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+-- Forum: Religion, Metaphysical And Occult Topics (/forum-34.html)
+--- Forum: Religion (/forum-57.html)
+--- Thread: Can you beleive in any religion and still die as a good spirit? (/thread-1441.html)
RE: Can you beleive in any religion and still die as a good spirit? - scarygirl67 - 06-22-2009 11:04 AM
I think you're cool, DE. And your age does not reflect your wisdom. I've talked to people older than me (41) and they just don't get it. You grasp concepts that most people let pass them by and I commend you for that.
Anything I say about God is what has worked for me personally. It took a very long road to get to where I am now. I cannot speak for everyone or what is best for each individual. I will not tell another person that I have the answer and they don't. My faith has given me peace of mind, and one thing only growing older taught me...........there's a lot to be said for peace of mind.
RE: Can you beleive in any religion and still die as a good spirit? - dyingenglish - 06-22-2009 11:21 AM
i just grew up rough, i went through somethings that would leave most kids emotionaly disturbed. I guess i just got it out of the way early and grew up. I learned at a young age that when it hits the fan, you move away from the fan. Listen close my dear TP members and i'll reveal my esoteric secret.
F*** it.
the universe has a plan, just let it work itself out. Don't stress over it. In the words of the late Heath Ledger,
"Why so serious?"
RE: Can you beleive in any religion and still die as a good spirit? - scarygirl67 - 06-22-2009 11:46 AM
You would love my friends. They are always on me about being so serious. I do have a sense of humor though, and I crack up at most things you put on here. Your humor does remind me of the British comedies you enjoy. Sometimes life is just so ridiculous, you have to laugh.
RE: Can you beleive in any religion and still die as a good spirit? - dyingenglish - 06-22-2009 11:59 AM
This is what i grew up watching with my father. Rik Mayall and adrian edmundson are the best ever!
bare in mind i was about six or seven when i watched this.
RE: Can you beleive in any religion and still die as a good spirit? - scarygirl67 - 06-22-2009 12:02 PM
Do you think the four horsemen of the Apocolypse really play Travel Scrabble? Poor Death. His son became a born again Christian, you know.
RE: Can you beleive in any religion and still die as a good spirit? - Haunted - 06-22-2009 03:03 PM
I think religion should be considered a weapon of mass destruction. I do not think that the name above any church door, or the name that any "religious" group call themselves has any significance.
I'm sorry, but I just don't believe that all you have to do to go to heaven is help the poor, be honest, don't cheat, lie or steal etc That was great during the Old Testament days when people were under grace.
I also believe that the Bible has been contorted through translations and is not what it was meant to be. And, that man has contributed his little two cents worth over the centuries as well. I agree with eyepriestess, I think parts of the Bible were rewritten or added as a way of trying to control the masses. I also believe that most people do worship the same higher power no matter what they call him/her.
RE: Can you beleive in any religion and still die as a good spirit? - dyingenglish - 06-23-2009 07:26 AM
(06-22-2009 12:02 PM)scarygirl67 Wrote: Do you think the four horsemen of the Apocolypse really play Travel Scrabble? Poor Death. His son became a born again Christian, you know.
i love that episode!
RE: Can you beleive in any religion and still die as a good spirit? - drblow - 07-11-2009 10:19 AM
(06-22-2009 06:59 AM)eyepriestess Wrote: I hope i don't get anyones backs up here, but can you believe EVERYTHING that was written in the Bible? Does anyone ever believe every single word they read in a book written by people like the Bible also was.
I believe some of it, but i also think alot was written in order to scare people into co-operating.
Absolutely correct. What Christians today read as 'The Old Testament' is an amalgamation of 15th century (and some earlier) translations of Greek texts, that were translations of Arameic texts, that were supposed to be based on the original stories.
Judaism is based on the same old stories, but the 'Torah' contains many books that were left out of the Christian bible. The 'Koran' is based around the same stories of Abraham, Moses etc but comes up with a different version of the New testament in the texts of Mohammed.
It's all very confusing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible
Suffice to say that even in the religions ascribed to the overall god 'Jehovah' cannto agree on the texts from which to base their teachings.
The Christian New testament was subject to much change during it's existance, and there are many more texts that have not been included which tell a rather different story of Jesus ... e.g the Gospel of Judas. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Testament
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Judas
Personally I hold no religious affiliation. I am a deeply spiritual person, and hold my spirituality in very high regard, it dictates my decisions and my life. However, I see organised religions as simply dividing people, giving people in power a twisted reason to wage wars, and making people feel that they should be scared of other ways of thinking. In short, it is mass mind-control.
