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Author
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Topic: Changing religons
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Cupofjoe13
Knowflake Posts: 5
From: Pope AFB N.C. USA
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted April 22, 2005 03:29 AM
 
So I've been wanting to do this for quite some time now but since it's such a big step I've taken my time. I was raised roman catholic, recieved my baptism, communion & yes even my confirmation. I am older now and obviously able to think for myself. I've come to realize that there is just so much about christianity that i do not agree with, although I won't go into detail so as not to offend anyone. Anywho I was wondering if anyone knew how I go about undoing all this. And if anyone has any advice for a smoother transition from one religon to another, I'm alll ears. I am currently reading Buddhism for beginners by Thubten Chodron. But I am still having difficulty letting go of one thing to accept another, kinda feel guilty to be honest but I know I am doing the right thing for me. Lots of love and thanks in advance. ------------------
CupofJoe13
"We are the middle children of history, with no purpose or place. We have no great war, or great depression. The great war is a spiritual war. The great depression is our lives." - Tyler Durden, Fight Club IP: Logged |
fayte.m
Knowflake Posts: 4894
From: ~out looking for Schrodinger's cat~
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted April 22, 2005 04:33 PM
Hello Cupofjoe13!
I can try, but I too am concerned about offending anyone. I'll give it thought and get back to you. Well unless you HAVE read my posts and think I'm too weird. 
FayteIP: Logged |
SunChild
Moderator Posts: 3241
From: Australia
Registered: Jan 2004
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posted April 22, 2005 06:44 PM
I grew up very similarly to you. Cupofjoe, you are a free person, there's nothing you need to do except be yourself.
You don't need to 'undo' anything, you only participated in some rituals when you were growing up, and you are not bound by anything.
Please understand all you have to do is be yourself, and be honest with yourself.
Read the books that call out to you, learn the knowledge that you now seek, but don't for one second think you need to undo anything.
All of what you have done has made you the person you are today.
All you have to do is open your mind to new possibilities. Lots of Love and Light. 
------------------
"The dream was always running ahead of me. To catch up, to live for a moment in unison with it, that was the miracle." Anais Nin
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iAmThat
Knowflake Posts: 1255
From: third rock from the Sun
Registered: Sep 2004
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posted April 23, 2005 12:33 AM
Dear Cupofjoe13, I have heard from many about this passport to catholicism by birth. There are some whose fathers adviced their daughter to go whereever they wanted to, but remember that in the end they will come back to the roots. Now I have heard of the expression "Those who know do not say and those who say do not know it." If Jesus would tell you to first go and make peace with our neighbor before we offer sacrifises in the temple, why then would he not say today to first follow our heart in what it seeks. (Ofcourse we have to chose wisely our thoughts in this lifetime)
My current understanding is that there is a world of possibilities out there and what we experience is a result of choosing those possibilities. The question is who is choosing for us and who is experiencing the results.
I think I know the answer. But the more certain I am that I know the answer, the more uncertain I am that I am certain about the uncertainity 
I too feel that only one religion does not explain to us all. I am glad that I studied Hinduism before becoming a Catholic. I have a better perspective on Christianity and I owe it to my past. I hated it when I was branded a Catholic.
When we are born, we do not have a label attached. Does a hindu priest come with a Tilak on his forehead, when born, or a Muslim comes circumcised? Why then must we have a label? Aren't we all Humans when we are born? Does n't baptism and a sense of belonging to catholic(substitute your own religion) family, only gives you, a decent burial and, if your religion allows, a place, when you die? If I am practicing meditation when alive and following every day what Jesus, Krishna etc taught and then finally, applying my own perception, then, do I need a religious blessing or a mantra to go to the other world after I die?
