Ed Grainger

Hello and Happy Saturday!

I wish to thank Christian Mengele for his very interesting interview last week. I very much enjoyed reading your answers and I thank you for sharing with us Christian!

Today we have a new interview so please welcome Ed Grainger. Ed is an ex-Jehovah's Witness and I know you'll enjoy his interview as well!

Here Is Ed Grainger's Introduction:



My name is Ed Grainger. I am 40 years old and grew up in the Jehovah's Witness faith. My parents and sister are still Jehovah's Witnesses, while the rest of my extended family is not and never has been. I left that faith 3 years ago primarily due to the crushing burden of guilt and exhaustion of trying to fit into a system of worship that did not, and never did, fully resonate with me. After leaving the faith (and being 'disfellowshipped' - which means that I cannot have any contact with my parents or sister and have not had any in over 3 years as a result), I have learned that the Witness faith fits all of the psychological markers of a classical 'High Control Mind Control Group' (see Lifton for his unbiased explanation). I have gone through a tremendous period of anger, resentment, grief, hostility, rage and loss coming to terms with the many ways that I was deceived and hurt by this group. I still have the loss of my immediate family to deal with on a daily basis and that is the price I had to pay to exit the faith. My purpose in writing this will not be to 'expose' the Watchtower Society (the legal entity behind Jehovah's Witnesses) - I am simply going to answer the questions completely truthfully - in exactly the way that a typical Jehovah's Witness would THINK about a matter internally - but not necessarily VOICE to the outside world. There is a very clear duality of mind, a 'compartmentalization' of the mind that is necessary to be a member of any cultlike group, and that was certainly the case for me. I am going to answer the questions as any 'mature' Jehovahs Witness would - and in exactly the same frame of mind when I was at the deepest level of my involvement and zeal in the organization - while I was serving as an "Elder" in the organization. I hope this information will help others to understand what it truly feels like to be a part of this group and to see it for what it is.

1) What religion do you practice?
I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses. We do not view our 'religion' as a 'church' in the traditional sense, as we view it as the only Truth or salvation to reach Jehovah God. Therefore we simply refer to it as "The Truth" because we believe this particular Christian sect is the one and only path to everlasting life and salvation.

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 grew up in this faith. My parents were converted when I was one year old.

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 no 'official' levels of observance - and we do not have a 'clergy/laity' class - at least in theory. On an informal level - we do not believe that you can be a TRUE Christian (which means being an active Jehovah's Witness) and not maintain complete adherance to all of our teachings on morality and doctrine, as well as spend a minimum of 10 hours per month volunteering to go door to door in imitation of Jesus Christ in order to rescue others from this dying world under Satan's control. If you do not maintain at least 10 hours per month, you are informally known and referred to as a ' weak ' publisher, and rightly so because you do not have the faith to imitate Jesus' self-sacrificing example in preaching and teaching others this life-saving Truth. Everyone is expected to report on your hours spent each month in preaching, as well as how many magazines (Watchtower/Awake) are placed, books, brochures and any Home Bible Studies that are conducted. The information is tallied by an Elder called the Congregation Secretary and submitted to the local Branch Office for compilation in the country and worldwide totals reported each month in an internal publication titled "Our Kingdom Ministry" Each witness is also expected to attend 2 meetings per week - a 2-hour Sunday meeting and a 1.45hr mid-week meeting, discussing various publications. At an 'official' level - there are many 'levels' of observance or 'positions' within the group - and this can be described in a simple hierarchy. We do not use the term hierarchy to describe our organization, but it is what it is. At the top end of the scale are the Governing Body - a group of peer-elected male overseers numbering around 12 - that make all decisions on organizational policy and doctrine. Scattered throughout the world there exists what is called The Remnant - the surviving members of the 144,000 of Anointed that will become co-rulers with Christ in Heaven after their death here on Earth. The number of remnant has been holding at around 9,000 in recent years. Below this you have: Zone Overseers - full time missionaries who organize work on a country-level (Overseers may be married or single) District Overseers - full time missionsaries who organize work over large areas of a country or countries and give talks at annual District Conventions. Circuit Overseers - full time volunteers who visit different local congregations each week to upbuild and encourage, and take the lead in any judicial or organizational matters. They are direct representatives of the Governing Body. City Overseer - a local Elder who takes the lead on city-wide issues and acts as a representative for the Society. Bethel Elder - Full-time volunteers who work at a branch office or world headquarters Bethel office in the capacity of an Elder. Elder - volunteers who take the lead on a congregational level. Pioneer - a full-time preacher and teacher who spends a minimum of 70 hours per month going door-to-door to spread the Truth. Auxiliary Pioneer - a part-time preacher and teacher who spends a minimum of 50 hours per month in door-to-door preaching. Ministerial Servant - a part time volunteer (similar to a 'Deacon') who assists Elders to handle congregational details. Regular Publisher - a part time congregation member who spends at least 60 minutes a month in preaching door-to-door (if phyiscally possible), or via telephone or letter-writing campaigns. Most publishers work secularly Monday-Friday and go door-to-door evenings and weekends. Irregular Publisher - a part time congregation member who has not spent at least one hour a month in Field Service (preaching) every month for the last six months. Inactive Publisher - a part time congregation member who has gone more than six months without reporting any Field Service activity. Unbaptized Publisher - a person who has not yet publicly proclaimed himself as a Jehovahs Witness, but who identifies with them and goes in Field Service on a regular basis. These are usually children and youth that are not yet old enough or ready for water baptism and dedication of their life to Jehovah. Anyone who falls into gross misconduct (as defined by the Bible and judged by the Elders), can have some or all of his or her privileges revoked and may become 'marked' by the congregation to avoid association with them - either publicly reproved in an announcement, or privately 'reproved' for their bad conduct. Some of these privileges include commenting at meetings, giving talks, or volunteering to help at gatherings, handling microphones/sound system, praying on behalf of others, etc. The thought is that the public or private reproof may be enough to 'shame' the person in order to see the error of their ways and to avoid bringing Jehovah's name into disrepute and by extension the congregation. It also helps to rescue them from straying too far from the 'flock of God' and may help them to avoid becoming 'disfellowshipped' for gross misconduct without repentance. Disfellowshipped Person - someone who has been 'excommunicated' from the Truth and must not be spoken to or associated with on any level, even by immediate family (unless it is for a family 'emergency'). This is to protect the remaining family members from being corrupted by their wayward, independent thinking and to shame and guilt the offender into taking steps to right the wrong, ask for forgiveness, and seek reinstatement into the organization. Jehovah's organization has the highest standards in order to differentiate itself from other worldly religions that are really just demonically-inspired falsehoods. Apostate - someone who used to be an active Jehovah's Witness but has either willingly disassociated themselves, or has been disfellowshipped, and practices or promotes hatred or resistance against the Truth - either in public or in private.

