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As I've said before I have a problem with the fact that we are unable to detect anything that you're claiming to be true. I don't find it to be believable that if I was struck by a Greyhound bus that my extra body that contains my spirit body would swing into action and leave my mangled physical body on the street as it made it's way to some sort of spirit world where I would be reunited with loved ones and possibly meet Jesus or at least get his autograph. All I have ever asked of anyone who believes in these things is to provide some sort of credible evidence that would support such a thing. Do you have any?
As long as you refuse to realize that it is not possible for your "Self" . . . (that is produced as a stream of consciousness energy like a "flame") . . . to be a physical part of your brain . . . you will remain confused. It is NOT an easy abstract exercise to engage and follow through to its inevitable conclusion . . . but it is true nonetheless. A flame does not seem to act on its own or seem to have consciousness. But our "Self" is undeniably experienced as "conscious" in the "flame" state as a composite energy form and acts independently on its own as it interacts with the universe. . . . a HUGE and important distinction. Try this article Consciousness. You might want to participate in this forum also Physics Forum.
That's like saying "Are you physical without taking up a sport?" I mean you can if you want to but if you just want to go to the gym and workout by yourself that's fine too. Spirituality doesn't have anything to do with being a part of any group.
As I've said before I have a problem with the fact that we are unable to detect anything that you're claiming to be true. I don't find it to be believable that if I was struck by a Greyhound bus that my extra body that contains my spirit body would swing into action and leave my mangled physical body on the street as it made it's way to some sort of spirit world where I would be reunited with loved ones and possibly meet Jesus or at least get his autograph. All I have ever asked of anyone who believes in these things is to provide some sort of credible evidence that would support such a thing. Do you have any?
The evidence we have is with spirit communications and developing our souls through prayer to be able to receive them. This isn't a mind thing. Some people have the ability to take automatic writing messages, some can hear spirits talking to them, and others can feel their presence. Like I've said before, spirits are just people who have passed on to the next world... it's what we will become and where we will go.
Many sane, intelligent people on this earth are in tune with the spirit world, even though you and others don't believe it. Just because you don't believe it, doesn't mean that it isn't happening. Every link I post here are spirit communications and they come from the highest possible source and they were received by an attorney who, never in his wildest imagination before receiving the messages, knew that he had the ability to do such a thing.
Quote:
By James E. Padgett
First permit me to state that I am a practical lawyer of 35 years experience, and as such not inclined to accept allegations of fact as true without evidencing proof. I was born and reared in an orthodox Protestant church (Methodist) and until quite recently remained orthodox in my beliefs -- that upon the suggestion being made to me that I was a psychic, I commenced to receive by way of automatic writing, messages from what was said to be messages from the spirit world, and since that time I have received messages upon many subjects, but mostly as to things of a spiritual and religious nature, not orthodox, as to the errancy of the Bible.
I have not space to name the great number of the writers of these messages, but among them is Jesus of Nazereth. I will frankly say that I refused for a long time to believe that these messages came from Jesus, because God, while He had the power, as I believed, would not engage in doing such a thing; but the evidence of the truth of the origin of these messages became so convincing, not only from the great number and positiveness of the witnesses, but from the inherent and unusual merits of the contents of the messages, that I was forced to believe -- and now say to you that I believe in the truth of these communications with as little doubt as I ever believed in the truth of a fact established by the most positive evidence in court. I wish further to say that to my own consciousness I did no thinking in writing the messages -- I did not know what was to be written, nor what was written at the time, except the word the pencil was writing.
My Testimony, James E. Padgett (http://tinyurl.com/ylyckd2 - broken link)
As I've said before I have a problem with the fact that we are unable to detect anything that you're claiming to be true. I don't find it to be believable that if I was struck by a Greyhound bus that my extra body that contains my spirit body would swing into action and leave my mangled physical body on the street as it made it's way to some sort of spirit world where I would be reunited with loved ones and possibly meet Jesus or at least get his autograph. All I have ever asked of anyone who believes in these things is to provide some sort of credible evidence that would support such a thing. Do you have any?
I would try to answer you, But the question is hard to formulate proof for.
I would say read some Sherly Mcclain books on out of body experiences.
Take up some Budda, Yoga, and other books of meditation...And practice meditaion...from which you will draw on the peace, and the spirit of Peace, by closing your eyes, and shutting out the outside world.
Looking with in, is where you will find your spirit.
If you do Good normally..and attach to good normally...and your every effort is to do Good, and be honest and true to the best of your abilities...then it speaks of your spirit.
Just as a Wicked spirit is continually doing or practicing Wicked things, and hurting people for no reason other than to see them suffer, and self satisfaction doing wrongs onto others.
I believe in the Spirit, because the spirit has made itself known to me.
I believe in the spirit because What happened to me, shows without question that there is a spirit..or spirits...to me...with out knowing those books I mention above...it is only after knowing the spirit, did I seek what it was that was testifying to me..
How can I prove this?...I cannot.
But I can tell you those books, will lead you to the Spirit in you!
