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Post by rebecca2013 on Dec 7, 2017 15:22:46 GMT -5
Heck... I was born and raised Catholic But.... I have committed so many issues with the Church.... divorce, taking of lives(in the line of duty!) , bisexuality, my partner is a Ch'an Buddhist... Good Grief... one day I expect to be tarred and feathered and drummed out of Mass!! but in my heart... I have my faith... my beliefs and the strong devotion to principles.....I try hard to live a moral life and I think El Señor... can forgive His children... and forgive some of my failings....no matter what is strict Church doctrine.... I live a pretty happy life... running-around-smiley-emoticon
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Post by rjhangover on Dec 8, 2017 16:41:58 GMT -5
In my nearly seven decades of life on this earth, I've come to realize a great many things. Religion gets in the way of faith. Did you know that there are nearly 600 different denominations of religion worldwide and that there are over 400 man made rules? I was raised in a strict Italian-Catholic family where even asking a question about religion was chastised. I left the church decades ago and no longer have anything to do with organized religion. I have faith. Faith in humankind? No...faith that I can feel in the core of my being. I've lived in the deep South more than half of my adult life and I've met all kinds of people. I've been asked, "Do you read the Bible?" My reply, "I sure do." Next question, "Have you been born again?" I never fully understood that question until my husband's recent death. You see, I keep a picture of him on my refrigerator and I say "good morning and that I love you" every day. When is birthday came around a few months after his death, I looked at his picture and wished him "Happy Birthday." I heard him say just as if he was standing right next to me, "Today is not my birthday. The day I died is my birthday. "Read the book of John, Chapter 3." I was so stunned that I thought I was losing my mind... quite literally. So I opened the Bible to the book of John, and went to Chapter 3. So I thumbed through the pages and the setting is where Jesus is sitting in the garden and Nicodemis (a Rabbi from the Jewish Temple) sits down next to our Lord. Jesus talks about the wind blowing through the trees..."The wind blows, we know not where it comes from or where it's going. Such is the spirit." I thought...hmmm...okay. Next I read that in order to get into heaven a person must be "born again". Ah...When Nicodemis questions Jesus, "How can I be born again? I'm an old man! I can't crawl back into my mother's womb and be born again." Jesus replies, "Flesh is born of the flesh and the spirit is born of the spirit." Now I understood what my husband was trying to tell me! We as humans are born of the flesh...but...when we die, we're born again in the spirit to return to our ethereal form. "One must be born from the water and the spirit." The water is the word of God and belief in His Son's message. Only then can we be "born again." Three days before my husband died, he took a nap in his recliner. When he awoke, he said to me, "I had a dream." I asked him what he'd dreamt about. He replied, "I had a dream that I was fishing in a lake with my dad. The sky was so blue, the sunshine warm and bright. I've never seen grass so green! There was an overwhelming feeling of peace, love and joy!" I got a lump in my throat and when I could speak I told him, "You've just had a glimpse of heaven!" I asked my husband, "How old was your Dad in this dream?" He replied rather shocked, "He was in his 30's!" I knew in my heart that God was going to call him home soon. I didn't know why or when but three days later, my husband died. I was also led to a passage in the Bible where Jesus says, "There are those who will see heaven before they taste death." So people can argue about religion until the cows come home...Me? I prefer faith and knowing in my heart that heaven is for real. You a are blessed spirit with much wisdom. My wife is a recovering Catholic also. Here is something for you from the bible.....Matthew 17:10-13...Jesus was talking about reincarnation. If you don't mind, please read this also, and give me your views on it....it gave me an epiphany....just click on this... www.crystalinks.com/holographic.html
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Post by rjhangover on Dec 8, 2017 17:00:30 GMT -5
I posted this on SF, and now I post it here because it is the path I wander along. I consider myself a pagan Christian...which is what most Christians are anyway since what they worship got it's beginnings in paganism. Don't kill the messenger, lol. Just stating what I believe to be true in saying that. Anyway...this gem describes my own journey: (Author Unknown, more’s the pity)
Well, it had been yet another bad day in the office, and once again it was the fault of that new girl, MaryAnne. She is one of those Wiccans, a so-called Witch. How can anyone in their right mind make this claim, knowing that it goes against God and all of the teachings of the Bible?
