Religious freedom, what does it mean to you?

Sorry I gotta laugh... and now I'm gonna have to go back and re-read that discussion. But I can say now without re-reading the discusion with complete certainty, that if I said that person had a point, the "point" was NOT that you are a demon worshiper! Again, I'll say, I respect everyones religious and spiritual beliefs. AND their right to an opinion. Perhaps, even those who are NOT respecting eachother. I'm short on time now, so I can't go back and reread everything now, but I will at some point. Regardless of how you feel and if you have hard feelings toward me or not. (I didn't read the entire post yet, I was eager to respond to your first line) I don't have hard feelings toward anyone. Good luck with your discussion.

Sorry I'm responding in parts (sometimes I think I have adult ADD). I do NOT think spirit guides are demons. If your interested, my personal philosophy on that is - I think that spirits, ghosts, angels, could very well be different words that people use for the same type of energy. I haven't done a lot of research on the matter, but that's just my slant on things. My mom recently passed, and although I have been uncomfortable with the idea of being visited from "the other side", I am now sort of hoping that I can have that type of experience. I don't care if she comes back to me in the form of a "ghost", "spirit", "spirit guide" or an "Angel" or "guardian angel". In my opinion those are just words and sometimes words can never fully express an experience or a belief. If that other woman belives in demons etc. let her! (just my opinion) I didn't agree with many of the things she said, but I did see some validity to other things she said. I'm not sure how far you read, but if you read the whole thing, you might have seen later where I challenged her with some questions. Now, I have a question for you... If we are so bothered by people who judge us, isn't it somewhat hypocrytical to turn around and judge THEM, for being judgemental? I'm not attacking you here, I am simply posing a question to you that I have actually ASKED MYSELF and I am trying (not always succesfully) to keep in mind when I feel that I am being judged. Take care.

In our meetings, no one calls us demond worshippers and no one says the person has a point. You didn't call me that and neither did the others afterward, but the original person said has it occured to that Spirit Guides are demonds and you're worshipping demonds. Spirit Guides are not demonds. Then I responded and you said the person had a point. No, the person didn't have a point. I didn't stop anyone from responding. I didn't get your post deleted. I moved on. If you think a person who indicates a person who believes in Spirit Guides is worshiping demonds has a point when they believe I'm praying to demonds, then fine. It is time for me to move on. You have your friends and I have mine. I will stick to the Pagan topics as they are more in tune with what I believe and I will stay out of the Christian, Religion, and all the other ones where people find crafty ways to call me names. I have been verbally beaten up for what I believe enough, I have been physically beaten up for having a disability and for having a family with a disability. During our circle meetings, we didn't put down other people's religions. Indicating someone worships demons would be a put down. No one felt threatened in the circle because no one was threatening us. I had a friend who had to leave where she lived because she was accused of basically the same thing as the person who wrote that. She was run out of town. Even hinting that a person worships demons can get a person hung in some places. My friend was falsely accused of similar and her car was blown up. Fire department called and they stood their and wouldn't put out the fire, told her to get her Satanic butt out of town or else. Judge not lest yea be judged, so she judged me and I judged her. You didn't like that, but that's how I've had to live my life, get people the way they get me or they continue and don't stop. Except that I can delete who I want here and it can stop.

Interesting. Does your government recognize it and why do you want them to?

That does make it difficult. Here religions can't really apply for grants, but they can apply for tax deductions or tax numbers so they don't have to pay taxes on anything church related. Take care and thank you for explaining.

My religion is Wicca. It is misunderstood and ignored. Churches can apply for a not-for-profit status and apply for grants, but organizations under Wicca can not apply for the grants, because of all the negative views. DCMerkle

The first part of yours seems like freedom, but the second part could also be considered exceptance. For if people accept that other religions are valid, then they don't ostracize, belittle, etc. You say potato, I say potaato, but we both want to be free to believe and worship as we please. Take care and I hope you find/have the religious freedom you want. Thanks and take care.

Very nice.

I respectfully disagree. I have had brilliantly illuminating encounters and discussion with people from a variety of religious backgrounds. Seeing the goal of religious practice from several perspectives is always helpful. The same has been true in my martial arts training. As long as everyone is on board with the idea that such discussions are delicate matters, and address very personal and sensitive issues, great work can be done in such an environment.

Let's say the topic is love. We each share the different views from each religion about love. I've heard some many very cool things from each religion about love. To me freedom of religion is that we are able to have all these religions with all these views and to share them. Only open-minded people come to these meetings and we have all found some very interesting excerts from different Holy Books. Yes, it is personal and it can be sensitive for some people. Those people that are too sensitive don't go to our meetings. Some people who no longer believe in the religion they did before come to the meetings to find what religion in most like their beliefs. Even if everyone had the same religion, there would be many different views. The fact that my country allows people to pursue different religions is a wonderful freedom by itself, but to even discuss them with other people of other religions, that's really neat. So the Circle group would not be for you, and that's OK, too. It's not for everyone. I just like that for some of us that can do it, that we can. Glad that freedom of religion means freedom from being interfered with to have your own religion and for others to have theirs. Very nice thoughts on that. That is truly the free down to follow your own beliefs which is a very good intrepretation/meaning for you. Thank you for your response.

TravisE, you got your response in before I did. That's your and my way of looking at things, but that's not everyone's and religious freedom means they have a right to that, too. I think all religions have "a piece to the puzzle" so to speak, but in some countries, what I have proposed would get people killed. I also respect and understand that. That's why it's religious freedom to me. So which style or styles or types or whatever of Martial Arts? I did Shotokan in college and since I've gotten old (50 next month), T 'ai Chi-Yang Style. So I've had Japanese and Chinese styles, my cousin does Korean Style. Take care

Good one! This brings me back to High School, my business law teacher told us this fist ends before another person's nose begins. I like your version better. I hope your response and others like it make others think. Take care

It's amazing how many people have hurt each other in the name of religion. Esp. the religions that are based on love. If one was based on hurting people, that would be even more deadly. I agree with you and take care, thanks for your response.

lol,, we all know that countless wars past and present, minute or monumental were rooted on religion.. we are also aware that most religions advise their members or devotees to spread the word (to save them, etc.) but that does not give anyone any right to cause harm to anyone or anything. If a religion is rooted on hurting anyone or even oneself, I'd rather not be a part of it...

Very good and I hope you're able to do that. Take care and thanks for responding.

We don't talk about each other. We talk about our religious beliefs. We include Christians. Usually one Catholic and one Protestant show up. Sometimes more and sometimes less. When I say all different ones, I mean all. Whoever shows up. To me, it also means that some people can take a different day off, like Saturday, the 7th day adventists and Jews take those days off. So we usually have Saturday and Sunday off. But here, many jobs do run the weekends, like hospitals and so on. It's harder and harder to get a day off to worship for some groups, esp. nurses. Thanks for your response. Take care

Yes, I believe like that, too. Take care and thank you for your response.

Smile, I think so, too. Take care and thanks for your response.

Yes, each person should have the right to worship as s/he pleases as long as s/he doesn't hurt anyone else. Excellent point! I like that rule. I think you're right. Thank you for your point of view. Take care

Very good point. Thanks and take care

True, very true. Thanks and take care

Thank you for your response. Also, sometimes they might be doing it for control. Take care