Are you afraid of interfaith?

Hermes

Hermes

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I know myself, in theory, if I where allowed, I am easily one of those persons who could sit down towards mecca to meditate in a Sari in church chanting in sanskrit or pali. This is my idea of humbleness and respect and I find that all religions are teaching the message of love.

I am not new age per se, but I see no reason to restrict oneself into one single dogmatic way of learning or practicing religion. I litterally love religion as much as I love science and philosophy and all of my theosophical books and I spend my time exploring it wholeheartedly.

What kind of person are you? Are you afraid of the interfaith aspect of life, or do you embrace it?
 
_Hermes_ said:
What kind of person are you? Are you afraid of the interfaith aspect of life, or do you embrace it?
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My extended family has members of different faiths. I myself have no gods, but I love learning about religions and spiritual traditions, this being the way I embrace this diversity. My own spiritual practice is rather minimalist, "empty-handed", and eclectic, using techniques from both Western and Eastern esoteric traditions.
 
Anyone afraid of or not interested in interfaith discussion, shouldn't even be here, IMO. Faith is the operative word for me. Faith and belief in God. How you go about expressing that belief however, is an individual thing. We all see the world through our own eyes and I've long held, though we see the same God, we don't all do so from the same vantage point.

I'm Christian. My bride of 33 years is Hindu. We just celebrated Janmashtami together. When my Hindu mom-in-law and sis-in-law came for a visit some years back, we all took communion together. As the sis-in-law says, "God is God" howsoever we see him...
 
I write because sometimes there are people reading not writing and I still want to justify that it's okay not to feel so comfortable with it.

I understand even though I'm not like that. I want to justify that it is a threshold to get over, especially of you are born into a very dogmatic religious faith or culture.

I am writing to somehow normalise that fear in order for people to get over it and not ignore it.
 
_Hermes_ said:
I write because sometimes there are people reading not writing and I still want to justify that it's okay not to feel so comfortable with it.

I understand even though I'm not like that. I want to justify that it is a threshold to get over, especially of you are born into a very dogmatic religious faith or culture.

I am writing to somehow normalise that fear in order for people to get over it and not ignore it.
Click to expand...
It's wonderful that you are writing here. As you say, what you write is read by a lot more folks than those who actually respond to your posts.

You've already contributed a couple of shorts to the new Member Writing Forum
https://www.interfaith.org/community/forums/78/
It would be good to read some longer pieces written by you, imo :)
 
RJM said:
It's wonderful that you are writing here. As you say, what you write is read by a lot more folks than those who actually respond to your posts.

You've already contributed a couple of shorts to the new Member Writing Forum
https://www.interfaith.org/community/forums/78/
It would be good to read some longer pieces written by you, imo :)
Click to expand...

I really try to write long things.. but shorts mostly seem to be my genre. But thank you for asking. I have written a short story called "The Temple of the Heart" that I can publish for the time being.
 
_Hermes_ said:
I really try to write long things.. but shorts mostly seem to be my genre. But thank you for asking. I have written a short story called "The Temple of the Heart" that I can publish for the time being.
Click to expand...
Yes. Go on :)
Thank you
 
_Hermes_ said:
I know myself, in theory, if I where allowed, I am easily one of those persons who could sit down towards mecca to meditate in a Sari in church chanting in sanskrit or pali. This is my idea of humbleness and respect and I find that all religions are teaching the message of love.

I am not new age per se, but I see no reason to restrict oneself into one single dogmatic way of learning or practicing religion. I litterally love religion as much as I love science and philosophy and all of my theosophical books and I spend my time exploring it wholeheartedly.

What kind of person are you? Are you afraid of the interfaith aspect of life, or do you embrace it?
Click to expand...
I'm not 'afraid' of Interfaith discussion or the idea, but I don't embrace the idea. For one, many faiths may preach Love but their scripture is full of Hate, so I find them misleading, hypocritical, if not downright dangerous. Furthermore, not all faiths can coexist peacefully, the Right Hand Path faiths will never embrace the Left Hand Path faiths, and the Left Hand Path faiths do not accept the dogma and beliefs of those Right Hand Paths.

Paths living in harmony with each other is a pipedream. Paths tolerating one another is more reasonable. No one has the right to tell another they cannot practice a certain faith, no faith has the right to prevent another from practicing a certain faith.
 
_Hermes_ said:
What kind of person are you? Are you afraid of the interfaith aspect of life, or do you embrace it?
Click to expand...
I think that I do embrace it. My own beliefs are rather eclectic, but the main feature of them is that "most probably" is the best I can do. Or in fact, wish to do. While this does perhaps deny me the deep comfort of a strong faith it does have the benefits of a flexible approach and a feeling of adventure, where will this take me?
 
I welcome interfaith. It only starts to fail for one if we think that our beliefs are the only ones others should believe. Keeping an open mind keeps discussion alive.
 
There was a question here recently about the need for and revelancy of our little sandbox. I believe this thread answers that succinctly.

If one or more gather for the purpose of understanding....we should be there as well.
 
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