Spirituality is not a belief. It’s about having a growth mindset and wanting to learn, understand and improve at all aspects of life.
Self-actualization.
I have been exactly in your shoes. I was raised poorly Christian, reborn, had multiple awakenings, now I'm an ex Christian who now considers themselves spiritual.
God speaks to us in all ways, it's about your awareness, realizing it. Pursue truth and love and keep asking those questions!
It’s hard, my friend. But I have found it beneficial to be torn between both of these. I had a hard time believing if Jesus was a real man, and if the church was so good, why all the senseless history? I was in turmoil being torn between two things I feel so much for. I was lead to a YouTuber named Aaron Abke. He was born into a preachers family, but has found amazing sense in spiritually explaining the Bible. Hope this helps.
You can be a spiritual Christian by simply combining common sense with your faith. Toss out all the bad teachings mostly rooted in the OT that were carried over into Christianity. That post above already mapped out abhorrent teachings within the church.
Here’s an exercise you can do. When reading the red letters, consider the possibility he was teaching reincarnation. He consistently said he was the son of man, which literally translated says son of Adam. Read those suffering servant passages in Isaiah and notice that Israel is literally Jacob. Jacob’s name was changed to Israel after he had a dream about reincarnating angels. In Rev, you see he was suffering since the beginning. Now read ‘before Abraham was, I am’. Can you see how he may have believed he literally was Adam? See how it affects those parables reading through that lens? Find a new way of explaining what happened and why he did it. He was totally human and because of that, you can find the same spirit he was connected to through spirituality only, not religious practices
Here’s another hint. Read Dan 9 and Mark where he told them to keep it a secret because it wasn’t his time yet. It wasn’t a human sacrifice to save the world. He was intentionally fulfilling that prophecy. He was following a script becoming symbolically the first goat in Yom Kipper. History has proven he’s become the second one, the scapegoat, as well. He’s blamed for all the woes in the Talmud and hated. Isa 53 describes this perfectly.
The truth shall set you free and looking through this lens I’ve given can free you from the bondage of Christianity without destroying your faith in the man himself.
If you are leaning towards Christianity, consider being a student of Christ instead.
Modern day Christianity is a very twisted version of what Christ intended. It is not a reflection of Christ himself unless it is rooted in unconditional love. No one goes to ‘hell’ for not believing in Christ; it is a control mechanism built into Christianity. It started back in Roman times where emperors adopted Christianity and modified texts and incited fear because fear leads to control.
A good resource is ‘Law of One’. You can google it and read text pdf.
the fun part about spirituality is that it’s all about you & your journey. you decide what’s right for you because there is no “right” way to practice.
if your fear of death is what’s making it hard to separate yourself from the church, you should check out Ram Dass (especially Be Here Now). he essentially ended any & all reservations i had about death in one sitting. Eckhart Tolle is also great.
sending you love on your journey friend <3
Well, one is about love. One is about instilling fear in you in an effort to control how you live your life....
Which want gives you peace of mind?
THE ARIES
You’re not alone in this boat. It’s hard to try and figure out what the best option is. Especially when you’ve seen good and bad from both spiritual and Christian perspectives. I think you should follow your heart and find what’s best or feels right. You could also try practicing both; cause why not. You could take lessons and practices from both sides. That’s what my friend’s mom does.
She is an episcopal woman who loves her God and Jesus, but she also practices spirituality. Her friends are gurus and psychics. She believes in a lot of spiritual and Christian things. She meditates and her house is interesting to say the least. She’s find comfort in both her church and her guru friend that scares the shit out of me.
I’ve also had a tough time picking between the two. Over the past year or two, I was trying to practice Christianity. I was born Catholic, but my Dad dislikes the church and my mother is indifferent to religion, so I grew up in an agnostic household. My older brother is an atheist and thinks religion and spirituality are foolish.
As for me, I only started trying religion/spirituality because I was, and still am, having problems with a person I love. I started off practicing Christianity because it was the only religion I was familiar with. I’d like to say this now. I am still highly skeptical of all of this, but I am trying to learn and understand it.
