People who mix religions

[irc333]

Just saw a profile of this woman, claims to be a Buddhist, but also mentions she has a mix of Wiccan/Pagan tendencies.

 

Is it trendy now to mix belief systems as opposed to adhering to one? Also, why is it are American's becoming Buddhist, I thought it was more of an Asian thing?

[Philosoraptor]

I take most of my ideals from Buddhism yet still believe in there being some sort of higher power. I simply believe what makes me happy, nothing to overthink about it.

 

Buddhism teaches peace, like the path of Jesus Christ in Christianity.

 

Simply, to each his or her own.

[xxoo]

The Unitarian Universalist church has no doctrine, and draws from the teachings of other world religions. UUA beliefs People in a UU congregation are often spiritual and find value in religious teachings without subscribing to one faith.

 

So no, nothing new.

[taiko]

I din't know America was turning more Buddhist then it was during the counter culture movement of the 60s. However without a deity demanding certain actions or faith from you Buddhism points towards another path and we started getting high profile individuals converting. Secondarily after immigration quotas changed in the 60s many more Asians were allowed entry as nominally Christian Europeans lost their priority.

 

Because there is no deity many can take a path where they claim to follow say Buddhism or Scientology and Jesus, although the orthodox Christian/Muslim leader would just say you are following yourself and leaving the right path.

[M30USA]

This is nothing new.

 

In ancient times, it was called "Mars Hill".

 

Even the apostle Paul addressed the Romans who had so many gods that there was even an altar to the "unknown god"--just in case they missed one.

[M30USA]

"Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

 

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

 

“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

 

When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” At that, Paul left the Council. Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others." (Acts 17:22-34 NIV)

[pureinheart]

I think it's an awakening of sorts. People, more connected then ever thanks to the internet and technology, are piecing together religious beliefs because they are more able to communicate the holes in individual belief systems. They are more able to see the blatant heresy in many doctrines, and thus are creating their own.

 

Eventually it will, hopefully, lead to a dismantling of all organized religion and its spiritual shackles.

 

Not sure if you're male or female, so will say I think you're a doll ...if you're male, you're cool:D

 

You're Atheist? No? Personally, I would not want Atheism dismantled because that is who you are- this would cause "you" being dismantled and that's unacceptable IMO.

 

I don't believe religion/spiritually/atheism has the power to deceive people into doing crazy things- people choose this. I chose to be indoctrinated politically at one point. Again, IMO religion/spirituality/atheism isn't the problem, people are.

[GorillaTheater]

People certainly have the right to believe whatever they want, but something strikes me as a bit "off" about treating spirituality like a buffet. "I think I'll have some of this and oh, just a small slice of that."

 

But what the hell do I know. Not being sure of my own spirituality doesn't give me much room to be a purist.

[Eclypse]

People certainly have the right to believe whatever they want, but something strikes me as a bit "off" about treating spirituality like a buffet. "I think I'll have some of this and oh, just a small slice of that."

 

But what the hell do I know. Not being sure of my own spirituality doesn't give me much room to be a purist.

 

Well said. A lot of people pick and choose the parts that suit them, and conveniently ignore the more unsavoury bits!

[M30USA]

Well said. A lot of people pick and choose the parts that suit them, and conveniently ignore the more unsavoury bits!

 

Agreed. That's why I say bring on the Bible full force. Don't shy away from some of the non-PC parts or the hard to believe parts. The more your thinking gets in line with God/Jehovah, the more you can see that it's all true and it's all done with perfect justice.

[El Brujo]

Just saw a profile of this woman, claims to be a Buddhist, but also mentions she has a mix of Wiccan/Pagan tendencies.

 

Is it trendy now to mix belief systems as opposed to adhering to one? Also, why is it are American's becoming Buddhist, I thought it was more of an Asian thing?

 

Funny you should mention this.

 

I've studied European Wicca and African Voodoo for years, and although I acknowledge the two have major differences, they also have a lot of similarities, and if you turn the clock back far enough, some of the archetypes are the same (the idea that the two had a direct prehistoric connection is indeed an intriguing one).

 

IMO it would be very interesting to see a coven founded on a syncretist Wicca-Voodoo mixed belief system.

[mercy]

People certainly have the right to believe whatever they want, but something strikes me as a bit "off" about treating spirituality like a buffet. "I think I'll have some of this and oh, just a small slice of that."

 

But what the hell do I know. Not being sure of my own spirituality doesn't give me much room to be a purist.

