I've picked up some New Age beliefs mostly surrounding stones and energies. The why of it is because I like them and God made them. To say that I am a practicing Christian or practicing New Age person is probably not really accurate though.
Maybe, but anything could be forced into such an analogy.
Because I am a Sensor and am not burdened by the curse of having to rely on intuition. Now you may ask how do I know that my Sensorness is not being bombarded? Well the answer is simple, I would sense it.
(Some of this is controversial, just adding another perspective, not trying to irritate anyone or any specific religion)
First of all...the Eden story has many different interpretations and versions...some stories even where what the “Christian” religion calls “God” has been corrupted and it’s completely backward.
There is no denying that the book has been omitted, altered, misinterpreted, added to, until who knows what really was there originally or not.
We do know that no one who is giving a first person account of Jesus - did not write that account themselves, but rather it was passed down through verbal history and probably was closer to 200 years after Jesus is said to have existed did it finally get recorded on some kind of writing.
The tree they ate from is the "Tree of the knowledge of good and evil”, which most agree the good and evil is an interpretation really meaning “everything”.
This whole story also contradicts the idea that God somehow did not plan this to be the result.
If God knows all, including the history of time, then surely putting the trees there (there was also the Tree of Life), was no accident....God didn’t have to put them there....nor did he have to command them NOT to eat them...nor would God be unaware that “Satan” was there as a snake tempting Eve to eat the apple.
Speaking of which was most likely a mushroom and not a tree...specifically Psilocybe Cubensis...Terrence McKenna proposed the idea that it was this mushroom that helped humans evolve and develop a connection to spirituality.
This has been shown in various ancient frescos and stained glass, what are obviously mushrooms of the magic sort.
The entire background is the famous red and white spotted Amanita Muscaria.
Anyhow, just examples of how things can be changed over the centuries.
I was raised Mormon...so I understand how religion can permeate every aspect of someone’s life.
And being religious or spiritual is not a negative thing as you know...it’s really been the interpretations by various people over the years that has caused all the discontent, wars, death, mass murder, etc.
I like that verse at the end...but it doesn’t tell you anything you didn’t already know.
If God created us, then He created our minds and brains and our sense of critical thinking - how could he give someone such abilities to think and learn and then expect to limit ourselves?
I’m not saying to go join the Church of Satan just to explore it...not at all...rather I am saying to use your knowledge and intuition to judge what is good and positive to have as a part of your life.
My family eventually left the Mormon church because my older brother came out as Gay.
My parents chose him over the religion.
I can’t in any sense, see them being punished in the afterlife for such a thing...nor him for being Gay.
And anyone who still thinks it’s a choice - you are living in the dark ages and are not correct, please read up on current psychology and physiology and accept that they were born with this sexual preference just as you were born with yours.
(My own personal theory is that the more overpopulated the world gets, the more we will see a prevalence of homosexuality as a means to slow that down...idk...me and my Brother have discussed it in depth)
People are yearning for spirituality, but are disappointed in the organized religions of today.
Either they are trapped in the past and go through the motions without really remembering why they do it that way - they just always have.
Or they have some Rock n’ Roll evangelical pastor who shows you how cool Jesus is, and how much He ROCKS!
Again...both are undesirable for me and many others.
And many people see the hypocrisy many of these religions show...such as the Mormon religion being so fucking family centric - yet are one of the biggest monetary contributors to fight any LGBQT legislation and have issued decrees that children of Gay parents must shun them and vice versa.
Sorry...but that is not bringing families together...it’s tearing them apart, it’s causing more separation and hatred and resentment.
It’s that kind of shit that make me really distrust anything else that said religion has to tell me after that.
BTW - the word “Hell” never existed in the Bible.
The words that were combined into that word were - Sheol, Gehenna, Tartarus, and Hades.
None of which mean eternal torture and pain (one is in fact a park in Israel now, used to be a giant burning trash heap that Jesus likened Men’s hearts’ to)...yet were all turned into the word “Hell” in the middle ages (thanks Dante!), as a means to control people via fear.
The root word for “Hell” is “Hel” who is the niece of Odin in Nordic mythology, she ruled over their underworld (where everyone went), so it’s not even a Christian word to begin with.
It became synonymous with root cellars also in the middle ages...where you would store your potatoes and other such things...underground.
So the below ground idea...the underworld, the grave, the prison for giants that the original words meant were all compressed and encompassed into - “Hell”.
And here is the thing...Jesus was sent to “save the whole world”.
Yet most religions would definitely not say that the whole world will be saved...in fact some have only a tiny percentage making it there (i.e. your verse cited).
If Jesus was supposed to save the whole world and only a tiny fraction is going to be “saved” then Jesus failed horribly.
I find that to be a bit silly if it was all predestined that he would sacrifice his life here to save us all.
His final words were “forgive them for they know not what they do.” this is about those crucifying and killing him.
