what is your relegion?

[shinyhope]

every one choose his relegion
perhaps from his parents
or because he believe in it
so what you say about your religion

 

[Eudaimonist]

so what you say about your religion

Hi, what I have is perhaps better termed a nontheistic philosophical path than a religion. It is called Eudaimonism. This philosophy advocates a rational and ethical life enthusiastically spent in pursuit of one's personal happiness and flourishing. Eudaimonism advocates self-examination, self-actualization, and self-esteem. (Buddhists take note that "self" here does not refer to a static, independent self or soul.)

There is no belief in gods, a supernatural realm, or life after death in Eudaimonism, yet it regards life as potentially purposeful, meaningful, and fulfilling.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Vajradhara]

Namaste and Salaam Shinyhope,

welcome to CR

when such lables are used, i use the lable of Buddhist as my religious paradigm.

metta,

~v

 

[flowperson]

Namaste, Salaam, Welcome...Shinyhope:

So good to have you here. I would call myself Christian; and, even though I do not attend services now, I did for many years earlier in my life. I am waiting and hoping for less fundamental and literal versions of Christianity to emerge that might begin to address the moral dilemmas that the world is increasingly ill-equipped to deal with these days. But, I'll probably not live long enough to see that.

Keep in touch...

flow....

 

[RubySera_Martin]

I am waiting and hoping for less fundamental and literal versions of Christianity to emerge that might begin to address the moral dilemmas that the world is increasingly ill-equipped to deal with these days.

Flow, this topic is near and dear to my heart. I am not sure where to discuss it. I guess I'll carry on here and if a new thread is needed we'll deal with it then.

QUESTION: How do you envision this new form of Christianity to look?

I've seen you on The Center for Progressive Christianity and I've read their pdf handbook. Do you envision something along that line?

 

[flowperson]

Hi Ruby:

Hmmm...yes to an extent. But I guess I'm looking for a wider brush to paint with, and that brush is going to have to eliminate exclusivity paradigms from whatever new version(s) that is/are developed.

I believe that TCPC has taken a good running start at that, but has lost some of its momentum the past few months, or at least since last year at this time when I joined. The forum seems to be covering the same stuff over and over again and people just aren't participating openly. Discussions regarding scientific paradigms have been gradually shut down for what ever reason, and I believe that this should be emphasized since IMHO most of the crises we're facing/will face are due to implementation of the new science and technologies within human life.

The profound, long -term effects of these changes upon us and the world at large are just not appreciated by those participating in the discussions, and the establishment in charge of making our futures come into being is simply not willing, or able, to address the issues in the open. As far as they're concerned, if it sells, then it is acceptable for it to be in our futures.
Until this is done we will all just be feeling around in the dark for the doorknobs that open the doors to the future.

There is hope though, now that people are FINALLY waking up to global warming and outdated practices such as the use of fossil fuels. Now, if we could only stop people of G-d from killing each other with knives, guns, rockets, and bombs; and, for the flimsiest of reasons, then we might make some real progress

Nice to hear from you. If this is the wrong place for this discussion, someone will tell us.

flow....

 

[lunamoth]

Hi Ruby:

Hmmm...yes to an extent. But I guess I'm looking for a wider brush to paint with, and that brush is going to have to eliminate exclusivity paradigms from whatever new version(s) that is/are developed.

I believe that TCPC has taken a good running start at that, but has lost some of its momentum the past few months, or at least since last year at this time when I joined. The forum seems to be covering the same stuff over and over again and people just aren't participating openly. Discussions regarding scientific paradigms have been gradually shut down for what ever reason, and I believe that this should be emphasized since IMHO most of the crises we're facing/will face are due to implementation of the new science and technologies within human life.

The profound, long -term effects of these changes upon us and the world at large are just not appreciated by those participating in the discussions, and the establishment in charge of making our futures come into being is simply not willing, or able, to address the issues in the open. As far as they're concerned, if it sells, then it is acceptable for it to be in our futures.
Until this is done we will all just be feeling around in the dark for the doorknobs that open the doors to the future.

There is hope though, now that people are FINALLY waking up to global warming and outdated practices such as the use of fossil fuels. Now, if we could only stop people of G-d from killing each other with knives, guns, rockets, and bombs; and, for the flimsiest of reasons, then we might make some real progress

Nice to hear from you. If this is the wrong place for this discussion, someone will tell us.

flow....

