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BDSM/Religion...
i have had recent experiences in my life that have caused me to wonder if BDSM and my religion can both co-exist in my soul and leave me some sort of peaceful harmony, or whether i would need to choose One or the Other. Seeking solace i went to my priest, and during confession told him many of the intimate details of my D/s relationship, that occurs outside the bonds of marriage (don't ask what provoked me to do this...to this day i still wonder myself). This particular priest was horrified and treated me like some sort of pariah. i was devastated and decided to explore to see how others had dealt with a similar situation. i spoke with S/several from the Dungeon and found out that i was not alone. M/many O/others have run into similar situations. It was suggested by S/some that i simply find a more receptive Catholic Church, and by O/others that i give up religion as i couldn't comply with it's directives. At first neither of these options sounded like anything i'd ever do. After much agonizing i tried another Catholic Church. It was more receptive, but i still felt unsettled, like i didn't belong there... the thought of trying a religion that i could feel comfortable in kept running through my mind. i remembered a link m'Lord had sent me, www.tantra.org/ and went to explore a religion that i knew to be receptive to my lifestyle "Tantra." i read everything i could find on the net and began practicing settling my inner self...suddenly i realized that this was something i had been lacking...that this inner peace that i found in meditating, this pool of energy that was available to me at any time, was what i had been missing. That i didn't have to go to "Church" that my worship was a personal thing, and not one that necessarily had to validated by a church, or a priest. Was this an easy choice? No. i had to face my family with the news that i would no longer be going to church with them every Sunday. i worried and fretted that my mother would never understand (she doesn't, but she has agreed not to question or pressure me about my choice.) Did i tell people that the reason for my choice was my esoteric lifestyle? No. While i long for the day that i may openly tell people i am a submissive and your "normal' isn't necessarily my normal, i am not yet at that point in my life where i feel free enough to do so. Will i raise my children as Catholic, Agnostic, or in the Tantra religion? i think i shall provide them with the basic Christian tenets from the Bible and allow them the freedom to choose for themselves without the guilt i suffered from wondering whether my choice would affect familial relationships. This is in no means meant as a way to try and change or alter A/anyone's beliefs or practices, but as a means of letting O/other's know that there are O/other's out there struggling with the same conflicts. That the choices W/we make have to be based on O/our own feelings and desires. That the choices Y/you make with regards to religion are YOURS and YOURS alone. No O/one should have to be humiliated for their personal practices or their religion. For T/those of Y/you experiencing similar religious conflicts my advice to Y/you is talk to friends, search Y/your heart and soul for what it is Y/you are truly seeking, and allow Y/yourself the freedom to explore the various options, whether it be God, Allah, Buddha, or Brahma. ~~~~~ Copyright 2003 This article is reprinted here with the explicit permission of the author. If you would like to share it with others, please link directly to this page or contact the author for permission. It is a violation of copyright law to distribute or reprint this piece without that permission, however you may include a short quote from it, not more than 20% of the total text. Please respect the integrity of this work.
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