Do you think they were forgiven?
Jesus said they were...the very people killing Christ....so what makes us think that any of our “sins” which are usually quite far and superficial from “killing Jesus” on the scale of sinning as the worst thing you could probably do.
I would think killing Jesus just about tops it.
And yet they are forgiven.
Just something to consider.
I wouldn’t consider myself a religious person, but a spiritual person yes.
Not like I’m something special, but just based on what I tend to lean toward.
I think that most religions are good places, and most people who go mean well.
But like @sprinkles pointed out and I agree with - there is so much more of worth out there imho than organized religion can fully grant you.
It’s a good set of morals (for the most part - besides the killing of witches and stoning people to death, cutting off hands, eyes, pillars of salt, bets made with Satan by God to fuck with Job) and a way for those to find a pathway.
Some of us like to make our own paths....and it may be more perilous - at least that is what organized religion will tell you...but ultimately I believe that the more knowledge we can acquire, the better off we are.
And imho we all have an innate knowledge of what is positive or negative for you or for others.
We see this very simple built-in behavior in toddlers.
And most religions besides being fear mongers, do not want you to think critically.
They want no doubt...according to them, to doubt is to lack faith.
Didn’t Jesus doubt in the garden the night before his crucifixion?
He did.
Why can’t we?
Why can’t we ask questions about anything in regards to the religion?
Why does the Vatican have secret religious writings that only certain people are allowed to read?
Why shouldn’t we feel doubt?
Doubt leads to questions...questions lead you to answers...and if there is no ready answer, then doubt does not overshadow your faith.
You can have faith and still doubt.
Imho you really can’t have one without the other...because faith is basically trusting in God or Source or whatever you want to call Him/Her/It/Them.
Faith to me is how much control we hold over our own reality through willpower and belief.
Jesus walked on water with faith - he was able to manipulate our reality with it - loaves and fishes.
To me, faith is very tangible and can absolutely effect our lives or the lives of others.
But imho should also never be “blind”.
They want you to just blindly believe, or believe it because it’s what the book says, or the Pastor says, or Skarekrow said.
Not all...but many.
There is nothing wrong with “Christianity”, but it has it’s own limits and issues, contradictions and flat out falsehoods.
We are all free to believe what we wish, you should follow the path that seems right to you regardless of those who will issue dire warnings of things that they have no experience with.
And what do humans do with things we don’t understand? - we fear it, we discount it, we try to stop or destroy it.
Don’t let fear be the driver of your doubt, and don’t think that doubting is a bad thing, it’s liberating to think for yourself.
(my two cents)
Hope you are well and you are able to figure out for yourself what you really need.
(Some of this is controversial, just adding another perspective, not trying to irritate anyone or any specific religion)
First of all...the Eden story has many different interpretations and versions...some stories even where what the “Christian” religion calls “God” has been corrupted and it’s completely backward.
There is no denying that the book has been omitted, altered, misinterpreted, added to, until who knows what really was there originally or not.
We do know that no one who is giving a first person account of Jesus - did not write that account themselves, but rather it was passed down through verbal history and probably was closer to 200 years after Jesus is said to have existed did it finally get recorded on some kind of writing.
The tree they ate from is the "Tree of the knowledge of good and evil”, which most agree the good and evil is an interpretation really meaning “everything”.
This whole story also contradicts the idea that God somehow did not plan this to be the result.
If God knows all, including the history of time, then surely putting the trees there (there was also the Tree of Life), was no accident....God didn’t have to put them there....nor did he have to command them NOT to eat them...nor would God be unaware that “Satan” was there as a snake tempting Eve to eat the apple.
Speaking of which was most likely a mushroom and not a tree...specifically Psilocybe Cubensis...Terrence McKenna proposed the idea that it was this mushroom that helped humans evolve and develop a connection to spirituality.
This has been shown in various ancient frescos and stained glass, what are obviously mushrooms of the magic sort.
The entire background is the famous red and white spotted Amanita Muscaria.
Anyhow, just examples of how things can be changed over the centuries.
I was raised Mormon...so I understand how religion can permeate every aspect of someone’s life.
And being religious or spiritual is not a negative thing as you know...it’s really been the interpretations by various people over the years that has caused all the discontent, wars, death, mass murder, etc.
I like that verse at the end...but it doesn’t tell you anything you didn’t already know.
If God created us, then He created our minds and brains and our sense of critical thinking - how could he give someone such abilities to think and learn and then expect to limit ourselves?
I’m not saying to go join the Church of Satan just to explore it...not at all...rather I am saying to use your knowledge and intuition to judge what is good and positive to have as a part of your life.
My family eventually left the Mormon church because my older brother came out as Gay.
My parents chose him over the religion.
I can’t in any sense, see them being punished in the afterlife for such a thing...nor him for being Gay.
