| What about your Faith challenges you the most?
Posted: 11/22/2007 8:57:54 PM | I have been trying to determine how best to start this discussion for some time. Essentially, we all face challenges to our Faith- usually preceded by heartaches and/or traumas, and in the spirit of this thread:
http://forums.plentyoffish.com/datingPosts8678929.aspx
I am 'borrowing' the stipulations skyblujeep used for his discussion. The challenge is this: openly and honestly discuss what is the 'most challenging' aspect of the Faith you ascribe to.
1)Talk about 'what your faith does for you that you find difficult. What do you have trouble rationalizing or dealing with? What challenges does it present to you? What rituals/ceremonies do you find distasteful?
2)Do not slag other faiths.
Now, in order to demonstrate what I'm referring to, I'll try to use myself as an example.
My Faith allows me to take what I find acceptable and add it in, and remove that which I find to be outdated or counterproductive.
However, it is rare that I can discuss my faith with others, since it is essentially my religious fingerprint. Thus, it is a somewhat lonely experience, in that there are no Etherealist social gatherings, no churches or singles groups or think tanks.
Additionally, integrating secular theories (such as String Theory or Chaos Theory) into my faith poses its own challenges: for example, if I am discussing Chaos Theory with others, I cannot also discuss my Faith without it seeming less legitimate.
Perhaps the most challenging aspect is the lack of "holy" days. Aside from not etting to claim any religious days off of work or school, I have yet to determine how to determine what the conditions would be for a single day to be more "holy" than others. And though part of me feels that distinguishing any one day as holy demeans every other day, it is difficult at times to face the day knowing it is no better than any other. | |
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| What about your Faith challenges you the most?
Posted: 11/22/2007 10:42:50 PM | Honestly, Trippy?
Well... my faith has no issues with science that I can see. So I'm lucky there. Quantum physics almost seems to support it, as well as the other hard sciences and even a lot of philosophies..
Not being able to celebrate my holy days is a b!tch..I mean I still do but have to do it while working also unless it falls on a weekend. Every day and place is sacred in my faith...our "Holy Days" are more a way to align with the natural rythyms and cycles, like resetting a watch. The earth is my "church". Can't get away from it! I can't leave my church, Trippy! LOL
I'd like to say that the biggest challenge is not belonging to a conventional religion. But that's not really true. Or like you that I have few real peers...and that get's lonely sometimes...and I've never been any good at "dumbing down"..in fact I fail miserably at it. I fail at being "socially acceptable" quite frequently also, though I have impeccable etiquette! These really don't distress me as much as I think they do.
I think the biggest challenge is that the nature of consciousness is one where I can not be SURE of anything I think, or believe. How much have I been indoctrinated by culture, upbringing? education? How much of my beliefs are coloured by existential fear? How much can I rely on knowledge, or experience, or emotion? How much of my consciousness and thinking processes are influenced by ego? by genetic memory? by human nature? By gene survival instincts? By..oh, the list is long and get's really esoteric and then hurts my brain. Do I believe? or do I WANT to believe? What can I really be sure of in this complicated world? The information available, and the opinions and the...experience... well, it's too much to attempt in one lifetime... THAT is the hardest thing...and the biggest challenge. I don't know if it is actually a part of my faith... but it's the truth.
darn...now you are making me think!
Peace | |
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| What about your Faith challenges you the most?
Posted: 11/22/2007 10:52:26 PM | Interesting question!
I think that one of the most "challenging" aspects of my beliefs is the strong connection to ancestry and culture. In that the Germanic peoples were in no position to be militarily forced to convert to anything... so how did the conversion succeed if our beliefs were so viable?
While that questions has long since been answered, there is also the problem with all of the history that followed the conversion. We can call them "Christians", like they are some entirely different tribe of people, but they are still our ancestors, speaking our language, cultivating our culture, and shaping our historical experience.
Thats some confusing stuff when you're reading something about Christian history, something that really gets the blood boiling, but you don't have the convenience to say, "well, they're not real Teutons" or whatever.
I have to say that I like it though. It IS a *challenge*... it really makes you think about things. | |
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| What about your Faith challenges you the most?
Posted: 11/23/2007 9:08:25 AM | Treating others well.
My faith requires both doing religious rituals, and respecting other human beings, and treating them well. I find that the religious rituals are not that difficult once you get used to them. However, there are so many ways that I can respect others, and treat them well, that I find it very, very, very challenging to meet this task.
By far, treating others well is the most challenging of anything I have ever had to do. It is an almost limitless task, and I am confronted with thousands of opportunities to do it every day. | |
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| What about your Faith challenges you the most?
Posted: 11/23/2007 9:32:57 AM | | i think "my" challenge is to know the Truth, the Whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth! in a world where there are soooooo many differences of opinion, it is my goal to do just that, that's why i do keep my mind open, even though i believe as i do, and that's why i study and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance! On my own, i'll never know the Real Truth, but with persistance, prayer, and THE guidance i require, i'll find the answers i need! IMHO!!! | |
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| What about your Faith challenges you the most?