She doesn’t even have the common decency to keep her satanic symbol, her pentagram necklace hidden from the view of the decent, God-fearing people in the office. She has some nerve. I find that I cannot hate her for this though, for I know that she has been deceived. Satan works his evil in ways that she cannot see.
I’ve seen that so called Wiccan Rede that she has tacked to the wall above her computer. On the surface, it looks like a decent loving belief, but all one must do is look, look closely and see that by practicing this way, and not embracing Jesus Christ as savior, she is on the pathway to Hell.
As I’ve said, it was a bad day in the office. Three times in the past few weeks I have been called in to see my supervisor, and he has told me that I am not allowed to preach to MaryAnne the word of God, to show her the error of her ways. Today, my supervisor told me that if I continue to “harass” MaryAnne, he would be forced to terminate me. How can he say this? He himself is a God fearing man. And, how can he be so tolerant of the evil that he sees insinuating itself into our workplace? As I lay down to sleep last night, I asked the Lord for guidance. “God, grant me a true vision of you, so that I may better lead the faithless onto the righteous path.”
Bible“Oh, a true vision of Me is it? Are you sure that you’re ready, truly ready to see, my son?”
I sat bolt upright in bed, and there, at the foot of my bed, white of hair and beard, in a long, flowing white robe, stood the Lord my God. I made to leap from the bed and fall to my knees in front of Him, but He stopped me with a gesture. “Kneel not before me at this time my son. Instead, rise and walk with Me, so that you may get a glimpse of what I truly am, as you asked of me in your prayer.”
He took my hand, and as I looked, my bedroom was no longer there, but a pathway thru the woods. We started to walk, and I was too awestruck for words. We took the path to the left, and we were then inside St. Catherine’s Church, in the middle of a service. While still standing beside me, God seemed to expand and fill the whole of the church.
I could see smiles of contentment forming on some of the parishioners’ faces. I felt blessed. God smiled upon me. “The Catholics hold such pretty masses, don’t they? I like to stop here in this church, because not only do they speak the words, but also they live the life, thru teaching, helping the sick and poor, not only with handouts, but helping them learn to help themselves. Now let us walk on.”
CoffinAnd we were back on the pathway. We traveled a bit further along, and then were in the parlor of a funeral home. A young woman was kneeling before the casket, resting her head on it and crying. I could see by the similarity, that this dead man must be her father. God knelt beside her, and drew His arms about her. “Miss him, that is all right, but weep not for him, for now he is with Me”.
She wiped her eyes, and stood with a sad smile upon her face, and said “Good-bye Daddy. I’ll miss you,” and turned and left the room.
And we were back on the pathway. We walked a little ways, and we were in front of a large lodge of some kind. I could hear music and laughter spilling out of the windows. I turned to look at God, and was shocked to see, not the flowing white robe, but Him wearing leather and animal furs, his hair and beard now the color of wheat, and a sword strapped across His back.
He strode forth, and I saw him approach a figure I had not seen before. As I looked close, I was shocked to see that it was the same face that I had just seen dead, but looking young and strong, and dressed in ancient looking garb, an ax strapped to his waist. God strode up to him and grabbed him in a great bear hug. “Welcome my son. We’ve been waiting for you. Now, go inside and raise a cup or two, and meet with your brother.” And, with a hearty slap on the back, he sent the man inside.
MosqueAnd then we were back on the pathway. We walked a bit further, and then we were in a mosque. At least I believed so, as I had never been in one before, but had seen pictures of them. The group of worshippers was not large, but I could see their rapt faces as they listened to the mullah speak. He was speaking to them of purity, both of the mind and the body, bringing them closer to Allah.
And as he spoke, God, dressed now in the robes of the desert, walked among them and briefly laid his hands upon each set of shoulders. And, from their faces, I could see that these men knew that the words of the mullah were true, and that their spirits felt touched by God.
And then we were back on the pathway. After we had walked a bit, we found ourselves in an African village. People with skin as black as night, the women with their breast shamefully bared, were dancing in a circle, to the rhythm of the drums being played by a group of men. Somehow though, the bared breasts did not offend me, and the music seemed to seep into my soul.
lionGod was then a mighty lion, and He let forth a mighty roar. The villagers did not seem to hear, but the drums increased their pounding, and the dancers danced with frenzy.
