Posted by deirdrehbrt on January 27, 2006, at 13:19:26
In reply to Am I religious???, posted by SpacedOutKid on December 2, 2005, at 19:06:36
Spaced Out Kid,
Answering your post kind of late, but just though I would share my own experience. I grew up Catholic. It was hard. Partly b/c of the ab*se that was going on in the church (it didn't skip by my family), and partly b/c I was told quite clearly that I was going to H*ll. I eventually found my spiritual life from within a bottle.
I spent some time as an adult "church shopping", and I would become enthusiastic for a while, but would drift away. I did find some comfort as a musician in a Catholic church. Still, I was going through the motions, looking for "salvation" by trying to do the things that I though God wanted me to do, and being who I thought God wanted me to be. I had actually lived my whole life that way, mind-reading and trying to be who other people wanted.
I've since come to believe that it doesn't really matter what faith you find yourself in. Deity just is, and wants the best for you.
Personally, now, I'm pagan. It's what makes sense for me. I am finding incredible beauty and love in this universe. And sense. I don't have to pretend anymore. I can find, and be myself.
I think we're all creations of deity, and we were all made as we are. The journey is two-fold: to find out who we are, and then to come to terms with our deity, be that God, Goddess, whatever.
In the end though, obsession isn't worship. Obsession is a psychological state, worship is an offering to our higher power. I'm certain that your higher power can help you sort that out.
As far as converting, I (personally) don't think that's necessary. I think that deity expresses itself (him or her) in many different ways, to many different peoples. I don't think that (he or she) purposefully left out billions of people from a plan of salvation just because they knew (him or her) by a different name. So, I wouldn't worry about converting to Catholicism. If at some point, you feel led to choose a certain spiritual path or denomination, then by all means, do. Just don't do it because someone is telling you so. Do it because you believe it.
Just my 2 cents.... Dee
poster:deirdrehbrt
thread:584750
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faith/20051105/msgs/603461.html