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Question:
1= The catholic religion taught me that they wanted as much money as I could give them, and that getting it was the most important thing I could do to stay a strong catholic. (screw them)
2= No
3= truth in what?
4= for books, the Spirits' book by Alan Kardec.
As for events, my partner's passing.
5= No and yes.
Bob.
I am lead to believe that I am somewhat typical.
I had early religious training (Christian fundie).
Started doubting - found Eastern teachings more logical, but was young in suburbia and had no way of pursuing them.
Became an atheist, doubting everything that was not material or scientific.
Had some strange experiences - thought 'Something's happening here'. This lead me to reading about strange phenomena. I read a lot of this and sci-fi. Met a person in a book store who introduced me to a guy who gave classes. The guy was a genuine psychic. He charged minimal amounts for his classes. He rarely gave readings and did not charge for those when he did.
Joined the Theosophical Society which had a small group studying together in my area.
Life moved members of the group apart, which disbanded.
I now think that we are each at different stages of understanding and development. I respect a skeptic for embracing truth as they see it. I have faith that if their motivation is, indeed, the seeking of truth, ultimately their own lives will reveal it to them, but if this does not happen, perhaps it is not necessary for them in this life.
I was born Jewish, was Bar Mitzvah'ed, was married by a Rabbi ... but that's the extent of my connnection with my religion. I am not observant at all ... though I was never an atheist. I consider myself much more spiritual than religious.
The event that started me along the path of trying to learn more about the paranormal was a series of extremely descriptive dreams that occurred over a prolonged period of time. In those dreams I learned something about someone with whom I had no contact (or even thoughts about) for about 35-40 years that I could not have possibly known. I also received a warning through these same dreams about a very serious medical condition, that I actually missed because I didn't really focus on that portion of the analysis of the dream.
It was only after being treated for Stage IV Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma that I realized included in the dream analysis was a warning to see a doctor about a "circulation problem" related to my body chemistry - about a year before being diagnosed and treated. (Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma is cancer of the lymphatic system.) The actual story about these dreams is very long and complicated and at some point, I'll probably be more inclined to tell the whole story.
I came to learn that a business associate of mine, and two neighbors in the new neighborhood into which I moved have psychic abilities. Oddly enough, if you drew a line between their two homes on two different streets in the same community, I built mine right between them! (Coincidence?) I'm learning from all three as well as from some of the better posts here in this forum. It has been suggested that I may have had some kind of psychic awakening. My biggest problem is that I am very left-brained and have used data and information for decision-making all my life, and I'm trying to apply that kind of logical thinking to understand this very illogical phenomenon. I know ... it doesn't work.
I still prefer Mother Nature as my link to Grandfather. Although recently joined the Roman Catholic church, which oddly enough has a few parts in it which remind me of traditional ceremonies.
A friend of mine has a saying which make me laugh: "I don't have a problem with Jesus, it's his fan club!" The reason I like traditional Native ways is our People. I feel a lot of hate and judgement coming from many so-called christians. No thank you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CALGUY
Question:
1= The catholic religion taught me that they wanted as much money as I could give them, and that getting it was the most important thing I could do to stay a strong catholic. (screw them)
Bob.
I go to the catholic church, and it has NEVER EVER EVER taught me they wanted as much money as I could give them.
I became disillusioned with organized religion a long time ago. I believe in the teachings of Jesus as a good guideline to live by, but I have a hard time believing in some supernatural being conceived in any other way but a scientific provable one. If there is a God then why so many different religions? A very Catholic friend explained it to me that it's just a different way to interpret "the word." If that's the case and it has been interpreted by man isn't religion just as fallible? I can not go on blind faith and be a believer. That to me is a fools paradise. The thought of being somewhere for eternity is not something I'm particularly interested in. I'd be perfectly happy with a long life and non existence.
I still prefer Mother Nature as my link to Grandfather. Although recently joined the Roman Catholic church, which oddly enough has a few parts in it which remind me of traditional ceremonies.
A friend of mine has a saying which make me laugh: "I don't have a problem with Jesus, it's his fan club!" The reason I like traditional Native ways is our People. I feel a lot of hate and judgement coming from many so-called christians. No thank you.
I go to the catholic church, and it has NEVER EVER EVER taught me they wanted as much money as I could give them.
My experience happened when I turned twenty one.
I attended church every Sunday, and many times felt it was a waste of time.
I didn't want to disappoint my mother (a devout catholic) so I put up with the sham.
The collection basket was always passed only once during the mass.
One week there was a terrible tornado in a neighboring town, so at the mass on that following Sunday, the priest informed the people that there would be a second collection, and that would go to the victims of the tornado.
Well they collected so much money in that second collection, that from that day on the church did two collection at every mass, and it wasn't for the tornado victims.
Soon after, they were doing three collections.
Talk about a money grab.
I left the catholic religion, and never looked back, and I am a much better person for doing so.
Bob.
Charley - a logical analytical mindset is very good for dowsing and using pendulums. Possibly this would be a good area to investigate for you as it needs a clear concise idea of boundaries (depending on whatever investigation you are doing) It can really open up the universe and help you understand a little more how things hang together energetically.
If we realise that pendulums are only one method of amplifying the brains reaction to a set of frequencies received by the mind and routed through the body. It allows us to experience and 'see' how these frequencies are actually going on all the time around us, but normally we are not aware of them in conscious 3D life. Pendulums would also give you a method to 'measure' (in the broadest scientific sense) some of these energies. Also possible is focusing on different time periods so really you can take dowsing as far as your imagination will go as long as your boundaries (time, scope, etc) are in place. Anyway, just a possibility which might excite you. :-)
My spiritual Bibles will always be Illusions by Richard Bach and Jonathan Livingstone Seagull also by him. These two books nearly say it all for me.
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No thank you.
