How about folks leave their religion out of tarot

[Miren]

Were you ever new at anything, willowfox? Did you ever have concerns or questions? I think a beautiful thing about this forum is that people can ask questions or express concerns and get helpful answers.

I've seen a lot of bullying that goes on in (other) forums, especially towards people who are in a transitional phase and get mocked for their concerns. People have a valid need to work through their concerns...just like those kids taken from the Mormon compound will probably feel qualms for quite a while about things like drinking soda. Most people may have no problem with soda (except calories) but those who've been told it's evil will need encouragement.

I ignore threads about things that don't interest me or that I think will raise my hackles more than I want them raised. If you don't want to support those people, you don't have to. You can even take a "jacked" thread and just move it back on topic by responding to the conversation that was going on before the issue came up.

 

[prudence]

There is a sticky for threads about Christianity and Tarot along with other topics which appear frequently. The same subjects do crop up time and again and of course some of us will get tired of them.

I think the problem here is not that the subject is being repeated, its the assumption that religion should have nothing to do with Tarot (says who), and that people who follow a religion are either afraid or have a problem. This is an extreme and judgmental take, and exactly mirrors the attitude that is being condemned in the first post.

Thanks for pointing that out, Moonbow*. I did not know that there already was a sticky in place.

I guess my take on Willowfox's post, is that he/she was having a bit of a rant about these questions/threads, the same way others have in the past regarding some of the other often repeated questions. His/her belief that religion should have nothing to do with tarot seems equal in worthiness to the belief that tarot and spirituality always go hand in hand. It might not be my belief but it has an equal right to exist as any I hold.

 

[GenoviaJ]

What I am uncomfortable with is "calling out" type postings. Its not different to me than "flaming" - and some forums are strict about not allowing it. I have seen it before here, when members complain about how other members participate, instead of just focusing on what they get out of the forum as individuals. I really believe that post which are initiated to make others feel uncomfortable should be more carefully scrutinized. It does not matter of members are old or new its about respect for one another and were we are at the moment. I simply see it as a way to control the forum and homogenize it to be a few members desire it to be. So, yeah I think people should feel free to discuss any aspect of tarot they so desire, but I do not believe we as members should be Free to discuss other members---to me that is basically what this thread is about. The thread on religion which was going quite well, has now been totally derailed by this thread. I feel its unfair to the person who asked the question.

 

[prudence]

I am as irreligious as they come, but I defend anyone's right to bring God up in conversation here if they like - just as I defend anyone else's right not to read the posts when they happen.
.

But Gregory, what if a person brings God into a conversation because they are sick and tired of hearing about God and his views on tarot? I mean, if we are tolerant of all things, then we also need to be tolerant of people feeling fed up. Willowfox brought God into this conversation, and this is the conversation he was having.

 

[GenoviaJ]

I do not believe there is a soul here who participates in Tarot who does not know that divination of any form has some issues with belief systems and faith as well as spirituality. We should expect that it will come up from time and time and not participate if we choose not to. But to try and totally eliminate it or discard it I believe is impossible and unheard of, sometimes a thing is what it is...and we allow for it and move on.

 

[memries]

First of all I do not see anyone qualifying what the word "religion" means.
It represents different thing to different people. You cannot discuss it with anyone not knowing what they think the word means.

Even my concept of the word God means something different than what someone else may think.

Freedom of thought, freedom of speech and freedom of expression are necessary in all cases. That is why AT is so great.

 

[Alamaris]

(Apologies if any of this sounds cross -- it really isn't. I'm just speaking my mind. )

This forum is for everyone. Everyone who's interested in tarot, whether they read, dabble, or simply collect cards. The point of the forum is learning and growth, each to their own. If everyone who came here was told that they had to use tarot a certain way every time... it would turn into a religion. We've come to use the word "religion" to mean anything doctrinated and spiritual, but its literal meaning is "a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects". That could even sum up science and belief in evolution, couldn't it?

I'm going to be frank here: to the original poster, the things you've said paint you as closed-minded. Yes, it is the twenty-first century... but the point is, we haven't lived for 2000 years. There's a handful of children born for every breath we take, and they will come to every experience without knowing anything about it. When I first came to tarot, I was exactly like the people you have issues with. I was a Christian, and I was threatened and terrorized by fellow Christians into dropping the "satanic rituals". For years, I was scared to even go near playing cards, until I broke free from the Church.

I don't tell this story for pity -- I tell it to show I used to be an example of the people you discriminate. If I had known about this forum back then, I would have poured over it, asking questions and searching, trying to find an answer. I wanted to use tarot because I felt a calling, even though it was against my beliefs (rather, the beliefs others foisted on me) at the time. The people who believe a deity will strike them down for touching tarot cards are scared and looking for answers. If you believed that ONE action could send you to a pit of damnation for eternity, it would occupy much of your waking life. As foolish as you might think this belief is, fact is, its someone's reality.

Just like everyone's DNA is different, so is everyone's beliefs. Some people pray through tarot, some use it to write and paint, and some use it scientifically to find criminals. Some are atheists, some are Buddhists, some are Christians. Some are comfortable with tarot... some are afraid, and wondering what the truth is. One day, perhaps you'll have an important question. How would you feel if people refused to answer your question because you didn't share their beliefs?

In conclusion, if you don't like it, suck it up. I apologize if this seems overly blunt. This is an open forum for people of all walks of life, and simply because you think you know all the answers doesn't mean everyone else does -- or will share yours. I get irritated when I see overly positive, sappy New-Age messages and oracles, but its not my right to tell other people how to think. Yes, we should respect each other's opinions. But there comes a point where personal view treads the line between "opinion"...and "intolerance."

 

[Baroli]

Can I get an Amen! Well put Alamaris.

 

[Alta]

The original premise of this thread almost constitutes a flame against all members here who are Christians. We left it partly because it shows that no one has a monopoly on intolerance, and partly to allow some expression of the strong feelings here. However, the damage possible just gets greater as it progresses although there have been many open and thoughtful posts. I think that Alamaris' posts is a good place to end it.

Alta
co-Moderator
Talking Tarot