About me
I am a British woman who is never done talking about the meaning of life!
This blog is for recording my journey towards my truth, and discussing ideas related to religion and spirituality. It is a place of open-minded curiosity and reason.
Please feel free to leave comments, or email me at wrestlingwithreligion@gmail.com.
Wrestling With Religion 
Achelois said,
January 2, 2010 at 8:02 am
WWR, are these all your archives on the right? I want to start reading your blog from the beginning, how do I do that?
Wrestling With Religion said,
January 2, 2010 at 12:18 pm
I am so flattered that you want to look through my archives!
I’ve just added a few widgets including a month-by-month drop-down thing, which might be easiest.
Achelois said,
January 2, 2010 at 4:20 pm
You are my daily dose of spirituality boost! I am so sad that I didn’t discover you before. Thank you for being in my life, WWR!
Hala said,
February 14, 2010 at 6:31 pm
I’m also wrestling with religion myself, I started a year ago realizing that I’m actually free to question and investigate my beliefs and concepts, then I started reading about history of religions, and one of the most frustrating things I’ve ever encountered is that there was no one to discuss my ideas with and debate my opinions to reach any convictions, then I came by your blog, and I can’t tell you how much it means to me to read through your posts and your commentators’ … Great blog and great ideas, much in need at those times, so please keep on blogging…
Wrestling said,
February 14, 2010 at 7:21 pm
Hala – thanks for the comment, and welcome to the blog!
Rick said,
March 17, 2010 at 9:13 am
Hi Wrestler
World needs more wrestlers like you.
Thank you.
Sarah said,
March 17, 2010 at 11:20 am
Thank you, Rick. It’s always nice to hear things like that!
Honest To God said,
March 25, 2010 at 9:45 pm
Dear wrestling with religion.
Do you have questions about what you believe now.If so ask me.I would like to give a view from my learning too.
Zuhura said,
March 29, 2010 at 8:42 pm
I wasn’t sure how to email you off-blog; I thought you might be interested in this excerpt from a UU sermon by Stephen Furrer on understanding religion as myth:
“For those of you who struggle with biblical imagery, I invite you to think of these stories the way I was taught in a Unitarian Sunday school: think of them as springboards to contemplation. Take for instance, the Passover story recounted during the Seder meal: the Jews’ liberation from slavery described in the Book of Exodus. To understand stories of this kind, we have to think of religious literature as myth. By myth I don’t mean “primitive untruth.” I mean epic poetry inviting our imaginative engagement and elaboration. Whatever you do: don’t take myths literally: that’s what Fundamentalists do. They’re metaphorical. Whatever the story’s talking about, it’s more than a 1-time event. Moreover, all the parts of the story are all happening all the time. Pharaoh-like despots are exploiting others desperately; heroic leaders are inspiring followers; these things are happening across the globe every day. While myth tells the story, ritual acts it out. Myth & ritual always go together (myth = Exodus; ritual = Seder supper). It’s a struggle sometimes, but we have to try to transcend literalism: when you see Exodus as more than a one-time event, but as a symbol, a paradigm for liberation and change, that’s when you begin to get it mythically.”
Sarah said,
March 29, 2010 at 10:05 pm
Thanks Zuhura, how thoughtful of you! It is interesting. I think I’m starting to understand that religious stories tell us about the way people see human life and human history. Interesting with the connection to ritual as well.
caraboska said,
April 3, 2010 at 9:45 am
I don’t see how religious stories can be a valid basis for metaphor or allegory unless they really happened.
Aurangzeb said,
April 23, 2010 at 5:04 pm
Dear! I was very saddened to read that you’re not a Muslim. But just one thing I want to tell you.
There is none worshippable but ALLAH. Islam is a true religion and christianity etc are not false either, they’re just outdated (not outdated by me or a man like me, these religions are declared outdated by ALLAH that is, were to be followed in their time only)
Muslims are not great people, not even good people in many cases, but that doesn’t mean Islam isn’t true. As our Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (Peace be pon Him) said, that after my companions Islam would become poorer and poorer. (meaning people would not follow Islam, and Islam would lose it’s following “i.e. become poorer and poorer”.
It’s now more than 1300 years since His companions passed away.
And now Islam is poor.
