Discuss: Personal Religious Experience

My mother told me never to debate religion or politics, but you seem like an intelligent and respectful crowd that I could learn something from. Let me start by saying this is not the place to convert people, in any way insult or negatively reflect anyone's beliefs and please do not insinuate that someone's religious experiences are fictional. Obviously we don't all believe the same things but that's of course the beauty of it.

In my personal experience belief/faith is hard to instill just by teaching someone about your system of beliefs. In a sense it matters not the amount of 'mission' work [for lack a of a better word] or pilgrimage that the believers participate in but the "testimonial" that something greater has either impacted or neglected to impact a life, group etc.

I would like to share first as it may open this whole can o' worms.

I was raised by a baptist-christian family that felt the need to baptize me [if you don't know what that is, is a simple ritual where a person is symbolically reborn by accepting the church and 'savior' aspect of the religion and arise from some water] at an early age. Let's just say far too early for me to know what any of that meant. Being raised in such an environment influenced my beliefs even today, although it was not long before a lack of spiritual fulfillment would actually drive me to seek something greater than the church I had known. I turned to some apathetic agnosticism as early as age 13 and started to see that wouldn't work for me either probably by the time I was 16. I started doing some heavy research concerning early religions, philosophy, and the odd inherent need of humans to either be satisfied or validated by something as personal and controversial as beliefs. I read books on subjects that I thought were beyond my grasp; topics covering theories behind quantum physics, collective consciousness, ancient worship and rituals. My beliefs have since become very alive and whether you believe it or not, my soul or spirit or whatever you wanna call it feels on fire. I feel aware to things that I could never know before somehow like the intimacy that comes with being spiritually active. I set aside all disbelief and was utterly astonished at what I have found. I find it hard to express such ideas with words, but I know that common terms for beings I have encountered since I have become brave enough to explore any belief have been called demons, angels, spirits, ghosts, miracles, magic, gods, energy, vibrations the list goes on... I suspect, had I never questioned my beliefs or my role-models beliefs I would have been content with what I was taught, and still ignorant to what I truly desired to get from spiritual and religious experience. I know what you believe can be touchy so let me clarify (AGAIN), just because we disagree does not mean I think any less of you or your faith.
I don't claim to know the truth,
I simply ask what has brought you to this point in your understanding [or lack thereof] of religious-spiritual activity/awareness.
Be as descriptive as you see fit, it needn't be as wordy, I just thought the tiny back story would give some explanation as to how I have arrived at this place.
~Circa

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/oFXtBb7QhTc/viewtopic.php

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