sharing with us Malwina!

Today we have a new interview so please welcome Navjeet Singh Sandhu. Navjeet is a Sikh and I know you'll enjoy his interview as well!

Here Is Navjeet Singh Sandhu's Introduction:

Navjeet Singh Sandhu, aka NSS Bohd an engineer by profession. Whatever time he finds away from machines he dedicates it to writing literature and loves to be called as a writer. He believes love, laughter, literature makes you happy, healthy and holy.
Contact him on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1164547747

1)What religion do you practice?
It’s called Sikhism. It has got a name for the sake of being called something. Otherwise, to practice you need to live the way a human is. I practice it being socially humane. Followers are called Sikhs.

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 was raised in 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?
As my personal opinion, there’s no such differencing. It’s just the terminology used by politicians (at least in case of Sikhs) to segregate the people to fulfill political motives. We have just Sikhs: who are never ready to hear anything; second, Sikhs who are never heard. In general, our religion is very liberal and so are most of the followers.

4)Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
I’m a liberal, too. It’s not the question of choosing. The principles of Sikhism are so that the outlook of the followers becomes liberal.

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 cremate our dead. We have the concept of reincarnation. We believe that you do reap as you sow. So you have to eat the fruit of your seed. We believe in karma. That’s why Sikhs pay their taxes regularly!
Heaven and Hell are explained as per our religion as do exist but they are not separate places, they are in this world only. You have everything, nice income, healthy family, satisfactory living, good mannered and disciplined children. You are not an addict. You are in heaven. Else, you are moving towards hell. No good children, wife in hospital, you doing a regretful job, have no peace of mind, need pills to sleep, can’t live a day without medics. Then what state are you in other then hell? It’s just that you don’t know that you are in hell.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
I think I have answered it already.

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
It’s natural. Liberal. Explanatory. It’s conceptualized on the Creator itself. Not on a individual name of God, or a form of God or a way of realizing God. Or a race or language.

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
Going to a Gurudwara Sahib (sikh temple) is a daily routine of a Sikh. We celebrate many holy days and we follow our normal routine on these days. We celebrate the historical events/days as our holy days. The motive is to keep the people aware of the history, to make children understand the concepts of Sikhism by telling them examples from past.

9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Of course, I have many friends who are Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, and Buddhists. I have friends who are atheist or agonistic as well. Sikhs are very welcoming people. The foundation stone of the most sacred place of the Sikhs: Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple, Amritsar ) was laid by a muslim priest Hazrat Mian Mir in 1588 (ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_temple#Construction_of_the_Harmandir_Sahib )
In 1675, the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Teg Bahadur, gave his head to save the Hindu priests of Kashmir ( a province of India). ( refrence: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guru_Tegh_Bahadur#Death )
So being friendly and helpful to people of other faiths is no issue with Sikhs. We have the concept of free kitchen (free food, called langar ) in which we serve free food to people of all religions and races without any discrimination.

10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
Yes, indeed Sikhs all over India celebrate many Hindu festivals with full zeal and vigor. I was used to do that in my residential school. Celebrating a festival, is being happy when your acquaintances are happy is in no way giving away your identity. Sikhism teaches to accept everything that is no harm to identity.

11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
Every religion has its rules. I’m lucky, mine has very less. Humanity or killing human rights is not a rule and can never be in a religion. Mis-interpretors are every where, I think there are too many in the world of Islam. If you are talking of French law, I have no objection against it. As per Shariah law, the place where I belong to is not under the influence of such laws so speaking on a topic which one is fully aware of is not a wise decision.

12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
Yes, they are. Equality of every kind is a principle of Sikhism. Equality of gender has been widely accepted in Sikhism from the very beginning of Sikhism. In fact we have many Gurudwaras (Sikh Temples) in the name of Sikh women of importance in history.

13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
Every religion has a separate worship place and so does Sikhism. It doesn’t segregate me in any sense from my social or other aspects of life.

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?
All things that are said to go with a ‘simple living’ are permissible in my religion. Till date I have not lost any opportunity of work because of my religion.

15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
Even I don’t have any problem in marrying outside my religion. Marriage is an association of two souls. In India, Sikhs have a very high rate of inter religion marriage.

16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
No, no. If anyone is not doing right things he will feel living in a hell. Hell / Heaven are not faith dependent. They are ‘work’ dependent as I already explained.

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?
You don’t have to believe a politician speaking of religion or on religious issues. Rest, religion is considered a very personal subject. Someone’s attitude towards a specific religion is not a considerable issue.

18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
No.

19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
Never, not at all. Infact, as a child I practiced my religion out of pride, not out of understanding. Slowly and gradually things changed.

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

21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
I suppose I have answered this already.

Bette Midler Quote

2011-12-08T06:49:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Thursday!

Today's quote is brought to you by Bette Midler:

I always try to balance the light with the heavy - a few tears of human spirit in with the sequins and the fringes.

There'll be a new interview on Saturday so be sure to check back then!

January Interviews

2011-12-06T06:26:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Tuesday!

Here's what YMR will have in store for the January Interviews:

we'll hear from Heather Cardin who is a Baha'i, Manuel Araujo who is a Polytheist, Helio Pires who is a Roman Polytheist and H. Jeremiah Lewis/Sannion who is a Classical Polytheist.

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

Malwina

2011-12-03T11:09:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Saturday!

Thank you Vincent Enlund/VikingJack for your very interesting and unique interview last week. I really enjoyed learning more about the Asatru faith. Thanks for sharing with us Vincent!

Today we have a new interview so please welcome Malwina.
Malwina is a Christian and I think you'll enjoy her interview as well!

1) What religion do you practice?
I am a christian

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 was a catholic but now I am in the protestant church.
When I was a catholic I never really believed in God, I was just practicing a religion- rituals, ceremonies but I met people who told me about the living real God interested in my life and I believed in Jesus

3)Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
God is not religion. God is a living Person and He wants to have a close relationshp with His children, He wants us to know HIM-
people who don't know God - they make up religion and all kinds of rituals, bows and ceremonies

4)Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
the answer is the same as in number 3

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)
here on the earth we have the only chance to choose where we will spend our eternity.
There are only 2 ways: you either believe in Jesus and in what He did for us on the Cross or you reject Him.
The Bible says in John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life"
God sent Jesus to save us. We all were given salvation, but the salvation is ONLY in Jesus.
Acts 4:12 says: "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
There is no one else who can save us but Jesus
for muslims Cross is a symbol of death and failure but for christians the cross is the place of VICTORY because there on the Cross Jesus defeated the devil, death, sin and curse and He was raised from the dead and all those who believe in Him and in what He did will be saved, because God placed salvation in His Son - in Jesus Christ.

Look what the Bible says: "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."

God manifest in flesh. Who manifest in flesh? Jesus Christ,
that is why all other religions are false and they only want to destruct people and deceive them (influenced by the devil) because salvation is only in Jesus, the Son of God.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
everyone CAN go to heaven because God gave this chance to everyone but only those who follow Jesus and believe in His atonement will be saved

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
because all others are false religions and what is MOST IMPORTANT: in all religion people try to save themselves by good works
but christianity is the only to believe we have a Savior. Jesus came to save us, He already died for us, He already saved us but this salvation is not automatic - it has to be accepted and received-
also only in christianity God is a living God,
allah is dead and not interested in people (he is above that)
but God the true God LOVES us, He cares for us, He heals us: our emotions, our sicknesses, He comforts us, He gives us solutions to problems, He wants to bless us in every practical way

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
every day is for God

9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Jesus taught that we should not only love those who love us but we should love even our enemies.
God is love and we should love everyone.
People from other religions are not my enemies, they simply are deceived and they dont know the truth

10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
why waste time for something that you know is false and deception?
I can visit people from other religions at home but being a part of what is not from God? What for? But that doesn't mean I don't like them

11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I think that the devil hates women more than men and that is why he chose mohamed who despised women to write quran and there he abased women to the max.
In the times of Jesus only prostitutes covered themselves for shame and
besides, it is nonsense because all evil thoughts and behavior come from the heart and there is no covering.
You can have a dress code but if you don't change the nature and the heart then you focus only on the external.
A sinful man will "undress" a woman with his eyes even is she is all covered up, but a man changed in the heart will turn his eyes away from the sight that offends him.
Jesus changed our nature, our hearts which is the source of our heart's motives and actions based only on the external thing is lies and deception and doesn't really deal with the core of the problems which is the heart
and moreover, muslim women cover themselves not to be a slave of men (which is complete nonsense and absurd) BUT they wear make-up in order to look pretty and be attractive and THAT is hypocrisy.
Mohamed despised women - and that is why he gave all rights to men - men can have 4 wives, can beat them, reject them, close them at home for disobedience,
women are to have plenty of children and to be obedient to their boss - the husband - as slaves.
I will not mention how mohamed created the paradise for muslims - and it plainly shows that he was a man with great problems....

12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
yes, women can be leaders, can teach and preach.
God (the true God) loves all people alike.
He loves women just as much as He loves men.
Jesus died for all - for men and women and He has no favorites

13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
no

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?
God is my everything and I look to Him in every area of my life

15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
if it depends on me - I would never allow it
but the person who really encounters God in a living way- would never want to leave a good living God for a dead religion

16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
religion does not save anyone, only Jesus saves us-
all those who believe in Jesus and in what He did on the cross will go to heaven for eternity with Him, all others who rejected Him will go to hell

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?
there are millions of reasons why

18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
no

19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
no

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

21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
there is no such thing

Louis Riel Quote

2011-11-30T06:51:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

Today's quote is brought to you by Louis Riel:

Deeds are not accomplished in a few days, or in a few hours. A century is only a spoke in the wheel of everlasting time.

There'll be a new interview on Saturday so be sure to check back!

Vincent Enlund/VikingJack

2011-11-26T07:44:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Saturday!

Thank you to Modern Girl for her interview of last week! Another excellent read!
Thanks Modern Girl for sharing with all of us!

Today we have a new interview so please welcome Vincent Enlund/VikingJack. Vincent is an Asatru and I know you'll enjoy his interview as well!

Here Is Vincent Enlund/VikingJack's Introduction:

My name is Vincent Enlund, on line I am generally known as VikingJack. I’m 38 years old married with 2 wonderful kids. I am the Chieftain of the Wanderer Kindred of Arizona (a local Asatru Kindred in Arizona), Chieftain of the Asatru Alliance (one of the oldest, recognized National and International 501-c3 originations in the world), I’m affiliated with the Swedish Asatru Society, and associated with many other local, national and international Kindreds.

I have been Asatru for more then 20 years (since 1989). My wife and I are very active in the Asatru community. We founded the Wanderer Kindred of Arizona (www.wandererkindred.org) around 2000. I have been active with the Asatru Alliance for about 13 years, and working with other national and international organizations and independent kindreds for more then 5 years.

1 - What religion do you practice?
Asatru. Long before Christianity came to northern Europe, the people there - our ancestors - had their own religions. The modern expression of these is Asatru. It was practiced in the lands that are today Scandinavia, England, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and other countries as well. Asatru is the original or native religious belief for the peoples who lived in these regions. roughly, Asatru means “belief in the Gods” in Old Norse, the language of ancient Scandinavia in which so much of our source material was written.

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?
Revert.
I made my first personal Profession to Asatru, while camping in the mountains of the Black Hills of South Dakota, on May 1st 1989. So I have been Asatru for about 20 years.

3 - Within your religion are there degrees of observance (i.e.. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
No, Not really. Asatru folks express their beliefs in their daily lives as much or as little as they see fit or comfortable with.

4 - Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((i.e.. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
I live the Ideas of Asatru and my ancestral practices every day of my life, just like my ancestors did. I don't know what degree that qualifies me as.

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 there is an afterlife, and that those who have lived virtuous lives will go on to experience greater fulfillment, pleasure, and challenge. Those who have led lives characterized more by vice than by virtue will be separated from kin and doomed to an existence of dullness and gloom. The precise nature of the afterlife - what it will look like and feel like - is beyond our understanding and is dealt with symbolically in the myths.

We of Asatru do not overly concern ourselves with the next life. We live here and now, in this life. If we do this and do it well, the next life will take care of itself.

6 - In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
No. First we do not necessarily believe in a type of paradise in the next world. Secondly we believe that the value and worth put on you by the Gods, Goddesses and your ancestors is directly related to your deeds and actions within the community of the life that you lead right now. IE: If you are a negative, chaotic and poor quality of person within the community of the life that you live right now not only will there be consequences in this life but there will be in the next as well.

