Hey, if you read all those John Bible verses as if it literally means YOU when it says I am the way, then take that for the green pastures. Because anybody other than YOU will ALWAYS lead you astray. This is why ALL the Christian Churches have Money and control over the politics of this World. Because there is a distortion in understanding that YOU are literally the way to your OWN salvation, you are jesus. Your conscious, sub conscious and super conscious mind is ALL.
It saddens me that only Free Mason's and Rosicrucian are aware of this knowledge. I have also seen some converting back to the ancient Egyptian CHRIST. look up the word KHEM and find a teacher named Dr. Valentine, a very enlightened spiritual Man. Too bad he thinks white MEN are less enlightened than blacks. Otherwise, he's a genius. But, I suppose, that's the EGO at work, your physical self combating your spiritual self.
Inquire.
Great replies. So intelligent. Though, I only joined this group to reply to this post, I can tell from reading the reply of CrazykC that you are very "literal" in your Bible interpretation. If you look at the Bible from God's perspective, YOU are Jesus. In fact, he said that YOU are able to do more than he. In fact, he said we are gods. Which, totally agrees with the Wiccan/ Pagan faith of God/ Goddess worship leaving us to be the Jesus, the master of our own destiny being that we DO have free will. There is absolutely no Satan pulling your strings, only you, the decider of your own fate. One conscious mind living an identity crisis in many different bodies forms all over this entire Universe. Which is an awesome word. UNI-verse. Implying one. UNI-mind, implying one mind. How can God see all, be everywhere and know everything, unless God is within every single living thing, which, btw, is expanding and evolving every single day.
So for doomsday lovers, I'm sorry, yes it's going to end here. Every life ends, but will you graduate to a higher order? This is merely school for our Spirits, we're all tested to overcome and achieve. Those who give up are fruitless as Jesus pointed out and they will be not be harvested because of their ignorance and closed mindedness.
Just my observation. Peace out and do what thou wilt.
I am sorry to see you leave as you are more than welcome here.
No one is asking you to water God down. I think God is bigger than that.
The Spirituality group is a place for people to share what has helped them grow in their walk with God or who is it they turn to when they need help or how they cope day in/out with challenges or how spirituality fits in their life or those who want to know more about Spirituality. Not everyone here follows Jesus, but that doesn't mean you don't belong. What would Jesus want you to do?
I happen to think God is above all other gods so I am not bothered by others sharing what they follow. I cannot make anyone believe identically the way I do anymore than anyone could me. I share my faith and answers questions if asked. There are choices from the start. I think we learn from others. I don't worship Shiva and don't think anyone is offended that I don't as they are not asking me to.
Blessings to you also and peace too :-))
" if I want to post about Shiva, I have to understand that although in my personal life, I see my God as the top dog,but when I post in the spirituality forum, my God has to be on equal footing with everyone elses God."
Sadly, I feel this is probably not the forum for me then as I cannnot and will not put my God on equal footing with all other gods. He strictly forbids that in the book that I follow (the bible). If I were to do that then I would have to put Him on equal footing with Satan, or even "The Spaghetti Monster" and that is such an incredible offense to my God and I won't dishoner Him in that way.
I'm not going to push my beliefs but neither will I "water down my faith" in order to get along with everyone. My God has to come first in my life and that is what I strive for, to do His will and put Him first. Some day I will have to meet Him face to face and would never want Him to be ashamed of me. I will not act ashamed of Him, either. He has sacrificed His life for me. The least I can do is honor Him and serve Him to the best of my ability.
I wish you all well. Peace and blessings to you all.
It is good to be able to share views without flaming/blaming. I cannot fault anyone who really believes something and is trying to do good in doing so. There is a difference in motives and how things are done.
I believe in being discerning...but after going through my experience I realize I really do have to rely on God not on other people's teaching and that I am going more by "my" perception in what I believe the Holy Spirit is telling me. That doesn't mean I don't run things by others to listen to what they say (Pastor, teachers, counselors, friends, even here). Believe it or not---I read what everyone writes here as time allows and reflect on it. I do not set myself up as the "authority" but leave an open .....to listen. I choose what I am following as I have to.
Nothing deleted here as it is good for each person to be able to share. April, nothing insulting/offending intended. I saw a post sharing Norman's thoughts & that is why I shared because I wanted to illustrate how others could interpret your posting as being "off-based" because of what Norman's position. A number of people never look into the background of who they are listening to. I learned to do that years ago. It is good to do.