4)Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
All Jehovah's Witnesses are "Conservative" Christians with a strict code of morality based on the Bible. I have served as a Ministerial Servant and Elder and enjoy helping others to come to an accurate knowledge of 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)
According to the Bible, there is no afterlife. There is only God's 'Memory' that would allow him to resurrect someone to life on Earth if he so chooses. A select few are resurrected as spirit creatures - based on Revelation 7, a specific number of 144,000 are so resurrected upon death to immortal heavenly life as 'undershepherds' with Jesus Christ in administering his Millenial Kingdom. The rest of humanity is termed the "Great Crowd" and is a finite number of people, far less than the world population, that will gain Jehovah God's approval for survival past Armageddon (the near judgment of Earth's politics and religion by God) into the New Order. We believe that most, but not all, practicing Jehovah's Witnesses form the bulk of this Great Crowd. We do not believe that anyone who is not a baptized Jehovah's Witness will qualify to survive Gods judgment and will instead be destroyed forever.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
Only those making the Truth their own and accepting all the refreshing waters of Truth from Jesus and distributed by the "Faithful and Discreet Slave" will survive into paradise on Earth. This can only be those that baptize themselves in the name of Jehovah, Jesus and pledge their allegience to his Spirit-Directed Organization here on Earth today. This organization of Jehovahs Witnesses is the Truth and descends directly from the first-century Apostles and imitates their faith in preaching the Gospel to others in order to avoid 'bloodguilt' by warning others about the upcoming Armageddon judgment. There is no 'middle ground'. There is no 'neutral' side - even if someone were a so-called "Christian" in their mind, and had good morals, and did good to others - it would not qualify them to survive Armageddon - only baptism and ordainment as a Jehovahs Witness would accomplish that. Unfortunately this means that almost all of the world's current population of over 6 billion will be wiped out at Armageddon - including women and children. There are only 6 million Jehovahs Witnesses worldwide - and even all of those might not pass Gods judgment.

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
Yes and No. While every Jehovahs Witness will say they are happy - internally I am not - I believe on the one hand that I am doing everything I can to survive 'by works, not by faith', I cannot know for sure if Jehovah will find my sacrifice worthy enough to survive his judgment. As such I live in a constant fear of displeasing him in some way that will make me classed as having committed the 'unforgivable sin' - blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
We have no holy days per se. We follow the first-century apostolic example and do not celebrate birthdays, Christmas, Easter, New Years, Thanksgiving, Halloween, Valentines Day, or Birthdays. There is no recorded evidence that Jesus or his apostles celebrated holidays or birthdays. To do so would 'elevate' ourself and would lead to pride and unnecessary attention being paid to us - the lowly creation of God - rather than to Jehovah God. The most holy day for us is Nisan 14 (from the 1st Centruy CE Hebrew lunar calendar) that roughly corresponds to "Easter Friday" - the day Jesus died and shed his perfect life and blood in order to 'ransom' or buy back imperfect humans like myself for Jehovah God's grace. That celebration is known as "The Memorial" and involves a short talk followed by passing unleavened bread and unfortified wine among the gathered, in order to commemorate his death and the opening of the way to salvation.Unlike Catholic 'mass', only those of the 144,000 are allowed to 'partake' of the bread and wine - we do not believe in 'transubstantiation' - the bread and wine are merely symbols of Jesus Christ's body (bread) and blood (wine) as poured out on our behalf. Related to this, we believe according to Acts and the Apostle Paul's writings that taking in any blood transusions or eating blood in any manner constitutes the highest act of treason and apostasy from God - he declared Blood to be sacred and as such we carry a "Medical Directive" card in our wallet to tell emergency medical personnel to not, under any circumstances, give us or our loved ones, blood transfusions - even if it may save our life. We would prefer to lose our physical life now and be faithful to God's wishes, rather than buy 'a few years' in this Old System of Things only to be locked out of Jehovah's Book of Life and lose out on the prize of Everlasting Life on Earth!