7 - What makes your religion a good fit for you?
I felt no connection or truth in any other religious faith. I felt a great calling back to the traditions and old beliefs of my ancestors and European culture. I had a desire to truly live by a way that was a part of my life and family and not just what someone in authority told me I was supposed to be like, because everyone else is that way too.

8 - What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
We have many day of remembrance and Holidays throughout the year but only 4 true Holy Days per-say. Midsummer, Midwinter, and the spring and fall equinox. Most people celebrate these days with a Blot, a Feast and a Sumble, and many also have personal traditions and ancestral customs that they add to these celebrations as well such as Folks wrestling, Dance, music, poetry, etc…

The Blot is a common ritual within Asatru. In its simplest form a blot is making a sacrifice to the Gods. In the old days this was done by feasting on an animal consecrated to the Gods and then slaughtered. As we are no longer farmers and our needs are simpler today, the most common blot is an offering of mead or other alcoholic beverage to the deities.

One of the most common celebrations noted in tales of our ancestors is the Sumbel or ritual drinking celebration. This was a more mundane and social sort of ritual than the blot, but of no less importance. When Beowulf came to Hrothgar, the first thing they did was to drink at a ritual sumbel. This was a way of establishing Beowulf’s identity and what his intent was, and doing so in a sacred and traditional manner.

9 - Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Sure, why wouldn't I?

10 - Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
I might. It would depend on the religion and the holy day in question.

11 - What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I think its foolish, Chauvinistic mumbo jumbo. But who am I to judge the personal beliefs of others. If it makes them happy then happy day for them and if not then they should change it.

12 - Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
Yes. I think that it's a great thing. Our ancestors had a great respect for women as it should be. There are historical examples of germanic women Chieftains, war lords, priestess, there where powerful women in every aspect of leadership. Why should that change today

13 - Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
Yes. If you are a complete social degenerate I do not what to share my personal weird with you, and I don't want you sharing yours with me and the friends and family that I honor every day. If you have no European ancestry, why would want to venerate others peoples European ancestors rather then those of your own. Now, if you mean do we segregate by skin color or sex, then no we don't. I feel just fine about it.

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?
Everyones religion affects all of their daily designs in life. If it doesn't then its not really their religion.

Being Asatru affects everything in my daily life. Being Asatru is not about doing something on Sunday or special holidays. Asatru is how you live, behave and interact with your community and other people all of the time. If you are only honorable to other Asatru folk then you're not really honorable. If you are only hospitable in you free time then you are not really hospitable. If you are only industrious at work then your not really industrious.

Please keep in mind that we have no expectations for folks to be the best all of the time, after all we are all only human. All of our ancestors where just as flawed as we are today, and as our children will be tomorrow. We however do expect Asatru folk to live the way we say we are going to live and to treat people in our community appropriately no matter who they are. If you insult me, I will demand an apology whether you're Asatru or not. If you give me a gift I will gift one back to you whether you are Asatru or not, and so on and so forth.

We are Asatru because we choose to live that way not because we read a certain book or go to a certain building on the weekends.

15 - How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
As long as she was marrying someone that I thought loved her, would treat her correctly, and that they would be happy together. I would be fine with it.

16 - In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
Maybe, they will go wherever they go. Ours is not the only way. Nor are our Gods and Goddesses the only Gods. They are simply our Gods for us. Others may have theirs and their Gods may have a place for them, that would be between them and their God or Gods.

17 - Who do you think is not a practicing ----- in your religion and why? i.e. who in the public domain claims to speak for your religion? Do you agree with them or not?
Raven Caldera and his followers as well the Nazi folks that like to say that they are Asatru. These are extremists that claim to be representing Asatru and the old ancestral ways but all that they are doing is using our ancestry to justify their personal extreme political views through false information and misleading propaganda.

18 - Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
Not that I am aware of.

19 - Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
No. Just the opposite. My beliefs give me Value, Glory, and a namesake that will hopefully live past my age, and provide pride to my children and grand-children.

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

21 - Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
Some do. There is a tradition in Asatru of rebirth within the family line. Perhaps the individual is able to choose whether or not he or she is re-manifested in this world, or there may be natural laws which govern this. In a sense, of course, we all live on in our descendants quite apart from an afterlife as such.

If you are interested, I get asked for interviews on a fairly regular basis. I have included in this email some of the better questions that I have been asked over the last year. Feel free to include any of them if you like.

3 - What made you pick the Asatru faith?
I felt no connection or truth in any other religious faith. I felt a great calling back to the traditions and old beliefs of my ancestors and European culture. I had a desire to truly live by a way that was a part of my life and family and not just what someone in authority told me I was supposed to be like, because everyone else is that way too.

4 - What is your favorite Asatru aspect?
Ceremony. When we get together for holidays and ceremonies, they are times of reverence and celebration. We spend our time as a community celebrating all that we have, all that we have learned, the great things we have done and that have been done by our friends and family. We celebrate life and all that comes with it. We celebrate heroes, stories and songs. We celebrate in each other and ourselves.

We do not waste time with prayers of how much life sucks or how not worthy we are. We do not waste time with asking for mercy or praying for a better world under Gods guidance. We do not waste our time begging for forgiveness for being Human.

6 - Where is Asatru practiced?
Generally speaking usually outside, if you are talking about ceremony. But there is no solid rule saying it has to be outside, we just know that it was common for our ancestors to worship out among nature and the spirits of nature so we try to when we can as well. If you are talking about life in general Asatru is practiced in the way we live every day of our lives, and how we interact with other people, the environment and the community at large around us.

7 - What types of people belong to the Asatru culture?
Every kind you can imagine. I know Asatru doctors, lawyers, philosophers, teachers, writers, academics, auto mechanics, engineers, computer programers, graphic designers, road builders and every other profession and life position that you can think of.

8 - What are some common symbols in the culture? (ex. Mjolnir)
Mjollnir (Thors Hammer), Irminsul, The Valknut, The Sun Shield (Sun Wheel or Odins Cross), Aegishjalmr, The Gjallarhorn, any of the Elder Futhark Runes.

9 - What are the common languages associated with Asatru?
German, Icelandic, Norwegian, Danish, Russian, Finnish, Swedish, Irish, Scottish, Gaelic, Dutch, Ukrainian, Serbian and other common Scandinavian and Slavic Languages.

10 - Describe some morally significant expectations within Asatru. (taboos or codes of behavior)
The NNV (the Nine Noble Virtues) is a set of ethical codes used by many Modern Asatru. There are also the 12 traits that are discussed heavily by the AFA (the Asatru Folk Assembly), and some Asatru prefer to draw their code of conducts directly from the historical guideline set by the Sagas of our Ancestors. I like the NNV because whichever way you choose to look at our ancestral code of behavior you will find these nine virtues highest among them, and they are easy for a new comer to Asatru to remember and practice.

These are some very simple explanations of the NNV that I read to myself, as a reminder, every day. There is a much more defined version on my website that I like to share with people to try to let them understand the NNV completely as they are important to me.

Courage
By facing Life’s struggles with courage, we constantly extend our capabilities. Without courage, nothing else can be done!

Truth
Blind faith has no place in Life. No pie-in-the-sky; we must act in this world as we see it and as it really is rather than calmly waiting for the next good thing that may happen upon us.

Honor
We must be true to what we are, and we insist on acting with nobility rather than baseness. Our standards must be banners held high in our hearts.

Fidelity
We stand true to our faith and our values. Loyalty is the basis for all enduring human activity, and we hold it in the highest esteem.

Hospitality
The isolation and loneliness of modern life is not necessary. The willingness to share what one has with ones' fellows, especially travelers, is a vital part of our way of life.

Discipline
We hold to the discipline necessary to fulfill our purpose. We stand willing to exercise the self-control and steadfastness necessary in difficult times.

Industriousness
Let us dare to be all that we can be! Let us take risks and taste the richness of life. Passivity is for sheep. We refuse to be mere spectators in life.

Self-Reliance
We depend on our own strength and character to achieve our goals. We seek only the freedom necessary to our quest, whatever it may be.

Perseverance
We hold to our path until its completion and are not ashamed to be strong. The cult of the anti-hero will find no support in us. A true life is not for the weak of spirit.

11 - Describe some of the ways people in this culture are expected to act. (appropriate greetings, proper dress for special events)
Some people will take older greeting and use them as a means of great other Asafolk as a sign of kinship, such as Hail, Hailsa and Wassail just to name a few. But generally speaking any greeting made in hospitality is an appropriate one. When it comes to special events there are a few things to keep in mind. You'll often see people dressed in archaic clothing styles at Asatru gatherings. This is a point of preference for them, and anyone is welcome to do so, too, if they wish. Wearing such clothing does not make you more Asatru just as not wearing such does not make you any less Asatru either. The clothes most wear are the same clothes that we wear every day, The Gods and Goddesses know what year it is. Also, there is the question of how much clothing is enough. Unlike some other pagan traditions, ritual nudity is not found at most Asatru rites, and is extremely uncommon even at very private ones. You may sometimes see a lot of skin, but participants are generally expected to be dressed in a street-legal fashion and family appropriate settings.

Asatru often leave gifts for the land-spirits of the places they visit. Gifts can be amounts of food or a beverage, maybe cookies, cake or even on rare occasions a little silver or amber is sometimes left. Most put some effort into making their gift such that it will not be seen as litter if it is discovered by other people.

12 - Are there any artifacts or technology unique to Asatru?
Here are a few things that I contribute to my heathen ancestors:
Trial by jury (dates back at least to the Vikings and Heathen tribes across Europe in the Viking Era)
Right to bear arms (carried by all freemen across Europe before and even after Christianity came to Europe)
Rights of women (declined drastically after Christianity moved to Europe)
Local democracy (local assemblies, or Things all over Europe)
National representative republics (Iceland)
Anglo-Saxon Common Law (the “rights of Englishmen” carried into Christian laws from earlier Heathen customs)
System of “checks and balances” (structure of Germanic tribes included equivalent of an executive, a judicial, and a legislative branch)
Kings subject to law (common in pre-Christian times, before “divine right”)
Election of rulers (practiced by many Celtic and germanic tribes)
Resistance to tyrants (required under law in some ancient European cases)
Concept of free will (implied by Germanic concepts of time and causality)
Specific limits on the powers of kings and chiefs (by law dating back to at least the tribes of Gaul 1000 BC Europe)

It can be argued that the pre-Christian Germanic and Celtic heritage of Asatru ancestry has been increasingly undermined with the passage of time and the growth of the power of government at the expense of our individual freedoms and rights.

Freedom balanced with responsibility and accountability is an Asatru thing.

13 - How do you guys worship, what is your worship like?
Most of the time "worship" is done in the form of Blot or Sumble with our ceremonies, generally, performed outside, as a group. There is usually a Gothar (a spiritual leader, kind of like a priest) leading the ceremony, where a group of Asafolk share (one at a time) thanks, great deeds, poems, songs and anything of praise and worth with the gods and each other. Very simply put it looks kind of like people giving toasts at a wedding only without the bride and groom.

This is only one common way of worship, there are many others as simple and as complex. Everything from a detailed Blot to those of us that just sit in the rain and talk to Thor.

14 - What are the main beliefs, or teachings of Asatru?
We believe in a standard of behavior which is consistent with those of our ancestors as expressed in our historical documentation, our Gods and Goddesses as expressed in our ancient mythology and our Culture as expressed in our living culture as well as the experiences of our histories, families and lives.

Being Asatru is about how you treat other people and the world around you. Being Asatru is about correct behavior.

15 - Are there any terms, objects, people I should know about?
Gothar - is plural of Gothi (male) or Gythia (female) - The Gothar are the collective priesthood of the Asatru Community.
Blot - Asatru Ceremony of sharing spiritual and physical gifts both to and from the Gods and Goddesses.
Sumble - Asatru Ceremony of sharing community luck and goodwill with each other and the Gods and Goddesses.
Wyrd - Hard one to explain so we will go with your community, Luck and Fortune as affected by you and the people closest to you.
Asier - Half of the old Gods. The Gods of Asgard. Such as Odin, Thor and Frigga. These where gods primarily associated with human action and achievement.
Vanir - The Second half of the Gods. The Gods of Vanihiem. Such as Freya, Freyr and Hiemdal. These where Gods primarily associated with the Earth and weather.
Desire - Our general ancestors that still watch over us.
Isineir - Our Female ancestors that still look after us.
Land Vetor - Spirits of the land and community that we live and work in.
Byfrost - The rainbow bridge between Midgard (Earth) and Asagard (the home of the Gods).
Mjollnir - The great hammer of Thor used to protect both Midgard and Asagrad. The symbol worn by most Asatru as a sign of their loyalty to the old ways and Gods.
Yggdrasil - The tree that connects all of the 9 world and all of the different people of each of them to each other.