There are many discernment ministries out there....even looking into their background. What I was trying to say is that I started getting critical of everyone because I was looking for the devil behind "all the different teachings". Fact is none of us are perfect and on a day I am tired/weak/sad....probably should keep my mouth closed because I may not be walking correctly in the Spirit.
My views are changing and I am learning to admit that it is totally by faith I believe what I do. I cannot produce Jesus, nor any actuall pictures of him. Certainly cannot produce God and He would not allow it as He isn't under my command to do my bidding. I am to submit to His will.
I am directing my attention towards learning to listen to Him better which involves being still.
Clarification
okay. I want to restart.
I know yesterday was a really bad day for me pain wise, and I am also starting a new medication that makes me feel really out of sorts, So I am not as articulate as I would like to be, and I want to make sure that I don't give the wrong impression, so I want to clarify some of the things I was trying to express yesterday. Sometimes I can come off sounding harsh or abrupt, but I don't always mean to be. (although I reserve the right to be a raving lunatic if the mood strikes me :)
So I want to start by apologising to anyone I might have made feel unwelcome yesterday. It is not for me to judge wether or not someones belief system is right for them, so I will try really hard not to do that here. :)
So...these are the main points I wanted to articulate yesterday. :)
1. I do not want people to refrain from posting in the spirituality forum based on their religious or spiritual systems. I want ALL people to feel comfortable posting here about their spiritual self. This is not the "anti-church" forum, and I don't want to give the impression that I am anti-church, or anti-christianity. I have learned to look for value in every single nugget of spirituality I come across on this winding road of life.
2. I do not want anyone to feel they have been "kicked out", or unwelcome of the forum for something they have posted about their spirituality. If one wants to post about their spiritual interactions with a giant spaghetti monster, I would be cool with that. As long as the post is about spirituality, I am down for a discussion, even a heated one, as I feel that sometimes we learn the most about our chosen viewpoint when we are called to defend it.
3. I want there to be a feeling of mutual respect and equality for the spirituality of anyone who posts here. Each of us is in a unique place on our spiritual path, and all of us here are seeking the same thing, a spirituality that can give meaning and hep us make sense out of life.
If I had my druthers, we would all treat each other as spiritual equals, sharing insight and information with each other,freely asking questions, giving answers, sharing insight, etc etc, with the understanding that we are all spiritual seekers still looking for our individual "truth" and although one person may feel they have found the truth, another may still be seeking.
I feel comfortable posting about my spiritual beleifs, and posting things I think another poster might be able to glean spiritual insight from. I will not post something that implies my way is the only path to God, becauseI believe spirituality is unique and individual to every person.
And lastly, I want everyone to know this is simply my personal opinion. I don't want anyone to feel pushed around by me, because this forum belongs to all of us, collectively, and it is (and will be) what we make of it. It is not an exclusive club where people feel they have to subscribe to a specific belief system in order to participate, nor is it a place any individual belief systems are excluded.
The last thing I want to clarify. I do not want anyone to feel their personal God or deity, or religious system has to be "brought down" in order for there to be open discussion. I do feel that each of us has to respect that in this forum, there is an equality among us, and our individual views of Godhead.
So in that sense, if I want to post about Shiva, I have to understand that although in my personal life, I see my God as the top dog,but when I post in the spirituality forum, my God has to be on equal footing with everyone elses God. If someone posts about Jesus, thats cool, as long as it is not a post proclaiming that particular deity as supreme over the others referred to in this forum.
In the spirituality forum, no one God is THE God, we must see and treat everyones chosen deity as equal in order for this forum to be about spirituality. Otherwise it would be a forum dedicated to one particular God above all others, and that is not spirituality, that is religion. I am not anti-religious, but I think a forum dedicated to a particular religion is the best place for posts that reflect personal religious views and dogma that are exclusive of other systems.
Whereas posting about different religious views and how they can relate to spirituality regardless of adherance to a particular religious system, that is totally game for this forum. (IMHO)
the other thing I would say is before one posts something that references another belief system or cultural value, take special care to be aware that someone who subscribes to that beleif system may be reading your post. People on this forum love and value many varied traditions, they are a great resource for information about particular cultured, relgions, and spiritual systems. This is the place to ask someone about Allah, not the place to lump "all other Gods" together.
If one believes their God to be the only God, there is nothing wrong with that belief, but in the spirituality forum, all Gods are respected as such, and all scriptures are on equal footing.
Ultimately, these are just my opinions, nothing more, and nothing less. In the end this forum belongs to all of us who post on it. It will become whatever we make it.
Love and blessings :)
~pb