Just curious flow, and I'll probably be sorry that i asked , but why do you think you can't find what you are looking for in a progressive church like Episcopalian, the Unity Church wil has discussed, or even UU?

luna

 

[flowperson]

Hi Luna:

It's not that I don't think I can find what I want in a new church, It's just that I was so hurt and discouraged when the denomination I was affiliated with since my birth summarily judged what I believed and my reasons for it, essentially ripped off my epaulettes and service ribbons, and told me not to let the door hit my backside on the way out. You know how such things are said and done in "civilized" ways. And these were UCC churches. I guess, y'know, it's the schism thing that's showing up these days. Even some UCC groups can be very conservative.

I've since relocated to look after my folks out here in the high desert, and now it's just me and Mom. Besides, my work schedule includes Sunday mornings, so I just haven't made the effort. If I did it would probably be Episcopalian since I'm really enamored with the new head Bishop.

Thanks for your concern, Luna. You have a very good heart.

flow...

 

[lunamoth]

Hi Luna:

It's not that I don't think I can find what I want in a new church, It's just that I was so hurt and discouraged when the denomination I was affiliated with since my birth summarily judged what I believed and my reasons for it, essentially ripped off my epaulettes and service ribbons, and told me not to let the door hit my backside on the way out. You know how such things are said and done in "civilized" ways. And these were UCC churches. I guess, y'know, it's the schism thing that's showing up these days. Even some UCC groups can be very conservative.

I've since relocated to look after my folks out here in the high desert, and now it's just me and Mom. Besides, my work schedule includes Sunday mornings, so I just haven't made the effort. If I did it would probably be Episcopalian since I'm really enamored with the new head Bishop.

Thanks for your concern, Luna. You have a very good heart.

flow...

I hear you flow. That's why large segments of my otherwise quite spiritual family stopped attending church for the most part. My maternal grandmother, after observing the treatment of a young, unmarried pregnant woman in her congregation, left the church and never went back, not even for Christmas or Easter as far as I know. She did not even want a funeral because she did not want it in a church. I felt sad about this because after she passed the 'celebration' of her life gathering we had was so...bare. But, it was the way she wanted it.

In His Peace,
luna

 

[lunamoth]

Hi shineyhope, sorry for side-tracking your thread there. Welcome to CR.

As you may gather above, my religion is Christianity and I attend the Episcopal Church. I was baptized as a baby into the Episcopal Church, but I did not realize how fortunate I was in this until much later in life. I was more or less a secular agnostic for many many years, had a small awakening and became a (very enthusiastic) Baha'i for five years. Two years ago I returned to Christianity and the Episcopal Church.

cheers,
lunamoth

 

[flowperson]

Luna:

Very often it is impossible for spirituality and religion to co-exist under the same roof. While people assert their belief in religious principles, it has been my experience that they seldom practice them with an open heart. Too risky to be vulnerable...y'know.

Peace be with you and yours, my sister,

flow....

 

[RubySera_Martin]

Hi Ruby:

Hmmm...yes to an extent. But I guess I'm looking for a wider brush to paint with, and that brush is going to have to eliminate exclusivity paradigms from whatever new version(s) that is/are developed.

.............

IMHO most of the crises we're facing/will face are due to implementation of the new science and technologies within human life.

It's not that I don't think I can find what I want in a new church, It's just that I was so hurt and discouraged when the denomination I was affiliated with since my birth summarily judged what I believed and my reasons for it, essentially ripped off my epaulettes and service ribbons, and told me not to let the door hit my backside on the way out.

As I read these two posts I get the impression that you are not looking so much for a broader brush to paint with as you are looking for respect and acceptance of who you are as a person, and the right to believe what you feel is important.

The idea that all the problems of our planet stem from one narrowly-defined cause as you suggest does not seem realistic to me.

Human nature alone is too complex for that. The natural world in and of itself is too complex for that. The solar system in which the earth exists is to complex for that.

Human nature PLUS the natural world probably do not cover the deep complexities of the issues faced by our planet and inhabitants, and we know too little about our solar system and the larger universe to make definitive statements.

Whether the issues are as serious as we think is another major question. It seems to me that the entire scientific community and inquiry operates by the underlying superstructure of Christian thought. Science seems to be focused on two main items:

1. How, where, by what means, or when did it all begin?
2. How, where, by what means, or when will it all end?

So far as I can make out, these are uniquely Christian concerns. Or perhaps it is Judeo-Christian-Muslim--in other words, a concern unique to the Abrahamic religions.

