Saturday, May 29, 2010

Ange

Hello and Happy Saturday Everyone!

First up, I want to thank Casey Kochmer for his post last week. I think he did a great job, thanks for sharing Casey!
This week we have a new post. Please welcome Ange.
Ange is a Muslim convert and has a very interesting post that I know you will enjoy!

Here Is Ange's Introduction:

Name: Ange
I am a 25 year old Australian woman who was brought up with an Irish Catholic background but eventually converted to Islam after discovering the similarities between Islam and Christianity and believing Islam was the more complete continuation of my belief as a Christian. I work as a teacher and am married to a Muslim man whom I met six months after I had converted. I have a few blogs that I manage in my spare non-working time:
A hijab blog (Islamic Fashion):
www.hegab-rehab.blogspot.com
A lifestyle blog of my thoughts and experiences: www.3beeta.blogspot.com
A silly novel thing I am currently writing: www.angesbook.blogspot.com

1) What religion do you practice?
I am a Muslim.


2) Did you convert or were you born into 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 to Islam. Since birth I was a Roman Catholic but wasn't very involved with it, hardly ever thought about God and never went to Church. I didn't really fully believe in it.
To convert to Islam I didn't really "need to do" anything except to have a strong belief in it. Once you have that and are ready to convert you have to declare your shahada in front of some Muslim witnesses - saying you believe in Allah/God and that Muhammed is his messenger.


3) Would you consider yourself a moderate, conservative or other.
Hmmm... I am probably somewhere in between moderate and conservative – though that is open to interpretation. I am practicing but I seek to be in the middle ground. I don't think it is right to be over-the-top strict about it or to be lazy about it and be Muslim in name only and not in deed. Islam is supposed to make our lives easy and not a burden so the middle ground is the right way for me.


4) In your opinion, what makes you moderate/conservative/other?
It is all subjective really. We all have different standards of what constitutes being moderate, conservative, etc. They are just labels that don’t actually mean anything in regards to our beliefs.


5) What's your heaven/paradise like?
Gardens. Bliss. Peace. The way it sh
ould be.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
No. It all goes back to good vs evil. You do good deeds then you get rewarded. You do bad deeds you get punished.

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
Well being Catholic I always found little holes here and there - the trinity for example. I could not wrap my head around it and no one could answer the questions I had regarding it. Plus, knowing the history of the Catholic Church and its beginnings I knew Catholicism had a lot of inventions into it - such as the trinity - which Jesus himself never spoke about. A lot of things didn't sit well for me even though I still believed in the basis of it.
Then, without looking for religion, Islam came along and nicely plugged up all the holes I had doubt in. It seemed to be a continuation of Christianity yet was a more truthful one - one I could make more sense of. Muslims believed in Abraham, Moses, Jesus; etc - so I felt like it was a continuation of my belief as a Christian.

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
The main ones are our two Eid days and the month long fasting of Ramadan. For any Muslim Eid usually involves a get-together of some kind, congregational prayer and lots and lots of food.


9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Yes. My whole family is Catholic and a few of my friends are as well although most of my friends now are actually Christian reverts to Islam. I don’t believe that religious beliefs should dictate who you are or are not friends with. There are some Muslims I don’t get along well with and some people of other faiths who I get along very well with.


10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
I would join them but not to celebrate in the sense that they would because then I would be straying from my religion. But if someone was being baptised or so on and I was invited then I would witness it. To me we are all celebrating and worshipping God - just through different paths. And I love interfaith activities. Even now I am always reading about Judaism and Christianity because I love that our paths are so similar. We believe in pretty much the same prophets - give or take a couple - and have similar ideas of God and how to worship him.

11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
The burka is just a type of head covering - we have many different kinds and in fact I don't know anyone who wears the burka. The burka is basically the type of covering typically seen coming from Afghani related news stories. Most women wear the hijab which allows full exposure of the face and a few choose to wear the niqab - which allows only exposure of the eyes. My interpretation is that the hijab is the compulsory covering and thats what it comes down to – interpretation of the rule in the Quran, supported by the Hadith (sayings and rules of the Prophet Muhammed – peace be upon him).
As a non-Muslim I thought all Muslim women must be so oppressed because they were forced to cover blah blah blah - but when you read about it and understand the reasons behind you come to realise its actually a deterrent. I have never been forced to wear it – it was all my own choice as I saw it as another outlet to physically worhip and obey God.
I don't get hit on, I don't have men whistling in the street or looking me up and down like a piece of meat because to them some part of my body is attractive. The whole point of it is to take our sexuality away from the eyes of people who it doesn't belong to. It belongs to your husband and not to some man you pass in the street who likes the look of you in a mini skirt. It guards our physical modesty and forces people to take you for the woman you are and not the body you have.

