What I am asking is do you see yourself as the God/God/desses equal or servant.

I answered basing my idea off of a god that i could follow....being a god that created people who he would not look down on therefor being equal...and also I don't bow to anyone or anything....i have to much personal pride to do so....so I will stand to any creator and say my peace if I then get sent to hell so be it but I won't give up me for any person place thing or god....if I am supposed to what's the point in giving me a me in the first place?

I answered basing my ideas on myself. God wouldn't have created me the way I am, unless he expected me to look him in the eye.

Darkwind I can only answer this as equal, If I don't hold myself in the highest regard and equal to that which created me I can not do that for anyone else either, the created and creater are one in the same as far as i'm concerned. Namaste sheri

Darkwind
Good to see you post.
I have to say
NONe of the above...
I would have trouble bowing to something that which I am already a part.
I do not feel separation from God.

You didn't include a "Neither" - Deist seldom pray, we don't believe the Creator interacts with his creations. the Wolf

I look the goddess in the eye every morning when I look in the mirror. Some days she doesn't look to bad but the morning after several margaritas, not so good.

Eye to Eye

No groveling here

where's the leaning into, rubbing ala feline like, hugging option? X)

Nice kitty kitty.....

Yup, I should have added neither. Sorry about that, Deists, forgive this ignorant Pagan.

Thank you all for your answers. I was just interested in how people view their Gods.

I see them as my equals. As many said I look them in the eye every morning in the mirror. I have been known to tell them off, too. I do respect them as I would any Teacher and Love them as they love me, but I am not a servant, I am their student.

I think they would like a nice kitty rub, SC, I know I do.

I noticed none of the Christians joined in. They must think it is a trap. I will not critisize if they bow to their God, that is their choice. Are there any Christians that see themselves as Gods equal?

Perhaps they are afraid they will get struck down

Perhaps they had something else to do.

It doesn't really matter who does or does not participate in the thread. It would be nice to have an over all view but is not important in the long run.

If such a being exists.
On my feet, eye to eye and offer him/her/it a beer.
Then ask Now what?

or prehaps they don't feel obliged to post *shrugs* Who knows what goes through people's minds.

but I would guess that those who feel that their god is a loving god.. they'ed look at him eye to eye...

those who think of their god as vengful god... bow down or suffer wrath

For myself I do not believe in any God. I do however try to show respect for the different Gods and religions of this world.

I would glorify my creator. I am not equal to God.

But I have a personal relationship with God. He loves me, and I love Him. I would worship God because He is God. Yet I would greet Him as I would an old friend

Regards, PA

i am not sure where this thread is going. as a jew i stand, sit, or perhaps bow, as that is the tradition. i have heard that jews don't kneel, because christians like to kneel, and jews were told to be distinct from other cultures.same reason they stopped putting flowers on a grave centuries ago. as an occultist, performing a rite in a system into which i have been initiated, i follow that practice. since i an not a christian, and have never been baptized (initiated)into that system, on the rare occasion i go to a christian church, for a wedding or whatever, i will stand when asked, but, as a non-christian, i sit quietly when the congregants are kneeling.i also, as a non-initiate, don't take christian communion, cross myself, etc.

Totally understandable Gideon. Its good to see that you go to into places of other religious worships. I've been to a church and a mosque, but not yet a synagogue- i really would like to. As for answering this question i pray in no particular stance. I can be standing, laying back in bed, kneeling- it doesn't matter. Yet yes i will bow my head down for God- only as a mark for my respect for him- not because im his "servant". Either way i dont think looking God in the eye is bad either.

actually i avoid churches unless attending a friend's wedding, or whichever.

Why'd you avoid churches? Whats a church do to you? Its nice to be open minded and respect all beliefs- sometimes that means learning more of other faiths to understand yours better. I'd go to a mosque and a synogogue and not feel intimidated one bit. Theres no reason to "avoid" such things. At the same time im not a regular church goer at all (because i dont like the church teachings at times) but i still find God in Churches , Mosques and i bet Synagogues.

would you go to a pagan cerimony with an open mind?

This is my first time on your board. I'm here in Lily Dale, NY, USA

I'm replying to question "How do you greet your Divine??" I think it's ok to look one's god in the eye, however I also think that one's attitude matters quite a bit. There's a difference betwen having an attitude of respect vs an arrogant attitude of 'I'm your equal'. I would certainly hope that a god would be worthy of respect.

Lynne

"Those who cannot change their minds, cannot change anything." George Bernard Shaw.

No im talking of buildings of the Abrahamic faith. Churches, Mosques and Synagogues. I go anywhere with open an open mind.

Welcome TLynne to the UM forum.

There are a few of us that believe that Gods are just a construct of mankind so we would look at him/her in the eye and a few of those might even look down on.

SC was asking if you would have an open mind at a Pagan ceremony and you said no.

No what i said was that i was referring to the Abrahamic Faith buildings in relative to the post of Gideon Image. What i did say is that i have an open mind.

Apparently ramsters mind is only opened to the buildings that host abrahams 3 bloody children and slams the door shut on the pagan religion. That sure tells me how opened his mind is, NOT.

I am unsure as Christians we are servants but we show God our works and stand before him happy and would love to see him face to face.

