Spirit and Faith

[sincere]

Thank you all for the reference material... I'll be reading it for awhile

[SpiritMan]

From a former forum:

Pagan is another word that has been demonized to distract people from looking at historical truths about the practice of nature religions. Truth is, Christianity plagiarized from the Pagan religions. The Christmas holiday to celebrate the birth of Christ was chosen because most people at that time were Pagan and already celebrated a major holiday at that time of the year. Before Christ was even born there were many Pagan religions where the Master was born of a Virgin-Mother and after death rose again from the dead. Knowing the truth and similarities about all religions is not a threat to any single religion. As always, it tends to make us all more respectful of each other in knowing that we have more in common than we have differences. If we are going to celebrate the kind of tolerance and fairness we represent to the rest of the world as being part of the American form of democracy and freedom, then we need to start practicing it a lot more.

If anyone is interested in an intelligent unbiased overview of world myth and religion, I recommend the Bill Moyers interviews with Joseph Campbell available from PBS.

[pesoto74]

Meditate on This: Buddhist Tradition Thickens Parts of the Brain
Meditation alters brain patterns in ways that are likely permanent, scientists have known. But a new study shows key parts of the brain actually get thicker through the practice.

Brain imaging of regular working folks who meditate regularly revealed increased thickness in cortical regions related to sensory, auditory and visual perception, as well as internal perception -- the automatic monitoring of heart rate or breathing, for example.

The study also indicates that regular meditation may slow age-related thinning of the frontal cortex.

"What is most fascinating to me is the suggestion that meditation practice can change anyone's gray matter," said study team member Jeremy Gray, an assistant professor of psychology at Yale. "The study participants were people with jobs and families. They just meditated on average 40 minutes each day, you don't have to be a monk."
Story

[Curt]

   I realize this is an older thread but I would like to revive it . I have a favorite quote that I believe is attributed to Carl Jung - " Religion is for those who are afraid of going to hell - Spirituality is for those who have already been there ."
   I was raised in a family who were very religious and took every opportunity to impress upon me the pains of hell and the fact that we should not act in a "human" way in any circumtance ( my perception ). The church demonized any other religion which was different and managed to talk about but minimize the fact that " christian " meant love and acceptance and not judgement.
   I was fortunate to retain a sense of what was real (?) and  remain able to judge for myself. My Mother made one mistake - she allowed me to read anything I could get from the library and even went so far as to sign for me to get books from the adult section at age ten. I read about philosophy, and viewpoints from different cultures beginning at this time. I learned to think and keep my oppinions to myself where she was concerned to avoid the "going to hell lectures ".
   Since that time I have tried on several occassions to "fit in " with organised groups to little avail. I have found greater enlightenment and compassion with people who professed to be wiccan or pagan than many christians ( not all ). I have met with and discussed spirituality with these people , as well as , hindus , budhists , muslims , sufis and a variety of others. I have had profound experiences in forrests and in very unexpected places ( not in a church )
    I have read historical accounts of the archaological findings of the historical culture of the mother goddess far predating the zionists and the patriarchal societies of the present ( "When God was a Woman" ). I have read accounts of how the early christians infiltrated pagan societies with the blessing of the pagan priests and leaders ( Who believed that there was only one god with many names. ) and then demonized the old practices while usurping thier holidays for the christian church calendar . I have read that some archeological findings indicated that all of the cathedrals in the old world are built on the sites of the ancient druid groves and are built to reflect the feeling of a grove of trees.
    More recently I have read quotes from current leaders of the christian right stating basically that they want nothing to do with including other religions / faiths in the political process of this country.
  What happened to religious freedom? Where is the open door to new ideas and a search for that which is beyond and within all of us. It was my impression even as a child that the old tesatment was supplanted by the new and that the teachings of Jesus bar Joseph  were the basis of belief.
    So much for my little tangent.

[SpiritMan]

Little tangent much appreciated!

[Guardian Angel]

I appreciated that tangent too....Where is our old friend Rick.  He was knowledgeable about Wicca and posted some great information.....  It was all lost when the CN forums shut down.  Hey Rick, if your still out there could you revive that information?..........................

[SpiritMan]

 The word "shaman" means "one who affects the soul". I studied and practiced Shamanism with my partner Rob back in the 1980s when he was a student at the Iengar Yoga Institute for Teacher Training. Our relationship to soul was a vital part of our work with people who were dying from AIDS and cancer.

Shamanism is the oldest form of relationship with the Spirit. In a way it is the foundation that supports all religion. It is the practice or ritual that leads one to the place where spirit lives. It is the path to the consciousness where the energy of the divine is revealed. It leads one to understand that we are part of the divine, not separate from it. It reveals the opportunity for us to love, heal and accept without judgment, because right and wrong only exist in the temporal world of opposites.

