I was raised without religion in any shape or form. We never talked about GOD. For my first 30 years or so, I was basically a nihilist. I was all logic. I believed only in science. After hitting a wall and asking for something more, I had a number of mystical experiences that completely cracked me open and reshaped my entire view of reality. Now I feel very spiritual with out any specific creed behind it. I now enjoy learning from all spiritual practices. I find value in them all. I have noticed that when I meet Christians in particular, they tend to want to challenge my views. It's confusing to me because I see validity in all of it. I love the teachings of Jesus. To me, nothing is right or wrong, it's just different stories and perspectives on the spiritual path of consciousness. We cannot save anyone. They can only ask questions for themselves. To me, a connection to GOD is very personal and they are all valid and beautiful. Why would we limit ourselves to one way of seeing things? Does your religion allow for other belief systems? If not, why so? Is there not more than one way to GOD? Thank you for your input. I only seek to understand better. I am open for all of your views.
Spirituality is something that happens automatically. As humans we are programmed to earn name and money to be respectable in society. We run for meaning outside like big house, big car, more money, more degrees, more girlfriends etc. etc.This is a journey for meaning outward. When something bad happens like death of loved one or divorce then one sees the futility of running for material things and the inward journey starts. This is the start of spiritual journey.
There are two types of worldly attachments one because of the material things like house,car, gold or money and second is because of relations. When one comes to a point where all this seems evanescent/impermanent, the inward journey of spirituality starts.
When one's being asks questions like “What is life?” Or “Who am I?”
The journey of the heart has started.
The answer to your question is though there is no criteria for spirituality but people tend to be spiritually inclined towards 40’s of their life.
Curiosity for meaning of life is spirituality.
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That makes sense. I didn't start asking these questions until I was nearly 40. I spent many years chasing material possessions. When I was a young boy, I had lots of questions like this. I spent a lot of time alike considering things. I knew I was immortal.
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I'm young but I'm fortunate to be raised in family where my mother and father both are very spiritual. I got spiritualism in heredity.
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241 sats \ 0 replies \ @Golu 23 Sep
Not the other way round, the spiritual path makes you the perfect being.
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The first premise I would suggest anyone investigate is whether or not one believes in absolute truth.
Absolute truth necessitates the understanding and logical follow through put forth by Ayn Rand and previously by Aristotle of fundamental identity or Rand’s phrase, “A is A.” She wrote, “By the essence and nature of existence, contradictions cannot exist.” (Rand’s Atlas Shrugged). This part of her Objectivist worldview is derived from Aristotle’s philosophy of non-contradiction which avers, “…the same attribute cannot at the same time belong and not belong to the same subject and in the same respect.” (Aristotle’s Metaphysics).
If one believes that there is objective truth (as opposed to a post-modern view that all truth is relative) then one must acknowledge that most major worldviews or “spiritual paths” directly contradict one another. Therefore there cannot be “many paths that climb the same mountain”…
For the sake of time, I’ll Include just three hard contradictions to illustrate the point:
  1. Biblical Christianity holds that there is only one way to be justified for the wrong things each person does (hey, no one is perfect!) and that is by asking for the sacrifice of Jesus to pay for our moral debt. WHEREAS works/performance based spiritual world views believe humans must earn forgiveness through acts of devotion, rituals and rites, sacrifices, etc.
  2. Judeo-Christian religions hold forth the identity of humans as image bearers of God who live an earthly life before continuing in an eternal existence (either with God in Heaven or without God in a place of judgement (I.e. Hell). WHEREAS Hinduism believes in a cycle of rebirth until one reaches enlightenment and is released from the cycle (moksha)
  3. Zen Buddhism puts forth that there is no duality (evil/good) and suffering is caused by dualistic thinking. WHEREAS Judaism (and Judeo-Christian worldviews rooted therein) presents a very dualistic world view in which an ultimately moral, just, personally loving God stands contrasted to humanity and spiritual beings in rebellion against the good authority.
