I classify myself as a spiritual atheist. I do not believe in the big 3 mainstream gods presented by religions today. When it comes to how we got here...I really do not care. I do not believe in the creation account and I will not pretend that I know all about evolution (tho I have been able to resolve some of its concepts with-in myself.)
I write this just to show that there is a difference between being a spiritual person and a religious one. Even tho I do not believe in god, I recognize mans need to look to a higher authority. Its like a left over genetic imprint that causes us to be succeptible to religious manipulations. Charasmatic preachers use the bible (or whatever spiritual book) to guide peoples spiritual gene in various ways.
I feel spirituality is a personal matter and one that should be defined once a person has experienced life, learning and come to a point where he/she can resolve with-in themselves their spiritual nature.
Religion does not allow one to define his own spirituality. It is a list of rules presented as gods path for you take it or leave it. I love it when one can transcend religion and define his own spiritualty and path in life. I think of posters on here like aguest, snowbird, tec and psacremento who have risen above religion to define their own spirituality outside of it.
You would think that most of us, having been ex JW's, would have come to understand the perils of forcing our beliefs on others. I think that is where the line of spirituality and religion is crossed. A good example of this is the contrast of Jesus words and paul.
Jesus preached forgiveness and love he had a message that calmed the INDIVIDUAL heart and spirit. His...rules (for lack of a better term) were easy to follow and beneficial for pagan and xtian alike (think good samaritan parable.)
When paul comes on the scene he took a simple message and added to it, also opening the way for future followers and preachers to add to it. Paul took it upon himself to define aspects of christianity that should have been left to the individual. Sure he tried to cage his words with such expressions like 'not as the christ says but I tho I believe I have the christ spirit.'
Religious leaders since than have been adding on their own interpretations and beliefs. Now today we have this huge chasm between simple spirituality and religions. For too long people have let religions define their spirituality, instead of them finding it with-in themselves.
I believe that all should be allowed to freely explore their spiritual path, if they so wish, and once they find it enjoy it. I do not believe they should push their spirituality onto others. Whats good for you and your spiritual journey, may not be the path that me and my experiences need.
I like this definition of spirituality
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or immaterial reality;[1] an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of their being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.”[2] Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop an individual's inner life; such practices often lead to an experience of connectedness with a larger reality, yielding a more comprehensive self; with other individuals or the human community; with nature or the cosmos; or with the divine realm.[3] Spirituality is often experienced as a source of inspiration or orientation in life.[4] It can encompass belief in immaterial realities or experiences of the immanent or transcendent nature of the world.
darth frosty
JoinedPosts by darth frosty
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33
What do People Mean Exactly By "Spirit" and "Spiritual"
by cofty inmany people distance themselves from formal religion but say that they are a "spiritual" person.. .
similarly theists talk about the "spirit" as if it is something that is self-evidently true.. .
i wonder if anybody would like to have a go at defining what they mean by these words?
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darth frosty
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The Egg
by darth frosty inyou asked.
you asked.
im god.. my kids... my wife, you said.. what about them?.
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darth frosty
The Egg
By: Andy Weir
You were on your way home when you died.
It was a car accident. Nothing particularly remarkable, but fatal nonetheless. You left behind a wife and two children. It was a painless death. The EMTs tried their best to save you, but to no avail. Your body was so utterly shattered you were better off, trust me.
And that’s when you met me.
“What… what happened?” You asked. “Where am I?”
“You died,” I said, matter-of-factly. No point in mincing words.
“There was a… a truck and it was skidding…”
“Yup,” I said.
“I… I died?”
“Yup. But don’t feel bad about it. Everyone dies,” I said.
You looked around. There was nothingness. Just you and me. “What is this place?” You asked. “Is this the afterlife?”
“More or less,” I said.
“Are you god?” You asked.
“Yup,” I replied. “I’m God.”
“My kids… my wife,” you said.
“What about them?”
“Will they be all right?”
“That’s what I like to see,” I said. “You just died and your main concern is for your family. That’s good stuff right there.”
You looked at me with fascination. To you, I didn’t look like God. I just looked like some man. Or possibly a woman. Some vague authority figure, maybe. More of a grammar school teacher than the almighty.
“Don’t worry,” I said. “They’ll be fine. Your kids will remember you as perfect in every way. They didn’t have time to grow contempt for you. Your wife will cry on the outside, but will be secretly relieved. To be fair, your marriage was falling apart. If it’s any consolation, she’ll feel very guilty for feeling relieved.”
“Oh,” you said. “So what happens now? Do I go to heaven or hell or something?”
“Neither,” I said. “You’ll be reincarnated.”
“Ah,” you said. “So the Hindus were right,”
“All religions are right in their own way,” I said. “Walk with me.”
You followed along as we strode through the void. “Where are we going?”
