What was your previous religion?

Discussion in 'Paganism' started by TranquilPaths, Aug 17, 2009.

  1. TranquilPaths

    TranquilPaths Member

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  2. fluttersteke

    fluttersteke Member

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    I am actually agnostic. I spent the first 18 years of my life as a pagan, specifically Wiccan. Yes, I called myself a wiccan at five years old. If I had to label myself, I would say that I am still Pagan for the most part but over the years I've created my own ideas and beliefs. But I would have to say that Wicca was my previous religion.
     
  3. Spiritchalist

    Spiritchalist Member

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    I consider myself a Universalist pagan, since pagan is so broad a term. I was raised Christian, but at age 15 or so researched Buddhism. Once I began to try meditation, and read into the eastern spirituality, I 'converted'.
     
  4. desperad0

    desperad0 Member

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    I'm not sure how to label myself. In this forum's sticky thread where paganism is defined, it covers all kinds of non-christian non-Jewish-based belief systems, but in other threads here, nearly everyone seems to be seriously into Wicca. I have had no direct experience with Wicca, but I do believe in an unknowable god that has not reached out to mankind in any way.

    I was brought up protestant christian. I was never comfortable with it.
     
  5. LorettaYoungSilks

    LorettaYoungSilks Member

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    Atheist. God blessed me with the knowledge to know better :p

    I was brought up to be religious, suppose to be a Protestant, as it certainly wasn't catholicism.
     
  6. Delfynasa

    Delfynasa Member

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    was raised Mormon...but then I took the red pill...
    peace
    blessed be,
    Delfynasa
     
  7. Musikero

    Musikero Lifetime Supporter Lifetime Supporter

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    Was Baptized, raised, educated, took Communion, got educated, got Confirmed, then educated some more as a Catholic. Started questioning when I was twenty, began looking into Wicca, Neopaganism, Taoism, and Buddhism. I've called myself Taoist and I've called myself Buddhist. Certainly the way I think is strongly influenced by both.
     
  8. JKHolman

    JKHolman Member

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    Christianity.
     
  9. Indy Hippy

    Indy Hippy Zen & Bearded

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    Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, and Judaism :D
     
  10. rak

    rak Senior Member

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    I guess I was Born an athiest until mom told me God made us all.
     
  11. RubySoho6

    RubySoho6 Organized Chaos

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    I have never had a religion. My parents raised me to make that choice for myself. I've gone to church 2 times in my life. The first time was when I was 18. It was a Presbyterian church. My brother in laws mom is a minister and she was performing the service. Although I could agree with part of the message, it just didn't feel right. The 2nd time was this past August when I crashed a funeral. It ended up just being Catholic mass. That was certainly NOT for me.

    I've always been agnostic/atheist. Teetering between the 2. I would say I'm more agnostic as I've gotten older. I have my own views on things so until I'm proven wrong, meaning when I die, I guess I'll always question God.
     
  12. willybilly30

    willybilly30 Member

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    I was raised Christian after I moved out I started studying WIcca I found it on the Internet cause I was courious about what Witchcraft is.i now call myself an Eclectic Christian WIccan cause I believe in both.
     
  13. Irminsul

    Irminsul Valkyrie

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    I guess we were all raised Catholic, but my parents were happy that I found a liking to Norse/Saxon mythology from an early childhood. I think it kept me out of trouble. lol.
     
  14. thedope

    thedope glad attention Lifetime Supporter

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    Volcano worship, but it became tough to find virgins
     
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  15. scratcho

    scratcho Lifetime Supporter Lifetime Supporter

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    Somewhere along the line, someone in my so-called family mentioned that I was baptized in the Episcopal church. Don't remember, don't care and don't intend to go to any

    church. Decided about the age of 14 that whatever the answer to " what does it all mean" was a joke perpetuated by hucksters with a dire need for $$ and sycophants.

    Which is to say= none.


    ( I know people take their religion seriously, so apology offered, if necessary.)
     
    wilsjane likes this.
  16. Meliai

    Meliai Banned

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    I was raised southern Baptist. I'm not sure if raised is the right word as my mom never really went to church but there were always other family members who pushed it on me.


    I was "saved" at a Christian camp when I was 9. We were at a very simple outdoor chapel and the preacher was droning on about accepting Jesus into your heart. I looked out over the mountains, the view was truly beautiful, and felt my heart fill with love. Of course years later I realized it was nature saving me, not Jesus. That was my first religious communion with nature. I've never really bothered to classify myself as a pagan but I guess that is what I am. Nature has always been my church.
     
  17. Moonglow181

    Moonglow181 Lifetime Supporter Lifetime Supporter

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    ah, yes, nature...me, too...i have unfortuneatley run out of likes for the day earlier....dangbammit.....

    born with no religion, no religion in my family ever.....and still no religion.....
     
  18. andallthatstocome

    andallthatstocome not a squid

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    I spent the first thirteen years of my life as a kind-of-sort-of Quaker, and rebounded from the loss of my monotheism into a hard atheism that didn't last long. My first forays into paganism were, admittedly, selfishly-motivated. Despite my rational skepticism, the idea of more subtle control of situations allowed my id to overcome my ego. Wrong motivations, but that means I learned quick. I'm glad I' on the path I'm on.
     
  19. themnax

    themnax Senior Member

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    my beliefs have never been any one thing, that you could put a name to, and someone else would recognize that name, and think because they did, that they would know what you were talking about.

    i have believed in both a one god, and at other times, a diversely populated non-hierarchical spirit space. i don't think i've ever believed in the idea that anything could be infallible. though at some times i have come close to being convinced that something might need to be. but that was before i realized why nothing needed to be.

    there still might be one invisible thing more powerful then other invisible things. but if so, it is only by circumstance, and not because anything needs to be.

    i have always believed there have been other things besides ourselves, and other things besides physical things also.

    i remain skeptical, of anything worthy of worship, wishing to be worshiped. whether it be a one god or dozens or more of them.

    invisible people being fine wonderful friends, i have no problem with that at all.

    the idea that anything that isn't part of some hierarchy having to be something wrong, makes no sense to me and never has.

    i have gone to gatherings of believers of beliefs, even regularly at some times in my life, i don't mean to imply that i haven't.

    but i've always sought those resembling what i already perceive, rather then my own beliefs and perceptions being shaped by doing so.

    in this i was fortunate in my parents being each of differing religious backgrounds, and not trying to push any on me, nor discouraging me from exploring wherever my curiosity might lead.

    i don't now follow any one thing you could put a name to. to me, all names are something physical living people have invented.
     
  20. makihiko

    makihiko Official hippie since 2005

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    When I was very young, my grandmother would always take me to church, and she labelled me as a christian, but I was always asking her difficult questions that she could not answer, I would often point out things that I thought were pretty obvious flaws and contradictions. Around age 10-12, I started reading everything could about every religion I knew about at the time. I eventually came across wicca, and I found ti to be a nice fit, at around age 20-25, I started calling myself a pagan, because I felt that wicca ignored the darker parts, which are just as important and the light side. (I am 30 now)

    so, I am pagan.
     
    TanekRune likes this.

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