Regarding the Sharia Law - I believe in it. To an outsider or someone who hasn't studied it - it is easy to say "Sharia Law is barbaric and harsh" but when you learn about it you understand it and see its merit. It is all about making society good and preventing the types of acts and behaviour that can destroy society. For example - cutting off the hand of someone caught stealing will of course seem harsh - but if you know that this is the certain punishment for that crime than you will be greatly deterred from committing that act because you don’t want to undergo that kind of punishment.

In some ways I think it is fairer than the current Western system we have now where someone can take an innocent's life and only get 15 - 20 years imprisonment. Is that all another person's life is worth?

At the same time I understand Sharia Law is only for Muslims and do not see it ever coming into practice in mainstream Western countries. Even the so-called “Islamic” countries of today do not practice it truthfully. I think some countries try to but either go way over the top and or do not implement it at all.

Sharia Law compliments the lifestyle and beliefs of practicing Muslims and is there to guide us in what is wrong and right for us based on our religion.

12) What are your thoughts on women not being allowed to become priests?

I think whether we like it or not - men are the natural leaders. Of course there are circumstances and times where women have stepped forward to be the community leader but the majority of the time men have been. I think it is natural for them to step up. That is why all prophets to my knowledge have been men, the vast majority of world leaders are men and the same with religious leaders, etc. Of course us women can get the job done just as well, but God made us with certain natural roles and responsibilities and being the leader usually falls upon the man - no matter what the issue is.

13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?

When we pray we are. The men pray at the front and the women pray at the back - with or without a screen. It doesn't bother me and I actually prefer it because we are very physically active when we pray and there is a lot of bending - bums in the air kinda positions - I wouldn't be comfortable doing that in front of men. I don't think any woman would.
Actually most of the time we are segregated but I get comfort in that. It stops the whole “I have to look good because the men will be there” thing that I experienced as growing up as a non-Muslim.


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?
Everything in our day goes according to Islam. We pray five times a day at appointed times, we say "Bismillah" (in the name of God) before we eat or do something, we pray a certain prayer when we are trying to make a decision, we eat certain foods, we dress a certain way, etc. I feel more involved in my religion because of all the daily rituals we need to do.
And yes - it does affect my decision on abortions, gay marriage, etc - although the way I feel about those two issues hasn't changed at all - regardless of religion. I have always believed that it is not natural to kill and not natural to be in a sexual relationship with someone of the same sex. My religion has only supported my beliefs.


15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
Of course I would prefer that they married a Muslim but at the same time their life is their life and they are in charge of it. I went against what my parents had in mind for my future by becoming a Muslim and marrying a Muslim man six months after I had converted. They were upset but eventually accepting of the fact that I made my own decision regarding my life as an adult so I guess it would be hypocritical of me to be unaccepting if my child did the same.
In the end - despite what we want - we have to realise people make their own lives and we can't do anything except continue to love and care for them and be respectful of that.

16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
No. We go to hell/heaven based on each of our own deeds. Muslims can go to hell or heaven, just the same as everybody else.

17) Who do you think is not a practicing Muslim in your religion and why? ie who in the public domain claims to speak for your religion? Do you agree with them or not?
Someone who isn't a practicing Muslim is someone who doesn't pray. It is the main aspect of worship for us and if you don't do it then how can you be called a Muslim?
I don't think there is a certain someone or group of people who speak for our religion. Religion is a personal thing between one person and God, so I have never been comfortable with someone else stating that they represent me because we all have different experiences of God.