IMO
IAT
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Kat
Knowflake Posts: 779
From: Cleveland, Ohio
Registered: Jan 2003
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posted April 23, 2005 11:33 AM
Hi,
I was also raised Catholic and now attend a Unity church on a regular basis. WHen I was church shopping I decided first what I was looking for in a church and then attended a churches that fit that ideology. Each Sunday I'd go to a different church and see how I liked it. I learned alot and it was also fun.I read literature to see if in fact their beliefs matched my own. For instance I knew I wanted a church that was not fundamentalist and held a belief that the bible was the "stone" truth. I wanted a church that accepted a diverse group of people and did not condemnn anyone. How could any church that did not love and accept everyone teach me about love and acceptance? So I figured a church that was "gay" friendly would be good test of "tolerance." I wanted a liberal open-minded group.I wanted a church where I could express any disagreements of ideology. I wanted a church that incorporated non-Christian views.... I think you get the idea.
So I went to Unitarian, Christian Science, Unity, United Church of Christ, and Quaker.
Although I think Unitarian best describes me, I found great spiritual guidance that challenged my beliefs in a loving way at Unity.
In time you will find that your Catholic upbringing has planted some wonderful seeds. Be sure to celebrated them rather than focusing on how Catholicism has created poor belief systems in your life. For the longest time I was angry at the Catholic church, but now I can see how I benefited from this early start with my relationship with myself and God.Blessings IP: Logged |
fayte.m
Knowflake Posts: 4894
From: ~out looking for Schrodinger's cat~
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted April 23, 2005 07:11 PM
I think I am too different to help with this one. My way requires more change of perceptions than most are willing to even consider. IP: Logged |
iAmThat
Knowflake Posts: 1255
From: third rock from the Sun
Registered: Sep 2004
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posted April 24, 2005 12:06 AM
I would like to further add that Buddha once said some thing like : "Don't just accept a teaching because it comes from tradition , or a teacher that you respect, or simply because you imagine it to be true, etc,,etc.." He went on to say, that "we must introspect each teaching, apply logic and then thru our intelligence accept it." I guess, he was trying to tell each one of us to Evolve higher and higher. Now why high and why not low? Its like asking a seed, why its roots are going down and not high. I believe that the way to evolve is not just science or religion. The former calculates possibilities (a mechanism) and explains the observed world thru our wired up brain. It is because of this that it does not clearly explain the integrated whole. The latter i.e religion is faith based on an idea. The objective of religion is to teach unaltered truth. It is men who destort the objective and pass it down thru generations. These are the altered truth. Having said all these, I am not thinking to change my own religion We are each grown up enough to decide for ourselves. quote:
The fun in life is not in the knowing but in the mystery
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Everlong
Knowflake Posts: 907
From: Southeast Florida
Registered: Nov 2003
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posted April 24, 2005 05:33 AM
Hi Cupo. I've gone through a process very similar to yours in the past two years. I was raised a Catholic, baptised, communion, and two years ago, was confirmed. I realized about a couple of days after being confirmed that I didn't want to be Catholic any longer and became agnostic. Although I did enjoy being able to offend the people of my church/ruffle their feathers, I was also just very happy that I wasn't constricted to belonging to a religion that made me miserable and that I felt was very hypocritical anymore. Don't feel guilty about your decision, it's better to not be a Christian at all than to go to church every Sunday only half-believing what they say, etc. ------------------
"Reality leaves a lot to the imagination." - John Lennon IP: Logged |
marcia
Knowflake Posts: 829
From: NYC
Registered: Oct 2004
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posted April 24, 2005 11:59 AM
Fayte,
Please post it, I want to know, honey.IP: Logged |
fayte.m
Knowflake Posts: 4894
From: ~out looking for Schrodinger's cat~
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted April 25, 2005 10:54 AM
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wildflwrs
Knowflake Posts: 479
From: Albuquerque
Registered: Oct 2004
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posted April 25, 2005 04:21 PM
Well, I too was raised Catholic. I'm grateful for it because it instilled faith in God in me. My homelife was very dysfunctional and I went to Catholic school from grade 1 -- 8. I know some people have horror stories or bad experiences being raised in a religious environment. But that and nature were most meaningful to me as a child.