In accessing the spirit the shaman is able to access the energy that connects us all. The experience of this energy is called love in the temporal world. It is the moment many experience in love making when they percieve they have become one with another. But it is an experience that can be accessed by rituals other than physical love making.

A true shaman is someone who has come through a life altering experience such as an illness or accident. It is a difficult life to accept because it can be dangerous if the shaman does not understand the right relationship with power. It can be life threatening if misused or misunderstood. It could very well be described in terms of a type of suffering that might remind one of the life of Christ.   

[Curt]

    Interesting concept and prevalent in all societies - unfortunately it tends to be demonized by the current mainstream of religious thought. There has been a resurgence of interest due to an openness in some aspects of society and a need to understand the experiences that individuals have that fly in the face of the mainstream. This was noted in the writings of Joseph Campbell.
   The recent great need to find roots for those who have been cut off by time and circumstance has created huge interest in the metaphysical. This can be found in the literature surfacing that traces the roots of beliefs and cultural concepts. The difficulty in finding these roots is that in many european countries there is no written history , only oral tradition. Those of a spiritual tradition tend to have a different experience of existence than those who require thier beliefs to be provable ( Isn't that an oxymoron ? ) in some scientific manner.
    In school I always found it incredible that research proofs only require a minimal percentage of positive evidence to be considered valid ; while reported phenomenological experience of the population is either ignored or dismissed. A  direct experience of the type you report is often seen as an aberation in our society. Those who have had these experiences can relate but often have no structure in which to place or understand the experience.
    Thank you for discussing topics of experience and belief - it is a relief that someone has the courage.

[SpiritMan]

In the past week I've done a lot of contemplation on my experiences in the spiritual realm. I think it's a subject that is difficult to bring up in our culture unless it fits into the accepted perimeters of organized religious institutions. When I lived on Crete, Rob and I eventually became known as healers to many of the villagers and tourists. People were sent to us with all forms of ailments that needed attention. We never turned anyone away and we never accepted any monetary reward for what we did. We simply used our experiences with yoga, massage, breathwork and the intuitive tools we had developed in the face of so many deaths. We didn't need a license to practice and we never did anything that would cause any harm to anyone. But that is probably not good enough in a culture that puts a price on everything.

[Guardian Angel]

"And that, I guess, is what it all boils down to-do the right thing, everything goes fine; do the wrong thing, everything's a mess."  
--Robert Spott, YUROK
 
The Elders say every person is born with free will and every person has a specific purpose to accomplish during their life time. When our life is relatively free from obstacles we are walking the path of God's will. If our life is full of obstacles, we are not doing the will of God. Often, the Great Spirit guides us through a system of coincidences. We need to pay attention to coincidences. If we are aware of these, we often can recognize the path which God is showing us. We need to pray and ask Him to show us the path in terms we can understand.  

Oh, Great Mystery, let me recognize the coincidences

 
 

[Guardian Angel]

On Christmas Day while volunteers were delivering meals to seniors, one of them failed to wait long enough for the gentleman to answer his door and left without  leaving the meal.  Later in the afternoon the gentleman called the church and told us he had not gotten to the door fast enough to get his meal.  This upset me so I sent another volunteer out with his meal plus an extra one to put in his fridge for later.

About an hour later the volunteer came back upset because the man was living alone, dying of rectal cancer and his fridge was bare.

The next morning I called our Pastor and ask him to call on the man and take him some essentials.   He was a member of our church and hadn't been out of his home for a year.  The only people he sees are the Visiting Nurse and the people who deliver Meals on Wheels.   We assigned him a Deacon, delivered him a meal tonight and plan on visiting him on a regular basis.  He is a highly decorated veteran so I plan on taking my husband over to visit him so they can talk war stories.

This was no coincidence, this in itself was why God was so persistant that I do the Christmas meal.......This man needed someone and the Christmas meal brought him to our attention.

[Guardian Angel]

Philippians 4:13 --- I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
 
The road to success is not straight. There is a curve called Failure, a loop called Confusion, speed bumps called Friends, red lights called Enemies, caution lights called Family. You will have flats called Jobs. But, if you have a spare called Determination, an engine called Perseverance, insurance called Faith, a driver called Jesus, you will make it to a place called Success.

[Guardian Angel]

THE TOP TEN PREDICTIONS FOR 2006
 
1. The Bible will still have the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost.
 
--Author Unknown

[Butterfly]

Beautifully Stated


As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that
Wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will.
You will have your heart broken probably more than
Once and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts
Too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken.
You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new
Love for things an old one did. You'll cry because
Time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose
Someone you love. So take too many pictures, laugh too
Much, and love like you've never been hurt because
Every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of
Happiness you'll never get back.

[Guardian Angel]

I love this and ever so often I post it just so people can read it again.  It is so true........

http://www.theinterviewwithgod.com/viewmovie.html