9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
No. They cannot be, as they are a 'part of the World' of wickedness that we live in. It is ruled by Satan The Devil and there is no part of the world that will escape God's judgment. We cannot, nor do we want to, have friends outside of the Truth - associating with them will 'spoil our useful habits'(1 Corinthians) and take us away from the important life-saving work of preaching and teaching.

10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
No. the Bible (New World Translation as published by Jehovahs Witnesses) specifically forbids Interfaith. We would also never want to be seen attending an event such as a wedding or funeral in a worldly church building, as it may 'stumble' one of our brothers or sisters. We have the Truth - there is no reason why we would want to poison our minds and hearts with false teachings.

11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
We believe that we should be in submission to the "Superior Authourities" (the worldly governments under which we live. As such, we can and should follow their civil laws ONLY if they do not violate our Christian command to preach and gather for worship, as well as other principles from the SUPREME authourity - Jehovah God. As such - no Jehovahs Witness female would wear a Burka or practice Sharia Law as it violates Bible principles. However, we respect those who have their own religious beliefs no matter how misguided they may be.

12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
No. The Apostle Paul specifically 'forbade a woman to teach' in the Church. As such we follow the First Century example. However, sisters can give talks as long as they do not address the audience directly, and sisters take the lead in the Field Service and in showing hospitality in many other ways that make women a valued part of our community. Sisters cannot have other 'privileges' in the congregation (such as handling various departments) if there are mature brothers available.

13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
No. All Kingdom Halls are generally built in a 'Quick-Build" method over a few days by all-volunteer labour. They share a similar layout and there is no segregation between sexes or ages. In fact, young children and babies are encouraged to bring their own study materials to the kingdom hall and follow along with the speaker and have comments in order to train them in Christian 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?
It supersedes everything on a personal level. There is no 'personal' decision for a JW - except in some cases of a 'conscience' decision - for example whether to watch a certain movie that may or may not stumble or offend another person in the Truth. Bible principles are clear for all moral decisions and we all follow the same code. Some thinking has changed over the years, such as changes in how we view smoking, or blood transfusions, but these are simply clarifications of the "light getting brighter" (Isaiah)

15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion? It would be a major blow and setback and would endanger their position of good standing within the organization. They could not have the traditional wedding ceremony service held inside the kingdom hall surrounded by their friends, as they were marrying 'outside the Truth' to a worldly person. It would be very damaging for my child as they could easily be corrupted by wrong, misleading thinking that could pull them out of the Truth into the darkness of the World outside where there is no hope or future or light of God.

16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
Yes - they will not survive Armageddon. The only exception are for those that have died in the past and did not have a chance to get to hear the Good News of the Gospel. They will be resurrected after Armageddon to help rebuild Earth and make it livable for the few that are left into a global paradise. After the 1,000 year Millenial Reign of Christ, they will face one final test by Satan and any failing the test of loyalty will be destroyed forever. However, we do not believe in traditional 'Hell' as a place of tomrent - the Bible shows that hell is simply death - non-existence, with no 'soul' surviving the body.

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 famous persons that are claiming to be Jehovahs Witnesses - such as Venus and Serena Williams, Michael Jackson and Prince - but they cannot possibly be TRUE Witnesses because they live a lifestyle of self-glorification and do not have the time to attend all of the congregation meetings and engage in field service.

18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
Not really. We meet a lot of resistance and apathy in our field service work - a lot of rejection - you get used to it! However in the past in Nazi Germany for example, JWs were targeted to be broken by Hitler for their resistance and strict policy of neutrality - very few would compromise their faith and were sent to the gas chambers for it! All they had to do was sign a paper renouncing their faith and they would be free to go - but most held fast to Jehovah God.

19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
No - it rather gives us an elevated view of the World that shows us what God really requires and what the future really holds - it is a precious gift from God.

20) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
As I said before, yes and no. It is wonderful to think about the future everlasting life we will inherit in the paradise earth. However I personally harbour self-doubt that I can reach that goal, and as such there is always that nagging self-doubt that my works have not been enough to supplement my faith.

21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
No - the bible does not teach reincarnation. The belief in life-after-death of the soul is a lie spread by Satan and his demons to misdirect people from the Truth about everlasting

Charles Dickens Quote

Hello and Happy Thursday!

Today's quote is brought to you by Charles Dickens:


The whole difference between construction and creation is exactly this: that a thing constructed can only be loved after it is constructed; but a thing created is loved before it exists.


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

Thank-You!

Hello and Happy Tuesday!