After I graduated from high school and went away to college I knew that there had to be something else. My search for truth and some sort of spiritual meaningfulness began then. Well, I didn't find it in a church. The truth is within. I have travelled a number of different spiritual paths and they are all a part of me. I don't feel any need to conform myself to any religion. I'm comfortable drawing on different traditions and beliefs. I can read the Bible and think for myself--arrive at my own interpretations. Truth is a living spirit and it will speak to you in each step of your search. (I believe in both God and Goddess.)
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fayte.m
Knowflake Posts: 4894
From: ~out looking for Schrodinger's cat~
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted May 09, 2005 01:08 PM
marcia! 
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fayte.m
Knowflake Posts: 4894
From: ~out looking for Schrodinger's cat~
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted May 09, 2005 03:25 PM
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Eleanore
Moderator Posts: 1388
From: NC, USA
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted May 12, 2005 06:09 PM
Hey all. Cupofjoe13 is my hubby. He's recently been in an accident (nothing life threatening) and so hasn't been out of bed much. Even before though, he's a pretty busy guy and rarely gets a chance to get on here to post. He's sorry that he hasn't replied in so long but he really appreciates that you all took the time to respond. However, he feels he wasn't clear enough in his original post. He knows that within himself any decision is his own and that changing religions is something that can be done for any reason, at any time within yourself, etc. What he meant was if there were any legal technicalities to be dealt with as far as officially changing religions. As in, he has official papers documenting his baptism, communion, and confirmation so is there some sort of official paperwork for "quitting" the Church? Or, if he does join another organized religion, is there any actual paperwork to be done or routines to be followed? I hope I'm being clear. It's kind of hard to put into words now that I'm trying. Basically, once you confirm yourself as a Catholic are you sort of a "card carrying member for life" or is there a way to officially and/or legally renounce your faith? For example, I know converting to Judaism is a rather complex process involving a lot of study, participation, and official ritual type things. Is there something similar for Buddhism also?
Thanks again for your patience guys and gals, we really appreciate it. ------------------
"This above all:
to thine own self be true,
And it must follow,
as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false
to any man." - Shakespeare IP: Logged |
fayte.m
Knowflake Posts: 4894
From: ~out looking for Schrodinger's cat~
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted May 12, 2005 07:28 PM
ooops...double post...sorry about that!IP: Logged |
fayte.m
Knowflake Posts: 4894
From: ~out looking for Schrodinger's cat~
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted May 12, 2005 07:36 PM
I don't actually follow or adhere to any organized religion. If I were to pick a label, and I don't really care for them....I suppose I am a Spiritist, ie; Spiritism...not Spiritualist/Spiritualism. Then I am attracted to Taoist/Taoism..Buddhist/Buddhism..and some of the other Asian/Indian/Mideastern aspects of philosophy. Also certain Amerindian outlooks on the matter.  Eleanore! I like you and your husband Cupofjoe13's names. They sound so scholarly yet friendly! IP: Logged |
MichaelReza
Knowflake Posts: 10
From: USA&UK
Registered: May 2005
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posted May 12, 2005 08:27 PM
Hello Elenore and Joe(?)Scanning through posts this thread caught my attention. A similar (but not exact) discussion was prompted by a poster named "Nev" on another thread. You might find it interesting, as I did. God Bless
Michael Reza IP: Logged |
sesame
Moderator Posts: 1333
From: Oz
Registered: Nov 2003
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posted May 12, 2005 10:57 PM
I don't know about paperwork. I mean, I don't think there's a law that will condemn anyone for registering for different religions - like bigamy for instance. Hey there's a thought, if you were buddhist, do you get to marry several wives? I think this is one aspect where religions cross into law. Really, I think the people to ask are the leaders of the new religion you're thinking of joining and maybe a preist or something. I'd love to see a priests reaction after asking him for the paperwork of joing his religion. I never knew there was paperwork for any religions  Otherwise, sorry I can't bo of help. BTW, welcome all newbies  Dean. IP: Logged |
Lindaland
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