16 - What are some misconceptions (if any?) that you would want to be cleared up? or something special that you would like other people to know about Asatru?
OK here are some good ones.

Followers of Asatru are white supremacists.
No we are not. Just because some Neo-Nazi's wear a hammer and say they believe in the old ways does not mean that they are Asatru. Asatru has nothing to do with Hate, racial supremacy or political agendas. As a matter of fact our germanic ancestors were some of the most racially tolerant people in world both trading and raiding cities, towns and countries completely equally.

Asatru is for Vikings.
Vikings were not a people but rather an action done by many of the Slovak and Scandinavian tribes. Asatru is the modern expression of the cultures and practices of the indigenous peoples of Europe. That does include people that were "Vikings" and their traditions but it also includes a lot of other peoples as well.

Asatru, Wicca and Neo-Pagans are all the same.
No we are not. There are some Neo-Pagans and Wiccas that do include some of the northern european Gods and Goddesses into their worship but they also include variations of Egyptian and Greek Gods as well as more modern Occult figures as well. Most Wiccas and Neo-Pagans pick and choose from gods, goddesses and traditions like it's a giant religious buffet. Asatru does not.

Most Asatru have done extensive research and will continue to do research their whole lives. Asatru are True to the gods and goddesses of our European Folk, and the traditions that go along with that fellowship. Also there is an extensive connection and loyalty to family and community within Asatru that, many times, does not exists in most Pagan and Wiccan sectors on a whole.

18 - Does Asatru have any holy scriptures?
No. There are written sources which are useful because they contain much of our lore and history in the form of myths, stories, historical accounts and examples of right conduct, but we do not accept them as infallible or dogmatic.

There are some good sources for our ancestral history and our ancestors heathen practices and lives. The Saga of the Volsong, The Volsunga, The Havamal, The Poetic Eddas, The Pros Eddas, Beowulf, The Sagas of the Icelanders, The Greenlanders Sagas, The Vinland Sagas, The Irish Chronicles and The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles. These are all good places to start to learn, but the truth of being Asatru comes from understanding the world around us and how we interact with.

20 - What is Asatru or Heathenries, specific World View.
Asatru (or Heathenry) is a world accepting pre-Christian, European folkway in which we better ourselves through a connected progression of Right Relationships among our Region, Folk, and Soil. We maintain this with our innangardhs by gifting relationships within our Regions, through which luck can flow and we can build a stronger more valued standing for ourselves within our personal communities.

We see the world in the Right Now as world accepting. We do not focus on an ultimate union with our gods, but in what is tangible and directly related to us, such as; ancestor veneration, and building and maintaining a relationship with the spirits of the land. We see the world in present and past tense, in a clan or tribal like model.

Kelsey Grammer Quote

2011-11-24T06:58:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Thursday!

Today's quote is brought to you by Kelsey Grammer:

Apologizes are pointless, regrets come too late. What matters is you can move, on you can grow.

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

Full List

2011-11-22T06:03:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Tuesday!

Here is the full list of all ymr interviews past, present and future!

Agnostics: 5
Apikoros: 1
Asatru: 1
Atheists/Objectivists: 15
Baha'is: 2
Buddhists: 9
Christians: 16
Druid: 1
Ex-Jehovah's Witness: 1
Feri Witchcraft: 1
Gnostic: 1
Heathen: 1
Hindu: 1
Jewish: 7
Jewitch: 1
Mathematics: 1
Messianic Judaism: 2
Muslims: 10
Mystics: 2
Noahide: 1
Non-denominationals: 3
Pagans/Wiccans: 15
Pantheist: 1
Polytheists: 5
Sikhs: 2
Sufi Darvish: 1
Taoist: 1
Unitarians: 4
Womanist: 1

If you'd like to participate, please email ymr@bell.net. Would love to get your perspective!

Modern Girl

2011-11-19T07:30:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Saturday!

I wish to thank Larry Tanner for his very interesting interview of last week. Thanks so much for sharing with us all Larry!

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

Here Is Modern Girl's Introduction:

Modern Girl has a complicated religious path. She was raised by an observant Catholic mother and a non-observant and secular Anglican Dad. Both parents allowed her to explore different religious options, which led her to Neo-Paganism, New Age, Buddhism, Catholicism, Judaism, Agnosticism, Unitarian Universalism, Humanism and more. At the age of 24, she started to blog about her religious experiences and different stances on religion. Now she blogs about many secular, political, and trivial matters as well, but 3 years later, she still loves the religious blogosphere.

Blog: http:sundialsaga.blogspot.com
Twitter name M0DERNGIRL (all caps, with a zero as the second character)

1) What religion do you practice?
Currently, I’m a lapsed Unitarian Universalist. In the past year, I have worked as a worship associate for my Unitarian congregation and have been heavily involved in the young adult programming, but since January 2011, I’ve been taking a break (attending maybe once a month. I attended yesterday but felt nothing during the service – my current minister is terrible which is why I’m lapsed). Also in the past year, I have observed many of the Jewish holidays with my fiancé and future in-laws, and I have observed Christmas with my parents. Despite all the religious affiliations, the best description I have for myself is “Agnostic Humanist” which to me, means somewhere between a secular humanist and a religious humanist.

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 long answer to this is the content of 9 very long blog entries. Here’s the short version. Mom was an observant Catholic – but liberal minded. Dad was raised Anglican but disliked organized religion. I went to Catholic church and Catechism until I was 8, then we stopped going (they changed priests, we didn’t like the new guy). My parents gave me free range to explore, I started to get into Neo-Paganism and New Age stuff (astrology, tarot cards, oujia boards, past lives, ESP, animal sages, Native mythology, Celtic mythology, etc.) That was fun until I was about 20 and taking a Comparative Religious Studies minor in university. Then I developed a taste for Buddhism. I tried to get back into Catholicism when my Mom and Grandmother were sick, and a few years before that I gave Evangelical Protestantism a very short try (when my Pennecostal friend asked me to). By the time I was 21 or 22, I discovered that I believed in a higher power, but not Jesus, and not the Bible. According to Karen Armstrong’s “History of God” I was a Freelance Monotheist. I disliked the label Agnostic at the time because I believed (and still do) that there is something greater in the universe that we don’t understand. When I was 23 I met my Jewish fiancé, and was totally infatuated with Judaism for a year or so, then discovered it was too patriarchical and still too literal (though more metaphorical than Christianity). Almost exactly 2 years ago (and a year into my blogging about religion) I discovered Unitarian Universalism – the idea that what we believe doesn’t matter as much as what we do while we’re here. I love UU, the principles really speak to me, and it's a great “inbetwen” the liberal Christianity of my parents and the liberal Judaism of my fiancé. It’s not perfect, and after being involved with the UU congregation for 2 years, I’m a bit disenchanted with organized religion in general, but I know that UU is the best fit for me out of all the options. And nowadays, I’m comfortable knowing that it’s not so much how I label myself, as what I do. I love and feel connected to the Pantheism theories of Spinoza and Einstein, although I’m getting closer to Atheism all the time, I do believe in something bigger than us is out there.

So, I guess I officially converted from Catholicism to UU. The process was simple. I filled out a membership form and a few months later was asked to stand up during the Sunday service so the minister could announce me as one of the new membership. I wore a flower lapel pin and received a free book.

3)Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
Unitarian Universalism is really too small for divisions yet. But we do have some people who are more spiritual and some who are more secular. And we have congregations like that to. In the more Humanist and secular congregations, there is a greater emphasis on social justice and politics. In the more spiritual congregations, there is a greater emphasis on interfaith committees, and finding meaning in the world without believing in God or an afterlife – necessarily. Despite not believing in an afterlife or a deity who cares, I’m spiritual. My congregation has recently gone very secular. Sermons used to be about forgiveness, growing, connecting to a greater sense of purpose. Now they are dry stories about politics and current affair with no spiritual guidance. There are also some UU congregations with a greater Christian emphasis, and some with a more pluralistic or interfaith emphasis. I like the interfaith stance better.

4)Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
Sorry I think I just answer those 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)
In UU, we don’t have a clear idea. It’s not emphasized and the purpose of the faith is to pay attention to this life, not what comes after it. Among UU’s, perspective do vary quite a bit. For me personally, I no longer believe in an afterlife. I did once. Heaven, Hell, all that. Purgatory I was unaware of until I was 20, and never really bought into it. Once I even believed in reincarnation. Now, I believe in science and that when we are dead, we cease to exist. Our consciousness ceases to be, and we decay. I think that the matter which composes our body never really ceases to be, but that is recycled into other things, and that the organic particles that make us up will be absorbed into the environment and will reappear as other forms of life and organic material. For this reason, I’d like to be buried without being embalmed so that I can naturally and non-toxically decay and return to the earth. I’d also like a tree planted near my grave so that my cells and atoms and particles can be recycled and turned into atoms and particles that make up a tree.
I believe Heaven and Hell are more of a state of mind. I believe in a type of karma, more like a Chaos theory of natural cause and effect. The more negative hormones that are released by your body, the more negative hormones go up in the people you are around, etc. If you do negative things, you have a negative impact on your environment and things can come back to bite you in the ass. So, Hell is basically when you are in a funk, and you keep doing things to screw it up and let the funk continue. Heaven is when you’re self-actualized, things are going well (but not too well) and you are routinely exchanging positive energy and interactions and motivations with your surroundings.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
No. With Heaven being a state of mind that only exists, during this lifetime, then I’m aware that not everyone reaches that. Innocent people suffer, and those people unfortunately don’t always find the bliss that others do. I do believe every life has a purpose and an equal opportunity to impact the world. I believe we are born innocent and good and are motivated more so by good forces than by bad forces.

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
UU is a good fit for me because it promotes pluralism, a focus on social justice and compassion, and freedom and liberty. It’s a very progressive faith which fits for equality and equity for women, people of color, glbt communities, and more. It promotes pacifism and helping others before helping the economy. It allows me to feel like I’m part of a larger system of progressively minded people, and gives me resources to find writings written by enlightened individuals. It helps push my understanding of the nature of the universe and the purpose of life and existence.

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
Rosh Hashanah – Jewish New Year. I celebrate this by eating apples and honey to symbolize a sweet new year and to get things started off on the right foot. This happens in September around the first of the school year.
Yom Kippur – Day of Atonement. My fiancé does the traditional fast with his parents. I take the day to dedicate myself to a higher calling – such as a charity, etc. I purposely pick the most non-glamorous job (in 2010 I dragged tables through a dewy wet field at 7am) and I don’t brag or act for recognition for it (unless this counts). I concentrate on making myself a better person.
Thanksgiving – Second Monday of October. I try to get together with others for a good meal, and think about all that we have to be fortunate for.
My Birthday – November 3rd. It’s “Me Day” the most sacred day in this egocentric Western society. I spend the day spoiling myself. Most of the time, a birthday cake is included.
Hanukah – December. I have a Hanukiah (like a menorah, but with 9 candles not 7) and I light the candles with a Humanist blessing I wrote. I usually get together with my fiancé and eat latkes and chocolate on one of the days.
Christmas Eve – December 24th. My parents make a large turkey dinner, Granpa drinks whiskey, Santa drives past our house on a Fire Engine, and we each open one gift.
Christmas Day – December 25th. We wake up early, and sit under the tree, opening gift after gift. Then we eat massive amounts of yummy things all day, cheese and cracker spreads, crock pots full of hot dips, peanuts, chocolates, caramel corn, peppermints, open faced sandwiches on expensive breads, turkey leftovers, cheese balls, peanutbutter balls, and much more. We don’t do anything Christian really, it’s much more of a secular Yuletide thing.
“Holidays” December 26-31. Take it easy at my parents house and continue eating and being a glutton. Dad usually has a shut down at work, so everyone is home and spending time together the entire time.
Maple Syrup Day – February 6th. A day during the winter festival season in which I go and look at ice sculptures and frozen lakes, etc. Buy hot chocolate next to the ice rink, eat pancakes and maple syrup in the morning, and spend the day thinking about Canadian winters. It’s also close to Omelc, Imbolc, Candlemass, St. Briget’s Day, etc.
Passover – Jewish celebration of the escape from Egypt. I observe this by attending seders with my fiance’s family. We sit around a table for a long time, eat loads of food, and sing songs in Hebrew. I found the afikomen both times in the last 2 years.
Good Friday – I don’t eat meat on Good Friday out of Catholic superstition traditions.
Easter – I don’t really observed Easter anymore aside from not eating meat on Good Friday. Once in a while I’ll eat a chocolate bunny, or a cream egg, but that’s it.
Mother’s Day – Second Sunday of May. Call up my Mom and give her something nice.
Father’s Day – Third Sunday of June. Call up my Dad and give him something nice.
Canada Day – July 1st – wear red, sometimes dye my hair red, and go to Parliament Hill or an outdoor concert. Eat street meat (hotdogs) listen to bands, wear glow bracelets, watch fireworks. Have sunburn the next day.
August Family BBQ – get together with the extended family. It’s like the opposite of Christmas, at least weather wise. Having sprinklers going, eat taco salad, enjoy the bask of summer one last time before school starts and the whole cycle goes over again.

