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Sonny1954
19 April 2010, 08:45 PM
Hello All. I learned of this forum only this morning and this is my first post. Obviously I am interested in Hinduism. I was baptized a Catholic and while I still go to mass most Sundays, my connection has become primarily cultural. I hope to learn how build a lasting spiritual relation with the Lord, not simply obey an outline of rules.

Specifically I believe that there must be a feminine aspect of the Divine. Strict Catholicism considers this heresy. Yet there is a hole in my soul where I believe God the Mother should reside. I am doing reading about Hinduism and I am struck by its spirituality as well as Shakti. I hope that by reading this boards, I will learn more.

thank you.

upsydownyupsy mv ss
24 April 2010, 02:51 AM
Well, I think you'll like this post, friend. :)
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=5643

Eastern Mind
24 April 2010, 07:01 AM
Hello All. I learned of this forum only this morning and this is my first post. Obviously I am interested in Hinduism. I was baptized a Catholic and while I still go to mass most Sundays, my connection has become primarily cultural. I hope to learn how build a lasting spiritual relation with the Lord, not simply obey an outline of rules.

Specifically I believe that there must be a feminine aspect of the Divine. Strict Catholicism considers this heresy. Yet there is a hole in my soul where I believe God the Mother should reside. I am doing reading about Hinduism and I am struck by its spirituality as well as Shakti. I hope that by reading this boards, I will learn more.

thank you.

Sonny: Welcome again to the forums. You've probably heard this before, but here goes. Catholicism and Hinduism don't mix. There are some central central concepts that are contradictory. This leads to confusion, and the Catholic/Hindu ends up practising neither in a good way, just like mixing milk and orange juice. So no Hindu should try to bring you over, unless you're willing to drop the previous. For ethical reasons, we shouldn't lead someone into confusion.

Aum namasivaya

devotee
24 April 2010, 10:30 AM
Hello All. I learned of this forum only this morning and this is my first post. Obviously I am interested in Hinduism. I was baptized a Catholic and while I still go to mass most Sundays, my connection has become primarily cultural. I hope to learn how build a lasting spiritual relation with the Lord, not simply obey an outline of rules.

Specifically I believe that there must be a feminine aspect of the Divine. Strict Catholicism considers this heresy. Yet there is a hole in my soul where I believe God the Mother should reside. I am doing reading about Hinduism and I am struck by its spirituality as well as Shakti. I hope that by reading this boards, I will learn more.

thank you.

You are a Truth Seeker. So are Hindus. I hope you would like this place.

Welcome to this forum !

OM

NayaSurya
24 April 2010, 11:02 AM
Sonny <3

One of my best friends was a Catholic Priest. His Mother and Father were my clients, they both died after a few years. He came every thursday to their home and we spent many nights together alone talking. I always felt as if I had an open door to God during his visits despite our religious differences. We had many adventures together and I consider him a brother of my heart. (Remind me to tell you of the time we both watched Indecent proposal together, so funny!)

The paths are not that far from each other, the stream does end up in the same beautiful ocean...and you and I and all of us...all of us...will reach it<3

I am glad you are here. If there would be anything I could do for you...I am at your service<3

Nayindhe

anupj
24 April 2010, 11:04 AM
Namaste Sonny
once again i welcome you to this forum. i wish you all the best for your search for the truth.

pranam

sambya
24 April 2010, 03:29 PM
welcome to the forums.
its nice to see that you have kept your mind and intellect open to ideas and have not let catholic orthodoxy set in . that is typically expected from a sincere seeker .

god , the mother does exist . most relegions have this concept in varying extents . but nowhere is it as developed as in hindu shaktism .
i have been an admirer of this aspect since my high school days .

may u enjoy your journey with mother . god bless always .....

ScottMalaysia
24 April 2010, 07:12 PM
Hello All. I learned of this forum only this morning and this is my first post. Obviously I am interested in Hinduism. I was baptized a Catholic and while I still go to mass most Sundays, my connection has become primarily cultural. I hope to learn how build a lasting spiritual relation with the Lord, not simply obey an outline of rules.

Specifically I believe that there must be a feminine aspect of the Divine. Strict Catholicism considers this heresy. Yet there is a hole in my soul where I believe God the Mother should reside. I am doing reading about Hinduism and I am struck by its spirituality as well as Shakti. I hope that by reading this boards, I will learn more.

thank you.

Dear Sonny,

I am an ex-Catholic. I still look very fondly on my time in the Church, however. I considered myself to be a "traditional Catholic", following the faith as it was before Vatican II, for example attending the Tridentine Mass (which is in Latin and done very differently from the new Mass promulgated by Paul VI in 1969).

Yes, God is both masculine and feminine. Catholicism has aspects of feminine divinity in the Virgin Mary. Yes, Her devotion is shrouded in terms like "veneration" and "hyperdulia", but many Catholics are as devoted to Her as they are to God. In Her iconography, her titles and Her devotional cultus (none of which have a great deal to do with the biblical and historical Mary), Mary is clearly God the Mother. If there is one devotion that the majority of Catholics do regularly it is the Rosary, a Marian devotion.

There is a beautiful Catholic Church in Wellington that still has the High Altar and two side altars. On the front is written "Sub Mariae Nomine" meaning "In Mary's Name". No mention of God the Father, Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit.

The Bhagavad-Gita states: "Whatever form any devotee with faith wishes to worship, I make that faith of his steady. Endowed with that faith, he engages in the worship of that form, and from it he obtains his desires. which are being actually ordained by Me" (7:21-22). So it doesn't matter which form you worship God in. If you feel you want to worship a feminine form of God, why don't you try devoting yourself to the Holy Mother in the form of the Virgin Mary? I consider Mary to be a form of the Goddess, who is also known as Durga, Parvati and Kali. It's a historical fact that when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, many statues of the Roman Goddesses were repainted as statues of Mary to ease Romans into the new religion.

If you want a feminine side of God, then worship Mary. You're right, Catholicism does consider it heresy to have a feminine side of God (it says that God is above gender distinctions). Holding heretical beliefs automatically excommunicates one from the Catholic Church.

Ashvati
24 April 2010, 07:34 PM
Hiyas Sonny. When I first began studying hinduism before adopting it, I was in a similar situation, except I was episcopalian and I had nothing like these forums to guide me, nor did I have any contact with hindus until a while after conversion. Also, what drew me to it was a little more complicated, Nayasurya knows what I mean.

shian
25 April 2010, 08:43 PM
Om Shakti

Welcome ,
Mother always bless us, just open heart and receive.

^_^