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From Myspace, I posted it as a Blog, my responses:
Infinite Creator = Infinite Creation
Current mood: hopeful
Category: Religion and Philosophy
"It is impossible for the creation not to maintain aspects of the creator."- Spinoza
Q. What religion are you?
A. Funny you should ask, Myspace does not list an option for my Religion, Neo-Pagan. Linguistically, the term Religion shares meaning with Yoga, they both imply re aligning, re connecting, to re yoke oneself with ones sense of self. In my personal belief system this is ones sense of true identity. Unfortunately this concept is often lost in our world where the predominate world religions subscribe to Dogma. I do not belong to an organized religion and its dogma; rather I am a member of an Order because orders are influx in belief and practice. The Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids
Q. How important is religion to you at this time in your life?
A. My sense of self and how I interact in the world is of great importance. What makes me whole as a person? I collect sources and attend lectures. I immerse myself in Art, particularly music. "There is no religion but Sex and Music."- Sting
Q. Has this always been your feeling about religion or has it changed over time?
A. Interestingly I have felt the same about it since I was a preteen. I now have years of study and terminology that help me better relate my ideas and understandings to others.
Q. What people/experiences/issues have helped shape your religious outlook?
A. My Mother in her openness, her love of music, and zero censor policy as a parent. And she gave me Richard Bach's books: Jonathan Livingston Segal, Illusions, and ONE, so I'd know I wasn't alone. My Philosophy instructors Joanne Bielick and Joe Simmons for teaching me the terminology. I read extensively the writings of CS Lewis, Charles Williams, and JRR Tolkien for they create exploratory metaphor in their work, and then I found Dion Fortune. John and Caitlin Matthews for turning me on to Celtic Studies, thanks to Joe who gave me Ladies of the Lake when I showed acute interest in Arthurian and Grail Lore. And then I met Michael Gorman, someone passionate about the Celts, and he introduced me to the Sacramento Grove of The Oak. And if you didn't know how I feel about music, concerts are spiritual for me as well, as they can be mind altering experiences in personal phenomenology. For me it was shows by The Foo Fighters, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sting, and U2 where I truly felt reconnected to my sense higher self and my base sensual self simultaneously. It is every person, every experience, and every issue. Living is my religion, and Sex and Music are metaphors for life.
Q. Do you believe that religion has become less significant as science and technology have become more developed? If so, why?
A. No, if anything people have begun let go of useless ideologically concepts like racism and sexism in favor of Humanism. We have great capacity of understanding our selfish desires and practices, whether they are productive or destructive. Science and technology are founded in knowledge, and religion could be tempered with this knowledge and applied to our world and existences as wisdom. If anything people are turning by the droves towards religion (or singularly towards Atheism, and this is a dogmatic belief structure in its own way) because they have a desire to reconnect humanly to their world. And if you think science and technology can take religion out of a person (this answers for Kelli) "I find your lack of faith disturbing."
Q. What role do you consider religion has played in society today?
A. I get scared in society sometimes, especially publicly, religion becomes a crutch, "an opiate" of the masses", or like someone clever said: "Monotheism is but imperialism in religion." But personally, each individual's relation with what they call divine is truly held within them as their own. For me, "At the still center of the turning wheel, there the dance is…" TS Elliot.
Q. Complete the line: Religion is…
A. Yours to define.
Q. What characteristics of your religion (beliefs, rituals, stories, sacred texts, sites, and/or symbols) are most important in your religious experience?
A. All those things in all religions. You may call it a cop out, but I am "moved" by nature and those rituals, stories, scared texts, sites, and symbols created by human mind and hands. But I have yet to meet a person who can explain why a tree chopped down and used to build a religious structure better serves God than a tree left to flourish in the glory of life, as nature wills. I have cried on my knees in prayer in the back pews of a Christian church, "When I look in the eyes of an ant, I see the face of God."-The Last Temptation of Christ. I have cried in awe the presence of Hindu Odissi dance performance, for dance is the hidden language of the soul. The poets Rilke and Rumi have broken my heart upon their words, for the pen is mightier than the sword. And my own existential moment on a beach in Astoria Oregon has stolen my very breath. When I am in ritual space with my Grove members, wherever we create it, I am realigned with the Divine within myself. I have poured my self into becoming a living landscape archetype, and come out the more complete soul in the end. (I love you Ray and Dave) And in the joy of playing with my Nephew, I gain all the faith I need to carry on living.
Infinitely.
