[medio]

Salem you said I am a stoic monist monk. Arent you married with children or did you mean that just literal in the basic beleifs as monks to me live a celibate self sacrificing life. lol lol just curious>>>>

For a monk if a family is a henderance to thier practice then, yes it is better they sacrifice in order to practice. For me, having a family is a important part of my practice and training.

Being a monk for me means that my whole life is yelded.

[PypeMaypetasy]

thank you Salem for explaining..I was confused by your statement.
my whole life is yelded. to be honest lol lol have no clue what that means...
but it is your path so not for me to understand
once again thanks for explaining...it was appreciated

[Uzezqelj]

Salem, as a stoic monk, doyou Have guides? It may be a strange, even stupid question, but I just want to understand your ways as best as I can.
Thanks for everyones replies. I was raised with no religion really, which in one way is a good thing because it provides a clean slate if sorts.
A bit off topic, but why is Sophia banned? I haven't been active that much lately so I might've missed quite a few things.

[medio]

Salem, as a stoic monk, doyou Have guides? It may be a strange, even stupid question, but I just want to understand your ways as best as I can.
Thanks for everyones replies. I was raised with no religion really, which in one way is a good thing because it provides a clean slate if sorts.
A bit off topic, but why is Sophia banned? I haven't been active that much lately so I might've missed quite a few things.

Yes I have many guides, but I have to lower my vibration to hear them.

[Uzezqelj]

Hi, so I was wondering what everyone considers themself to "be", as in religion, or if there are other things as well. Sorry if I sound a bit one-tracked, if that makes sense.
Also, what are your thoughts on religion and spirituality? Their similarities or differences?

[BinasiDombrs]

Religion is a man made organization of people with the same beliefs.

To be spiritual, means that you have a belief that we are spiritual beings living a human existence, also that you believe in some sort of higher power that governs us as spirit beings.

That's my take on it. I am Wiccan, but I am also spiritual. I believe in the concepts of Wicca, but I do not follow the religion solely. I love to take parts from each religion and choose my own beliefs. Therefore, I am spiritual

[Obebtetibre]

A point that has crossed my mine before
We are moving forward as individuals
Growing in differing ways following our minds
We follow things like religion and spirituality
And we either follow or look for our interests
This can create some interesting off chutes

When does a person grow from and individual to be a person followed by others?
As we grow, do we not help others (like on this site)
Where does it all start or finish?
When do we stop being a follower and become leaders?

[FBtquXT8]

I really have no idea still, I suppose spiritual. I believe we all need faith and I find mine in other peoples souls. I was brought up in a christian family although never really felt as though I had been guided by Jesus/God maybe we just didn't connect.

[G8whlTAe]

I haven't been coming to the site very often because I feel as though I have nothing to offer. I used to be very passionate about spirituality and now i'm 19 and really sick of it. I'm not athiest but I'm coming to the conclusion that anything and everything is possible and instead of focusing entirely on religion andwhat I believe, I just want to enjoy my life and go wherever I want to go without worrying about every detail. I'm sure God exists since I've gone to church with my friend from school, a choice that I made after I had known her for a few years and gained respect for her in school because like me she was probably one of the only chaste and responsible(2 times myself) people I'd known at all especially in highschool. She is also very talented. Eventually I learned that she was Christian and after examining how horrible my family was to it's children and how abusive, isolating it was to me and my brothers(to the point where my older brother ran away to the air force and lost passion for healing and being involved with our family). I wanted to know more about her beliefs and lifestyle but I was still very turned off(although accepting) to Christianity because of most people with that label.

They stress for you to read the bible and I wouldn't do it. Turns out the pastors don't preach the bible so much as what God is making them feel by being present in their lives. I started to read the bible and some parts were slightly interesting and others just infuriated me. It was not the God they spoke of, with the bible they gave out. It's totally conflicting. It's made me think that Christians know that it's not all true to their knowledge and that God is not found in the bible but all around us and only He can tell you what is and isn't. And since I've gone to church I've heard a gentle voice guide me or tell me they love me and barrage my self-doubts with lovingly phrased, encouraging words that I haven't told myself before I'd started church with my friends. Of course I'm the type to gain confidence when I know that I'm in the company of true friends and grand opportunities to be active/travel/broaden my horizons on life, serve a purpose.

I'm calling myself a Christian for the time being. I'm using it loosely. It's not fair to say that I'm all about Jesus yet because I'm not sure. I had most of every christian value I've ever heard before ever wanting to explore Christianity and somehow that conflicts. I'm not perfect by any means but I am innocent. I try and have been a very sacrificing person since pre-k. I'd pick a toy off the shelf and if some kid wanted it instead I'd give it to them. That's stupid but just saying.... Christianity makes kids out to be little, T-o-t-a-l jerks and I wasn't the best but I was not selfish, or lying, or cheating or stealing, at least in the sense of consciously doing it. It makes me mad that they do it themselves and therefore everyone must be guilty.

Spirituality is often to confusing and not worth a lifetime of struggle. That's been my experience anyway. I can use telepathy(not at will really), recieve visions and have spiritual experiences or encounters with people/sources of information to pass somewhere but I only wanted to do that stuff because people thought it was helpful and so I tried to help by doing readings. So I was right. Whatever. Great. Uncle Joe says "hi" .... that's nice. :/ That person would be at least 10 years older than me and I wonder why they care.

If I lose a pet, I just talk to them. It's too much trouble to speculate over whether or not what I heard in my head or saw in a dream really came from them. It probably did. But I knew they loved me and knew I loved them. That's what matters. How much more is there to say or explore?