Determining which worldview, spiritual or otherwise, holds the most evidence in reality is potentially the most important investigation one can pursue as it, if held with integrity, should shape one’s morals, values, and priorities. The most important question someone asked me was, “If I were wrong about my worldview, would I want to know?” I didn’t think I was wrong, but it was the catalyst to my own investigation and a dramatic change in my worldview. So, I might suggest spending some time considering how you would answer that question.
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Thank you for the thoughtful response. A lot to consider here. I always want to expand. Although I don't really believe in right and wrong, I am okay with changing my views. They have changed my whole life. I go with what resonates or what feels "right" to me. Whatever I believed in the past that isn't what I believe now, isn't wrong, it was just what it was at the time. All perfect.
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And these days, it's an inner guide that doesn't necessarily match up with anything or everything that I witness outside of myself. It's an inner authority. I know what is best for me. And I always want allow others to feel safe to believe what is best for them, without judgment.
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having total inner authority (internal monarchy) means no need for external authority (external monarchy, or oligarchy, or democracy or whatever).
no external monarchy = anarchy (anarchony is a better variation on the word anarchy, makes people think - no rulers, no masters, no slaves).
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Bing nihilist is better if you just can't get it. Religion was also created by man. Even the word 'God' has also been created by man. You and I are living with myths created by us. Spiritualism is something that's the word is again created by man. The true meaning of life lies in living noble life, nothing else is important.
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I agree. I am grateful my path was what it was.
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I'll get straight to the point, since I have tired of all the discussions and arguments of morality, reason, experience etc. I would say that you might consider to start with the resurrection of Jesus. Since Jesus appears in many of the other religions, he is central to much of religion generally speaking. As for Christianity everything hangs on the resurrection as an artifact of true history. If it didn't happen Christianity is false and should be ignored. If it is true, then all the religions are irrelevant. That's my whole argument. How you work out Christianity in its other particulars is a whole other mess.
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How would I know about the resurrection of Jesus? Because of the bible? How does that prove anything? And why are all other religions irrelevant if it didn't happen? I doubt they all refer to Jesus, but I really don't know. I am clueless about the bible. So what does that mean for me?
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the Bible, or the New Testament in particular, is a bunch of letters put together in a book. In the case of Paul writing in 1 Corinthians 15:7 he argued, "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins." So yes, I am getting the argument from the Bible, which is why I am saying that is the test. As for the other religions, I do not see how they are relevant beyond some bits of wisdom, if in fact Jesus did what he said he would do, based on who he claimed to be. So again, if the resurrection is false, disregard Christianity.
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I would have no way if knowing. Not sure how anyone would. To me, it's wild that people have faith in a bunch of stories that humans put together in a book. I don't get it.
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I've enjoyed listening to J. Warner Wallace who wrote "Cold Case Christianity" - he was an atheist homicide detective who took a critical look at the gospels as he would for any of his crime scenes. You can check out a video of him here
but if you're more of a book guy you can also check out the "Cold Case Christianity" book.
To me, it's wild that people have faith in a bunch of stories that humans put together in a book.
I'm not really sure what this means though, do you not believe in any historical accounts? The gospels are more well attested to than any other ancient manuscripts.
If the question is about the historicity of the resurrection I would be curious what your supernatural beliefs are already.
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Follow the evidence.
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Okay. 💚
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You know about the resurrection of Jesus, hence your question.
I suggest you start with reading the Bible, then go from there ;)
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Interesting
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The spiritual path is always constant. Because our language, education, dress, culture, socialism, religion are different, this difference does not matter on our spiritualism. It is a biggest wonderful creation of nature where nature always indicates you to lead your life by the truth, of the truth and for the truth. There is no so-called GOD or ALLAH or BHAGOBAN. Truth is the Supreme. Truth doesn't differ depending on place, person or time. Millions of natural visible or non visible incidents are the symbols of truth. So the TRUTH is the only one spiritual path for all.
FOR TRUTH THE SPIRITUALISM IS THE ONLY WAY.