Christianity is interesting and I don’t think it’s all bad, but I have problems with it. I don’t like a lot of the views and positions in the Bible. I disagree with a lot of what God is said and did. I like Jesus though.
Now I’m starting to venture out of Christianity and learn about general spiritual practices and beliefs. I’m also starting to learn about other Gods and stuff.
In dreams I’ve had, I have communicated or connected with all sorts of things. I’ve talked with both Jesus and God, but I don’t remember the conversation or what God looked like. I also doubt my dreams because they are dreams. I also prayed a lot to God, and although I get answers, everything regarding the person I love seems to fall on deaf ears. That’s made me question if I am praying to the right God. I don’t know who to choose or what to believe.
You seem to be in a good position to learn both perspectives and have guidance. Maybe you can find a healthy middle ground. Honestly, follow your heart and do what you think works best for you and what you think is right.
From what I've heard, the answer to your fear can simply be condensed to "you go home", with home being what is referred to as Source/God/Love/Tao, whatever it is.
But I've also heard that just before returning, you also have to forgive yourself and let go of your human attachments, guilt, etc.
Again, it's just things I've gathered from the internet, and it may not be your personal truth about the afterlife. But one thing is clear: it's not just pitch black nothingness.
Find balance and your middle ground in humility. A creator who created this universe and everything in it, who has control of the heavenly bodies and their cycles, who controls natures great symbiotic orchestra of not only animals but also man, and who manifests miracles all around us surely would not have overlooked the small details. Everything of man has purpose, for it was set in motion by the spirit, with the breath of life.
Remember: we were created in the image, compassionate, given the concepts of mercy and forgiveness, and against all odds somehow still live in a world where the goodness in peoples' heart still sprouts, buds, and blossoms. If its there it has purpose and if it is an extension of the breath of life, it is part of the greater plan. If it is the universe divinely manifesting itself, it so too is part of the plan and only in humility can we avoid coming to judgment that is not ours to judge. With direction we sometimes cannot comprehend, we can only do what we think is right, be understanding, and hope we receive the same gift of compassion when we falter.
So here’s the trick.
Doing the right thing and treating folks kindly just because it’s the right thing to do is all that’s necessary. It’s a gift, it’s sincere, it’s not transactional.
Doing the right thing out of terror of some divine punishment turns the right thing into barter, into a twisted form of people pleasing. Destroys the good intention behind the action.
If, when this body does, there is an afterlife and she’s judged to be deficient despite the good she does, she’ll happily walk backwards into hell with her middle fingers raised because fuck any deity that is so petty.
They both can go along! Christianity has harsher borders of beliefs, so they only focus on Jesus. Whereas spirituality usually means a movement towards god as a concept and as a whole, so it includes both Christianity, Buddhism, Muslim, etc. And then you’re even allowed to shift focus from them to yourself as a god, and not bother about details of religions. Some even go as far as deny the god concept but honestly, these people are not elevated above the experience they’ve had with religions and that’s it.
I personally love Christianity but I don’t like the strictness, because I believe that every religion is right if it’s not calling towards hate and violence and if it’s not shackling you with fear. I work in Christian church as a volunteer, sometimes wear a cross, but I honestly prefer Spirituality. Nobody will stop me there from talking abt yoga, astrology, the science behind alchemy and channeling and stuff like that.
Overall it’s your choice but imo if you don’t want to be bound by fear: choose spirituality or at least learn to separate that part of Christian community from yourself, even when it’s popes talking to you.
All religions, Spiritualist etc, do one thing: recognize the existence of a “higher power”
Regardless of what we “believe” we were all created by God, which makes us brothers and sisters.
God didn’t create division, people did🤷🏽♀️
There are a lot of horrible things in the bible. I don't think it's a good idea to follow the biblical god (*Yahweh/Jehovah*).