9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Absolutely! I only have 8 UU friends and we’re a pretty small group. Plus, UU really promotes an interfaith feel and encourages interfaith dialogue, we’re the faith that all the other faiths can get along with!

10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
As you can see above, there’s really no UU holidays. Not really. My holidays are a mash up between Jewish and Christian holidays and Canadian secular holidays. So, I have no problem joining in on others’ holidays. I plan to raise my kids Jewish, but they will still celebrate Christian with their maternal grandparents. I’ll try to teach them that it’s not “their” holiday but that they can help their grandparents to celebrate it.

11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I’m all for freedom, but allowing the burka is not promoting freedom. Even if some women wear it out of their own choice, other women wear it because they are peer pressued, or financially pressured or pressured due to family shame and pride. I also think that it causes social isolation while out in public, which is a form of self abuse. I would like to see the burka banned. As far as Shariah Law goes, I live in Canada, which is a secular nation state. I believe the secular laws of Canada should have more authority over the Canadian people than the laws of a religious group.

12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
Yes, in UU women have equal rights and transgendered people have equal rights. I think it’s great and the way it should be. Just because your genitals are different, it doesn’t mean you lack skills to lead a congregation, think spiritually, or have good ideas.

13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
Nope. I hate segregation. I’ve gone through it when I attend Orthodox Jewish events, and I absolutely hate it. Even in people’s homes, when men daven and the women are separated, it drives me around the bend. I don’t have very much in common with women, I’m one of the guys and I like staying with my fiancé, so that’s irritating. Even at my family BBQ’s (which are sacred to me) it tends to get very gender segregated, but it’s not rigid. I can sit with the men outside as they grill meat and talk politics, and current affairs. Once in a while, an aunt will make fun of me for not being with the women as they prep salads inside and talk about kids, illnesses and domestic affairs, but at least I can go against the trend.

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?
This is tricky. My religion doesn’t dictate how I feel about abortion, gays, etc. But my perspective on that almost perfectly matches that of UU. But it didn’t influence me, UU is the place where progressively minded people go. UU is sort of a secular faith, so I don’t think it’s my “faith” that I think about everyday, but I think about my left-wing progressive stance on the world almost everyday, which happens to match my faith. When I need to make a decision, I don’t turn to my faith for answers. I turn to my humanist insight and my secular understanding of equality and right and wrong. If the humanist and secular understanding of right and wrong is my faith, then I guess you could say I do that. But I don’t follow what a minister says or what is preached on the pulpit. The minister said once we should try to avoid meat on Mondays, and he pissed me off by doing that, because I don’t think a faith should lay our concrete laws like that.

15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
I would be perfectly fine with it. I plan to raise my kids Jewish which is my fiance’s faith. If they don’t want to marry a Jew, I’ll be ok with it. My fiancé might have a hard time with it, even though he’s going to marry outside his faith.

16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
I don’t believe in Hell per say (see previous answers on Heaven and Hell). I think people of all faiths can suffer or flourish, and it’s a state of mind. It’s up to what they do, not what religious ideology they feel they follow.

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?
I’m not sure I follow. UU have historically claimed many figures, like we say Thomas Jefferson and Susan B. Anthony and John Adams were UU’s, but they were actually Christian Unitarians. And some people who were plainly against organized religion have been cited as having UU-like sentiments, but we don’t have the right to state that. Today, there are not many famous UU people.

18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
My work colleague told another work colleague that she was sick of all “this Jewish stuff” in my work group. My boss is Jewish, I have one Jewish colleague, and I’m engaged to a Jew. My boss and colleague are extremely secular, don’t keep kosher and only observe the holidays in a secular way. Jewish stuff has only come up around the Jewish holidays and it’s always spoken of in a secular, inclusive way. Yet, this anti-Semitic colleague in my work group said she’d like to become a Nazi to stop it. I wrote her an email explaining I could report her to the Human Rights and Equity board, she panicked, said she realized it was wrong. Later told me she still thinks she was in the right for saying those things because she’s a person of color.

19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
No. It’s hard explaining to secular people and people wary of Christanity that I go to church but I’m not Christian and it’s not evangelical and my church friends are not Jesus freaks. So sometimes I restrain from mentioning my beliefs.

20) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Depends on how good the minister is.

21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
Nope. Please see above for the comments on the afterlife.

Mary Pickford Quote

2011-11-16T06:32:00.001-08:00

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

Today's quote is brought to you by Mary Pickford:

You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down.

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

Larry Tanner

2011-11-12T08:13:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Saturday!

First up I wish to thank Janie (aka Mother Moon) for her wonderful interview last week. Thanks so much for sharing with us Janie!

Today we have a new interview so please welcome Larry Tanner.
Larry is an Atheist and I know you'll enjoy his interview as well!

Here Is Larry Tanner's Introduction:

I am married with three young children. I have lived in Massachusetts most of my life and still do. Since 2008, I have self-identified as an Atheist. I was raised in a Jewish home of relaxed observance, and I keep some interest in Jewish culture. My wife of 11 years is a devout Christian.

http://larrytanner.blogspot.com

1) What religion do you practice?
Although I don’t feel that I practice any religion, I give a small amount of money to a local Jewish religious center. Through my wife, I support a local Christian church. I recently held a Passover seder with my family, and I attended an Easter barbeque with my wife’s family. Being non-religious, and in some cases anti-religious, has not completely removed religion from my life.

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 suppose I am a “convert” to Atheism. In 2008, when I was 38 years old, I accepted that Atheism best reflected what I thought was true about the state of the world. I arrived at this conclusion after many years of learning about my religion, about Christianity and other religions, about the textual histories of various holy books, about both world and human history, and about methods of knowledge and understanding in various disciplines of the sciences and humanities. Before I accepted that Atheism was the view I truly held, I considered myself a Jewish believer and I made a practice of reading Torah, donning Tefillin, and visiting shul. After my acceptance—I don’t think “conversion” captures my experience—I became more focused on the knowledge and activities that really interested me. I wanted to learn about probability. I wanted to blog and to do computer programming. I felt more empowered to pursue my best self.

3)Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
Some people give different degrees of Atheism, as in strong Atheism or weak Atheism. The degrees are supposed to reflect how certain one is. Atheism is often contrasted with agnosticism, which is the position of “I don’t know.” Even at the times in my life when I was most believing, I always harbored some agnosticism. Eventually, however, I realized that I knew enough to make “I don’t know” a weasel conclusion. I didn’t think it was honest for me to sit on the fence anymore, and so I became an Atheist.

4)Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
I suppose I would be considered a strong Atheist, as I don’t think there’s any question that no gods exist or ever have. I’m certain that all religions are man-made and that all the holy books are human invention. Don’t get me wrong: some of the narratives, poetry, and teachings in these books are lovely. But these books do not warrant special authority and they often don’t make great guides for how people ought to live their lives today. I am also personally critical of religious organizations. I think the Catholic church is a horrible, evil institution. I think religious apology and evangelism are mostly immoral activities. I am an advocate for the position that religious organizations should pay state and federal taxes.

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)
I don’t know of any good reason to think that there is an afterlife in the sense of a Heaven or Hell.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
In my opinion, and I feel I’m on the right track with this, everyone dies and eventually decomposes.

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
Atheism makes a good fit for me because it brings me back to basic important questions that need to be asked about most anything: Is this actually true? How do we know? How else can we legitimately understand this? It’s also a good fit because I don’t need to do things I always thought were kind of silly—such as giving thanks and praise to nothing, or calling Abraham’s willingness to murder his son a good thing, or standing in respect to a book or a wall.

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
Every day is “holy.” We don’t get a chance to re-do the right now and the today. Hopefully, what we are doing and learning right now set a trajectory for good things.

9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Yes, people of other faiths are my friends. Heck, one of them is my wife! I don’t know what my young children will choose for themselves religiously. My worries for them are more material, but I would not want them to join a religion in which they feel compelled to avoid me. That would hurt.

10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
I try to minimize the amount of time I join family and friends in specifically religious activities. I have better things to do. When they are done with the religious part, I usually try to join them at that time. Sometimes, as for a funeral, one must enter a church and sit through the blah-blah, but these times are relatively few.

11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I think both the burka and Sharia Law are awful and antithetical to human happiness and welfare.

12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
There are several Atheist organizations, and I believe women are able to hold any office within them. Personally, I advocate equal opportunity for all.

13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
No.

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?
Atheism affects my daily life in some ways. I read the Atheist blogs. I don’t worry about having bacon or sausage. Most of the time, the non-existence of divine beings in the universe doesn’t seem to affect me.

15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
If the potential spouse is a Red Sox fan, I can handle most anything.

16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
No. I have a hard time understanding how people could think that their group alone has the keys out of Hell while everyone else now living and the billions upon billions who have ever lived before are baking over brimstone.

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?
There are some prominent and outspoken Atheists. They don’t speak for me or for anyone else. They know it, too.

18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
When I was a kid, I was probably called various Jewish names before (e.g., “kike,” “Jew-ball,” etc.).

19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
No, not at all.

20) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
No. I get peace of mind from the love of my family and from being a decent person.

21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
Not in the sense of people “coming back” as other people or animals. I’m not familiar enough with any pro-reincarnation arguments to comment much on the idea.

John McCrae Quote

2011-11-10T06:06:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Thursday!

In honour of Remembrance Day (tomorrow) and in memory of all veterans, I've posted John McCrae's poem 'In Flanders Fields'

“In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.”

December Interviews

2011-11-08T05:51:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Tuesday!

Here's what YMR will have in store for the December Interviews:

we'll hear from Malwina who is a Christian, Navjeet Singh Sandhu who is a Sikh, Omar Ghraieb who is a Muslim, Liorah Lleucu who is a Jewitch and Christopher Darren Horn who is a Noahide.

All very interesting interviews you're not going to want to miss!

Janie (aka Mother Moon)

2011-11-05T06:33:00.000-07:00

Hello and Happy Saturday!

I wish to thank Elinor Predota for her interesting interview last week. An excellent read! Thank you so much for sharing Elinor!

Today we have a new interview so please welcome Janie (aka Mother Moon). Janie is a Pagan and I know you'll enjoy her interview as well!

Here Is Janie's Introduction:

The following in my introduction: Smack dab in the center of America is where you will find me. A mother of three (plus one step daughter), grandma to three (with one on the way). A lover of animals (2 cats and one lab - plus any strays that may happen my way), nature, gardening, music, simplicity, and good times with friends, I love long conversations with others of different thoughts and such, as I believe that one should always have an open mind to what someone else may say. There is far more perspectives in the world than just mine and to think that I am the one with the only right one is pure folly. It is through our ears and our eyes that we find the answers to the questions we all ask, not through the constant wagging of our tongues.

My website/blog is as follows http://mothermoonsmessage.blogspot.com

1) What religion do you practice?
I am not sure what to call what I practice. I am yet to find the label to attach to myself. Yet when asked this question I usually answer: It is hard to tie myself down to one specific as I feel there are many that touch me yet none that completely explain me... I am a naturist by heart, a lover of the out of doors and all her wonder. As a friend of mine puts it : Non - specific personal paganism

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 definitely a convert. Living in Oklahoma one is seldom raised outside the "church". In my younger days I made my rounds to the multiple denominations that resided in my tiny rural town. Settling finally on the Baptist church. Yet always having a desire for more answers to the many questions that continuously came to me. Not ever feeling that I gained a good enough answer from the leaders of the church. Although my naturalistic (druidism) beliefs were in me from a youthful age, I did not pursue them due to the teachings of the church, allowing me to think that such ideas would only land me in the pits of hell. Yet through the continual personal search for "God" and his ways I was led to what I believe now, which differs greatly from the doctrine of any denominations.

3)Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
If I understand this question correctly it is directed towards what I believe thus it would not necessarily be directed at other religions. If this is correct I do not necessarily think it has any relevance to my beliefs as I view these categories as levels of rigidity that one has. I believe in ones belief system as a personal journey and thus any of the labels could apply.

