I'd think that most involved in this hobby would not be the crazed religious types that would find such activities so heinous.

So I was surprised to learn, while chatting after a Sunday session with a semi-regular provider of mine, that she was so staunchly religious.  Particularly given the day it was and how uninhibited she is known to be it was almost startling that she would be so "rigidly" devout.  I had to change the subject so as not to cause hard feelings about the hypocricy of her stands and chosen sect considering her profession.

Considering all the baggage attached to the hobby, I'd just not expect a lot of religious folk to be involved - particularly from the provider side.  Casual "non rigid" practictioners I'm sure are numerous, but a devout I didn't expect.

I was surprised once to have a Russian provider tell me that she was Muslim.  When you think about it, though, if you are religious, you are in the habit of holding contradictory and non fact based beliefs in your head.

The vast majority of the religious type pick and choose what they like to follow anyway.

Interesting. I was just considering posting about the hobby and spirituality.

A good and wise friend of mine told me years ago that most people can't help what they believe and I think he was right. Most people also develop the ability to compartmentalize various contradictory elements of their lives and avoid the cognitive dissonance that would stem from thinking deeply. Television helps, too.

I think that some people also dig deeply enough into their religion to realize that it's all mythology with only a few unalterable truths to be discovered and that they are not 'going to Hell' for any of their actions in this life.

Besides, I'll bet she did say, "Oh, God!" several times, didn't she? We all worship in our own ways. ; )

I consider a lot of "religious" people, particularly those on the right, to be hypocritical in the extreme.  They compartmentalize, etc. etc.  So it's not surprising.

In NYC, which is morethan amply served with Latina providers, I've noticed many of the ones I've sampled have religious statues, trinkets, icons etc...  The older the provider, the more strongly the relationship holds, i've noticed [admittedly, not scientifically-conducted research, just random observation].  My guess is that this is more in the way of fetishistic superstition than genuine faith.

But, DO NOT expect to engage the services of a Latina provider on Good Friday [LOL].  It's a lost cause, as I discover about 12 years ago.

Hmmm, I could say the same thing about a lot of "non-religious" people, particularly on the left, in the middle and on the right.

So are you saying that "NON-religious" or "Semi-religious types" do not pick and choose what they like to follow?

Of course, "NON-religious" type is not "religious type".

. . . we are talking about religion here.

Ok, let's try again...

So are you saying that "NOT-religious" or "Semi-religious types", which is a subset of "religious types" " do not pick and choose what they like to follow?

obvious, at least to me. Religious people are no different that anyone else in that they are human. Just because they find strength in a power greater than themselves and that power source is a God that created them does NOT exempt them from contradictions, hypocritical thinking or any other human trait.

To single out and generalize about "religious types" as having these characteristics seems rather pointless to me--

Gotta go, time for church...lol

. . . even though it is tolerated.

Your sentence structure is a little confusing but I think I understand your point.

Religious or not, people "pick and choose" what they believe, what to think, what to act on,etc. everyday. We learn, we evolve, we modify our positions. One day the world is flat and the world believes it. Next thing you know-- hello USA.

Wanna make it more personal? I would bet a large % of guys on this board are married. Probably more than a few a "NOT-religious" types like yourself. Most took vows to forsake all others and yet, here they are. Hypocritical?? Sure it is. They made a vow, yet they choose to break it. The list could go on and on.

We all pick and choose. We all fall short of perfection. And we are all hypocrites in one way or another. This is not rocket science, BB.

The problem with your view is that many religions explicitly condemn non-believers.  Certainly, all Christian variants hold that all non-believers go to hell.  That is not the same at all as a non-religious person choosing what they believe.  Not close.

I was involved in organized religion for about 30 yrs. and have spent the last 10 out of it. I've learned more about who God is, who I am, and how we both fit the universe since I've been away than I ever could have being involved with it.    As I look back, I see religion mostly as someones opinion of how to live my life. Sort of like law is nothing more than the opinions of those in power.   "The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world"...true enough, but about a 30 year delay.   Whoever controls sex rules the world in the here and now. No great wonder the religious zealots are so quick to threaten us with fire and brimstone if we don't think like them.

Happens to a lot of people. For many, it's not necessarily the separation from organized religion that opens them up to God- often times it's simply the experience of life, the passing of time and the wisdom that can come with age.

Organized religion is a man made institution- a group of mere mortals- Not Gods, not perfect people. At least in the Protestant denominations the quest is generally to look beyond mere self and search for something greater. It seems that you did exactly that.

It doesn't matter how you find God. Some find him with a group of like minded believers inside of organized religion. Some, like you, become more receptive outside of the structure found in most religious organizations. Others, deny him completely.

Your point about "religion mostly as someones opinion of how to live my life," is a revealing sentiment. The key word there is the word opinion. If we can agree on anything here it should be this-- man has a free will. Not to be repetive, but we all have the freedom to make choices. Hopefully, we make informed choices. To do that one must search for information, answers to questions, for the facts as best we can determine them. The nature of God and our relationship with him is a quest that continuously evolves. You chose to leave organized religion after 30 years and you now claim to know more about God as a result. Many others live lives apart from organized religion for just as many years, then find God among a group of believers and deepen their understanding with the help of a church body or "organized religion," if you will.. Nobody forced you to live a certain way. After 30 years, you exercised your free will and found God in your own way. I just wish the negative posters here would allow for the same possibility within the confines of a church.  

The phrase "organized religion" is a pretty broad term. So is the term "organized sports"- or organized anything, for that matter. Look into any organized group and you can find those that know it all and have all the answers-- Just come to a board meeting of my home owners association, for example--uh oh, don't get me started...lol

And how does that belief make them hypocrites?  Even if they are wrong, it's what they believe.

Believers, as do non-believers, exercise their free will to follow whatever tenets they hold dear or not so dear. Those "Christian variants" that hold that all non-believers go to hell are free to believe that. Likewise, a "non-religious" person execises his free will and believes something differently. Both are exercising man's inate nature of free will. Different outcomes, certainly. And while you may disagree with them, they have as much right to their practice as you do to yours.

To be clear, I'm not making an argument about what to believe. You're entitled to your opinion as I am to mine. At least in today's Christian world, while most believers would like to save your soul from hell, you still have the right to exercise your free will and go there anyway---lol.

You are over your head here.

Particularly, if your last message is the best you've got.

Missionaries ILF.  And then there are FILFs (Fundamentalists).  I've run into a number of each and always wondered if they might be providers.  Can you imagine it ... just in the heat of things they stop and ask if you accept Jesus as your personal savior.