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Originally posted by Jazzyguy
You realized that you have a microcosm of your own, now that you've been set free from your yoke, you're free to explore the reality of your choosing within the confine of your own rule (personality).
Originally posted by Solomons
For example there is absolutely no evidence for God/God's hence i don't believe they exist. There is absolutely no evidence of alien life but i do believe aliens exist, you could say a belief in God and Aliens are the same...but the sheer size of the universe and the fact humans and all other animals evolved on earth means the probability is staggeringly high, so i don't think you can compare the two. Hope im making sense.
Originally posted by Stormdancer777
I am hoping there is a purpose,
Otherwise the experience is pointless.
Originally posted by seircram
I.e., do you believe that "God" is a humanoid 'either Heaven or Hell' superhuman or do you believe that "God" is the original creator of every thing; that this Prime Creator has no agenda except to allow all that has been created to experience itself and ultimately return to its source?
Originally posted by unityemissions
I'm agnostic, but spiritual. It sounds like you're not an atheist to me, as you do have beliefs in the supernatural.
Those who claim to know are mixing beliefs and personal experiences with knowledge.
As an atheist, one doesn't believe in anything pertaining to a god or the supernatural.
That's why I'm agnostic It's the most logical stance. Even some of the greatest minds, once thought to be deeply religious, confessed later in life that they truly know not if there is a God.
Last thing: There's no reason to drop the spiritual aspect, just because you aren't sure of an afterlife. Being spiritual is personal. It means (IMHO) you have an understanding that we all root from the same source. We all experience (save the brain damaged) the same emotions. The only belief necessary here, is that the big bang theory is correct. If so, we all root from a singularity, which roots from nothing! Pretty miraculous if you ask me, but not beyond the realm of probability and possibility scientifically. It's just seems to be a miracle because we don't yet understand how the cosmos truly works.
Originally posted by Indigo_Child
Take your "indications" just as seriously as you take the chair you are sitting on.
ADD: Stormdancer777, I would like to ask you if there is any spiritual, mythological and/or astrological meaning in your avatar.
If I died today and turned into dirt, my purpose would be fulfilled because I lived my life in the best way I could. It wouldn't feel pointless at all.
Originally posted by Watcher-In-The-Shadows
Everything can be argued against, sure, you may dismiss those arguments. But, your dismissal doesn't matter and could be argued as shortsightedness. It's ALL belief, even what we call "knowledge" right now. The only distinction is semantic illusion at best.
Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
I LOVE hearing your thoughts. It's really helping me to get clear. Thank you again! Devino your last post was an eye-opener!
I don't feel like I have a purpose here other than to live. If I died today and turned into dirt, my purpose would be fulfilled because I lived my life in the best way I could.
I WANT to believe in a spiritual existence of mankind. It makes sense to me that there is a part of us that isn't physical. And it makes sense to me that we are all somehow connected and not just by being the same species.
Originally posted byStormdancer777
ADD: Stormdancer777, I would like to ask you if there is any spiritual, mythological and/or astrological meaning in your avatar.
Spiritual yes, someone gave me the name many years ago, it's a long story,
I will say it is my interpretation of the renewal of the earth, something we are talking about coincidentally, on another topic.
The dancer, dances a prayer to father sky, the tears of the creator, they fall like rain for the renewal of the planet,
Originally posted by Devino
... if you look closely you will see that you do have purpose just as you have put it in your own words.
Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
I don't believe in God, but I do believe in a spiritual realm. I believe that we all have souls that are non-physical and that continue to exist after the physical body dies...
Originally posted by Watcher-In-The-Shadows
Surely you see the obvious logically fallacious argument you just made. Just because an idea is agreed upon to be true ,even widely it, doesn't make it neccessarily true and thusly not a fact.
Originally posted by Watcher-In-The-Shadows
My advice. Screw labels.
Locking one's self into a catagory is lazy amongst other thing. And since most often labels end up dictating instead of explaining. You know "I am this. So I must this.".
