An Exploration of Faith

So I took a quiz on beliefnet.com, called "Belief-O-Matic" (which can be found here, just out of curiosity. I think I've mentioned before my whole struggle with faith, whether or not I had it, and what it would be if I did. Well, I took the quiz, and my result came up as Neo-Pagan (100%), closely followed by New Age (97%), and Unitarian Universalism (82%). I can't say I'm really surprised at the results (even though I can't say that I've ever heard of Unitarian Universalism), but it's interesting to have my suspicion "confirmed" by this quiz.

So, what exactly does this mean for me? Well, I'll go through each of the central tenets (as far as the questions in the quiz) and give my thoughts. Writing something like this is very rare for me, as I am usually hesitant to discuss the matters of my faith, or lack thereof, but now is as good a time as any to get my thoughts out.

"Belief in Deity -
Some believe in a Supreme Being. Many believe in God and Goddess--a duality. Many believe there are countless spirit beings, gods and goddesses, in the cosmos and within all of nature--God is all and within all; all are one God. The Great Mother Earth, or Mother Nature, is highly worshipped. Divinity is immanent and may become manifest within anyone at any time through various methods."

For a long time, I subscribed to the notion of multiple gods and goddesses, and I can't say that I don't anymore. I've always been fascinated by different world gods and goddesses (particularly goddesses). But then again, I often say that I believe in a Higher Power, but I can't necessarily call it "God," primarily because of some of the connotations I've associated with the term over the years - i.e. that "God" is all-powerful, all-seeing, merciful but vengeful, loving but jealous. I feel like many of the concepts of "God" I've been exposed to have been very contradictory - hence my reluctance to place in Him/Her. But for now, I will confess to believing in Higher Power, or Supreme Being, or - my personal favorite - the Universe.

"Incarnations -
No human incarnations are worshipped in particular, as all of nature and the universe are considered embodiments of God and Goddess, or of gods and goddesses, worthy of respect, reverence, or worship."

I can best sum up my feelings about this tenet by saying I believe we are all Divine, that we are, as it goes, "spirits having a human experience" and not the other way around. To that extent, if Jesus did exist, I don't believe in his existence in the Biblical sense of the Immaculate Conception and him being God's only son. Just as there have been multiple Buddhas, I believe there could have been multiple Jesuses, and do not believe that what is written in the Bible should be taken as a literal, historical account of his life. In fact, who says we don't all have the potential to be a Buddha or a Jesus?

"Origin of Universe and Life -
Generally, there is no conflict between observations revealed through science and Neo-Pagan beliefs on origins of the physical universe and of man. Many believe in a supreme intelligence that created a duality of God/Goddess who then created a spirit world of gods and goddesses as well as all of the universe and nature."

I don't have much to say about this one. I definitely believe in the Big Bang Theory and evolution. But I have no idea where the Higher Power factors in as far as the creation of the Universe. Maybe it just was. I don't know.

"After Death -
Many believe in reincarnation after some rest and recovery in the "Otherworld." There is generally no concept of hell as a place of punishment, but some believe wrongdoing can trap the soul in state of suffering after death. Some (Wicca) believe the soul joins their dead ancestors who watch over and protect their family. Some believe that life energy continues in some, if unknown, form. Some believe in various spiritual resting places. Many say we don't or can't know what happens after death."

As someone who has had encounters with the "Other Side," I most definitely believe in life after death, and in reincarnation. I know I have had past lives, I've seen glimpses of them, and no, they were not my imagination. I have felt connections and attractions to places I've never been to, which I feel is a result of me having been there in a past life. I don't believe in heaven and hell as actual places, more as states of mind. I believe we create our own heavens and hells here on Earth.

"Why Evil? -
'Evil' is imbalance. Most believe there is no evil but rather that people sometimes make mistakes. Wrongdoing results when we forget we are one with the universal spirit."

Since I don't believe in hell, I don't believe in the devil, or some demon tempting people to do evil things. I think we are all, at our very core, good, and the deviants of society have forgotten their divinity. As I was saying to my roommate the other night, I cannot except anyone being inherently evil - even a serial killer at some point depended on someone, loved someone, lost someone. That is not to say that everyone who has lost someone will turn into a deviant, but I guess my beliefs as far as this is concerned are more psychological than spiritual.

"Salvation -
The concept of 'salvation' is essentially irrelevant; rather the belief that people can attain spiritual balance and harmony with each other and nature. The path includes group ceremonies, dances, songs/chants, prayers, meditation, trance, altered states of consciousness, the metaphysical, magic, invoking or evoking deities or spirits, Tantric practices. Intercessors are commonly used: psychics, seers, shamans, tarot, Oui-Ja board. Ethical choices are influenced by a belief that one is rewarded or punished within this or after this lifetime for one's choices and an ethical code to do no harm."

I think the first line says it all, the concept of salvation is pretty irrelevant for me. But I do believe that we should all lead good lives to the best of our ability, and seek to (re)connect with the Divine/Universe/Higher Power, etc., throughout whatever means we so choose.

"Undeserved Suffering -
Most do not believe in Satan or any spirit being as the cause of suffering. Some believe in a karma-like principle, that choosing to live a life of wrongdoing and pain will naturally result in suffering in this or later lifetimes. Many view suffering as a result of spiritual imbalance in one's life or on the planet or in the universe. The focus is generally on healing suffering rather than answering definitively why it exists."

I pretty much responded to this one under some of the other tenets, but I'll expand here. If we don't lead good lives now, we'll pay for it somewhere down the line. I disagree a bit as far as suffering being a result of spiritual imbalance on the planet or in the Universe though. I think that we humans impose a spiritual imbalance on the planet/Universe when we ourselves are imbalanced. I believe the saying "pain is inevitable, suffering is optional" holds true here. We can eliminate suffering, at least for ourselves, by living spiritually balanced lives.

"Contemporary Issues -
Abortion is not condemned, as there is no official doctrine; beliefs about abortion range the full spectrum. Views on divorce, homosexuality, and gender equality are generally very supportive of human differences, equality, and personal choice. Many believe that involvement in community action, especially regarding environmental concerns, is integral to the belief in human interdependence and worship of the Earth Mother."

I'm pro-choice (a woman has the right to govern her own reproductive system), pro-gay marriage (homosexuals are people just like heterosexuals, if they love each other, by all means, let them marry), pro-divorce (no sense staying with someone who makes your life miserable, if you're unhappy, leave), and pro-gender equality (we are ALL equal). The only thing I'm on the fence about is the death penalty, but I'm more on the side of being against it than for it.

Back to my original question - what does this all mean for me? Well, I guess I've had faith all along, I just didn't know in what. I'm not going to go running through the streets "LOOK AT ME, I'M NEO-PAGAN," nor will I change my lifestyle, but at least I have an idea of where I stand.