From the article: Alternative Religion Quick Reference Chart
Do you follow an "alternative religion," something often unknown or misunderstood by the common public? Share your experiences here! What do you follow? What are the basic beliefs and practices? How did you get into it? What would you like other people to know about your faith? Share Your Experience!
The Source Foundation
- I think that www.thesourcefoundation.com offers a more logical explanation of why we are here and how we came to get here
- —Guest Nephilim
I have seen the Fnords
- It's been almost ten years since I first read the Principia Discordia and I have never been the same since. I grew up Catholic and rejected it but I didn't give up on religion all together. My brother had turned me on to Taoism and Zen Buddhism and I really liked what it was all about. However I was never much for dogma and my Zen was more in line with what Alan Watts called "Beat Zen". Throughout the years I read up on all types of religions and philosophies. I read some gnostic writings, Hindu scriptures, pagan books and even the Satanic Bible but I just keep coming back to Discordianism. It's a religion that doesn't get in the way of my atheism or my anarchism...I just love it. The Goddess shines her light on everything from international affairs to our own mudane existance. She makes my brief spell on this pretty planet so much more interesting and for that I say "Hail Eris, all hail Discordia"
- —Guest The Gray Chimp Magi
The story of a Theistic Satanist
- I am, as the title may suggest, a Theistic (or "spiritual", as it's more commonly referred to as) Satanist. I worship Satan as a deity. But, I've formed a different type of belief system. First of all, as you may be able to tell, I'm much more mature in my beliefs than most Satanists. Many just spew out Hail-Satan's like they're making a difference. But anyway, I came to be a Satanist because, as I used to be a Christian, my beliefs faded over time and I gradually grew to realize that Christianity makes little to no sense at all. It was about that time that I found joyofsatan.com and was exploring alternate religions. And, although I didn't agree with everything, Satanism seemed to make the most sense to me. (I disagree with wanting to destroy Christians, the Nazi thing, also the whole "Alien-created" thing) I eventually did the dedication ritual. And some of the meditations, and I have felt a rise in my spiritual energy since then. That's basically how it how I became a Satanist.
- —Guest screennameless
In the beginning...
- Very early on in my religious seeking, I found Wicca. I knew from my earliest studies of that belief structure that I needed a "Witch" name, one that, numerologically, would match up with my birth number, which turns out to be 2, so I set about searching for that name. I found it one afternoon in my own backyard. I was doing a ritual, self-composed, in search of that name when she came, the most beautiful young woman I have ever seen, appeared in a vision right before my eyes. She told me her name was Brigit, the goddess in her maiden aspect, and gave me the name Nightwalker. As it happens, Nightwalker works out, numerologically to be a two. The name was perfect because, at the time, I WAS stumbling about in a very dasrk spiritual place looking for answers. Brigit gave me that answer in that vision on that bright sunny day right in my own backyard. I have been one happy man ever since.
- —Guest pathfinder3577
To Mark Jacobson
- I am a Christian escapee. I am Wicca and, by definition, a witch. I once thought of becoming a Southern Baptist preacher so I am very schooled the myths and mythos of Christianity. In my studies, in my search for 'the answer' all I found were more questions, so I went looking elsewhere and, like Gerald Gardener, discovered something better, a religion based upon nature and the natural order of things. Such is Wicca. I've never been happier in all of my 61 years on this planet. I've been a very content pagan for going on 12 years now. I would love to show the world what I have found but Wiccae do not Proselytize. We will share but only if asked. Find yourself a witch and inquire.
- —Pathfinder3577
What I have learned from my studies
- Before I begin I must confess; I am an escapee from Christianity. I found the ‘Old Religion’, as it has been called, but more properly referred to as Wicca. Yes, I AM a witch, and very satisfied with that fact. In my younger years, I gave serious thought to becoming a Southern Baptist preacher. I gathered together all the study material I could get my hands on. I have read, and studied in depth, the King James Bible cover to cover three separate times from the “In the beginning” of Genesis 1:1 to the final “Amen” of Revelations 22:21. I have read and studied the Jerusalem Bible, the Catholic Bible, which contains a number of books that were written in the four hundred year period between Malachi and Matthew. These works deal primarily with the history of the period and contain very little of spiritual value. I have read the Dead Sea Scrolls, The Gospels of Thomas, Judas AND Mary Magdalene. Think I’ve ‘done my homework? That ain’t all folks.
- —Pathfinder3577
Hail Satan! A theistic Satanist's story
- Hello, I am a Theistic Satanist. Satan has been around forever and has been worshiped in every pagan culture under a different name. All the great powerful pagan gods were slandered by a church who wanted power over everyone and labeled demons. Angels want to enslave us while Satan and His demons encourage us to empower ourselves so that one day we may reach godhead. www.joyofsatan.com
- —Guest Satan's Girl66
As my user name suggests, I'm a Baha'i!
