collapse

* Recent Posts

"Christ Is King" by Altair
[Today at 01:09:34 am]


Re: Cill Shift Schedule by SunflowerP
[Yesterday at 11:04:57 pm]


Re: Stellar Bling: The Good, the Bad, the OMG! by SunflowerP
[March 21, 2024, 11:21:37 pm]


Re: Spring Has Sprung! 2024 Edition by SunflowerP
[March 21, 2024, 10:24:10 pm]


Stellar Bling: The Good, the Bad, the OMG! by Altair
[March 21, 2024, 02:52:34 pm]

Author Topic: General/Non-Specific: The Central Teaching of Your Religion  (Read 12666 times)

EclecticWheel

  • Staff
  • *
  • Join Date: Jul 2013
  • Location: Texas
  • Posts: 763
  • Country: us
  • Total likes: 193
    • View Profile
  • Religion: Christo-Eclectic
  • Preferred Pronouns: he/him/his
Re: The Central Teaching of Your Religion
« Reply #45 on: January 26, 2018, 10:31:01 pm »
That my Will and the Will of my gods matter more than anything.

A similar notion underlies all of my practices both personal and communal, at least on the surface of it.

In essence, this notion entails relaxing into, surrendering to the ever changing flow of existence, thereby acknowledging within myself an innate interdependence with reality  which inderpendence simply is divine.

This surrender to the flow, this passive activity, this resting in the midst of effort, is to acknowledge that I never did or could do anything but my Will, and my Will is a facet of God's Will.
My personal moral code:

Love wisely, and do what thou wilt.

drgong

  • Sr. Newbie
  • **
  • Join Date: Dec 2011
  • Posts: 13
  • Country: 00
  • Total likes: 1
    • View Profile
Re: The Central Teaching of Your Religion
« Reply #46 on: April 02, 2018, 10:24:20 pm »
Quote
If you had to identify the most important idea that animates your religion or spiritual path--the first, foremost, and forever lesson it offers--what would it be?


Blood for the Blood god!!    ;D

Just kidding.

Oathkeeping. 

TheGreenWizard

  • Master Member
  • ******
  • Join Date: Jul 2017
  • Location: New York, NY
  • Posts: 352
  • Country: us
  • Total likes: 161
    • View Profile
  • Religion: Hellenic Pagan
  • Preferred Pronouns: he/him/his
Re: The Central Teaching of Your Religion
« Reply #47 on: April 03, 2018, 03:40:08 pm »
If you had to identify the most important idea that animates your religion or spiritual path--the first, foremost, and forever lesson it offers--what would it be?

This can be tough; I'm having a hard time narrowing it down to a single most important tenet for my own brand of paganism. But as an example, for Christianity (and mind you, this is coming from a non-Christian) I would say it would probably be "Love all persons, no matter what."

So what would yours be?

This is tough for me - like others, I feel that I'm still very young/early in my path and I may have an inkling of what it is... but I'm not quite sure if these are central tenets, but I'll start with them:

"Hate is always foolish, and love is always wise." & "Always try to be nice, but never fail to be kind." & "Keep an open mind, for you don't know others' life stories."

Yes, the first two quotes are from Doctor Who, the 2017 Christmas Special, before Capaldi ends his turn and gives the reigns over to Whittaker. The last one is something I've been having trouble getting to... but they've resonated me for quite some time and really sum up my actions as a person.

For the latter Doctor Who quote, it seems that it's referring to the same actions, but it is not. To be kind is to be having or showing a friendly, generous, and considerate nature, while being nice is pleasant and agreeable (to quote the dictionary). I'm this to a T, and I know many of my friends would describe me as such - therefore, I make it part of my practice.

For the former Doctor Who quote: I've learned through my family's experiences, and from recent events, that hating someone just really wastes energy that could be spent elsewhere. On the other hand, loving someone for their entirety - both the good and bad - makes for a more fulfilling experience and worldview.

Lastly - "Keep an open mind, for you don't know others' life stories" - I try very hard to keep the beliefs that I have inherited (and still have to a degree) from my family and upbringing from interfering with how I interact with others. This could be considered a secondary tenet to the first and second Doctor Who quotes.

For now that's what I have - maybe I'll have my epiphany a bit later.
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...”
― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go

arete

  • Master Member
  • ******
  • Join Date: Jul 2018
  • Banned!
  • Posts: 477
  • Country: gr
  • Total likes: 67
    • View Profile
  • Religion: pagan
Re: The Central Teaching of Your Religion
« Reply #48 on: July 16, 2018, 12:11:23 pm »
If you had to identify the most important idea that animates your religion or spiritual path--the first, foremost, and forever lesson it offers--what would it be?

This can be tough; I'm having a hard time narrowing it down to a single most important tenet for my own brand of paganism. But as an example, for Christianity (and mind you, this is coming from a non-Christian) I would say it would probably be "Love all persons, no matter what."

