| 11/22/2007 9:32:04 PM | Spirituality... | | 
scorpion1975
Leitchfield, KY
age: 33
| okay, not sure if this topic has been breached before and it generally opens up a can of worms that can't be sealed off but i want to say something about it.
Everyone who is religious thinks that their way of life is the only way to live and get that Heavenly reward after we are finished here on Earth. People try to convert others to their way of thinking and make them "see the light", in actuality (sp) this only scares or angers others. Me, I personally believe in the Spirit and the Angels (not the exact word I am seeking but will do for now) that assist said Spirit. We live our daily lives the best we can, do our best to not stray into the darkness and feel true remorse for wrongdoings and I feel that a better place is waiting for us. Religious people and "Bible thumpers" that might read this will probably come back with something about one God and his one Son, other Religious people will come back with their beliefs, and those that don't believe will make their statements as well. Each group is more than welcome to do so, as we are in a free country and on a free board, BUT please, please DO NOT post in an irate manner or in such a way as to say that your belief is the only belief. I grew up Southern Missionary Baptist and still have that ingrained in me, but after some research of my own and some soul/spirit searching I have learned that things are not as they should be. God, the Spirit, whatever you want to call the Supreme Being is present and knows what is happening to each of us...the response some will have to this is "why will he not help us then?". My response is this: The Spirit, notice I don't say he or she because I feel that the Spirit is neither and both at the same time, wants us to learn and grow amongst ourselves using the pain as a boost to do better, using the joy as a crutch in times of need, and using the other aspects as we see fit to better our lives. These debates about the Bible, the Koran and whatever other documents are not part of the Spirit's ideas but the Spirit allows them so that we can grow through them, most of us don't though because we MUST be right every time. Just remember that we are all here now and should strive for some form of peace and prosperity before it is too late.
| | 11/22/2007 11:12:08 PM | Spirituality... | | 
jewelz5
Monteagle, TN
age: 54 online now!
| We live our daily lives the best we can, do our best to not stray into the darkness and feel true remorse for wrongdoings and I feel that a better place is waiting for us.
The reason you stray into the darkness is because you are giving your power away to somthing outside of yourself.
Feel true remorse? what in the world is that suppose to mean?...that someone is an expert as torturing themselves?
The only way you're gonna get to that better place that you think is waiting for you, is when you realize you are the creator and you can do no wrong. Order my "do no wrong" training course for only 3 easy payments of 39.95 for the rest of your life. You too, can "do no wrong" once you know the secrets you can live free from sadistic self torture.
[Edited 11/23/2007 2:09:19 PM]
| | 11/22/2007 11:37:08 PM | Spirituality... | | lastradicaldude
Lamar, CO
age: 54
| Scorpion, You are correct in that the Spirit allows us to discover the Truth/Spirit in our own way, whether it be through Christianity, Islam, Judaeoism, or whatever. The paths to Truth are many and because there is a Truth, there must of necessity be a Lie, a right and a wrong, if you will.
A particular religion is nothing more than a path. The path is not the Truth, but only a guide through which to attain the Truth and discover the Spirit.
What is sad though is that most people get hung up promoting the path and never attain to the Truth/Spirit. So often lives are also wasted in the promotion of the Holy Books used to declare the path. The Holy Books of various religions declare the path to the truth in many different ways, some better than others. But when we mistakenly elevate these supposed Holy Books to the place of Truth, we have engaged in idolatry. It is the idolatry of the path, because now these guides are mistaken for the Truth, and treated as such. In Christianity for instance, it is know as Bibliolatry.
Those directions that are written are not the Truth but merely a guide, rather the Spirit is the Truth, and the Spirit can not be reduced to words on paper. It is the quest for this Truth that we must engage in and never stop short of attaining to the Spirit. Should we engage in the Blind Belief that our path, our religion, or our Holy Book, is the exclusive means by which we can aquire Truth then we have been ensnared by religious spirits and our journey towards the true Spirit is delayed.
