Conversation Board - Why do you believe?

Sam

Ex Member

Why do you believe?
Aug 7^th, 2005 at 9:25pm

Many people browsing these forums have hit a religious wall. Many specific religions have lied to us, taken our money, abused our children, condemned our sexual preferences, and told us it's a sin to question the religion in a way that doesn't favor it.

Just having faith to me, seems to really halt the true exploration of your exsistance. What to you has really defined your beliefs? Maybe itll shed some light on others still searching.

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Ryan b

Ex Member

Re: Why do you believe?
Reply #1 - Aug 8^th, 2005 at 2:37pm

To me what has designed my beliefs is basiclaly what i want to lol. Kinda hard to explain...i'm not religious and i do believe that religions don't nessecilary halt peoples explorations but can limit or sometimes be a barrier...i don't believe they are all bad though, they do help guide people and thats all i believe they are about...sorry to offend anyone.

I like to believe there is an afterlife but that is it...no almighty person and its not like i dont like anyone being higher...but from all the theories ive heard...what does it into?? and what i've heard i don't like lol.

if something changes me bliefs though i'll take it on full swing...bring it on! lol

Ryan

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mystic_dreamer

Ex Member

Re: Why do you believe?
Reply #2 - Aug 8^th, 2005 at 3:32pm

Hey Sam....I have one foundation of belief..and that is that there is God. From that, I live from else comes from my heart. I know the difference between right and wrong....and I treat others as I would want to be treated by others.
I believe that there is an afterlife...there has to be, as I can't see just dying one day and then there being absolutely nothing. There are just too many other instances and experiences out there so say there is 'something else' after we die.
My greatest contact in my life is thru nature. For myself, I feel like I am completely 'at one' with everything in the universe when I am near the water. There, I can find the answers to most, if not all of my ideas, troubles, questions....
I believe in the Bible.....but there are so many contradictions in it.....and so many other religious belief systems that all argue against the other!
How are we to know which 'belief' is right??
This is why I have come to a point in my life where I have my base foundation...and then live by the heart......
I also believe firmly in that 'all things' happen for a reason......you may not see what that reason is today...tomorrow.....or in 5 years...but by God, you will see the answer one day. I just have to believe that there will be something good come out of something bad.....and that it will place you in a far better situation than where you were initially.
And you....that belief has never failed for me. I have even come out some situations a much stronger and better person in the end. Not that I want to or are willing to, go thru crap in life at any point...but, there are good things to come from it.
I hope this little tid bit helps you to discover where you are going!!
Wink

Mystic

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bill38 Ex Member	Re: Why do you believe? Reply #3 - Aug 8^th, 2005 at 3:35pm Hi, I believe there must be a higher power because somethings can't be explained. For example, the fact that space goes on forever is hard for me to understand.My greatest concern though is the morality of this higher power. Nature is very harsh and nature was created by this higher power.
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mystic_dreamer Ex Member	Re: Why do you believe? Reply #4 - Aug 8^th, 2005 at 3:35pm wellllllllllllll geeze....I seem to be having a brain fart here today....I am missing words and misplaced words......hope you can make sense out of what I just wrote!!!
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Shirley Super Member Offline Afterlife Knowledge Member Posts: 537 San Antonio Gender:	Re: Why do you believe? Reply #5 - Aug 8^th, 2005 at 5:42pm Mystic..even with the missing/misplaced words..I understood ya! About being near water ..I can so relate to that. My best times of clarity are on the beach..or even in the bathtub..
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Touching Souls Super Member Offline LOVE IS ALL, SHINE YOUR LIGHT THAT OTHERS MAY SEE Posts: 1966 Metaline Falls, WA Gender:	Re: Why do you believe? Reply #6 - Aug 8^th, 2005 at 9:52pm My beliefs have been formed by my own explorations in the non-physical and afterlife. There's nothing like first hand experience. And going within. We all have all the answers to everything inside of us. We just have to learn how to access it. Peace, Mairlyn
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Berserk

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Afterlife Knowledge Member

Posts: 979
Gender: male

Re: Why do you believe?
Reply #7 - Aug 8^th, 2005 at 11:35pm

Dear Sam,

I believe because of experiences like that of Ahmed, a Muslim mullah. Ahmed hated Christians and was dying of AIDs in Ethiopia. Two Christian young people prayed for him in the hospital. Ahmed would later say, "I wanted to kill them for their presumption, but I was too weak!" After they left, Christ Himself entered the room in blazing glory and gave Ahmed a healing touch. Cured of his AIDs, he became an inferno of zeal for Christ. His testimony caused 3 mosques to be converted to churches. He and his converts have been beaten and persecuted by other Muslims, but they don't let that deter them. Muslims are suing Ahmed to regain control of the mosques and Ahmed's own wife is threatened to leave him for neglecting his marriage. Ahmed probably needs marriage counseling and is far from perfect, but who can blame this neglect when he experienced such an awesome miracle. My family knows Ahmed's Christian pastor personally; so that makes his experiences all the more meaningful to me. These examples could be multiplied.