18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
I have had people of my own race give me bad looks, say nasty things, etc all because I wear a piece of fabric on my head – that is the only thing that separates us. I even had one guy try to tackle me down in the street. He was drunk, screamed out something stupid about terrorists and then proceeded to barge me down with his shoulder - but I saw it coming as soon as I saw his face and quickly side-stepped him. It left me wondering “who is the real terrorist? The Muslim woman walking peacefully down the street, minding her own business or the drunk guy screaming out insults and trying to physically attack a woman he doesn’t know?”
I also recently had two men say derogatory things about me while I was sitting in my parked car and then walk away but I followed them into a cafe and yelled at them in front of the other customers; confronting them about their behaviour.
Some people have their own issues and can be really rude - especially when it goes unprovoked.
I think a lot of people don't bother to understand a religion and prefer to live in uneducated ignorance which then naturally turns to distrust and fear - thus them acting out like this.


19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
No. I actually feel more valued as a human being and a woman. Islam gives me so many rights as a woman and as a wife. For example in Islam I don't have to work - it is my husband's responsibility to provide everything for me (no matter who earns the most money) and if I do choose to work (which I do) then every cent I earn is mine to keep and can not be spent on the house bills and what not unless I choose to do so.


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

21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
No. Once we die we are buried and that is it. We are in God's hands (so to speak) after that.

And just to add – if any of your readers wanted to ask me any private questions about my beliefs then they are free to email me at hegab-rehab@hotmail.com

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Harriet Tubman Quote

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

Time for another great quote:

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.
-Harriet Tubman

If you have a favourite quote or even a question for a future poll, send them off to YMR @ ymr@bell.net.

Also don't forget to check us out on facebook @
http://www.facebook.com/pages/You-Me-Religion/116251075068134?v=wall

And be sure to come back this Saturday, we'll have a new post!
Have a good week!

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Casey Kochmer

Hello and Happy Saturday Everyone!

I want to thank 'inannasstar' for her very interesting post last week! An excellent read! Thanks for sharing with us!
This week will be a bit different, we've got a paragraph written by Casey Kochmer on what it means to him to be a Taoist.

I am, me, a Taoist, exploring my life with joy, grace and potential. Many truths abound and many possible roads to travel down. I follow my life in kindness. Share as I can and learn from everyone. I stay for the most part in a simple life out of the hustle and bustle of building grand visions of what might be. I wish to all grace, I hope to all: that they explore potential of their own heart and live it well as their nature states. I smile for each person's choices, to stay silent to better take it in with as little influence as possible. I for myself live my own life to the best of being "Casey Kochmer"... which circles back around to me now saying
Namaste


Tune in next Saturday, we'll be hearing from Ange who is a Muslim convert.
See you next week!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Chief Seattle Quote

Be sure to check back this weekend, as we will hear from Casey on what it means to him to be a Taoist.

Also, it's time for another great quote:

Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together.
All things connect.
Chief Seattle

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Inannasstar

Hello and Happy Saturday Everyone!

First up, I want to thank Cora for her very interesting and informative post! I, for one, very much enjoyed it!
Today we have a new post- please welcome 'inannasstar'. She is a Pagan and I know you will enjoy her post as well.

Here Is Inannasstar's Introduction:

I am a Jersey Girl married to my Jersey boy for 13 1/2 years strong raising my son and 2 goofy boxers that were rescued from kill shelters. I enjoy gardening, reading, wasting time on the web, opining on things that probably shouldn't involve me and being an all around drama queen. My Spirituality is in every cell of my body and in every act of my day.


1) What religion do you practice?
I am Pagan. More specifically, I am a Solitary Eclectic Witch.

2) Did you convert or were you born into this religion? If you converted, what did you need to do to convert? And what did you practice prior to converting?
I was not raised by Pagan/Witch parents. My father was an Atheist and my mother never spoke of religion, but now that I'm older I believe she was Agnostic. I never practiced any kind of religion and actually had and still have an aversion to "organized religion" including Wicca.

3) Would you consider yourself a moderate, conservative or other.
I consider myself to be moderately liberal.

4) In your opinion, what makes you moderate/conservative/other?
I feel I'm moderately liberal because I believe in pro-choice, that gay marriage should be legal, that marijuana should be legal and that everyone who walks this Earth has a natural born right to health care.

