think a lot of people feel this way about protestant and catholic faith, it's not the faith it's always been the structure, and authority of the religious structure. iv'e never understood while a vicar or priest should be closer to god than anyone else.
How awesome to see this pop up on my subscriptions! I spend a lot of time thinking about this, and have come to a point where a blend works fine for me❤. I look forward to watching this video❤
I love the question and your answer Jon. I believe that all the gods are real. As you say many I have no connection with but I respect them and the connection they have with their own people. No problem here with multiple gods.
Thank you for the really good answer on the. Personally I think people can believe in whatever they choose even if it is multiple religions & or cultures that's theirs or not their own. Just as long as they treat each with respect.
This was SO good! I've been feeling this way for years and have had peace about it...but moving forward cautiously and slowly. Thank you so much for the advice and wisdom!
If it helps, I was able to get it loud enough on my phone by connecting with my Bluetooth speaker. Definitely wasn't loud enough to hear without. I also have a Android TV and I was able to really ramp up the volume listening with that. When all else fails, turning on cc is what I do.
I came from Catholicism to polytheism too. The way I navigated that was by recognizing that the Christian god doesn't appreciate adherents worshipping other gods/deities in tandem with him/them, and that was fine by me. In a way, it was like only having been offered one food that I didn't really like for my entire life, only to then discover a secret banquet of variety later on, with many things I liked and genuinely loved. If the rules for keeping the old food was that I couldn't partake in any of the new discoveries, of course I'd move on! Particular shoutout to the character Athelstan in the History channel's Vikings, that character portrayal really helped me become the polytheist I am today, and was was tormented by much the same question: love for the Norse gods with an accompanying love for the Christian god.
This is so relevant for me. My religious background from childhood is nil, but I’ve been studying paganism for 10+ years. Still, being part of western culture has prevented me from escaping Christian stories, iconography, and teachings. Lately, I’ve been feeling called to study Catholicism for the first time, which has been extremely confusing. (For clarity, the calling is for folk Catholicism, basically developing a practice from the pagan bones with the Catholic skin. Still not so sure about that…) I appreciate the structure of the practices, the rituals, and the fact that my culture has already prepared me for what to practically do. But the abuse and oppression and colonization of the Catholic Church is deeply out of alignment with my values. Sometimes the creative responsibility in regard to developing and maintaining my own pagan rituals feels overwhelming. This answer helps me further balance these two quandaries and I feel closer t finding some semblance of an answer. Thanks, John!
I had a similar upbringings minus growing up in the catholic church. My parents didn't enforce any one religion or spiritual path but I have always been a seeker. Most of my friends and peers were the opposite and would tell me I was going to hell b/c I didn't go to church. (Been trying to unpack that comment for a LONG time). IDK about in Ireland but in the US it is considered standard to donate 10% of income to your church but we have many what I call Cult" Churches because of their predatory practices that are basically the same thing that Martin Luther called the Catholic church out for, like buying salvation. It is even more prevalent in the southern states to the point where neighbors who were friendly at first become cold and distant when I refused to join their church. My husband is Catholic and i'm pagan but to our "Christian" neighbors its the same thing. I know that there are many similarities between Paganism and Catholicism - especially in Ireland - that many Christinas refuse to acknowledge. Do similar things happen between Christians and Pagans in Ireland?
As an Druí dalta, my religious denomination is Interfaith with a blend of 1/4 Christian, 1/4 Muslim, 1/4 Jew, and 1/4 Celtic Reconstructionist Pagan and Shaman-in-training that is allied with a variety of pantheons who has Buddhist and Taoist influences. I feel, as someone who was adjudged as having a psychiatric disability, that it's important to balance psychiatric needs and spiritual needs. I agree with you on those points.
Which Xtian church? There are so many. In my city there are Catholics, Methodists and United Methodists, Anglican and Episcopal (oddly those are different), three different kinds of Lutherans, at least three different kinds of Baptists, Pentecostals, Four Square, Congregationalists, African Methodist Episcopal, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists, and numerous unaffiliated churches. These are different denominations that are not in shared organizational structures. Saying you are against the Xtian church sounds to me like my mum saying she doesn't like any Americans outside of New York. There's way too much diversity to make a blanket statement. While I am theologically from a Catholic background, I can't support the actions of the Catholic Church. I do support the work of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. I know enough to not consider them the same
There has to be a healthy balance between tradition/religion and secularism in a society. In the past Ireland was grounded in the tradition of the Catholic church, but we all know of the dark side of that situation. Now in our new found secularism, devoid of religion and tradition we are losing our way and our country. I see the rainbow flag flying outside schools in Connemara of all places. Also dude, you're not christian! But that's ok, you don't have to be.
A rainbow flag in Connemara? Go bhfóire Déithe orainn! Whoever will we be supporting next... the gays of the Aran Islands? How will we cope? 🏳️🌈🌈🏳️🌈 /sarcasm
I think our deities are for us here in our place and the Christians deities are for middle eastern people thats why their god never answers us, but our do regularly