You know how such things are said and done in "civilized" ways. And these were UCC churches. I guess, y'know, it's the schism thing that's showing up these days. Even some UCC groups can be very conservative.

I know very little about these specific churches but I do know something about human nature and how it opperates in various situations. I also know something about what it's like being obligated by whatever method to leave one's church. I went through the experience myself and I've read the stories of many others who've been through the same thing.

Serious anger and bitterness are normal. Analyzing the situation and laying blame are also normal. For a person who sees liberal as "good" and conservative as "bad," it is quite normal to associate rigid mindsets with "conservative."

You do not come across to me as a liberal-minded person. That is why I am looking for alternative explanations for what may have happened. And I do not claim to be right because I don't know the situation.

 

[RubySera_Martin]

every one choose his relegion
perhaps from his parents
or because he believe in it
so what you say about your religion

Since I have contributed this much to this thread I should probably say a bit about my religion. The problem is that I don't know at this point what I am. I was raised Christian but have always had serious questions about the foundational tenets of the Christian faith. As an adolescent I "discovered" nature as a healing balm when my soul is troubled and this only increases with age. "Seeker" is the best term I have yet found to describe my spiritual or religious "slot."

 

[Quahom1]

every one choose his relegion
perhaps from his parents
or because he believe in it
so what you say about your religion

My religion works for me. It is a nice tradition that I feel at home with. It augments my faith. When I was younger, I rebelled against my parents, and discarded their faith and religious beliefs, and stepped out into the world. I was free and clear to do and believe as I saw fit.

Then I fell in love, and married a great woman, and lo and behold a child was on his way to our family...and I got scared. What was I going to teach him about faith, about hope, about Love? So I went back to the church (while it was empty of any soul but me), and I "talked to God". I said I wanted back into His family, so I could bring my new child into the same...and He said "OK".

He reminded me that my "child" to be was a "gift" from Him, so I thanked Him...been thanking God ever since.

I'm not much on the religious part, but I'm pretty good on the "faith" part.

my thoughts

v/r

Q

 

[inhumility]

Re: I am an Ahmadi

I am an Ahmadi a faith in Islam, which is the centre of all Revealed Religions. I believe that all Revealed Religions were truthful in their origin but with the passage of time when humans forgot the pristine message from God, the message was revived by God. So in this way logically and morally there is no difference between a true Jew, a true Christian, and a true Muslim or with any other label. Truth has to be respected and believed whatever its name.
Thanks

 

[Dondi]

Flow, this topic is near and dear to my heart. I am not sure where to discuss it. I guess I'll carry on here and if a new thread is needed we'll deal with it then.

QUESTION: How do you envision this new form of Christianity to look?

I've seen you on The Center for Progressive Christianity and I've read their pdf handbook. Do you envision something along that line?

I would like to see a thread on progressive Christianity, perhaps in this Belief and Spirituality forum, since it may delve into non-orthodox areas.. Could you all start one like this?

 

[Dondi]

Grew up in a fundamentalist Baptist church. Got saved at 13. Withdrew from church in my late teens and partied with friends. Degenerated to a marginal agnostic. But I soon got disenchanted by partying lifestyle I was living. Delved into ESP, hoping it would some how change me, but backed out after author started to encourage speaking with "spiritual guides". Figured if "spiritual guides" were real, then God must is real. So one night,
I fell on my face to God for repentance, without any expectation of God answering, for even if He did hear, he seemed a million miles away. Got the surprise of my life when an incredible force of what I can only describe as pure love pour over me in a flood of forgiveness of my sin and shame and no longer felt despair(I cried for quite some time, but joyfully). I felt cleansed and somehowed refreshed in my life (Only those who have felt this really know what I'm talking about) Got involved in an Apostolic Church, upon to finding the first Christian I met after my experience inviting me there. Grew quite a bit there, but soon disagreed with their doctrines concerning salvation and their "shepherding" (I was expected to attend every service unless Providentially hindered. I didn't see much freedom and liberty in Christ in that.) Found a charismatic Baptist church, of all things (that is a story in itself). Continued to follow Charismatic churches ( I moved a lot in the Navy). Got married to a Baptist Filipina (a rarity, since 95% of Filipinos are Catholic, but that's another story, too) Even after I met her and courted her and nearly engaged to her I didn't know she was Baptist. To this day, I believe I felt she was God appointed for me, and I to her (she'd been praying for a Baptist husband).

