What is your religion/belief?

[Just Kate]

Perhaps you can share with me where you found this particular "enforcer" tidbit.

[Lisbeth]

Perhaps you can share with me where you found this particular "enforcer" tidbit.

You're asking me to remember the sources I read about 40 years ago, you know. Here are some recent things you might read. Specifically you should learn about the Nauvoo Endowment Penalties, "blasphemy against the Holy Ghost," the Utah War, the Mountain Meadows Massacre, and the Thomas Coleman murder.

http://www.shiblon.com/beliefs/mormon-history.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormonism_and_violence
http://www.exmormon.org/violence.htm
http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2008/09/05/massacre-panel-not-so-live-blogged/

...and many more. Do your own internet search; you'll find the information.

[Just Kate]

Honestly most of what you've linked to I know about.  I just wanted to see about the one I asked about is all since of all the anti-mormon stuff I've seen I've never come across that. 

Oh and BTW, the church has done a lot of good too.

[Lisbeth]

Let's just say that the Nauvoo Endowment Penalties, including the penalties for blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, were carried out by deacons of the church as one of their regularly appointed duties.

[Just Kate]

Let's just leave it there, I don't want to get into an apologetics debate.  I don't even know how we got onto the subject of anti-mormon kicking points - I certainly didn't invite disparaging information about my church past or present.

Suffice it to say I am an active LDS member and believe the majority of its doctrines.  I cannot say I'm totally surprised I might be the only one on this vast forum.

[Walter]

I believe in God and I believe in Jesus. I don't think I really fall into a certain religion with my beliefs though

[mina.magpie]

I chose pagan, though it's an iffy fit at best. I chose it because I share the philosphy of living in harmony with natural cycles and revering nature and the like, but my spiritual philosophy incorporates bits and pieces of everything, from Buddhism and Gnostic Christianity to Ecology, Systems Theory and Quantum Physics ... hmmm, maybe there should be an option for "Universally Heretical Heretic" Since there's bound to be something in there that'll make me a prime candidate for a good barbecue, no matter what the other person believes! 

Mina.

[cindybc]

Nature is my church, the heavens above is the roof of my church, and the environment that surrounds us is the Holy Spirit, or the metaphysical grid which is the fabric upon which the tapestry of universe is stitched.

Grandfather Stars whispering in my ears as I meditate to Grand Mother Moon while I stand at the cliff's edge, letting spirit wind blow refreshingly upon my face as it plays teasingly with my long dark hair sending it to flowing like long black streamers behind me.

A blue-white glow materialises around the slim form of the maiden who stands bravely at the cliff's edge.

 

Cindy

[Miniar]

I am an amalgam of beliefs.
I'm a reconstructionist norse/teutonic heathen.
I'm a buddhist.
I'm a quantum solipsist (Everything, including me, doesn't exist, and that's why it exists!).
etc.. etc.. etc..

I believe in reincarnation and related to that, I am gonna hop out of yet another closet and say that I am Otherkin.
That's right, I believe that I have previously existed as something other than human. I believe that I remember some of my past lives, both this "other" one and some those I've lived as a human being.
I believe that I have existed as both men and women in the past however I do not see my current gender issues as a result of anything metaphysical in nature.
I understand that this belief may seem a little bit "out there", however, there are idiots in every one and every belief can seem nutty if you just word it "right".
If you have questions you want to ask in regards to this, shoot, I really don't mind being asked.

[cindybc]

Hi Miniar, I find your beliefs interesting but then there are those who think my thoughts and experiences to be weird and nuts anyway.

It just gets to the point where one says to themselves, well I guess my thoughts and experiences are no nuttier then anyone else's out there, so why not toss it out there. Whats the worst can happen? Have rotten vegies thrown at me?

There are probably just as many different perceptions in faith as there are individuals thinking them up, or experiencing them.

I believe in reincarnation although I can only remember two I think are past life memories, recurring dreams. One of a teen aged girl who died of tuberculosis at the age of twenty in the late thirties during the great depression.

Another one was in a 1800 old western type town setting of a young girl with brown ringleted hair wearing a blue dress standing at a corner on a board walk.

Visions, oh yes many visions. Nuts he? well I am an empath as well, I feel peoples thoughts and feelings.

Cindy     

[Brielle]

My belief.



http://sugarandmedicine.wordpress.com/nwo/

Peace.

[V M]

Let's just say that the Nauvoo Endowment Penalties, including the penalties for blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, were carried out by deacons of the church as one of their regularly appointed duties.

Deacons in the LDS faith are generally 12-13 yr. olds who pass the sacrament at Sunday meetings and tag along with their dads to visit and help members. Boy Scout types. 

