I have struggled with this one a lot over the last week. I think in large part due to my physical condition and raging hormones (I am pregnant), I have not been the nicest of people of late. And how can I express my ideas about living spiritually when I'm not doing it myself?
That being as it may, I liked this graphic set especially because it goes along with my ideas of spiritual practice. It is a path more than a destination. We all hope to 'arrive' someplace at sometime, but I think how we get there is at least as important. We can't buy our way into Heaven.
So, to start, after having used the first paragraph to say that I didn't feel up to it right now *grin*...I was born into a religion called "Christian Science". I followed it through much of my childhood because it was my mother's religion. My father went on Christmas and Easter, etc., but I believe he was an agnostic. My brother played the organ for a number of years in the various branches. My own departure from the practice came at about age 12 when I felt "attacked" in Sunday School because I would not parrot back a bit of dogma that didn't have personal meaning to me at the time; to do so would have been hypocrisy.
In 1972 we moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, "Mormon" capital of the world. For most of the next 20 years I spent time with the non-Mormon crowd, which in Salt Lake City usually means "anti"-Mormon. In 1987 (I believe) I felt moved by the Spirit to adopt this religion. I've spent most of the time since then NOT attending, which I am trying to rectify at this time. My mother will perhaps be heartbroken, as she is not the biggest fan Mormons ever had. Most of my former friends in Salt Lake will think I'm crazy. But none of them can live my life for me. I feel I am a better person today because of my choice.
The only other 'religion' I can say I really have any speck of knowledge about is "Wicca". My first husband, Rob, was a Wiccan, and was really hesitant to tell me that he was, at is is not accepted in the 'mainstream' at all, really. I remember to said there were two things I needed to know about him, that he smoked and that he was a Wiccan. So I went and got the book "Drawing Down the Moon" to find out about it. He was shocked. Eventually it was part of what broke us apart; he adhered more to the 'free love' principle that some practitioners have than I could deal with. Anyway, most Wiccans are really decent people, better than some 'Christians' I know. There are those who follow the darker path, but then you can find them in any walk of life....
�
Artwork by Jim Warren used with his permission.
This page best viewed with Microsoft Internet Explorer.
800x600 Screen Resolution, 24-bit color
Copyright � 1999-2002 Cindy Hamilton/Thymely Designs
All Rights Reserved