And when you find that spirit can leave your body and move through space and time, and come back to the body, with knowledge of the wandering...then you will have your answer and your proof.
And if someone asks you for Proof then after finding the spirit is true...what would you say to offer proof, to someone who doesn't believe?
I hear the expression "spiritual but not religious" quite often but I really don't have a clue what it means and I have a strong suspicion that it might not mean anything at all. People who make that statement are often turned off by organized religion (who can blame them?) but they still want to retain some vague sense that there is something at work in nature and in their own lives that transcends the physical world. The problem that I've noticed is that when someone who holds this point of view attempts to elaborate on it I'm never able to find a coherent statement and it generally starts to sound like the need to find meaning, harmony and peace in a psychological sense and to tie this need into some unseen force that supposedly exists outside of ourselves.
I do believe that an individual can exist in harmony with nature and other human beings and also find a sense of inner peace but it's completely within their own minds and no connection to a spiritual world exists because there is no spiritual world in the first place.
I know that there is something at work in nature and in my own life and that is life itself.
The same thing that is at work in you, MontanaGuy.
In that sense all living creatures are one, we are all one.
Some would consider this a spiritual statement. However is a simple matter of fact.
I am not turned off by organized religion, I just don't always find clarity of message in it.
Plus, not all messengers seem worthy of trust.
Last edited by learningCA; 01-11-2010 at 02:44 AM..
Thanks, I thought it was pretty good myself. The problem with souls is that I can't seem to locate mine. I've had catscans, MRI's, Xrays and that sort of thing but the doctors weren't able to locate it, not that they were actually looking for it. The soul is described as being in a spiritual realm but it sounds like those who believe it is real also believe it is somehow tethered to our physical bodies during our lives and then goes wandering off when our body dies. I would be completely open to any legitimate evidence that such an event actually takes place but to the best of my knowledge no one has ever seen a soul.
MontanaGuy, the question of this thread was addressed to people who considered themselves interested in spirituality and it clearly asked how they expressed their interest.
You find spirituality questionable.
Are you lost here?
Last edited by learningCA; 01-11-2010 at 03:11 AM..
Let me repeat the third post of this thread, Gplex:
" I checked some dictionary definitions and I am most satisfied with the ones below: spiritual
- of, relating to, consisting of, or having the nature of spirit; not tangible or material.
- "of or concerning the spirit" from Latine spiritualis, from spiritus "of breathing, of the spirit". spirit
- synonyms: life, mind, consciousness, essence."
That's like saying "Are you physical without taking up a sport?" I mean you can if you want to but if you just want to go to the gym and workout by yourself that's fine too. Spirituality doesn't have anything to do with being a part of any group.
Well, sometimes is like this, whoisjongalt:
You can play the sport in a third league with people who are there to socialize, be part of a group, network, gossip, show their pretty clothes and expensive new cars, etc. or you can workout by yourself in a gym, become good at it and compete with real athletes who truly respect and love the sport and thus spread its reputation and good work in the world.
The choice belongs to each of us.
Last edited by learningCA; 01-11-2010 at 03:06 AM..
There are lots of people who are immaterialists, but don't practice a particular religion. Some simply look for spiritual experience and value, others may be turned off by atheism.
I think deep down, there's a need for everyone to turn to spirituality. If you're an atheist, deist, theist, agnostic, whatever, I've never met someone in real life who completely rejected the concept of souls, an afterlife, or God. On the contrary, it is pretty normal for people to look to these things and find comfort in them.
Well, I don't worry about my salvation, because with God's Divine Love, I'm assured of it. If people want to purify their souls with natural love in any which way they choose, I applaud them. But this world isn't the end of it... there's more to come. So stay tuned... you'll know when you get there.
Yeah I get that you don't accept that anyone else could possible have an understanding of spiritual belief unless it is your brand of belief. I know that their are many many people who believe they have the one true way and all others are lost. Its to bad because the folks who believe their way is the only way usually are blinded and are so sure of their truth they are spend their lives living somewhere outside of reality.
Yes we will know when our lives end what the truth is but just imagine that you might just have it wrong........ Because after all we both worship the same God, read the same bible but have different theology. Imagine that maybe just maybe what God has done is to bring the Jew and Gentile into the realm of God and maybe just maybe we both have it right in our own tradition.
Maybe just maybe God in his wisdom brought the Arabs 1400 years ago through Islam, into the realm of God and to monotheism? Which allowed the spread of monotheism to the entire middle east.
What a concept that we are all where we are because its in Gods plan to have humanity come to him but in different ways?
Mind boggling but then who knows its a matter of trust and faith isn't it!
Last edited by Jazzymom; 01-11-2010 at 07:02 AM..
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The problem with souls is that I can't seem to locate mine. I've had catscans, MRI's, Xrays and that sort of thing but the doctors weren't able to locate it, not that they were actually looking for it. The soul is described as being in a spiritual realm but it sounds like those who believe it is real also believe it is somehow tethered to our physical bodies during our lives and then goes wandering off when our body dies. I would be completely open to any legitimate evidence that such an event actually takes place but to the best of my knowledge no one has ever seen a soul.