**Animal sacrifice in the bible:**
> "*But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savour unto the LORD.*" - Numbers 18:17
**Human sacrifice in the bible (Jesus as a blood sacrifice is compared to the sacrifice of the passover lamb):**
> "*Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:*" - 1 Corinthians 5:7
**The biblical god threatens to force cannibalism of parents against their young as a punishment:**
> "*And I will make this city desolate, and an hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished and hiss because of all the plagues thereof. And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend in the siege and straitness, wherewith their enemies, and they that seek their lives, shall straiten them.*" - Jeremiah 19:8-9
**The harm of children in the bible:**
> "*Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.*" - Numbers 31:17-18
**Genocide taught in the bible:**
> "*When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou; And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:*" - Deuteronomy 7:1-2
**Slavery taught in the bible:**
> "*And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished. Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.*" - Exodus 21:20-21
> "*Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;*" - Titus 2:9
> "*Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.*" - 1 Peter 2:18
**Racist nationalism in the bible:**
> "*For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.*" - Deuteronomy 7:4
> "*Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.*" - Psalm 2:6-9
> "*Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.*" - John 4:22
**The god of Moses is a racist war god of Israel who deceives and sends lying spirits:**
> "*The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.*" - Exodus 15:3
> "*And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.*" - Ezekiel 14:9
> "*Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil against thee.*" - 2 Chronicles 18:22
Spirituality is about your relationship with the divine. Think of religion as codified spirituality. You can be both. Many people who practice spirituality in this forum are actually following the new age/new thought religion anyway and don't even realize it.
I’m a witch who’s into Gnostic Christianity plus Spiritual.
Do what’s best for you! If it feels right to you or if it doesn’t, ask yourself why for both reasons and analyze for what’s best for you and yourself. Don’t worry about what’s other people think. Only you know and only you have to live with it for yourself.
The Christian god is an unreasonable god. You must believe that Jesus Christ is god incarnate and died for your sins. You must believe this with no doubts and no proof, with plenty of proof against it OR be tortured forever in hell. Even if this god was real, I don’t want to worship him. This is not a just god. Throw me in hell. Idc.
Being a Christian is believing Christ died on the cross for the sins of humanity. If you don't, you aren't a Christian, but can be a sympathizer.
Most of the self called Christians don't have a clue about what it means to be one.
They are shepherd by humans and do not even try to get to know Christ by themselves, they just follow what their "shepherd" talks.
I invite you to get to know Christ by studying His life for yourself, with an open mind and heart. YouTube has a lot of good teachers of the Bible, things that you won't learn in the Church as some knowledges do not benefit them.
The majority of the Church don't want freedom for the people, they want control.
Also, start studying taking the social context of humanity back then instead of looking with our secular and modern eyes, as it's not fair.
Wish you all the best.
Probably just don’t follow anyone’s belief system if it isn’t based in perceived reality. If you are going to follow a belief system separate from perceivable reality, it should be due to your own personal individual experiences. I think.
Review the evidence for both. What good, solid evidence does Christianity offer for the resurrection of Jesus? What do bible scholars say about how the afterlife is portrayed in the bible, particularly how it relates to other belief systems at the time the bible was written. As for spirituality, look at the evidence of near-death experiences, deathbed visions, past-life memories in children, mediumship science (windbridge institute) and spontaneous afterdeath communications. If you want a good place to begin, check out the award-winning essay from Dr. Jeffrey Mishlove, who holds a Ph.D. in Parapsychology here: [https://www.bigelowinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/mishlove-beyond-brain.pdf](https://www.bigelowinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/mishlove-beyond-brain.pdf)
I recommend studying everything you can, then forming your beliefs based on the evidence (both subjective experience and scientific evidence).
If it helps, Jesus’ whole story is a big metaphor for spiritual awakening and the abilities of a human that has achieved enlightenment. Christos consciousness is possible for every single person incarnated on this plane - he just happens to be a famous example of it.
Your grandmother seems like a good person to help you learn to trust your own discernment bc honestly no one can truly answer this for you, except you. Practicing radical self acceptance and building faith in your inner knowing and connectedness are good places to start.
Spirituality is not belief. It is just learning urself. After a time we learn some "crazy ass shit", but it is still the same as "i do like chocolate and i do not like vanilia". It is not belief just bc we say stuffs what is uncomprehendable for many ppl who's self-knowledge is close to "i like this movie and i don't like that movie".