4)Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
Again if I had to make a choice in regards to the degrees of observance for me in regards to my beliefs I would choose a liberal orthodox. I choose this because I feel that I am very open in regards to what I believe and what I practice yet I am also quite passionate about it. I am always willing to listen to ones views that are different from my own yet I will not easily be swayed from them.

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)
Within my beliefs, I do belief that there is something after one passes from this so called life we lead now. It is my personal belief that it is much like heaven, yet I also believe that each ones heaven can be described differently. I do not necessarily believe in an absolute reward/punishment at least not in the sense that I think most men do. I believe that we are living this daily as we go through our lives, in regards to what we choose to be a part of as well as what we choose to turn a blind eye too.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
It is a continual journey that one makes. Each one choosing whether to learn from lessons that are set in front of them or not to. For some I think the journey is not as long as it may be for others. And quite possibly there may be some who never make it to the end.

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
I do not believe in holding all people regardless of culture, heritage, environment, etc to the same ruler. I do believe in a God yet I also believe that man attempts too many times to put him into a box labeling him in the manner that fits him so that he can feel good about himself. I believe that each ones spiritual journey is their own and is a personal experience that only they can travel.

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
I follow the Sabbats. There are 8 Sabbats that make up the Wheel of the Year. They are solar and seasonal in nature and represent birth, life, death, and rebirth. They are as follows: Samhain (New Year - Oct 31 & Nov 1), Yule (Winter Solstice - Dec 21), Imbolc (February 2), Ostara (Spring Equinox- March 21) , Beltain (May 1), Litha (Midsummer - June 21), Lammas (Aug 1), and Mabon (Autumn Equinox-Sept 21).

9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Of course. I have learned much from others with differing views and also at different points in their spiritual journeys.

10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
I often visit and participate in others beliefs as much of my family believe differently than I. I may not partake in all the festivities or rituals that they may have though. I feel out of respect for my beliefs as well as theirs that this would be improper.

11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I will be honest and say that I am not comfortably familiar with the Shariah Law and therefore do not feel that I can make an adequate analysis of it.;

12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
As I have stated before, it is a personal walk and therefore we are all priests aren't we?

13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
No

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 think my beliefs affect much of my daily life and how I view things.

15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion? Once again I feel that each one has their own journey to walk including my children, grandchildren etc. If they were to choose to marry outside their beliefs that is their choice. If I felt a need to convey any concern to them I would do so yet in the end the final decision is their own.

16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
Goodness no. It would be a sad world if that were the case. Not sure any of us would make it

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?
As I said before I do not affiliate myself with any specific religion so there is not anyone specific that I can say speaks for it except myself.

18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
I know that there are many cases where there have been ones who have been an obvious target or victim of such thing. The abuse is so obvious that it is impossible to not see it for all the ignorance and cruelty that it truly is. Yet I also believe that there are subtle hate crimes that occur every day. The cold stares or turned up noses from someone who does not believe as you. The whispers and such from one who perceives that they "know" what your beliefs are and since of course they are different than theirs they can not be right. I think all of us can say in some way we have been a victim of one of these

19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
No I never have

20) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Since I have accepted myself and the beliefs and questions that have always been inside of me and quit beating myself up for not following what I was told was the "right way"; I have never been more happier or more sure of the path that I am on.

21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
Yes very much so. Mainly because of occurrences in my life over time as well as the simplicity that it seems to show me in regards to understanding the full circle.

Steve Irwin Quote

2011-11-03T05:58:00.000-07:00

Hello and Happy Thursday!

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

Whatever you want to do in this world, it is achievable. The most important thing that I've found, that perhaps you could use, is be passionate and enthusiastic in the direction that you choose in life, and you'll be a winner.

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

Big Thanks!

2011-11-01T05:45:00.000-07:00

Hello and Happy Tuesday!

I wish to thank ymr participants:

Joel Holopainen/Jouji Heion, Harry/Hanrei Banzan, Dalyn Robert Montgomery, Louise Rogers, Adrian Worsfold, Christina, and Elinor Predota.

All excellent interviews, every one of them unique and interesting, and I wish to thank you all for sharing your faith journeys with all of us! I very much apppreciate all of you! Thank you!

Elinor Predota

2011-10-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

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 :-)

Desmond Tutu Quote

2011-10-26T05:49:00.001-07:00

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!

Christina

2011-10-22T08:09:00.000-07:00

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.

Emily Bronte Quote

2011-10-19T06:27:00.000-07:00

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!

Adrian Worsfold

2011-10-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

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.

Steve Jobs Quote

2011-10-12T07:35:00.000-07:00

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.

Louise Rogers

2011-10-08T07:44:00.000-07:00

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.

Walt Disney Quote

2011-10-06T05:07:00.000-07:00

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!

November Interviews

2011-10-04T06:18:00.000-07:00

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!

Dalyn Robert Montgomery

2011-10-01T07:55:00.000-07:00

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.

Joan of Arc Quote

2011-09-28T05:47:00.000-07:00

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

Today's quote is brought to you by Joan of Arc:

One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying.

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

Harry (Buddhist name: Hanrei Banzan)

2011-09-24T07:27:00.000-07:00

Hello and Happy Saturday!

First up I wish to thank Joel Holopainen for his wonderful interview last week. I learned much from you and I thank you for that. Thanks Joel!

Today we have a new interview so please welcome Harry (Buddhist name: Hanrei Banzan).
Harry is a Buddhist and I know you'll enjoy his interview as well!

Here Is Harry's Introduction:

I'm a Zen Buddhist practitioner based in Ireland. I received the Bodhisattva Precepts from my teacher a few years ago here in Ireland and was given the Buddhist name 'Hanrei Banzan'. I practice zazen (seated meditation) specifically 'shikantaza' ('just thoroughly sitting'), sometimes referred to as the 'method-less method' of Zen. Part of the practice is integrating the wide open view of zazen into our daily life. I study the teachings of Zen Master Dogen, a gifted 13th Century monk and teacher, and also the wider Chinese and Japanese Zen literature including koans and sutras.

My main blog is: http://bodhiarmour.blogspot.com/

1) What religion do you practice?
I practice Buddhism. More specifically I practice the 'Dharma', as the Buddha did not intend to start a 'cult of Buddha' but sought to teach the 'Dharma', which is a word that predates Buddhism. 'Dharma' is, in a sense, a complex word. In Buddhism it can refer to the Buddhist teachings themselves, but in the most direct sense it means the 'law-of-thusness', or 'things-as-they-are'. It's not a law confined to a principle or just one philosophical outlook or world view; it's the law of 'how every thing is' that we become familiar with intuitively through our own zazen practice.

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 wasn't raised a Buddhist, but I don't really feel that I 'converted' as such as Buddhism essentially doesn't require people to adopt or reject personal beliefs. I consider taking the Buddhist Precepts as an expression of intention to practice Buddhism, but it's often considered that one formally becomes a Buddhist when one takes the Precepts. Personally I think that one is a Buddhist, or, even more to the point, a buddha, when one practices as a buddha (and people everywhere of all faiths or none do this all the time).

3)Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
Yes, there are different degrees of observance within Buddhism. I think that is fair to say. There are a lot of different schools and sects in Buddhism; some cater for people who want to actually practice what the Buddha is said to have practiced, and some are for people who feel devotion to the Buddha and who like to more casually venerate the Buddha and/or various Buddhist figures, for example. This distinction becomes blurred in instances though, and so it's not a hard-and-fast division.

Within Zen there are those whom are drawn to the more institutionalised, formal, and/or traditional expressions of practice (with more detailed ceremony, insistence on robes, correct protocol, hierarchy etc), while there are those who prefer to practice more independently in less formal groups or on their own. It really caters for all, and all these perceived differences are only provisional as, for example, some people can realise a great freedom of expression in the seemingly fixed 'traditional' forms, or they can practice devotional practices very sincerely in the same manner as others may practice zazen/ meditation.

4)Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
I tend to be quite independent in my practice and in my thinking about what Buddhism is. This is partly because I don't belong to a particular group as such. I practice with various Zen groups. There are no groups active in my locality, so I have to travel to practice with others. Also, I tend to feel that my own practice, particularly zazen, is the pivotal matter, and that can be done anywhere at any time. I don't see that it requires me to be part of a group, and I tend to be wary of some of the dynamics that I've seen come to the fore in groups, particularly in religious groups. I think 'group think' and competition can quickly be contrary to the original intention of Buddhism and other religions.

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)
Buddhism has traditionally had heaven realms and hell realms. Interestingly, being born in a heavenly realm is traditionally considered to be inferior to being born a human as it is easier to practice and realise the Dharma as a human. More recently 'heaven' and 'hell' in Buddhism has been rationalised to explain the various states of mind that we create for ourselves (a particularly bad 'hell realm' is associated with anger, for example). It's not something I think of much. It seems better to me to worry about this life here-and-now than to worry about the next one! Buddhism says that we're born and die in a sense many times every moment... it also says that, essentially, we are not born and we don't die as we are already that which is much, much bigger than what we tend to think we are .

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
I don't know about heaven, but if people are not happy (people, that is, who have a reasonably stable life and who are not being abused by others or otherwise sorely persecuted etc) then it may be that they themselves are the reason for their own unhappiness. Buddhism generally puts a lot of responsibility for our situation squarely onto us ourselves.

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
It's practical and, at it's best (at it's core), it is not bullshitty. It also (again, when it's at its best) puts the responsibility of becoming 'saved' or 'redeemed' or whatever squarely on me and my own efforts. I think that is very sensible and realistic.

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
There are days like the Buddha's birthday, and the celebration of his final passing etc. But they differ from country to country in the Buddhist world. I don't observe them much unless I'm at a sesshin (zazen retreat) which happens to coincide with a holiday in which case I'll be involved in the ceremonies like everyone else.

9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Yes... until they prove me wrong at least! :-)

10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
Yes, I would consider it if it was appropriate. I wouldn't want to just 'go through the motions' of some ceremony if I thought it made a mockery of other traditions, but if it was an expression of mutual respect and understanding then I would have no trouble in participating. I think that all genuine religion, when it is practiced sincerely and when it leads us beyond our small notions of our selves and of each other, aspires to the same thing.

11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I don't know much about it really, but I tend towards a secular model for our Western societies. I feel that a secular model, where no religion is promoted in public buildings/spaces, is better for societies that are increasingly diverse. A secular society can be respectful of people's religious observances, it needn't disrespect them, it can promote acceptance and respect in other ways. At the same time, people have to take responsibility for their own personal beliefs, and the consequences of them, in wider society. I acknowledge that other cultures and societies have different observances about this. When different cultures/societies meet, there will have to be some sort of discussion and resolution. That process will be different every time I think as the situation will be different every time. I hope that I keep an open mind on the subject.

Islam has gotten a lot of 'bad press' recently. I think that is a shame. Certain sections of the media, certain politicians, and certain 'religious' people have been very irresponsible in their portrayal of Islam. They have simplified the situation in some very emotive ways. We need more sincere dialogue with Islam in the West, and more accurate portrayals of the diversity within Islam, so as to dispel the myths and assumptions that have been created. There are different interpretations of Shariah Law within Islam, for example, but how often do we hear the voice of Islam moderates on our TVs?

12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
Yes, women can be Zen nuns, teachers, Roshis, etc etc. Traditionally it was male dominated. I'm glad it's changing, because I think women are generally more sensible than men in many regards (at least, they generally seem more sensible than me!) I think they may be hardwired to be more emotionally evolved.

13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
When we are on sesshin (Zen retreat) generally the men and women sleep in different dorms. This makes me sad because I have to sleep in a room filled with men: Men snore more... and women smell better!!!

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?
Zen practice does affect the way I think in some indirect ways... more in my reactions to my thinking than my thinking itself maybe. I don't take my own views and opinions as seriously as I used to. Practicing zazen tends to give us a broader viewpoint on our own views/opinions. In relation to abortion I would say that it is a very complex situation where I hope we can work towards supporting women before making, and after making, their choice. I think women who are presented with this choice (regardless of what I think of the choice) are at all sorts of risks. That should be a big concern. A lot of the ''Pro-Life" campaigns seem so concerned for the life of the unborn foetus and not concerned at all with the life of the mother: The 'moral question' seems to dominate. As to gay marriage; I think it's fine and should be an option if it makes people more content and fulfilled... Marriage, of course, doesn't always do that!

15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
No problem. Religion would likely be the last thing I'd worry about. If the potential spouse was a zealot of ANY religion I'd be very vocally worried though.