And then we were back on the pathway. We walked a bit more, and were on the top of a cliff. There sat, painted and covered with feathers, an old Navajo man. As I watched, he seemed to change into the form of an eagle and take flight, and we were flying with him, soaring high into the air, seeing the vista spread out below us.
And God, in the form of an eagle Himself, seemed to guide this other eagle thru the air, over mountains and thru valleys, until he came upon a group of men. As I watched, the old Navajo man was no longer an eagle, but a young boy instead, and he sat at the feet of these men, to listen to the words of his elders.
eagleAnd then we were back on the pathway. We traveled a bit, and then we werein a forest clearing. I knew this place. It was known as a place of devil worship and evil. In the center of the clearing roared a great bonfire, and kiwi torches outlined a circle of sorts. Inside this circle, in a circle themselves, stood 7 men and 6 women, dressed in robes of varying colors, their arms raised to the moon.
Was that one woman MaryAnne? I really couldn’t be sure. And God walked among them in the circle, touching each one. He seemed not to be an older man now, but as he made each of three turns around the circle, he was first a young girl, bouncing with energy, then a woman of middle years, with a tender smile for all Her children, and finally, an old woman, body bent, but holding Her head up with pride. And a woman stepped forward, and yes, it was MaryAnne, and lifted her head to the sky.
“Great Goddess, Mother of us all, thank you for joining us tonight. Stay if You will, go if You must. Know in our hearts You will always be welcome. Blessed be!!”
And we were back on the pathway. As we walked along, ahead in the distance I saw the most beautiful man. Yes, beautiful, though I would never normally think of a man this way. With blonde hair, and a golden robe, he seemed to radiate sunshine. God and this golden man nodded to each other as they passed, sharing a smile together. “My Lord” I asked, “was that an angel?”
“Well, yes, he is known as that to some. He is also known to some as a god himself. That was Lucifer”
And His words caused me to stumble. I couldn’t believe that we had just passed the ultimate evil.
God looked at me, and He knew my mind. And He chuckled a bit. “Think about it logically My son. The Lucifer that you know is a fallen angel, cast out of heaven for challenging Me. If I am the all-powerful being, above all others, how could he do this? How could I allow it?” “But, in the bible….” I stammered. “The Bible is a wonderful book, as are the Koran and the Torah and many others, but they are just books, written by the hand of man, not written by Me. And, it’s a bit confusing as well if the truth be known, but that’s not up to Me to fix. These books are wonderful, but only as guidance, for each man and woman must think for themselves.”
Galaxy IconAnd, I believed He was right in this. “Now, come forth, we must journey little more before you go back.” and He took my hand once again. As we followed the pathway, we soared thru the stars, listening to the music of the heavens, we became a little flower and a mighty oak, we became a babbling brook, and a mighty ocean. We flitted from flower to flower as a little honeybee, and ran across the plains as a mighty stallion.
And, all too soon the pathway returned us to my home. God held my hand a moment longer, and smiled into my face. “My son, you prayed tonight for a true vision of Me. For vision, you must only open your eyes and see what there is to see. Good night to you”. And then He was gone, and I was back in my bed. A dream I thought, only a dream, that couldn’t have been real.
At that time, a bolt of lightning lit up my room thru the window, and thunder crashed thru the sky, and I thought I heard, from seemingly far away, “Remember, the Lord works in mysterious ways My son”.
office I love my workThis morning as I entered the office, I went to the machine for a cup of coffee, and standing there, I spied MaryAnne. As I approached her, I could see her barely cringe, and I could see in her face that she was expecting yet another onslaught from me and my book. She seemed to cast her eyes about for a way to escape, but there was none.
I walked up to her and smiled. “I think I owe you an apology,” I said.”I’ve been a bit narrow minded of late, and I really had no right to subject you to what I did. It’s not up to me to say how you find your path to your spirit, and I was wrong to think that was so.”
MaryAnne just stood there, not knowing what to say. “So, I just wanted to say that I’m so sorry, and I hope you will forgive my trespass. God bless you MaryAnne, and…uh….Blessed Be?”
You know, I always thought that it was just a saying; about people’s jaws dropping to the floor, but MaryAnne did her best at that moment to prove me wrong. I think this story is a great way to approach the understanding of everyone needing to find their own spiritual path. So many want to push religion from their point of view without realizing that just as strongly as you believe in your religion, others believe that strongly in theirs. Just like when people of the Christian faith say, "Blah, blah, blah happened to me and that reinforced my faith in Christianity", there are Pagans or Muslims or Jews who have had similar experiences reinforcing their faith in their own religion or spirituality. If people could stop seeing the world only from their own point of view and start putting themselves into the shoes of others, this world would be a better place.
