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My journey has been told many times, so here is the Cliff's Note version. For 30+ years I was an absolute, dyed-in-the-wool materialist, Atheist, Martial artist, and Meditator. Then I had an encounter in deep meditation and immediately became a Deist. This resulted in decades of intense study and confusion, subjective mental experiments, and the development of scientifically plausible hypotheses. My studies also resulted in the discernment of a spiritual template in the narratives in the Spiritual Fossil Record which led to the adoption of Christ as the most evolved narrative of the Spiritual Template.
Ditto, Wood. I believe we both had intervening experiences in Viet Nam that played more than a small part in our spiritual evolution.
There is some truth to the "Butterfly Effect" even a very small action carries with if the ability to make a change further down the road.
Vietnam was a bit more than a small act. Every person who had any form of contact with the events of Nam was set an a path that took them offt the road they were on. I doubt anyone who experienced those times escaped without some level of PTSD. PTSD is a double edged sword. Even if is is cutting you, one might be able to turn it so it cuts away the damage To experience long term pain physical, emotional or both, will either temper you or destroy you. Quite probably if it were not for Nam, I never would have heard the word of God(swt) no matter how loud it was.
Even us sky jockeys were Beaucoup Dinky Dau very soon after being touched by the realization of where we were.
You are right my friend and Brother, that was a catalyst that eventually led to our spiritual evolution.
Last edited by Woodrow LI; 06-06-2016 at 10:01 PM..
I was living in a rural area of Central-East Texas. SomeWhat isolated. I was diagnosed with lung cancer with a very poor prognosis. I declned all treatment and began getting my affairs in order. I was an Atheist at the time and had been for 20 years or so. My wife unexpectadly died suddenly. cpm[letly unexpected. She was fine on Mon, went to the Doctor for an annual check-up and was found to be in excellent Health. She went into a coma on Wednesday and was gone before Thursday Morning. Turned out she had a knotted intestine that had long died and was essentially rotted away.
I went into a a deep depression and began a very serious drinking binge. my daily food was usually either a case of Heinekens or a fifth of Chivas Regal. That went on for a year. Then one morning I work up and said enough of this nonsense. and began a clean-up of the house. which after being occupied by a drunk slob for a year was quite a mess. In my cleaning I cam across a box that contained the few items I had salvaged from our previous home that had been demolished by a Tornado. Inside the Box was a Qur'an I had bought in Morocco in 1960/ I was in the USAF at the time and for part of my job I was studying Arabic at the university of Rabat. I thought I could use the Qur'an as a study guide. Later when I got out of the AF I returned to Morocco as an Evangelist preaching the Bible. I kept the Qur'an and used it in my sermons in my quest to convert Muslims. I travelled throughout the mid east a few months eachyear for about 20 years when I came to the conclusion god did not exist. During that time my first wife died. I married my second wife about a year later. We spent nearly 20 years being self employed and travelling as we pleased until her sudden death in Texas.
Anyhow After coming across the Qur'an I decided to see if I could still read Arabic. I began reading and a feeling of peace came over me. For the first time in my life and having had read the Qur'an many times. I felt like I understood it. I read and could not step. I do not know how many times I read it. I could not put it down. I felt like it was written for me personally, the words seemed to glow. I finally realized I was a Muslim and said the Shahadah then and there (I had learned the Shahadh in Morocco with the idea that if I every crashed in North Africa, it might come in handy if I survived the crash. (didn't help, I ended up crashing in Vietnam) Anyhow I said the Shahadah then and there and have been a Muslim ever since. I did not even think there were any Muslims in Texas. It had been nearly 20 years since I last saw a Muslim. I realized I was hungry and decided to walk to the only store in town and get a bite to eat. When I got there there was a dark sinned man in there asking for direction. He glanced at me and said "As Salamuu alaikum" I immediately replies "wa Alaikum Salaam wa Ramatullahi wa Baraktuhu" He smiled and said how long you been Muslim. I answered about 15 minutes.
Then things began getting really crazy. A day or two later My Daughter that I had not seen for almost 20 years called me. The VA had contacted her as I had not had any medical treatment in over a year (Iwas estranged from my children since I married my second wife, they did not like her and cut all ties with me) Anyhow to my surprise My children had all reverted to Islam nearly 20 years ago. I moved in with my daughter in Austin, we re-established family ties and I finally met my grand children
What led you to the beliefs you are now practicing is something everybody have a different answer to.
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I had doubts about what was in the Bible. Mainly doom and gloom, so I wanted no part of it. I learned of Jesus' true teachings about God and His Divine Love in my early 20's. I began praying for and receiving it ever since. Don't go to church.
If he predestined you, why did he have to call you? Would you have not KNOWN without receiving the call?
I was predestined to be called by him. Romans 8:28-29.
Quote:
Glorified as in THE SON IS GLORIFIED?
Of course not! No--we are not little gods, so it will never be like that. But the Holy Spirit does continue to change a person and conform them to the image of Christ -- to make us holy for God's purpose. We will be with Christ in Heaven -- in glory. But no--we are not given praise and glory.
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I believe we both had intervening experiences in Viet Nam that played more than a small part in our spiritual evolution.