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Thank you. I agree. 💚
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This keeps us positive. Courage remains to fight every kind of difficulty
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A MAN DECIDED TO GO AND STUDY WITH A MASTER
HE WENT TO THE DOOR OF THE MASTER
"WHO ARE YOU WHO WISHES TO STUDY HERE" ASKED THE MASTER
THE STUDENT TOLD THE MASTER HIS NAME
"THAT IS NOT WHO YOU ARE, THAT IS ONLY WHAT YOU ARE CALLED
WHO ARE YOU WHO WISHES TO STUDY HERE" HE ASKE
THE MAN THOUGHT FOR A MOMENT, AND REPLIED "I AM A PROFESSOR"
"THAT IS WHAT YOU DO, NOT WHO YOU ARE," REPLIED THE MASTER
"WHO ARE YOU WHO WISHES TO STUDY HERE"
CONFUSED, THE MAN THOUGHT SOME MORE
FINALLY, HE ANSWERED, "I AM A HUMAN BEING"
"THAT IS ONLY YOUR SPECIES, NOT WHO YOU ARE
WHO ARE YOU WHO WISHES TO STUDY HERE", ASKED THE MASTER AGAIN
AFTER A MOMENT OF THOUGHT, REPLIED "I AM A CONSCIOUSNESS INHABITING AN ARBITRARY BODY"
"THAT IS MERELY WHAT YOU ARE, NOT WHO YOU ARE
WHO ARE YOU WHO WISHES TO STUDY HERE"
THE MAN WAS GETTING IRRITATED
"I AM," HE STARTED,
BUT HE COULD NOT THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY, SO HE TRAILED OFF AFTER A LONG PAUSE THE MASTER REPLIED, "THEN YOU ARE WELCOME TO COME STUDY"
Humans have always felt the need to believe in something bigger than themselves, what they call faith is something very curious and at the same time powerful, but I consider that everything is about a state of mind. I think that religions are nothing more than mass control projects, and for me none of them profess the truths of the world, they only teach you to be submissive and dedicate your life to another's purpose, unless you are a shepherd and not a sheep 🐑 Shepherds are the only ones who benefit from a religion and especially from monotheistic ones. If I asked myself, what do I believe in? I suppose that in nature and the undeniable forces of the universe, my mission is to be in harmony with my environment in order to live a free life. The closest thing to those ideals according to what I have been able to study, reading and examining writings of different religions is Taoism, it is not about worshiping anyone in particular, but about appreciating all our surroundings and living in peace with our path and environment.
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I absolutely love this. Thank you for your thoughtful share. I feel similar in my beliefs.
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Thank you very much, it is very gratifying to know that there are other people who navigate, are, or vibrate at the same different frequency that I am at.
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Same. I feel very lonely at times in this chaos. It's little connections like this that keep me going. 💚
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When I understood that the west (and within it Christianity) had a very linear way of thinking about our existence (one you die that’s it), believing and acting in an existential way - it makes sense that there is a panic and urgency to believe in the thing that will “save you” The eastern way of thinking is circular , “and here we go again” , I was and I am and will always be, taking your lessons in this incarnation.
In the end I think seeking enlightenment and living in “the way” is what it’s all about. Love fully - outward and inward, we are all a collective consciousness, by loving others you love yourself and in turn attract more love.
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Well said. My views are much more in line with that of the eastern views. It just feels right to me. Western beliefs seem very limited and fearful to me. They seem to encourage separation. As a young boy, I used to sit in silence alone a lot. In this stillness, I knew that I have always been here and I live on forever. And as an adult, I have had many experiences that have shown me that all is one. Thanks for the great share. 💚
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Absolutely, if you haven’t dug into Ram Das for a while ( or ever) I’d dig into his be here now podcast. I like to ruminate on his words a lot
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I have a bit. I enjoy his words. Thank you. I feel seen.
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You are right, that is very special and personal relationship with the higher power. God (or whatever one might call it) definitely exists, it is up to you how to absorb it. One needs to find its own unique way to interpret it and live according to your creed/moral compas. Organized religion on the other end that's another story for another day. Listen and learn from a lot of type people/religions but make your own choices. That would be my view.
