What Attracted You To Other Forms Of Spirituality

[lemon]

I recently started a discussion on my blog called, Would you still become a christian if..., with a street preacher (who adheres to WOTM type evangelism). He implied that only a christian can experience true joy, peace, and security. If anyone would like to share their story of how other beliefs (or even atheism) led to true inner peace, feel free to do so. You could email your perspective via a private message and I'll post it or you could post directly on my blog.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Lemon.

[Mythra]

I recently started a discussion on my blog called, Would you still become a christian if..., with a street preacher (who adheres to WOTM type evangelism). He implied that only a christian can experience true joy, peace, and security.

 

After years and years (and years) of being a christian, I'd have to say that the inner joy/peace/tranquility thing is overstated. I've known literally hundreds of christians over the years, and trust me - they're just as fucked up as anyone else. Christians are selling a product. Just like any salesman. And the pitch is always better than the reality.

 

I am a pretty hardcore skeptic now. I suppose materialist / atheist would describe me pretty well. And I'd never claim that I live a joyous life filled with overwhelmingly ecstatic emotional experiences. But what I have is self- acceptance. And I can say that I'm pretty peaceful and unconflicted. And I'm pretty sure that the way I currently view the world and the supernatural is in step with the truth.

 

Don't get me wrong. I would love for there to be magical things that transcend our understanding. Other dimensions and mysterious things that are beyond the mundane world. I'm just not sure how one goes from thinking about such things to a state where they think they actually exist. And I refuse to morph my thinking just because it makes me feel happier. Or more secure. Or more optimistic.

 

When a belief is found to be personally useful, it should be suspected all the more that it's untrue.

[R. S. Martin]

What ATTRACTED me to other forms of spirituality or atheism??? The question would be better stated if it asked: What drove me out of Christianity?

 

It failed to deliver what it promised. I agree with Mythra to a point when he says it's over-stated. I would go further and say the Christians for the most part don't have what they profess to have. They simply don't know what true inner peace and calm is because they have never had it. I think what they are familiar with is conflict, much conflict, and much more conflict. When they reduce much conflict of youthful rebellion to just conflict of settling down in adulthood they think they have found the true inner peace of God. However, the way they treat themselves and each other proves to me that they haven't. Some may have but many haven't.

 

And the superficiality and emptiness of having to relate to thin air--it takes a psychological toll even on the most faithful and devout. There's got to be a reason why people in their twenties are so eager and zealous while people in their forties are hardening into fundies and calloused people in their sixties don't even cringe at attrocities. The aged move into Alzeheimers or some other ailment to keep them out of the public arena of horror. Okay that is oversimplifying but I dunno. I'm NOT GOING BACK and there's a reason for it, even if I can't articulate it at this point.

 

Feel free to send him a copy of this if you think it's appropriate.

[Rev R]

True inner peace...hmmm.

 

No one spiritual path/ religion holds a monopoly on "inner peace" (somebody tell me how to do that TM thing). Buddhism worked for me, but I'll be the first to tell someone that the Way may not be for them. I guess my attraction to it was that Buddhist practice promised me nothing and delivered. I view it kinda like paint thinner, stripping away the unnecessary crap and not replacing it with anything.

 

*shrug* that is just me.

[R. S. Martin]

True inner peace...hmmm.

 

No one spiritual path/ religion holds a monopoly on "inner peace" (somebody tell me how to do that TM thing).

 

Someone told me yesterday. Put parentheses around TM. When you hit submit it will show up as superscript. I tried it and it works like magicâ„¢.

 

EDIT: So what I typed was this, minus the spaces: m a g i c ( T M )

[Rev R]

Thanks Ruby.

[SWIM]

Thanks Ruby.

 

 

Pretty cool new avatar rev™

 

[Rev R]

Thanks Michael.

 

It's Onsokumaru™ from the 2x2 Shinobu series. One of my favorite characters.

[BlueGiant]

To be honest, the closest I've come to inner peace has been the result of mild concussons, or peculiar mental states (being "in the zone", "dialed in", flow, or my favorite: "deep hacking"), or certain circumstances related to practicing martial arts. I can say, though that no belief has brought me inner peace.

 

Acceptance, on the other hand, now that is another matter. While I have personal views regarding reincarnation (more that it is likely to exist, probably related to some conservation law or other), death itself is an objective fact. When it happens, it happens and there is fuck all you can do about it, other than accepting what has happened, enjoying the good memories, and just letting go. It was severely tested when I had two dear friends die within a week of eachother (both freak, unrelated, causes), along with another three friends of mine ending up in the hospital in that week (also unrelated). I have to say, that it helped me get through it, mostly by being honest about things with myself.

 

Then again I never experienced inner peace when I was a Christian. I think that anyone that says that they are at peace with themselves, aren't looking hard enough, or are lying their asses off to themselves. The gap between truth and happiness can be quite large, ne?

[MultifariousBirdLady]

He implied that only a christian can experience true joy, peace, and security. If anyone would like to share their story of how other beliefs (or even atheism) led to true inner peace, feel free to do so. You could email your perspective via a private message and I'll post it or you could post directly on my blog.