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?
I prefer to think of it in terms of all the 'infidels' who are unwittingly practicing the Dharma! ...When we're totally disarmed by the wonder or terror of life; when we're caused to see outside the little bubble of our own thoughts and feelings; when some aspect of our life is so engaging that it swallows us up whole in its Big Embrace; when we unknowingly thrust out a hand of assistance to some stranger...

18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
No.

19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
Yes, but it's generally just my own 'stuff'. Sometimes I feel like I'm owed something more, more, more... but, without fail, it's due to my own faulty thoughts and feelings.

20) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Yes. The practice of Zen is peace of mind, even within the chaos of our selves and the world. My mind isn't always peaceful though, accepting that is a big part of the practice.

21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
This is a sticky one in Buddhism. A lot of Buddhist argue about this. If reincarnation is real then it doesn't matter if I believe in it or not! Buddhism posits that there is no 'self' to reincarnate; that is, there is nothing that I usually identify as 'me' that survives death. At the same time, in Buddhist practice, we identify with everything, with that which was never born, and that never dies... so, in a sense, belief in this or that is a sort of trivial sideshow.

Life is the truth, death is the truth and the truth never starts and never ceases. The head of the lineage I ordained in, Gudo Nishijima Sensei, a grand older Japanese Gentleman of 91 years, says that he is very happy because every day he is living in God.

Jim Carrey Quote

2011-09-21T04:50:00.000-07:00

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

Today's quote is brought to you by Jim Carrey:

If you aren't in the moment, you are either looking forward to uncertainty, or back to pain and regret.

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

Joel Holopainen (Dharma name: Jouji Heion)

2011-09-17T05:37:00.000-07:00

Hello and Happy Saturday!

I wish to thank Umm Salihah for her very interesting interview last week. Thanks so much for sharing with us!

Today we have a new interview so please welcome Joel Holopainen (Dharma name: Jouji Heion). Joel is a Buddhist and I know you'll enjoy his interview as well!

Here Is Joel Holopainen/Jouji Heion's Introduction:

I live alone in Helsinki and work as a kindergarten teacher. My Buddhist teacher is Peter Rocca. The core thing in our tradition is called zazen which means sitting meditation. We sit on a round cushion in a lotus posture with our back straight, face directed to the wall. In zazen we are not thinking anything. We are not solving problems or searching for answers and we are not trying to stop our thinking, we just let it calm down by itself by just sitting diligently, sincerely and naturally. Usually a lay practitioner like me does zazen every morning and every evening for 40 minutes per time. When we get up from the cushion zazen is not over. We keep the attitude of zazen in our daily activities. This means doing everything focusedly, mindfully and wholeheartedly. On the cushion when we sit, we just sit. Off the cushion when we wash the dishes, we just wash the dishes and so on. For a Zen Buddhist every moment is an opportunity to practice. Zazen also balances us. When we are balanced we can more easily act skillfully. Of course doing what is best for ourselves and others is not always so easy, we make mistakes but that's ok, that's life, that's realism and living a Buddhist life means living a realist life, not idealistic life. But of course there has to be some amount of idealism too: we must try to "do good, avoid evil and keep the body-mind pure" even though Buddhists don't think there is right or wrong in an absolute sense. They are just concepts in our minds.

www.justsitfirmly.blogspot.com

1) What religion do you practice?
Soto Zen Buddhism in Gudo Nishijima Roshi's lineage

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?
Before as an atheist, I hated religions. In a childhish way I thought religious folks were brainwashed and braindead people who were unwilling to take the responsibility for their own lives. As I grew older some existential questions became more and more important for me. I had an urge to find the truth. At the time I played in a rock band which was great but still something wasn't right and this "something is missing" experience was a real disturbance for me. After practicing zazen for a while I felt that I've found what I had searched and after about three years of practicing I asked the Bodhisattva precepts from my teacher and became officially a Buddhist. Now I see that to practice a religion is as sensible a thing for human beings as doing sports or creating art or making science or as being an atheist.

3)Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
Everyone does the best they can. That't all. Some may go the monastery, some stay in the lay world. Both options can be very serious practicing. The practice is in every moment.

4)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)
When we die our life is over so it's important to do our best every day. Our everyday life is our reward. In some Buddhist traditions the so called enlightenment seems to be the carrot but in our tradition we don't seek or strive for anything, everything is already in this moment.

Our everyday life may feel as a punishment if we live unskillfully (do drugs, steal, desire too much, misuse sex, say bad things and so on.) And even if we manage to live without harming ourselves or others life may sometimes feel as hell to us. That's ok, it passes, we should not cling to our thoughts or states of mind. This means we should not take them too seriously. Same goes to heaven-like feelings.

5) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
For some reason I feel that my body-mind just needs it. What I like very much is the fact that Buddhism doesn't include any fixed truths. There are no absolutes in Buddhism.

6) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Absolutely!

7) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
I don't see any problem doing that. To join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days means just joining people of another faith to celebrate one their holy days.

8) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
Holy garments are important things in religions. In our tradition the robe is very precious. But at the same time we should see them as just garments. Everyone should have a right to decide what to wear and there should be an equality between men and women.

9) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
Definetely! I feel it's 100 % a right thing.

10) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
No, it doesn't. If it would, I would hated it.

11) 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?
Zazen is the basis of my life, on the cushion, outside the cushion. But it's not like going to the grocery store and thinking: "Now I'm here and now I have to be this and act like that." It's natural and spontaneous and the decision making is based mainly on an intuitive ability to see what is reasonable in the current situation. We believe this ability develops in zazen. (When the mind is not so full of our own thoughts and ideas about things we can more clearly see things as they are and thus act more wisely.)

12) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
I wouldn't mind at all! It's important to let everyone choose their belief system. Faith or trust doesn't abide in our intellect. It lives in our hearts and we can't put something to somebody's heart by force.

13) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
No. There are different paths for different people. It would be childish to blame: "This one is better than that one."

14) 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 was wrong when Genpo Roshi claimed that he taught Buddhism. He did the right thing when we disrobed.

15) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
No, but it kind of straightens us. Sometimes zazen may reveal to us that some of our lovely thoughts are just "delusions" and following them would bring only more trouble to our lives. It may be hard to let them go and return to the "true situation" but that's practice.

16) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Sometimes. Sometimes not. I don't mind. If we want peace of mind, we should forget peace of mind. Religions are not tools to fulfill our every desire. Their function is to connect us to the life as it is.

17) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
To me reincarnation means just impermanance which is the core teaching in Buddhist philosophy. Nothing is permanent due to the all pervading law of cause and effect. Everything is in a constant state of flux: our moods, situations and body cells etc. change all the time. In other words death, birth and rebirth are always present in every moment.

Elton John Quote

2011-09-15T06:14:00.001-07:00

Hello and Happy Thursday!

Today's quote is brought to you by Elton John:

Live for each second without hesitation

New interview coming Saturday so be sure to check back!

Big Thanks!

2011-09-13T06:51:00.001-07:00

Hello and Happy Tuesday!

I wish to give a huge thanks to YMR participants:

Monica Chase, Bill Jiryu Webb, Adam, Jenny, Justin Whitaker, Musa Talib and Umm Salihah.

Thank you all so much for sharing your faith journeys with us. I found each to be unique and interesting and enjoyed reading and learning from each of you.
Thanks so much for sharing!

Umm Salihah

2011-09-10T07:42:00.000-07:00

Hello and Happy Saturday!

First up I wish to thank Musa Talib for sharing his very interesting faith journey with us last week.
Thanks so much for sharing Musa!

This week we have a new interview so please welcome Umm Salihah. Umm Salihah is a Muslim and I know you'll enjoy her interview as well!

Here Is Umm Salihah's Introduction:

Hi, I’m Umm Salihah and I am mum to three dirty-faced angels (Little Lady - 8, Little Man - 6, Gorgeous – now 4 years). I write for www.happymuslimah.com which I began in order to share my experiences as a Muslimah working mother and to learn from other women about how they manage the different aspects of their lives without compromising their faith. I also blog at www.positivemuslimah.com because I believe we need to share more of our positive stories.

I read Psychology at university and then went on to work for the public sector for the next 10 years, first in central government and now in local government because I wanted to contribute to the community I had grown up in. My passions include crafts (cards and jewellery), books, bargain-hunting, writing, blogging, Islam, and did I mention books?

1) What religion do you practice?
Islam

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 was raised by religious Muslim parents, but I believe that being born into Islam doesn’t necessarily make you a Muslim, it’s a conscious decision that requires living in a very conscientious, measured way. I think every Muslim, whether born or not has their moment when they decide this is the faith for them and this is their “conversion” in a way.

3)Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
I think people like to label Muslims as moderate, traditional, extreme and this goes against the grain of what Islam is about. To call one a moderate Muslim is to assume the others are intolerant, to say one is mainstream, is to say the views of another are “fringe” or not as relevant in some way. I believe that it is a characteristic of Islam to have balance in all things and to follow what we call the “middle way”

I am also not keen on the labels of “practising” or “not practising”. By definition, to be a Muslim is to practice the faith. I don’t feel that my faith is abstract or something that is put aside and then brought out to philosophise about sometimes. It is a practical guide to living – from the time we wake in the morning and get dressed to the time we sleep, we infuse every act with thoughtfulness and aim to make it an act of worship, even something like putting on our shoes! The same with the milestones in our life – birth, marriage, death, business, for each of them we have guidance from our faith about the best way. So for me, to be a Muslim, you have to be practising. You may not be able to include every element in your life – hijab, diet etc, but you will still aspire to.

4) Within your religion what degree of observance are you (ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
Considering the above, I would call myself a traditional, practising Muslim. I feel that I find a sense of balance with this. There is a hadith, or tradition from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that says:

"My Community shall never agree upon misguidance, therefore, if you see divergences, you must follow the greater mass or larger group." (source: Ibn Majah)

I take this as meaning that majority, mainstream, traditional Islam is the middle way and the way of consensus that the largest number of Muslims can follow.

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)
Muslims believe that for everything we do as sane adults we will be held to account – every word we say, every penny we spend, every morsel that passes our lips, the clothes we wear, for our health, our youth and our free time – we will be asked by Allah “How did you use all of these?”

The way we spent our time in this life will determine the answer to this question and the outcome will be a good place of reward – heaven or a painful place of punishment – the fire of hell. I love the description in the Quran of those who remember Allah often, walking into paradise smiling and being greeted with the greeting of paradise: “Salaam!” Peace!

We believe that this life is a like a station on a journey. We stop here for a while, do the best we can with the best of intentions and then earn a place in a final destination that lasts forever.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
No my faith and my natural inclination towards a desire for justice as a human being tell me not. I don’t believe that the person who makes an effort to spend a life in the service of others and remembering their creator at every turn will have the same fate as the one who hurts every person in his or her path and is ungrateful for every single good thing he or she comes across. I believe that Allah is just and that each of us earn what we work towards.

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
I love the idea that every single act I do can be an act of worship. They are things I have to do anyway – bathing, eating, raising my children, being my husbands soulmate, but done in the way my faith guides me, with the right intention and with a level of thought and care they become acts of worship. In this way no action in life has to be wasteful. You might be making dinner, but making it with care and attention, within the prescribed requirements of my faith and with a thought for the needs and preferences for my family, cooking becomes worship.

The other thing I love about Islam is the way that it gives every person their rights – in particular the vulnerable. Women have the right to an education, to work and own property or run a business. We have the right to choose who we marry and the right to divorce. Children have the right to be cared for and protected, the right to be educated and also to be loved and nurtured. Parents have the right to be respected and cared for in their old age. Neighbours have rights over each other as do the poor and orphaned in a community. At the same time we are encouraged to put the rights of others over our own and to fulfil our responsibilities towards all those around us.

Finally I love the closeness to my Creator. We are told in the Quran that “We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.” (Quran 5:16). We have no church, no hierarchy, no clergy, it is simply me and my Lord.

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
We celebrate the two Eids, or celebration days. Eid-ul-Fitr comes after a month of fasting and Eid-ul-Adha comes during the days of Haj or pilgrimage. I absolutely love Eid, it is a big deal in my house and a great part of my childhood. We tend to go for short Eid prayers in the morning and then dressed in our best we spend the day feasting, visiting, sharing gifts and generally feeling rather blissed out.

9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Yes. I have friends of all faiths and none. Islam tells us to serve our communities – it doesn’t say just Muslim communities. I think regardless of faith there are some people with the most amazing good hearts and wonderful nature, I am lucky enough to have some of these beautiful souls as friends. Saying this, there is a Prophetic tradition that says “A person is likely to follow the faith of his friend, so look whom you befriend.” (Tirmidhi).

