I'm spiritually tired

[Sgt. Pepper]

That's why I can't accept religions like that, after 28 years as a Christian.

I feel the same, after being a Christian for 30 years.

 

[Aupmanyav]

I am really into environmentalism and love nature.

That can be enough, IMHO.

 

[F1fan]

8000 messages. That’s quite something!

Dear F1fan,

I would say that if one’s (new) spiritual understandings have led one to instability and resulted in one’s ego “kicking off”, one ought perhaps to keep on looking.

They ought to. But as we observe many people who are deeply invested in an ideology feel a sort of ego satisfaction even though spiritually they are in distress. They are seeking the superficial and emotionally satisfying experience, not a spiritual understanding. They don't know the difference. And mental habits that appeal to the superficial temptations of ego are very, very hard to identify and then change. They see the rigid ideology as a "stability" that doesn't really provide stability, or freedom, or courage, or strength.

For, though spiritual “seeking” can be both tiresome and confusing, one’s quest should not “end” in anything less but the comforting sense of serenity and selflessness (freedom from self) that allows for a life, willingly devoted to peace and serenity of others.

The irony and difficulty of this is that it requires setting aside the dogma that appeals to the ego and fear, which are tempting. A person needs to have a strong innate courage from the start to make the hard decisions that we call wisdom. Not until dogmatists have a breakdown (which doesn't always happen) do they see the light and strip away the dependence on dogma.

It is true, that one at some point, is likely to find oneself in what is sometimes referred to as “dark night of the soul”. Often, this is experienced as spiritual despair, but sometimes it expresses itself in form of “restlessness” or spiritual apathy too.

“Dark night of the soul” is normally to do with the realising of how one’s worldly “obligations” conflict with one’s (new) spiritual understanding or calling, but I wonder whether it can’t also be about not quite knowing what to do with one’s newfound “truths”.

Indeed. And they either seek a way to become more absorbed in their dogma, and reinforcement my other believers to help rebuild the illusion, or they finally seek beyond the view of what they believe is true. This is what sweat lodges aim to do, by taking a person to extreme physical distress and their illusion of beliefs become less important and the person can attain a sort of honesty with themselves. This is a breakthrough moment. Maybe. Bad habits are hard to overcome.

 

[Hermit Philosopher]

They ought to. But as we observe many people who are deeply invested in an ideology feel a sort of ego satisfaction even though spiritually they are in distress. They are seeking the superficial and emotionally satisfying experience, not a spiritual understanding. They don't know the difference. And mental habits that appeal to the superficial temptations of ego are very, very hard to identify and then change. They see the rigid ideology as a "stability" that doesn't really provide stability, or freedom, or courage, or strength.


The irony and difficulty of this is that it requires setting aside the dogma that appeals to the ego and fear, which are tempting. A person needs to have a strong innate courage from the start to make the hard decisions that we call wisdom. Not until dogmatists have a breakdown (which doesn't always happen) do they see the light and strip away the dependence on dogma.


Indeed. And they either seek a way to become more absorbed in their dogma, and reinforcement my other believers to help rebuild the illusion, or they finally seek beyond the view of what they believe is true. This is what sweat lodges aim to do, by taking a person to extreme physical distress and their illusion of beliefs become less important and the person can attain a sort of honesty with themselves. This is a breakthrough moment. Maybe. Bad habits are hard to overcome.

Dear F1fan,

You said many interesting things there; thank you.

I’d only add that one ought perhaps be very grateful if one truly is in need of a swear lodge in order to experience ”extreme physical distress”. For many are those who unfortunately encounter such distresses on entirely natural basis.


Humbly
Hermit

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

I am really into environmentalism and love nature. I try not to harm creatures or plants. After having a Christian community, I guess I just want a religious community and am disappointed that nothing satisfies me.

Being part of a Christian community had the opposite effect on me than it did on you. I don't have any desire whatsoever to be part of a Wiccan community in real life or online. Being a Christian left me emotionally scarred, and I'm very wary of making a commitment to Wicca and to a new Wiccan community. I'm satisfied with just learning about its beliefs and keeping it all at bay for the time being.

 

[Sand Dancer]

Being part of a Christian community had the opposite effect on me than it did on you. I don't have any desire whatsoever to be part of a Wiccan community in real life or online. Being a Christian left me emotionally scarred, and I'm very wary of making a commitment to Wicca and to a new Wiccan community.

I totally understand. I wish you well in all that you do.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

I totally understand. I wish you well in all that you do.

I wish the same for you, my friend.

 

[Link]

I am tired of trying to "find" a religion. I am a philosophical Buddhist, but religiously, I am a pantheist. The pantheist label doesn't do much for me; it's basically just a worldview. I guess I'm just laboring in vain. I am trying to be okay with this. Anyone in or have been in the same boat?

