Prayer

[RJM]

Theistic God who may or may not show up.

He does. Everytime. I guarantee. But not if you demand he dance to prove himself to you.

 

[Namaste Jesus]

He does. Everytime. I guarantee. But not if you demand he dance to prove himself to you.

Yup, and I've never had a prayer go unanswered....

 

[Cino]

Great question. Prayer to me a place of transcendence and meditation it's a place of seeing beyond my own human weaknesses, prayer for me a place of aligning myself with a greater consciousness.

So the situation you describe in your initial post is no longer your experience. Why did you bring it up?

Also, you got me curious, as to what "transcendence" and "greater consciousness" mean to you now, in the non-theistic frame of reference?

(For background: I am atheist, but do not subscribe to the reductionism of the New Atheists.)

 

[apexcone]

So the situation you describe in your initial post is no longer your experience. Why did you bring it up?

Also, you got me curious, as to what "transcendence" and "greater consciousness" mean to you now, in the non-theistic frame of reference?

(For background: I am atheist, but do not subscribe to the reductionism of the New Atheists.)

Because like most people Im interested in others peoples story.

 

[Cino]

Because like most people Im interested in others peoples story.

Ok. Initially it came across more like an old unresolved grudge, and I didn't want to get drawn too deeply into that kind of discussion. Thanks for the clarification.

So, I'm interested in your current prayer story. What's up with the nontheistic transcendence, and how can I imagine the greater consciousness? What methods or rituals do you use to align with it?

 

[apexcone]

Ok. Initially it came across more like an old unresolved grudge, and I didn't want to get drawn too deeply into that kind of discussion. Thanks for the clarification.

So, I'm interested in your current prayer story. What's up with the nontheistic transcendence, and how can I imagine the greater consciousness? What methods or rituals do you use to align with it?

It took me 20 years to extract myself from the deception of evangelical fundamentalism, strangely enough many of my good friends are still in it. They say that extracting oneself for any cult/belief system is a long and torturous process. As I said I'm always fascinated by other people's story and how they have reconnected to a spiritual world that doesn't embrace a Theistic God.

If your interested in understanding the whole concept of meditation/consciousness there's some good stuff to be found doing a Google search.

Terry

 

[RJM]

I googled it:

 

[Cino]

As I said I'm always fascinated by other people's story and how they have reconnected to a spiritual world that doesn't embrace a Theistic God.

If your interested in understanding the whole concept of meditation/consciousness there's some good stuff to be found ...

Terry

Thanks, but there is a bewilderingly huge range of how people understand these terms, how they meditate, and so on, and I was interested in your take, but you don't have to if you don't want to.

 

[Namaste Jesus]

As I understand it the christian doctrine suggests that God is a father, what sort of father only gets involved when he's asked, so he sits back and observes evil happening knowing he could do something about it and chooses not to, and people believe this stuff.

Good Grief... If your father gives you explicit instruction not to do "A" or "B" will happen, even has it written down so you don't forget and you decide you know better and do "A" anyway and sure enough "B" comes to pass, does that mean he's a bad father or you're a bad son?

 

[apexcone]

Thanks, but there is a bewilderingly huge range of how people understand these terms, how they meditate, and so on, and I was interested in your take, but you don't have to if you don't want to.

My journey to find a spiritual dimension to my life after common sense told me to reject evangelical fundamentalism has been a long and arduous. So in reality I dont have the time for a 5000 word essay. All I can say was it started with an incredible sexual experience with a mid 30s Tantric Massage Therapist, who taught me that orgasam is primarily a spiritual experience that most people never have. I think that's enough...

 

[apexcone]

Good Grief... If your father gives you explicit instruction not to do "A" or "B" will happen, even has it written down so you don't forget and you decide you know better and do "A" anyway and sure enough "B" comes to pass, does that mean he's a bad father or you're a bad son?

Your making a whole host of unquantifiable statements that are subjective to your experience. The 1st one is that God is a Theist and talks to you.

When I worked in Psychology in the UK we used to sanction people who heard voices in their head.

 

[RJM]

orgasam is ... enough...

Right.

Sex as prayer. No problem. Each to his own. Doesn't make it the only truth for everyone though?

I believe real tantra implies sex without reaching orgasam?

 

[RJM]

Quietly follow your own path. God is with you. Fly low like a small bird. Best not teach others how to pray. Imo.

Am gone from here, for now ...

 

[StevePame]

Quietly follow your own path. God is with you. Fly low like a small bird. Best not teach others how to pray. Imo.

Am gone from here, for now ...

We’ll look forward when you’ve return.

 

[Cino]

My journey to find a spiritual dimension to my life ... orgasam is primarily a spiritual experience that most people never have. I think that's enough...

Thanks!

 

[Namaste Jesus]

Your making a whole host of unquantifiable statements that are subjective to your experience. The 1st one is that God is a Theist and talks to you.

When I worked in Psychology in the UK we used to sanction people who heard voices in their head.

My goodness... Juvenile snipes aside; you yourself are making unquantifiable assumptions about the nature of God and finding fault with any literal interpretation of scripture, while at the same time, taking as literal someone metaphorically referring to having a thought as hearing a voice. Glass houses....

 

[wil]

Belief and spirituality... All thoughts welcome and correct based on your personal beliefs and spiritual thought....no text or dogma or discipline rules.

More rules

More like guidelines, otherwise everyone gets upset when someone else says their ideal method is the only way, or conversely wrong.

Prayer is personal (in my opinion) and like our multitude of religions and thousands of denominations and sects...we are all different,.let's not all act surprised and indignant when others do things differently than us.