As a Pagan, I have experienced this backlash first hand...and yes, the majority of it is from those who claim to be Christian. If people would educate themselves (I don't worship Satan. Most Pagans don't even believe in Satan. I don't do blood sacrifices. I believe in the sacredness of all living things.) then that would at least be a start, but many only see things from their perspective and don't even want to venture into the territory of educating themselves on other religions and or belief systems. I want to say, "What are you so afraid of?"
"Our only animosity toward Christianity, or toward any other religion or philosophy-of-life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be "the one true right and only way" and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practices and belief." -Silver RavenwolfA true Christian accepts all religions, because God created them all. There is nothing that exists that God didn't create. God created evil to give everyone a choice, though evil is an illusion, because energy can't be destroyed. Science is a religion also.
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Post by rjhangover on Dec 9, 2017 13:42:43 GMT -5
A few months ago I was chatting to hubby's cousin who is also a 'recovering' Catholic and same as me quit the church at age 18. We agreed that you never quite recover and I commented that if I was in a plane that about to crash I'd likely start saying Hail Marys. Like the 'no atheists in foxholes' type of thing. Reminds me of the Catholic priest and a Jewish Rabbi that were flying a bunch of children to Disney World, when the engines went out....there were only two parachutes, and the Rabbi grabbed them and gave the priest one....The priest asked, "What a bout the kids?" The Rabbi said, "Screw the kids!" The priest asked, "Do you think we have time?" I really do love all the religions, it's their leaders that can be a little harsh.
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Post by nkat on Dec 14, 2017 12:57:43 GMT -5
I baptised my son in law at the sink, who was never baptised. That is how we are born again through water and spirit. I was not taking any chances with him. I was raised Roman Catholic. I think there is nothing more beautiful than the Catholic Mass. I need to get my lazy butt back to the Church. I also believe in the teachings of other religions. Just a well rounded soul! Lol
NKat
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Post by TheSource on Dec 15, 2017 9:04:10 GMT -5
....I really do love all the religions, it's their leaders that can be a little harsh. You are absolutely correct on this.
There is no need to cite examples as they are too many and we ALL know quite a few in recent times that have had dire consequences wrought upon their "flocks". We can only pray that they are now in a far better place and that their kind of evil will not manifest itself again.
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Post by tinkerhale on Dec 15, 2017 16:55:42 GMT -5
rjhangover I took the time to skim through the article on the website you posted. I found it interesting but its theories are not convincing. It stated that "time is an illusion." "It is a virtual experiment created in linear time." We as humans measure time by the setting of the sun and the rising of the moon. We have hours of light and a period of darkness. "Time" in and of itself isn't linear. Time as we call it is eternal...it always has been and always will be and just "is". Is a day 100 years in God's eyes or is 100 years merely a day to Him? A hologram is a man-made virtual illusion that lacks substance. We as human beings are a solid body consisting of flesh and blood, muscles and bones. In a hologram, such substance is non-existent. A hologram is a projected image which can be turned on and turned off by a switch. Now, I'm not ruling out reincarnation entirely but if our soul has many bodies as Brian L. Weiss, MD concludes in his book, "Same Soul, Many Bodies," how would we be judged by God on Judgment Day? More so, if we had more than one life with many bodies, WHO would God judge? What if we were Sister Mary Clemens in one life and a prostitute in another one of our lives? Would we be judged on the merits of the saintly Sister or be judged as the loose moral prostitute? Would someone who committed heinous crimes in one life return only to repeat his/her actions in the next life to a lesser degree? Would they keep coming back again and again? My late husband saw heaven before he died. He said it was beautiful. My Mom told me in my dream that where she was now was really nice and she was healthy, young and beautiful again. And yes, she knocked me for a loop when she said that she didn't think that God was going to let her come back again. Did she complete her life the way she needed and not need to come back again to get it right? Yes, this is an infinitely interesting topic. There is so much that we don't know or understand. When the wind blows, we don't know where it's coming from or where it's going...such is the spirit. As my late husband often said, "If we were meant to have all the answers, God would have told us. What then would be the purpose of this life?"
