Oh your talking about my God, Boring.

Well as more and more information flows, we are starting to get the picture about God. Not really about God, but to be more precise MY God. As in the childish view that he is mine, where ownership is believed to be true. It maybe true that you own an imaginary god in your mind, a type of friend that you always talk to. From there on, we fight over our own imaginary Gods. Godzilla, buggs bunny, barbie,action man the list just goes on and on and on.

a reply to: ancientthunder

not me. If I can't see it in real life without the aid of hallucinogens, then it ain't real.

I've decided the long haul to spirituality that involves cognitive dissonance in order to even exist, is not worth the trouble for a thing that does not. The sanctity of life, doing good, helping where I can - these things I can measure.

God has served a purpose - dragging cave men out of the caves. Well some. But he is no longer required, or needed.

if humans cannot see what is right and wrong without having to be told by other men from a thousand years ago, then they are the ones to pity, for they already live in hell.

originally posted by: laminatedsoul
a reply to: ancientthunder

not me. If I can't see it in real life without the aid of hallucinogens, then it ain't real.

I've decided the long haul to spirituality that involves cognitive dissonance in order to even exist, is not worth the trouble for a thing that does not. The sanctity of life, doing good, helping where I can - these things I can measure.

God has served a purpose - dragging cave men out of the caves. Well some. But he is no longer required, or needed.

if humans cannot see what is right and wrong without having to be told by other men from a thousand years ago, then they are the ones to pity, for they already live in hell.

Faith is a thing that can't be proven, yet a thing many have. There have been a lot of things that weren't proven and then later, were proven.

You are right, for me to believe in something that is not proven to exist is weird. I believed in some concepts in physics before they were proven. I believe in a spiritual being that isn't proven, but I feel it exists via a process I can't prove. Maybe one day a scientist will find that process.

s&f for George Carlin.

a reply to: ancientthunder

That is one of the best George Carlin's routines.

It boils down to this, whatever your faith is its yours and there is nothing wrong with that if it works for you. What I am poking at in this post, our childins belief system kicking in.Nothing wrong with a bit of fantasy, but lets be sincere a fantasy is a fantasy. I for one love cinema and that is a fantasy journey to say the least. a reply to: reldra

originally posted by: ancientthunder
It boils down to this, whatever your faith is its yours and there is nothing wrong with that if it works for you. What I am poking at in this post, our childins belief system kicking in.Nothing wrong with a bit of fantasy, but lets be sincere a fantasy is a fantasy. I for one love cinema and that is a fantasy journey to say the least. a reply to: reldra

Or books. Sometimes I feel the world of the Dune novels is almost as important as my religion. Not the same, but close.

Not one of his best but true and funny at the same time. Best way to point out flaws is ridicule through comedy. Religious comedy is on par with racist comedy. Don't need to be religious or racist to enjoy it.

a reply to: ancientthunder

We would not be able to deny god if god didn't want that to be the option as well

I must say God is one cheeky bastard

a reply to: ancientthunder

I don't have to see or experience something to believe in it's existence. I use "over whelming evidence" as a belief builder. I see and believe that everything we encounter is geared towards LOVE. This LOVE is so overwhelmingly powerful, yet it's existence balances perfectly on the edge of a microscopic razor blade. That is it's perfection. Our CREATOR's perfection. How could it be otherwise? Mere chance? Again, and as always, JMO.

a reply to: laminatedsoul

I personally long for a religion that tells people to throw themselfe from high buildings.

originally posted by: laminatedsoul
a reply to: ancientthunder

not me. If I can't see it in real life without the aid of hallucinogens, then it ain't real.

That is the common-sense approach to life that I take.

However, I also seek meaning in life. As I look at this
upside-down world I don't find any. Therefore, in my
quest for spiritual fulfillment, I am open to the very
real possibility that EVERYTHING I believe is wrong.

I see a chair.

That chair has meaning because I think I know what it is.
What if I am wrong? It could just be my perspective, and
by shift my view to right or the left that object is revealed
to be a cleaver optical illusion created by an artist who
intended to fool me. It is not a chair. It is an illusion.

Such an optical illusion is teaching us an important
spiritual truth: Do Not Assume Anything

Common sense and logic can guide us in healthy ways
to overcome superstition and fantasy. Having said that,
common sense and logic can not take us all the way to
the open space of spiritual fulfillment where one can
experience peace, joy, and bliss.

This is what I call the realm of "mystical experience"
and those to get there know three things 1) they live
in a world of illusion, and 2) peace, joy, and bliss
are more real than anything in the physical world,
and 3) their personal path to this understanding
is unique to them and is not a one size fits all.

I've decided the long haul to spirituality that involves cognitive dissonance in order to even exist, is not worth the trouble for a thing that does not. The sanctity of life, doing good, helping where I can - these things I can measure.

That is a perfectly reasonable approach to life,
however, measuring things is a waste of time.

The mind loves to measure, that is what it does.
It measures everything, often with assumptions
that are not true. Again, we don't know what
we do not know. But often, as if by default,
we rely exclusively on our Left Brain. This
is a mistake. The brain is a tool we can use
to "unlearn" false authority... but only if
choose to use it.

The next step is to and relinquish TOXIC EMOTION
and PSYCHIC PAIN, but Left Brain isn't very good
at that. This is were logic and reason fail us.

God has served a purpose - dragging cave men out of the caves. Well some. But he is no longer required, or needed. if humans cannot see what is right and wrong without having to be told by other men from a thousand years ago, then they are the ones to pity, for they already live in hell.

I agree. The time of teachers and gurus is over.

We are now in a paradigm shift away from that
"Old World" way of thinking. Today, people are
more inclined to reject the indirect "truths" that
were passed down, and only entertain the ideas
that they can directly experience.

This is as it ought to be, for the reasons you state.

Having said that, "Faith is real, even if the object
of that faith is not" IF it brings comfort to some
people to believe in a After Life fantasy, then
who am I to deny people their private illusion?

This is what I hear you saying, and I agree.

Faith has value, just as having a positive attitude
has value. It DOES, in fact, effect the quality of
your life. A life without faith is like having a
negative attitude, it makes life more difficult.

ALL WE SEE (i.e., all we TELL ourselves) is illusion.
So why not create our own myths, and make it one
that brings us joy, peace, and harmony? This is now
some people make money--the THINK ABOUT MONEY
and BELIEVE IN MONEY, that will make them happy,
and so it does (to one extent or anther).

I want more than money (the reality of this world).
I want experience the joy (the reality of heaven)
... not in some ideal After Life, but RIGHT NOW!

Here is the bottom line:

What is REAL is the OTHER (outside of what
we THINK we see). The mind can provide logic
and common sense which will solve problems
in the physical world, but it stops there.

In order to move beyond the world of FORM
one must unlearn (empty themselves) of the
assumption about what is REAL and unreal.

For example: I know longer believe that
death is real.... therefore I have no fear
of death. I no longer believe in the
time-based illusion of the physical.

What is not real, does not exist.
Lack and Loss, more illusion.
Fear and Attack, more illusion.
Death is not real.

I am not waiting to die,
I am waiting to be born.

Until then, I live in the peace of heaven.
Until then, I live in the joy and bliss of
being united with Source and all creation.

When I do return to Source... it will
a seamless transition that I accept
and fully welcome.