Howdy!

[Anonymous]

Welcome to the forums.

I have always felt that there was some part of me that was not physical. And I have dreamt strange things as a child, as well as having an encounter with extraterrestrials. Strange times...

As I got older, I got into religion. Despite the evolutionary theory they teach us in school, which I believe to an extent, I always wondered what it was that put us on the earth. Some hypothesized that we were extraterrestrials. What's interesting about this is the fact that the human cycle of consciousness is 25 hours, instead of the 24 hour day we have. My guess is that if we were put here by aliens, then this was the closest thing they could find to their own planet.

As I got older, (I was brought up Catholic), I began to ponder religion. I decided the only way I could truly prove to myself whether there was or was not a god was by trying to reach out to him/her. I went on three retreats with my church, but not one of them was meaningful to me. I was only required to go to one, but I decided to try it with different groups. What I perceived was that people were just faking their experiences or not seeing the reality. I felt like an outcast. So I stopped going. The teen chatecism taught me nothing I hadn't already learned, and I decided it was best if I stopped going. So ever since then I have not gone to church for the sake of spiritual advancement. I go only for weddings and funerals.

Over time, as I was away from the church, I began to explore my spirit. I questioned everything that has happened in my life. It was not until I took up kung fu that I started making the connections. These are my current beliefs:

We must suffer in order to advance. When I looked back, I realized that all the times in my life that I have suffered, I have learned something.

We must experience duality to know things. Without pain, we would not know comfort, without sorrow, we would not know joy.

We must have free will to spiritually advance- It is US who must choose the side/path we want to travel. We can only come to understand the truth for ourselves, it can never be explained to anyone else.

Hard work will be rewarded, in one way or another.

What goes around comes around. Hence, Karma/karmic law.

Reincarnation does exist, and it is optional. We must reincarnate to accumulate experience, but we can take breaks from it. Our spirits can choose. Once we pass our tests, then we have the option to come back and help others to pass their tests.

I can't think of any more beliefs right now. I'm too tired. Anyway, that's my story. When I found this site, I knew that people on this site could help me and I could help them. I have learned so much since then. I am still a fairly new member, despite my overwhelming number of posts. I've been on the board for a few months.

Once again, welcome. Do not be afraid to post anything, no matter how stupid it might seem.

[James S]

Hi nightfall,

Thanks for the intro. It's a good idea. Now I can see more of your perspective on things.

my story very briefly - after having been a loyal born again spirit filled christian for about 16 years, I found that more and more the churches I was a part of were denying what to me were very real spiritual/supernatural experiences of mine as being "deceptions of the devil". I believe now that they weren't, but the church doctorine could not deal properly with them. I refused to follow unquestioningly and fit into the mold they had for me. I have since completely dismantled my belief system, and had it rebuilt when I was visited by my spirit guide.

In a nutshell, I believe in Jesus as being one of the greatest and wisest people that ever came to earth, and believe his spirit still has great power. I dismiss a lot of the bible as NOT being the words of God, but of men who seek to control people through a rigid intolerant belief system. I beleive there is a great deal to the spirit world that is of much benefit to those who would seek it. I believe that psychic gifts are not the work of the devil, but abilities that are inherent in us that have been generally suppressed by too much focus on our material world.

Any more than that I really don't know, but I want to find out.

James.

[Nightfall]

quote:Originally posted by EnderWiggin

Once again, welcome. Do not be afraid to post anything, no matter how stupid it might seem.

Heh, actually it seems like I've managed to tinkle off several people. Oh, well. What can I do?

Thanks for the info! I like EnderWiggin, he's cool. Card is an excellent writer. I haven't read the entire series, but I've read Ender's game maybe 5 or 6 times. Excellent.

Have you read Cards other stuff? The Alvin Maker series?

I've got some questions from your post and was curious if I could ask you about them? Either via email or in this thread. If not, that's okay. Thanks for sharing with me.

James, I'd also like to talk with you too either via email or this thread because I'm intrigued by your background and by some of the things you've written. Again, if that's not cool, then that's okay and thank you for sharing.

[Anonymous]

Hi Nightfall-

I would not object to any questions you have. Ask them in whatever method you want.

As for more of Card's works, I've read the whole series of Ender's Game, including the companion novels. All of them are excellent. I've also read The Worthing Saga, which is about a young man who can read the minds of others. It is a fascinating book, something I probably would have appreciated more if I read it more recently. At the time, I didn't think it was as good as the Ender's Game books. I'll have to check out the Alvin Maker series.

Well, I have to get going. See you later.

[cainam_nazier]

Nightfall,

"spiritism" ?  Do you mean spiritualism?  I'll just assume that.
Spiritualism is a big catagory.  Normally referring to the "new age" way of thinking.  I use the "" because if you do some research a majority of it has been around since or before the time the bible was written.

Me personally, I don't follow any faith, at least not that I am aware of.  I believe a great many things, far too many to list.  My beliefe system is a cluster of several different types of mainstream and non-mainstream religions.  I can for the most part find some good in all religions.

I was born and baptised roman catholic.  But I don't go to church and I have never been to Sunday school.  I stopped going to Christmas Mass when I was 18, up untill then I was humoring my mother and her side of the family.  I stopped considering myself a catholic when I was about 12 or 13.  I never went through first communion because when it became time I already was aware that the church was not in line with my path.

Since then I have been searching.  I pick and choose from different religions or schools of thoughts, only ever taking parts.  I use these different parts to define my own path.  Some of the things that I hold true though come not from and church or religion but they are my own views on how things work.  

What really got me going in this direction was when I started trying to answer questions reguarding certain "born on" talents that I have.  More so when I learned that not everyone was like this, or rather did not realize that it was possible for them to be like this.

Other than that I consider myself a student of the human condition.  Whatching how others live, interact, and think helps me to understand my own workings.

[James S]

Hi Nightfall,

I shot off an email to you from your user profile. Did you get it?

Feel free to email me - jamess@reynolds.com.au

It's a work address as I tend to be a bit lazy about checking my home address. With Easter coming up and a day off tomorrow I won't be able to get back to you till next week, but mail away anyway.

James.

[Nightfall]

Please, allow me to... introduce myself.

I new to these forums after stumbling upon them by either coincidence or accident. I'm a christian and I study world religions, cults and belief systems and then compare and contrast those teachings against what the bible says.

I came to this point because I was raised a christian, then around the teen years fell out into zen via the martial arts, that lead to new age, then on to wicca and runes, that lead into a religious agnosticism which eventually lead me back to orthodoxy. I do not claim a denomination or any sort of catechism other than I am a biblical christian. A lot of christians give lip service to the authority of the bible and hold more onto the denominational label totally dismissing what the bible actually says. So I'm a little backward on that account in that I dismiss denominational labels in favor, or in difference to what the bible says.

I sort of feel like GK Chesterton in that I wanted to invent my own heresy and after I spent several years assembling it and putting the final touches on it, I rudely discovered that it was orthodoxy. And instead of standing alone with my own theology, I discovered that I stood in line with all of historic christianity. That was sort of a shock.

Anyway, one area that I'm lacking in my studies is the area that I call "spiritism" and if someone could give me a more accurate label, I'd be most appreciative.

But I merely mean the area of astral projection, obe, tarot, new age, crystals... basically the belief system as well as the instruments used in the belief system.

I'm not here to bash and I guess I should have introduced myself before posting.

Anyone who would like to share their story with me would be greatly welcome. How did you come to believe what you now believe? What started you on your journey? If you have homepages or other information, I'll dig it.

Thanks for the warm welcomes and sorry if I splashed anyone by jumping into the pool.