I'd like to thank ymr participants:


Ian Crossland, Courtney, Galina Krasskova, H. Kaur, Laura Dartez/Onyx Moon, Kristine Mckee and Christian Mengele.

Thank you all for your insightful and interesting interviews. I enjoyed reading your answers and I learned much from all of you.

Thanks everyone!

Christian Mengele

Hello and Happy Saturday!

I wish to thank Kristine Mckee for her wonderful interview last week. I enjoyed reading your answers and I thank you for sharing with us Kristine!

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

Here Is Christian Mengele's Introduction:


My name is Christian Mengele and I'm a self-taught contemporary artist in Hollywood, California.

http://www.christianmengele.com



1) What religion do you practice?
I'm a Christian but the only way I really "practice" it is in my daily interaction with the Lord.

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 come from a mostly Catholic part of the world and my mother was raised Catholic. But in her life she experienced a moment of crisis and in that time period, she visited every faith imaginable, usually dragging me along, praying to whatever it took to solve her crisis. So I got to see a lot of different religious views in my teens. At one point I even found myself immersed in Christliche Wissenschaft, what is known here in America as "Christian Science". I don't agree with it. I never really liked organised religion. I consider myself an independent Christian. I suppose that God has always communicated with me one way or another but it has never really been through a church of any kind. In fact I grew closer to Him away from 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?
I'm pretty sure someone made up a lot of stuff somewhere about how to be a Christian but I don't follow any organised method. I have God in my life. Anything else is human invention.

4)Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
I could say I didn't choose it, but I do believe in free will, so a better way to put it was that I chose to stick with God and leave religion for those who need it.

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 exactly. Nobody knows. This is because if you look at the Bible's many different books and study them in their original languages you'll see different meanings and interpretations, as well as how difficult it is to separate allegories from fact. I only know that you can't reach the Father without the Son, and they were one. Even experts can't get to a consensus. I was taught that the dead go to a place named Sheol where they hybernate until the Judgement Day. Other people believe Heaven and Hell are populated right now. I don't think it is important. I do have visions of Heaven as a floating, glowing, golden city in the night sky when I dream, some times. It could be a glimpse into Heaven, or it could just be a dream. Feels wonderful being there, though. Everything looks so beautiful.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
Well I get a lot of e-mails from people saying such nice things as "I hope your grandfather is in Hell!". This is funny because if you believe in Hell, you shouldn't be wishing people would go there. ;-) And if you don't, you're talking nonsense. Either way I believe the way to Heaven is through Jesus and so I think their hopes are wasted, he was a Christian.

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
I don't know how many people actually KNOW God is there. I consider myself lucky. I used to think I was probably special because it seemed He didn't talk to others the way He does to me. Now I know they're just unable to listen. It fits me because I do see what He wants me to see and I witness His signs, usually just saying "I'm here".

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
All days are Holy. Life is sacred, every day is special. I celebrate them by pursuing happiness.

9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
If they're not my enemies, sure. An overwhelming number of my friends are atheists or agnostics. There's probably one or two Christians out there....I just can't think of any at the moment.

10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
If the food was good or the music enjoyable, I don't see why not.


11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I don't think the burka is sexy at all. All I can say about Sharia law is that I don't believe in it. Allah is a moon god that somehow got mixed up with Jehova, which is why Islam uses the crescent moon as a symbol.

12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
Anyone can talk to God. I don't know how many can see His signs but I doubt it depends on gender.

13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
My heart is my place of worship and I only segregate against stupidity and ill will.

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?
Other people's personal lives can't possibly affect me. How am I affected if someone I don't know has an abortion? I'm not the one who is going to pay to support the child if it is born so I have no right to impose my opinion over something I'm not interested in becoming involved with. I'm not sure gay marriage is possible. Having a religious person perform a ceremony doesn't mean it's accepted in the Bible or their own religion, I don't know. But if it is possible, again, it doesn't affect me, in fact I don't care at all. In Uganda, a Pastor named Martin Ssempa is constantly preaching hatred against homosexuality and says he weeps every time he talks about sodomy. I think his hate speech is worse than two people of the same sex getting "married" because he is inciting persecution. It hurts others. Gay people getting married would be a good thing. Monogamy would help contain HIV and AIDS in the gay community. Ssempa likes to say that if this is ever allowed, in ten years 80% of the population would be gay. That would be a good thing, reproductive rates would go down and the lines in the supermarket would be shorter. I would also face less traffic on the freeway. I leave it in God's hands. People should be allowed to do anything they want, ANYTHING as long as it didn't violate other people's individual rights.

15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
It's in God's hands. My children are individuals with their own rights to choose. I just hope they choose well.

16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
I think the way to Heaven is by Salvation through Jesus Christ. How they get to Him is probably not important.


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 understand the question very well, but I'm not here to speak for others. ;-)

18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
I get insulted a lot on the internet for being related to someone they "hate''. But actual crimes? Well someone knifed the hatchback of my Jeep and stabbed my spare tire the other day. I think that qualifies as a hate crime since there was no gain to the perpetrator.

19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
If it did it would be stupid for me to believe in it. ;-)

20) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Knowing that God is there gives me peace of mind. Not always being able to interpret what He is saying is a bit of a bother.