Posted: 11/23/2007 10:35:10 AM | Still Jewish. But Jews have a wide range of opinions and beliefs. While I and the Jews I know are quite tolerant and open, there are some Jews that aren't. And since there is no central authority of Judaism, they remain as Jewish as I am. In fact, to hear them talk, they're much more Jewish than I am!  But most faiths have that problem.
Anyway, Trippy, you're welcome to sit in on some of the Jewish Holidays! You sure won't starve!  And you can discuss String and Chaos Theory, and Etherealism without being thought an oddball.
Getting back to what I find distasteful about Judaism. I also don't like the fact that many Jews only go to services on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, the solemn holidays, and then complain that Judaism is kind of a negative religion. It's negative to them, because that's all they choose to see. The rest of the year is mostly positive, but they don't see that. | |
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| What about your Faith challenges you the most?
Posted: 11/23/2007 10:47:49 AM | | It is lonely sometimes walking your own path..especially when the society you live in casually rejects or ignores what you believe in..but once on this path..there is no turning back..the call is to great. | |
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| What about your Faith challenges you the most?
Posted: 11/23/2007 10:48:40 AM |
By far, treating others well is the most challenging of anything I have ever had to do.
Ditto! Loving my "enemy", forgiving, and basically treating others with respect /kindness at all times ... not easy! | |
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| What about your Faith challenges you the most?
Posted: 11/27/2007 3:04:01 AM | same for me swordedsaint! the LONILINESS walking alone- and i have even found myself almost spiritually dead trying to walk alone-but i MISSED that anoiting feeling so much i just got determined to chase after God until i felt that fire again- and i have it and not letting that fire out. I play more christian music, pray more, read the bible more and FINALLY found a new home church and getting involved . I moved from my home church in michigan to florida and left my christian friends and it really effected
me. If it was a test , i passed= like you said its tooooooo great of a call to turn back on.
and being single, is hard, but add being a christian and ONLY looking for a christian man and be equally yoked, GEES that reduces your chance of finding a man ALOT-
but i'm not making any more mistakes trying to be with a man who is not submitted to God- (wondering how many people are wondering what'' being equally yoked means'
HA!!!!!!!!! its NOT about eggs! ha | |
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| What about your Faith challenges you the most?
Posted: 11/27/2007 3:39:26 AM | 1)Talk about 'what your faith does for you that you find difficult.
What my faith does for me that is difficult?
Mmmm...*in deep thought. *
Well, it doesnt "do" anything for me that is hard but by adhereing to my faith or God, I am instructed to obey certain Laws that can be a drag and really arent what I want to do.. sometimes, other times I enjoy obeying them, especially when I see Him there in that act, His hand and how doing as He is allows others to see Him...(when I get out of the way)
However, *everyone meet Amy w/out Jesus for a day*
I would enjoy the ability to tell people who tell me to go *uck myself to do the same...or lie to my boss or people I work with. Or go out with smokin hot studs w/ 6 packs and model good looks, here on this site for some
"sex and drugs, tonight, wanna come?" (yes, really)
And to enjoy these things with no conviction or care and not feel as though Ive danced all over the Cross, using my freedom from the penalty of said sin, to behave as a bimbo instead of a princess, a daughter of the King.
What do you have trouble rationalizing or dealing with? What challenges does it present to you? You know those already, doll.
I cant tell all these geeks, they are not in our club, duh.
What rituals/ceremonies do you find distasteful?
I have none, that I can think of.
Additionally, integrating secular theories (such as String Theory or Chaos Theory) into my faith poses its own challenges: for example, if I am discussing Chaos Theory with others, I cannot also discuss my Faith without it seeming less legitimate.
May I offer an observation? Pleeeeeeeeese?
It seems as though in order to share faith such as yours, one must be educated. Like a lot. Like that one guy that didnt graduate til' he was 68, kinda smart. No? So, if riding this horse all the way to Dallas, would you say that it was your study that brought you here? Do you believe that some *coughs* have others partly due to lack of study of secular matters?
~Good stuff, man.
My Faith allows me to take what I find acceptable and add it in, and remove that which I find to be outdated or counterproductive.
Do you think that you'll find Mrs. Trip to be as likeminded? Is that important?What if you want to remove what she wants on top? Or the lil' Trips? Are you afraid to base your reality on your own authority and understanding? How does it feel to stand alone in your beliefs? Do you desire to teach or convert others?
Did you find my faith unfulfilling or lacking in some way to have discard it?
OK,OK, I'll stop w/ the 20 questions... | |
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| What about your Faith challenges you the most?
Posted: 11/27/2007 10:54:15 AM | How did I miss this thread?
1)Talk about 'what your faith does for you that you find difficult. Although I understand that I am NEVER truly alone... in this I am alone... and as others have said, it can get lonely at times...
What do you have trouble rationalizing or dealing with? The lack of understanding from others, being told I am wrong... and most importantly... being unable to share this massively important part of myself..
It feels like I can only be about 30% of myself around most others and it has become actually painful... to be honest, that is why I like it in here... I have met a lot of others in the same boat and who actually do speak my language..
