Religion

Religion is a subject which touches the lives of most people at some point in their lives. Some people follow a simple spiritual path, others might choose a more complex one. The subject of religion and spirituality can be a tricky issue for multiples. For us it continues to be a challenging and defining area in learning to respect and meet the needs of each other

In the case of a multiple it is not unusual for different people in the group to hold completely different and unrelated beliefs. The Individuals in the group are entitled to their beliefs and practices just the same as any other person, whether multiple or not. Freedom to practice those beliefs is important on an individual level.

In our group, Joan, Rachael and Allis are Wiccan. Todd is Pagan, which is pretty similar. Aleesha is interested in Hinduism. Amy is a born again Christian. Rosie is a Roman Catholic / Anglican. Rob also might be Christian. Those are the folks whose spiritual inclinations are known to the group at the moment; It takes a bit of work to ensure that everybody gets time to reflect / practice their own religion.

Some of us get distressed at times about the Christian concept of hell. Even though most of us think that it is probably not a real thing, our Catholic upbringing has really entrenched the concept in us. Some of us worry that we might be condemned to eternal damnation for being multiple or for following different paths. Our more pragmatic approach is to say that if God / Goddess / Whatever made us a certain way then the most respectful thing to do would be to make the best of it.

Many people who have no religious inclinations may find it difficult to appreciate how these issues can trouble us. One of our friends is an atheist (Probably more than one) but still manages to appreciate the importance of religion to us. It is of tremendous importance to allow individual spirituality to blossom, because not only does it benefit the individual concerned, but it also works towards a happier group.

March 2023