21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
No. I think we are each unique individuals, as unique as our fingerprints. That, and it's not in the Bible.

Robin Williams Quote

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

Today's quote is brought to you by Robin Williams:

You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it.



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

Kristine Mckee

Hello and Happy Saturday!

I wish to thank Laura Dartez/Onyx Moon for her wonderful interview. I very much enjoyed reading your answers and I thank you for sharing!

Today we have a new interview so please welcome Kristine Mckee. Kristine is Non-Denominational and I know you'll enjoy her interview as well!

Here Is Kristine Mckee's Introduction:


My name is Kristine Mckee.

I have the gifts of being a psychic and a medium.

I am.

www.kmcreativedreamer.com


1) What religion do you practice?
I practice love, light and peace and the opportunity of ever changing personal growth and understanding. I believe that I am a mixture of many religions in one. But do not actively belong to a group that practices under one earthly religious status.

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 have been involved in many religions over the years, each time searching for the answers to the questions that I had about myself and how I saw the world. Since my belief is something I have within myself there was no need of conversion since it was in me the whole time. I was raised Protestant and have not practiced that for years.


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 believe in awareness of ones self and ego mind sets. There are many levels of awareness. Beginning with unawareness. Where you live life completely by ego, the I wants and I needs and me,me,me. Then you become aware of aware people. In this observation you see how they are and how they act and you desire to have this self awareness within yourself. Then you start the process of awakening or awareness. In this process you reach out to learn to silence the ego mind and become more and more heart centered and focused. When you grow more you become more aware of your self and your connection to others and the universe and ultimately the source of all things in the universe, the God source.

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 learning and growing in awareness each and every day. Some days are more of a struggle because my ego allows it to be so. Other days I am able to offer help and bless others who are in the learning process of personal growth.

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)
For my belief system, there is only rebirth or heaven. ( if that is what you can call it). I refer to it as the other side. On the other side we can reside and or wait to be reborn to learn more lifes lessons. Until one day, we will all return to the God source and it will absorb our experiences from all our lives, either to feel the joy or feel the pain. Source enjoys all experiences from an unbiased level of awareness. Where it just observes without judgements.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
Yes. All beings, whether animal, human, alien,ect. All beings are from God source. It does not judge itself as evil or good, it just is.

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
I am a psychic and medium. Every religion has isolated people like myself as being evil or demonically inspired. This belief system I have feels right. It feels accurate from what I have seen and heard and know about the universe.

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
Everyday is a holy and an excellent day to experience all that we are. I celebrate by positive affirmations and sending love energy back to the universe.

9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
I have many friends from many faiths. I believe that there are many pathways to God.

10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
So long as no one was getting hurt on a physical or emotional level I would always be open to join.

11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I believe that on some level all religious rules can be restricting . To the women who wear burkas we are considered lowly, dominated women. Just as we consider women who wear burkas to be lowly, dominated women. Each group follows what their heart tells them. To me, anyone who isn’t living to their fullest joy is missing out on life experiences. I feel sorrow when I see pain in any form.

12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
Women of my belief can do anything their heart allows.. so long as it is done with love and greater good of all involved. Even lifes hardest lessons as painful as they may be benefit someone at some point in time.

13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
My place of worship is within myself. Others are more than welcome to connect to my energy and join. This makes me feel great joy and a connection with the universe.

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 belief system is a huge part of everything that I do and say and think. I believe that all people have a right to choose what is right and perfect for them. After all, all things are an experience. And negative things are done in mind set of pain and fear of their own disconnectedness to the universe. Present wrong doings are always done from a pain that exists as a result of a past action. In other words, any crimes committed are usually a direct result of ones unawareness of their connection to everyone and everything in the universe.

15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
My child has the freedom and choice to marry whomever he feels is appropriate for him. His choice however, will reflect how he sees himself and his world around him. If he chooses a negative person I would feel sorrow that he is stuck in that mindset of negativity. If he chooses a healthy positive person I would feel joy that he feels those things within himself. Ultimately these experiences are his lessons, his experiences and I can not take them personally.

16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
The only hell that exists is the one in our mind when we begin to become aware that we are unaware and we struggle with letting go of the negative mind sets and are unsuccessful. When we only see a world of people who hate and are in pain around us, people mirror who we are. If you are in complete love, love is mirrored back to you. If you are in complete turmoil, this too shall be mirrored back to you. This, is hell. The mirroring of negative emotions that we are stuck in.

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 feel that anyone who keeps you from becoming a positive, and loving person is not good to be around until you yourself are in the place where you can help them become more positive and loving. I feel that each person is on their own path, having their own experiences. These can either be good or bad. It is not up to me to stop them from creating these experiences for themselves, but just be willing to help them reach wisdom should they ask.

18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
Yes I have. All the time. But, I do not see them as evil people. I see them as unawakened people who are frightened by the truth that I have within myself. They fear in me the love and light that I represent. They do not know me, therefore they are only fighting themselves.

19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
My belief system uplifts me and helps me to be a better person in this life.

20) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
My belief system gives me great peace of mind. It gives me a connection to all things in the universe.