So what would yours be?
This is a great teaching you wrote. I'm a syncretic pagan and I have elements of Christianity in my paganism, and Love is the Greatest Teaching.

PerditaPickle

  • Staff
  • *
  • Join Date: Aug 2015
  • Location: UK
  • Posts: 2104
  • Country: england
  • Total likes: 641
  • It's all metta - at least, I believe it should be
    • View Profile
    • Portrait of Perpetual Perplexity
  • Religion: Druid-ish
  • Preferred Pronouns: She/her/hers
Re: The Central Teaching of Your Religion
« Reply #49 on: October 11, 2018, 12:08:32 pm »
If you had to identify the most important idea that animates your religion or spiritual path--the first, foremost, and forever lesson it offers--what would it be?

'Teaching' is probably not the right word, but I think the most important idea would be reverence for nature.
“Radiate boundless love towards the entire world — above, below, and across — unhindered, without ill will, without enmity.” – The Buddha
(From the Metta Sutta)

My Portrait of Perpetual Perplexity blog

Donal2018

  • Sr. Master Member
  • *******
  • Join Date: Dec 2018
  • Location: New York
  • Posts: 513
  • Country: us
  • Total likes: 96
    • View Profile
  • Religion: Universalist
Re: The Central Teaching of Your Religion
« Reply #50 on: April 12, 2019, 12:06:14 am »
If you had to identify the most important idea that animates your religion or spiritual path--the first, foremost, and forever lesson it offers--what would it be?

This is a somewhat older thread that I had a strong reaction to, so I hope that it is alright for me to revive it, or at least post my response to it.

As a tenet of my humanism, practice mercy and compassion with others, and practice it with your own self in your own heart.

My pantheism is a little less warm and fuzzy, though. My humanism exists in a larger context of my pantheism. Part of my pantheism is that reality, the cosmos, the world, is vast, awesome, terrible, and wonderful. Our small spark of humanity in the midst of this is divine and sacred to me.

The human story is in part the story of a struggle to survive in a hostile and violent nature. Human nature can thus also be malevolent and violent since it comes out of a fierce and violent nature, in part. So, it reflects some of this fierce and violent reality.

I think a lot of humanisms gloss over this dichotomy in human nature and view human beings with too much of a rosy view. So, humans are capable of great compassion but also terrible deeds.

I venerate the universe as the matrix in which we humans have been formed. I beleive that as human beings we should place our own well-being at the center of our own ideology.

Also, compassion must also be tempered with a sense of justice. Wrong-doing must be punished, but in a way that ultimately corrects the wrong-doing. I beleive in restorative justice.

These are some principles of my personal beliefs.


Hariti

  • Sr. Master Member
  • *******
  • Join Date: Mar 2017
  • Location: Washington
  • *
  • Posts: 942
  • Country: us
  • Total likes: 320
  • Kyrie Eleison
    • View Profile
  • Religion: Extremely Eclectic
  • Preferred Pronouns: she/they
Re: The Central Teaching of Your Religion
« Reply #51 on: April 12, 2019, 07:44:13 pm »
This is a somewhat older thread that I had a strong reaction to, so I hope that it is alright for me to revive it, or at least post my response to it.

I remember this thread! Glad to hear your views.
"The worshippers of the gods go to them; to the manes go the ancestor-worshippers; to the Deities who preside over the elements go their worshippers; My devotees come to Me." ... "Whichever devotee desires to adore whatever such Deity with faith, in all such votaries I make that particular faith unshakable. Endowed with that faith, a votary performs the worship of that particular deity and obtains the fruits thereof, these being granted by Me alone." - Sri Krishna

Donal2018

  • Sr. Master Member
  • *******
  • Join Date: Dec 2018
  • Location: New York
  • Posts: 513
  • Country: us
  • Total likes: 96
    • View Profile
  • Religion: Universalist
Re: The Central Teaching of Your Religion
« Reply #52 on: April 14, 2019, 08:18:27 pm »
This is a somewhat older thread that I had a strong reaction to, so I hope that it is alright for me to revive it, or at least post my response to it.

As a tenet of my humanism, practice mercy and compassion with others, and practice it with your own self in your own heart.

My pantheism is a little less warm and fuzzy, though. My humanism exists in a larger context of my pantheism. Part of my pantheism is that reality, the cosmos, the world, is vast, awesome, terrible, and wonderful. Our small spark of humanity in the midst of this is divine and sacred to me.

The human story is in part the story of a struggle to survive in a hostile and violent nature. Human nature can thus also be malevolent and violent since it comes out of a fierce and violent nature, in part. So, it reflects some of this fierce and violent reality.

I think a lot of humanisms gloss over this dichotomy in human nature and view human beings with too much of a rosy view. So, humans are capable of great compassion but also terrible deeds.

I venerate the universe as the matrix in which we humans have been formed. I beleive that as human beings we should place our own well-being at the center of our own ideology.

Also, compassion must also be tempered with a sense of justice. Wrong-doing must be punished, but in a way that ultimately corrects the wrong-doing. I beleive in restorative justice.

