Loong, I have stated on other threads that I've been raised Roman Catholic, and I attend Mass. I may not agree with everything in regards to this religion, but the fundamentals are there that I value. I take from it what resonates true within me, and I also believe in more than just God.

To me, spirituality is not entirely about what religion or higher powers you believe in. Yes, this is important, but so is the inner self with your own personal truths and values, your nontangible relationships with others, nature, and everything around you, your inner voice that gives you direction in life.....what moves you. It is what you cannot see that is spiritual, and that can encompass so many things, including the spirit world and the afterlife. Everyone has their own feelings and beliefs in that respect.

Spirituality in itself is very personal and does not have to be shared with anyone, but we welcome and share ideas here, and we share what is comfortable for us to discuss. Not everyone will reveal themselves but instead come here to learn about new ideas and beliefs to help them along their own spiritual path. We respect all who come to learn and share.

So if what you are asking is what religion we believe in, that would easier to answer if someone wants to reveal that about themselves, but it's not necessary information in order to have spiritual conversations. Some people have no religion at all, per se, but they are very spiritual people.

Greetings Loong.

I so agree with Debbie about everyone stating their religion or belief system. It is not really necessary to state this personal area of our lives that often.

We all have, over time, discussed our own belief systems. Some of us have been here for years and have gotten to know each other well, so we do not continually state our personal faith.

I made a suggestion that if one reads through the Goddess thread, it will become more clear as to what each person believes and where they are coming from in a spiritual sense.

Because you are fairly new to BellaOnline it is natural for you to want to learn all about those you have contact with. It is to your advantage to take the time to read through other threads here in the Spirituality forum. The Goddess thread was started about five years ago, maybe longer, I do not remember right now, but a long, long time ago. The thread is not all about a Goddess, it is about people, us, your friends, and what each of us believe and how we got to this point in life.

It would be easier for you to explore past threads to learn more about your new friends here than it is for everyone to start all over with discussing our lives and beliefs.

I hope this helps you to go forward with more knowledge about everyone here.

Have a great day.

Dear Debbie,
First congtats.Second you wrote:So if what you are asking is what religion we believe in, that would easier to answer if someone wants to reveal that about themselves, but it's not necessary information in order to have spiritual conversations. Some people have no religion at all, per se, but they are very spiritual people.

Loong's comment: I never asked what religion people are in,what i referred to identifying the bases of one's spirituality.

Phyllis just wrote me.Do not ,please forget that I am pretty new here,and everywhere I went before,people would identify their roots.

I understand very well,and in any other place that i will go,I will identify myself simply by loong,except in Buddhism.

Hope that suites you fine ,and others also.
loong

Loong.....I did say "If" what you are asking is what religion we believe in, because I was not sure what exactly you were asking. Thank you for clarifying that.

Even so, not everyone will want to disclose what resonates spiritually within themselves. It is a personal thing. If you wanted to share this information about yourself, you've been welcome to and we respect you for it.

I believe in God, but also the Great Mother, who is often referred to as a goddess in Her own right, among many other natural and mystical things. Some of it is religion but some of it is not. Everyone's spirituality is personal and can be very complex. Some people will want to share all that they believe, some will share some of what they believe, and some will choose not to share their beliefs at all but will join in some very interesting conversations here. I don't really think it matters how much of themselves they want to share as long as they come here with acceptance and respect for all belief systems, whatever that entails.

We welcome your opinion as well, and if you want to refer to yourself as Buddhist or not is entirely up to you. It makes no difference, as we all come here in peace, and you are respected as a valued member of our community.

Cassie - so very exciting you have joined our editor family! I am so happy you've taken this step.

I guess i have to call you Debbie now, instead of using the moniker of your sweet horse?

Jilly.....for a time my beloved horse's name suited me well when I wanted to stay anonymous. Now I have to own up to who I really am if I want to write articles....LOL!

I hope I will bring some value and enlightenment to the Spirituality site and forum, as well as encouraging all to post their ideas. Thanks for the warm welcome, Jilly!

I AM a Christian Mystic

To Burt B.

Hello friend,just wikied Christian Mysticism and here is a summary of what was written:Christian mysticism From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search
Union with Christ is the purpose of Christian mysticism.Christian mysticism refers to the development of mystical practices and theory within Christianity. It has often been connected to mystical theology, especially in the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions. The attributes and means by which Christian mysticism is studied and practiced are varied and range from ecstatic visions of the soul's mystical union with God to simple prayerful contemplation of Holy Scripture (i.e., Lectio Divina). This article addresses the practice of the inner, spiritual life within the Christian tradition.......
After reading the full article ,there were great men in that
group,who were your favorite ,and from what era.?
I thank you for helping me find a branch that never knew existed.

Friend to friend
loong

That's cool, Burt. I also didn't really think there might be a branch like that.

There is a book I have been wanting to read called "The Christian Mystery: From Pagan Myth to Christian Mysticism" by Louis Bouyer.

It seems very interesting to me since I have many Pagan beliefs within my own belief system and was raised Christian. If anyone has read that book, I would like to see a thread in this forum about the subject.

Thank you, Burt for bringing this up.