I find myself pulled away from my parents very strongly because they are very strong Jehovah's Witnesses. Part of me thinks I should just go at least on some Sundays, not even because I believe at all, but because I can get a chance to be with them. I love my mother so very much, she is amazing. My dad has his faults but I love him as well and they are both dying (soon) my dad is in his high 70's and my mother is 60's but has polio.

I hate how religion seems to pull us apart.

Another reason why I am so hateful towards religion.

My cousin Frankie fell out of the faith so his parents abandoned him completely because they are not supposed to talk to him.

Even when he had a heart attack.

It makes me sick.

So Is there any religion that is most likely correct or the best to follow? Again, it seems that any belief can be twisted and used against others in a hurtful way.

See? This is the kind of stuff I go right to when I think about religion which explains a lot of vehemence I may display.

Hi Starcraft,

The one truth that threads its way through all religions is love.  Love is something you give. It radiates from within you. A part of that giving love is allowing others to have the freedom to express and live their truth. Be with your parents with loving acceptance in your heart even if you don't agree with their beliefs.  They love you as you love them.

Kathy

Starcraft,

May I suggest Beauism?

Or better yet, Starcraftism. I'm sure you see my point.

Love to ya buddy!

Beau

Honoring your father and mother are part of many cultural and religious traditions. I think you can be respectful toward another's religion and/or practice, at your own discretion. Just like you can wear more than one hat, you can walk into more than one temple, with no disrespect. It all depends on your point of view.

I enjoy StoneColdTrueism myself. 

Words of wisdom, Kathy.

I wish folks would spend less time finding reasons to criticize this religion or that one, and rise above the fray.

Once we do that, we'll realize that it's how we treat each other that matters, not which religion they or we belong to.

Be an example to others, not by advocating or criticizing a religion, but by showing them the love that is truly the core message of all religions.

R

Belief systems do some "not" so funny things to people. Like have them disown their family members. Its to bad. He probably loves his parents very much. Sometimes religions are really just big bad cults. If you put lipstick on a pig, its still a pig. There can be a lot of brainwashing to. Like there is only so many spots to fill on that train to heaven and if you dont follow our rules, your not getting on the train. I will bet that when its time for your cousin Frankie's parents to get on that train, they will be looking for an extra seat for their son. Spend time with you parents. It doesn't have to be a church. As for the best religion to follow. Try none of them. Follow your heart. I think your more likly to find what your looking for there than you are anywhere else.

Starcraft:

Whatever the case, if somebody rejects you because they don't like your spirituality it's not your fault.

Eventually, when it comes to the big picture, everything will work out. One of the key things that will enable things to work out is when more and more people listen to their heart, rather than believing according to what somebody else tells them to believe. Believe me when I say this. ;)

I believe you. Very nice. :)

Starcraft-

I lost my best friend when he joined the Jehovah Witnesses.  He was as close to me as a brother.

I could spend my time resenting the JWs for taking him away from me, but that's ultimately a losing path for everyone.

As Kathy says, we need to replace resentment with love.  That doesn't mean I should go around expressing admiration or affection for the JW religion, but neither does it mean I should consume myself with anger toward the group.

Hatred and resentment always find their way back to their source.  You really are hurting yourself more than the group if you choose that path.

It's tough, but it's really the only option that will bring you peace.

R

Related to what Rondelle wrote, people get lost in all kinds of cults. It is quite common for cult members to disassociate themselves from their friends and family.  Such people are thought of as outsiders,  worldly, people who don't know the way, and in some cases evil.

Beau wrote on Apr 18^th, 2010 at 8:15pm:

Starcraft, May I suggest Beauism? Or better yet, Starcraftism. I'm sure you see my point.

That is right on the money :-)
No belief will get you anywhere.

rondele wrote on Apr 19^th, 2010 at 4:28pm:

Starcraft- I lost my best friend when he joined the Jehovah Witnesses.  He was as close to me as a brother. I could spend my time resenting the JWs for taking him away from me, but that's ultimately a losing path for everyone. As Kathy says, we need to replace resentment with love.  That doesn't mean I should go around expressing admiration or affection for the JW religion, but neither does it mean I should consume myself with anger toward the group. Hatred and resentment always find their way back to their source.  You really are hurting yourself more than the group if you choose that path. It's tough, but it's really the only option that will bring you peace. R

I agree...

It seems to me any organized religion is about control.  But as human beings,  only we can submit to that control...we control ourselves in accordance with the tenets proclaimed by those seeking that control.  The religions seeking control cannot control those of us who refuse the control.  Likewise, we cannot control others who denigrate us for refusing that control, and so it goes...only love transcends the control and its ramifications.

hi i dont hate jehovahs wittnesses but to me they are the cause of a lot of problems,they talk about not having a blood tranfusion ,but i think they agree onhaving there own filtered blood transfusion.

if god wanted jehovah's witness to refuse blood transfusion,then how come god the divine spirit lets spirits that transcend to the earth plain to become doctors,nurses ,medical scientists etc ..

jahovah wittnesse are no way god's witnesse because god is not interested in there religion as religion means nothing in the spiritworld and if god wanted us all to die a natural death without the aid of medical science then doctors nurses etc...would not exist,spiritualism is the only religion what speaks the truth.

