Religious/Philosophical Profile Thread

[MaximiIian]

In response to the thread previously in existence, but apparently merged with this one.
The "All beliefs you held up to now" thread.

Religion:
Born and raised without a theological view; parents let me decide on my own. Came to be more amenable to an atheistic or atheo-agnostic stance. But I've always had a concept of pantheism around there. Gradually have become more and more animist-pantheist, then duotheist, and finally polytheist, where I lay as of now.
In terms of religion, I did not have one until about the Winter of last year. Though I was polytheistic and decidedly neopagan for months hitherto that time, I didn't have a particular preference of a religion that fit my views. After much study and careful analysis, I decided that Wicca, though not British Traditional Wicca, was the religion that best suited me.

Other related: I had been a staunch capitalist up until a few years ago, when I gradually made the move to democratic socialism. I remain there, though in a bit more mixed with classical liberalism. I remain of the philosophical view that we as a species will gradually move to full socialism, then communism, and finally voluntary anarchism, before going through the cycle once more.

[The Good]

In response to the thread previously in existence, but apparently merged with this one.
The "All beliefs you held up to now" thread.

Religion:
Born and raised without a theological view; parents let me decide on my own. Came to be more amenable to an atheistic or atheo-agnostic stance. But I've always had a concept of pantheism around there. Gradually have become more and more animist-pantheist, then duotheist, and finally polytheist, where I lay as of now.
In terms of religion, I did not have one until about the Winter of last year. Though I was polytheistic and decidedly neopagan for months hitherto that time, I didn't have a particular preference of a religion that fit my views. After much study and careful analysis, I decided that Wicca, though not British Traditional Wicca, was the religion that best suited me.

Other related: I had been a staunch capitalist up until a few years ago, when I gradually made the move to democratic socialism. I remain there, though in a bit more mixed with classical liberalism. I remain of the philosophical view that we as a species will gradually move to full socialism, then communism, and finally voluntary anarchism, before going through the cycle once more.

I've heard someone (on our same forum too, can't remember where) say that Wicca is based on the beliefs of the ancient Celtic Druidist religion. Is this true, or is it a common misconception maybe?

[MaximiIian]

Common misconception, with hints of truth.

Wicca, or the organization that became the first Wiccan coven, is (at most) about 80 years old; probably originates in the 1920's, as many esoteric groups were forming around that time. A British group calling itself the New Forest Coven combined parts of Hermeticism (an old philosophy that greatly influenced Renaissance esoterica, and permeated 19th/20th century occultism), and some parts of the Druid revivalist movement, which never was very accurate to historical Druidism, because the ancient Druids never wrote things down, so clues to their practices are fragmentary at best. Even modern Celtic Reconstructionism is a rough attempt.

In the 1940's, Gerald Gardner, who is as close to the religion's "Father" as we can get, reformed the New Forest Coven quite a bit; he knew it the information was fragmentary, so he grabbed eclectically from any source he could find: Hermeticism, Rosicrucianism, Aleister Crowley, British Folklore, Greek mythology, Egyptian mythology, and many others. In doing so, he built a new pagan religion centred on the practice of witchcraft, or folk magic. Witchcraft and ritual magic are still core to Wicca of any form, coven-based or not.

Wicca, then as now, venerates a pair of deities which Gardner and the NFC believed to be the indigenous gods of the British Isles and possibly even Neolithic Europe, a Great Goddess and a Horned God, whose names Gardner never revealed publically. He may have borrowed the idea of such figures from Margaret Murray's (now disproven) academic works, or more likely, they might have been integral to the NFC before Gardner joined it. It is unknown; but what is certain is that Gardner published books about his religious experiences in good faith, starting in and around 1949-1954. Though originally a strictly initiatory, esoteric fertility cult, it has gradually become more conventionally neopagan, and Wicca is now a broad, rapidly growing religion, with a traditionalist wing, eclectic reformers, and every hue in between.

[pericles_plato]

I'm a methodist/babtist.
Raised babtist and go to a methodist church now*Batitized both*
I guess my philosophical is that all things happen for a reason, though some are hard to know what the reason of the events are. If you call that philosophical.
Since i'm from the south of U.S.A. my whole family been Christian.

[Knize.Vladivoj]

No, no. Byzantine Rite Catholic Churches are different. They're autonomous particular churches in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, i.e the Pope, but have different liturgy, in this case, the Greek, or Byzantine, liturgical rite also used in Eastern Orthodox churches.

Exactly. The Byzantine Catholic Churches are in communion with pope, but they retain the Byzantine (Grek/Orthodox) Rite. So, Orthodox who recognise the papal authority. But as I say, I have sympathy for these not for theological reasons, only for liturgical.

[MaximiIian]

They seem to me, to be very ecumenical in theory. Since they're sort of joining the "best of both worlds" so to speak of Catholicism and Orthodoxy, or at least what they see as the best of them.
I mean, they probably have similar, if not almost identical, theology that the Roman Catholics do. Except for fairly minor , like the filioque and the importance of purity vis-a-vis Mary. But, again, those are fairly minor, and both Byzantine and Roman Rite Catholic Churches have almost identical theological views.

[Garrigan]

My mother is a lapsed Catholic and my Dad an agnostic. So I didnt have a paticularly spirtual upbringing, never went to Sunday School or regular Church services. Howevr my Grandmother (on my mum's side) was a very strong Catholic, and was "Worried for my soul" and as my parents werent really bothered; they had me christened. But because my mum hated the Catholic side of her upbringing, I was christened a Protestant, the Church of Ireland.

