I believe that God does not endorse TV evangelists (Savage Garden)
When I say I'm a hedge witch, I mean that as a statement about my beliefs and world view, but I've come to realize that's not what people hear. They think of it as some sort of office, like being a priest or shaman, something that I DO. Whereas to me, it's something that I AM. It's about what I believe.
I would never accept money for a tarot reading or other magical work. It can never be a good thing to mix spirituality and livelihood. Anyone who makes a living off their belief system adds a very strong motivating force - putting food on the table - that can seriously skew everything and stop you from honest spiritual development. I think that goes for all humans and all religions, and so I don't think that there should be any paid priests or imams or shamans or any such people. All spiritual workers should make their living some other way, otherwise they inevitably lose credibility.
And no religion or world view should ever become an institution. A church that becomes tangled up in society and politics becomes about other things - about money, power, politics, and control of people's thoughts and behavior. I don't even want to see my own belief system become an institution in society with its own buildings and officials and kindergartens. I do not think that would be a good thing. Religion is, should be, a private and personal matter for each individual. Society as a whole should be secular with freedom of religion.
That's also an unaccustomed thought for many, since we're so used to religious institutions that want to make converts (for financial reasons). Quite a few people get defensive and suspicious when they find out about my world view - they expect me to try to convert them. They find it hard to credit that I honestly don't care what they believe and I have no need for other people to believe the same things I do. I mean, I do care what people believe because it's always interesting, but not because I can't accept their beliefs as different from mine.
Okay, today's entry became a soap box speech. Oh well. :)
I would never accept money for a tarot reading or other magical work. It can never be a good thing to mix spirituality and livelihood. Anyone who makes a living off their belief system adds a very strong motivating force - putting food on the table - that can seriously skew everything and stop you from honest spiritual development. I think that goes for all humans and all religions, and so I don't think that there should be any paid priests or imams or shamans or any such people. All spiritual workers should make their living some other way, otherwise they inevitably lose credibility.
And no religion or world view should ever become an institution. A church that becomes tangled up in society and politics becomes about other things - about money, power, politics, and control of people's thoughts and behavior. I don't even want to see my own belief system become an institution in society with its own buildings and officials and kindergartens. I do not think that would be a good thing. Religion is, should be, a private and personal matter for each individual. Society as a whole should be secular with freedom of religion.
That's also an unaccustomed thought for many, since we're so used to religious institutions that want to make converts (for financial reasons). Quite a few people get defensive and suspicious when they find out about my world view - they expect me to try to convert them. They find it hard to credit that I honestly don't care what they believe and I have no need for other people to believe the same things I do. I mean, I do care what people believe because it's always interesting, but not because I can't accept their beliefs as different from mine.
Okay, today's entry became a soap box speech. Oh well. :)