I feel as though I'm being drawn to the area of the Colorado basin, as in the backdrop of the video you linked, and I have yet to understand why. I've read that the Hopi are descendants from the Maya as well as the Anasazi who also have come from the Maya. I don't know if this is true but I feel a strong connection between what I have been learning about these people and the spiritual path I am on.
Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
Yes, I agree. Being and experiencing IS my purpose (more details below). What I wanted to say in that post was that I don't feel it's necessary for each of us to have a "special purpose", like Mother Teresa or Ghandi. But the phrase "special purpose" reminded me of the Steve Martin movie, "The Jerk" and so I left it at "purpose".
External content from Serpent in the Sky.
...man is not as he could be, not as he should be; that man contains within himself the spark of divinity; that his destiny and proper task is to kindle that spark into a flame.
I believe that I am accountable for everything that occurs in my life.
I believe that lying is the greatest 'sin' against myself.
I believe that Love is the single most powerful force in existence.
I believe that I have absolutely everything I need.
I believe that if I Love, Love will come to me.
I believe that my purpose here is to contribute to, rather than diminish, the goodwill that exists in the world.
I believe that death is nothing to fear.
I believe that everything is just exactly as it should be.
God (conventional) is not one of those things. And at this time, an intelligent Creator of ANY kind is not one of those things. I personally don't think that the existence of something is an indication that there was an intelligent Creator behind it. It's certainly possible that there was once or is some kind of intelligent Creator, but since I have no indication of it and I have no reason to believe that everything requires a Divine Creator (my parents created me) I can honestly say that I don't believe in a Creator or Deity of any kind.
The fact that energy can be changed from one form to another, but cannot be created or destroyed, lends to my belief in an existence after death (and before life).
Originally posted by Devino
... you can become Mother Teresa, Gandhi or even Jesus if that is what you want.
I agree with these things except for fear, this may be somewhat ambiguous. Fear is a natural response and is important for life. Fear is an emotional tool that is used for survival but when it is used to control people it is false.
I also think that you have everything you need, except for maybe your thermos, all you need is your thermos.
I think it is a deception to make up different words to mask the intended meaning like this making the whole argument false.
I am questioning the purpose of those that created the name "Intelligent Design".
Take a close look at the germination of a seed or the conception of an animal, these are examples of God in action and science cannot explain how this simple looking process works, scientifically it should be impossible.
Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
What I mean when I say that death is nothing to fear is that I believe death is just a passing from one place to the next. It's not The End or something bad.
LOL This is a standing joke here and has smoothed over many arguments that end with the quote, "I'm out of here, I don't need you! All I need is my thermos."
I also think that you have everything you need, except for maybe your thermos, all you need is your thermos.
And maybe this lamp...
This is an interesting point. My husband, while not believing in the conventional God, still says he believes in "God". He just has his own meaning for that word and is comfortable saying it. I am not. And we have determined that the reason I'm uncomfortable with it is because I am rebelling against my upbringing, in which conventional religion and the wrathful, angry God played a HUGE part. My brain simply cannot use that word for what I believe in. It would be like using the word "maggots" when I meant food.
Another short PODcast made nearly 5 years ago about my thoughts on "God". It was great to listen to again...
A miracle is just something that hasn't yet been explained.
Understanding
In fact, the idea of God is widely agreed upon and I don't believe it is fact. So, I do not hold with your assertion.
As I have said, I'm not big on labels. It's the beliefs that I was questioning and my own truth that I'm after. The fact that some of my beliefs have labels makes it easier to talk about. For example, it's much easier to say that I'm an atheist than to say that I don't believe in an intelligent, all-knowing, all-powerful being that created all that is and judges us based on our behavior and thoughts. MUCH easier.
Originally posted by Tayesin
Seriously, all beliefs are limitations.
What is proven is also subjective too.
If you stood by the window and saw a car drive down the street, how can you know if it really exists once it is out of your sight?
Funny that, "spiritual" being everything you can see, smell, touch, taste, hear, and Intuit instead of being separate to everything else. I mean who woulda thunk it?