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If the word God bothers you, stop here.
In my experience, trans-people tend to fall into two camps; spiritual and atheists. Yes, that is a generalization, with all the pitfalls that come with that. But it works for me. I believe that being transgender tends to galvanize a person to one or the other.
So I fall into the spiritual camp. Mind you, I am not advocating any religion. I believe that all paths leading us to something bigger than ourselves, must be correct. I believe I am here because there are things I need to learn and that here is a higher power that provides purpose and meaning to my life. I have never doubted my belief in that Higher Power which I will call God for the sake of simplicity.
My first understanding what being a trans-woman could mean came when I watched the movie Little Big Man. It has a hwame, a two-spirited person, that I totally identified with. In many Native American cultures, two-spirited people were revered. They had a place in their culture and could play many roles including teachers, therapists, and shaman. And that is what I am, a teacher and a shaman.
I don't experience spirituality as a set of words from a static text. Mostly, I would say I don't even have a religion at all. I say I am a Pagan as an umbrella term. I say I am Wiccan because I try and live by the Wiccan Rede. I understand God by listening, learning, and serving. And I believe that is what my life is about; growing my spiritual self, and serving others. It is what keeps me going.
So when I talk about God, please be understanding that I am just following my path. I am talking about something within me that is also greater than me. I am aware that it could just be my own self delusion, but I choose to believe otherwise.
Comments
Wise and well-reasoned
I have had things happen to me and my loved ones that don't even come close to being explained by science. That's why I believe in something greater than myself. Admitting my dual nature (I.e. Being "trans") was a scary step because (among other frightening things) I thought I might have to give up - or at least rebel against - my concept of God. Well, that's what happened - I gave up my old concept of God. My old (taught from childhood) concept doesn't jive with my real life experience anyway. What a freeing idea, that I can be spiritual and transgendered at the same time. I also am not proselytizing here - no one is obligated to feel the way I do, nor am I encouraging anyone to do so. Thank you, Cassie.
**Sigh**
Sighs are the natural language of the heart.
-Thomas Shadwell
In matters of religion, we tend to ignore our experiences
One of the saddest things I have ever been told is that Angels and Demons do not really exist. They were just metaphors in the bible for the best and worst traits of man. I have experienced both, and my trying to understand that ended up leading me away from Christianity.
One of the cruelest things I was told was that if I have experience such things then I was evil.
My experience says that my God loves me. So the gifts I was given do not make me good or evil. I may experience the world in a different way than many others, but that has got to be a good thing. God does not make junk. And if I am okay, then what does that mean? I am still trying to answer that one.
Thank you for sharing,
Cassie Ellen
I understand completely
Both sides of my family are from the UK, so perhaps I had family members that practiced the Wicca craft. I took a slightly different direction because of my early exposure of single deity religion I suppose. So, I've been Baptist, Pentecostal, Muslim and am now LDS, and I think I have found a home.
Actually, trying to figure out who made the flowers, planets and galaxies has been the focus of my life.
I'm sorry, some will get really defensive and even angry at the mention of God, but I understand that sometimes their reticence is due to abuses of the past.
Much peace
Gwendolyn
The secret of creation
Years ago, I use to think of my self as a comical creationist. The idea was all wrapped around the understanding that we must have faith in God. So knowing science would progress to where it is now, God created the earth with fossils that support the idea of evolution. It was all a big joke on the scientists who believe that they can disprove creation. It allowed them to have faith even though there was science.
I do not know if the Higher Power I believe in created everything. For me it is not necessary. The stage has been set and the act is in progress. My job is to portray my part to the best of my ability.
I also remember being here before, and more so, being from somewhere else. I have fought these memories and dreams for too long. So the other place was not a physical world like this one is and that makes me realize that I do not have to take my current environment quite so literally. I try to enjoy the beauty of the world I live in with the unquestioning gaze of a child.
