Articles written by Linda Paul

What is Helium

About me - Linda Paul

Who am I? Seems like a pretty simple question, but I don't really know the answer. I guess the best answer I can think of is that I am a spirit having a human experience. And, what an experience this has been so far!

I am Mom to 12 cat kids. They allow me the

+ more bio information

RSS Feed

Religion & Spirituality > Heaven, Hell & Afterlife Definitions of hell: 1 of 101
According to some religious beliefs, hell is a place or a state of painful suffering. The word hell comes from the Teutonic word hel, which translates into "to cover."So, how exactly do different religions view the concept of hell?Let's take a look at the three most prominent world religions:Rabbinic JudaismThe Kabbalah descr... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Atheism & Agnosticism Reasons not to believe in God: 6 of 188
The Biblical God is actually a pretty modern creation as far as deities go. Humankind existed for thousands of years prior to his invention. And, he has a few thousand predecessors as well. Allah and God are the current "bad boys" of Mount Olympus, replacing Zeus and his peers.I find it really amazing that Christian gentiles ... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Christian Doctrine & Issues The church's look at women: 2 of 45
What first attracted me to the Unitarian Universalist Church was the openness to all the different systems of faith which we call beliefs and religions. As a devout student of Divinity in all of it's forms, I was thrilled to find a religion that encompassed and encouraged the exploration of Spirituality and not just dogma and... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Christian Beliefs & Culture Judas Iscariot: Good guy vs. bad guy?: 2 of 37
There are always at least two sides to every story. And, the story of Judas is no exception. The Biblical version presents Judas as an unfortunate victim in the saga of the passion and crucification. But, the Gnostic version presents the story of Judas in a very different light.The Gospel of Judas starts out with Jesus laughi... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Spirituality (Other) Women and virtue: 1 of 17
I am not quite sure I understand the meaning of "virtuous woman." Perhaps it is because I am not Christian based. I am a Unitarian Universalist Pagan by title. I am also a Hospice volunteer and Community Minister. I consider myself to be a compassionate, caring human being, but I don't think that the term virtuous describes m... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Spirituality (Other) Let Native Americans worship in peace: 1 of 14
The town that I live in is bordered by two giant casinos, Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods. While I may not agree with the materialism that is expressed by gambling, I do appreciate the opportunity to share in the rich and colorful history and traditions of the Native Americans.Today I ventured out to a Wigwam Festival. Up until rece... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Hinduism The complex meaning of "namaste": 1 of 14
I discovered the word namaste (pronounced Naa-ma-stay) several years ago in a Yoga class I was attending. When I looked up the meaning of the word, I was overwhelmed by it's simple power of gesture and the respect and humility that could exist within one simple word.The gesture also called a mudra of namaste is made by bringi... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Self-Awareness & Realization How beliefs can limit who we become: 2 of 27
The meanings of the words trust, belief and faith are essentially the same according to the Thesaurus:"Absolute certainty in the trustworthiness of another, belief, confidence, dependence, reliance, trust."But, are these three words really synonymous with one another? This may be true in a general sense of the meaning of the ... More..
Celebrations & Holidays > Easter Assessing the traditions of Easter: 1 of 11
What do Jesus and the Easter Bunny have in common? Easter is perhaps the only "Christian" holiday that still has a Pagan title. It all started with the ancient Saxons actually. They celebrated the return of spring with the old adage, laugh, drink and make merry. This festival was held in tribute to their Goddess of fertility ... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Pagan & Earth-Based Religions Critique of Wicca: Roots in Satanism: 2 of 20
Actually Satanism in its purest form has nothing at all to do with the Christian concept of Satan. Magus Peter H. Gilmore of the Satanic Church writes:"As you can see, there are no elements of Devil worship in the Church of Satan. Such practices are looked upon as being Christian heresies; believing in the dualistic Christian... More..