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The more strongly self-reliant someone is . . . the fewer the opportunities for being receptive enough to experience God within. I was the quintessential self-assured lone wolf and unrepentant atheist for the first 30+ years of my life. I definitely wasn't looking for any God experiences. If it hadn't been for my zeal in wanting to perfect the meditative experience . . . I suspect I would still be like you Asheville. The God experience certainly wasn't something I expected or needed . . . but it is unmistakable. I believe it is purely a receptivity issue at the normal levels of sensitivity (no deep meditation) . . . probably explains the need for faith.
Let's leave it at 'I've more than doubled that time-line (and counting )' and if nothing else the time since I found CD and seen the depths of delusion exhibited by some here, the greater the affirmation that I've aligned perfectly with the reality of life on this nondescript little rock hidden in a out of the way corner of the universe.
Let's leave it at 'I've more than doubled that time-line (and counting )' and if nothing else the time since I found CD and seen the depths of delusion exhibited by some here, the greater the affirmation that I've aligned perfectly with the reality of life on this nondescript little rock hidden in a out of the way corner of the universe.
I have added 4 decades to that timeline since the first experience . . . and a plethora of knowledge and I have the reverse certainty.
nondescript little rock hidden in a out of the way corner of the universe.
Nondescript?
1. belonging or appearing to belong to no particular class or kind : not easily described.
2. : lacking distinctive or interesting qualities : dull, drab
I'm not sure the term completely fits.
I get your point though and no doubt the geocentric mindset was through lack of knowledge.
In any case - it happens to be the only nondescript little rock we know of which has sentient beings running around describing it.
Let's leave it at 'I've more than doubled that time-line (and counting )'
AN: Nope, nope, nope! June refuses to believe that you could in any way be any older than she is....Nope, nope, nope.
(Just needed to get that little iota out of the way!)
Quote:
....and seen the depths of delusion exhibited by some here
--Which exemplifies the point behind June's OP. June, like yourself, is not a "believer." However, June is not so quick to write off the believer's "experiences" as that of delusional. If nothing else, June has met a few believers in 'real life' (and elsewhere) who are clearly not 'delusional' in any clinical sense, or otherwise....In short, these are very normal, very decent people who possess what one would refer to as being "real faith."
Now granted, June doesn't "get it." (That's a given.) Hence, the point behind her OP: Just how is it that people experience God, and are so seemingly certain that it's "god." --June just can't, and basically never has been able to. -Which is not to say that she isn't intrigued by it, if for no other reason than the fact that she loves and respects her friends who are believers. The fact that June is not one has yet to ever create a rift between us, but they (all three of them, in "real life") are well aware of the fact that June just "doesn't get it." Doesn't 'buy it.'
--But in all honesty, there is no way that June could refer to any of them as being "delusional." If anything, at least two of them have such faith that there is a part of June, at times, that hopes for their own sake that they are "right" and she is "wrong." They clearly have a very deeply rooted, fundamentally based (no, they are not "fundies") that for them is totally 'real' as the main focus of their lives....
Perhaps June is just compelled in terms of her underlying desire to understand human nature...Or perhaps June is compelled in terms of her desire to understand that which she inherently does not understand....
She's thinkin' it's the latter...
~If that makes sense....
Take gentle "who knows what she's talking about" care!
Oh, no! The Heatherist is posting on this thread! Why, why, why!!! I've been reading this thread with much interest and fascination, and I was not going to post anything... But, sometimes I can't keep my big mouth shut!!! Sorry!
What I wanted to say - is that I think I've come to a sort of realization since I started posting here. I wasn't raised with much religion - my mom was Christian (she used to be some sort of Protestant but now just believes in some sort of Supreme Being) and my father was an Agnostic Jew. I went to church here and there with friends and I took some religion classes in highschool and college. I really just don't think I'm the religious type - nothing ever hit home to me. However - there are certain things that I do believe in... sometimes. Sometimes I believe in some sort of high power, sometimes I just feel that there is a certain energy that connects us all to each other, sometimes I just believe in people and plants and dogs and cats - and that's pretty great, too.
But my point - and I do have one, I promise - is that, after reading many of the posts on this thread and other threads as well - I feel that many of us have similar feelings and experiences but we all have different ways of interpreting and understanding them. What many people interpret as "God," I interpret as my consience, or fate, or energy, or spirit, or nature, or love, etc. And just as the person who believes in God knows in their heart that these experiences or feelings are God - I believe in my heart that my feelings and experiences are other things. Who is right and who is wrong? I don't think we can ever really know - and I don't think it ever really matters. Whatever gets us through life, whatever helps us to be better, stronger, more loving people - I think it's all right.
A woman I knew had curviture of the spine ( I can't spell the word ) so sevire she could barely walk,due to the pain. We laid her down on the clean floor to examine the degree of curve her spine had developed, I could run my fist up right against the floor, just under the small of her back , every one could see the distortion. We stood her up again and my son prayed for her and I stood behind. almost emediately her pain went away,and we checked her curviture again and the best I could do was lay my hand flat against the floor in the same manor as before. She got so excited more people formed a line behind my son to be prayed for .Many others were touched that nite , but my greater joy was months later , when I saw the first lady in town and She reported that she had not had any back pain sence and her back has remained strait as well. My son was 10 years old at the time.
The power of Jesus name has never changed, even though people abuse it often. I have witnessed so many events at the moment of prayer and Jesus name , still the world just does not want to see, or admit, because that means thay have to come to terms with their sin and unbelief, knowing that is what it is that stands between them and God.
An honest person, that stands by their word, has a great deal of potential. Most of us start off not so perfect, but there still is a potential. changes occur when we mature, under His tutelage.
Who is right and who is wrong? I don't think we can ever really know - and I don't think it ever really matters. Whatever gets us through life, whatever helps us to be better, stronger, more loving people - I think it's all right.
Can't rep you again (yet) so I'll just say - right on!
because that means thay have to come to terms with their sin and unbelief, knowing that is what it is that stands between them and God.
An honest person, that stands by their word, has a great deal of potential. Most of us start off not so perfect, but there still is a potential. changes occur when we mature, under His tutelage.
A woman I knew had curviture of the spine ( I can't spell the word ) so sevire she could barely walk,due to the pain. We laid her down on the clean floor to examine the degree of curve her spine had developed, I could run my fist up right against the floor, just under the small of her back , every one could see the distortion. We stood her up again and my son prayed for her and I stood behind. almost emediately her pain went away,and we checked her curviture again and the best I could do was lay my hand flat against the floor in the same manor as before. She got so excited more people formed a line behind my son to be prayed for .Many others were touched that nite , but my greater joy was months later , when I saw the first lady in town and She reported that she had not had any back pain sence and her back has remained strait as well. My son was 10 years old at the time.
The power of Jesus name has never changed, even though people abuse it often. I have witnessed so many events at the moment of prayer and Jesus name , still the world just does not want to see, or admit, because that means thay have to come to terms with their sin and unbelief, knowing that is what it is that stands between them and God.
An honest person, that stands by their word, has a great deal of potential. Most of us start off not so perfect, but there still is a potential. changes occur when we mature, under His tutelage.
Nice post, arleigh!
Blessings,
brian
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)' and if nothing else the time since I found CD and seen the depths of delusion exhibited by some here, the greater the affirmation that I've aligned perfectly with the reality of life on this nondescript little rock hidden in a out of the way corner of the universe.
