The 'no God' spirituality.

[Baile]

Originally Posted by The Necromancer

It's apparent they have never experienced the trance state...

All this trance talk got me checking the OP to see how far off course we've drifted:

"Is it true that there are many people who do not actually believe in God who are spiritual?"

Still very much on topic. I don't believe in God, and I've had quite a number of trance-state metaphysical happenings take place in my life.

[Shivani Devi]

Yeah, sorry for going off topic, I was keeping in the conversation.

[Nowayout]

I don't know what God is exactly, think about it. Who does???

I'm spiritual and I like to pray to the "Great Spirit".

It's personal.

I think any person is spiritual from their very first breath, life is just that.

Welcome to the mysteries.

Peace

[Baile]

Originally Posted by Nowayout

I don't know what God is exactly, think about it. Who does??? I'm spiritual and I like to pray to the "Great Spirit".

It's not really a matter of "who knows?" The relevant question has much more to do with the manner in which we choose to conceptualize in the first place. Why for example conceptualize an invisible creator, which may or may not be real? That is the "who knows?" style of God-conceptualizing, yes. Another option instead is to simply embrace with gratitude, the visible creation in front of us, which is real and tangible. This is not "who knows?" conceptualizing. Rather, this is "we can know, and we affirm" understanding and wisdom. It is there, it is real, we can touch it. So again, one is an intellectual projection: who knows? The other is the direct experience: we know.

Also, what is it we require that we would need to pray to this creator? We're of the creation, we are not separate from it, therefore all that's required is belief in our self, in our divinity. So again, not so much about "who knows?", and more to do with how we choose to imagine. Do we imagine from a mindset of separation from it? Or from a mindset of oneness with it, of being it?

[Nowayout]

The path of devotion and the path of direct experience.

Devotion has its rewards, I know because I have that bend.

It's direct experience too.

Anyway, it's nice we can all have a view and that is amazing too.

Life is very finely structured, the mastermind is what calls me forth.

[Baile]

Originally Posted by Nowayout

Devotion has its rewards, I know because I have that bend.

Anyway, it's nice we can all have a view and that is amazing too.

Of course Nowayout, to each their own path. I was responding specifically to your statement that we can't know. And I'm specifically arguing that yes, we can in fact know. We have now moved from the age of religious belief and group-think (Pisces) to the age of spirit knowledge and individual thought (Aquarius). New age = new consciousness paradigm.

As it specifically applies to this thread topic, one could say we have moved from the age of God-directed thought and action, to the age of self-directed ('no God') thought and action. Or to put it another way, in this new age, knowledge and understanding of spirit (God) is directly expressed and experienced, and grasped and understood, in the individual, moral, self-directed word, thought and deed.

[Baile]

Originally Posted by Honza

I find that many people here at SF talk about spirituality but they often fail to include God.

The reason for that is cliche, yet it fully applies: It's the same reason why people no longer talk about the earth being flat, or the sun orbiting the earth. Understanding changes as consciousness evolves. In a hundred years, the word "God" won't be used. That is where human consciousness is heading. You can see that already in places like the UK, where 65% of people identify as atheists. Those numbers will only continue to grow over the next few decades.

[Nowayout]

Originally Posted by Baile

Of course Nowayout, to each their own path. I was responding specifically to your statement that we can't know. And I'm specifically arguing that yes, we can in fact know. We have now moved from the age of religious belief and group-think (Pisces) to the age of spirit knowledge and individual thought (Aquarius). New age = new consciousness paradigm.

As it specifically applies to this thread topic, one could say we have moved from the age of God-directed thought and action, to the age of self-directed ('no God') thought and action. Or to put it another way, in this new age, knowledge and understanding of spirit (God) is directly expressed and experienced, and grasped and understood, in the individual, moral, self-directed word, thought and deed.

God will always be a mystery... unfolding. There is a depth that can never be fully realized is what I'm getting at. I think looking at the world we are still playing with the wheel.

We just crawled out of the cave man.

But sure, our hearts can be a light unto our minds. That would be self-directed and people are trying hard to be true as the world grows in ways of materialism/capitalism/exploitation or what have us?

It's a world of paradox.

And faith in God is not dead and will not be stamped out anytime soon.

[FallingLeaves]

fwiw I just read a quote from jesus on another thread... apparently, for as long as we intend to act like adults we cannot reach the kingdom of heaven. Only after a return to childhood does it work, apparently.


But we sure can fool ourselves and each other all day long and SAY we are getting somewhere. Problem is, eventually, the pendulum swings the other way, and we are roundly faced with the bare naked fact that we aren't doing any such thing. And so civilization falls... and we try again.

ohwell...

[Nowayout]

Jesus is amazing and hard to define. To become like "little children" can mean about anything under the sun.

Simple acceptance of the Christ?

Or is it more Buddha nature like the "middle path". Finding joy in all things.

I think Jesus and the Buddha's fingers mesh, but they are different hands.

You see Jesus requires a very deep measure of faith, the Buddha too, but only that enlightenment is attainable.

I do look within my heart for guidance, it will all be worked out one day.