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Post by TheSource on Dec 15, 2017 20:52:16 GMT -5
....God created evil to give everyone a choice, .... In my belief, God DID create everything. God is "great", God is "good".
Everyone DOES have a choice. Satan only has power IF we let him have it. The trouble is, too many people fall prey to the temptation that evil promises. In the end, all evil will be able to deliver on its' promise is eternal damnation.
....though evil is an illusion, because energy can't be destroyed. .... Evil is not an "illusion". Evil is just as real as you and me. Evil is the shadowy waste byproduct of good. Newtons Law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This holds true in the reality that we live in, but in the reality where spiritual belief is concerned, those of us that believe, we trust in the Lords' words that good will triumph over evil.
Energy indeed can neither be created nor destroyed, as we understand physical science, but only transmuted and transformed into another form. The good will devour the evil and transform it into what will only make the good stronger.
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Post by Fireheart on Dec 15, 2017 22:25:28 GMT -5
Now, I'm not ruling out reincarnation entirely but if our soul has many bodies as Brian L. Weiss, MD concludes in his book, "Same Soul, Many Bodies," how would we be judged by God on Judgment Day? Who's to say we need to be judged by a God? Why the need to be judged or d*mned (if considered bad)? Lessons could be learned through reincarnation alone to advance the spirit/soul. It could be that you struggle in the next life according to what wrong you did in this one.
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Post by rjhangover on Dec 16, 2017 11:46:01 GMT -5
....God created evil to give everyone a choice, .... In my belief, God DID create everything. God is "great", God is "good".
Everyone DOES have a choice. Satan only has power IF we let him have it. The trouble is, too many people fall prey to the temptation that evil promises. In the end, all evil will be able to deliver on its' promise is eternal d*mnation.
....though evil is an illusion, because energy can't be destroyed. .... Evil is not an "illusion". Evil is just as real as you and me. Evil is the shadowy waste byproduct of good. Newtons Law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This holds true in the reality that we live in, but in the reality where spiritual belief is concerned, those of us that believe, we trust in the Lords' words that good will triumph over evil.
Energy indeed can neither be created nor destroyed, as we understand physical science, but only transmuted and transformed into another form. The good will devour the evil and transform it into what will only make the good stronger. In my "perspective", Damnation is the illusion, because God's mercy and love is eternal, and nothing can be taken from God. So since the negative energy's function is to destroy, it will eventually consume itself. Enlightenment will eventually transform us all. We are all from God and so will return to God. My faith.
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Post by prudence on Dec 23, 2017 19:51:58 GMT -5
I don't know whether I practice a religion or not; it would depend on one's definition of 'religion' I suppose. I don't belong to any organized religion but I firmly believe in God and base my life on the philosophy of Jesus. My parents were Presbyterian but not for church attending, saying grace, or like that. They never preached 'religion' to me. When I was about 10 I started attending Sunday School because my friends did and it was a social thing for me that carried on through my teens. As a young woman I made the decision to be confirmed, became a church member and taught Sunday School. It was all my own choice with no influence either for or against from family. I began to question the church doctrine; disagreed with the Sunday School curriculum which I was supposed to teach and so stopped teaching it. I began to study what Jesus had taught for myself and became even more skeptical about the church doctrine. Eventually I just dropped out. For a period of time I was an agnostic. I studied the major religions of the world and what I found was pretty much what I had seen in the church I had abandoned so I decided that I could communicate with God/Jesus without a mediator and that is what I have done. My faith has grown stronger since distancing myself from organized religion(s). I see God's work all around me. I think that if one seeks knowledge of God and a spiritual relationship with Him personally that He reaches out and gives the peace and assurance that you seek. :)
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Post by nkat on Jan 4, 2018 23:35:41 GMT -5
I started believing in reincarnation when my 2 year old gd told me she lived before as a boy named Kevin and died when he was 3. She did not want to die again at 3. She also told me she missed her old mother and father.
NKat
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Post by birdgal on Jan 7, 2018 16:39:45 GMT -5
"God is "great", God is "good"."
Imagine a world where this is true of human beings. Imagine humanity believing they actually are great and good and behaved as if it were true. Imagine a world where people truly did worship, love, honor and respect All Life.
Or, to quote a dreamer, "Imagine no religion. It's easy if you try. Nothing to kill or die for. Above us only sky. Imagine all the people living life in peace."
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