Friday, 25 July 2008

Fitting In Spiritually

I just read my gorgeous friend Syd's post spiritually speaking and it reminded me that I have been meaning to do a post myself regarding the same topic. Those who have been reading my blog from the beginning will know I have been on a bit of a journey to find god or find a religion that I actually believe or feel I fit in with.

I struggled with the whole getting Kadyn christened thing as I didn't want to stand there and make loads of promises about Jesus and stuff that I didn't whole heartedly believe in myself. However, I did want to thank god for my beautiful baby girl. I have never doubted god himself, just the fact that some people believe there is only ONE path to him. I have always thought good people in many different religions will all reach god in the end, we all just have different ways of getting there.

Most religions are not tolerant of other religions and I really struggle with that. I read loads of different stuff in my quest to find a religion I felt like I really agreed with and I finally came across this:

Click here for more details on : Unitarianism

They believe that:

  • everyone has the right to seek truth and meaning for themselves.
  • the fundamental tools for doing this are your own life experience, your reflection upon it, your intuitive understanding and the promptings of your own conscience.
  • the best setting for this is a community that welcomes you for who you are, complete with your beliefs, doubts and questions.

They can be called religious ‘liberals’:

  • religious because we unite to celebrate and affirm values that embrace and reflect a greater reality than self.
  • liberal because we claim no exclusive revelation or status for ourselves; because we afford respect and toleration to those who follow different paths of faith.

We are called ‘Unitarians’:

  • because of our traditional insistence on divine unity, the oneness of God.
  • because we affirm the essential unity of humankind and of creation.
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I like it!! I feel like I fit in here! I called the fellowship in my area and spoke to a lovely lady who's father is a retired minister. Him and his wife travelled down to meet us and he is going to perform the naming ceremony for Kadyn in September. I feel so much more comfortable about the whole thing. We have some beautiful readings about life and children and I will post them on here after the ceremony.

I have always wanted to be part of a religion, church or group. I feel like an outsider sometimes and I often wish I had found that faith that so many people have at an early age. I read some blogs where people seem to have an almost second family, their church family. It seems like a different world sometimes. Everyone seems happy and kind. There are people that are married to their high school sweethearts, have a lovely houses, beautiful children, active busy lives, happy happy happy, they go to church. I often wish I WAS in that kind of life. I went down a different path I guess.

I think the whole community thing is so much bigger in the states too, one of the reasons I sometimes wish we had stayed there. Well, actually I don't so much wish we had stayed there, more like wonder what it would have been like if we had. Would I have become part of some kind of group. Would I have done loads of activities I enjoyed (they always had way more activities and social events at school in the USA than over here ever did) or would I have always felt like the outsider over there. The English one. The one that speaks differently.

Actually I have always wanted to fit in. To blend into the background. Be the same as other people. I don't like being different, I don't want to be different. I don't want to be unique which is a bit weird I suppose - I want to be like other people - It makes me feel better. I don't know why!!

I guess that is why I was searching to fit into a religion. I wanted to be able to say I am a ........blar blar blar. I wasn't content being the ONLY one that thought the things I thought and felt the way I did and it was a huge relief and comfort when I found the Unitarian website and read what they believed in. I no longer felt like I was ALONE - there are others out there that think a little like ME!!

2 comments:

sydneypaige said...

I have always liked this, too! The unitarians. I haven't found my spot yet, but I sure like theirs...

I enjoyed reading this. XO love you.

Anonymous said...

This is a very insightful post about yourself. I appreciate the honesty in your words.

I know, I am not very religious (and like you, I also struggle -among other things- with the fact that most religions are not tolerant with other religions) and there's a part of me that doesn't want to conform to a sect norm but I've always believed in God and I've always gotten in touch with my spirituality.

I pray you'll have a wonderful journey with you newfound group.
BTW, what you wrote about Unitarianism sounds appealing (I'm not familiar of it but it is appealing).