10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
Much as I have wanted to at times, I would refrain. There is a Prophetic tradition that says: “Whoever imitates a people is from them.” I take this to mean that we should not copy the religious festivals and customs of a different religion.

I grew up wanting to take part in Christmas but not being allowed to by my Dad, it all seemed so wonderful. As an adult and parent, I see his perspective, although I don’t necessarily share his method. My rule with my children is that if I take something away I must replace it with something equivalent or better. So we are not allowed to celebrate Christmas, we must make a big deal of Eid and make it a really special day for our children

11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I believe that it should be a matter of choice. I wear the hijab and follow Islamic law where possible in my private Life (i.e. I don’t take interest on money, I eat halal food,

I think both things have been much maligned through lack of understanding. Shariah has been taken as a threat to existing law in both the US and the UK, when in actual fact it is mostly consistent with the law and practised voluntary. Shariah courts in the UK work in much the same as arbitration does and adherence to their rulings is voluntary and not enforceable by law. Shariah means a clear straight path, basically the easiest path to the resolution for a problem. Often a Shariah court is the only avenue for a woman to get a divorce or try to get some of the other rights she is due under Islam (i.e. alimony and child maintenance) when the man cannot be made to provide these under a countries law.

Similarly hijab is often misunderstood. It is not just a piece of material, but a concept – the idea of being modest and undertaking your public duties from a position of purity – dealing with people on the basis of your intelligence and character and not the way you look. I don’t think it should be forced on any women, similarly I don’t believe it should be banned – both positions take the choice away from the woman and disempower her.

12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
Women can lead other women in prayer, but not men. There is a tradition of female imam’s in places like China in particular. I know a number of female scholars and their role is less to lead prayers and more to teach children and women. Many of our role models are female scholars and this is something I aspire to for me and my daughter. I think having knowledge of your faith is incredibly empowering within the Muslim community. We have a saying that a man brings faith to the door, the woman brings it inside the house. When women have knowledge of the faith, they pass it to their families and communities and particularly their children.

13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
Yes, and I am not happy about the way this is done. I don’t have a problem with segregation itself. I value the space Muslim women have without men, where we bond and share as sisters. However, I have seen too many mosques not providing adequate space for women or where the women’s section is not as nice as the main part of the mosque. This is something that needs to be addressed as mosques are built in the West and Muslim women become more engaged with their places of worship.

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 shapes my daily life and decision making entirely. There are five daily prayers which are obligatory for Muslims and I basically organise my day around them. I wake for the dawn one, so get an early start to the day and at work, I have to make arrangements for the midday one at work, I have to get home for the afternoon one, I have to get dinner before or after the evening one and I need to fit the night prayer in before I sleep. Many Muslims will run their lives along the same pattern. In some places the day is the same all year round, but here the length of day and night varies greatly in summer and winter and so therefore do our prayer times. This means our routine has to adapt accordingly. It is a nice rhythm and I feel it keeps me in touch with the seasons and the changing in daylight hours through the years. I also feel like it is a nice, gentle routine for my family to be guided by. It also affects us in other ways. If I want to go shopping, I factor in the time till the next prayer and whether I can get home to pray in time. If I want to travel for a few hours, I will factor in whether there will be somewhere to pray on the way or when we get there, will there be halal food there?

In terms of decisions, my faith is a massive influence, perhaps moreso over the years. There are many things I may have questioned in the past, that have become clearer to me over time. For instance, I believe that a women’s body is her own and previously thought that abortion was a private matter despite my faith saying it was wrong. Now as a mother of three and having miscarriaged twice as well as having shared the journey of a number of friends who have struggled to conceive, I am vehemently against abortion. In other matters too my faith guides me – decisions regarding raising my children, running my household, my relationships with extended family and career decisions.

15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
I would be disappointed. I wouldn’t mind my children marrying outside of their race or culture, but in marrying outside of their faith, I would fear that it means that they would miss out on some of the sweetest aspects of an Islamic marriage: marriage as worship, a spouse as a comfort and protection and a partner in raising a Muslim family.

Also, Muslim’s raise their children as Muslims and I feel it would be tougher if one of the parents is not Muslim. Saying that having two religious Muslim parents is no guarantee of a strong Muslim or even of a good person. Also, Islam allows Muslim men to marry Christian and Jewish women, so if my sons insisted, I would support them. Most of all I would hope they find spouses who have good character and kind hearts – no religion guarantees this.

16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
My general understanding is that all of those people who followed the message and teachings of Abraham, Moses and Jesus and spent their lives doing good will go to heaven. Muslims believe that with the coming of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) the message originally brought by Abaraham, Moses and Jesus and countless other Prophets (peace be upon all of them) was completed. So from the time of Prophet Muhammad only those who believe that “There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah” will go to heaven.

Islam is strictly against any form of polytheism. To deny the omnipotence of your Creator is considered tyranny in Islam and the height of ungratefulness. So yes, those not on pure Islamic monotheism would be considered as heading towards hell.

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?
I don’t think any person has the right to judge another as practising or not. I have met women who wear the headscarf because it is part of their culture, but then not to practise any aspect of Islam. I have met people who don’t wear hijab but are very conscientious of the way they practise their faith. I think that it is Allah’s job to know what is in a person’s heart, their intentions and sincerity and their “takwah” or God-consciousness. These things are not outwardly visible.

I don’t feel that anyone speaks for me in the public domain. Every now and again, someone will come along and profess to speak for the Muslim community. Too often I have cringed when in the next breath they have expounded some extreme, barely logical philosophy. Even worse are the apologists who will deny almost every part of the faith to appear what they consider “normal” or just the same as everyone else. These people make me the most cross.

18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
Thankfully no. London is a very cosmopolitan city and I love the fact that you can be a white Rastafarian or a Muslim punk (or Muslim teenage goth at one point in my case) and no-one bats an eye-lid. I live close to Essex also however, and there I often find a different story – not so much physical abuse, but the way people talk to you. I had a lady shout out to someone the other day “Go back to your c***ting country and see what you get there”. I was not pleased!! I spoke to her nicely, but made her realise I had understood what she had said to the other person, she soon looked very shame-faced. I had one or two people spit at me or swear after 9/11, but generally I have not had any problems.

19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
No, I feel it empowers me as a woman, a mother, a daughter and a wife. It places massive responsibility on me and has great expectations of me. It pushes to be better and try harder all of the time.

20) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Definitely, I am currently facing redundancy, but I feel a lot calmer than I probably should. It is my belief as a Muslim that everything happens for a reason, that Allah tests those he loves and that every tests raises our rank in the next life if we hold fast to our faith. Muslims also believe that all sustenance comes from Allah and we will get what is due to us. Just this thought – that my managers or my company will not decide my fate but that Allah will, puts me at ease. Islam promises that Allah never burdens a person with more than they can bear and that after every difficulty comes ease. The knowledge that every good thing in my life is a bounty from Allah and that every hardship is a source of forgiveness for my mistakes and a source of reward for my patience is a great comfort to me.

Joan Rivers Quote

2011-09-08T05:58:00.000-07:00

Hello and Happy Thursday!

Today's quote is brought to you by Joan Rivers:

Don't follow any advice, no matter how good, until you feel as deeply in your spirit as you think in your mind that the counsel is wise.

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

October Interviews

2011-09-06T06:22:00.000-07:00

Hello and Happy Tuesday!

Here's what YMR has in store for you for the October Interviews:

We'll hear from Dalyn Robert Montgomery who is a Mormon, Louise Rogers who is a Unitarian, Adrian Worsfold who is a Unitarian, Christina who is a Pagan and Elinor Predota who is a Pagan.

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

Musa Talib

2011-09-03T07:31:00.000-07:00

Hello and Happy Saturday!

I wish to thank Justin Whitaker for his interesting and insightful interview last week. Thanks so much for sharing your journey with us Justin!

Today we have a new interview so please welcome Musa Talib. Musa was raised Jewish but converted to Islam and I know you'll enjoy his interview as well!

Here Is Musa Talib's Introduction:

Hello, my name is Musa, and I converted to Islam some years ago. I now live as a university student in New York City. I am likely going to be majoring in religious studies, and would eventually like to travel to the Middle East or North Africa to gain a traditional Islamic education. I grew up in a Jewish community, and spent much time studying various religions on my own. With all the rhetoric and controversies surrounding Islam, I decided to look into the religion for myself. I found it to be a beautiful religion with the potential to cure many of the current social ills. I wish nothing more than to please my creator, in part, by being a good Muslim and thereby reflecting the beauty of Islam onto the larger society.

musa.talib@hotmail.com

1) What religion do you practice?
I adhere to the tenets of Islam – a word that literally takes on several meanings, including “submission” and “peace.” We believe that peace is gained through submission to God. That submission mandates not only how we worship, but also how we interact with one another.

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 was previously Jewish, and attended an Orthodox Jewish High School. I converted to Islam after realizing that many of the issues I found within Judaism were resolved within Islam. Conversion starts in the heart, and one who believes in his heart is indeed a believer in Islam. However, it is common practice that one recites the testimony of faith (known as 'Shahadah') in both Arabic and their native language ("I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except God, and I testify that Muhammad is his last and final messenger") in front of witnesses.

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 certainly sects within Islam, and like any practice, there certainly exists variation in the degree of practice. However, the commonalities and shared practices outweigh the differences and divisions among many sects. When we gather to pray, we all stand next to one another facing the Lord, regardless of sect, race, ethnicity, nationality, or anything else that may distinguish us from one another. Unfortunately, sectarianism has caused much strife in recent decades. But I do believe that religion is meant to break down the barriers between man.

4)Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
I would consider myself Muslim first and foremost - and I shy away from sectarianism. I'm just a Muslim who has a lot of room for improvement. As Muslims, we believe that worship is not only in regards to prayer and fasting, but also in how we deal with our fellow human beings and the community around us. Worship is in following that which God has mandated to be good and abstaining from that which he has proclaimed to be bad. Being a 'good Muslim' boils down to two key elements: sincerity to the creator, and service to His creation. While I do pray five times a day, fast for the entire month of Ramadan, and attend the Mosque on a daily basis, (of course with human imperfection, I do sometimes grow lazy and lose sight of my priorities) I do have a lot of room for improvement in regards to living a truly and wholly God-mandated and pure life.

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)
This is a large topic that cannot possibly be covered in a short paragraph or two. But we do certainly believe that humans will ultimately be held accountable and judged according to what they did in this life. God says in the Qur'an that "anyone who has done even an atom's weight of good will see it; and anyone who does an atoms weight of evil shall see it." The Qur'an describes heaven as a garden wherein "rivers flow beneath." It is elaborated upon by our Prophet as a place where all of a human's wants are fulfilled. But in reality, we recognize that these are simply ways to help us understand the afterlife, whereas it is known that there will be aspects that are unfamiliar and unknown to us here on earth. Part of the beauty of paradise is being in the proximity of God.

Furthermore, those who do evil (elaborated upon in question #6) are warned of a fire whose fuel is man. Islam portrays hell in stark contrast to heaven, a place wherein no one would like to spend their afterlife – a place for those who disobey God's commands and fail to fulfill their purpose of existence due to their own failings, arrogance, stubbornness, and evil.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
God is referred to hundreds of times throughout the Qur'an as "the most merciful" and "the most forgiving." God does not expect those to believe who the message has not yet reached, for it says: "We do not punish people until we send them a messenger." In other words, humans are held accountable only for that which they have been made aware of. However, those who are condemned to hell in the Qur'an are largely those who have seen the signs and proofs of Islam, yet have stubbornly or arrogantly rejected them. Furthermore, evil-doers and oppressors will face punishment if they have not repented. In the hereafter, they will have to face the ugliness of their own soul and their own actions - a torment that they cannot escape, for it is within their own selves.

But God continually reminds us of his mercy and forgiveness: “Despair not for the mercy of Allah! Verily Allah forgives all sins. Truly he is oft forgiving, most merciful.”

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
I believe Islam to be a rational religion – a religion that does not find conflict in reason and science, but rather finds confirmation therein. Furthermore, it is a religion that promotes social justice and critical thought. It provides a straight path and a direct line to God without any intercessors, interruptions, or strings attached. It is a religion that I have found to contain balance (despite popular belief to the contrary) and offers true inner-peace. I feel spiritually and internally healthy.