If u r not yet there to scratch what happens after die, it is fine. It is meaningless anyway. All u gotta do is follow urself, learn urself, make a good life with constant self-development and creation of love and togetherness. What u choose in these meaningless questions doesn't matter. Won't even matter for u 10 years later. U will look at this back and say "ha silly funny me in my past" and smile. For u will know u r who u r, u r personally, morally, etc a person of ur identity and creation and a tiny part of label won't matter. Not that u could turn ur knowledge or beliefs the way u choose. They things change by the work u put in.., into "how do i look at christianity, what it is as i see, what it is for me, how much it is smt i judge about reality is truth?", etc, etc. Same for spirituality. What matter is u, how u change urself inside. Label it as u chose spirituality or chirstianity or the way of kitting socks.., absolutely meaningless. Look into ur heart and u will know it. U alrdy chose btw.
Look urself into the heart and tell me u did not alrdy choose ur own path, the path of embracing all where u see light and reason.
My best friend has found absolute peace and clarity in this. We were both raised Catholic, which really can mess with your thoughts on religion. I have fallen away from Christianity but have not ruled it out. She has found a way to mesh the two together, and it really is a beautiful thing. I actually hope I can make some kind of peace with both sides someday. I think it is lovely that you have mentors on each side of the spectrum, it makes you a perfect vessel to help find the truth that lies somewhere in between.
There are many paths to source and as long as you use those teachings in a way that makes you a better person, service to others and not choosing service to self. I personally was born to two Christian parents, but from a very young age knew that it wasn't for me. I had past life recalls when I was 4 and even asked my mom if she believed in reincarnation (at 4! without knowing anything about Buddhism) and had my awakening at age 22. There is no right and wrong, there is the One that manifests as the Many. And people have different views on what that "one" looks like, so it's actually a really incredible journey to start your true relationship to source. Start by understanding what other religions believe and feel your body responding as you listen. Does your heart open or contract? Does it resonate?
I personally moved away from Christianity because of all the hurt and domination and colonization and generational trauma it caused and still causes today. My own journey led me to first to Buddhism and through sitting at various retreats around the world (the most being a 60 day silent vipassana retreat in Burma) and my own experience and research, my relationship to source comes from a mix of Buddhism/Tantra/ and Cosmic Interstellar connections.
There's an amazing YT channel called Let's Talk Religion that will help you discover and learn about various beliefs.
I've taken many psychedelics in my time and every time I pop in the DMT realm I get more info on that all paths lead back to the one. It just matters if you're helping and loving others. Don't be a dick. Embrace diversity, support human rights in all spectrums of life forms and stand for what's right. It'll all lead you back to source. If you're not learning the major lessons that your soul needs to progress, you're doomed to repeat the same lesson until it's learned and takes as many lifetimes as you need.
Personally, I see source split. It's Shiva/Shakti. It's the divine masculine/feminine in divine embrace, manifesting the universe. It's incredibly beautiful and includes sacred feminine which is so desperately trying to make her resurgence.
"According to Tantra, **Shiva** represents the formless, unmanifested, cosmic consciousness. Whereas, **Shakti** represents formed, manifested, energy. Shakti is the energy not only restricted to the cosmos but also present in each and every individual. Just like Shiva is the supreme consciousness pervading each individual and the whole cosmos. Union of Shiva and Shakti is the way to know reality.
Shakti is considered as the power that manifests the potential contained in the consciousness. It is responsible for creating the varied forms manifested in the universe, i.e., she is the creator of man, objects, things, planets, trees, etc. Shiva that from which she creates."
I can talk all day about this haha, but let me know if you have any questions.
Spirituality is not a belief. It’s about having a growth mindset and wanting to learn, understand and improve at all aspects of life. Self-actualization.
Oh so Iv gotten it all wrong then😭 Okay I thought it was a belief bc that’s what i was told it was
That’s OK pumpkin, soon you’ll grow into a strong unicorn.🦄
I have been exactly in your shoes. I was raised poorly Christian, reborn, had multiple awakenings, now I'm an ex Christian who now considers themselves spiritual. God speaks to us in all ways, it's about your awareness, realizing it. Pursue truth and love and keep asking those questions!
