Lost In This Space

[Metadyjital]

So, I am a middle aged man, who was a Christian pastor for nearly 30 years. All that time I struggled with various tenants of the faith. I found myself drawn to more esoteric, or new age ideas. I love the Jesus figure. I do. However I find myself between a variety of ideas wondering if there is a way to blend them all. Has any before done this? Are the writings present that reflect these ideas? If any of you have anything you'd like to share with me on these thoughts I am open to hear you

[Tuesday]

New Age to me is all about taking what fits for you and making it your belief system. No other person can tell you what to believe, nor religion. They all lead to something that someone else thinks.

Whatever you believe is good, you shouldn't follow blindly any path,

[sky]

Originally Posted by Metadyjital

So, I am a middle aged man, who was a Christian pastor for nearly 30 years. All that time I struggled with various tenants of the faith. I found myself drawn to more esoteric, or new age ideas. I love the Jesus figure. I do. However I find myself between a variety of ideas wondering if there is a way to blend them all. Has any before done this? Are the writings present that reflect these ideas? If any of you have anything you'd like to share with me on these thoughts I am open to hear you

I find you can blend anything good together and find your own path, I love the Gospel of Thomas, in this I found the Jesus who resonates with me. When all is said and done we all come from the same source whatever you call it and will return to that source, in the time inbetween we have the opportunity to live our lives as best we can and hope we leave the planet in a better place than when we arrived, we can but try

[Metadyjital]

I have not read the Gospel of Thomas. Sounds like you would recommend it? Thank you for your response

[Native spirit]

My neighbour is the nicest person you could ever wish to meet. he was a Baptist minister for many many years. he was very well respected by all who knew him.
his wife is a born again Christian.so now they go to her church. he is very open minded to other faiths.he knows I am a spiritualist. he has taken up oil painting as a hobby. and they have received well by spiritulists and Christians alike he painted a field of bluebells and trees , a proper meadow painting but if you look close you can see a cross.on one of the trees.
he gave me that painting I have it on my wall.
he embraces people of all religious beliefs. his wife is different for her its all born again Christians. so even a minister can embrace all religions.

Namaste

[SaturninePluto]

However I find myself between a variety of ideas wondering if there is a way to blend them all.

I have recently come to the same boat you are now in, without the pastor bit, or the new age itself bit.

My case is a bit different, but yes I can relate as I am currently and have been for many years combining beliefs that resonate with and make sense to me.

My religious background is my mother was Catholic, my father Christian. We were not forced to go to church, my parents did not practice religion strictly, my father had many different books on Native American beliefs around the house, and we as children were told if we wanted to go to church with friends we could. Church functions were not big with my parents. We were however brought out to granges as my father, his brothers, their father, were all masons.

I too was supposed to undergo initiation into the girl's group there, called the rainbows, but fortunately on that particular day, the Lord graced me with a pretty bad nosebleed.

I went to two separate churches when very young. I went to a Methodist church and found the people- adults- very willing to help, and generally "Alright..." but no actual order. I found it difficult to show up at the right meeting place, without my friend dragging me there- not meaning I had to be dragged, but rather without her I'd physically be lost- the adults informed me there would be times us girls would need to separate and be within the congregation in different places and rooms. At one point the Pastor? Gave up and told me- be wherever you want, be wherever you are. I asked but where am I needed- Wherever you are is where you are needed.

They didn't seem to strict. It was better than the other church.

The other church I attended when young was a Catholic church- harsh, cold, sterile, you were expected to be where you needed to be, you did what you were told- if you were caught wandering lost- you were instructed where to be in tones overly angry for grown adults speaking to young children.

My first confessional? Was my very last. Never again. I'd rather go straight to the lake as if I were Lucifer himself, then ever go near a Priest.


I started my spiritual pursuits studying and looking into as much as I've been able Native American beliefs, and practices. It is a very long story of why I had interest in this, how it came about and what has become of it.

Then I switched young adulthood to here it is folks- get this- In my teen years from 14-16 I studied witchcraft. Read about it. Non judgmentally.

Come round just a few years back I noticed a lot of what I found written in the bible as well as other beliefs I had held from Native spirituality are without a doubt in my mind true- the whole book isn't fairy tales. I've found much of it prejudice, against other nations, as well as certain individuals. Psychism seemed to clash with it- although the very thing states itself that Christians were blessed with "Spiritual Gifts". Do they believe they are the only ones? But none the less I found beliefs of theirs co-existed with real beliefs of my own via Medicine Woman work and the Medicine Path, not only co-existed, sort of coincided in fact.

