What Religious Confession are you?

Reen.Blom · 05-06-2007, 10:58 PM

Please, vote! It would be interesting to know about fellow belly dancers!

Love,
reen.blom

Sorry for my clumsy poll- this is my 1st poll on this forum!!!

KuteNurse · 05-07-2007, 03:01 AM

Good thread! Kinda contraversial to share your religion and I am certain there are many predjudism's about religions. If you are willing to share how your religious spirituality has influenced your dance or any area of your life I would be interested in hearing.

Reen.Blom · 05-07-2007, 10:11 PM

Well the aim of this thread was not really intended to share the religion- there are other places for that if need comes... But since there was such a hot discussion in the Belly Dance and religion thread I am just curious to see the "confessional build-up" of the Forum!

But what would be interesting to discuss is not only the attitude of religions to belly dance(which was done in the other thread) but "Presonal spiritual life and belly dance"! Do they clash? Are they two sides of the same thing?

For me belly dance is dance of joy and celebration of living and breathing and moving and being happy-- in one word of LOVE in the highest meaning of it.... After all, most religions have ultimately this message of Love... However disguised and twisted through many centuries of interpretations...

In the end, for me Spiritual Life equals Love- love of God, of the People, the Nature, the DANCE, Music, of waking up every morning with a smile!

How about you? Where does your spiritual/religious life meet with belly dance?

sedoniaraqs · 05-07-2007, 11:17 PM

It would seem that people are not inclined to share this informaton, including Reen.Blom, the person who posted the poll!

Sedonia

chryssanthi sahar · 05-08-2007, 03:56 AM

Hi Reen.Bloom.

Maybe the question about religion is too personal for many people in the forum, but I don't have a problem talking abut my religious ideas. I categorized myself as a Buddhist, but I must say, that I don't belong to any concrete Buddhist denomination anymore. I used to be Tibetan Buddhist for almost 10 years (before this I used to belong to different Christian denominations for the biggest part of my life), but after much studying, searching and experiencing I just don't feel like belonging to a "church" or religious "school" anymore. So I consider myself to be a free Zen-Buddhist. This means, I identify with the philosophy of Zen, but I don't practice Zazen or any other traditional Zen meditation. My meditation is the dance

And I experience Zen in the dance somehow (but I'm still researching this aspect of the dance).
I have much respect of all religions though, as long as they are practiced with the heart and out of love and don't divide people. The Divine is everywhere, it is a part of us and we are a part of it

Reen.Blom · 05-08-2007, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sedoniaraqs

It would seem that people are not inclined to share this informaton, including Reen.Blom, the person who posted the poll!

Sedonia

What would THAT mean? Since your post is AFTER mine where I explained my attitude to Belly dance vs Spirituality and AFTER I have voted.... must be some sort of mixup...

Aziyade · 05-08-2007, 08:25 PM

I voted pantheist (thanks for the option!) because I find the Divine to be revealed in all of the natural world. But I do like the Buddhist philosophies of social interaction, and how they guide you towards LIVING in the Divinely-revealed world.

When I dance (sometimes) I feel the spirit of creation inside me. I feel connected to the universe in a more meaningful way than by just happening to live in it.

But as far as "religion" and doctrine combining or clashing with my dancing, I don't think they ever do. It's like 2 completely separate things in my mind -- or alternately just two parts of my world, neither mutually beneficial or mutually exclusive -- they just co-exist.

sedoniaraqs · 05-08-2007, 09:40 PM

Well, at the time I posted, you hadn't voted, or stated which religious category you were in, you had just aluded to being "spiritual", which can mean anything. People of any religion or no religion can have spiritual experiences and feelings.

I just thought it was a little odd at the time...but since you have now voted, nevermind.

Sedonia

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reen.Blom

What would THAT mean? Since your post is AFTER mine where I explained my attitude to Belly dance vs Spirituality and AFTER I have voted.... must be some sort of mixup...

Reen.Blom · 05-08-2007, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sedoniaraqs

Well, at the time I posted, you hadn't voted, or stated which religious category you were in, you had just aluded to being "spiritual", which can mean anything. People of any religion or no religion can have spiritual experiences and feelings.

I just thought it was a little odd at the time...but since you have now voted, nevermind.

Sedonia

Well I have voted BEFORE your post! Cos when I left the forum last there was no post after me!

You probably were busy writing at that time!

There is no such a thing for me personally as RELIGION, cos for me it sort of embodies all the negative sides of the centuries and centuries of misinterpretations of "sacred texts" and all the good ideas out there!

When I talk about myself I use the word personal SPIRITUAL life, not RELIGIOUS life as I dont attend a church, or allow my own spiritual life to be directed by other ppls opinions! So for me most of Spiritual experiences even like listening to music, it does not have to be religious music (though I love traditional gospel choir music) is much more an experience of Love and Joy than going to church! Many Christians I know would certainly not consider me a Christian, since I do not always agree with their interpretations!

But I did not know how exactly express it in the poll so that other ppl would understand my weird vocabulary! LOL

So I ended up using the word Religion! (which is often opposed by believers to Faith)!

KuteNurse · 05-09-2007, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chryssanthi sahar

Hi Reen.Bloom.