5) In your opinion, what makes someone conservative? What makes someone moderate?
I consider someone conservative who looks out for themself and their own beliefs. i.e. A wealthy heterosexual straight and narrow man really has no vested interest in abortion rights/gay marriage/legalizing marijuana or health care; therefore, he doesn't necessarily care if other people have access to those things. Also, I believe that, unfortunately, organized religion (especially the big 3) have force fed and brainwashed their flocks at the voting polls.
I believe that a moderate person is more open to looking at the issue from more than just his/her side but rather from a universal angle.


6) What's your heaven/paradise like?
I don't believe in heaven.

7) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
I don't believe in heaven.

8) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
Since I was as old as I can remember I always felt a connection to the Earth, the Seasons and the Elements. I knew that my body was from the Earth and shared the same energies. It is as natural to me as eating and drinking. I don't question it, it just is.

9) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
I celebrate the 8 esbats (Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas and Mabon); the Full Moon and the New Moon. Each esbat is celebrated differently as the energies surrounding same are obviously very different. Sometimes there are elaborite Rituals and sometimes it's just me lighting a candle in Her honor. On the Full Moon and New Moon, it's the same thing. I go with my heart. If I want to go outside and light a fire and breathe in the energy of the night, I do. If I'd rather stay inside and light a candle, then I do that. It's all about intention with me. Whatever I do, I never do it because I'm "supposed to". I do it because my heart guides me.

10) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Yes, I do have friends who are not Pagan or Witches.

11) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
Of course I would. I do not believe that any way is right or wrong. I believe that if you feel true peace and love from your practice, then it is good for you. To that end, I expect the same respect of my practice.

12) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
When I see a woman in a burka I feel sorry for her. I feel sorry that her feminity is viewed as a sin in and of itself. I feel lucky that I was not born into that religion. I also feel lucky that I live somewhere that there is a choice to learn and follow another path. Patriarchy makes me feel nauseas and angry.

13) What are your thoughts on women not being allowed to become priests? Again, Patriarchy makes me feel nauseas and angry.

14) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
I do not have a place of worship. The Earth is my place.

15? 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 don't even consider my beliefs to be a religion (I guess I just don't like that word). My thoughts and actions are my "religion". They are so intertwined that one does not exist without the other.

16) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
I want my child to be healthy, happy and in love. That's all I wish for him.

17) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
I do not believe in hell.

18) Who do you think is not a practising ----- 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 believe that Paganism is such a personal path that there are no rules or regulations to speak for.

19) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
No, other than dirty looks when wearing my Pentagram.

20) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
NEVER

21) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
ALWAYS

22) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
Yes I do. I look to nature for those lessons. In the Spring the Earth is born. In the Summer it is ripe with life. In the Autumn it is shedding it's leaves and preparing for the end of the cycle, in the Winter it is dead. Then again, the spiral continues and Spring returns. I believe this body I walk around in carries a soul that will return to this Earth.


Friday, May 7, 2010

Muhammad Ali Quote

Time for another great quote:

A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life. Muhammad Ali

Also, be sure to check in next Saturday, YMR will have a new post!

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Cora

Hey Everyone,

A very sad day in our household yesterday, our much loved dog Daisy passed away yesterday morning, she will be incredibly missed.
We do have another great post, so I'll be posting today but probably won't be posting much over the next couple weeks, as we try and deal with our loss.

I also want to thank Deb Dove for a great read, and for sharing her unique perspective with us.
This week, I'd like you to welcome Cora.
Cora is a Polytheist and I know you'll find her post very interesting and enjoyable. I know I did.

Here Is Cora's Introduction:

My name is Cora. I am married to a great guy and we have two of the best boys we could ever have asked for. I am graduating this May with my BA in Anthropology/Archaeology with a focus on Classical Studies. When I am not with the family or have my nose in books I can be found behind my camera capturing "the perfect shot".
http://tpoaic.blogspot.com/

1) What religion do you practice?
Simply put, I am a Polytheist. This means that I worship, honour, and believe in multiple Gods and Goddesses (in my case, mainly the Olympians). However, it's never that simple. Along with being Polytheist I have a healthy dose of Secular Humanism (go Science!) with a good deal of Stoic Philosophy to sweeten the pot. I am not Wiccan nor do I practice Witchcraft so I don't really see myself as "Neo" Pagan.

