"Cafe" Religion

[Oliver Morgan]

"Cafe Religion" is what my mother called my dad's beliefs while I was growing up. From what I understand it's taking bits of other religions to modify your pre-existing beliefs. For example, a catholic who believes in reincarnation? Bad example, but still.

I was raised catholic. My mother is devout catholic but has recently become interested in Buddhism, but mostly for the spiritual lessons. My dad has always been interested in Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, etc. So I grew up reading the Tao te Ching along with the bible.

So I also have a sort of "cafe religion". A sort of compilation of Catholic, Protestant, Buddhist, Taoist, Hindu, Muslim, Wiccan... well everything really... religions. While my particular beliefs would take hours to map out here [and I'll spare you the extra long thread of text], I'm wondering who else is familiar with this term or practices similar beliefs?  

[pvt. Idaho]

Well, I was raised Episcopalian, but will be initiating myself into Wicca soon. As of yet I haven't been doing much magik, because I don't know if I'll be including it in my practice yet. About 3/4 of the people I know are catholic, and I find other religions very interesting.

However, I don't often remember what I learn easily, and haven't learned much about eastern religions/philosophy. sweatdrop  

[Iron_Felix]

I believe in many different things aswell. I think I was having a good discussion about it in another thread.... Ill ahve to check it out.  

[Efstathios]

Hadn't heard the term before, but I know what you mean.

That's about how my beliefs are, I've come to the conclusion that just about everything is true and all the major discrepancies come from perception and interpretation.
I do tend to take specifics from different religions just to have something cogent to say.  

[Xaerne Veirylle]

Ah, I sort of know what you mean. It's sort of like the "Cafeteria Catholic": take what you want from the religion, the others you don't have to believe. However, no I don't practice it. That would be sort of contradictory to me. I'm Catholic, and by definitions of faith, I have to believe all that God has revealed and what Holy Mother Church proposes.  

[faerie_ophelia]

Before I sort of drifted off, I had cafe religion. Some Christian beliefs mixed in with some Hindu and Buddhist, though mine was more of the latter two than the former.  

[Iron_Felix]

Interesting.  

[Vere412]

And then there's those of us raised native american in modern america where we don't even get on the "religion" lists as anything but "Other". Depressing.  

[Vere412]

Sorry, didn't mean to bring anybody down.  

[Efstathios]

I used to have some Cherokee beliefs and have some Cherokee blood, but it was never a large part of my beliefs.

That's really... Aweful. Native American beliefs should be at the top of the list.

Stupid "freedom to practice whatever religion you want, as long as it's christianity"

What's your favorite color? You can pick any as long as it's black.
evil evil  

[GirlPuck]

I'd never heard of the term "cafe religion" before, but I do practice that sort of belief. I actually explained this a bit in the Death thread on page 7. Different parts of different faiths make sense to me, or are somehow important to me, and those parts are what I believe in.  

[rgor]

I have heard of caf'e spiritualism, but i have even named my type of belief, it is called Revolutionism it is an equal synergy of Science fact melded with base christian belief  

[Toshi Shino]

Very interestring... I don't really know about myself.

I remember reading an artical that somewhat reminds me of cafe religion, but I guess it is not really one.

Here is the link that a friend gave me after giving her a link to a site about elements.
http://www.chaosmatrix.org/library/chaos/texts/jmchaos.html  

[Naynram Ukir]

It sounds alot like Syncretism or Eclecticism to me.
You're not really any of those religions, you're just taking parts of those religions, because to be a part of a religion you have specific doctrines to adhere to. Once you go outside of those lines, then you're no longer that religion, but something else. Though it's not any better or worse than having a specific religion.

 

[Naynram Ukir]

Vere412

And then there's those of us raised native american in modern america where we don't even get on the "religion" lists as anything but "Other". Depressing.

In the 'other' option, don't you usually get the ability to fill in whatever religion you are? So they know if any religions are gaining alot of popularity so they can make it a recognized religion. (Even though I'm pretty sure Native American Spirituality is a a recognized religion) This is probably only on the Census though, and I don't know why any other forms would want your religion.