 

I just might do that. (I just need the time.)

 

I've heard that whole business that only Christians can experience those things. If I remember correctly I believe I heard Tony Campolo say it in a video we watched back in my high school church youth group. It was interesting that he also said that Christians would experience deeper concern and sadness than non-Christians for this "fallen" world as well. It almost sounded like he was implying that Christians would end up with some kind of dramatic intensification of emotion that other people just don't have. He made it sound like Christians would be "more alive" with this stronger emotion. But again, I'm just going from what I remember of my impressions.

 

I suppose one way of looking at that is that it could be like an induced manic depression. Higher highs and lower lows, I guess.

 

Of course all of us here now know that it's utter bullshit. Christians and non-Christians have the same basic human emotions that everyone has, and in pretty much the same intensity most of the time.

 

However, all that crazy-making that Christian ideology is capable of producing can sure put someone on a roller-coaster ride. Especially if they're in a manipulative church to boot. I sure don't call that true joy, peace, or security, though.

 

But that's not

[MultifariousBirdLady]

How does one edit posts on here?

[Ouroboros]

How does one edit posts on here?

You get the EDIT button when you reach 25 posts (or around that number).

[MultifariousBirdLady]

You get the EDIT button when you reach 25 posts (or around that number).

 

OK, thanks.

[Guest Anonomous Person]

Hi everybody. I practice various Yogic techniques, all of which have truly wonderful results. In the West Yoga is often thought of as mere excerise, this is a gross misunderstanding. Hatha Yoga is the path of bodily purification consisting of Shatkarma (Cleansing techniques, most of which are rarely done these days. I do one Jala Neti which is using slightly salty lukewarm water to cleanse the sinuses) Asana (The stetching postures commonly known in the West), Pranayama (Control of the vital force through breathing exercises, one of my favourites), Mudra and Bandha (Hand gestures, muscular locks and combinations of other techniques), Yoga Nidra (Deep relaxation, my favourite practice! Truly brilliant practice). Hatha Yoga is considered a stepping stone to Raja Yoga (Meditation & Mantra Chanting) which are both fantastic once you get the hang of it. Also there is Karma Yoga (living in the moment at all times, particularly whilst at work, quieting of the mind using self-observation), Bhakti Yoga (Singing devotional songs, and mainting a loving inner atmosphere at all times) Jnana Yoga (Philosophy and the discernment of truth). Ultimately all these practices combined has filled me with an incredible inner peace far greater than any drug (Ok I haven't tried them all, but before I got into Yoga I had tried several), and it grows stronger with every day. So yes, I have definately discoverd inner peace, and I constantly finding more and more. Every day I experience Prana (The vital force also known as Chi, Ki, Orgone, The Life Force, Ether etc) flowing through me, and I can feel it when I do something to either block it, or stimulate it.

This is not to say that I believe that this is the only path. I personally have syncretic beliefs. I believe that Mysticism is an inner Science, and like external Science there are specific laws that apply. Anybody in any part of the world who undertakes the experiments and isolates the variables will achieve the same results. Yoga has made big promises, and I would have to say personally that it delivers. I personally think that any genuine Spiritual path can provide these results. I am personally interested in Buddhism, Tantra, Alchemy, Kabbalah, Gnoctism, Hermeticism, Shamanism, Taoism, New Age etc For those Atheists out there, there are Meditation practices that don't involve any degree of Mysticism, I highly recommend that you try it. Some people find it hard when you first start (I did, yet I persisted and it payed off) whilst others seem to be able to do it straight away.

I do think that some Christians have an idea of inner peace. Praise and Worship and deep prayer can produce blissfull states, however I tend to think that the harsh Fundamentalist Dogma is a wall that will only allow them to go so far. There have been Christian Mystics, who's visions read virtually identical to the visions of Eastern Saints. Ultimately, inner peace is subjective, one persons description of inner peace may be only a weak sensation compared to anothers fully fledged Bliss.

Whilst this is only a short attempt at a response, it must do for now.

[Grandpa Harley]

To me, the final abandonment of the idea of an involved creator was one of the things that saved my sanity. If the god of the bible were true, or a god of a similar stamp, 'involved' with the universe and the doings of the dust mites that infest it's planets, then madness would be the only sane response. God would deserve 'pain' and thus, since he's not here right now, then I'd have had to make do with his followers to make my point... I've always maintained that converting me to the belief would be a dangerous thing to do

 

 

 

but this is familiar territory to those who know my back story...

[Vendredie]

Well the sheer amount of evidence against Christianity forced me to become agnostic, and then I started studying Wicca, but then just turned to atheism. I feel free as an atheist, I have no god to worry about, no holy texts and meaningless rituals, just my beliefs, and what I have learned in my sixteen years on Earth. What turned me on to Wicca was that it was a very peaceful religion and, well, fascinating, but I kind of hit a snag at the God and Goddess part because I stopped kidding myself into believing that there were any gods at all. I still find Wicca to be a beautiful and interesting religion though.

