Sorry Kyle, I wasn’t meaning you were trying to convert me, I was speaking in general of the nature of the Christian churches to proselytize and try to get as many people as possible to believe the way they do.

Now I’ve spoken with people who have tried to say that they didn’t feel a belief was right, and that it should be changed because it wasn’t being taken the way He meant it. They were basically told “I am the pastor/priest, I went to school for this, I know what I’m doing, I know what I am talking about.” They were treated like annoying children, and basically told not to question what they were taught. The worst offender of that one is the LDS church because simply questioning something can get you into a lot of hot water.

I remember when I was still trying to do the “right thing” and be a good Mormon. I was getting ready to get my patriarchal blessing. I had to be interviewed by the bishop before I could make the appointment with the stake Patriarch. During the interview, I was asked if I held any beliefs that were against the church’s teachings and if I associated with anyone who held beliefs that were against the church’s teachings. I looked straight at him, looked him dead in the eye and said “no.” I lied. I was already studying Wicca. My best friend at that time, Nichole, was also studying Wicca. We had cast spells. We read Tarot cards. And he looked at me, bowed his head for a moment, was silent, and then lifted his head and looked at me again. Then he said “Heavenly Father tells me that you are telling the truth. I will make your appointment and let you know when it is.” And he did. At that point I decided that either the books were right and that all Deity really IS one, and that each faith worships the face & name that they feel comfortable worshipping, or the Mormons really were crazy. Of course, with some of what the Mormons believed in, the latter was highly possible. But I believe in the former myself.

Now I do have a response for a comment on my last post, which is: it boils down to this, after going through seven different churches “feeding me erroneous information” I have come to the conclusion that the Christian path simply is not for me. If it was, I’d believe in what I’m told by the various Christians who try to convert me. Honestly, I simply don’t understand why it is that Christians feel the need to convert everyone to THEIR way of thinking, and why God simply cannot allow us to see Him in whatever form and call Him by whatever name makes us comfortable.  In any case, my philosophy is to let people believe as they want to. I don’t want to shake anyone’s faith in what they believe in, I don’t want to convert anyone to Wicca or Christianity or anything else. I just want to give my opinions and what I’ve gleaned from my own experiences with religion.

Now for the reason for the title of the post. I have started using my various blogs to hold contests. My first one is at Charity-Lynn.com right now, a contest for a $20 gift card. Not much I know, but hey, it’s a nice little start. Part of dinner for 2 or a whole dinner for 1 if the winner chooses a restaurant card. LOL But anyways, I’d like to give away something Wicca/Pagan related on this blog, not sure when I’d do the contest, but I’d like to have a contest for something on this blog as well.

My problem is, I don’t know what to have as the prize. Should I have it be a Tarot deck? Or should I save that one for my Tarot blog? Should I give away a pentacle necklace, some crystals, some candles, what? If you have any ideas, let me know in the comments. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Well, I suppose I’d better get going. My friend will be here at the library to pick me up for work any minute now.

Merry Part!

There is actually a very good reason that I don’t generally get into religious debates with people if I can help it. That reason is - most religions are open to the interpretation of their followers. I sat in my best friend’s Sunday School class this past Sunday and there was a huge discussion about the meaning of one single Bible verse.

What you believe, and what I believe may not necessarily be the same thing even though we are of the same denomination. I’ve heard LDS church members say that the President of the LDS Church is a prophet, and I’ve heard other members say that they don’t believe everything he says really comes from God.

I know many Christians who hold very different value systems, and I know many Wiccans and Pagans who different value systems. It’s a matter of what you are able to believe in. Your HEART will tell you what your path needs to be.

A friend of mine actually said to me the other day “I believe that if you are not comfortable worshipping God and Christ, then you are worshipping the Devil.” She then returned and said to me “Not that I believe that YOU worship the Devil, I know you better than that.” I didn’t bother to argue with her, or tell her that Wiccans do not believe in the Devil. Why? Because there is no point in it. All she would say is that of course the Devil would say that he doesn’t exist.

I don’t believe in a supreme being of evil, tempting us at every corner. I DO believe that human nature contains evil, that we conciously choose to do what we know to be wrong, and that we need to take responsibility for our actions. Do you know what I hear most often from Church going people,when someone they know does something wrong?

“Oh that’s the Devil working in him/her. The Devil tempted them into doing it. It’s the Devil’s fault. We need to pray for them.”

