Spirituality and Religion

[Dive]

I should start this by saying that I am a good christian Prodestant boy. I grew up in a church and have just started to question what I belive. I have broken my belifes down to spirituality and a transendintal view. I am trying to get away from the traditions of an institutionalized religion and develoup my own belife of the nature of a God. I would like to get the opinion of everyone and see what they have to say about spirituality.

[Profpat]

I should start this by saying that I am a good christian Prodestant boy. I grew up in a church and have just started to question what I belive. I have broken my belifes down to spirituality and a transendintal view. I am trying to get away from the traditions of an institutionalized religion and develoup my own belife of the nature of a God. I would like to get the opinion of everyone and see what they have to say about spirituality.

Hi Dive;

I was born and raised a Catholic. It's now my belief that God isn't to be found in any organized religion, but rather in the hearts and souls of all men and women.

I am a Theist, in that I strongly believe in a loving and personal God. I call myself a Christian, in that I believe in Jesus's most important commandment, to love God and to love others.

I do not believe He was uniquely God's Son, in that his message was that all of us are God's children. Nor do I believe in the virgin birth or in His resurrection. To me it was His loving message that is important and not whether he was God or not. To me however He was the Greatest of Prophets.

So now I'm a member of a very exclusive church. The Church of Pat, and it has only one member and does not accept any for membership. You just have to start your own.

Best,

Pat

[Mikal]

Prof....I think that I belong to this church you speak of....my temple is in my heart..there is no preacher...no sermons...no collection plate...its open 24/7...its a place of contemplation...private conversations with God as my first father...I worship there..comiserate there, get cut down to size there and grow there...its a beautiful place....

peace Mikal

[Profpat]

Mikal;

It sounds like you belong to a very beautiful church. One of love and truth.

Peace, Love and Joy to you sister.

Pat

[Dive]

So do you guys still go to a church, because as much as it is important to find out for your self. I think the imput of other people is important. and helps keep people on track from beliving whatever is convienent for them

[Mikal]

Dive...I am not turned off by a church or do I avoid them completely...I love them when they are filled with silence...when they are empty...when the sun shines through the glass stained window and I can breathe in the incense from the last mass and smell the pine benches...I particularly like statues, they kind of contain stories and express their own typical beauty. Although I am more at home with worshipping nature...just the beauty in it and the naturalness of it to live, bloom and die...kind of says alot about us and life.

I also like old churches in Italy and other countries...they hold a history worth examining and the archetecture is amazing...but to go to church is not really for me...my faith is esoteric and really does not need a church for me to express it..

peace Mikal

[Profpat]

Hi Dive;

I and my church are One. I believe all organized religions are the AntiChrist. Jesus's mission was to tear down the Temple, not to start a new one.

" But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you."

We are One with God and we don't need priests, ministers, rabbis, or inmans.

Best to you,

Pat

[austintorn@aol.com]

Prof even loves his neighbors too much sometimes and gets in trouble. No, just joking, but once he imitated Moses and tied his ass to a tree.

Seriously, Perhaps if one throws off the traditions attached to just because they were familial, geographic, or cultural, then one can better see what is deep down, for we have intuitive strength already inside as the conglomeration of cells that we as are the organic nature living.

Spirituality can then be the connectedness of all things.

[Mikal]

Dive....spirituality can be viewed on different levels...for example on a visionary and perceptual level....on a heart field level which is connection to the connectedness of all things...and on a higher mind or philosophical level of thought and intuition...Its strange but it almost seems like some people are wired to need outer guidance and others are wired psychically to more inner guidance....whichever way it comes out I think it is all expressions of our need for faith...

peace Mikal

[Dive]

so how would you view the need for everything to be proven. I was having a discussion with my sisters boy freind who is sitting on the fence and i was saying that generally its a matter of two pholosophys. I was also sayint that if he accepted any sort of spirituallity (even something absurde like the tooth fairy) he could eventually work his way to discovering a spiritual entity through reserch of theology and stuff. but I havent even reserched that much theology