It is also the contradictions that get me. Now, when you consider that in this day and age people are more than aware that homosexuality is NOT unnatural, it makes the teachings of the Bible seem bigotted. Is this really the way that people want to express their spirituality? By dividing people? By excluding people on the basis of their sexuality? And, to bring it back on topic, by excluding people from the after-life for NOT believing in the same thing as them?
I think the current turmoil in the Catholic church about the appointment of openly gay ministers is highlighting the dilemma for the church at this time. Most of the people in the world will no longer accept bigottry against people based on their sexuality, but Christians are told that it is wrong. Hmm ... the bishops cannot come out openly and state that they are changing the perception of the Bible because it is the word of god (allegedly) and you can't re-write the word of god.
Which is weird, because then a large number of people in the world think ... so is God a bigot then? This religion that has been dictating our moral behaviour for the last 2 thousand years ... it actually preaches bigottry?
And then, even more weirdly ... many people in the Christian world are told by the media that Islam is a bigotted religion! So many conundrums, so little time!
I mean, what sort of a god demands total and utter servitude, to the point where there is a demand to have no other gods ("god is a jealous god") ... oh yeah, how come it's one of the 10 commandments of things you shouldn't do then i.e. envy? Maybe in the days of the old testament, when people had little awareness of the other cultures around the globe. But now-a-days? When we all know so much about the other religions, and our own laws now prevent anyone being disrespected because of the religious persuasion? I don't understand it at all. To me it just makes religion seem like an antiquated means of mind-control that the human race should have outgrown. Afterall, it has been the biggest cause of war our planet has known.
That is not to say that I do not agree with religious people, and as I have said before I would defend everyones right to believe exactly what they like, from Christian to Jedi!
I find most people of faith to be great, usually really nice people, who are not bigotted in any way and are usually very loving and compassionate - mainly I think because they align themselves with a faith and then take a few liberties with their own beliefs based on their own perception. But I do have issues with religion as a concept.Not for me, thanks very much. I believe that ALL people are my brothers and sisters, we are ALL part of the god-force that creates the universe, and as such we ALL deserve respect, care and compassion based on nothing more than the fact that we are here. Race, religion, creed, colour ... means nothing. We all know this, and in our world of information today it has never been more starkly highlighted. I our politically correct world, it is totally unacceptable to say that people are in any way less deserving of respect because of their religion, sexuality, race etc etc. Yet much of the religion in the world still teaches that kind of thinking.
To answer the original topic question as simply as I can ... in my opinion to die as a good spirit all you need to do is be at peace with yourself about how you lived. A person of great faith and religion can do that as equally as someone who believes in nothing at all.
But, the idea that there is a 'heaven', with a guy (a caucasian of course) with a big white beard saying "you can't come in because you didn't worship me" is ... well, it's silly to me. I know lots of people won't agree, but there you go.
And if it does turn out to be true on my death, then I don't wanna go there anyway!
RE: Can you beleive in any religion and still die as a good spirit? - scarygirl67 - 07-11-2009 11:00 AM
I do see what you're saying drblow. Whatever my personal faith is, I thouroughly enjoy reading your posts.
I do consider myself a spiritual person as well. I have tried many churches, and unfortunately I have found most to be full of people who think they have all the answers. My issue is, if you have all the answers, why would almost every minister I spoke with avoid all of my questions, including what happens to good, decent people when they die if they have not accepted Christ as Saviour.
So, I try to live my life the way I have read Jesus wanted us all to live. I accept everyone for who they are, and I have never tried to change anybody. I have friends of all faiths... Jewish, Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Druids, Wicca, atheist, agnostic................and while it may be a bad idea to get everyone in a room together with a bottle of Chardonay, I have gotten so much from all of my friends. Yet I hold to my faith. They don't try to change me and I would never presume to try and change them.
As I said....in the end, I do believe all things will be made clear. Until then, I say we all just try to pay it forward, so to speak. Put the positive energy out there in whatever form you believe it takes.
RE: Can you beleive in any religion and still die as a good spirit? - Pitch Potter - 07-11-2009 11:17 AM
Although I totally disagree, I can however understand why you now believe this!
I believe homosexuality is wrong, having said that, I will also say, that I am not the judge nor jury, it is not me you will have to answer to. Plus, I would not ridicule, harassed or in any way try to do you harm. I would be compassionate and even your friend, (I do have an online homosexual friend,)
To do harm is against Jesus teachings.
You will have my prayers. When I use the word 'you' I am not speaking of anyone in particular, just in general.