Do you find Christmas spiritual?
 

As a Christian or not; do you find Christmas spiritual? Personally I believe that Jesus came from God and therefore I find Christmas very spiritual. It is not just 'another' festival. It is the celebration of God coming to earth to save us.

I love Christmas time. It is full of Christ's spirit.

As you describe it, it is spiritual.
A time of giving and blessing.

No I do not find it spiritual....

Bah! Humbug!

Merry Christmas sky123.

As much as don't want to admit it, I find spiritual. It's the Christmas spirit of others that makes the spirit itself. Marry Christmas everyone!!

Merry Christmas !

Unfortunately reality hit home this Christmas. I am very aware that I am in denial that I AM. It is making me ill. How does one make peace with I AM? With ones own self?

Don't make peace with it, put it on the back burner for now and when the time is right it will all come together...
It's not worth making yourself I'll, you seem to be battling this for a very long time, let it go, it's not for you at this moment in time, put it to rest. :smile:




God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and Wisdom to know the difference.

What I was trying to say is that my self rejection is making me ill. I feel the need to accept myself. It is not so much the argument with I AM that is making me ill. It is the lack of self acceptance. It has all been on the back burner for too long. It is now coming to the crux.

Ah now I understand you better, would it help if I tried to explain the self that your rejecting is not your true self... I doubt it would help because when I have tried previously you start getting angry and insulting me for my beliefs etc:

I sincerely hope you find some inner peace :hug:

What do you mean "self rejection"? You don't like who you are? Or you don't like what people think of you? There may be a fine line somewhere. One feeding off the other.

It is all too complicated to explain....

You don't seem to understand that there is no fixed constant definition of 'true self'. I get annoyed at you because you bring the eastern definition of 'self' into a Christian section. It is all new to me.

OK Honza, I mention Christ Consciousness also which is Buddha Nature and you still get angry...
Christ Consciousness is very much part of Christianity....

The True Self is mentioned in all Religions and means exactly the same, different label for the same ingredients...

Hope your feeling better today.

where is Christ Consciousness found in the Bible?

When was the word coined?

The true self, higher self, Christ consciousness, buddha nature. So many words for basically the same thing. The point being here is the ego/shadow self!

You will find it all over the bibles....

Christ - Jesus.
Consciousness - Awareness..

Exactly :smile:

If so common, can you mention just one scripture?

Did the Apostles use the expression?

Christ Consciousness is a Gnostic, New Age or Hindu term. It is not used by Christians or Jews or Muslims. I wish you New Agers would understand that.

Quite simply...in this Christian section we have the Gnostics and the traditional Christians arguing over the same ground over and over. Well done everybody for being so understanding....

Honza,
if God accepts you, then you have no choice but to accept yourself!
You want a very close relationship with God. Those who do, who are honest feel more strongly the mismatch and tend to amplify it. This only makes God's acceptance more wonderful. You don't have to be afraid of this
Look at how easily some Christians feel God accepts them and how they accept themselves. Do they have a deep relationship with God? I think some do, but many others don't, it's a real battle for the rest of us! It's worth it
its not about the mind of Christ (except being master of our minds) its the Holy Spirit that does it
I don't really like looking in the mirror but i do feel inside i can accept myself because of this relationship. this goes beyond gospels and scripture. they just point the way. hope you have a great 2020!

Before you expect anyone's understanding you need to understand yourself.


I didn't know that the bible was classed as New Age nor that Roman Catholic ( Christian) Canonized Saints came under the New Age Title either. :wink:
We have St Teresa, St John of the Cross, and many many more who attained ( Christ Consciousness ) and openly wrote and spoke about it....

I have said many times that there is nothing new under the sun,. It's not for you at this time or place Honza best to just leave it, as you are tangling yourself up in knots...

HONZA, YOU ARE 100% RIGHT

I am sorry I had to learn this the hard way and offend you at the same time.

I hope you will accept my apology.

Why is it best to leave it? I am here for the journey.

Hi John,

My apologies to you too. I should not have put it that way. :redface:

Try go on a real christian forum and see if you find something there, try question there a particular verse or say what you have said in a post of yours that God is evil, you will be judged and condemned to eternal hell.

This is the only place I can talk freely without being mocked, judged and condemned.

I talked on a christian forum about an OBE where I head a voice pointing me to Christ, some said that I do drugs, other made fun of me and some even tried to use the Bible to show that I am wrong, just like Satan did with Christ in the wilderness. There were only two people who were there to understand me.

Do you know of any examples?

Yes this forum is very open and loving. I wish the two opposing sides in the Christian section would understand each other.

Apologies not needed.

People should be able to speak to others about a situation.

You did and I appreciate your loving concern.

Yes, I think Christmas is special whether one's a Christian or not. It is a special time of the year, with the days darkening and then the changes from the 21st onwards. Also, a time for people to come together, have a big dinner, share presents, and there's more movies on the telly during these weeks. Good overall, and it can all be as good and spiritual as one wants it to be. :-)

Honza,

I think it might be helpful to understand that the two opposing sides will continue to defend their positions. Although this sub-forum is labeled Christianity, both opposing sides will continue to justify their personal beliefs and why their personal beliefs are in alignment with christianity.

and to address your initial post...........yes I believe

Justify their personal beliefs - yes I am sure that is true. However just to show some understanding of the opposing argument would be a great step forward.

honza the opposing argument would be what? to oppose ones argument would mean to go against what one has believed.

sadly, MANY don't seem to understand that there is NO "HELL", as we were taught to believe. I'm referring to a fiery place, where the wicked are said to be tortured after death forever. Jehovah God and Jesus NEVER created such place. MANY of us sooner or later will go to "hell", but NOT the so-called fiery one. the wicked dead goes to their grave, NOT any fiery place of torment. the dead Knows nothing at all ,(Eccles. 9:5 For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten). they wouldn't even know if they were being "tortured by fire." death!... is a PAYMENT for SIN, (Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death...). so there would be NO need for Jehovah God and Jesus to punish us after death. peace

Or acceptance that others can have different views about the same subject, and that's ok.

At last some words of wisdom :smile:

If some would open their Bibles, that is after they go and get one, they would realize Hell is not in the Bible.

How much wrath was thrown around because this simple 'step' could not be implemented?

Remember the story of the rich man and poor Lazarus, what's the meaning of that story? Acording to the scriptures, it was a story told by Jesus.

Well, maybe not in your Bible, clearly-not-inhabiting-the-same reality-scenario-as-me BJ :icon_eek: but in mine, which is the King James translation, it clearly says: "There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." and also "Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

The idea of a 'punishing' and/or 'rewarding' 'God' is the result of people antropomorphizing the 'nature' of 'Reality', ThatMan. A River (in this case The Flow of Life) simply 'negatively' reinforces those 'molecules' that that go against its flow and 'positively' reinforces those that flow with It.

BJ's notion of what's said in the Bible about how 'God' (i.e. The Flow of Life) operates and his consequent pronouncements are a "blind man's buff" :D therefore, IMO.