21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
I believe we reincarnate for the purpose of life lessons and experiences. Life lessons being karmatic and set goals to better ones awareness.

Agnes Martin Quote

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

Today's quote is brought to you by Agnes Martin:

To progress in life you must give up the things you do not like. Give up doing the things that you do not like to do. You must find the things that you do like. The things that are acceptable to your mind.


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

Laura Dartez/Onyx Moon

Hello and Happy Saturday!

First up I wish to thank H. Kaur for her wonderful interview. I really enjoyed reading your answers and learning more about your faith. Thank you so much for sharing with us!

Today we have a new interview so please welcome Laura Dartez/Onyx Moon. Laura is a Pagan and I know you'll enjoy her interview as well!

Here Is Laura Dartez/Onyx Moon's Introduction:

I'm Laura Dartez aka Onyx Moon, a mother of one very wonderful 19 year old son. I've been married and divorced three times (read, "I'm a hard catch!"). I grew up in a very small town in Oklahama and now live in New Iberia, Louisiana. I am a slot floor attendant (change person) at a casino and also sell Avon. My hobbies include reading, cooking, singing Karaoke, and dancing.


1) What religion do you practice?
I practice Paganism. I consider myself a solitary eclectic kitchen witch (centered around the hearth and home). I'm very fond of the Norse deities.

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 with an Atheist for a mother and a father that believed in the Christian God but not in organized religion. I attended the Baptist Church in my youth. I moved to Louisiana in 2000 and found a Baptist Church to be baptized in. When Huricane Katrina hit, my life was turned upside down with the influx of evacuees and a major realization that some so called "Christians" were hypocrites. That's when my best friend introduced me to Wicca. After much study, I realized that I am definitely a kitchen witch. I've always had a way of making people feel better by cooking up something.

3)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 reincarnation where your time in between lives is spent in Summerland. In fact, I'm almost positive that one of my cats is a reincarnated lover or loved one from a previous life. He does things that no other cat has ever done.

4) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
I think that your life can be heaven/paradise. It is what you make it. As far as a place to go after death, yes everyone goes to Summerland for contemplation of the last life and to regenerate your spirit for the next.

5) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
I have an inner peace that I have never had before. I am moral but do not have to follow strict rules (Do as you will but harm none). I have never believed in Hell but I do believe in Karma where the bad that you do will come back to bite you in the rump.

6) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
I celebrate every day that I'm given but I try to do special things on the Sabats. Beltane and Yule are my favorites.

7) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
I have many friends with many different beliefs. I believe that everyone needs something to believe in and it's ok to be different from each other.

8) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
Oh, I love Mardi Gras! All the debauchery! The last hooray before Lent in the Catholic faith. This is a special time in Louisiana with festivities everywhere. I fell in love with it the first time I ever went to one of the parades.

9) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law?
I feel that if they are following their religious beliefs, then let them do it if it does not harm anyone. Everyone should be allowed to practice their religion without shame.

10) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
If he was happy and there was not a conflict in the marriage about who has what faith, then I would be all for it. His happiness is most important.

11) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
No, I do not believe in Hell. That's a place that is made up to keep people from "sinning".

12) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
How can something that gives you peace of mind devalue someone?

13) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Definitely! How could you not have peace of mind when you are attuned to your faith?

Carroll O'Connor Quote

Hello and Happy Thursday!

Today's quote is brought to you by Carroll O'Connor:


Friends are God's way of apologizing to us for our families.



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

April Interviews

Hello and Happy Tuesday!

Here is what ymr has in store for the April Interviews:

we'll hear from Marie Liane Rioux who is a Gnostic, Thomas who is a Mormon, Kendrick Macdowell who is an Agnostic, and On Her Own who is an Atheist.

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

H. Kaur

Hello and Happy Saturday!

First up I wish to thank Galina Krasskova for her very interesting interview last week. I enjoyed reading her answers and learning more about her faith. Thank you so much for sharing Galina!

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

Here Is H. Kaur's Introduction:


Hello all,

I am H. Kaur, a university student from the lower mainland of BC, Canada.
Thank you all, for stumbling upon this page, I hope you'll enjoy reading it. I want to let you all know that I am toddling on my path towards God and that I am by no means a perfect portrayal of a Sikh girl. I am trying, struggling, hoping and gradually evolving in this path; I therefore want to apologize for any mistakes that I might have made in showing a clear picture of the Sikh way of life. I feel that the essence of spirituality and faith cannot be put into words and there is not enough power in my words to measure or explain spiritual bliss. This questionnaire is based on my path, how I perceive Sikhism from my lens. It might not be universal, but it is my humble attempt at reflecting on my practice and expressing it for the readers of YMR. While answering these questions, I felt the blessing of clarity and knowing myself better- to me, it was a meditative exercise, to see if I can justify for myself, what I try to live by. And for that, I am ever so grateful to Debra at the YMR blog for approaching me with the following Questionnaire about the religion I practice.

http://www.guruslove.blogspot.com


“You are my Companion; You are my Best Friend. You are my Beloved; I am in love with You. You are my honor; You are my decoration. Without You, I cannot survive, even for an instant.”
- Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji



1) What religion do you practice?
I practice the Sikh way of life. I don’t claim to be perfect in my practice, but I try and seek to become better every day of my life =).