WRONG. The “Devil” did not make them do anything. THEY chose to do what they already knew was wrong. They made the decision, knowing this was something that was wrong for them to do, and they have no one to blame but themselves for that decision. The Devil is used as a scapegoat. The Devil is used by the Christian faith to explain away the fact that evil in inherent in humans. I have seen this more than once, in more than one denomination.

I prefer to have a belief system that requires us to take responsibility for our own actions. Wicca does that. Christian churches always told me that the Devil made me do something or that it wasn’t my fault, the Devil was stronger than I am. No, nobody was stronger than I was. I simply made the wrong choice. I don’t need to be told that it’s not my fault, that I wasn’t strong enough to resist, that it’s ok, just to pray and repent and I’ll be fine. What would I learn from that?

Nothing. Just that if I ask for forgiveness, I’ll get it, but I don’t learn any lessons. I don’t learn that what I did was wrong, I don’t learn why it was wrong, I just learn to say “oops, messed up, forgive me?” and it’s done. Not cool. At least not to me.

Now mind you, this is how I’ve always perceived the way the Christian churches work. This is what my experience has been with them.

For the record I have attended the follow types of churches:

1. Catholic
2. Methodist
3. Baptist
4. Church of the Open Bible
5. Assembly of God Church
6. Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints
7. Destiny Outreach Center

Those are seven, very seperate, very distinct churches. Everyone of them has had the same basic things going on. Now I know the Catholics do confession and priest assigns penance, but a lot of times, that penance is saying a set number of prayers with a rosary and you’re done. Not a big consequence if you ask me. The LDS church might excommunicate you, but then a little bit later, they’ll re-baptize you. Yes, the LDS church actually takes away your baptism, telling you that you aren’t worthy of it. And yes that is the CHURCH who does it.

Now I’ve never been comfortable in a church. I’ve never felt like I belonged in that building. I’ve never felt that a specific building should be the only place that I can commune with Deity, that I MUST go to a specific location one day each week and worship Deity. It just doesn’t work for me. I’d rather be able to walk through a park and look at the trees, the birds, the children, and see Deity. I’d rather be able to sleep late, wake up, and relish the fact that I’ve lived for another day, that I am here to experience what I need to experience. That to me is a great feeling and that is how I should be able to worship.

It seems that with this post I struck a nerve in at least one person. Now frankly, I am not into debating religion with anyone, because frankly it is pointless. Everyone believes as they see fit. However, I do find it hilarious when someone feels the need to “correct” me about something I say.

Frankly, I posted my perception of the way Christianity goes. I’ve noted this more than once, in more than one church. And I saw something in one of the comments on the aforementioned post that made me stop and think. This person was defending the Christian faiths. I have to say if you feel the need to defend your faith to me for what I posted about, which was my opinion, formed by my own observations, then perhaps you should take a longer look at what you believe. After all, when I found myself feeling the need to defend my faith and religion, I realized that what people were saying about it was becoming more and more of a reality.

For example, did you realize that you can be excommunicated from your church for varying reasons? It does vary by denomination with the LDS church seeming to be the most strict about it, but still. The CHURCH deems it all right to decide who is worthy to stand before God? I think not. That was supposed to have been for God and Christ to decide, not humans on earth.

And as far as being called back to the flock, flocks are comprised of sheep who follow blindly because they don’t know any better. I prefer not to be referred to in that manner, thank you. I am not a sheep, I am a human. I prefer to be referred to as such.

Just a short note to say I got a new laptop, which I am loving, and that now I can at least wander down to the library and not have any time restrictions on how long I’m on the internet. My only restriction is how long my battery will last. So far I’ve been here about 2 hours and my battery is down to about 27% power, but I have my laptop on power saver mode. Thank goodness for free wireless internet at the library!

So you should see more posts, depending on if I want to get off my butt and walk down the library with the laptop in tow.

I sat in church with my best friend today, because in order to get a ride to work on Sunday, I have to go to church with them. I’ve tried in vain to make other arrangements and a cab to work is $20 each way, so that’s not an option.

I keep hearing how the Christian version of God has “compassion for those who fear Him.” My question is, why should we feel the need to FEAR God? Deity should be there to love us UNCONDITIONALLY. We should NEVER feel the need to FEAR Deity!