Currently listening :
All That You Can't Leave Behind
By U2
Release date: 31 October, 2000
Infinite Creator = Infinite Creation
Current mood: hopeful
Category: Religion and Philosophy
"It is impossible for the creation not to maintain aspects of the creator."- Spinoza
Q. What religion are you?
A. Funny you should ask, Myspace does not list an option for my Religion, Neo-Pagan. Linguistically, the term Religion shares meaning with Yoga, they both imply re aligning, re connecting, to re yoke oneself with ones sense of self. In my personal belief system this is ones sense of true identity. Unfortunately this concept is often lost in our world where the predominate world religions subscribe to Dogma. I do not belong to an organized religion and its dogma; rather I am a member of an Order because orders are influx in belief and practice. The Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids
Q. How important is religion to you at this time in your life?
A. My sense of self and how I interact in the world is of great importance. What makes me whole as a person? I collect sources and attend lectures. I immerse myself in Art, particularly music. "There is no religion but Sex and Music."- Sting
Q. Has this always been your feeling about religion or has it changed over time?
A. Interestingly I have felt the same about it since I was a preteen. I now have years of study and terminology that help me better relate my ideas and understandings to others.
Q. What people/experiences/issues have helped shape your religious outlook?
A. My Mother in her openness, her love of music, and zero censor policy as a parent. And she gave me Richard Bach's books: Jonathan Livingston Segal, Illusions, and ONE, so I'd know I wasn't alone. My Philosophy instructors Joanne Bielick and Joe Simmons for teaching me the terminology. I read extensively the writings of CS Lewis, Charles Williams, and JRR Tolkien for they create exploratory metaphor in their work, and then I found Dion Fortune. John and Caitlin Matthews for turning me on to Celtic Studies, thanks to Joe who gave me Ladies of the Lake when I showed acute interest in Arthurian and Grail Lore. And then I met Michael Gorman, someone passionate about the Celts, and he introduced me to the Sacramento Grove of The Oak. And if you didn't know how I feel about music, concerts are spiritual for me as well, as they can be mind altering experiences in personal phenomenology. For me it was shows by The Foo Fighters, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sting, and U2 where I truly felt reconnected to my sense higher self and my base sensual self simultaneously. It is every person, every experience, and every issue. Living is my religion, and Sex and Music are metaphors for life.
Q. Do you believe that religion has become less significant as science and technology have become more developed? If so, why?
A. No, if anything people have begun let go of useless ideologically concepts like racism and sexism in favor of Humanism. We have great capacity of understanding our selfish desires and practices, whether they are productive or destructive. Science and technology are founded in knowledge, and religion could be tempered with this knowledge and applied to our world and existences as wisdom. If anything people are turning by the droves towards religion (or singularly towards Atheism, and this is a dogmatic belief structure in its own way) because they have a desire to reconnect humanly to their world. And if you think science and technology can take religion out of a person (this answers for Kelli) "I find your lack of faith disturbing."
Q. What role do you consider religion has played in society today?
A. I get scared in society sometimes, especially publicly, religion becomes a crutch, "an opiate" of the masses", or like someone clever said: "Monotheism is but imperialism in religion." But personally, each individual's relation with what they call divine is truly held within them as their own. For me, "At the still center of the turning wheel, there the dance is…" TS Elliot.
Q. Complete the line: Religion is…
A. Yours to define.
Q. What characteristics of your religion (beliefs, rituals, stories, sacred texts, sites, and/or symbols) are most important in your religious experience?
A. All those things in all religions. You may call it a cop out, but I am "moved" by nature and those rituals, stories, scared texts, sites, and symbols created by human mind and hands. But I have yet to meet a person who can explain why a tree chopped down and used to build a religious structure better serves God than a tree left to flourish in the glory of life, as nature wills. I have cried on my knees in prayer in the back pews of a Christian church, "When I look in the eyes of an ant, I see the face of God."-The Last Temptation of Christ. I have cried in awe the presence of Hindu Odissi dance performance, for dance is the hidden language of the soul. The poets Rilke and Rumi have broken my heart upon their words, for the pen is mightier than the sword. And my own existential moment on a beach in Astoria Oregon has stolen my very breath. When I am in ritual space with my Grove members, wherever we create it, I am realigned with the Divine within myself. I have poured my self into becoming a living landscape archetype, and come out the more complete soul in the end. (I love you Ray and Dave) And in the joy of playing with my Nephew, I gain all the faith I need to carry on living.
Infinitely.
Currently listening :
All That You Can't Leave Behind
By U2
Release date: 31 October, 2000
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