A question of religion??

This forum is growing all the time, with new members from many different backgrounds - which, by the way, I find exciting and a true commendation to the site itself

Taking this into account, the diversity of our many members, I'd like to ask a question which some may find easier/more comfortable to answer than others.

? Before discovering Asetianism, what was your religious stand-point, if any. And how has Asetianism changed this, if at all ?

Personally, I was brought up in a catholic background. I attended a catholic school and went to church every day because it was attatched to the school (many years ago, i might add )
Anyway, I always had a problem with catholism and christianity as a whole. I found it hypocritical and contradictory in its teachings, to what I felt inside. As a consequence to this I left the 'flock' at a young age - much to my familys disapproval - and began to investigate alternatives, accumulating a wide wealth of knowledge along the way.
However, it wasnt until I found Asetianism that the puzzle felt ready to assemble itself. In all truth, Asetianism has allowed me to freely explore myself and has opened up many routes of explaination to my past hang-ups which I never found anywhere else.

I dont personally class Asetianism as a religion per se, but more of a way of life and undefinable truth that echoes to my inner self as an unshakable certainty.

I have nothing against any other world religion or culture, but I do now feel that 'home' is much closer than it ever was before.

I look forward to hearing some others' views and opinions on this.

I was also brought up Catholic and went to Catholic schools up until I was a teen. I also went to church regularly with my parents, and I remember being devout when I was very young (oh yes, eons ago ), then growing increasingly weary of it. By the time I was in College I was already experimenting other standpoints. After a brief stunt with Eastern and Middle Eastern religions I stumbled upon the thorny path of Gothic culture and that led to a whole new world for me. My family was of course shocked and scared and that just fed my rebel side even more. Insert here scenes of spikey-haired revelry with dark crosses and latex. To my own credit, though, I must say that was WAY before the present Gothic wave that plagues our planet.

That didn't last long, though. After I calmed down I grew intensely faithless, but somehow I could not ever consider myself an atheist. Though I had grown apart from the Christian model, which seemed increasingly fake to me, still something held me standing there and waiting. It wasn't until I had my "night of darkness" that I finally begun to realize what had always been in front of my eyes: the spirit does live on. It was something that was as clear as water. The other thing that was confirmed to me from what learnt was that Divinity dwells within the Self.

Asetianism for me is just a confirmation of all this, and as I mentioned in another post it's just the beginning of a long road that I now take with completely open eyes.

I grew up as a Christian given to my family influence and guidance as a kid. When I grew up I found the occult which lead me first to highly superficial things as Wicca and other New Age traditions. It was only after some years of reading and practicing the occult among these pagan groups that I started to gather interest for stuff more on the darker side. At first, and given my pagan background, I used to see the dark side of the occult as something purely evil, it took me a long time to understand it was all a matter of being more silent, more secretive, more introspective and in the end, more reliable, true and deep. More about the evolution of the soul than mere rituals from a book. The Asetian Bible played a great role in helping me to finally understand and solidify these concepts. Asetianism proved to be the ultimate resource that culminated all those years of spiritual quest and study into the occult. All other traditions are interesting, but they always seemed to lack something in it, and did not fully match my inner self and personal beliefs, reason why most pagans end up being "eclectic". That only means one thing: "I am trying to adapt to this belief system and tradition because it does not fully match what I feel and believe, so I must add my own tiny bits to it from other paths". This is what really being eclectic means, and that is why there is no eclectic path in Asetianism, because the tradition is unchanged for hundreds of years, in its purest form, so it just is... perfect.

This is my view and a global idea of my path, how I grew into finding all this.

Jonathan

I have had moments where I have questioned my religion but I have never changed it. Nor do I intend to do so.

I have never really been all that religious. When I was young I went to church with my family... but I don't really ever remember believing any of it... to be honest it was rather uncomfortable to deal with. I have since then done studies on alot of different religions... absorbing what I deemed to be the truth from them and discarding the rest, which over time has become what I call my 'Spiritual theory'. I am sure I will absorb Asetianism as well as I become more and more knowledgeable of it... it will be interesting to see what becomes of it to be sure.

Em hotep, all. First post here. Intelligent forum.

Years ago, I grew up in a laid back Christian environment (Methodist). It was non-fundamentalist but still based on the Christian Bible (CB). Eventually, as I researched more and more into the background and development of Abrahamic beliefs, I decided the falsehoods far outweighed the truth. (This was a personal decision. I respect the rights of any person any where to freely choose the diety and worship tradition they desire.)
To my interpretation, the CB was not the word of God or Jesus or Yahweh, but more a collection of 2000 - 3000 year old spin-doctored "press releases", whose main purpose was to strengthen and consolidate the ruling political and religious power base of the time. For example, believable research indicated:
1) Moses and the flood was copied from earlier Sumerian legend.
2) Genesis had four authors, and was not well edited.
3) The Christians invented the concept of a devil (What better tactic than fear of eternal damnation to ensure faithful, tithing parishoners?)
4) Christmas Day was chosen by the 4th century Roman Church to compete with the popular "pagan" Saturnalia festival.
These are four out of hundreds of examples.
I read the gnostic Nag Hammadi Codices. The concept that one was part of diety and diety a part of one hit home. Especially, that I could find God within me, by myself. (No wonder this was surpessed. No need for priests and churches if one can find God by oneself.)
I had always been fascinated with dynastic Egypt - reading voraciously its history, mythology and religion. The past few years I came to know Aset. She is now a part of me and (I hope) I a part of her. I am here to find out if being an Asetianist is my true path.
Reading the AB, I wonder why there is the continuous reference to Asetianism being dark. I speculate:
It simply is. No dark, no light. To pass such a judgement implies the existence of a superior being being empowered to do so. Who? Asetianism is. And is as valid and real as any of the major Western or Eastern faiths. That's my short version.

hey this makes me feel better thanks

i was a brought up as a christain. i always thought its was a bounch of bull shit. and it really is. all relgion is a wast of time. and believing in somthing that does not even exist is just a bitch. all relgions fight about which one is the right religon. my lifes gotten better ever since i stoped believeing in a bounch of lies and crap that some one wrote. i personal;y think all religon especaily cristain and cathlic religons need to take there god and shove him up there ass.


<333 krow

Asetianism, can be considered, and is by many, a religion, as well as a spiritual tradition. Does that mean that you consider Asetianism to be a waste of time and a bunch of lies and crap?

Perhaps she is referring to the religions such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism and such. Anyways, looking forward to her reply.

Aghrab