I also believe because Jesus' miracles and resurrection can be securely linked to eyewitness testimony and because manifestations of the dead comparable to the physicality of His resurrection have happened to people I know and can vouch for today. I have given several examples of this on this site in the past couple of years. For example, my friend Leonard's deceased son Jeff came back from the dead, and took his Dad for a ride in his pickup. Jeff assured his Dad that he was OK, and explained his investment situation to help his Dad tie up loose ends.

I have also experienced many personal miracles that confirm the existence of an afterlife. In my observation, the evidence for an afterlife from church contexts are far more convincing than their New Age counterparts.

Your query has motivated me to start a new thread. The more I read about Swedenborg (1688-1772 AD), the more he stands head and shoulders above modern astral adepts in the convincing nature of his verifications. My new thread will illustrate why. My primary resource will be a mind- blowing book mailed to me as one of many by Judy from this site: Wilson Van Dusen, "The Presence of Other Worlds: The Psychological/ Spiritual Findings of Emanuel Swedenborg." I'm only part way through it. So stay tuned.

Here are its chapter titles:
1. The Man (1 of the greatest scientists of his day)
2. Going Within (his early experiences)
3. Opening the Inner World (his method of projecting and, more important, how he learned to distinguish the genuine from the counterfeit)
4. Worlds within Worlds: Heaven and Hell
5. The Gentle Root of Existence
6. The Presence of Spirits in Madness
7. Minor Miracles
8. Existence Itself as Symbolic
9. Inner Meanings
10. The One Present

Chapter 7 ("Minor Miracles") is amazing. Swedenborg trivializes the significance of his verifications. Yet they are far, far more impressive than those of any modern adepts. He keeps all his verifications private. But those encountering his verifications (including some famous people) are so awestruck by them that they trumpet them to all who will listen. Only then does Swedenborg reluctantly confirm their awesome experiences.

Chapters 5, 8, & 9 explain how consciousness functions in a totally different and highly symbolic way in the astral realms.

Don

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Touching Souls

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LOVE IS ALL, SHINE YOUR
LIGHT THAT OTHERS MAY
SEE

Posts: 1966
Metaline Falls, WA
Gender: female

Re: Why do you believe?
Reply #8 - Aug 9^th, 2005 at 12:19am

Hi Donald,

How are you doing with the Gateway Experience tapes? I feel this is on topic because my experiences with the tapes and then the 4 programs I took at TMI have done so much for my beliefs and have ALSO strengthened my belief in God and have given me a very loving relationship with Yeshua. Although I've always believed in God and Yeshua, I have opened up to spirituality which is so different from religion. Wink

With Love, Mairlyn Wink

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I AM THAT I AM -- WE ARE ALL ONE -- TOUCHING SOULS

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Berserk

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Re: Why do you believe?
Reply #9 - Aug 9^th, 2005 at 11:04am

Marilyn, unfortunately my job search has caused me to neglect the TMI tapes this summer. But I still respect their potential and hope to recapture my discipliine. I'm sorry I got closed out of the TMI Gateway program a couple of years ago because I sense that being there might make all the difference. Sigh! O well, I went to Paris and London instead and had a great time, though the French were stereotypically often rude to me.

Don

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blink

Ex Member

Re: Why do you believe?
Reply #10 - Aug 9^th, 2005 at 11:27am

When I was a child I believed what I was taught but I did not understand. When I was a youth I rebelled from my teachers. As I became an adult I sought new experiences and new teachers.

I came to the realization over time that everything thing and everyone is my teacher. I am also my teacher. I came to love my teachers and to love myself.

To open one's eyes and to open one's ears is to learn and believe. Wherever I go, outside and inside, there is always a teacher. He who seeks will always find.

love, blink

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Rob_Roy Super Member Offline Posts: 539 New Hampshire, USA Gender:	Re: Why do you believe? Reply #11 - Aug 9^th, 2005 at 6:51pm I base my beliefs on two criteria: 1) Personal experience 2) A preponderance of the evidence I don't want to believe, I want to KNOW.
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alysia

Ex Member

Re: Why do you believe?
Reply #12 - Aug 9^th, 2005 at 9:40pm

Quote:

I base my beliefs on two criteria:

1) Personal experience
2) A preponderance of the evidence

I don't want to believe, I want to KNOW.

______

I like what Rob says because I like to keep things simple. and it's like a formula what he said.
____

Sam asked: What to you has really defined your beliefs?

basically Rob said it for me I have to KNOW. my method is a testing method. an experiment. if the experiment doesn't work, I usually have plan B in place before I test out plan A. theres been a lot of guidance in my life which usually shows up before I can implement plan B.
and Sam mentioned something about faith. all I can say is faith is more than what you think it is. I'm not talking about blind faith or being like a clone. real faith is very creative, but is not following the crowd.
also theres the matter of gathering evidence. I read a lot and compare all I've read to find the similarities of what the author is saying which jives with other material..coming to a preponderance of evidence as I believe where smoke is, fire has been there.
I've tested out a few things in the bible, and they worked, so I'm not here to say religion is bad, just to interpret it in the right way that makes sense.
it's so easy to throw out the baby with the bath water, I see no purpose in that.
love, alysia

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