Lost - Page 2

knightofalbion · #11 12-01-2013, 11:10 PM

Organised religion is not the only path! There are many branches to a tree.

'Love is the fulfilling of the Law' - 'Service is the coin of the spirit'. No matter what 'label' you attach to yourself, if you grasp the true meaning of these two statements, you understand 'religion' as it is truly meant to be.

knightofalbion · #12 12-01-2013, 11:15 PM

Hell: 'Eternal damnation' on the one hand and a 'loving God' on the other. Two notions that cannot possibly both hold true.
There are lower realms in the spirit world, for everything must find its mark, but eternal damnation? No. That was an invention of Orthodoxy to manipulate and control the masses by fear.

#13 15-01-2013, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by knightofalbion

Organised religion is not the only path! There are many branches to a tree.

'Love is the fulfilling of the Law' - 'Service is the coin of the spirit'. No matter what 'label' you attach to yourself, if you grasp the true meaning of these two statements, you understand 'religion' as it is truly meant to be.

I like the idea of this...though I'm not entirely sure it needs to be a specific understanding of those two statements... it inspires a similar school of thought as 'organised' to me... but i do identify with the message.

EarthyGirl · #14 19-01-2013, 01:04 AM

True. Organized religion is not the only path. The paths in life are many. You can choose not to label yourself any religion at all. It is limiting in so many ways.
I was also raised christian and found much heartache associated with the church and its people. It does not confirm or deny that a person is goodhearted if they claim a certain religion. They are still capable of hurting others with their words and their actions. The hypocrisy of people being considered a certain thing based on what religion they claim astounds me.
Search your heart, feel your experiences, believe your heart and you will find clarity. Sometimes we need to just be and we find out all we need to know.

I wish you clarity and serenity.

Seawolf · #15 20-01-2013, 03:00 PM

I was a Christian too and wasn't comfortable with it after awhile so I left it. I also had a fear of hell for awhile after leaving Christianity but it went away. Now my beliefs are helpful and don't involve fear and guilt. There are many things you can believe, just look around and find what resonates with you. If it improves your life and give you happiness then it's the 'right' religion. It should work out fine for you if you keep thinking for yourself and meeting new people. I wish you the best.

QuantumKev · #16 23-01-2013, 10:30 PM

I can TOTALLY relate. And after being raised in Roman Catholicism and living for years under the constant fear that I would go to hell because I was never baptized, I decided to do some serious "seeking" and learn about as many different faiths/practices/traditions as I could.

I landed on Buddhism, which is where I have stayed for the last several years. I have my own "personal" brand of spirituality which is primarily Buddhism, with a little Christian Mysticism, a sprinkle of Kabbalah and a touch of Native American in there to round it all out.

I do like to have some kind of 'guidance,' or principles to follow, and that is what I have found in Buddhism. The 4 Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, and the other teachings ring very, very true to me. And unlike many other traditions, there is nothing in Buddhism that says you can't also believe in other things.

I would suggest looking into some other things - all kinds of other things - take what you like from each, and leave the rest. Your spirit knows what it needs to be fulfilled and find its way - you just need to quiet your mind and your fear long enough to hear it : )

Oh, and by the way - there is no hell! That I can assure you of. Just think of it this way : I am a father of 2 children, and to think that I would cast them into eternal torture and damnation for making mistakes - does that make sense? I don't think so. Perhaps there is a god that does that, but it's not the One I pray to.

Many Blessings on your Path,

Qkev

psychoslice · #17 23-01-2013, 10:43 PM

Why have any path or religion, if we are not happy where we are, do something about it. Most when not happy with their life, need to substitute their life with something they feel will make them happy. it could be getting married, or just finding a relationship, or as it is in most cases, religion, or any belief system. None of these will ever bring you true inner happiness. True inner happiness is who you truly are, true love is who you are, you will never find these outside of yourself.

#18 31-01-2013, 08:04 PM

Why are people not encouraged to ask questions of; or to question their religion?

Personally i was raised in an open minded environment regarding beliefs, meaning nothing was presented to us but we were not discouraged from seeking or asking or even joining.

This has led me to some interesting places of worship and meetings and reading and discussion and well much more besides. I do love learning about religions and to be honest i really wish i could one day be 'found', but i do not understand why so many people are happily indoctrinated.

I have noticed that people of different faiths are so very welcoming until you start to ask questions, then it is as if they are affronted... but why so? What is wrong with asking why? You may ask a student of any subject questions and they will not be insulted..but a student of religion often will be.