young people leaving religion (yayyy)

[Zopiclone bandit]

( @sonicwhite )

So when Maharaj-ji asked this man why he'd come and what he wanted, he was unsure how to respond. Finally, he replied, 'Can you teach me how to meditate?'

"Maharaj-ji's response was: 'Meditate like Christ. Go. Sit in the back of the temple with the other Westerners.'

"The guy came to the back, and we asked him about his darshan. He told us that Maharaj-ji had said to meditate like Christ. At first we were surprised. 'What! Meditate like Christ! What does that mean?' But then we thought about it. We were always trying to get Maharaj-ji to tell us what practice to do, but he'd never give us any specific instructions about yoga or meditation. Now he'd said this. If he said it, he must know how Jesus meditated. We decided to ask him about it. We were so excited — we were going to get the secret teachings at last!

"Later in the day, when Maharaj-ji came to the back of the temple to hang out with us, [one among us] broached the subject that had us all buzzing. 'You said to meditate like Christ. How DID he meditate?'

"It seemed as if Maharaj-ji was about to answer, but instead his eyes closed and he sat there completely still, completely silent. It felt like he'd totally disappeared. In all the time I'd been with him, I'd only seen him sitting motionless like this a couple of times before. It was extraordinarily powerful, as if the whole universe had become silent. Then a tear came down his cheek. We were in awe. After a couple of minutes, his eyes half opened and, with great emotion, he quietly said, 'He lost himself in love, that's how he meditated. He was one with all beings. He loved everyone, even the people who crucified him. He never died. He is the atman [soul]. He lives in the hearts of all. He lost himself in love.'

Once again, Maharaj-ji had gone right to the heart of it all. I was stunned. There was nothing I wanted more than to be able to lose myself in love, but there was nothing that seemed farther away. As Kabir once said, "It is easy to bear the heat of fire and likewise it is possible to tread the edge of the sword. But to sustain an unchanging love is a most difficult business."

--Krishna Das, in Chants of Lifetime

 

[brokedownpalace10]

^^^ "And he said, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they cast lots to divide his garments."

That being said, I don't want to in any way preach Christianity any more.
All I know for sure about God is that he/she/them/it exists.
However God is defined/sought/found/worshiped is up to the individual.
"Many paths to the same goal, Grasshopper.".
And I believe Jesus would have agreed.

Christianity works for me, but it's also done a lot of really bad things along with the good. It might even be said that Christianity has done more bad than good if you look at history's entire path. Religion does suck, in many many cases. But, you can't let that take anything away from God.

I have seen unwanted preaching turn more people off to Christianity than anything. I try to avoid it like the plague.
The bible says to bear witness, not to shove witness up people's collective asses.
If the subject comes up, bear your witness and then shut the heaven up.

Oh, I don't believe that the bible necessarily contradicts reincarnation. When I die, hopefully I will become one with God.
Will all of me? How could that be? Will I strum a harp and smoke pot and collect pocket knives while surfing the internet?
Na, part of me will fall away and die and the essence will merge with God and add the lessons I've learned while God played dice with himself (herself) by allowing me to think I was separate for awhile.
Not sure if I will come back. Who really knows anything?

 

[Zopiclone bandit]

"Many paths to the same goal, Grasshopper.".
And I believe Jesus would have agreed.

"There are many paths up the Mountain but the view from the top is all the same"

 

[Zopiclone bandit]

When I die, hopefully I will become one with God.
Will all of me? How could that be? Will I strum a harp and smoke pot and collect pocket knives while surfing the internet?
Na, part of me will fall away and die and the essence will merge with God and add the lessons I've learned while God played dice with himself (herself) by allowing me to think I was separate for awhile.
Not sure if I will come back. Who really knows anything?

 

[ChemicallyEnhanced]

Mental Illness right here Folks.

Not the "everybody with a different opinion to me is mentally ill" mentality *


* to show I'm only half-serious, not really arguing.
Also, I'm actually mentally ill so - while my post is irrelevant to that - I couldn't really argue with your reply if I wanted to

 

[ChemicallyEnhanced]

So this goes for the whole Planet? From West America right across to East Australia this holds True?.....NO it's the words of a Fool.

You would BREAK down in Fear, drop to your knees & CRY like a Baby if "God" came down to you I Swear that.

lol, no, obviously not. I was talking about UK/US/maybe the rest of western europe.

