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Less. I was raised Catholic, but had many disagreements with their dogma. And too much one issue preaching - anti-abortion propaganda. I tend to agnosticism or perhaps Humanism. In the years shortly before I retired my level of stress and anxiety led me to seek out a congregation for the social support and companionship. I found a very compatible Unitarian group in my neighborhood where I felt very happy and supported. I tried out the Unitarian church in Wilmington after I retired and moved to NC, but found it much too large and impersonal and too long a drive away. Since my stress level went way down at retirement I haven't felt the need to seek further to find a comfortable community.
........ Since my stress level went way down at retirement I haven't felt the need to seek further to find a comfortable community.
We all have social needs. There are plenty of other opportunities and I hope you have found some that don't involve religion, cults, or any other sort of group think and conformity. I am not much of a joiner, but I do belong to several groups involving hobbies including photography and other arts. They can be a lot of fun and have helped me make several new friends.
I knew someone who believed there were "spirits" in everything, each tree, rock, lake, etc. We had a conversation about this but I left at a total loss. I could sort of understand that a rock could be said to have a spirit. Then I wondered if the spirit was still there is the rock broke in half. Were there then two spirits? Does each grain of sand have a spirit? And the parts of that grain also? And big things like the billions and billions of galaxies with billions of stars also have spirits, I suppose. When you are out in nature which ones of those "spirits" does one feel "connected" to? Beats me.
I love being in nature. I love interacting with the world and all of it's special places. Somehow I never felt I was dealing with spirits. The physical world is spectacular enough. I am a photographer and love taking pictures of flowers and also the big scenic areas of our national parks. I never imagined some non-physical being within any of those things or places.
Mostly when I'm out in Nature I am just enjoying Her ever changing beauty in each season. How things come out of Her dark womb, break through the soil, grow, and die back. Its like a Wheel ever turning. For me its the spirit of Nature that flows throughout. But thats just me. Agree the physical world is spectacular enough so enjoy that Spirits or no spirits.
I am not sure what that means, but if you can contact spirits perhaps you can help. I have a dead relative who should be able to help me retrieve something that was lost.
Im also psychic, and i contacted your dead relative.
I already collected the lost item of which you speak, and have enjoyed it thoroughly.
I knew someone who believed there were "spirits" in everything, each tree, rock, lake, etc. We had a conversation about this but I left at a total loss. I could sort of understand that a rock could be said to have a spirit. Then I wondered if the spirit was still there is the rock broke in half. Were there then two spirits? Does each grain of sand have a spirit? And the parts of that grain also? And big things like the billions and billions of galaxies with billions of stars also have spirits, I suppose. When you are out in nature which ones of those "spirits" does one feel "connected" to? Beats me.
I love being in nature. I love interacting with the world and all of it's special places. Somehow I never felt I was dealing with spirits. The physical world is spectacular enough. I am a photographer and love taking pictures of flowers and also the big scenic areas of our national parks. I never imagined some non-physical being within any of those things or places.
I totally get what you're saying. :-) Although when I was a child (and, ironically, still brainwashed by the religion thing) my default setting was to ascribe feelings/senses to everything: trees, plants, animals, rocks, toys, whatever. Maybe that is what most kids do at some point but eventually grow out of? Anyway I suppose that if someone held a gun to my head nowadays and told me that I had to subscribe to a religious dogma or else they'd pull the trigger, it would probably be either the Native American belief that all parts of nature have a spirit, or choose one of the many Greek deities. At least they had a big smorgasbord from which to select your favorite(s)!
Even at my age I find myself apologizing to one of my plants, bulbs or shrubs for an errant cut or misplaced shovel or trowel: "Sorry! My bad!" Or addressing a fussy perennial with "For crying out loud, just what is your problem, anyway? Yeeesh!" It just comes out automatically, LOL. But that might just be the normal Crazy Plant Lady characteristic.
Speaking of all things having a "spirit", that is true in nature.
No two mighty oak trees are alike. Each has its own growth pattern, each reaches to the sky and gives shade differently.
Anong flowers, no two kinds are the same. For instance the peach hibiscus on my front porch only blooms for one full day, just 24 hours before that bloom is spent. Other flowers will bloom for a whole season.
A hydrangea's color can be manipulated by whether the fertilizer and soil is base or acid, so it to has a "spirit".
All living things has a spirit all its own. The big problem is we dont take time to appreciate nature and the 'spiritual being' of nature.
**all living things are creations and deserve our respect.
That includes flowers, trees, grasses, water, and even rocks have their beauteous side.
???? This is the definition of respect I got with a google search:
"1. a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements.
2. due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of others."
Clearly #2. does not pertain to inanimate objects.
I guess #1 could apply but not based on abilities or achievements. So we are left with "deep admiration" for something's qualities.
When I look up admiration I get synonyms of respect, approval and pleasurable contemplation. So I guess the best fit of these definitions is that we should enjoy contemplating the "qualities" of inanimate objects. Still confusing. I was still not sure what that meant to I looked up contemplate which means think about something long and hard.
So we should think long and hard about all inanimate objects in the world. I am not sure what I am supposed to think about when I look at flowers, trees, grasses, water and rocks. I gave it some serious thinking effort and fell asleep.
I don't think I can get 'less' since I realized I was an atheist in my teens.
But I have gotten more sure of it as the years have rolled by.
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Spirits or no spirits.