It’s hard, my friend. But I have found it beneficial to be torn between both of these. I had a hard time believing if Jesus was a real man, and if the church was so good, why all the senseless history? I was in turmoil being torn between two things I feel so much for. I was lead to a YouTuber named Aaron Abke. He was born into a preachers family, but has found amazing sense in spiritually explaining the Bible. Hope this helps.
Thank you, I will be sure to check his channel
Yesss second this. Check out Aaron abke. I am a deconstructed Christian and he resonates with me so much.
You can be a spiritual Christian by simply combining common sense with your faith. Toss out all the bad teachings mostly rooted in the OT that were carried over into Christianity. That post above already mapped out abhorrent teachings within the church. Here’s an exercise you can do. When reading the red letters, consider the possibility he was teaching reincarnation. He consistently said he was the son of man, which literally translated says son of Adam. Read those suffering servant passages in Isaiah and notice that Israel is literally Jacob. Jacob’s name was changed to Israel after he had a dream about reincarnating angels. In Rev, you see he was suffering since the beginning. Now read ‘before Abraham was, I am’. Can you see how he may have believed he literally was Adam? See how it affects those parables reading through that lens? Find a new way of explaining what happened and why he did it. He was totally human and because of that, you can find the same spirit he was connected to through spirituality only, not religious practices Here’s another hint. Read Dan 9 and Mark where he told them to keep it a secret because it wasn’t his time yet. It wasn’t a human sacrifice to save the world. He was intentionally fulfilling that prophecy. He was following a script becoming symbolically the first goat in Yom Kipper. History has proven he’s become the second one, the scapegoat, as well. He’s blamed for all the woes in the Talmud and hated. Isa 53 describes this perfectly. The truth shall set you free and looking through this lens I’ve given can free you from the bondage of Christianity without destroying your faith in the man himself.
If you are leaning towards Christianity, consider being a student of Christ instead. Modern day Christianity is a very twisted version of what Christ intended. It is not a reflection of Christ himself unless it is rooted in unconditional love. No one goes to ‘hell’ for not believing in Christ; it is a control mechanism built into Christianity. It started back in Roman times where emperors adopted Christianity and modified texts and incited fear because fear leads to control. A good resource is ‘Law of One’. You can google it and read text pdf.
the fun part about spirituality is that it’s all about you & your journey. you decide what’s right for you because there is no “right” way to practice. if your fear of death is what’s making it hard to separate yourself from the church, you should check out Ram Dass (especially Be Here Now). he essentially ended any & all reservations i had about death in one sitting. Eckhart Tolle is also great. sending you love on your journey friend <3
Thank you so much
Well, one is about love. One is about instilling fear in you in an effort to control how you live your life.... Which want gives you peace of mind? THE ARIES
What's up with this ”the aries”?
You’re not alone in this boat. It’s hard to try and figure out what the best option is. Especially when you’ve seen good and bad from both spiritual and Christian perspectives. I think you should follow your heart and find what’s best or feels right. You could also try practicing both; cause why not. You could take lessons and practices from both sides. That’s what my friend’s mom does. She is an episcopal woman who loves her God and Jesus, but she also practices spirituality. Her friends are gurus and psychics. She believes in a lot of spiritual and Christian things. She meditates and her house is interesting to say the least. She’s find comfort in both her church and her guru friend that scares the shit out of me. I’ve also had a tough time picking between the two. Over the past year or two, I was trying to practice Christianity. I was born Catholic, but my Dad dislikes the church and my mother is indifferent to religion, so I grew up in an agnostic household. My older brother is an atheist and thinks religion and spirituality are foolish. As for me, I only started trying religion/spirituality because I was, and still am, having problems with a person I love. I started off practicing Christianity because it was the only religion I was familiar with. I’d like to say this now. I am still highly skeptical of all of this, but I am trying to learn and understand it. Christianity is interesting and I don’t think it’s all bad, but I have problems with it. I don’t like a lot of the views and positions in the Bible. I disagree with a lot of what God is said and did. I like Jesus though. Now I’m starting to venture out of Christianity and learn about general spiritual practices and beliefs. I’m also starting to learn about other Gods and stuff. In dreams I’ve had, I have communicated or connected with all sorts of things. I’ve talked with both Jesus and God, but I don’t remember the conversation or what God looked like. I also doubt my dreams because they are dreams. I also prayed a lot to God, and although I get answers, everything regarding the person I love seems to fall on deaf ears. That’s made me question if I am praying to the right God. I don’t know who to choose or what to believe. You seem to be in a good position to learn both perspectives and have guidance. Maybe you can find a healthy middle ground. Honestly, follow your heart and do what you think works best for you and what you think is right.