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Thank you. I feel heard. 💚
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I think something is to be said for “projection of doubt”. When you aren’t sure of something and you want to convince yourself by seeing it make sense from another person’s perspective. “Join my religion” “Okay” “now I feel better in my faith”
It’s a social creature thing that makes no logical sense why we care what other people think.
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That make sense to me. It's very interesting.
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I said it doesn’t make sense, but it does.. so if I work on something, I want it to be worth my time. Bitcoin is self-propagating by the laws of human nature. And a lot of people are still like “shiny” but nobody is using it. Except get coin, watch line. Nobody is asking what’s sustainable. The carrot 🥕 is on the stick and it keeps getting bigger with every new idea built on top of it, but the technology is a house of cards. The more users, the more features, the more likelihood it is to break. I have yet to see lightning transactions behave in a way I don’t expect, but that is not to be confused with the lightning button, unless you have to reload from your Zeus wallet.
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I feel the longer we go the less likely it is to break. At least layer 1. I am not following some of what you said.
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Im not finishing my thought completely cause I don’t know how much people want to read what my thumbs convey. Despite it taking longer to do, the more time spent is what appears to be the longer proof of work amount of time spent. There is also time spent on mining, to ackquire the copy of the blockchain that everyone is using. To validate transactions across it, using raw logic, from the very most painful parts of the brain to go down. The rabbit hole, as @darthcoin has alluded, goes as deep as you want it. The concept is as simple as keep your keys safe. That’s a lot of work and time to do when you have multiple safes, but if you don’t have money for safes, that kind of security risk can weigh on the brain.
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Again, proof of work is time spent computing on data. Mining data. Some people mine chatgpt and the internet like some servers mine bitcoin.
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I still don't understand. 🤷‍♂️
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It’s simple. I’m just sayin to click the lightning bolt button as hard as you want to know, and I’ll explain everything in a Myriad of shitposts about what everyone needs to hear.👂
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We could answer @DesertDave's questions one by one.
To start we must understand that everyone is free to think and do what they want and it is not up to men to judge what is right or wrong. Because if we are talking about God, then let God be the one to judge based on his truth.
Since the relationship or connection is personal with God, the first thing I must know is:
Does God have a name? What is God's name if He has one and what does it mean? What is God like? What are the main qualities of God? How can I know what God wants from me? On what basis does God make judgments? Are Jesus and God the same? Does God approve of all forms of worship? Should we worship God? Should we obey God out of fear or love?
Then we could answer other questions that help us understand other issues related to God and the Bible
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Great questions. Thanks for the comment. 🙏
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If you wish, I could give you the answers I have found to these questions without trying to change your way of thinking or perspective. I just don't want to invade a space that is yours with issues I have found in my search for the truth.
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Or maybe you want to make a new post about it. I would love to hear either way.
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I enjoy the discussion. I have my own beliefs. I welcome everyone else's also. I'm just observing mostly. Share whatever you like.
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I love it. Says it all.
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This meme is wild! There's so much you can read into it. What's your read on it?
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I also believe in one truth. And I believe there are many ways to get there. I like that it includes so many different figures from different beliefs systems. Big fan of the alien. I love music too and it has played a big role in my spiritual growth. Good, welcoming vibes.
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Because we are egoistic like that
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It's true. As much as I try, my ego peaks out at times. I felt it a little sin reading some responses here. I aim to be as open as possible. But it seems I am still human.
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11 sats \ 1 reply \ @drlh 23 Sep
I have noticed that when I meet Christians in particular, they tend to want to challenge my views
In christianity god didn't punish people for wrong religion and wrong teachings, like sending to hell? I think they've tried to save you.
But personally I consider that organised religion should be burned down. It has the same level of corruption as politics, and if it was just in the area of morals. But it isn't.
And the other thing that should be burned to the ashes is the belief that religion is a virtue. No it isn't.
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Yeah. I always want to empathize with people but it's difficult when they won't even meet you in the middle. I feel sorry for them that they are so fear driven and isolated from the bigger experience.