I in no way believe in god, but if that hypothetically DID happen, breaking down in fear is the last thing I would do. The first thing would be to admit I was wrong and the second would be to call him out on what an absolute cunt he is for everything he has done and has allowed to happen.

 

[Nas47]

^^^ "And he said, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they cast lots to divide his garments."

That being said, I don't want to in any way preach Christianity any more.
All I know for sure about God is that he/she/them/it exists.
However God is defined/sought/found/worshiped is up to the individual.
"Many paths to the same goal, Grasshopper.".
And I believe Jesus would have agreed.

Christianity works for me, but it's also done a lot of really bad things along with the good. It might even be said that Christianity has done more bad than good if you look at history's entire path. Religion does suck, in many many cases. But, you can't let that take anything away from God.

I have seen unwanted preaching turn more people off to Christianity than anything. I try to avoid it like the plague.
The bible says to bear witness, not to shove witness up people's collective asses.
If the subject comes up, bear your witness and then shut the heaven up.

Oh, I don't believe that the bible necessarily contradicts reincarnation. When I die, hopefully I will become one with God.
Will all of me? How could that be? Will I strum a harp and smoke pot and collect pocket knives while surfing the internet?
Na, part of me will fall away and die and the essence will merge with God and add the lessons I've learned while God played dice with himself (herself) by allowing me to think I was separate for awhile.
Not sure if I will come back. Who really knows anything?

Probably the idea of reincarnation of the souls eventually exist in early christian societies,but all that is gone after the first summit in Nicea in 325 year......just like other Gospels except the officialy four

 

[brokedownpalace10]

Probably the idea of reincarnation of the souls eventually exist in early christian societies,but all that is gone after the first summit in Nicea in 325 year......just like other Gospels except the officialy four

I'm aware of the Gnostic Gospels (etc.). The Nicene counsel coming up with the concept of the trinity and the like.
When I read the Gospel of Thomas my first reaction was, "Well, that isn't bad. Why didn't they include it?" Then, years later, I read a couple more Gnostic Gospels which had the demiurge and the like in them and realized that things did have to be culled.

I dunno about reincarnation but Mary Magdalene being suppressed by the patriarchal church fathers could very well be. But then again, a son of Jesus being the Holy Grail a la The Da Vinci Code just shows that things ended up way out there once again. As they do.

The actual Holy Grail legends are kinda inspiring. The quintessential search for meaning which eludes you since it lives right in front of you. Lost, found, lost again.

A favorite quote from the otherwise weird movie "The Fisher King". Almost the original Grail story. Better, I think.

"

• It begins with the King as a boy, having to spend the night alone in the forest to prove his courage so he can become King. Now while he's spending the night alone he's visited by a sacred vision. Out of the fire appears the Holy Grail, symbol of God's divine grace. And a voice said to the boy, "You shall be keeper of the Grail so that it may heal the hearts of men." But the boy was blinded by greater visions of a life filled with power and glory and beauty. And in this state of radical amazement he felt for a brief moment not like a boy, but invincible, like God, so he reached into the fire to take the Grail, and the Grail vanished, leaving him with his hand in the fire to be terribly wounded. Now as this boy grew older, his wound grew deeper. Until one day, life for him lost its reason. He had no faith in any man, not even himself. He couldn't love or feel loved. He was sick with experience. He began to die. One day a fool wandered into the castle and found the King alone. And being a fool, he was simple minded, he didn't see a King. He only saw a man alone and in pain. And he asked the King, "What ails you friend?" The King replied, "I'm thirsty. I need some water to cool my throat". So the fool took a cup from beside his bed, filled it with water and handed it to the King. As the King began to drink, he realized his wound was healed. He looked in his hands and there was the Holy Grail, that which he sought all of his life. And he turned to the fool and said with amazement, "How can you find that which my brightest and bravest could not?" And the fool replied, "I don't know. I only knew that you were thirsty."

 

[yubacity]

I don't mind people having their beliefs good luck to them .But the separation between church and state is a must its happening in the states and the hindu nationalist are doing it in India both secular countries now going backwards

 

[brokedownpalace10]

I don't mind people having their beliefs good luck to them .But the separation between church and state is a must its happening in the states and the hindu nationalist are doing it in India both secular countries now going backwards

You mean we are losing that separation in the states. And I agree, it's a horrible thing.