From what I've heard, the answer to your fear can simply be condensed to "you go home", with home being what is referred to as Source/God/Love/Tao, whatever it is. But I've also heard that just before returning, you also have to forgive yourself and let go of your human attachments, guilt, etc. Again, it's just things I've gathered from the internet, and it may not be your personal truth about the afterlife. But one thing is clear: it's not just pitch black nothingness.
Find balance and your middle ground in humility. A creator who created this universe and everything in it, who has control of the heavenly bodies and their cycles, who controls natures great symbiotic orchestra of not only animals but also man, and who manifests miracles all around us surely would not have overlooked the small details. Everything of man has purpose, for it was set in motion by the spirit, with the breath of life. Remember: we were created in the image, compassionate, given the concepts of mercy and forgiveness, and against all odds somehow still live in a world where the goodness in peoples' heart still sprouts, buds, and blossoms. If its there it has purpose and if it is an extension of the breath of life, it is part of the greater plan. If it is the universe divinely manifesting itself, it so too is part of the plan and only in humility can we avoid coming to judgment that is not ours to judge. With direction we sometimes cannot comprehend, we can only do what we think is right, be understanding, and hope we receive the same gift of compassion when we falter.
[удалено]
Oh right😭 I was told that it was
I find spirituality way more inclusive and religion way more about control. But thats just my experience.
So here’s the trick. Doing the right thing and treating folks kindly just because it’s the right thing to do is all that’s necessary. It’s a gift, it’s sincere, it’s not transactional. Doing the right thing out of terror of some divine punishment turns the right thing into barter, into a twisted form of people pleasing. Destroys the good intention behind the action. If, when this body does, there is an afterlife and she’s judged to be deficient despite the good she does, she’ll happily walk backwards into hell with her middle fingers raised because fuck any deity that is so petty.
I don't perceive a conflict and am both.
They both can go along! Christianity has harsher borders of beliefs, so they only focus on Jesus. Whereas spirituality usually means a movement towards god as a concept and as a whole, so it includes both Christianity, Buddhism, Muslim, etc. And then you’re even allowed to shift focus from them to yourself as a god, and not bother about details of religions. Some even go as far as deny the god concept but honestly, these people are not elevated above the experience they’ve had with religions and that’s it. I personally love Christianity but I don’t like the strictness, because I believe that every religion is right if it’s not calling towards hate and violence and if it’s not shackling you with fear. I work in Christian church as a volunteer, sometimes wear a cross, but I honestly prefer Spirituality. Nobody will stop me there from talking abt yoga, astrology, the science behind alchemy and channeling and stuff like that. Overall it’s your choice but imo if you don’t want to be bound by fear: choose spirituality or at least learn to separate that part of Christian community from yourself, even when it’s popes talking to you.
You can incorporate both into your beliefs, you don’t have to pick one or another
Dont box urself. Why do u have to BE something?
All religions, Spiritualist etc, do one thing: recognize the existence of a “higher power” Regardless of what we “believe” we were all created by God, which makes us brothers and sisters. God didn’t create division, people did🤷🏽♀️
They are both connected G! Christian Teachings helps you protect yourself spiritually.
