BootsnAll Travel Community

Interacting with new people, new cultures and new religions is an eye-opener for most people. Some people even find they are drawn to change their religion because of the experiences they had while travelling.

Have you ever been tempted?

Nick O'Neill
http://www.BaliBlog.com
BootsnAll's guide to Bali

Howdy Nick! To get this post rollin...In 1970 I was picked up hitch hiking in Morocco by a hip young couple and their 2 kids from N.Y.

At that time I was based on the West coast in California, but I did visit them in NY after my European - North Africa romp.

After that visit, It was then their turn to come out and visit me in CA..which they did within one year.

needless to say they loved CA and even bought a place in Mill Valley north of San francisco.

almost 35 years have gone by and we still stay in touch.

In a recent phone chat, the gal of that NY couple happened to mention that on that first trip to CA, my brother turned her on to a copy of Narcissus and Goldman by Herman Hesse, and that book changed her life.

She became a Buddist from reading it.

So I guess you could say that travel changed her religion, for if they never had picked me up while traveling in Morocco, they would not have had a reason to travel to Ca to be given that book...that she admits not only changed her religion...but also changed her whole perspective on life!

When I first went to India I was a open minded person, so i tryed and saw lots of religines,

From that I converted to Bah'i some 5 years ago and now worship as one, go back to india 2 times a year and visit the Bah'i temple in Delhi each time.

Moving to India soon so will have frends to worship with.

when i was in rome, i visited vatican city. i guess all the artifacts and art started to have an effect on me.. especially when i walked outside and so many priests and nuns were walking around smiling at each other. it made me really think about catholicism.

also, i've come across buddhist monks before. not to sound corny, but they.. well it's kind of like i could almost feel a certain calmness emanating from them. and here i am, worrying about stupid simple material things in life. although.. buddhism isn't exactly a religion is it..?

anyway, although those experiences have opened my eyes, i still decide to remain an atheist.



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And she to me: 'There is no greater sorrow
Than to be mindful of the happy time
In misery, and that thy Teacher knows.

Have a completely different experience from that of Xoom, when I travel and marvel at the mountains, rivers, seas, oceans, I do think that there is someone up there, who created all this.

Whilst in Morroco I met a muslim girl whom i fell in love with. The only way for us to be together was if I converted to Islam and we got married. I seriously considered doing this and researched Islam for 3 months. Eventually I decided that Islam was not for me so I had to let Samira down gently. I still often wonder what she is doing these days.

Accept all religions and then discard that which does not apply.

elv

A huge reason for my desire and urge to travel is that it helps me see the "Big Picture" - however you want to define that.

I think I'm similar to Dustyshoes, and I think that is why I tend to enjoy traveling away from people and civilization. I love getting out into nature and looking at exquisite landscapes, or beautiful plants and birds. I become extremely spiritual when I'm centered like that, although I'm definitely not religious, in the accepted sense of the word.

Lynn

i usally wish while im traveling and meeting new ppl with very interesting ideas of life and religion that i could be like them. and i usaly go to the extent of studing them and researching them just becasue i want to understand the history and the beliefs that they share. but i always know that im antheast threw and threw. i think that mabey if i did start following god i would be a coward beacuse i would be trying to take comfort in some thing i know doesnt excist (not trying to ofend anyone but its just some thing i feel in my bones, i belive it is true). i kinda think thats its a chicken shit way of dealing with the fact that every one dies and us not being able to cope with it so we lie to our selves and make belive some thing like heaven. i can understand ppl who do belive because a lot of them have been delt crapy hands and there only hope is for things to be better in the next life, but growing up in canada i have all the advatages and dont have to delude myself.

im really not trying to piss ppl off with tthis but its my openion.

I've always believed it's about what you believe in that gives you strength. About faith in what you wish to choose is the truth. I was amused to notice at the 2000 census here in the UK that 'unnofficially, the third? biggest faith in the UK is the Jedi order. I was then appalled to hear that the government would not accept it because it wasnt' a recognised religeon. Think what you like but I looked into what a jedi believes in and it's not a bad rule to live by at all.

elv

quote:

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Originally posted by Elvie:
Accept all religions and then discard that which does not apply.

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Which is why I remain an atheist.

yeah, no matter who i talk to, i just can't beleive, i even want to but it's just ot possible, i am facinated by the idea of religion but just can't apply it to my life

Religion is a strange thing, but I think it all boils down to believing that something bigger than you is pulling the strings. Religion explains why things happen and gives advice on how to live a good life. Too bad people get involved and turn what should be a peaceful experience between you and your conceptualization of a creator/director into a righteous issue and cause wars.