These are some principles of my personal beliefs.

I would also note that my paganism springs from this schema as well. My humanism derives from the simple empirical fact that I am human, and what benefits humans in general would also likely benefit me. So, humanity is sacred to me. Since humanity was formed out of Nature, then Nature to me is also sacred to me as the Source and cradle of Humanity. So, starting with humanism and the value of humanity, I also venerate Nature as the matrix in which humanity was formed. This is the source of my paganism. An appreciation of how Nature is the sacred Source of Life.

Likewise, since Nature formed here on Earth, and the Earth formed out of the Cosmos, then the Universe and the Cosmos are likewise sacred to  me as the Source of life here on Earth. Since one of the best ways to understand the Cosmos, Nature, Humanity, and Civilization is through Science, for me Science is an instrument to enhance spiritual and philosophical understanding. This is in addition to the more practical benefits of Science.

Zlote Jablko

  • Journeyman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Oct 2018
  • Location: Texas
  • Posts: 168
  • Country: us
  • Total likes: 90
    • View Profile
  • Religion: Slavic/ PIE Recon
Re: The Central Teaching of Your Religion
« Reply #53 on: April 15, 2019, 07:14:13 am »

The human story is in part the story of a struggle to survive in a hostile and violent nature. Human nature can thus also be malevolent and violent since it comes out of a fierce and violent nature, in part. So, it reflects some of this fierce and violent reality.

I think a lot of humanisms gloss over this dichotomy in human nature and view human beings with too much of a rosy view. So, humans are capable of great compassion but also terrible deeds.

I can relate to that as well. Once you accept evolution as a process that helped shape us, selfishness and aggression seem like inevitable traits of any self-sustaining life. We should not hate ourselves for having these failings bred in the bone... or in the genome.

Yet we also have a duty to overcome those human tendencies that cause disorder or harm. I would say more, but I feel like I already discussed my own moral views a lot on the thread about morality. (On ecauldron.org  :-\)

PerditaPickle

  • Staff
  • *
  • Join Date: Aug 2015
  • Location: UK
  • Posts: 2104
  • Country: england
  • Total likes: 641
  • It's all metta - at least, I believe it should be
    • View Profile
    • Portrait of Perpetual Perplexity
  • Religion: Druid-ish
  • Preferred Pronouns: She/her/hers
Re: The Central Teaching of Your Religion
« Reply #54 on: April 15, 2019, 04:02:38 pm »
I can relate to that as well. Once you accept evolution as a process that helped shape us, selfishness and aggression seem like inevitable traits of any self-sustaining life. We should not hate ourselves for having these failings bred in the bone... or in the genome.

Yet we also have a duty to overcome those human tendencies that cause disorder or harm.

Pretty well put, I thought.
“Radiate boundless love towards the entire world — above, below, and across — unhindered, without ill will, without enmity.” – The Buddha
(From the Metta Sutta)

My Portrait of Perpetual Perplexity blog

Tags:
 

Related Topics

  Subject / Started by Replies Last post
5 Replies
1674 Views
Last post January 19, 2012, 09:32:18 pm
by Ashlei
12 Replies
2612 Views
Last post July 03, 2012, 05:09:33 pm
by Mithril
0 Replies
3347 Views
Last post July 02, 2012, 10:37:53 am
by RandallS
5 Replies
1798 Views
Last post August 14, 2013, 05:53:27 am
by Riothamus12
8 Replies
2247 Views
Last post October 30, 2014, 07:02:12 pm
by Sefiru

* Who's Online

  • Dot Guests: 196
  • Dot Hidden: 0
  • Dot Users: 0

There aren't any users online.

* Please Donate!

The Cauldron's server is expensive and requires monthly payments. Please become a Bronze, Silver or Gold Donor if you can. Donations are needed every month. Without member support, we can't afford the server.

* Shop & Support TC

The links below are affiliate links. When you click on one of these links you will go to the listed shopping site with The Cauldron's affiliate code. Any purchases you make during your visit will earn TC a tiny percentage of your purchase price at no extra cost to you.

* In Memoriam

Chavi (2006)
Elspeth (2010)
Marilyn (2013)

* Cauldron Staff

Host:
Sunflower

Message Board Staff
Board Coordinator:
Darkhawk

Assistant Board Coordinator:
Aster Breo

Senior Staff:
Aisling, Allaya, Jenett, Sefiru

Staff:
Ashmire, EclecticWheel, HarpingHawke, Kylara, PerditaPickle, rocquelaire

Discord Chat Staff
Chat Coordinator:
Morag

'Up All Night' Coordinator:
Altair

Cauldron Council:
Bob, Catja, Chatelaine, Emma-Eldritch, Fausta, Jubes, Kelly, LyricFox, Phouka, Sperran, Star, Steve, Tana

Site Administrator:
Randall

SimplePortal 2.3.6 © 2008-2014, SimplePortal