2) Did you convert or were you born into this religion? If you converted, what did you need to do to convert? And what did you practice prior to converting?
I "converted" when I was 19 when I found out that there are other people who pray to the Olympic Gods. I began learning about the Gods when I was 8 and by the time I was 12 I was a Polytheist (Christo-Pagan actually) but didn't fully understand it.
In order to "convert" all that really needs to be done is to believe. Later on, I did join a Coven (back when I was Wiccan) and went through the Initiations; but I feel the real conversion happens quietly between the person and their Gods.
Prior to being a Polytheist I was Christian: I was baptized Presbyterian and later confirmed Anglican. I attended Southern Baptist, Lutheran, Catholic, and LDS (Mormon) Churches and also attended Synagogue.

3) Would you consider yourself a moderate, conservative or other.
Moderate.

4) In your opinion, what makes you moderate/conservative/other?
I try very hard to go "middle of the road" in most things as I feel that going to the extreme either way clouds a person's thoughts and puts blinders on them.

5) In your opinion, what makes someone conservative? What makes someone moderate?
I think conservatives are those that follow strictly to rules laid out before them. A moderate is one that may follow the rules, but not strictly.

6) What's your heaven/paradise like?
I envision Hawaii myself. But really, any place where I am with my family forever is enough for me. I have no idea what's on the Other Side, but I know it's worth the wait.

7) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
This is pretty sticky. Question is: does everyone deserve to be there and the answer is NO. At least, not right away. There are people that die who are stained with sin and must somehow be "cleaned" before moving on. The very best way I've had it explained to me is like this: Our souls are pure white light and every time we "sin" there's a black smudge on the white. When we die the black smudges must be cleaned off so we are pure white lights again before we can "move on". Some people's black smudges come off quickly while others need more scrubbing (and maybe a healthy dose of bleach).
Eventually we all make it to Heaven/Paradise...it just takes some longer than others.


8) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
I have complete free-will and do not have to bow down to human interpretations of my faith.

9) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
Within the Religio Romana (what I follow loosely) there's so many "holy days" that I cannot keep up, so I just stick with the Solstices and Equinoxes. Unlike my Wiccan counterparts, I don't practice magick or do spell work so my observances of the Seasons is more low key: going outside, playing with the kids, taking pictures, sending up a prayer of thanksgiving.

10) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Of course. I have friends of many faiths.

11) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
I have in the past and would still if I was invited. Celebrating with others is a wonderful way of appreciating the beauty of humanity.

12) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I am the first to admit that I am envious of the Muslim women's Jilbab...they look so comfy! As for burkas: if it's HER decision then I support it 100%. As for Shariah Law: I don't know too much about it, but the little bit I do know I think moderation is in order. I am frightened of a Law that puts a value on humans...all humans , regards of sex or faith, are equal.

13) What are your thoughts on women not being allowed to become priests?
It's ridiculous to think that women are somehow "inferior" to men and that we are not capable of holding a holy position or that a God sees women as less.

14) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
Being Polytheist, I don't have a place of worship, so no...there's no segregation. Oh, but it would be wonderful to see a Temple alongside Churches, Mosques, and Synagogues!

15) 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 affects my daily life in the way that I try to live a good, pious, moral life that honours my Deities and would make Them proud, but I don't obsess over every decision. As for my stance on issues, my religion allows me the freedom to make up my own mind without the interference of human interpretation.

16) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
All I ask is that my boys take with them the morals and ethics they were raised in. As long as they don't adopt extreme beliefs I think I would be fine with it.

17) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
That would be a lot of people in hell! Seriously though, faith isn't the golden ticket: what kind of person you are is.

18) Who do you think is not a practising ----- 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 know of anyone in the public that claims to speak for my religion. There's plenty of people speaking for Wiccans, but not any who claim to be simply Polytheists.

19) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
A few death threats along the lines of "If God tells me to kill you, I will". Lucky for me, they never got the message.

20) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
No, not in the slightest.

21) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Yes. I'm at peace with the fact that we will never have all the answers and to just enjoy Life; all will get sorted out in the end.

22) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
Perhaps not everyone reincarnates, but I think some do.