And anyone who still thinks it’s a choice - you are living in the dark ages and are not correct, please read up on current psychology and physiology and accept that they were born with this sexual preference just as you were born with yours.
(My own personal theory is that the more overpopulated the world gets, the more we will see a prevalence of homosexuality as a means to slow that down...idk...me and my Brother have discussed it in depth)
People are yearning for spirituality, but are disappointed in the organized religions of today.
Either they are trapped in the past and go through the motions without really remembering why they do it that way - they just always have.
Or they have some Rock n’ Roll evangelical pastor who shows you how cool Jesus is, and how much He ROCKS!
Again...both are undesirable for me and many others.
And many people see the hypocrisy many of these religions show...such as the Mormon religion being so fucking family centric - yet are one of the biggest monetary contributors to fight any LGBQT legislation and have issued decrees that children of Gay parents must shun them and vice versa.
Sorry...but that is not bringing families together...it’s tearing them apart, it’s causing more separation and hatred and resentment.
It’s that kind of shit that make me really distrust anything else that said religion has to tell me after that.
BTW - the word “Hell” never existed in the Bible.
The words that were combined into that word were - Sheol, Gehenna, Tartarus, and Hades.
None of which mean eternal torture and pain (one is in fact a park in Israel now, used to be a giant burning trash heap that Jesus likened Men’s hearts’ to)...yet were all turned into the word “Hell” in the middle ages (thanks Dante!), as a means to control people via fear.
The root word for “Hell” is “Hel” who is the niece of Odin in Nordic mythology, she ruled over their underworld (where everyone went), so it’s not even a Christian word to begin with.
It became synonymous with root cellars also in the middle ages...where you would store your potatoes and other such things...underground.
So the below ground idea...the underworld, the grave, the prison for giants that the original words meant were all compressed and encompassed into - “Hell”.
And here is the thing...Jesus was sent to “save the whole world”.
Yet most religions would definitely not say that the whole world will be saved...in fact some have only a tiny percentage making it there (i.e. your verse cited).
If Jesus was supposed to save the whole world and only a tiny fraction is going to be “saved” then Jesus failed horribly.
I find that to be a bit silly if it was all predestined that he would sacrifice his life here to save us all.
His final words were “forgive them for they know not what they do.” this is about those crucifying and killing him.
Do you think they were forgiven?
Jesus said they were...the very people killing Christ....so what makes us think that any of our “sins” which are usually quite far and superficial from “killing Jesus” on the scale of sinning as the worst thing you could probably do.
I would think killing Jesus just about tops it.
And yet they are forgiven.
Just something to consider.
I wouldn’t consider myself a religious person, but a spiritual person yes.
Not like I’m something special, but just based on what I tend to lean toward.
I think that most religions are good places, and most people who go mean well.
But like @sprinkles pointed out and I agree with - there is so much more of worth out there imho than organized religion can fully grant you.
It’s a good set of morals (for the most part - besides the killing of witches and stoning people to death, cutting off hands, eyes, pillars of salt, bets made with Satan by God to fuck with Job) and a way for those to find a pathway.
Some of us like to make our own paths....and it may be more perilous - at least that is what organized religion will tell you...but ultimately I believe that the more knowledge we can acquire, the better off we are.
And imho we all have an innate knowledge of what is positive or negative for you or for others.
We see this very simple built-in behavior in toddlers.
And most religions besides being fear mongers, do not want you to think critically.
They want no doubt...according to them, to doubt is to lack faith.
Didn’t Jesus doubt in the garden the night before his crucifixion?
He did.
Why can’t we?
Why can’t we ask questions about anything in regards to the religion?
Why does the Vatican have secret religious writings that only certain people are allowed to read?
Why shouldn’t we feel doubt?
Doubt leads to questions...questions lead you to answers...and if there is no ready answer, then doubt does not overshadow your faith.
You can have faith and still doubt.
Imho you really can’t have one without the other...because faith is basically trusting in God or Source or whatever you want to call Him/Her/It/Them.
Faith to me is how much control we hold over our own reality through willpower and belief.
Jesus walked on water with faith - he was able to manipulate our reality with it - loaves and fishes.
To me, faith is very tangible and can absolutely effect our lives or the lives of others.
But imho should also never be “blind”.
They want you to just blindly believe, or believe it because it’s what the book says, or the Pastor says, or Skarekrow said.
Not all...but many.
There is nothing wrong with “Christianity”, but it has it’s own limits and issues, contradictions and flat out falsehoods.
We are all free to believe what we wish, you should follow the path that seems right to you regardless of those who will issue dire warnings of things that they have no experience with.
And what do humans do with things we don’t understand? - we fear it, we discount it, we try to stop or destroy it.
Don’t let fear be the driver of your doubt, and don’t think that doubting is a bad thing, it’s liberating to think for yourself.
(my two cents)
Hope you are well and you are able to figure out for yourself what you really need.
But do you worship crystals through yoga???