 

 

I love your post. Really I do! For the main reason that I myself am a contradiction. I am a Christian who practices Sufism. Which to some can and may be a contradiction. But to me it is a 'second door' to awakening me to God. Which is my final goal. To be closer to God, to seek God, to know Him and to love Him.

 

The closer I become to Him the closer I am to giving and showing love to all His people.

 

Seeking God is my goal in life.

 

Hi to all of you whom I have missed so much! You know who you are! xoxoxox

[todreaminblue]

Just saw a profile of this woman, claims to be a Buddhist, but also mentions she has a mix of Wiccan/Pagan tendencies.

 

Is it trendy now to mix belief systems as opposed to adhering to one? Also, why is it are American's becoming Buddhist, I thought it was more of an Asian thing?

 

 

 

multi task religion to be trendy ...doesn't seem quite right......in my heart i feel that everyone should question and pray about what path of religion you should be walking on....i dont think you can blend paths but who am i to say what others may or may not believe in...but to me...there is only one path one way.....that is my belief......it is also my belief due to the religion that i follow that i follow I accept and respect peoples' rights to have the agency to choose what religion to follow and most religions that follwo the teachings of jesus christ have similar beliefs....its not my call to judge.....true religion doesnt follow societal trends from what the bible says though, it stands alone separate strong sure and pure it stands in the face of ridicule derision and opposition......it cannot ever be broken the truth never can.........and you cannot be faulted or swayed if you have that truth steadfast in your heart.....and the free will to choose what you believe that path to be..deb

[xxoo]

For me, spirituality is mystery. Religions are a flawed attempt to reveal and understand. I don't believe any path is true and wise in its entirety, but I find truth and wisdom in many paths.

 

Why should I accept the entirety, and stick to one alone, when I don't believe any are fully correct?

[pie2]

For me, spirituality is mystery. Religions are a flawed attempt to reveal and understand. I don't believe any path is true and wise in its entirety, but I find truth and wisdom in many paths.

 

Why should I accept the entirety, and stick to one alone, when I don't believe any are fully correct?

 

People can believe whatever works for them.

 

I don't think Christianity mixes with any other religion though, as the bible states over and over that there is only one way, one belief, one God. Faith in Jesus is all we need!

 

But other religions might easily mix. For example, I think Hinduism is really open to accepting different beliefs, gods, etc. and might mix easily with different faiths.

[creighton0123]

The same reason people find life lessons and important morals from reading literature. One can be a theist or polytheist and still, for example, find merit in the Buddhist idea that in order to achieve a life worth living, one should live in the moment absent any and all forms of attachment.

 

You see the same teaching in Christianity, only worded a bit differently and geared towards wealth and possessions.

[Criticality]

Just a sign of the times, I suppose, that people treat religion like a buffet.

 

It's all about individuality and choice. Individuality is the real major deity of today. If you accept everything, you don't really choose anything either.

 

Even among people that consider themselves "Christian" or even wannabe-atheists, you find a lot of people who believe in reincarnation and "spirits".

[M30USA]

God allows truth to be mixed with falsehood during this current age. He does this to allow us time to discover, for ourselves, what is true verses what is false. Unfortunately some people refuse to ever see and they take advantage of God's allowances. But this age will not last forever. As the parable goes which Jesus spoke, soon the crops and the weeds will all be uprooted together and separated once and for all. Pray to God that you may know the truth and he will reveal it to you.

[pureinheart]

Just a sign of the times, I suppose, that people treat religion like a buffet.

 

It's all about individuality and choice. Individuality is the real major deity of today. If you accept everything, you don't really choose anything either.

 

Even among people that consider themselves "Christian" or even wannabe-atheists, you find a lot of people who believe in reincarnation and "spirits".

 

I believe that there is a spiritual realm, meaning angels and demons.

 

LOL, I've never understood reincarnation- I mean, who in their right mind would want to do this 1-2-3 or more times? No offense to those that do believe in reincarnation, it's just that one life for me is enough!

[pureinheart]

God allows truth to be mixed with falsehood during this current age. He does this to allow us time to discover, for ourselves, what is true verses what is false. Unfortunately some people refuse to ever see and they take advantage of God's allowances. But this age will not last forever. As the parable goes which Jesus spoke, soon the crops and the weeds will all be uprooted together and separated once and for all. Pray to God that you may know the truth and he will reveal it to you.

 

This is a cool explanation!

[string of letters]

I understand your question, but the thing is, people that follow what are now commonly thought as 'pure' religions are actually following mixtures. Look up the Easter bunny and Christmas trees - they originally had nothing to do with Christianity, but were grafted on from pre-Christian (though not Jewish) practices.