That is ok, we would just a soon he not come. It would be to scary for him and he wouldn't understand anyway. As we Euro-Pagans say, if not this life maybe the next.

it wouldn't accept my first choice so i had to choose 'look god in the eye'

God is my lover. We make love. So I'm very close to God, one with God.

My mind does not have the ability to describe what God is like. I'm in shock and awe at all times and filled with yearning for God's touch. I just want to go to God at every moment, but I have to wait till God comes to me.

Sometimes when I look into God's eyes I am filled with terror, but most of the times I feel only love.

God made me arrogant. That is who I am. I would look him/her in the eye. And I would expect a God who could handle the questions I had to ask.
How could he make me who I am, and expect anything less.

Welcome BrideofChrist to the UM forum.


So you would go to a Pagan ceremony with an open mind?

i believe that i would face him with respect. i don't belive that god is an egomaniac.

What God is that?

Christian God by chance?

Hey this is a unfair Poll, I voted I would bow down and my option was declined, the only option to vote here is the second one (to stand up).

Anyways I would bow down for God because he is the creator and I want to show my respect to him. If he gives me permission to stand up I wont say no to that but I think bowing down is the best thing to do when your facing God for the first time

Hey Baku if God is everywhere then you have already met him.....Food for thought.

pagan ceremonies are wonderful. i have been to many, and always felt welcome. unlike christian churches. the moment they find you are a jew, forget it.you hear the most amazingly ignorant comments from these people.

"Are you a jew for jesus?"
"Why are you a jew when your messiah has already come?"
"I know a jew who is now a christian, and we are very good friends!"
"You're jewish? DID YOU KNOW YOU ARE GOING TO HELL UNLESS YOU ARE BAPTIZED?"

at a pagan ceremony, i tell them i am a jew and they say things like
"welcome"
"blessed be!"
"i hope you enjoy the ceremony. please feel free to ask questions afterward if there is anything you understand."
"do you go to a synagogue? one of these days i would love to go to one, just to see what it is like!"

WAIT. THIS COULD BE A NEW THREAD...

GM - I'm sorry you've had experiences with bigoted Christians. I can tell you though that there are people who do not follow the Christian belief who attend the church. We have a Jehovah's Witness and a Seventh Day Adventist. We chat, we laugh. end of story. I consider them friends

We also have a couple of non-religious types just interested in learning more.

I can't imagine the treatment'd be too different for a Jew.

Regards, PA

What a way to completely twist someones words and meaning around to turn it against them. Lets see what i was talking about. Gideon Is Jewish, this person stated they have been to a church, i said thats a good thing- they didnt agree. Where does paganism come anywhere into what i was saying you geese.
The reason im mentioning the abrahamic faith buildings is because these religions are the ones having problems with each other. I said ive been to a Mosque (Islam) and want to go to a synagogue (Judaism) - myself being a Christian.
So im all for people respecting and accepting religions yet these 3 need to develop a closer friendship and show a greater respect for each other. I think instead of attacking my opinion you should be all for it.

PA-please read the entire following post!

another example is from my teenage years. my best friend in high school was a "nazarene", one of those smaller organizations that refuses to call themselves "protestant". i went to a "bible contest" with him, because his girlfriend was one of the contestants. this guy and i were really close, but, when we were ojn the way to the contest, all the usual ignorant comments came up. he dropped the subject afterwards, and we were friends for years, but it was typical, not the exception. i went to an easter vigil with a couple that i was close to. they were episcopalians, and we went to a catholic church for easter. considering that i am certainly not a christian, i did not kneel with the rest of the crowd. every single time this happened, my friends just glared at me with hateful looks. typical, and again,not the exception, it turned out to be the rule. I have not seen the reverse when christians come to a synagogue. jews do not attack christian visitors. male visitors are certainly expected to wear a yamulka, since moses was commanded to cover his head bbefore HaShem, and have never seen one of them refuse. sorry, p.a., but this was every single time, every church, regardless of denomination. when i was a child, i was told i had "killed Christ". i of course had no idea who that was. at the time i knew nothing of either judiasm or christianity.
my experiences I refer to have been every single time i have been to a church, of any denomination, when they found out i was jewish (what makes it sadder is that i was not raised in the religion, and only know what i have studied on my own, and consider myself an occultist. it's just that i was born a jew, and find christianity ridiculous) new age churches don't do this, pagan groups don't do this. i have even been to buddhist temples, and they were very open-minded. i have no idea what it is like in australia.

Hmm, that is strange I thought I did the poll right. Maybe I didn't, that might explain the 100%.

ramster83,
The way you skirt a direct question you would make a wonderful politician. SC ask,




We are coming to the season of Samhain (sow win) the first of November. There are many Pagan groups hold public rituals. Why don't you go to one and see how the other half lives. I would like to know how they celebrate down under myself.

I think the depths of the problems between Christians, Muslims and Pagans are greater than you think. In many Muslim countries it is death to practice my religion. You are only seeing the world from a very narrow scope. Read the back page once on a while.

Maybe if he had an open mind he would have answered.
Some times no answer is an answer in it's self.

I can't edit the poll, but there is no reason why the bowing option shouldn't work.

I would look him in the eye.

Obviously a lot different, at least in the Anglican/Presbyterian sector, which is what I know most about. It might be like what you describe in other denominations.

Regards, PA