That any form of Deity should feel the need to punish someone with eternal consequences for not believing or following their rules, that any form of Deity should put that much fear into their believers hearts, is unthinkable. That is NOT unconditional love. Eternal punishment for being the way Deity created us - with our own free will, with minds that continually question and analyze, with hearts that go their own seperate ways and are not like anyone else’s hearts - if we do not use that free will to choose what Deity wants us to choose, as long as we do not question Deity’s existence, motives, etc, as long as our hearts all lead us to the same path in the end, does not seem like an unconditional love to me.

They spoke of rules set forth by religions today in Sunday School. About how you won’t get to know God and Christ by following those rules alone. That you have to have a “relationship” with God and Christ. Yet there we sat, in a church, that has rules and regulations of how their members should act and what they should and should not do in order to be considered good Christians. Yes you need to have a relationship with Deity, but you do NOT need rules to govern your conduct. Those will follow dependent upon your path.

Plus, I find it awfully interesting that the Christian’s version of Deity actually tells his followers in the Bible to love Him, to show their love for Him, etc. He commands his people to love Him and show their love for Him. Wow. Pretty sad if you are a Deity and feel the need to command your people to show their love for you. That’s another thing that should follow alone without saying.

Now I don’t mean this to be blasphemous in any way. But these are some of the reasons that I cannot follow a path of Christianity. I cannot live with the idea that I must do this, this, and this or else there’s something wrong with the way I interact with Deity. There’s something wrong with my spirituality and my soul. No, there isn’t. My way of interacting with Deity and my relationship with Deity may differ greatly from how you do so, and you may be  Wiccan as well. It’s all in how YOUR path goes, not how someone tells you it should.

Never will I fear my Goddess for I know that no matter what I do, she will NOT cut me off from her. She will spread her loving arms and welcome me back to her, for she knows that I did what was right for ME when it was right for me. And if I’ve lessons left to learn, she will return me to another life to learn those lessons and welcome me back to her yet again and again, until it is time for me to remain with her forever. I will never be completely cut off from her. I need not fear any sort of retribution if it takes me more than one go-around to learn all I need to learn. And that to me, is the greatest gift Deity could have given me, besides life. The unconditional love that says no matter what I do, what mistakes I make, I am always welcome even if I turn away for a while. I could die while turned from Her and She will not abandon me. She will always love me and care for me and She will make sure I come back and learn the lessons necessary. No matter what.

If there is one thing I have noted it’s the blatant lack of what I like to call “magick shops.” I’m not talking about the online stores that seem to be popping up all over but the brick and mortar type of stores that allow you to go in, look around, get a feel for what you’re wanting to purchase. It’s even better when a store has a presence both offline and online. I found one such store today.

Magical Omaha is a magick shop in Omaha, NE, that has both an online and an offline store. This is good since although I live just a couple of hours from Omaha, I am not familiar enough with the town to go there and find the shop. Besides, I don’t have a car and when all your friends are Christians, yeah, I’m sure you can imagine the issues there.

What is most awesome about Magical Omaha is that not only do they have a brick and mortar store I could go to if I could find a way there, but I can still order from them online. I found an awesome Tarot deck on their site that I’d love to have. I think I’ll order it as soon as I have the money.

I got to thinking earlier about the various dogmas and beliefs held by other faiths. One of them I had personal experience with in 2006 when my ex-roommate informed me that I had to move out of the house we were sharing.

My ex-roommate is Mormon and while I don’t agree with their beliefs about God and Christ and Joseph Smith and the like, I did not have a problem with her being Mormon. However, she informed me that she was afraid of offending me by reading her Book of Mormon, saying her prayers, etc. What offended me was actually her assumption that it would bother me. I used to be Mormon. I know what they like to have their members do on a daily basis. It really doesn’t bother me.

However, I took a large exception to Church officials having told her that the spirit of Christ would not enter our house because I am Wiccan. They made it very clear to her that as long as I was in the home, Christ would not enter her home.

Frankly, that is a load of crap. Christ comes into the hearts and homes of anyone who wants him there. If she’d had true faith in Him, He would have come into our  home regardless of who I believed in or worshipped. Simply because my choice of deities and worship do not reflect hers is no reason that Christ would not come into our home. That would mean that for the sins of one, Christ would abandon another, and that is not how I was taught that Christ is when I was a Christian.

Also there is this crazy belief that you MUST gather together at some specific time to worship deity. Why? Deity is everywhere, every day. There is no real need for a large gathering on a specific day of the week to worship deity. I guess I will never understand why it is that people believe that you have to worship in groups in order to worship properly. I can worship my deities just find on my own, without needing to have a group around me or needing to go to a specified place.

Just a few thoughts I’d had earlier.