 

[Snafu in the Void]

I don't mind people having their beliefs good luck to them .But the separation between church and state is a must its happening in the states and the hindu nationalist are doing it in India both secular countries now going backwards

The majority of our leaders in America are fundamentalist bullshit circa AD 1130. Which means they actually believe about 70% of the world is going to burn in hell for all eternity after J dawg comes down from the sky and releases the frogs upon us evil doers.

This gives me much comfort as a rational, sane citizen of the modern free world.

 

[yubacity]

You mean we are losing that separation in the states. And I agree, it's a horrible thing.

I do when I moved to the States as a kid the Constitution to me seemed to be such a great thing I still believe its the best

 

[yubacity]

The majority of our leaders in America are fundamentalist bullshit circa AD 1130. Which means they actually believe about 70% of the world is going to burn in hell for all eternity after J dawg comes down from the sky and releases the frogs upon us evil doers.

This gives me much comfort as a rational, sane citizen of the modern free world.

I don't have faith but my wife who is catholic and my family who Sikhs do. When the Sikh rebelled in the 80s they wanted a state based on sikh faith fuck no .

 

[Nas47]

Ye "the Fisher king" with Robin Willams may he rest in peace.It was a great movie,but i forgot the whole story....Gospel of Toma....it"s only little fragments from all these apocryphyc gospels,that are available...not enough at all to have a more vivid picture of different aspects of christianity.....and yes many schollars say that Mary from Magdala was let"s say not so loved by apostle PeterU.U know through the time of crusifixion-there was only women and beloved disciple of Christ.Who is he or she?The church told us-this was St.John-the author of one of the gospels and apocalypse....some schollars aside from official perspective say-this was Mary Magdalene....yes on the famous picture of Leonardo-we see ...or I see-a women image much closer to Christ than other disciples.All the men-the brave Peter and the others are gone somewhere in that most important event...so in orthodoxy we have celebrating of the women,which carried a oil for the dead body,same that first hear the news from archangel Gabriel before the open tomb after Ressurection.As to religion,believe and spiritual life-well let"s say I have not other option.....so from time to time I go to services in Church...and yes I like it for real.As to learning all this stuff in school I got my opinion,but I should not speak about it.....at the moment(to Yubacity)

 

[Nas47]

and going upward sometimes mean goin backward....and the oposite?Who is the right?Idk.....Its more about feeling,than knowing.......does not matter

 

[Snafu in the Void]

I don't have faith but my wife who is catholic and my family who Sikhs do. When the Sikh rebelled in the 80s they wanted a state based on sikh faith fuck no .

The problem is the fundamental conflict of interest. A politician's natural duty is to do what they believe is best for the people. Religion dictates what people think is best, immune to any sort of modern correction based on science or logic, nor any public input.

I respect whatever people want to believe, I am a die hard agnostic and dislike atheism, but my basic gripe against religion is how they believe they are inherently better or more pure than other people.

 

[brokedownpalace10]

The problem is the fundamental conflict of interest. A politician's natural duty is to do what they believe is best for the people. Religion dictates what people think is best, immune to any sort of modern correction based on science or logic, nor any public input.

I respect whatever people want to believe, I am a die hard agnostic and dislike atheism, but my basic gripe against religion is how they believe they are inherently better or more pure than other people.

From a purely rational and scientific view, agnosticism is the only logical belief. You cannot prove there is no god any more than you can prove there is one.

I very much believe in the separation of church and state. All those horrible things Christianity did over the years were due to the church having governmental powers if not being part of the government. We are definitely going backwards on that in the US

 

[yubacity]

The problem is the fundamental conflict of interest. A politician's natural duty is to do what they believe is best for the people. Religion dictates what people think is best, immune to any sort of modern correction based on science or logic, nor any public input.

I respect whatever people want to believe, I am a die hard agnostic and dislike atheism, but my basic gripe against religion is how they believe they are inherently better or more pure than other people.

My mom dont know it will break her heart but i go to sikh temple when something on why tell and the play the prayers with na tabla whicth i love . I hurt myself with drug abuse but i give to childrens charities try to help anyone that needs to not because of a reward but i feel for others . I tried so hard when young to have faith but i just not have it i pretended for a while .Then i started watching Christopher Hitchens and thought stop kidding myself . But i don't ridicule people's beliefs dint question just dont make laws based on faith that's all i care about.