Thank you for sharing,
Cassie Ellen
God as I understand him
I was raised as a Congregationalist (Methodist like) I was told that once I sinned it was all over. When my dd died I couldn't forgive God for taking him. In Viet Nam I joined the LDS church, I couldn't adhere to their beliefs. So I just roamed and did what I wanted until February of 1975. I had always question why would God dislike me and why did God make it hard for me. I didn't ask to have the desire to be female.
I gave my life to Christ and became a Christian. I was a Christian by name only. I did the drinking, smoking, cussing and leering at porno on the ship. I had many people tell me how God loves me, but being a cynic I couldn't understand why he would love someone like me an abomination to him. It took the destruction of my second marriage to finally with BLIND FAITH accept God as a loving God. I understand how he has been with me since I was born, I had a life of adversity. Through my faith and praying for answers I learned I had been born intersexed. Now I know God doesn't make junk every thing he does has a reason.
I honor God through worship and prayers. I don't ask What would Jesus Do?" I ask "What did Jesus Do?" I know he cared about people he never told anyone they weren't good enough. He dined with the sick and miserable. I believe in every religion there are zealots even amongst atheist.
I firmly believe that we as people who were deemed different were all harangues and harassed about our desire to be feminine/female.
I was brow beaten by many people who called themselves Christian and then saw their lives as whore mongers, hypocrites, wife beaters, amongst other things.
Along the path laid before me I learned Sincere Critical Acceptance. For me that means whom ever I meet to take them for the person they are as I meet them. Not to judge but to accept.
My tagline speaks volumes. Each of has a choice to be spiritual, agnostic, Christian, Atheist, Wicca or what ever. For me I am not in a religion I am in a relationship with the God I choose to worship and serve.
Jill Micayla
Be kinder than necessary,Because everyone you meet
Is fighting some kind of battle.
God loves us
of all things, that is the most powerful. And I feel that too. I use to think I was cursed. It took a long time to even begin to understand that the talents I was given may be gifts, and that serving is what fulfills me.
I like your tag line. I tend to use the slogan I learned in Boy Scouts. Always leave a place better than you found it. I believe that means people too.
Thank you for sharing,
Cassie Ellen
I Have Heard Several Friends Blame God...
for the actions of his so called followers, but I have learned to separate my belief from what is being preached by organized religion. There are so many of them who don't have a clue about what Christ stood for. They don't remember that Christ spent most of his time with the outcasts of society, teaching and showing love. There are way too many in churches that don't know the meaning of the word "Love". I was reading a book by my Hypnotherapist recently in which she explained there was a difference between being spiritual and religious. Being spiritual means being in tune with your higher self and how you fit in the Universe and the spirit world, while religion is belief in something based on the interpretation of someone else, instead of following your own intuition. I believe in a higher power that is LOVE and not this vengeful and judgmental version that so many churches try to sell to people.
I think it is important to distinguish the two
We can be spiritual, and not religious. Being spiritual may mean believing in God, but it is an individual belief.
On organized Christianity, how different would it be if it were based entirely on the idea that a new covenant was formed, and then life was lived only by the words in red?
I imagine Christ looking down and laughing at us all. Laughter because if some humour cannot be found then it would be tears. I like to smile and laugh back. If there cannot be purpose in the world, let there be laughter. Sometimes, I wonder if that is what was meant that we were made in God's image, for I know that my God has a joyous sense of humour.
Thank you for sharing,
Cassie Ellen
I'm having trouble coping
If my replies are slow in coming, or a little bit strange, I just don't have the ability to bring them all together.
I have had so much change and loss in the last six months that my faith in myself is slipping. Hence my thoughts on spirituality. My spiritual beliefs hold me together even when nothing else can.
I keep moving forward, and hope that everything will work out as it should.
Bright Blessings to all of you!
Cassie Ellen
A Quote From A Book I Am Reading
"Teach Your Child That What Matters Most to G-d Is Goodness" -- Day 235 (Wednesday) p334-5 From The Book of Jewish Values: A Day By Day Guide to Ethical Living by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
As a religious Jew I am still learning to be a mench.