- My sister died at an early age of cancer and thus began my search for "where" she was and what did I truly believe. As I journeyed through the many diverse religions on the way to finding the Baha'i faith, I had a criteria. Namely, the belief that if indeed there was a God, then He/She/It surely heard the supplications of all and would not regard one person's belief over another simply because so and so belonged or professed a certain Faith. I'm happy to have found a religion that accepts that science and religion must be in agreement. I'm aware that I cannot in any way understand God and I'm comfortable with that. Seem odd? I have a son who is atheist and even more odd, I'm his biggest supporter!! Why? Understanding the arguments against a belief in religion is more or less shared by Baha'is. We just take the understanding of a Prime Mover and the rest (religion) becomes the Baha'i Cause. What is that? Elimination of prejudice, equality of men and women, education for all, etc
- —Bahailinda
any
- In my life time I have had people try to force their beliefs on me. I tried several times but it was not for me. I have always been pulled in another direction, towards Wicca. Even though I didn't know anything about Wicca, this is where I would go. To me Wicca is a spiritual experience that shows you how to live a life of good & positive. The Wiccan Rede is to do no harm. Be good to yourself & to others. Many religions do the opposite.
- —Guest Bobbie
A Path of One
- Pick up the skin of the wolf and feel yourself pouring in to fill its sleek contours. The fires in the distance dance with abandon, teasing the swift winds that sail through the air. Fire and air and sand and animal are all one at this place, this time, this hour. Tip just a bit of that powder of gila monster and cactus pear into the tea. Do the stars cling to you, clothing you as if by some mystical fabric? Reach out and embrace. Fear none. Throw yourself from the cliffs of the known and certain into the bliss gravity of the free fall. Let the wind lift you and guide you. Lose yourself to the celestial moment. It is done.
- —RavenAmorte
Correction to previous comment
- http://www.teachingoftheinnerchrist.com/ This is the link to the official website of The Teaching of the Inner Christ.
- —Licinius
Christianity or Atheist
- When I get into conversations on the facts of religion and my own beliefs people almost always guess I am not a Christian. But the weird thing is they then assume I am an Atheist, or sometimes Satanic. I am neither. I understand this black and white thinking, if you are not for the one true god you are against him. My problem is how do I deal with this line of reasoning? With everything I know I don't want to cast pearls before swine and like Morpheus said in the Matrix, "most of these people are not ready to be unplugged." How do I positively change peoples lives by steering them away from exclusivism with the knowledge I have?
- —Guest Mark D. Jacobsen
The Left Hand Path
- I'm a Satanist. I'm a materialist, I don't believe in all of the silly spiritual nonsense that other people seem obsessed with. I hold selfishness as a virtue and happy indulgent pleasure as the point of life. I find that since all spiritual religions tend to oppose these ideas. "Oppose happiness?!" Yes, my happiness at least. I like good food, friends, family, sex, love, magic, music, great books, classic movies, animals, and learning new things. I don't have reason to believe in an afterlife or some other magical world where everything is great. The only religion where I can be this way and enjoy everything about myself is Satanism. If I am stepping on the sins of all other religions, if I'm under some demonic influence, then Satan is the natural symbol of my philosophy. Satan is the King of this world, the Earth. I love this world Oh and how about a Christian panic? http://christianchildabuse.blogspot.com/ To counterbalance all this Satanic scapegoating nonsense.
- —Guest SatanicMagician
The most misunderstood is non-religion
- For me it is Non-religion that seems to be largely misunderstood. As a boy I had a friend who told me one day that he wasn’t supposed to play with me because I believe in Satan. I explained to him that I am Atheist and that I don’t believe in Satan or any other gods. The next time we talked he told me that Atheist are the same as Satanist because we don’t believe in god. I explained to him that in order to believe in Satan one must first believe in gods and that since I don’t believe in the existence of any gods I can’t believe in Satan. Next he told me that to not believe in god was aiding Satan. I asked him where he was getting all of this stuff about Atheist and Satanists? He told me it came from his mother who got it from their Catholic priest. The priest told her that Atheist are bent on poisoning the minds of the faithful to drive them away from the church; down the road of evil into the hands of, you guessed it, Satan. I explained to him that Atheist don’t believe in preach
- —Borsia
Teaching of the Inner Christ
- This is where I gained experiential knowledge of the mystical/practical teachings of Ernest Holmes, Babaji and many other teachers through study and meditation, and practicing the principles of The Teaching of the Inner Christ. I took classes at their Murray,Uta Spiritual Center which I believe was eventually sold. This Teaching turned my life around for the better. For more information just click on: teachingoftheinnerchrist.org. I am not an official spokesperson.
- —Licinius