Maybe the question about religion is too personal for many people in the forum, but I don't have a problem talking abut my religious ideas. I categorized myself as a Buddhist, but I must say, that I don't belong to any concrete Buddhist denomination anymore. I used to be Tibetan Buddhist for almost 10 years (before this I used to belong to different Christian denominations for the biggest part of my life), but after much studying, searching and experiencing I just don't feel like belonging to a "church" or religious "school" anymore. So I consider myself to be a free Zen-Buddhist. This means, I identify with the philosophy of Zen, but I don't practice Zazen or any other traditional Zen meditation. My meditation is the dance

And I experience Zen in the dance somehow (but I'm still researching this aspect of the dance).
I have much respect of all religions though, as long as they are practiced with the heart and out of love and don't divide people. The Divine is everywhere, it is a part of us and we are a part of it

That is great! I also believe spirituality is a very personal thing and our religion should not divide us. I have been practicing Catholicism all my life and I have learned what is most important is being a good person to those around you.

View Poll Results: What Religion are you?
Christian	40	31.75%
Muslim	10	7.94%
Jewish	5	3.97%
Buddist	3	2.38%
Hindu	2	1.59%
Pagan	30	23.81%
Pantheist	2	1.59%
Atheist	12	9.52%
Other (Please Specify!)	22	17.46%
Voters: 126. You may not vote on this poll

05-06-2007, 10:58 PM	#1 (permalink)
Reen.Blom V.I.P. Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Between Heaven and Earth Upside Down Posts: 2,585	What Religious Confession are you? Please, vote! It would be interesting to know about fellow belly dancers! Love, reen.blom Sorry for my clumsy poll- this is my 1st poll on this forum!!! Last edited by Reen.Blom; 05-06-2007 at 11:16 PM.

05-07-2007, 10:11 PM	#3 (permalink)
Reen.Blom V.I.P. Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Between Heaven and Earth Upside Down Posts: 2,585	Well the aim of this thread was not really intended to share the religion- there are other places for that if need comes... But since there was such a hot discussion in the Belly Dance and religion thread I am just curious to see the "confessional build-up" of the Forum! But what would be interesting to discuss is not only the attitude of religions to belly dance(which was done in the other thread) but "Presonal spiritual life and belly dance"! Do they clash? Are they two sides of the same thing? For me belly dance is dance of joy and celebration of living and breathing and moving and being happy-- in one word of LOVE in the highest meaning of it.... After all, most religions have ultimately this message of Love... However disguised and twisted through many centuries of interpretations... In the end, for me Spiritual Life equals Love- love of God, of the People, the Nature, the DANCE, Music, of waking up every morning with a smile! How about you? Where does your spiritual/religious life meet with belly dance? Last edited by Reen.Blom; 05-07-2007 at 10:14 PM. Reason: spelling

05-08-2007, 03:56 AM	#5 (permalink)
chryssanthi sahar Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Heidelberg, Germany Posts: 1,573	Hi Reen.Bloom. Maybe the question about religion is too personal for many people in the forum, but I don't have a problem talking abut my religious ideas. I categorized myself as a Buddhist, but I must say, that I don't belong to any concrete Buddhist denomination anymore. I used to be Tibetan Buddhist for almost 10 years (before this I used to belong to different Christian denominations for the biggest part of my life), but after much studying, searching and experiencing I just don't feel like belonging to a "church" or religious "school" anymore. So I consider myself to be a free Zen-Buddhist. This means, I identify with the philosophy of Zen, but I don't practice Zazen or any other traditional Zen meditation. My meditation is the dance And I experience Zen in the dance somehow (but I'm still researching this aspect of the dance). I have much respect of all religions though, as long as they are practiced with the heart and out of love and don't divide people. The Divine is everywhere, it is a part of us and we are a part of it __________________ Oriental dancer and instructor of Greek origin, living in Germany www.chryssanthi.com

05-07-2007, 03:01 AM	#2 (permalink)
KuteNurse V.I.P. Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Duluth, Minnesota Posts: 3,078	Good thread! Kinda contraversial to share your religion and I am certain there are many predjudism's about religions. If you are willing to share how your religious spirituality has influenced your dance or any area of your life I would be interested in hearing.

05-07-2007, 11:17 PM	#4 (permalink)
sedoniaraqs Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: cultural wasteland of the midwestern US Posts: 584	It would seem that people are not inclined to share this informaton, including Reen.Blom, the person who posted the poll! Sedonia

05-08-2007, 08:25 PM	#7 (permalink)
Aziyade V.I.P. Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Cornfields of Evansville Indiana. Posts: 1,049	I voted pantheist (thanks for the option!) because I find the Divine to be revealed in all of the natural world. But I do like the Buddhist philosophies of social interaction, and how they guide you towards LIVING in the Divinely-revealed world. When I dance (sometimes) I feel the spirit of creation inside me. I feel connected to the universe in a more meaningful way than by just happening to live in it. But as far as "religion" and doctrine combining or clashing with my dancing, I don't think they ever do. It's like 2 completely separate things in my mind -- or alternately just two parts of my world, neither mutually beneficial or mutually exclusive -- they just co-exist.