Travel opened me up to different ideas of religion and allowed me to challenge my catholic upbringing and to find what I actually believe in.

No..till today I have never felt the need to change my religion..maybe because Hinduism is more a way of life and you cannot really peg down this religion. Maybe one day I will learn more about my religion and others and then question more.. but today I know for a fact that all religions boil down to love and the pursuit of happiness..personal and for others...in my opinion they are all the same..just the paths diff...but I'm drawn/attracted to some of the Buddhist doctrines mainly because they seem to blend pretty with with the modern life..find the "middle path"..neither deny too much not indulge too much. Works for me...

For me it has but it was in a roundabout kind of way.

A few years back I travelled to Nepal and India. I saw a lot of the usual sites including the Buddhist temples around Kathmandu and the big Peace Pagoda in Pokhara. I never thought too much of them when I was there, just thought they were cool and that was it. In India I met two women from New Zealand who were heading to Bodhgaya and allowed me to tag along with them. While on the train I decided I would give it a miss and go to Varanasi instead. Later I considered going to Dharmsala but opted instead to head to Rishikesh because the Beatles visited there (fickle, I know).

Anyway, when I got back I was interested in learning more about what I'd seen out there, particularly Buddhism. I started reading up about it and over the last year or so I've become more interested and now I'm seriously considering officially becoming a Buddhist.

Hello everyone! Although I was "tempted" many times to change my religion I have never done it. This was not because I was very religious and narrow-minded but due to a new perspective on my religion, christianity. A different picture of christianity as it is known: it isn' t fool of rules and obligations but is very free. I think that all religions refer to the same ultimate being whether it is called God, Allah (hope I spelled it correctly!), Buddha...All religions talk about peace, love and all the ultimate ideals. The only difference is the path to these ideals, and how close these paths get. Thanks

quote:

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I think that all religions refer to the same ultimate being whether it is called God, Allah (hope I spelled it correctly!), Buddha...

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I hate to be pedantic but Buddha is not in the same league as Allah or God. Buddhism is a non-theistic religion and Buddha is an example of what people can achieve, he is not worshipped as creator/the almighty/etc.

I agree with your other points about "all the ultimate ideals", very true.

I remember sitting by a cliff in Grand Canyon and realizing how beautiful the canyons were and started to think how each curves of the canyon almost seemed like it was beautifully hand crafted as a potter hand crafts the pot. i have also looked at the beautiful sunset, and hear out the crashing of the waves and i wonder why i am able to freeze time in silence to be in awe by such beauty...and how i have often hesitated to find proper words to write in my journal...later i realized, my words are too limited to express such an infinite things of the mind and heart. Most of the time, i feel that i am infinite being inside of a finite body. i realize that i am part of the creation for the Creator exisit. No animals will stand in silence and stare at a sunset and feel the longing and emptiness and knowing of something greater than himself..who knows maybe an animal might but as soon as his stomach growls, his hunger takes precedence over recognition of beauty of nature and the questioning of the source of such beauty.

I used to be an atheist, until I started traveling. After seeing a sizable portion of the world, I realized that there is no way that this world, this universe, came into existence by "chance." I opened my mind to the fact that their is a designer; a creator of this universe. I began studying a few of the world religions and came to the only religion that ever made a grain of sense to me, christianity. I've read the bible before and it never made sense to me; I was blind. Now I can read and it's so clear to me now. Giving my self up to christ was the most awesome experience of my life. I've never felt the power of the holy spirit that christians always talk about, until about 6 months ago. That's my post.

I was born into a Catholic family, and not brought up strictly catholic. I went to church and did communion etc, but right now i'd say im not too religously involved. I find it hard to find time to devot myself religously too much. i find it interesting though and not a bad thing. it can act as a hope and comfort for people, and watever you belive (even if it isnt real) if a delusion helps people, then so be it. humans have been spirital for god knows how long.... i think the Sun has been worshiped by many peoples and for me that makes sense. without it, there would be no life.
Buddism is the most interesting for me, since i think i agree with its principals the most. also alot of shit has happened since the biggest religons were created. times have changed and i suppose there must be outdated ideas in some religons. for me Buddism is the one that can is most relevant today, (im no expert on religon though)
though im not much of a religous type, i hope in the continuation of religon, if not to make better people but to keep the human race diverse and interesting.... and delaying the global onslaught which sees cultures loosing their identity to a global culture.