As we Journey closer towards the Spirit of Truth our understanding of right and wrong is brought into greater clarity. As we come closer the distinctions between Truth and Lie become more pronounced and we begin to see that in actuality there are no grey areas.
Lastrad
[Edited 11/22/2007 11:38:49 PM]
| | 11/22/2007 11:39:57 PM | Spirituality... | |
scorpion1975
Leitchfield, KY
age: 33
| The reason you stray into the darkness is because you are giving your power away to somthing outside of yourself.
Feel true remorse? what in the world is that suppose to mean?...that someone is an expert as torturing themselves?
They only way you're gonna get to that better place that you think is waiting for you, is when you realize you are the creator and you can do no wrong. Order my "do no wrong" training course for only 3 easy payments of 39.95 for the rest of your life. You too, can "do no wrong" once you know the secrets you can live free from sadistic self torture.
1st...when one strays into the darkness they waver and come back out would be a better term for what i was trying to say because the darkness is a place that not too many people enter. those are the ones that are the killers with no remorse, the evil people that do not feel wrong for what they have done.
2nd remorse has nothing to do with torture, in my mind it is the knowledge that you have done wrong and will honestly work on correcting it in whatever way is necessary. People don't need the idea that there is no wrong out there, because there is and an example is killing another human, there are more but that is the first one that comes to mind.
Are you saying that by realizing that one is one's own creator and can do no wrong that murder and the other "high" crimes are acceptable? I do not believe that.
The Spirit that I mention is all around and within us, we need this guidance so that we can feel what is truly a wrong event. murder and abuse are on the top of the list.
| | 11/22/2007 11:42:50 PM | Spirituality... | | potentloveslave
Dade City, FL
age: 41
| Every religion, even atheism, comes from a belief in a supreme being-some type of GOD. Whether it be a tree, a rock, Jesus Christ, GOD the father, or Spirit. The only fact of life that we know is we exist and we will one day no longer exist on this earth. There is no wrong or right when it comes to religion. No religion is any better than the others. The bottom line is at the end of time, and time will end, if we do wind up someplace else, we will all be the same religion. If there is no afterlife, then what will it matter, because we will no longer exist.
| | 11/22/2007 11:49:49 PM | Spirituality... | |
scorpion1975
Leitchfield, KY
age: 33
| Lastrad
You seem to have the same basic concept as myself. May I ask how you came to this belief? I found mine through prayer, meditation, self-study, and some inner discovery. The only thing that I can not grasp is the black and white, there are just too many shades of gray out there. The Yin & Yang illustrate my thoughts fairly well but not accurately. "In all good there is some evil, in all evil there is some good" that statement is a lot more broad than I like but seems to be mostly true. Now the shades of grey that I mentioned are where the good and bad merge, there is a merger point no matter how miniscule it is.
Peace and joy unto your house sir.
| | 11/23/2007 12:09:05 AM | Spirituality... | | lastradicaldude
Lamar, CO
age: 54
| Scorpion, I came to where I am through years of Bible study that left me with more questions than I started with. I wept and prayed to God one nite to reveal the Truth to me, as I was tired of all the double standards of religion. Shortly after I came across some material by Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason, part 2. As I studied this material and began to meditate, the truth began to grow within me. And it has not stopped growing.
Regarding the shades of grey, and the black and white, just remember that darkness and light cannot dwell together. In the pure Light of the Spirit there is no darkness by which to cast that grey shadow. Where the Light is weak in our life we are often faced by grey circumstances that we misunderstand. So it is important that you remember that where your understanding is Enlightened there are no grey areas. The grey areas are the result of our imperfect understanding.
Do not accept the saying that in good there is evil and vice a versa. This can not be; when we enter into the Light of the Spirit for in the Spirit there is no shadow.