 

[EvidenceOfTheResurrection]

So when Maharaj-ji asked this man why he'd come and what he wanted, he was unsure how to respond. Finally, he replied, 'Can you teach me how to meditate?'

"Maharaj-ji's response was: 'Meditate like Christ. Go. Sit in the back of the temple with the other Westerners.'

"The guy came to the back, and we asked him about his darshan. He told us that Maharaj-ji had said to meditate like Christ. At first we were surprised. 'What! Meditate like Christ! What does that mean?' But then we thought about it. We were always trying to get Maharaj-ji to tell us what practice to do, but he'd never give us any specific instructions about yoga or meditation. Now he'd said this. If he said it, he must know how Jesus meditated. We decided to ask him about it. We were so excited — we were going to get the secret teachings at last!

"Later in the day, when Maharaj-ji came to the back of the temple to hang out with us, [one among us] broached the subject that had us all buzzing. 'You said to meditate like Christ. How DID he meditate?'

"It seemed as if Maharaj-ji was about to answer, but instead his eyes closed and he sat there completely still, completely silent. It felt like he'd totally disappeared. In all the time I'd been with him, I'd only seen him sitting motionless like this a couple of times before. It was extraordinarily powerful, as if the whole universe had become silent. Then a tear came down his cheek. We were in awe. After a couple of minutes, his eyes half opened and, with great emotion, he quietly said, 'He lost himself in love, that's how he meditated. He was one with all beings. He loved everyone, even the people who crucified him. He never died. He is the atman [soul]. He lives in the hearts of all. He lost himself in love.'

Once again, Maharaj-ji had gone right to the heart of it all. I was stunned. There was nothing I wanted more than to be able to lose myself in love, but there was nothing that seemed farther away. As Kabir once said, "It is easy to bear the heat of fire and likewise it is possible to tread the edge of the sword. But to sustain an unchanging love is a most difficult business."

--Krishna Das, in Chants of Lifetime

Um, was that supposed to be evidence?

Lotta those guys read the bible. Ramana Maharshi only read two books, bible included.

 

[EvidenceOfTheResurrection]

So when Maharaj-ji asked this man why he'd come and what he wanted, he was unsure how to respond. Finally, he replied, 'Can you teach me how to meditate?'

"Maharaj-ji's response was: 'Meditate like Christ. Go. Sit in the back of the temple with the other Westerners.'

"The guy came to the back, and we asked him about his darshan. He told us that Maharaj-ji had said to meditate like Christ. At first we were surprised. 'What! Meditate like Christ! What does that mean?' But then we thought about it. We were always trying to get Maharaj-ji to tell us what practice to do, but he'd never give us any specific instructions about yoga or meditation. Now he'd said this. If he said it, he must know how Jesus meditated. We decided to ask him about it. We were so excited — we were going to get the secret teachings at last!

"Later in the day, when Maharaj-ji came to the back of the temple to hang out with us, [one among us] broached the subject that had us all buzzing. 'You said to meditate like Christ. How DID he meditate?'

"It seemed as if Maharaj-ji was about to answer, but instead his eyes closed and he sat there completely still, completely silent. It felt like he'd totally disappeared. In all the time I'd been with him, I'd only seen him sitting motionless like this a couple of times before. It was extraordinarily powerful, as if the whole universe had become silent. Then a tear came down his cheek. We were in awe. After a couple of minutes, his eyes half opened and, with great emotion, he quietly said, 'He lost himself in love, that's how he meditated. He was one with all beings. He loved everyone, even the people who crucified him. He never died. He is the atman [soul]. He lives in the hearts of all. He lost himself in love.'

Once again, Maharaj-ji had gone right to the heart of it all. I was stunned. There was nothing I wanted more than to be able to lose myself in love, but there was nothing that seemed farther away. As Kabir once said, "It is easy to bear the heat of fire and likewise it is possible to tread the edge of the sword. But to sustain an unchanging love is a most difficult business."

--Krishna Das, in Chants of Lifetime

Well, actually I probably misunderstood the point of this. Pardon me if so. It’s a good and positive message. Best thing a person can do is invite the true Biblical Jesus Christ into their heart and ask Him to lead them into all truth and forgive them. If necessary saying, “I dont think youre real, but if you are…”

There’s literally nothing to lose. No matter how low one thinks the chances are, it’s still a great bet to make. Obviously would have to mean it, but why wouldn’t someone?

7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.