The Sikh faith is a way of life, not a religion per say, because in many ways Sikhism (Sikhi) does not entail any rules and regulations, it has to do more with the willingness to learn and grow and to seek truth, rather than praying or believing in a certain specific kind of God. Sikhs believe in one God, who can be addressed by different people with different names, and who is the creator of all and is omnipresent and omnipotent. Sikhs do not believe that they are better than anyone else nor do they think that people of other faiths are lost.

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 have always been (from as far in my childhood as I can remember) interested in theology, religion and the idea of a supreme being such as God, directing the world that He/She/It has created.

However, I haven’t been practicing any religion in particular, for most of my life. It would be okay to say that I have been raised within Sikhi. However, I have been raised in a family that practices Sikhi to a very casual moderate level. As children, my siblings and I went to a Catholic school in India from where I picked up a lot of my core values and beliefs. We grew up where most people around were practicing Hindus, we also spoke in Hindi (instead of Punjabi- the language that Sikhs usually speak) and watched TV shows based on stories of Hindu Gods and about Hindu mythology. Our granny used to tell us stories about Hindu gods and goddesses as well as about the Sikh Gurus. There wasn’t a lot of influence of Sikh lifestyle on us; I guess we thought people only practice religion when they are old, because my granny used to pray, from what I remember. It was quite the Indian culture (India is a Hindu majority nation with a lot of cultural practices based on the Hindu faith) that we were living in; in fact I believe that we were distinctly withdrawn from Sikh practices or lifestyle.

I therefore have core beliefs that are very spiritual yet not religion specific. Sikh ideology has helped me condition those beliefs and grow deeper and more integrated with my core values of humanity, equality, loving all, earning an honest living and giving back to the community, which overlap with Sikh beliefs. I therefore already, even when I didn’t know much about Sikhi, held some values and beliefs of the Sikh lifestyle. About 2 years ago I started attending the Gurdwara (Sikh Temple) and soon was initiated into the Sikh faith.

Initiation (/baptism) in Sikhism is a ceremony where one makes the commitment to live the Sikh way of life, and wears 5 articles of faith (Kakkars), which all are physical reminders of their practice: staying intact in the Creators form (Kesh- uncut hair), remaining organized and clean (Kanga- a wooden comb), maintaining absolute surrender to Gods will/ having faith- making an unbreakable bond with the God and Guru (Kara- an unbreakable steel bracelet), maintaining continence and a high moral character (Kacchera- a white slightly longer cotton underwear) and courage & power to stand for the rights of the weak and the oppressed impartially (Kirpan- a small blade dagger).

3) Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox, conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
Sikh, literally is the Gurmukhi (the language of the Sikh Scriptures- a kind of old Punjabi) word for ‘student’. Therefore, from that perspective, anyone who seeks to learn could be called a Sikh. However, from the religious perspective, one could be an orthodox, conservative, moderate or liberal Sikh; but we as human beings do not have the faculties to judge another persons’ Sikhi status (or for that matter: superiority based on caste, creed color, religious affiliations, gender, sexuality, or other ideas that separate us as humans), only God (creator) can decide who is better or worse.

A usual distinction that can be seen among Sikhs is based on whether or not they keep their hair and whether or not they have been initiated and whether or not one eats meat (most Sikhs are vegetarians); which, like I said before cannot be clearly established as better or worse by any of us. The tenth Sikh Guru (prophet) - Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaaj established the idea of initiation (baptism) which is a ceremony where one makes the commitment to formally live the Sikh way of life which requires disciplining ones life to specific kind of observance of the Sikh lifestyle, which was and still is purely a choice that one might make- an initiated Sikh does not necessarily live the lifestyle in a better or more effective way than an uninitiated Sikh. Initiation was presented by Guru Gobind Singh Ji, purely as a choice one could make if one wished to, it can be looked at as a leap of faith, a commitment, but not as a recommended lifestyle. Therefore, this might just be a physical distinction (because of the observance of 5 articles of faith stated earlier and daily discipline) for some people, but does not draw a line between levels or degrees of practice.

Therefore, Sikhism is all about making choices which help one walk on ones path of life. Everyone has their own path- some people would rather be baptised and committed, some people will choose to eat meat or cut their hair- hence, my point that Sikhi is not a set of rules and regulations (or religion per say) but a kind of lifestyle based on faith in one supreme creator God. The command (order/ hukam) that all Sikhs have been given is to accept the Sikh scripture- Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji as ones Guru (commander/ leader/ prophet), ones ultimate source of inspiration, knowledge and guidance- that is the one thing that defines a Sikh. Most of us strive to make a personal connection- a relationship with our Guru and give the scriptures utmost respect.