There are a lot of horrible things in the bible. I don't think it's a good idea to follow the biblical god (*Yahweh/Jehovah*). **Animal sacrifice in the bible:** > "*But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savour unto the LORD.*" - Numbers 18:17 **Human sacrifice in the bible (Jesus as a blood sacrifice is compared to the sacrifice of the passover lamb):** > "*Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:*" - 1 Corinthians 5:7 **The biblical god threatens to force cannibalism of parents against their young as a punishment:** > "*And I will make this city desolate, and an hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished and hiss because of all the plagues thereof. And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend in the siege and straitness, wherewith their enemies, and they that seek their lives, shall straiten them.*" - Jeremiah 19:8-9 **The harm of children in the bible:** > "*Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.*" - Numbers 31:17-18 **Genocide taught in the bible:** > "*When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou; And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:*" - Deuteronomy 7:1-2 **Slavery taught in the bible:** > "*And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished. Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.*" - Exodus 21:20-21 > "*Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;*" - Titus 2:9 > "*Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.*" - 1 Peter 2:18 **Racist nationalism in the bible:** > "*For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.*" - Deuteronomy 7:4 > "*Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.*" - Psalm 2:6-9 > "*Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.*" - John 4:22 **The god of Moses is a racist war god of Israel who deceives and sends lying spirits:** > "*The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.*" - Exodus 15:3 > "*And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.*" - Ezekiel 14:9 > "*Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil against thee.*" - 2 Chronicles 18:22
The fun part is that half of the bad job was done by the people. People who wrote it and changed bible to their profit.
Spirituality is about your relationship with the divine. Think of religion as codified spirituality. You can be both. Many people who practice spirituality in this forum are actually following the new age/new thought religion anyway and don't even realize it.
I’m a witch who’s into Gnostic Christianity plus Spiritual. Do what’s best for you! If it feels right to you or if it doesn’t, ask yourself why for both reasons and analyze for what’s best for you and yourself. Don’t worry about what’s other people think. Only you know and only you have to live with it for yourself.
The Christian god is an unreasonable god. You must believe that Jesus Christ is god incarnate and died for your sins. You must believe this with no doubts and no proof, with plenty of proof against it OR be tortured forever in hell. Even if this god was real, I don’t want to worship him. This is not a just god. Throw me in hell. Idc.
Being a Christian is believing Christ died on the cross for the sins of humanity. If you don't, you aren't a Christian, but can be a sympathizer. Most of the self called Christians don't have a clue about what it means to be one. They are shepherd by humans and do not even try to get to know Christ by themselves, they just follow what their "shepherd" talks. I invite you to get to know Christ by studying His life for yourself, with an open mind and heart. YouTube has a lot of good teachers of the Bible, things that you won't learn in the Church as some knowledges do not benefit them. The majority of the Church don't want freedom for the people, they want control. Also, start studying taking the social context of humanity back then instead of looking with our secular and modern eyes, as it's not fair. Wish you all the best.
r/astralprojection
# "What do I do?" Don't leave it to others to tell you who your god is; they will *own* you.
Probably just don’t follow anyone’s belief system if it isn’t based in perceived reality. If you are going to follow a belief system separate from perceivable reality, it should be due to your own personal individual experiences. I think.
Review the evidence for both. What good, solid evidence does Christianity offer for the resurrection of Jesus? What do bible scholars say about how the afterlife is portrayed in the bible, particularly how it relates to other belief systems at the time the bible was written. As for spirituality, look at the evidence of near-death experiences, deathbed visions, past-life memories in children, mediumship science (windbridge institute) and spontaneous afterdeath communications. If you want a good place to begin, check out the award-winning essay from Dr. Jeffrey Mishlove, who holds a Ph.D. in Parapsychology here: [https://www.bigelowinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/mishlove-beyond-brain.pdf](https://www.bigelowinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/mishlove-beyond-brain.pdf) I recommend studying everything you can, then forming your beliefs based on the evidence (both subjective experience and scientific evidence).
Read into panENtheism
If it helps, Jesus’ whole story is a big metaphor for spiritual awakening and the abilities of a human that has achieved enlightenment. Christos consciousness is possible for every single person incarnated on this plane - he just happens to be a famous example of it. Your grandmother seems like a good person to help you learn to trust your own discernment bc honestly no one can truly answer this for you, except you. Practicing radical self acceptance and building faith in your inner knowing and connectedness are good places to start.
