I feel the need to clarify my statement on finding the right church. On reading my post again it might have sounded like I was trying to convert somebody. Nothing could be further from the truth. People belong where they are happy and comfortable. Where they are respected and loved.
I've spent most of my life and all of my childhood in the South in what is popularly known as the Bible Belt. My father moved us around a bit and we'd find a new church where ever we went. Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist and Lutheran are some of the ones we tried and Dad would settle on the church(not the denomination) he liked. It was the people and many times most particularly the pastor that attracted him. Since Dad fancied himself a singer, sometimes it was the choir director. It was not unusual for us have 8 or 10 churches within a 3 mile radius of our home and it also wasn't unusual for us to travel 15 or 20 miles on a Sunday to try out a church he'd been told about. He avoided large churches I think because he wanted to help a young church grow. He'd always want to be on the planning committees to organize mission trips and what not. He was less interested in the spiritual side of the church and more interested in the social aspects of the church community. He left the preaching to the preacher and worked on planning new construction or whatever needed doing. He probably couldn't tell you the spiritual difference between the churches we attended any more then I could(I slept most of time.) Point I'm trying to make is a person shouldn't form themselves to fit the group; rather one should try to find the group to fit themselves. I don't know how Islam mosques orient themselves but I'd imagine they can be as different from one another as Christian churches are. I'm not talking Shiite vs. Bathist I'm speaking of the people that make up the group. Hope that clears up my stance on religious choice. dj On Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 11:27 PM, Rosey <[email protected]> wrote: > > Spiritual joy, spiritual bliss, spiritual disarray, spiritual > disfunction, spiritual, spiritual, spiritual. All of these terms are > insignificant to finding the ultimate outcome. We don't have the > answer. We probably will never have it, maybe in the afterlife. A > person should do what makes them comfortable, comfort should not be > defined as simply conforming. It should be defined as feeling within > your heart that you are doing the right thing. There are many > religions whose members fall into that comfort category. Their mind > is set to the idea that through their beliefs they are walking the > righteous path. We can all sit here an analyze each other's > religions, but when it comes down to it, you have people in every > group who are completely satisfied with their faith and feel they > don't need anything else. It's humbling. That's a good thing. But > because you may have found your happiness in your faith, don't be > biased towards others for finding happiness in theirs. > > I have yet to discern what I think is appropriate for my sanity. But > I am going to do it with freewill and conscious thought. > > On Apr 23, 10:33 pm, Don Johnson <[email protected]> wrote: >> I agree, Rosey. I see religion as an answer to our desire to belong. >> It doesn't work for me but I have seen it work for many good people. >> It helps give their life meaning and allows them to share thoughts and >> purpose with like minded individuals. Being alone is dangerous. So >> is belonging to the wrong group, so it's good to be able to shop >> around for the right church! >> >> dj >> >> >> >> On Wed, Apr 22, 2009 at 6:36 PM, Rosey <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> > So far, from what I understand, some of your are saying that religion >> > was devised as a group lure for the sole purpose of monetary gains? >> >> > Now it makes sense, Moses split the sea so that the Jews could cross >> > over and sell logo'ed T-shirts advertising the new monotheistic >> > revelation. To those that believe me, I am kidding. >> >> > In times of despair, religion is an answer. Something to look forward >> > to. >> >> > On Apr 22, 4:38 pm, Chris Jenkins <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Growth, Rosey. >> >> >> Welcome to the group. >> >> >> On Sun, Apr 19, 2009 at 10:05 PM, Rosey <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >> > One more question, what causes one to question religion after having >> >> > been so faithful to it? I'd really like some input. Thank you. >> >> >> > On Apr 19, 12:42 pm, Rosey <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >> I decided to start a new post as I originally intended it to be a >> >> >> response to the Purpose of Life post but felt it took another >> >> >> direction. >> >> >> >> First off, tip of the hat to everyone in here. I discovered this >> >> >> group by chance. Second, purpose to life? Ah, the frailties of the >> >> >> mind, I have been walking backwards as I've grown weak in faith. I am >> >> >> muslim, I don't think anyone here is immature enough to negatively >> >> >> comment on such a label, but I do have one thing to say: When I was >> >> >> more faithful to my religion and consistent with prayers I felt a >> >> >> sense of completion and calmness. I could even say that I at one >> >> >> point I felt that I reached a temporary self actualization. It's not >> >> >> the religion, but more or less the idea of maintaining spirituality >> >> >> that keeps one fulfilled. Through my recent skepticisms and >> >> >> analyzations of religion as a whole I have been more distraught than >> >> >> I've ever been. Is it an oddysey? Why does one who has steered far >> >> >> from ideological beliefs that a supreme entity exists feel lost and >> >> >> agonizingly stressed? Wouldn't one be better off just accepting and >> >> >> following religion knowing that they are abiding by its rules >> >> >> accordingly? Isn't that comfort? >> >> >> >> Sincerely, >> >> >> Lost- Hide quoted text - >> >> >> - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - >> >> - Show quoted text - > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Minds-Eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