So then for the last 16 years, I've been a fundamental Baptist again. however, in the last two years, my paradigm about the exclusivity of salvation has broadened significantly. I see the Spirit of Christ in people of other religions and denominations. And I continue to re-evaluate my positional beliefs.

 

[flowperson]

Dondi:

I've been through similar spiritual experiences, but did not feel that they happened to me because I was a sinner. I believe that they happened to me because something out there chose to give me information that we all need to know for our own good. When I did just that by writing what I knew, in part, and passing it around, I was banished from the realm, and my second marriage was destroyed.

I had led an upright life, been faithful to my two wives, but was excluded from their lives simply for what I chose to believe about outmoded forms of belief. I'm not angry at anyone except those who judged me, but who also refused to even question what I wrote and did not even have the courage to face me in discussions about it. I guess you could call this faceless, cowardly, judgemental persecutor the enemy, at least mine.

Ruby:

I hear what you're saying, but I do not look upon my experiences as out of the ordinary, since I'm not an out of the ordinary person. Others have had similar spiritual moments as Dondi's post and my experiences demonstrate. I just happened to know a little more than most people in the 80's did about the future that's already here in many ways today 20 years later. That's why I was judged and pushed around, like you were, but for different reasons.

Whether you're in Canada or the USA, we are simply not prepared to understand or deal with the dynamics of such changes. Most of our moral codes which stem from religious beliefs that are hundreds or thousands of years old, still serve us well in simple and straightforward ways. But the changes I'm talking about are those that technologically interact with what we are as human beings on very intimate levels. It is my humble opinion, and has been for twenty years that we need an update of some kind to help as many people as possible deal with the transformations that are already beginning.

Inhumility:

You are absolutely correct of course, And you too Ruby. This is a set of problems that directly affects the foundations of western civilizations since they are normatively addressed by the Abrahamic religions. But the schisms that are developing within each of the religions are due, IMHO, to the willingness of some to face an uncertain future with faith and hope, and an unwillingness of fundamentalist believers to do so, and to inherently and exclusively turn to the past for guidance. The answers will involve applying the knowledge and promises of life in the present and future with the wisdom of the past in creative and synergistic ways so all may move forward together. Fighting wars about it all certainly won't solve any of it, as we are still seeing every day now.

flow....

 

[livingintheraw]

I agree w/ Ahmadi. I was raised a Christian and still believe that Jesus was here w/a very important mission. I have problems with what the "Church" has done to cloud his mission to surve their purpose. I guess you can say that I am a mixture of Christian and Hindu. I believe the Jesus reached true enlightenment which is how he was able to rise from the dead in 3 days. There are many great Yogi's that can do the same thing and have. It is said that Jesus was in India during the "Lost Years". If you look you will see his message is similar. But all of this is mute, because his true word has been garbled by the political aspirations of "Man" to control the world. We may never know what Jesus truly meant, but the underlying truth of his message is for us to LOVE each other regardless of our differences. How far from the beaten path have we fallen... Namaste! Pamela

 

[inhumility]

Re: I am an Ahmadi

I agree w/ Ahmadi. I was raised a Christian and still believe that Jesus was here w/a very important mission. I have problems with what the "Church" has done to cloud his mission to surve their purpose.
It is said that Jesus was in India during the "Lost Years".

Thanks for appreciation.
Jesus had not to rise from the dead but he got cured from the near death position on the Cross.
In my opinion those who believe Jesus died on Cross, do not correctly understand what Jesus said and prophesized, in fact on Jesus was revealed Word of God and he spoke with authority and inspiration from God also; the writers of Bible were not inspired by God since they were not revealed word of God by God. I prefer to believe in Jesus rather than the story writers of Bible who have internal contradictions and ambiguities in their writings, as they were human beings like us. They forsake Jesus in the hour of need that amply justifies that they were not the inspired people and that their writings are to be taken with extra caution not to be believed blindly. Jesus is the basis, he prophesized he will show sign of Jonah to the Jews, and Jonah remained alive in the belly of fish for three days and three nights, so Jesus had to be alive on the Cross and also in the grave for three days and three nights; otherwise the prophecy and sign become meaningless.
With Mary his mother Jesus went to India secretly lest his enemies follow him and persecute him after the incident of Crucifixion in search of the lost tribes of Israel who lived in Afghanistan, Kashmir and Tibet and the nearing areas. It is for this reason there is no mention of account of Mary’s life in the Gospels and so of Jesus.
Thanks