As I said, I never went to church as a little kid, apart from for Weddings etc. and so I had a the chance to form my own views without any strong influences. So by the time when I'd started to actually care about religious views, I was quickly categorising myself as an agnostic. Then I started reading around religion a bit more, and about two years ago I read The God Delusion, and realised that I had very little doubt any more; I just couldnt see any real chance of any kind of deity. So then I was an Atheist, and still am. The more I see; the more convinced I become.

[Knize.Vladivoj]

They seem to me, to be very ecumenical in theory. Since they're sort of joining the "best of both worlds" so to speak of Catholicism and Orthodoxy, or at least what they see as the best of them.
I mean, they probably have similar, if not almost identical, theology that the Roman Catholics do. Except for fairly minor , like the filioque and the importance of purity vis-a-vis Mary. But, again, those are fairly minor, and both Byzantine and Roman Rite Catholic Churches have almost identical theological views.

Er, I don´t think that the Catholic Churches (except of those not with communion with Pope) are so much ecumenical towards anyone else than Orthodoxy. Should they be, I am no longer in, I think. I don´t like ecumenism at all, except of towards Orthodoxy. I mean, we have no need to step back of doctdines, because the church then loses its face. I feel it very strong after Lateran II, that the Roman Catholic Church is retreating and I don´t like it.

[MaximiIian]

Well, that's what I meant- ecumenism in relation to Eastern Orthodoxy.

[scottishranger]

Roman Catholic, although Im currently studying aspects of the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches, might go to a mass of theirs soon.

[Jams79]

Atheist or Agnostic depending on my mood and I'm determinist but not so depressed to be a fatalist.

[Axeman]

I am an agnostic , I believe that god cannot be proven to exist or disproven , it lies in an individuals convictions , and so long as they do not push them on me I couldn't care less what they practiced.

As for other ethical issues , I try to let common sense and open-mindedness rule.

[Nikos]

Orthodox Christian.
http://goarch.org/ourfaith/ourfaith7062
For anyone who wants to learn more, PM me.

[Primvs Sextvs Loverlord]

Practicing orthodox Muslim, born in an orthodox Muslim family (no sects or other sub-divisions).

I follow the philosophies of Imam Ghazali and various Taoist and Stoic philosophers and philosophies (I Ching, Sun Tzu, Marcus Aurelius, etc). I'm anti-capitalist and I think socialism has many aspects that are compatible with the Muslim system of state, which is a benevolent, non-heridatery dictatorship.

[Personified Boredom]

I'm a Roman Catholic. Everyone in my family is. I do however, believe that every god that ever had a name put to it did exist at some point or another, and that their power rests in the number of men who submit to them, which is why some can't be much more than shades nowadays. In my view, YHWH and the Hindu gods hold the most power in our world, with my own edging the Hindu fellows out by a substantial margin.

I also believe that a hairy little Jewish guy who probably looked like that Arab guy who owns the corner store down the street from me lived, performed miracles, had some friends, drank wine, and got nailed to a tree because he had more love for the people of this world than his Father ever did.

I believe God doesn't give a damn about this world. He may have made it, or perhaps Vishnu did, of that I will not know until I'm dead. If it weren't for his Son, I don't think he had any interest in at all, aside from manifesting and toying with a people at one time or another.

After that, there ain't much else to say. Live and let live.

[The Magnificent Seven]

I would have to consider myself something of a Christian Deist. I do not belong to any organized church, and the source for my religious instruction and beliefs is derived wholly from the Bible, primarily the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament.


[quote=Axeman;3812878]I believe that god cannot be proven to exist or disproven , it lies in an individuals convictions quote]

I agree with this statement, I fully assert my Christian faith on the basis of faith itself. Yes there can be evidence to either way, but there always will be room for doubt. We can never prove or disprove the existence of God, and personally I believe that God intended it to be this way. God operates in such a way most of the time that one wouldn't even know that he was operating at all.

[Odovacar]

Born in 80', unchristened, as my father was captain in the People's army and as such a materialist, leninist-marxist (supposedly not truly )
Paternal family catholic, maternal kalvinist, lutheran.

I was baptised in 2007 upon my own request for various reasons as a member of evangelical (lutheran) christian church.

I am a philosophical christian humanist-theist. My views on religion vary and change. If there is God he is human heart. (To be short)
The "goals of goals" (Droysen) must exist if it resurfaces again and again in our desire for eternity and eternal questioning.

I begun studying philosophy in 2001. Starting with Nietzsche, Feuerbach, Fichte. I begun to read Hegel because he looked stone hard atheist and deep, and challenging.
Later I begun to read Marx, Herbert Marcuse, (frankfurt school)

[Shi Huangdi]

I am a Protestant Christian, member of a PCA church (Presbyterian Church in America).

My philosophy is based first and foremost on the Bible. But since that means a lot of different things to a lot of different people, I also line up with Locke, some aspects of Plato (such as his Theory of Forms) and some aspects of Aristotle. The one thing that really concerns me about Plato is his "ideal state" as described in the Republic--which is nothing but an Orwellian-Huxleyan tyranny.

[Barry Goldwater]

I'm a Methodist, belonging to the United Methodist denomination. My mom's a Catholic Christian Jew from Israel and my dad's a Methodist (everybody on his side of the family is as far as I know). My favorite philosophers are Aristotle, the Stoics and Kant.
________
Colorado dispensaries

[Iron Juggernaut]

Born into the Muslim faith, but my parents let me choose what I wanted to be. They educated me about all the major religions. I found them all to be idiotic, so I moved to Atheism.