it tells it as it is ,we came from the spirit world to earths learning school to walk our seperate pathways,also god gave us all freewill to make our own desicions and choose what we like and what we dont like,god did not say that a catholic priest,church of england priest ,a jahovahs witness or whatever religion can rule our lives,spiritualism is freedom from all that so called preaching that preists, are so fond of doing up on the pulpit

i stopped going to the church where i live because the priest there is always ready at the end of his preaching to talk to the yuppies, who listen to the service then look at you like your something they just trod on,hypocrites hear the love of god but dont love the person who does not speak la de da and does not have the latest four by four car,so i left

i'm not putting other religions down because everyone has the right to beleive in what they want to,but it's sad that it causes so much pain and suffering to some,religion means nothing in the spiritworld,just use the freewill that god gave us,so we would never have to caged in by religion,we are all free spirits to live out our destinys and at the end of it we go back home to the spirit realms.

love and god bless  love juditha

"We are spirits in the material world are spirits in the material world"---do I even have to put the name of the band who recorded this? The Police, Ghost in the Machine! you gotta love it!

It's just crazy, ya know? Cause there are billions completely locked in a religion or a belief and they are the ones that are RIGHT.

I am more inclined to believe that we ALL have it wrong.

wrote on Apr 21^st, 2010 at 6:00pm:

It's just crazy, ya know? Cause there are billions completely locked in a religion or a belief and they are the ones that are RIGHT. I am more inclined to believe that we ALL have it wrong.

I completely agree.

wrote on Apr 21^st, 2010 at 6:00pm:

It's just crazy, ya know? Cause there are billions completely locked in a religion or a belief and they are the ones that are RIGHT. I am more inclined to believe that we ALL have it wrong.

Wrong or right, from my standpoint, I only see it my way...if it is wrong to them I don't care...if it is right to them I don't care.  I believe what I believe, and while I am amenable to different points of view I am not amenable to forcible belief, dogma, and ridiculous nonsense.

Nonsense is unfortunately in the eye or i of the bolder. If it won't fly it wasn't meant to. Religion does not fly with me. Jesus was New Age and anyone who thinks that is false isn't getting his message clearly. Jesus wasn't starting a religion. He was instigating a revolution against the very people who have made him a savior. My own opinion of course.

I was watching the Thomas Campbell - The Monroe Institute Lecture @

http://www.youtube.com/user/twcjr44#p/c/CBDDB997F69CDD74/1/pvWNydTdTxg

and I have to say right now in my mind I have formed this concept right now: (yes I know it's not new.)

I was nothing. Nothing is in fact something AND nothing at the same time. All things move towards becoming something.

BAM.

I am born. I was nothing and something. Now I am even more than this.

I die.
I am dead. I can't lose what I have become and experienced.

I die to become something more. If i did not die I would always stay the same and never become anything further. (This is impossible.)

A means to an end.

I would say you live to become something more, starcraft.

If you live forever you will always be stuck in the current consciousness and will never evolve. You must die. We live to die.

I think you have it backwards.

Star, in my view, you are correct. It depends on how you 'see' the word, the meaning of the word 'die'. We 'die to ourselves' at every moment. There is no moment in which change is not occuring. I see it, today, like changing your clothes, in the morning, in the evening, anytime. It is not so much about evolving 'up', in my view, as experiencing a myriad of characters and costumes, so that you can get a feeling, get a measure, of what it is that does exist, and what it is that you prefer, and that will change, always. Sometimes the fabrics will feel very nice, but after a while, it doesn't feel the same. We just need a change. That's all there is to it. We don't have to cry because we're 'tired' of our old outfit. We don't have to cry because it's a new day. We don't have to worship what we once wore. We can even 'burn' it if we want to. No one really cares. I guess what really matters, to us humans, is: did you get the 'purple' memo? That was the one for today. Hope you wore yours. Love on 'ya.


wrote on Apr 22^nd, 2010 at 11:03pm:

If you live forever you will always be stuck in the current consciousness and will never evolve. You must die. We live to die.

If b2's comment makes sense to you, Starcraft then I would say to go with that one. When I say we live to die I actually mean something similar to this. I don't want to get caught up in afterlife semantics or anything like that. The relationship between Life and Death is so that sometimes you can't feel the difference really. I think we live to evolve or devolve, but in reality everything either way is evolution. You gain from this life no matter which path you take. I think we you die you assimilate that knowledge as you realize you are more than a body. It's very easy to be saying the same thing in here with different words. ...and sometimes another person will just blow you away with a major AH HA moment. It's not really dying to live or living to die....its all just life.

In Shakespeare's day to die meant to have an orgasm...honestly it did. "to die perchance to dream" is the true meaning behind the line and a lot of people don't know that. The view then was that such an action as orgasm was a little death and rebirth was that feeling of total calm afterward.

Yours,
Beau

The life constant is change. There is nothing that can be done about that. Nothing will ever be the same or stay the same. There will always be change for complete eternity. It's awesome. It means we will never truly be bored. You will have consciousness for eternity and that consciousness will always have something to experience. The sooner we accept this and become content with it, the less we will have to fear or be unhappy about.

It's badass. I love it. I love what we are and how it all works. Life is a gift, and if we believe that truly then death will be a gift to that life. Soon enough more people will see. Maybe not without catastrophe, but I don't really see it any other way.

The castastrophe is my opinion will be one of confusion over consciousness. A choice to be made. think of the letter Y...why? Because there are two paths left and right but the true path goes right up the center of the Y straight to the sky. Put a circle around that and turn it upside down and what do you get?