Hope this helps,
Lastrad
[Edited 11/23/2007 12:11:15 AM]
| | 11/23/2007 12:19:42 AM | Spirituality... | |
scorpion1975
Leitchfield, KY
age: 33
| it is true that in the Spirit there is no evil, but i also feel there is no good in the Spirit either, just purity. Good and evil abide within us and we must control them both, the Spirit will guide us because the Spirit knows the pathways of good and evil and what lies down each one, but will not force our hands. The grey come in when walking down the path of good we stumble upon something that isn't quite right, like a child taking food from trash because they can't get help from any where else, the trash isn't theirs to go through but why bother to stop them rather assist them by purchasing some items of food for them. They will return to there abode, share with the family and return the next day to do it again. This is a grey area because it is wrong to steal but who were they stealing from and why punish them because society will not assist. And if someone treads the path of evil and extinguishes the life of a truly evil bastard, pardon the language, yes they did wrong but they freed the world of one bad person. That is not right but at the same time it isn't totally wrong.
| | 11/23/2007 12:35:09 AM | Spirituality... | | lastradicaldude
Lamar, CO
age: 54
| Scorpion, you have given two examples of what you percieve to be grey areas. I personally do not see them as grey.
1) the child taking food from the trash is not taking the property of anyone else. They are only taking what was disposed of by someone else. Once I place something into the trash, I have no expectation to benefit from it anymore. That someone else benefits from it is actually a good thing in that it prevents waste, and waste is wrong. To salvage something from the trash is great. The Spirit salvages human lives from the trash heap of life all the time.
2) If I take a life, it matters not how good or evil that person is, because I lack authorization to take that life except in self-defense. So it is plainly wrong as I am not authorized to judge one life better than another, in an atttempt to justify my murder.
Lastrad
[Edited 11/23/2007 12:36:28 AM]
| | 11/23/2007 4:56:04 AM | Spirituality... | | 
swcw25
Woonsocket, RI
age: 49
| Thanks Last+Scorpion...you both gave very nice examples of what true spirituality can be!!While there is so much more to it than just the Bible(jmo),you seem to be able to put things in perspective and make good educated choices,including the Bible.Very refreshing!!! .....peace
| | 11/23/2007 6:37:31 AM | Spirituality... | | 
stringsvrs
Syracuse, NY
age: 51
| Greetings of Peace and Love sisters and brothers:
My Brother Jewlz, thank you so much for that refreshing sense of humor! $39.95!ROTFLMAO
I am a firm believer of humor being a healing agent/balm for the soul. And this is something that we can never have too much of.
Brother Scorpion, I have found that when we come out of ourselves, leaving our pain,despair,indecisiveness..etc...to help and aid others in their need and to fellowship with others to do the same..ex.volunteer work even.....that the Spirit receives a different type of feeding. We receive a new persona, a new faith, a new image, a new heart and sometimes better wisdom.
I have learned that when we do the actions of spreading Peace and spreading love, it takes our understanding to a different level. I know I feel much better as a person, others feel much better with me as a person, certainly our Creator must feel better of me as His creation! JMO
May Peace and Love bring Joy to your heart
| | 11/23/2007 10:36:13 AM | Spirituality... | | lastradicaldude
Lamar, CO
age: 54
| SWCW, you asked over on the thread "So, Jesus hung on the cross so I could eat ribs, sausage & bacon, eh?" as follows"
"Last....how can one be so sure as to know if their "light" is the "truth" and given directly from God??"
As obvious as this question may appear, it is of the utmost importance, as true Spirituality depends upon its answer, and one can be "sure"..
As I shared above about there being many paths to the Truth/Spirit, we should recognize that our discovery of the Truth and a perfect walk in the Spirit will be postponed if we are taken astray by false teachings.
Knowing how to recognize Truth from the Lie is simpler than you might think, while at thesame time does require work. And it is this knowledge that keeps our feet on the right path. Further ALL the knowledge necessary to make the determination between Truth and Lie, good and evil, right and wrong, Light and Darkness is within us, and always has been.
