What I believe...
Feb. 26th, 2004 10:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
amezriI was having a pretty interesting, non-inflammatory religious discussion with ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
superswank here and here. In that second thread she asked me what deity I believed in and the reply kind of spiraled out of control. So this is really for superswank (but everyone feel free...) and is probably TMI.
My family are casual Buddhists (we just celebrate main holidays) and I have a really loose belief system. It's more like a bunch of idea(l)s that I've picked up from studying different religions. I suppose I could be labeled as a pagan, in the New Age-y sense. Except not in that scary, hippie, incense-burning way. Those trendy Wiccans give us a bad name.
I believe that there is a creative energy in the world and it's both positive and negative; male and female. That's not to say I believe in a specific god or goddess, just in the... force I guess you could call it. I do not believe in "The Devil." I know that there is bad in the world, but I think that's there to balance out the good. People are both good and bad and they are responsible for their actions - you can't just pass it off on some outside force.
So what's "right" and what's "wrong"? How do I decide what is a harmful action? I kind of follow the Wiccan Rede on this one - "And ye harm none, do as ye will." Which basically is saying as long as you are not causing physical/emotional/mental harm to someone (including yourself), then you are free to do it. This is a very similar idea to the teachings of Jesus, I think. It is against the Wiccan code of behavior to cause harm or remove someone's free will - this wuold obviously apply to curses, hexes, and love spells.
Now, if I don't believe in God, the Devil, or an afterlife (I'll get to that) - what keeps me from doing bad things? Karma. It sounds sort of dopey, but I'm a very strong believer in the what-goes-around-comes-around theory. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but the things you do will come back to you - three fold, if you follow the Wiccan Rede. The Karma rule applies to both good things and bad things - if you are a good person and put out positive energy, you'll get that back. Do bad things, and that negative energy will return to you. Very likely not in a way you'd desire or expect.
Having said that, it doesn't keep me from being a loud-mouth and vicious where necessary. It does make me a bit more careful and not act out quite as much as I would like. I have no desire to get bitch-smacked by Karma because I was being an idiot. Hopefully the amount of good and positive energy I put out is enough to out weigh and harm that I intentionally/unintentionally do. That may have comeout wrong. I don't mean I could go on a killing spree and then do a bunch of good things. Killing is definitely the ultimate no-no. You can't really work yourself back from that, in my opinion. Unless.. self-preservation or something. This is becoming grey. Moving on.
Afterlife. I don't think there is one. I think that when you die... you die. Your body stops and you cease to exist. Which is contradictory because I believe in ghosts and spirits. In anycase, I've thought a lot about it and I've decided that I don't really believe there is anything. I'm not afraid to be dead, I fear the process of dying.
And finally after this big, long "I believe" blah blah blah, it's important for me to put the standard disclaimer for people who happen upon this. This is just what I believe in. I can't speak for a group or even another person. I don't expect anyone to have the same beliefs, but it would be nice if you'd at least respect that my beliefs are different than yours. I respect your beliefs and your right to believe whatever you want until the minute you decide that need to be "saved" and I am going to Hell or whatever. I know I bitch a lot about Christians in my journal, but never would I go up to someone and say, "hey, you should become Buddhist/pagan/whatever.
It's late and I've babbled enough. Hopefully there aren't too many typos and I've explained most of my beliefs well enough. If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask :)
superswank here and here. In that second thread she asked me what deity I believed in and the reply kind of spiraled out of control. So this is really for superswank (but everyone feel free...) and is probably TMI. My family are casual Buddhists (we just celebrate main holidays) and I have a really loose belief system. It's more like a bunch of idea(l)s that I've picked up from studying different religions. I suppose I could be labeled as a pagan, in the New Age-y sense. Except not in that scary, hippie, incense-burning way. Those trendy Wiccans give us a bad name.
I believe that there is a creative energy in the world and it's both positive and negative; male and female. That's not to say I believe in a specific god or goddess, just in the... force I guess you could call it. I do not believe in "The Devil." I know that there is bad in the world, but I think that's there to balance out the good. People are both good and bad and they are responsible for their actions - you can't just pass it off on some outside force.