“Nowhere in particular,” I said. “It’s just nice to walk while we talk.”
“So what’s the point, then?” You asked. “When I get reborn, I’ll just be a blank slate, right? A baby. So all my experiences and everything I did in this life won’t matter.”
“Not so!” I said. “You have within you all the knowledge and experiences of all your past lives. You just don’t remember them right now.”
I stopped walking and took you by the shoulders. “Your soul is more magnificent, beautiful, and gigantic than you can possibly imagine. A human mind can only contain a tiny fraction of what you are. It’s like sticking your finger in a glass of water to see if it’s hot or cold. You put a tiny part of yourself into the vessel, and when you bring it back out, you’ve gained all the experiences it had.
“You’ve been in a human for the last 48 years, so you haven’t stretched out yet and felt the rest of your immense consciousness. If we hung out here for long enough, you’d start remembering everything. But there’s no point to doing that between each life.”
“How many times have I been reincarnated, then?”
“Oh lots. Lots and lots. An in to lots of different lives.” I said. “This time around, you’ll be a Chinese peasant girl in 540 AD.”
“Wait, what?” You stammered. “You’re sending me back in time?”
“Well, I guess technically. Time, as you know it, only exists in your universe. Things are different where I come from.”
“Where you come from?” You said.
“Oh sure,” I explained “I come from somewhere. Somewhere else. And there are others like me. I know you’ll want to know what it’s like there, but honestly you wouldn’t understand.”
“Oh,” you said, a little let down. “But wait. If I get reincarnated to other places in time, I could have interacted with myself at some point.”
“Sure. Happens all the time. And with both lives only aware of their own lifespan you don’t even know it’s happening.”
“So what’s the point of it all?”
“Seriously?” I asked. “Seriously? You’re asking me for the meaning of life? Isn’t that a little stereotypical?”
“Well it’s a reasonable question,” you persisted.
I looked you in the eye. “The meaning of life, the reason I made this whole universe, is for you to mature.”
“You mean mankind? You want us to mature?”
“No, just you. I made this whole universe for you. With each new life you grow and mature and become a larger and greater intellect.”
“Just me? What about everyone else?”
“There is no one else,” I said. “In this universe, there’s just you and me.”
You stared blankly at me. “But all the people on earth…”
“All you. Different incarnations of you.”
“Wait. I’m everyone!?”
“Now you’re getting it,” I said, with a congratulatory slap on the back.
“I’m every human being who ever lived?”
“Or who will ever live, yes.”
“I’m Abraham Lincoln?”
“And you’re John Wilkes Booth, too,” I added.
“I’m Hitler?” You said, appalled.
“And you’re the millions he killed.”
“I’m Jesus?”
“And you’re everyone who followed him.”
You fell silent.
“Every time you victimized someone,” I said, “you were victimizing yourself. Every act of kindness you’ve done, you’ve done to yourself. Every happy and sad moment ever experienced by any human was, or will be, experienced by you.”
You thought for a long time.
“Why?” You asked me. “Why do all this?”
“Because someday, you will become like me. Because that’s what you are. You’re one of my kind. You’re my child.”
“Whoa,” you said, incredulous. “You mean I’m a god?”
“No. Not yet. You’re a fetus. You’re still growing. Once you’ve lived every human life throughout all time, you will have grown enough to be born.”
“So the whole universe,” you said, “it’s just…”
“An egg.” I answered. “Now it’s time for you to move on to your next life.”
And I sent you on your way.
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darth frosty
damn same this site doesnt want to work with browsers.
Here is the link to the story I wanted to share
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If angels are created perfect, are they all the same?
by ballistic inand a related question, what work is there in heaven.
if everything in heaven is instant and requires no work, where is the satisfaction in that?.
with the first question, we are a prodoct of random replication of various genetic code, and later we develop differences due to our environment and up-bringing.
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darth frosty
Good questions that can only be answered by mythology.
I've always thought if angels were perfecft how could they be tempted by women?
How could they begin to look upon the daughters of men what posible attraction could the female hold on an angel?
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Is this weird? JW FB comments
by serenitynow! inparadise-related greetings and meetup plans.
on a couple of jw fb sites, people often say things like "i'll see you in paradise," or "i'm going to travel and meet all of you guys in paradise and hang out with your lions.
" and on the jw news, library, etc.
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darth frosty
This explains it
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darth frosty
LOVE IT!
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The God That Wasn't There
by NomadSoul ini liked this movie.
for all you atheists.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfsmmmtmchu.
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darth frosty
From the 11 minute mark on was very eye opening.
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Anybody else get what the Architect was saying?
by Vachi 8 He Is inlooking at the end of the second matrix movie is telling to me or maybe i'm grasping at straws but the mirror is uncanny.. .
"choice.
" because of choice, there will never be any paradise.
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darth frosty
Best part of movie and the beginning of the end.