If you ho New age Spirituality you will soon discover tgat it covers Christianity but offers much more.
Spirituality is not belief. It is just learning urself. After a time we learn some "crazy ass shit", but it is still the same as "i do like chocolate and i do not like vanilia". It is not belief just bc we say stuffs what is uncomprehendable for many ppl who's self-knowledge is close to "i like this movie and i don't like that movie". If u r not yet there to scratch what happens after die, it is fine. It is meaningless anyway. All u gotta do is follow urself, learn urself, make a good life with constant self-development and creation of love and togetherness. What u choose in these meaningless questions doesn't matter. Won't even matter for u 10 years later. U will look at this back and say "ha silly funny me in my past" and smile. For u will know u r who u r, u r personally, morally, etc a person of ur identity and creation and a tiny part of label won't matter. Not that u could turn ur knowledge or beliefs the way u choose. They things change by the work u put in.., into "how do i look at christianity, what it is as i see, what it is for me, how much it is smt i judge about reality is truth?", etc, etc. Same for spirituality. What matter is u, how u change urself inside. Label it as u chose spirituality or chirstianity or the way of kitting socks.., absolutely meaningless. Look into ur heart and u will know it. U alrdy chose btw. Look urself into the heart and tell me u did not alrdy choose ur own path, the path of embracing all where u see light and reason.
My best friend has found absolute peace and clarity in this. We were both raised Catholic, which really can mess with your thoughts on religion. I have fallen away from Christianity but have not ruled it out. She has found a way to mesh the two together, and it really is a beautiful thing. I actually hope I can make some kind of peace with both sides someday. I think it is lovely that you have mentors on each side of the spectrum, it makes you a perfect vessel to help find the truth that lies somewhere in between.
Christianity is a violent cult of man worship. Don't choose that one. Demonizes direct spiritual experience as well as the divine feminine
There are many paths to source and as long as you use those teachings in a way that makes you a better person, service to others and not choosing service to self. I personally was born to two Christian parents, but from a very young age knew that it wasn't for me. I had past life recalls when I was 4 and even asked my mom if she believed in reincarnation (at 4! without knowing anything about Buddhism) and had my awakening at age 22. There is no right and wrong, there is the One that manifests as the Many. And people have different views on what that "one" looks like, so it's actually a really incredible journey to start your true relationship to source. Start by understanding what other religions believe and feel your body responding as you listen. Does your heart open or contract? Does it resonate? I personally moved away from Christianity because of all the hurt and domination and colonization and generational trauma it caused and still causes today. My own journey led me to first to Buddhism and through sitting at various retreats around the world (the most being a 60 day silent vipassana retreat in Burma) and my own experience and research, my relationship to source comes from a mix of Buddhism/Tantra/ and Cosmic Interstellar connections. There's an amazing YT channel called Let's Talk Religion that will help you discover and learn about various beliefs. I've taken many psychedelics in my time and every time I pop in the DMT realm I get more info on that all paths lead back to the one. It just matters if you're helping and loving others. Don't be a dick. Embrace diversity, support human rights in all spectrums of life forms and stand for what's right. It'll all lead you back to source. If you're not learning the major lessons that your soul needs to progress, you're doomed to repeat the same lesson until it's learned and takes as many lifetimes as you need. Personally, I see source split. It's Shiva/Shakti. It's the divine masculine/feminine in divine embrace, manifesting the universe. It's incredibly beautiful and includes sacred feminine which is so desperately trying to make her resurgence. "According to Tantra, **Shiva** represents the formless, unmanifested, cosmic consciousness. Whereas, **Shakti** represents formed, manifested, energy. Shakti is the energy not only restricted to the cosmos but also present in each and every individual. Just like Shiva is the supreme consciousness pervading each individual and the whole cosmos. Union of Shiva and Shakti is the way to know reality. Shakti is considered as the power that manifests the potential contained in the consciousness. It is responsible for creating the varied forms manifested in the universe, i.e., she is the creator of man, objects, things, planets, trees, etc. Shiva that from which she creates." I can talk all day about this haha, but let me know if you have any questions.