[Shion]

I have always been attracted to religions other then the major monotheisms of the world. The concept of one masculine deity in charge of everything, omnipotent, tyrannical ect. had no appeal to me. As a child (about 9-10 years old), I wrote a stories about mankind literally killing God for his tyranny. I say I was well on my path away from Christianity then.

 

I am exploring Wicca now, after being completely put off by the masculinist tendencies in Buddhism. I do not however, think of the "God & Goddess" other then convenient visualizations of the male/female energies found in nature.

[Deva]

...... Jnana Yoga (Philosophy and the discernment of truth). Ultimately all these practices combined has filled me with an incredible inner peace far greater than any drug (Ok I haven't tried them all, but before I got into Yoga I had tried several), and it grows stronger with every day. .....This is not to say that I believe that this is the only path. I personally have syncretic beliefs. I believe that Mysticism is an inner Science, and like external Science there are specific laws that apply. Anybody in any part of the world who undertakes the experiments and isolates the variables will achieve the same results. Yoga has made big promises, and I would have to say personally that it delivers. I personally think that any genuine Spiritual path can provide these results. I am personally interested in Buddhism, Tantra, Alchemy, Kabbalah, Gnoctism, Hermeticism, Shamanism, Taoism, New Age etc

 

I have been exploring along these same lines for the last 12 years or so. I have a lot of interest in Eastern religion, Hinduism and Buddhism. This probably dates from when I was around 15 and read the Bhagavad Gita and a book by Krishnamurti. There was a long period of time when I dropped thinking about religion and then in the 90s, I tried to go back into Christianity, really threw myself into it, and failed. I lost interest in trying to make something fit that didn't. I came back to studying the teachings of Krishnamurti (similar to Buddism) for several years. This study helped me to drop Christianity for good. My interest is now in Jnana Yoga and Buddhism.

 

I have a rather syncretic belief system also. Why? I think it is because of my introverted personality. The question "who are you?" is of interest to me, not convincing other people I am right and they are wrong as is the case with Christianity. I have come to the understanding that there is a state or a ground of being beyond thought or consciousness that always remains. I think we were there before birth and after death will return to it. It is a "no-state" state. Parabrahman is beyond description but always prevails. I find this comforting that there is something beyond thought except that it is not a "thing" as we would imagine it. I am now studying the Buddhist doctrine of "emptiness" which I think parallels this Hindu concept of Parabrahman.

 

I believe in destiny and re-birth after an intermediate state. I have some interest in astrology since the study of my horoscope seemed to be revealing as to my personality.

 

A psychic said to me once that she saw me "with the Buddha" in a previous life. To me that's as good an explanation as any for this interest in eastern thought.

[Rev R]

I am now studying the Buddhist doctrine of "emptiness" which I think parallels this Hindu concept of Parabrahman.

 

Hey Deva,

 

I was going to suggest looking at Nagarjuna as one of the major exponents of sunyata but it appears that you already have. The Platform Sutra of the 6th Patriarch would be my second suggestion.

[Deva]

Thank you for the suggestion, Rev R. I will look for a copy of the sutra. I have a couple of books coming on Nagarjuna. I have been watching a series of lectures on DVD by Professor Malcolm David Eckel, who clued me in to the importance of sunyata and I am looking forward to learning about it more.

[Grandpa Harley]

Just to revist this thread... the only people shown scientifically, under controlled conditions to be happy and peace filled ARE Mahayana/Vajrayana Buddhists... but then the Dalai Lama has been instrumental in making sure that the wider Buddhist community has largely embraced modern science... certainly more than any other 'classical' religion...

 

http://www.mindandlife.org/hhdl.science_section.html

 

CAT scans, and SQUID analyses of brainwave function have shown that even a trained Lay Buddhist is pretty damned chilled and an can chill at will...

[bellsybop]

I haven't explored any other religions. Once I made my transition into deism, I think I'm quite content with it. I will admit though, that I contemplate atheism somewhat as an alternative choice of non belief. I have found my inner peace as others have stated. I feel like I can actually

breathe now. My spirituality comes in a form of peace of mind.. something no one will truly ever have within religion.

[Legion]

I have to confess to a certain attraction to non-religious Buddhism. Why am I attracted to it? I guess it's because it seems to conflict the least with my admiration of science and my adherence to naturalism. In addition I have learned some things about myself from the practice of mindfulness.

[florduh]

I think I'm a closet Buddhist. Nothing leads me to believe there is a spiritual or supernatural realm at all, but the concepts in Buddhism provide a reasonable and helpful way to live.

 

I guess I just am tired of labels.

 

- Chris

[Legion]

I think I'm a closet Buddhist. Nothing leads me to believe there is a spiritual or supernatural realm at all, but the concepts in Buddhism provide a reasonable and helpful way to live.

 

I guess I just am tired of labels.

I understand what you mean about the labels Chris.

 

Supernatural? Nah, not in my estimation. The natural world is mysterious enough in my opinion. Spirituality? I guess it depends on how it's perceived. For me it seems to be little more than a desire to empathize and be compassionate.