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Does your religion allow other belief systems?
Yes, there is no coercion, if you like other beliefs you can, everyone is free to choose what religion they follow, no one is forced, but they do it at their own risk.
Isn't there more than one way to GOD?
Yes, there are many ways to get to Allah's path, depending on the person who takes it, and the religion they teach to do good.
The point is, whatever your religion, don't compare, please choose your own belief, because there is no pressure to choose any religion, what is clear is that all religions definitely teach good things and always help fellow humans.
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Thank you for your comment. I am clear on my connection to spirit. This is just an interesting conversation for me.
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Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind
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jesus is a meme that works for many people
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That's a great way to put it.
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Being raised without religion isnt a bad thing. Imagine having to go to church when you dont really understand it? Now you are at the age where you can actually process things. You are at the stage where you are discovering all the different religions and their nuances. Eventually, you will settle on one that you believe in more than the others. I am not saying it will be 100% perfect, but it will fit you the best. Even if you start to go down the path of Christianity, I do believe some of the things you can learn from buddhism will benefit you as a person.
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I agree. I feel like I have my own spiritual connection and I appreciate what it is. What I have learned of Buddhism resonates with me far more than Christianity. It seems that in general Christians are much more closed minded which rubs me the wrong way. I feel like our connecting with "god" is a personal thing. No wrong way in my opinion.
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You have to respect each of the beliefs and in my opinion it should never be imposed, each person is unique and as such has the option to decide, in particular I also have my way of believing in my opinion not so strict because as I heard somewhere " It may be certain that there is a god but either he is not so powerful or he is not so benevolent."
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I agree. This seems obvious to me. The point of the post was to ask why it would be any other way. I appreciate my connection to a higher power and I wouldn't expect it to the be the same as anyone else.
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To me, nothing is right or wrong, it's just different stories and perspectives on the spiritual path of consciousness.
For me, a simple idea is that if life is but a dream, how do I live a life worth remembering when I wake up?
If you do not have some intellectual reasoning to mystical experience, or if you cannot divine a logic that guides you to understanding, it can drive you mad. We need to reason through our experiences so we know how to act, and what is right or wrong for us and impart that information to others so they do not needlessly suffer through spiritual psychosis or otherwise live bereft of spirituality. The belief systems we have derive from countless unnamed people who did the same.
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I always know what is right for me. It's simple when my mind is still. When I surrender, there is no need for reason. Everything outside myself is noise.
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Everything is based on what YOU feel. You are the center of the world. Depending on what you eat, changes the way you feel for that day it sounds like.
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I agree. What we eat is a huge key to me. For me, I feel best when stay away from denser foods.
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Ignore the background music.
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I enjoy Alan Watts. I'll check this out. Thank you.
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Is there not more than one way to GOD?
it s the inner way, through meditation , some will add with yoga...
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I ask the question as to try and get people to think outside their box. To ask a new question.
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I agree. 🙏
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This is man’s greatest question… I have found all of life’s questions through the Bible. The reasons for evil in the world, man’s purpose, love etc.
At the end of the day, you have to seek knowledge. Did Jesus rise from the dead? Without question. Not only answered in the scriptures, but also outside of it throughout historical books. If Jesus was raised from the dead, then everything he claimed, stated, commanded is true! Jesus is the only way to be right with God.
I read “Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel years ago. It challenged me and all of my questions and worldviews as the author traveled down the same path as an atheist. I recommend this to start with although there are many good books. Cheers
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I seek to release all knowledge. There is nothing in a book that will teach me about my truth. Why is it "without question" that Jesus rose from the dead? And was there not other stores of reincarnation? For me death is an illusion. We are all one. We have always been and always will be. There is no separation from "GOD" and I. Or you and I. Or man and animal. It's all the same. Always and forever. This can't be taught. It must be experienced.
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is it a connection to GOD ? or are we all ONE!
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I am always looking to speak in terms that draw more people into discussion.
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Ahh. There it is. There is no separation from us and what we call "GOD". I agree.
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