So what's "right" and what's "wrong"? How do I decide what is a harmful action? I kind of follow the Wiccan Rede on this one - "And ye harm none, do as ye will." Which basically is saying as long as you are not causing physical/emotional/mental harm to someone (including yourself), then you are free to do it. This is a very similar idea to the teachings of Jesus, I think. It is against the Wiccan code of behavior to cause harm or remove someone's free will - this wuold obviously apply to curses, hexes, and love spells.
Now, if I don't believe in God, the Devil, or an afterlife (I'll get to that) - what keeps me from doing bad things? Karma. It sounds sort of dopey, but I'm a very strong believer in the what-goes-around-comes-around theory. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but the things you do will come back to you - three fold, if you follow the Wiccan Rede. The Karma rule applies to both good things and bad things - if you are a good person and put out positive energy, you'll get that back. Do bad things, and that negative energy will return to you. Very likely not in a way you'd desire or expect.
Having said that, it doesn't keep me from being a loud-mouth and vicious where necessary. It does make me a bit more careful and not act out quite as much as I would like. I have no desire to get bitch-smacked by Karma because I was being an idiot. Hopefully the amount of good and positive energy I put out is enough to out weigh and harm that I intentionally/unintentionally do. That may have comeout wrong. I don't mean I could go on a killing spree and then do a bunch of good things. Killing is definitely the ultimate no-no. You can't really work yourself back from that, in my opinion. Unless.. self-preservation or something. This is becoming grey. Moving on.
Afterlife. I don't think there is one. I think that when you die... you die. Your body stops and you cease to exist. Which is contradictory because I believe in ghosts and spirits. In anycase, I've thought a lot about it and I've decided that I don't really believe there is anything. I'm not afraid to be dead, I fear the process of dying.
And finally after this big, long "I believe" blah blah blah, it's important for me to put the standard disclaimer for people who happen upon this. This is just what I believe in. I can't speak for a group or even another person. I don't expect anyone to have the same beliefs, but it would be nice if you'd at least respect that my beliefs are different than yours. I respect your beliefs and your right to believe whatever you want until the minute you decide that need to be "saved" and I am going to Hell or whatever. I know I bitch a lot about Christians in my journal, but never would I go up to someone and say, "hey, you should become Buddhist/pagan/whatever.
It's late and I've babbled enough. Hopefully there aren't too many typos and I've explained most of my beliefs well enough. If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask :)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-02-26 08:47 pm (UTC)I appreciate the respect you've shown for my right to believe what I believe. I extend the same respect to you. I may not agree, and I know you don't agree with much of what I believe, but I absolutely agree you have a right to your beliefs and your opinion.
It's true; a basic tenet of the Christian faith, as commanded by Jesus in the Bible, is to go out and share our beliefs with other so that they may come to Christ as well. And while I believe this, I also believe you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.
I would never presume to demand you change your views, just as I would hope you would never demand the same of me. It's enough that I have been able to present to you that not all of us are "psycho-Christians". Some of us are pretty decent, respectful folks who strive to present ourselves as Jesus did: humble, compassionate, loving and kind. If I can accomplish that, then I've done my part.
I'll leave it up to God to take care of the rest.
no subject
Date: 2004-02-28 11:28 am (UTC)It's true; a basic tenet of the Christian faith, as commanded by Jesus in the Bible, is to go out and share our beliefs with other so that they may come to Christ as well.
I completely understand that, especially when Jesus started his teachings, he wanted his followers to go out and spread the world so that people would know there was another way. Nothing wrong with educating people and allowing them to choose. I think it's just gotten a bit out of hand (as history has shown) and there are select groups that seem to think the entire world needs to be of one faith and if you disagree, well, you're kind of screwed.
Anyway, thanks again! You're certainly going to be counted among my kind, rational, and open-minded Christian friends :)