The confusion originates when we begin to look outside ourselves for the Truth by examining things that require a BELIEF on our part in order to accept their truthfulness. Where the validity of a piece of information depends entirely upon BELIEF we should BEWARE. Yet most of the stories upon which religions are built require childish BELIEF in order to embrace and accept them.
Suppose I make up a story, a drama, that is designed to teach you about Love, Mercy, Forgiveness. The fact that the story acccomplishes its design to teach someone the benefits of these attributes does not make the story true. Rather it is the Understanding you recieve of the Nature of these attributes that constitutes Truth. It is this Understanding that enables us to fellowship with the Spirit.
But too often times such a story becomes elevated to the place of Truth. The story was merely a path. And in my example, it wasn't true from the beginning. So often is the case in the real world of religion.
It is the Ego of mankind that seeks to elevate and preserve the path, to protect the path, to elevate and protect the story. The Spirit is only concerned with our fellowship in the Truth.
The Spirit is not necessarily the Author of the story (the path), and although on occasion may be, most often is not, yet remains the Author of what the story, the path, teaches.
So when one honestly wants to discover whether something is Truth, it is necessary to examine whether or not the elevated position of that piece of information is being accomplished by the Ego or by the Spirit.
Where the Ego atttempts to elevate and maintain supposed truth, one is required at some juncture to SIMPLY BELIEVE, and to also preserve and protect the story or the path that promotes and maintains their BELIEF in that piece of information, for without the story, without the path, there would be no foundation by which one could support their understanding of what they have come to accept as Truth.
The Spirit of Truth on the other hand, wants us to know that everything we need for fellowship in the Spirit is within our very being.
Lastrad
| | 11/23/2007 11:09:05 AM | Spirituality... | | skunkbreath
Saint James, MO
age: 89
| "My Brother Jewlz, thank you so much for that refreshing sense of humor! $39.95!ROTFLMAO "
what are you saying???...i sent in a 10 year prepay for the discount!
| | 11/23/2007 2:14:49 PM | Spirituality... | |
swcw25
Woonsocket, RI
age: 49
| Thanks Last,I really do appreciate the time you take to explain things to me...but here the problem that I have with this......As I shared above about there being many paths to the Truth/Spirit, we should recognize that our discovery of the Truth and a perfect walk in the Spirit will be postponed if we are taken astray by false teachings.
....I dont believe that people will be judged by God for taking the "wrong path"(so to speak). He knows what is in everyones hearts and minds and just because someone has more of a "want or will" to get educated in certain and different aspects of the sooooo many teachings,writings,and information that is available,it will not minimize Gods love for those who dont.JMO
.....peace
| | 11/23/2007 2:46:50 PM | Spirituality... | | lastradicaldude
Lamar, CO
age: 54
| SWCW you are still looking for something to BELIEVE. Your statement, "..I dont believe that people will be judged by God for taking the "wrong path"(so to speak). He knows what is in everyones hearts and minds and just because someone has more of a "want or will" to get educated in certain and different aspects of the sooooo many teachings,writings,and information that is available,it will not minimize Gods love for those who dont.", demonstrates this.
The Ego BELIEVES based upon having been "educated in certain and different aspects of the sooooo many teachings", the Spirit of Truth within us KNOWS. It is your choice. If you like the roller coaster version of spirituality that your Ego regularly serves to you, then why are you searching for answers from me.
You probably don't BELIEVE that people here on earth should be judged for their thefts and murders either; they just took the "wrong path".
The problem is you don't really KNOW that there is such a thing as right and wrong, and you don't want to BELIEVE in the possibility either. That way you can satisfy your EGO by stating, "I dont believe that people will be judged by God for taking the "wrong path"(so to speak)."
Come on Mary, did you take to many meds today?
Lastrad
[Edited 11/23/2007 5:42:50 PM]
|
|