I can discuss things that are important to me without someone giving me that glazed look and telling me that I am "too deep" (which to me is an oxymoron, lol...) that I think too much or the ever popular intimation that I should just be quiet and look pretty 
What rituals/ceremonies do you find distasteful? If I found a ritual/ceremony distasteful I simply would not do it... I get to choose that which works for me :)
What challenges does it present to you? I seek out challenges for I enjoy learning and growing.... stretching ever onward... to me stagnation is faaaaar worse than death...
I also like to pose them :)
Awesome thread Trippy!! | |
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| What about your Faith challenges you the most?
Posted: 11/27/2007 5:10:04 PM | There have been times throughout my life that I've experienced a crisis in faith , or
better known as the 'Dark night of the soul", ...to quote from the Wikepedia explanation:
Dark Night of the Soul is a term used to describe a specific phase in a person's spiritual life. It is used as a metaphor to describe the experience of loneliness and desolation in one's life. Though typically associated with a crisis of faith in the Roman Catholic tradition, it is commonly referenced by spiritual traditions throughout the world, and is generally accepted to be a universally inherent aspect of spiritual growth.
This has generally happened during times of my life where things were not going as expected, there seemed to be a lonliness that nobody, not even God could take away. I questioned the purpose to my life during these difficult times and became withdrawn, from my friends, and family. It has happened at least three times , one of them being after my divorce and just recently, going through a difficult period , that I am just now able to see the light for the first time.It is a difficult thing to explain to someone and may even come across as clinical depression, but it goes much deeper than that because it touches your very spirit and questions the reason for your existance. You start to wonder why there has to be so much tragedy in the world, even though , deep down you know the answer to that. It can and has lasted anywhere from months to several years depending on the difficulty I was going through. Eventually you do pull yourself out of it and start to see the beauty in the world. It is a painful thing to go through and had I not gone through those darkest moments, I could have never possibly learned what I had to learn to grow as a spiritual being.
There have been many times that I've argued with God and asked the why questions.. Throughout this time I was forced to go within myself and do a lot of meditation and soul searching. I just realize now that this is part of being human and that there will be terrible things that happen to a person through the course of a lifetime. It is how you choose to handle it that determines which direction your life will go from there.
My view on this is that I believe everyone of us will go through some sort of test of faith at least one time in their life and it is our own will to survive and the hope that this too shall pass, which will then enable us to move on to the next phase of spiritual growth. | |
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| What about your Faith challenges you the most?
Posted: 11/27/2007 5:21:04 PM | Without a doubt, the most challenging part of my faith is treating everyone like my kin.
When I first started on this path, I thought that was easy to do. I mean, hell, how hard could it be to treat everyone like my brothers and sisters? Right? Pfft.. try it. I mean really try it. It encompasses so very much that you never think of. Compassion, generosity, love, trust, honor, loyalty.. and that is to name a few!
It also forced me to look at how I treated my blood kin.. my family. Over time, I realized that some how, society had gotten to a point that they treated strangers better than they did their own family. I had to re-evaluate how I treated my family in order to be able to treat everyone else like my kin. Same standards for everyone.
It is not easy and it is something I constantly work at.
~Freya  | |
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| What about your Faith challenges you the most?
Posted: 11/27/2007 5:47:14 PM | | The problem I have the most - is the uninformed out there who instantly think that my path is evil - and it has nothing to do with that - quite the opposite. And dealing with the bs on tv and movies that don't help the situation any. | |
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| What about your Faith challenges you the most?
Posted: 12/7/2007 11:04:49 PM | | The biggest challenge? Trusting God. It is not easy to put your trust in God. A believer has at times the same doubts that an unbeliever has. At least that is true for me. The idea that the meek shall be rewarded someday seems like a fairy tale at times. I can understand how some dismiss the idea as wishful thinking. Believing is not easy. It is hard. I think it was meant to be. | |
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| What about your Faith challenges you the most?
Posted: 12/7/2007 11:45:39 PM | being atheist (not a faith but I'll reply anyway), the hardest challenge for me was reconciling an absence of belief in what happens to me after death. Eventually I came to realize that if there really was a god with some kind of peaceful existence for a select few, that it would be a good god and would select people based on their merits like how they treat others - not because they seek a reward in the afterlife, but because they want to. If there is no god and nothing in the afterlife, I'll be content knowing I lived the best life I could.
If there is a god and if he's anything like the christian god, I'll take hell any time thanx. | |
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| What about your Faith challenges you the most?
Posted: 12/9/2007 6:24:03 AM | Since I believe the spiritual realm is more real than the tangible physical world we live in I'm constantly battling my own nature as well as the enemy's. This can become tiresome and some days I wish the reality of the situation were different.
This is compounded even more by the fact the great commission calls on christians to go into the world and spread the good news. This spreading of the good news is not always welcomed and some days the backlash and persecutions can have a draining effect on ones mental, emotional and physical state. Many days I have to question why it is that God would want me to reach out to certain people.
Another aspect I found difficult as a baby christian was the eliminating of certain bad habits/sin from my life. And while I have learned how to fend off certain thoughts and reject the urge to act on them there are still some things I stuggle with.
Oh how much easier and simpler life would be if I viewed the world as I did prior to becoming a christian. | |
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