I guess I get frustrated with spirituality because people spend a lot of time on personal details and not always enough on actually recieving the chance to live their lives in it. I think that stems from a social issue though, it's not always their fault for feeling like they have to concern themselves with what ends up being meaningless after a little while.

I'm not getting at anything here. Just felt like chatting

[Uzezqelj]

Hey Silent Wonders, thanks for sharing your views. I'm at that stage in my life where I'm doing quite a bit of searching, for who I am, and what I want to believe in, and so on. Maybe one day I'll be in your shoes, but for now I would just like to try and learn as much as possible.

I consider myself to be more spiritual than religious. There are some things in religion that I find, frankly, ridiculous. Unfair, also, and biaised, and forced, and... Not to be disrespectful to anyone here, because although I'm open to the idea of there being a God, there's just how some people "portray" him to be that frustrates me. Anyway, I can find reasons to refute or support the existence of anything, God, spirits, ghosts, etc.

Thanks everyone for posting.

[G8whlTAe]

Hey Silent Wonders, thanks for sharing your views. I'm at that stage in my life where I'm doing quite a bit of searching, for who I am, and what I want to believe in, and so on. Maybe one day I'll be in your shoes, but for now I would just like to try and learn as much as possible.

I consider myself to be more spiritual than religious. There are some things in religion that I find, frankly, ridiculous. Unfair, also, and biaised, and forced, and... Not to be disrespectful to anyone here, because although I'm open to the idea of there being a God, there's just how some people "portray" him to be that frustrates me. Anyway, I can find reasons to refute or support the existence of anything, God, spirits, ghosts, etc.

Thanks everyone for posting.

Yeah for sure. I think that's a good place to be. I respect that you feel that way. I was there, and got here. I'm not still not sure of myself yet. That's just where I'm at too I'm sorry if I came off as biased. I'm really not. Going to church as much as I've been is making me m ore skeptical of taking the time to search, because i know it's all out there, the answers, but I am too dumb to find it lol

[BinasiDombrs]

I went to church with my family who was Lutheran, I even went to Awana with my friend who was Baptist. Because I could hear my guides and dead people, every time they would talk about Jesus or God being able to smite us or punish us for our sins, my guides would just shake their heads and tell me "No no, that's not right."

For a long time I searched for a place to "belong" with religion. In my 20s I met a really nice lady who was a witch. At first, like most, it scared me that she had special powers and would hurt me if I did something against her. The more I researched Wicca and Native American beliefs, the more it fit my own lost soul.
I later joined Wicca and then a coven. The coven was too much like an organized religion for me, rites, spells and so forth were all very cool, but there was this aire of power within it that I didn't care for.

So though I am Wiccan, I still am more spiritual because of my guides and their teachings. "There is no one true religion" they tell me this. "Religion is man made in order to control people to their way of thinking". Those are comments from my guides.

[Uzezqelj]

There's a critic and doubter in me whose voice always turns up when religion is brought up. I have so many doubts and questions, which I don't think is that unnatural for a human being. Whatever someone says, a part of me will always say that maybe they're lying, they're just scamming you, or they believe in it, but what if it's not actually real? With religion, many atheists dispel it as just "stories" that make people feel better about being alive, death, etc. Even with meeting spirit guides, I question, why would the spirits always be there to "serve" us? If they do exist, why should it all be about us again, about the questions we have for them that they'll answer all the time?

Let me get this straight, I am NOT calling anyone here a scammer. This is only me. I'm one of those people who tries to keep her mind open, but in order to do so, I can't just "blindly" follow what one says, I have to question it, or see it for myself. Please, please do not get offended, because it was not my intention to do so.

[BinasiDombrs]

you should always question! Find your OWN truths.

My answer to you is "why not?"

People used to believe the earth was flat

That no one could walk on the moon.

Guess its your own faith in things that matters
I know my guides exist. I know because I hear them, see them and work with them.

I know because I know things that is not possible for me to know. I was born like this. I know nothing else. To not have them would be strange to me.

[Uzezqelj]

Thanks for your insight Laura, I can only hope that one day I and others out there who are also unsure find the "belief system" that is right for us.
One of the good things I find about myself is that I'm relatively open minded, so while I can question "why", I can also ask "why not". If that were not so I wouldn't have joined this community in the first place :P

[BinasiDombrs]

And we welcome those who are unsure and question. We can only give you our truths and beliefs as we know them. The rest is up to you. We will never force or make you believe what we do. At least I don't! lol TO me that is what organized religion does.

I am very solid in my belief and truths, my biggest issue is trying not to have debates with others who don't see why I believe as I do! lol

This is a test for me, to remain solid in my own but not try to convince anyone else. When asked though, I will offer up my views...and that is all they are, MY views. Take it or leave it

[Uzezqelj]

I think that's why so many people enjoy using this site, and why you're respected, Laura You believe what you believe because you know it's true, but it's different for everyone. Doesn't mean you have to shove it in their faces trying to tell them to believe in what you say, right?

[BinasiDombrs]

exactly right! I answer questions to the best of my own knowledge and welcome anyone else to post their views as well. We are all here learning. I learn something new every day and I love it!!

[Obebtetibre]

I am very solid in my belief and truths, my biggest issue is trying not to have debates with others who don't see why I believe as I do! lol

I agree with you here
It is not our position
To try and convert others
When they are ready
They will come to you

[Uzezqelj]

Or maybe they'll find their own paths? I think the world's too big for there to be just "one way". Just my opinion though!