It has come to my attention

that discussing spirituality is restricted at this forum. I want to say that for me, it makes using this site as a resource limited.

Some of what hurt me as a child is related to my experiences growing up as a Catholic. Now that I am Buddhist, and going through healing from PTSD, these past issues from Catholicism affect my ability to use my Buddhist resources and community temporarily.

I just wanted to mention this because I had a post edited for content when I put in a wishing prayer that is quite expansive for the well being of all others.

That I mentioned the source as a prayer by Shantideva, and said by HH the Dalai Lama daily seemed to be problematic for the forum.

I also find prayers by St Francis of Assisi and Hindu prayers and all other manner of spiritual resources--especially when shared by someone who has faith in them inspiring.

I'm just sharing this. Take it for what it's worth. It's just a comment about what I see as a potential missed opportunity. Anyone who has survived a religious cult will have spirtual trauma too. It's just another area--out of traditional psychotherapy perhaps--but increasingly important in mind-body-spirit and psyche holistic healing.

I work with a psychologist who does EMDR and he is open to using the images that arise from my faith traditon as a source of healing.

Thanks for hearing me out. I'm sorry but I cannot post in this forum any longer. I am on a path to wholeness and that includes the truth of my being, and what gives me strength.

As long as people can say God and Holy Spirit I don't know why I can say the word Buddha or credit the author of a prayer. None of this was intended as proselytizing.

sky

Please know that your words have been heard and that you are not the first member to bring up this very good point......

Thanks Rhapsody. I'm sad about this. This is otherwise a good forum, but I'm on a path to wholeness and I won't let anything stand in my way.

It's too bad, because I think I have something to offer, as a woman who has spent over 25 years meditating and working as a social worker and counselor and who is taking that level of awareness into my healing from PTSD.

have you looked into the social groups here? they allow for discussions that don't fit so well elsewhere... you might find All Faiths a good place for what you want to talk about. and you may like some of the other groups, too. you can find them under My Profile, Social Groups.

You are right. Spirituality is an essential part of healing, and is a very appropriate topic to share with others who are healing. The spirituality forum here is not a real spirituality forum. That was taken away from us some time ago, and many of us were wounded (again) when that happened. There is a vocal minority who have an agenda to silence expressions of religion and true spirituality. That minority won, and the rest of us suffer for it.

However, there are social groups, and forums that you can only access and view if you join the groups. You will find others there who have given up finding a place in this non-spirituality forum, and some who still try to make the best of this one too. The prayers and beliefs that you want to share would be welcome there, if you would like to join us.

I'm sorry that we aren't more visible. It became too painful for me to maintain a presence here, so I retreated, but the group that I started accepts all who want to share and talk openly about spirituality and learn from others who also want to share. You are welcome, as is anyone else who accepts those terms. I don't know if the powers that be here mention that there are options available, like the social groups, and blogs, or if we are a secret that they would rather hide. I have mixed feelings. I want anyone who needs us and wants to be a part of this to be able to find us, but I also don't want to be attacked anymore by those who want us not to exist.

We're there. To find us, go to your own profile (click your own screen name) and click the section that says "Social Groups." (or is it "Group Memberships?") The group that I started is called "All Faiths." There are also groups that are more specific to particular religions. Mine is essentially what I thought that this forum was created for when it was originally created. A place for everyone to share beliefs and spiritual support. It's not supposed to be a secret, so if there are others who want to be a part of it, feel free to pass it along.

Sky_dancer,

I respect your beliefs. I don't think discussing spirituality is so much restricted as discussing religious things. Of course, some people consider Buddhism a spiritual path, but others see it as a religion. But I do see your point, that to simply credit the author of a piece, seems to be nothing more than good manners.

I understand that religion and spirituality can be important to MI for multiple reasons. 1. Sometimes, they cause pain, 2. Sometimes they help healing, and 3. Sometimes certain mental illnesses revolve around religion a lot, such as delusions, paranoia, and OCD. In fact, I don't know how it is possible to avoid it when discussing the third. But anywho....

Sadly, not everyone is so open to accepting others and their beliefs. I think religion is seen as something that can divide people, and that is prob. why it is restricted. But at the same time, a person's preference in mates is also something that divides people. Many things divide and start fights. I don't know if this one is any worse. I understand the reasons they think it needs to be restricted somewhat, but perhaps it is restricted more than some of us would like. I hope you will stay here, though. You can post about your beliefs in All Faiths. Also, to some degree in the Spirituality forum.

((((((((( sky dancer )))))))))

Perhaps, you are meant to stay then...I hope you can find it within youself to 'be free' to stay.

The prayer was most lovely. My interpretation was mine anyway, so I didn't even know it was from one faith or another. Didn't matter one bit.

What mattered and matters to me is that I get to heal using all of myself, including my spiritual self.

Take care

“Science without religion is lame.
Religion without science is blind.”
Albert Einstein

I have been on boards that restrict religious discussion but not spiritual discussion. I’m surprised that spirituality is restricted because we are all on a personal and spiritual journey. Personal and spiritual growth has nothing to do with religion. Or have I misunderstood the threads main topic?

Posts of a spiritual nature are allowed.

Posts referring to specific religeons are unfortunately not.

The reason for this is because it is such a sensitive issue, that it simply most often leads to arguments and fighting. The same thing goes for politics. We are asked to keep these to a minimum.

Under the heading of the Spiritual Forum, we see the following:
This Sanctuary is a place for people of all spiritual beliefs and faiths to offer support and compassion to each other in the form of prayers, meditation, and expressions of spirituality. This forum is for support, not religious debate.

Unfortunately in the past when we had this forum open to religeous discussion, it often became negative and led to many bad feelings on the part of multiple members.

DocJohn has this to say:

We're going to move forward with a new plan for this forum, for better or worse, because the current state of affairs is simply untenable. We have lost members over hurt and upset caused by this forum and by some members' focus on specific religious doctrine and dogma over the more general spirituality we've always intended here.

Some members have chosen to use this forum as a place to express their point of view, sometimes trying to drown out others'. Other members see this as a soap box to evangelize.

We need to go back to the original mandate of the forum -- that it is about spirituality and not specific religions. Discussion -- even positive discussion -- of specific religions or religious doctrine will not be allowed going forward. It is the specific religious talk that seems to cause the most trouble.

For members who cannot or will not stick to discussions of spirituality, after a warning, and if the member continues, they will be placed into a "no access" to this forum group. They will still be able to access all other forums here, but just not this one.

If, after a few weeks with the renewed emphasis of this forum, we still see too many members struggling to keep topics to spirituality and not specific religions or religious doctrine, we will move this forum to a "Requests for Prayer and Thoughts" format instead, and do away with a spirituality discussion forum altogether.

I'm sorry it has come to this, but there has be a change here in the interests of the entire community.

DocJohn

Originally posted here

I hope that we can all understand why this change was made, and move forward with the new forum ideals.