Where Do Religions Come From

[DesertBob]

I think you assume too much, Daylight.

 

Nothing says that god(s) would be comprehensible to us, interested in us, or friendly to us. If you drop all your preconceptions and hopes and wishes,

 

I just wanted to make a note that the things I write is not wishful thinking, but based on messages I received from the source. I was not even aware of these things before I was told.

I admit to not reading much of your stuff because it is very long-winded. Quite the stem-winder.

 

At any rate, how do you know this source is external to you? Is god "out there" or is s/he/it within?

[florduh]

I just wanted to make a note that the things I write is not wishful thinking, but based on messages I received from the source.

 

Anyone up for compiling a list of the psychos who learned their (contradictory) Truth from some Source?

[DayLight]

I think you assume too much, Daylight.

 

Nothing says that god(s) would be comprehensible to us, interested in us, or friendly to us. If you drop all your preconceptions and hopes and wishes,

 

I just wanted to make a note that the things I write is not wishful thinking, but based on messages I received from the source. I was not even aware of these things before I was told.

I admit to not reading much of your stuff because it is very long-winded. Quite the stem-winder.

 

At any rate, how do you know this source is external to you? Is god "out there" or is s/he/it within?

 

I do know. And "God" being out there and inside and outside is a complicated thing and He is all of the above. Except that it's a linking thing (not actually being "inside" per say.)

[DayLight]

I just wanted to make a note that the things I write is not wishful thinking, but based on messages I received from the source.

 

Anyone up for compiling a list of the psychos who learned their (contradictory) Truth from some Source?

 

By the way, objectively speaking, you are right. I do wonder very often about that. Maybe some day I'll discover the reason... (Besides the obvious one of course: they speak to people according to people's religious beliefs, which are incompatible sometimes (non-equivalent), so the messages could be quite different depending on which religion the messenger comes from). Their goal is to help the people, not necessarily to enlighten everybody of the reality of things.

[DesertBob]

I do know. And "God" being out there and inside and outside is a complicated thing and He is all of the above. Except that it's a linking thing (not actually being "inside" per se.)

Experiences of transcendence / the divine / whatever you want to call it are believed by many to come from within, and I pretty much buy that. I think that people's unconscious speaks to them in its symbolic language and then people tend to make the mistake of taking it literally and/or mistaking it for something external. I takes some practice to understand the language of the unconscious.

 

You strike me as someone who accesses your unconscious very readily, even in a waking state. Any Jungian analyst will tell you that you're full of personalities that follow certain archetypes, including divine ones, and they can be quasi-independent actors with agendas of their own. A "god" may well be trying to speak to you, but it's really just a part of your higher self trying to tell you things you need to know about yourself. This is exactly where gods come from.

[Guest Marty]

I think you assume too much, Daylight.

 

Nothing says that god(s) would be comprehensible to us, interested in us, or friendly to us. If you drop all your preconceptions and hopes and wishes,

 

I just wanted to make a note that the things I write is not wishful thinking, but based on messages I received from the source. I was not even aware of these things before I was told.

 

Ummm, your first sentence in your OT says you used to be xtian. Are you trying to say that the xtian god is not interested in us, or friendly to us? Are you really trying to tell us you couldn't possibly have gotten these ideas from church?

[flockoff]

I do know. And "God" being out there and inside and outside is a complicated thing and He is all of the above. Except that it's a linking thing (not actually being "inside" per se.)

Experiences of transcendence / the divine / whatever you want to call it are believed by many to come from within, and I pretty much buy that. I think that people's unconscious speaks to them in its symbolic language and then people tend to make the mistake of taking it literally and/or mistaking it for something external. I takes some practice to understand the language of the unconscious.

 

You strike me as someone who accesses your unconscious very readily, even in a waking state. Any Jungian analyst will tell you that you're full of personalities that follow certain archetypes, including divine ones, and they can be quasi-independent actors with agendas of their own. A "god" may well be trying to speak to you, but it's really just a part of your higher self trying to tell you things you need to know about yourself. This is exactly where gods come from.

 

Your post sort of leaped off the page at me, DesertBob. It sounds like you've read up some on this subject. Are there any good books you'd recommend?

 

A couple of times I received something from "God" that I thought I was supposed to go out and tell people about that just turned out to be something I needed to realize for myself. I'd like to know more about understanding my "higher self."

[DesertBob]

Your post sort of leaped off the page at me, DesertBob. It sounds like you've read up some on this subject. Are there any good books you'd recommend?

 

A couple of times I received something from "God" that I thought I was supposed to go out and tell people about that just turned out to be something I needed to realize for myself. I'd like to know more about understanding my "higher self."

I like some of Robert A Johnson's books, one that might apply to this kind of thing that I haven't actually read yet is Balancing Heaven and Earth: A Memoir of Visions, Dreams, and Realizations. I found Living Your Unlived Life interesting, as well.

 

EDIT / DISCLAIMER: I broke down last night and grabbed a copy of Balancing Heaven and Earth for my e-reader and have worked partway through it. I rather strongly disagree with Johnson's belief in a guiding hand or intelligence directing our lives, but I don't think that such wishful thinking is central to his wisdom. I consider a good book to have value when I can mine a couple of useful ideas from it and discard the rest as the dross that it is. Bonus points are awarded when the book's general thought process moves my thinking in new directions with a fresh perspective, even if I think that said perspective is impractical or misguided.

 

Johnson's works generally get those bonus points. That doesn't mean I would advise the average person to see a Jungian analyst or expend effort on guided imagination exercises where you start having conversations with archetypes in your head.

[DayLight]

I think you assume too much, Daylight.

 

Nothing says that god(s) would be comprehensible to us, interested in us, or friendly to us. If you drop all your preconceptions and hopes and wishes,

 

I just wanted to make a note that the things I write is not wishful thinking, but based on messages I received from the source. I was not even aware of these things before I was told.

 

Ummm, your first sentence in your OT says you used to be xtian. Are you trying to say that the xtian god is not interested in us, or friendly to us? Are you really trying to tell us you couldn't possibly have gotten these ideas from church?

 

Perhaps the fact that he was friendly did come from their belief at first. It was my preconceived idea that he was friendly because christians claim that he was. But I found out that he is much more friendly that christians claim. And that while they have gotten some things partially correct, the general image is wrong.

 

I was trying to say that "god" is more friendly to us than Christians claim. They claim that he has prepared hell. I claim that he did no such thing. They claim that they have to worship him, I claim that he just wants communication. They claim that when somebody displeases him, he punishes them. I claim that he is like a mother who is watching our progress and helps us, rather than like a judge who is sitting in judgement on us.

 

They claim those things based on what they heard people teach.

I claim things based on what "god" has told me.