People, It has been a long time since I posted
here in my blog. And I’ve promised to write
about this subject a long time ago. Well….
were do I start.
So, last Friday I had my last exam, so it’s
summer vacation now. So, I’ve spend the
weekend at a friend’s place. Well, actually,
we went to Amsterdam on Saturday.
In Amsterdam, we went also to
the Amsterdam Dungeon. A tour through
the dark past of the city. Yes, it’s just a ride
for tourist, I realise that, but it’s based on
historical facts. And the first scene in history
we get to see…. the Spanish Inquisition.
People being tortured and killed, in the love
of God.
Isn’t that why, centuries ago, people fled
Europe, immigrated to the New World,
America, to be free in their religion?
Religion, yeah? That’s what this post was
supposed to be about. Well. my original
plans contained two posts, one general
post and one personal post. Oh well…
it will be a long read, so yeah, where was I?
So, I’ve spend the weekend at my friend’s
place (I am still there). So, yesterday morning
(yes, the 4th of July, but yeah, we’re in the
Netherlands, we’ve different national days,
do you know any of them???) So, in the morning
I was talking to my friend, about my views about
religion, the world, etc.
Oh, it’s nice talking to open minded people ;)
Of topic: Quote time: “The mind is like a
parachute, it only works when it’s open”
My friend also told me about his vacation in Mexico,
and about the nature religions there. He said he
respects that kind of religions. Well, that’s a point
where we agree ;). Nature religions often include
rituals and magic. And trust me, magic works.
Okay, now I’ve mentioned nature religions, I would
like to take you back to a part of my childhood.
(Oh, yes, it seems I am combining both my planned
general and personal post, so take your time reading this)
So, as I guess, some of you might already know, I was
baptised at the age of three, when my mother was dying.
When I was a kid I went to a Catholic Primary School,
simply, because it was the closest one to where I lived.
In the province where I grew up, they are rather common.
But even though it was a Catholic Primary School, it
was a tolerant one. The immigrants children, Muslims,
they were threaded just the same like everyone else.
And when we had ‘religion class’ they went to their
own class. Oh, yes, as you see, it’s possible to be
tolerant, and even give Muslims class about their own
religion on a Catholic Primary School.
Yes, that’s the place I grew up in my very young years.
I’ve heard about Catholic Primary Schools, where it was
compulsory to be baptised to be allowed to attend it.
So, yeah, I attended this Catholic Primary School, and so
I did my First Communion at the age of 6. I mean, back then
I already realised Christianity was a lot of bullshit, sorry
to say so, but it is. But yeah, I think to most 6-year-olds it
would just be a party, presents, and stuff, right?
Well, at primary school, I had, of course, history class too.
We had to learn about ancient european people, and also
their religion and their Gods and Goddesses. That history
class, it inspired me. But I was tought those religions were
gone. I was tought Christianity was forced upon the people,
and if you didn’t agree you would be burned as witch. Yes,
they tought that at a Catholic School, keep that in mind.
I remember what the head master once told us, he said that
in his days you got beaten if you said you didn’t believe.
I was attending this Catholic Primary School, so at the age
of 12, I did this ‘Confirmation’ (nl: Vormsel). I remember
some priest making a cross on my forehead with some kind
of… vaseline, I guess. Don’t know how to describe it.
Okay, now we’ll make a little time jump. There happened
some important things in my life in the time in between,
but since I’m talking about religion today, I’ll skip that.
So, we’re going to the year 2002. In that time, I was
attending a ‘Senior Secondary Technical School’
(nl: MBO) (Leeuwenborgh Opleidingen)
So, I was attending this school, right? Back then, I didn’t
have an internet connection at ‘home’ (I was already living
at my aunt and uncle’s place for a few years in that time)
So, I used the schools computer room for my internet needs.
Afin, I know it isn’t polite to look over someone’s shoulder,
but I noticed someone looking at this website about witchcraft,
and I just looked to see what URL this person was visiting.
So, that was when I first read about Wicca. When I read about
it, I had a feeling like “This is what I have been looking for
all my life.” And then I bought a book about Wicca.
“Heksen en Witte Magie” by “Lucy Summers”
This first book had a very open style. I mean, it’s opinion,
how it told about Wicca, it was very open minded. It
presented Wicca in a way I would like to see a religion.
Later, on the internet, I found some ‘purists’ claiming that
only people who follow the specific ‘traditions’
(nl: stromingen) (some things are hard for me to tell in
english, since these are subjects I usually don’t discuss)
should be allowed to call themselves Wiccans. So,
since then, I preferred to use the word Pagan to
describe my ‘religion’.
But later on in my life, due certain disappointments
in life, in certain people, I could say I’ve even lost that.
I went from Pagan to Agnost to Atheist. Maybe I could
way I am Spiritual, not Religious. Maybe… but the past
months, I might have been thinking about using the word
Pagan again? But yeah… my views aren’t exactly the
typical Pagan view either.
If I would start talking about my views, I suppose I would
be flamed by both fundamentalist Christians as well by
fundamentalist Atheists! So, Religions…. the question,
‘Do you believe in God(s/es(ses))?’ Well… before
answering that question, I’ll ask the question ‘What
is God?’ first. **Gets ready to be shot** In my point
of view, I would say, ‘God’ is the ‘collective subconscious’
of all living things on the planet. Every living soul
together is God.
Well…. I guess that’s it for now. I’ve written a long post,
and I will write some more, I promise. Now, shoot me,
Religious Fundamentalists! SHOOT ME!!!