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)
Sikhs believe that there are 8.4 million living species, and each living organism has a soul, which has the light of God within it (that is why Sikh lifestyle is so much about equality and humility). Soul is the living part; the bodies are just material elements. We therefore believe on a Karma based theory- wherein all our souls travel from one life to another completing a cycle of 8.4 million lifetimes, before being blessed with human life. Human life, by no means is superior than the life of any other living being (which is why most Sikhs are vegetarians and eat only the bye-products of plant sources, which usually fall off after a certain point of ripening- fruits and vegetables), but when ones soul is given a human life, it is blessed with a chance and the choice to do good deeds (Karma) and merge back into the One Ultimate God (which can be thought of as Light). The idea is that the tiny light of God in our souls can be made better and purer by good deeds (Karma) and has the potential to ultimately merge with the ultimate Light of God. So we all just need to love each other and do good to be free from the cycle of births and deaths – the 8.4 million lifetimes over and over again.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
We do not have a clear cut concept of heaven or hell. Based on ones Karma, we all have good times and bad times, all in this life. Therefore, we live our heaven or hell all right here.


7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
I am a free-bird, slightly non-conformist i.e. I do not go with the flow, I live what I believe in, regardless of what others feel about me. I personally believe that we as humans are a manifestation of love; we are all born out of love and we live, seeking love, all through our lives. To me, my practice is all about love, the love for God and for other humans (the bearers of the light of god). At the same time, I have the concept of holding space if I don’t agree with what others are doing, but I can still love them – the idea of “Live and let live”. I also believe in always remaining calm and peaceful, regardless of the circumstances- looking at pain and pleasure alike (I’m an optimist). Therefore, in all these practical ways, Sikhi is the perfect fit for me. One of the greatest things that I particularly adore about the Sikh way of life is the humility aspect, wherein we respect all other beings and faith or ideologies, and we are free to (in fact advised to) read any other faiths scriptures (which as a keen theologist, from my childhood years, I really enjoy). Having faith in one God has a very grounding effect on me, it is almost as if I just love God and my soul wants to merge into him, therefore I try to maintain the specific discipline and practice of a baptised Sikh- and try to love all and see God’s light in all. I love this Love relationship with the God and the Guru; I feel that for me, there is freedom in surrender and bliss in meditating onto the feet of the Guru (The Sikh Scripture- Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji). Hence, It works very well for me to live the Sikh lifestyle.


8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them?
For Sikhs, every day is a holy day- Sikhs who are initiated (/baptised) read the scriptures every-day and have a rigorous discipline in their daily practice. However, certain days from the Sikh History are celebrated more than others- Vaisakhi (Khalsa Day- the day when the initiation tradition started.), Gurupurabs (birthdays of the Gurus/ prophets) and other such days from Sikh History. Special celebrations are done by meditating, singing prayers and scriptural excerpts together as a congragation in the Gurdwara, followed by selflessly serving meals or doing charity work together as a community.

9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Of course, what is the big deal, aren’t we all the same people, with the same dreams, aspirations and interests? In fact I have more non-Sikh friends than Sikh friends =). My bestie is a devout Muslim and her devotion and practice has inspired me so much to realize my love for God and the Guru. Some of my other friends are Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Agnostics and Atheist. I often have some of my Christian friends come over at my place for bible readings and hang out (cause I love them! =P ).

10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
Well, I’ve done that. I celebrate Christmas in the same fashion and tradition (except I’m a vegetarian- no egg nog for me =P ) that I did as a child, in my Catholic school. However, some Sikhs may not be too happy with that, mostly because it is about personal preferences, some people have such a deep love and regard for the Guru that they just value each day of life as a chance to work their way towards God and perhaps aren’t so social to go and celebrate, but stay focused and meditative at all times. Such great individuals would also usually not go out of their way to celebrate the Sikh festivities any more than other days- they’re usually all about meditating on the Guru Granth Sahib Ji (The Sikh Scripture and living Guru).

11) 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 hold any clergy positions; there are some Gurdwaras where, on the discretion of the managements, women might not be offered such positions, but that usually is a cultural/traditional thing for that particular institution. It is a religious command (from the Gurus) to give women all the rights that men have and to be impartial and equal towards all, in every circumstance. I love the equality aspect of Sikh lifestyle. In fact, this was one of the features that helped me take my initial leap of faith. (I am a feminist!)

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

13) 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 make my decisions based on how I feel about a particular situation. I think my beliefs do influence my decisions, but the Sikh lifestyle is usually very liberal, especially if you look at everyone as a light of God- and keep their needs and wants higher than your own. Everyone has their own path; from my lens, I don’t think that I am in a position to decide or judge other peoples’ situations. I do have my opinions on these subjects though, all of which are based on “Love all, for they have the light of God in them”, “live and let live” aspects of Sikhi.

14) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
I’ll be supportive of it, as long as my child really loves this person, and is serious about the relationship, I don’t see anything wrong with it.

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

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?
N/A

17) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
No, not that I can remember. I’ve had people stare at my Kirpan or ask me questions about it or about my head gear, but that’s usually either friendly or often out of curiosity. I’ve had some people think that I’m a Muslim though, which is okay =)

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

19) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Yes, when I read the scriptures and prayers- I feel that all my problems have faded away in the background and I suddenly have the strength to accept them and deal with them. Meditation has its own blissful feeling. I also think that practicing Sikhism has made me a whole lot calmer and peaceful person, perhaps even more humane and loving. =)