The only thing we have left untouched unaltered is The Qur’an. People abundantly tell false stories about Our Prophet (Peace be upon Him) so about Him only Hadith (Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim) are true books but not as true as The Qur’an. Qur’an is completely unaltered. So, instead of getting sick of so called Muslims, you should start thinking and reciting the Qur’an and Ahadith (I recommend Sahih Bukhari)
One more thing, If you plan to read the Qur’an, do perform ablution. Because otherwise, satan (which we mostly can’t see) can interfere and prevent us from understanding The Qur’an. 🙂
caraboska said,
April 24, 2010 at 6:52 pm
Aurangzeb,
I think it is absurd to suggest to a non-Muslim that they ‘think and memorize Qur’an and hadith’, much less that wudhu would even be a relevant thought category for them. I myself read and memorize the Bible – not the Qur’an, since I am a Christian, not a Muslim – but it would never even cross my mind to suggest that a non-Christian memorize Bible. I might suggest that a non-Christian read the Bible for their own education just to see what it really teaches, but that is all.
Nevertheless, allow me to point out that I have read the Qur’an several times, I have studied the teachings of Islam for over 10 years, discussed them with Muslims (most of them quite conservative in their attitude towards Qur’an and hadith). And I only come away with a better and better understanding of why I am still a Christian.
It has nothing to do with upbringing – I was an adult when I converted. I was not looking for a religion at the time. No one pressured me. I did not even believe in God before I heard the message. I heard that message, became aware that God exists, and I knew that that had consequences: if there is a God, then the right thing to do is worship Him. Which is what I have been doing now for over 30 years.
I have accepted God’s remedy for my sins, so that I am free to come to Him only for Himself, and not commit the idolatry of trying in any way to earn my salvation. God’s remedy goes beyond mere pardon, and fully satisfies the Law of the Torah concerning the justice that is required to remit sin. So I trust only in God for my salvation, for only He is the Redeemer and Savior. Likewise, I am free to do any good works that I do only for God. And God knows best which of my deeds are good or not, and whether I am doing them solely for Him.
We cannot fool God, for He sees all things. If we are doing our deeds with any hint of earning our salvation, or of trying to avoid punishment or gain reward, then we are worshiping ourselves and our desires instead of God. Any such person is an idolater and should not be listened to, but rather admonished, in the hope that they will repent of their error before it is too late.
For we must all appear before God to be judged, and all things will become known at that time. And what is written for us in God’s books will be written. If our sins have not up until that time been blotted out, they never will be. Now is the time of grace, now is the day of salvation. Now is the time to enter the gate.
Aurangzeb, I am an ambassador of God and His Messiah. I therefore beg you on His behalf to be reconciled to God.
Having said all of this, there is one thing we agree on: we are to judge a religion on its teachings, not ultimately on the behavior of individuals who claim to be its followers. I hope you are as willing to do this for other religions as you are desirous that others do it for Islam.
caraboska said,
April 24, 2010 at 7:09 pm
PS Aurangzeb, I admit to having a quiet hope that what I have written above will at least have you wondering just why it is that such a person as myself, who has had as much contact with Islam as I have (and is even doing such things as observing hijab, establishing prayer times and fasting) is still a Christian 🙂
Sarah, I think it is a good idea to take cognizance of the fact that Aurangzeb is steeped in a cultural and linguistic milieu very different from that of the circles in which we both travel. I suspect that Aurangzeb’s original comment was in fact intended more to encourage you to be sure you are looking at the teachings of Islam and not the behavior of its individual followers.
Marahm said,
July 10, 2010 at 7:27 pm
I’ve just returned to the blogging world, and I hope you don’t take this blog down completely– I’m looking forward to reading more of it. Wrestling with religion seems to be a preoccupation of many people, myself included.
Sarah said,
July 11, 2010 at 11:16 am
Hi Marahm, I was pleased to see you were blogging again! I am leaving the blog open even though I probably won’t write in it anymore. Thanks for visiting again!
World Peace said,
March 25, 2011 at 3:51 am
Dear wrestling with Religion and all
You are welcome to visite the following links
Discover the truth about Islam
http://theradiantlight.blogspot.com
Islam religion
http://www.islamreligion.com
Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him)
http://www.rasoulallah.net
Thank you