Aside from the doctrinal aspects of the faith, the practicing community is largely quite friendly and welcoming. It took quite awhile for me to fully find my place in the Islamic Community where I live. But now that I have, I can truly say that I am in one of the happiest phases of my life, with a true passion to seek more knowledge and work to repair the image of Islam, through practicing the true teachings of the religion.

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
Friday (Jumu'ah) is considered a particularly important day of the week for Muslims. All males must attend the Mosque, and attendance is optional (some may say recommended) upon females. Jumu'ah prayer is different from the regular prayers, as it is preceded by a sermon. Jumu'ah often becomes a communal event, as friends greet one another and often go out to lunch after the prayers.

Furthermore, we have two celebratory holidays:

Eid Ul-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, and lasts for three days. It is highly recommended, and some would say obligatory, for Muslims to attend a gathering in which there is a sermon and prayers, particular to Eid Ul-Fitr. The event is often held either in a large hall, an open field, or in the Mosque. Many Mosques celebrate it, with some sort of activity for families. People regularly give gifts to friends and family members.

Eid Al-Adha commemorates Abraham's willingness to follow through with God's command and sacrifice his son, before God spared him by replacing the child with a ram. For this holiday, which also lasts three days, Muslims once again attend prayers, a sermon, and then sacrifice a lamb, either individually or on behalf of the community. Traditionally, one third is offered to the poor, another third to neighbors, and the other third is consumed by the family.

9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Many of my friends are of other faiths. God commands us in the Qur'an to find shared similarities between each other, and rather than to argue about matters of religion, we are told to bring each other to common terms, such as the belief in One God.

10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
I would not participate in any actions that would constitute sinful, disbelief or idolatry according to Islam, such as kissing a cross, praying to Jesus (who we believe to be a Prophet, though not divine), drinking alcohol, etc.. I would participate in the social aspects of other religions such as Shabbat lunches or dinners.

11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I think Shariah is a terribly misunderstood and misused terminology. First of all, there is Islamic Law as implemented by the state (and not truly implemented anywhere in the modern world), but then also that which is simply implemented in an individual's life, such as the mandated means of worship. On the legal level, it is meant to encompass a set of moral principles to which I think most could agree upon, such as: the right to practice religion (minorities are protected under this as well), the preservation of life, the protection of property, the right to retain honor and dignity, and so on. It is not necessarily one clear and set in stone system, but encompasses a variety of interpretations. Furthermore, the laws themselves do not, and never have, applied to non-Muslims. But I do not think Shariah should be implemented in non-Muslim led societies, such as the United States.

Furthermore, while it is often focused on in the West for its penal code, Shariah's moral compass is often ignored. It promotes fair economics (with or without it being implemented on the state level), speaking up for justice, and many more honorable values.

I know many women who have chosen to wear the Niqaab (covers face, but unlike the Burqa, not the eyes). I do not personally find it to be necessary, but it is their right. For many women, it has become an empowering symbol of their identity in the West. The Qur'an does command modesty (though maybe Burqa is excessive) in order for a woman to retain respect, and not be judged according to her appearance. The Qur'an specifically says that women shall cover themselves modestly so that they will “not be harassed.” Many women find it empowering to be judged by their inner being as opposed to their appearance.

12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
Islam upholds women and men as equal, but not the same. There are physical and biological differences between women and men. Females may become Islamic scholars, teachers, and lecturers. Some of our most famous female figures were scholars and even warriors. But admittedly, I have much critique for the patriarchal structure that exists amongst many Muslim cultures. However, women should not lead other males in prayer according to most legitimate and scholarly opinions. One reason some say for this is that prayer involves bowing and prostrating, in which case it would not be appropriate for males to be standing behind the woman (and looking at her backside). Most Muslim women would feel uncomfortable revealing themselves in that way.

13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
It does, and I think it is a means of clearing the mind. Especially in our college years, gender interaction and attraction can dominate social life. It can be extremely purifying to refrain from such thoughts and focus purely on God.

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 would say it effects every realm of my life, as it makes up my moral compass and dictates much of my day. Some issues do not dictate my politics, as I believe Islamic rulings in most cases apply only to Muslims. Islam accepts the diversity in laws amongst different peoples.

15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
Muslim males are permitted to marry females from amongst practicing Jews or Christians. I feel a bit young to be thinking so far ahead, seeing as I am not even married yet, but I would obviously prefer my children to marry Muslims. I hope that would be a want from their own choice, and I hope to present Islam positively and instill a love of Islam within them, simply by being a good Muslim myself and raising them as such.

16) 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?
Islam is a non-hierarchical tradition. Because there is no unified Islamic leadership (as there was in the past), there is a void of an official spokesperson or voice for Islam, such as the Pope. Many do not know who to listen to and are unsure of who presents a proper view of Islam. I would suggest those interested in the religion to investigate scholars and Islamic leaders such as Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Imam Zaid Shakir and Shaykh Yasir Qadhi, who are all widely listened to Western leaders.

17) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
Not in the traditional sense, but as a Muslim, we hear prejudiced statements coming from the media, fellow citizens, and the Government on quite a regular basis. Islam has been a very difficult religion for me to make public, due to the current animosity towards Islam in much of the western world.

18) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
Not at all. My religion gives me value. It teaches me not to care about what others think, and not to reach for material gain, but rather for eternal happiness that can only be achieved through focusing on doing good and working to improve my inner-self. I do not feel the need to please any human, or reach for material success – which is a force that causes many to feel devalued and despaired. I feel truly sorry for those who spend their whole life seeking monetary or hedonistic happiness, only to find that that sort of happiness does not exist.

19) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
My religion is ABOUT peace of mind.

Sarah Winnemucca Quote

2011-08-31T06:55:00.000-07:00

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

Today's quote is brought to you by Sarah Winnemucca:

The saddest day hath gleams of light, The darkest wave hath bright foam beneath it, The twinkles o'er the cloudiest night, Some solitary star to cheer it.

There'll be a new interview Saturday so be sure to check back!

Justin Whitaker

2011-08-27T08:48:00.000-07:00

Hello and Happy Saturday!

I wish to thank Jenny for her enjoyable interview last week. Thanks for sharing your faith journey with us Jenny!

Today we have a new interview so please welcome Justin Whitaker. Justin is a Buddhist and I know you'll enjoy his interview as well!

Here Is Justin Whitaker's Introduction:

I am a doctoral student in Buddhist Ethics splitting my time between Montana, England, and India, amongst other travels. I grew up and completed my first degree in Montana and went on to study in England. I made my first trip to India last year as a teacher of Buddhist Philosophy for Antioch University's Education Abroad program. I am grateful for my travels as they have enriched both my life and my teaching career. I am also an amateur photographer and marathon runner.

http://americanbuddhist.blogspot.com

1) What religion do you practice?
I practice Buddhism.

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 convert. I basically eased into it with some courses at the University when I was 20 years old. With most Buddhists, especially in the West, there is no official 'conversion ceremony.' One simply 'takes refuge' in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha and that's it. Before converting I was an atheist or 'Freethinker' - very much interested and engaged with theological questions, but holding no particular religious beliefs.

3)Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
Yes, in Buddhism there are degrees of observance, but they are not well defined or codified. Some Buddhists uses these labels, borrowed from Western religions, in order to clarify their own type of practice.

4)Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
As a Buddhist in the West, I'm not sure exactly what my degree is. I'm rather orthodox and conservative in some of my understandings of concepts such as karma and rebirth, and moderate in my attempts to perfectly uphold the five precepts.

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)
In Buddhism, afterlife is generally conceived as rebirth for those who do not attain awakening in this life. Those who lived a poor life here will be reborn in a 'lower' realm as an animal, hungry ghost, or hell denizen (not too pretty). And of course the higher realms correspond with the human, titan, and godly realms. But it's fair to say that these are mainly states of mind, meaning that if we act horribly now, we will be consumed with either painfully desirous (hungry ghost) or angry (hell denizen) minds in the future, whether in a future literal life or not. This explanation also falls within the Buddha's main form of teaching which was pragmatic, psychological, and this-worldly. I believe that for the Buddha there was/is truth to the doctrine of rebirth, but I don't think we're meant to be too literal about it.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
It's not a given, but it IS the mission of thousands or millions of people out there called Bodhisattvas to get everyone into an awakened state. For now, all that holds us back is our own ignorance, fueled by and fueling our greed and anger. Once those are overcome, one is awakened, sees the connectedness of all beings, and vows - if not done already - to bring about the awakening of all others.

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
I think it fits in the sense that I've always been a pretty laid back person and Buddhism has a reputation for fitting the peaceniks and 'it's all good man' hippy types. On the other hand it has offered powerful antidotes to my difficulties with anxiety and depression.

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
Buddhists across the world have a variety of holy days, most particularly vesak, the celebration of the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha. But, like many Westerners, I am not particularly observant.

9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Most certainly, yes. I have had the great fortune of a great diversity of friends in all possible ways.

10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
Yes, I would and have celebrated the holy days of people of other faiths. Being raised in a Christian society, Christian holidays such as Christmas are part of my culture. For me, Christmas is about family, joy, and sharing at the coldest, darkest time of the year. It happens to be a time adopted by early Christians and designated as the birth of their savior, but the holiday predates them and is observed in different, yet very similar ways around the world.

11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
On the one hand, I believe fully in the freedom of religion, all religions. But on the other hand I believe religion serves to lift people up to be their best selves. Thus for the burka I believe that those who choose to wear it should be allowed, so long as it is done freely with honest understanding of the social and political circumstances accompanying that choice. I have listened to Muslims discuss the burka, pro and con, and I hope that these discussions continue and percolate into the broader populace. Of course there are many nuances to the question, such as children wearing it, and the question of location. Shariah Law is even more complex! As with ancient Jewish or Christian texts, or even Buddhist sutras, I think it may be useful in the formation of laws in some societies. But again, all laws must serve to lead people to greater freedom and independence (or as my favorite philosopher would put it: away from heteronomy - literally 'ruled from the outside' - and toward autonomy, self-legislation).

12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
Yes. In the West, women hold equal footing as leaders in almost all branches of Buddhism (Tibetan being the exception). In Eastern countries, where Buddhism has taken root over the last 2500 years, the religion has mostly adopted the patriarchal structures of those countries. This is shifting though, slowly, mostly due to the influence of Western values in those Eastern countries.

13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
No, absolutely not.

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 hope that some elements, such as being able to return to my breath during a heated moment or developing all-pervading loving-kindness do affect all parts of my daily life, even if only minutely. But from the outside, one might not call me particularly 'Buddhist' in my daily activities. Even meditation, the hallmark of Western Buddhism, is generally only a weekly practice for me. On issues such as abortion and gay marriage I would imagine the views of my own family play as strong a roll as my religion does.

15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
I would have no problem with that.

16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
Perhaps. What matters in Buddhism is not faith, but actions. Of course faith in such things as karma (that your actions will have consequences) might be essential in the beginning, what leads you on to a future in this realm or another are your choices and the actions that follow. Buddhism, by the way, speaks of acting with "body, speech, and mind," and also asserts that the mind is the most important, as actions (of body and speech) follow it "like a cart follows the ox."

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?
I'm not sure I understand the first question, so I'll skip on to the second. In the West there are a variety of Buddhist leaders who speak for Buddhism. These range from monks such as H.H. the Dalai Lama and Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh to academics such as Robert Thurman or Charles Prebish, to a younger generation of Buddhists such as Rev. Danny Fisher and Vince Horn. These are just some of the ones I'm most familiar with, but many others pop up here and there. Most of them I think I agree with on most things - but I likely gravitate toward them for just that reason, in part. And Buddhism here in the West generally promotes free thinking, so whether I agree or not, as long as I am learning and developing greater insight into the world through these public faces, I am happy.

18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
No, fortunately nothing of the sort.

19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
No, absolutely not.

20) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Yes, if and when I practice it and bring its principles into my life, I do tend to feel peace of mind.

21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
Tricky question. In the literal sense of "me having lived in a past life and me coming back in a future one" I see no reason to hold this belief. But in a more nuanced sense of a continuous flow of experiences (physical and otherwise), arising and falling away in each instant, then there seems to be something like reincarnation happening all the time. As for the space in between, I'm not sure it's important to how I live my life day to day, so I'm happy to plead ignorance/agnosticism.

I'm glad to participate in this and wish you and your readers peace, happiness, and well-being!

Jack Layton Quote

2011-08-24T07:24:00.000-07:00

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

Today's quote is brought to you by Jack Layton:

My friends,
love is better than anger,
hope is better than fear,
optimism is better than despair,
so let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic.
And we'll change the world.

There'll be a new post coming on Saturday.