And then I became confused.

In the end, I only worship one God. I am monotheistic. The Christian God. Without the picture the bible paints. That is to say I worship God as I have known him my entire life. Never once did I feel any hatred from this being towards anyone human, nor anything I'd consider absolute evil. Never have I been told- they are wrong, they are right. I have been told clairsentially when to avoid danger- this is going to happen- prevent it- holding my hand out at the very moment boxes on a pallet were about to all come crashing down on me at work, and pushing them back to a stable position to the utter surprise of my co-worker whom asked me "How did you know that was going to happen"!?

Then she called me names.

I can't help it. If something is important enough I am told about it- my feelings tell me- it isn't just me- to say it is my ability alone is arrogant. It comes from God.

Why? Well Satan wouldn't bother to keep me out of harm.

So I have combined faiths. There are things within Christianity I can not deny that I have literally experienced personally myself- just as well as I can not deny I utterly begged God for an initiation or calling for two hours to the way of Medicine, or at least a solid no answer. And I was answered.

I've combined certain faiths as I can not deny the truths by experience in any one of them, and so I've combined them out of willingness and necessity.

[Morpheus]

Joy is what God has intended for us.

In certain full gospel congregations, as well as black baptist, you will find what God intended.

A "loud" service in which you participate, and vent, with a joyful noise will give you great relief and strength.
Although once I attended a service where the instruments were so loud, you couldn't hear your own voice! Or, your fellow congregants.

I don't think God intended that.

[theophilus]

The Bible is God's revelation of the truth. Satan tries to keep people from this truth and he often does it by teaching ideas that seem to be close. He is a deceiver who often masquerades as an angel of light. You need to test all teachings by the Bible and anything that contradicts the Bible is false and must be rejected.

[Jyotir]

Hi Metadyjiyal,
Suggesting to read Sri Aurobindo's "The Synthesis of Yoga".
It is available free on the internet.
You can refer to my thread on that text in the book section if you are interested.
Imo, it is offers enhancement, clarification, and deepening of many issues already quite familiar to spiritual aspirants, and is not antithetical to those ideals, and may be helpful to you.

~ J

[SaturninePluto]

Originally Posted by theophilus

The Bible is God's revelation of the truth. Satan tries to keep people from this truth and he often does it by teaching ideas that seem to be close. He is a deceiver who often masquerades as an angel of light. You need to test all teachings by the Bible and anything that contradicts the Bible is false and must be rejected.

The bible teaches that homosexuals are evil people and sinners whom will burn in hell because they don't love the opposite gender. Guy likes guys dude bro, and a girl likes a girl instead of a guy, dude bro. Maaaaaaaan.

They burn.

In Hell.

A. You have no right to force another human being to love someone they do not.

B. You (And your religion) has no Right to try and Convince another they should not love whom it is they love, no matter and nevermind their reasons, because you and a book written by a bunch of biased, prejudice, hate loving people- Men all of them----- have your own agenda and reason.

C. Theo I don't care.

D. My empathy for both spiritual people and religious alike is running very very low.

Next up- The bible is based off of the teachings of Jesus Christ. The Christ. From what I have been able to read I don't actually believe Jesus said every single word he is quoted as saying written in that book.

One minute he says love your neighbor, the next he calls people hypocrites, the next he says something else, the next he speaks of God and sinners, God and sinners. He calls people hypocrites, heathens, sinners, evil.

And he is worshiped by you people above God.

I worship God.

Not Satan.

Not Jezebel.

Not Athena.

I also don't actually worship Jesus in any way and never will. I worship God alone.

And I also don't worship Paul, Peter, John, Corinthians, or Matthew either.

Theo I won't fully accept, the bible. I will reject every passage, word or utterance in it that preaches Hatred-Sin-Btw, in any of its ugly forms.

According to you and your group, I will pretty much burn in hell for this- For having the intelligence and courage to say- Hell no- and think for myself.

Thank God I am going to Hell.

Christians tell me this as if their bible decided it.

I Decided it. I've committed my sins, not Jesus- I willingly committed said sins, with intent. I deserve to burn for. No one has any right to go and die for me.

Regardless of all that, I intend to go to hell anyway, I have plans there.

And yeah I will contradict the bible in thought. I refuse to agree with hatred.

As far as the rest of you Swine- Sheep, but I prefer the word Swine- go.

Enjoy your heaven.