"What made you decide to choose to follow a Pagan belief system?" - ANON
Well, to start, I really wasn't raised in a religious home. Most people I know who have a defined set of beliefs were raised by parents that followed the same structure. So growing up, I really didn't have that. My parents raised me with a belief in the "super natural" and would always talk about "sending positive energy" in a bad situation or getting "bad vibes" from someone and if something went wrong, or I was making a bad decision, the answer was always karma. I was also raised with a belief in reincarnation and the like, so I guess I was always open to these things.
Although my father had always attended an eastern orthodox church and my mother was raised catholic, a lot of my spiritual beliefs comes from my grandmother who practices Radha Soami Satsang Beas, which is an Eastern religion that follows Karma and reincarnation and believes in a living master. So I was always exposed to a bunch of different things. I was also told that it doesn't matter which religious label you place on yourself because at the end of the day, it's how you live your life and if you're a good person or not. My mother would always say "you can label yourself a Christian, but if you go home and beat your dog, does that still mean you're going to heaven because you've accepted Jesus into your heart? A Wiccan can live a perfectly content life, and be a much better person, even if they haven't accepted Jesus as their savior." She really ingrained in me that it's not about what you follow, it's about how well you follow it.
I guess what got me into it was just a fascination with the occult and a constant bonding feeling with nature. I was completely at home, by myself, in the woods and felt no fear, but comfort. I've always had a belief in the world beyond and have had my connections and experiences with it. I chose Paganism because it's not as structured as other "mainstream" religions. At least in my opinion anyway. I liked Paganism because it was like a spiritual buffet: you can take what applies to your life and leave the rest. Doesn't mean the rest isn't good, just means it doesn't suit your taste, that's all. Religion isn't a one size fits all type of deal. We are all different and different things appeal to us.
The way i look at it is God is like a diamond: one whole entity, but many different facets. Those facets represent figures in other beliefs: Gods and goddesses. Our religion of choice depends on which of those facets we are the most comfortable with and can identify with the closest. So in the end we aren't so different after all. I mean, most religions have a similar golden rule:"do unto others, as you would have others do unto you." "An ye Harm none, do what ye will." It's pretty much all the same.
Also, religion is like exercise: some people bike, jog, run, walk, cardio, dance... in the end the goal is the same: to be healthy and better ourselves. So why should we all be expected to run if that doesn't fit our style?
I chose Paganism because it's very accepting of a bunch of different things and it's a truly beautiful religion with an old and amazing history.
No comments:
Post a Comment