I'm not much for religion in general. But I also don't see the need to go bunking anyone else's religion. I think they're all nuts 

[imaz]

Can't believe I appear to be the only Muslim on here!

Go easy on me...Please

[Genevieve Swann]

I actually don't subscribe to any particualr religion. I attend the Unitarian Universalist Church for that very reason. There are some pagans, wiccans,etc. One lady is into native american spiritualism. It's all good. Mostly I beleive in mother earth. I'm not leaving here soon I hope. I kind of enjoy gravity also. I'm not sure if there are multiple gods or just a very immense power.

[Just Kate]

Can't believe I appear to be the only Muslim on here!

Go easy on me...Please

Being, potentially, the only Muslim here, I'm interested in your background, should you be willing to share it. 

So feel free to answer any/none of these questions:
Were you born into the faith or did you convert?
Are you from a western or eastern nation?
How does your faith view your particular challenge?

[imaz]

Being, potentially, the only Muslim here, I'm interested in your background, should you be willing to share it. 

So feel free to answer any/none of these questions:
Were you born into the faith or did you convert?
Are you from a western or eastern nation?
How does your faith view your particular challenge?

OK!

I converted young when I was back in Italy 22 years ago. I was madly in love with an Iranian at the time, so all the "wrong" reasons but things happen in strange ways. As you can see I'm ethnically European.

Been married to a Yemeni Jew, a Jamaican Christian and lastly an Indonesian Muslim. All since I converted.

How does my faith view my "particular challenge"?

That's a very good question and one that has many answers. In Shia Islam transexuality is accepted due a Fatwa declared by the late Imam Khomeini. The reasons for that are interesting; a TS lady was stopped by his security when trying to meet him. Khomeini instructed them to let her in and she discussed her situation with him, he understood her plight and initiated what is now one of the most progressive attitudes towards transexuals in the world today. Of course Iran has an appalling record as regards homosexuality but that's another issue.

As regards Sunni Islam in my personal opinion there is no clear situation. The Quran condemns "sodomy" but not only regarding male homosexuals. There is nothing regarding transexuality therein so as far as I'm concerned it's between me and Allah. Only He can judge me.

I have many Muslim Lesbian and Gay friends and while the men do tend to follow cultural sexist tendencies the same cannot be said of the women.

Let me put things this way, I'm a firm believer in Ijtihad. This means that I personally believe that I interpret things to the best of my ability in regards to my own person.

At the end of the day let me put things this way, in my eyes it's better to be TS and Muslim than TS and not Muslim. It's better for a woman to pray with her hair uncovered than not pray at all and so on.

There's plenty of bigotry out there of course, last autumn we had mixed prayers at an LGBT Muslim conference led by a woman (my wife incidentally). Of all the Lesbian and Gay delegates only three joined us.

As you can see there is a long road ahead, but it is our duty to walk it not just for ourselves but for our brothers and sisters.

Hope that answered your questions

[Just Kate]

You are made of awesome.  Thanks for the brief history lesson.  I really appreciated your comment concerning it better to be TS and Muslim than just TS.  I feel the same way but with regard to my own religion.

[imaz]

You are made of awesome.  Thanks for the brief history lesson.  I really appreciated your comment concerning it better to be TS and Muslim than just TS.  I feel the same way but with regard to my own religion.

That's great, I firmly believe it's the only way

[cindianna_jones]

Interalia.... nope you are not alone. I grew up in the Salt Lake City area. I've been there and done that. They had no tolerance for me and excommunicated me.  I went on a mission, was married, full tithe payer, gospel doctrine teacher, ward choir director, and boy scout leader.  They got together and decided that since I had started using a woman's rest room, that there was no way that I'd turn back. I was stripped of everything I had, my job, my family, and my church.  They also processed a temple divorce within 6 months.

I won't say anything about the church other than share its real doctrine and my personal experience.  I figure that is fair.

Cindi

Let's just leave it there, I don't want to get into an apologetics debate.  I don't even know how we got onto the subject of anti-mormon kicking points - I certainly didn't invite disparaging information about my church past or present.

Suffice it to say I am an active LDS member and believe the majority of its doctrines.  I cannot say I'm totally surprised I might be the only one on this vast forum.

[Just Kate]

I'm very sorry to hear about what happened to you, and I know you are not alone in your experience.  The church has been gradually relaxing its knee jerk reactions to transsexuals, but the decisions are still largely up to the brethren in the individual wards/stakes.  I know that not every stake is the same in how it handles these situations.  I for one, as well as others I know, were allowed to transition completely with no repercussions, but I know of others, such as yourself, who were not.

I have actually organized a fast for this Sunday and have made public notices to the various LDS affiliated boards I am on asking for strength for the individuals and their loved ones who deal with gender identity issues, that they will be blessed with a measure of peace and have direction from our Heavenly Father.