Cultural Influence On Rituals, How does your culture effect your rituals and their results? Options

Greetings All,

I've been wondering for a while how the culture one was exposed to from birth, influence his/her rituals in later period of life. As I have seen in my studies so far (not even a fraction of what's out there, i admit (IMG:style_emoticons/default/face08.gif)), most of western CM rituals are based on jewish mysticism with a flavor of christian flavor and occasional comparison with eastern traditions.

I was born in a muslim family and found my previous beliefs very difficult to mix with even the basic rituals like LBRP or MP ( I still do ). On occasions i found some striking similarities in philosophy but most of the time just contradictory. It's been a struggle to form a set of beliefs that seemed true to my self .. ... for now (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sport_boxing.gif) .

So, all out there, will you please share your own experience or opinion on the matter?

PS: I wasn't sure where to post this or if there are any similar topic. If so, my apologies.

Greetings All,

I've been wondering for a while how the culture one was exposed to from birth, influence his/her rituals in later period of life. As I have seen in my studies so far (not even a fraction of what's out there, i admit (IMG:style_emoticons/default/face08.gif)), most of western CM rituals are based on jewish mysticism with a flavor of christian flavor and occasional comparison with eastern traditions.

I think I disagree: in so far as CM relies on a semitically inspired monotheistic world view, ritual work does owe a lot to Jewish mysticism. But the transformation it underwent, with the Hellenic influence of Neo-Platonism, Renaissance Paganism, Rosicrucianism, European alchemy and Christian/Gnostic Kabbalism make it an indisputably Western hybrid. The Christian 'flavour' is integral and what gives the system its radical shift, from an exclusive and transcendent God to the immanent God-Man we are called to embody.

I was born in a muslim family and found my previous beliefs very difficult to mix with even the basic rituals like LBRP or MP ( I still do ). On occasions i found some striking similarities in philosophy but most of the time just contradictory. It's been a struggle to form a set of beliefs that seemed true to my self .. ... for now (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sport_boxing.gif) .

I certainly think that finding a way of practicing faith that works for you is the most important part of realising the higher self. I'm not sure that synthesising variant doctrines and philosophies is the best way to go about it, though: personally, I think Truth is something we all partake in and while its revelation and expression is unique, the source is One. It might all come down to what we each 'know' to be (and equally, know 'not to be') the reality we inhabit.

I think that the way we were raised has a big part to play in that, but not exclusively. Think of all the converts from Christianity to Islam, from Buddhism to Taoism, from atheists to Wiccans: the permutations our personalities permit are endless. I don't think we are at the mercy of our pasts: we are self-determining and creators, to a large extent, of our own experience. But they do provide a scope in which to express (and explore) ourselves.