I was in limbo about religion for some years. There was a year I would wake up believing in Islam and go to sleep disbelieving it. And wake up disbelieving it, and go to sleep believing it.

Then would go some weeks as non-Muslim and the switches were tiring.

I would do arguments for Islam and arguments against it.

The main thing that I had a problem with was the notion of hell-fire at that point. And that "disbelievers" are evil and not good.

 

[Sand Dancer]

I was in limbo about religion for some years. There was a year I would wake up believing in Islam and go to sleep disbelieving it. And wake up disbelieving it, and go to sleep believing it.

Then would go some weeks as non-Muslim and the switches were tiring.

I would do arguments for Islam and arguments against it.

The main thing that I had a problem with was the notion of hell-fire at that point. And that "disbelievers" are evil and not good.

Yep, been there done that with so many of them. So how are you dealing with the things you have a problem with? I have been letting them keep me from joining each religion I was interested in.

 

[Link]

Yep, been there done that with so many of them. So how are you dealing with the things you have a problem with? I have been letting them keep me from joining each religion I was interested in.

I think I realize it's not easy even for some of the great Prophets (a) to accept God's wrath.


Quran shows Nuh (a) due attachment to his son, misunderstood God's words about "family" which was meant in a special meaning way, but Nuh (a) being a successor of Adam (a) was not use to the term meaning that way. Due to his love of his son, he assumed it meant normal family meaning and included his son in it. He started questioning everything at that moment, how can you promise me truth and you are truthful and yet my son drowned. Yet God clarified to him.

Ibrahim (a) after being given good news of his chosen sons, began to argue with God about Lut's (a) people, and wanted to avert them punishment.

Yonus (a) was so severely grieved and blamed himself for his people not coming to guidance (yet they believed when he left) and he left too early.

And to Mohammad (s) it says "it maybe that you kill yourself (out of grief) that they don't believe", and so there is a wish people don't enter hell. Of course, what it says to Mohammad (s) is hyperbola, but shows the degree he doesn't want people entering hell.

Sometimes I hate the idea so much, but also I can't do without it. Without it would mean killers of Imam Hussain (a) get away. People who oppress the chosen and those who call to justice are let go for their blood-shedding crimes.

The blood shedders would get away. People ignoring oppressed and living in luxury with hard hearts enjoying life not caring about oppressed, would get away with it.

I can't accept that either.

I can't accept people being apathetic to oppressed for example. Not caring. Nor those who fight for oppressors.

Nor those who sell their sense of duty and goodness for petty desires, and turn aside from God's way and guidance, for petty desires and "fun" and "play" type world and life.

The last bit took me a while to understand, but whoever desires God and next world, will be given paradise, and whoever desires this world, they will exchange their light for darkness and higher sustenance for Satanic sustenance.

When caprice is followed and oppressed ignored and people are apathetic to truth and justice, it's a loud message the silence of these people as in "GO AHEAD AND OPPRESS" to the oppressors.

 

[stvdv]

It's a never-ending task.

The most difficult and most rewarding job
Indeed, it seems to never end
But if you look back you do see progress

 

[Fool]

I am tired of trying to "find" a religion. I am a philosophical Buddhist, but religiously, I am a pantheist. The pantheist label doesn't do much for me; it's basically just a worldview. I guess I'm just laboring in vain. I am trying to be okay with this. Anyone in or have been in the same boat?

The choice is obvious. Either service to self, or service to all as self; which doesn't exclude self.

Doesn't matter what philosophy or religion you follow. It's going to boil down to selfishness or selflessness. Self aggrandizing or exclusively lover only of self or love of all, not excluding self..

Wear what you want but action speaks louder than words

 

[Nakosis]

I am tired of trying to "find" a religion. I am a philosophical Buddhist, but religiously, I am a pantheist. The pantheist label doesn't do much for me; it's basically just a worldview. I guess I'm just laboring in vain. I am trying to be okay with this. Anyone in or have been in the same boat?

I think people do fine without a religion. Maybe take a class or learn a new skill. assuming you've freed up some time from your religious pursuit.

 

[Nakosis]

Why look when the actual truth of the matter is always around you this very moment?

It's like the story of a woman who kept running around yelling where is my head when her head was always there all along..

That's how I see it. If you are looking for the truth it's because you are not seeing what is in front of you.

 

[Sand Dancer]

I think people do fine without a religion. Maybe take a class or learn a new skill. assuming you've freed up some time from your religious pursuit.

I am doing that as well, so I should probably just focus more on those things than staying up too late studying religions. I guess if a deity wants my attention, he or she will make the first move. And if one doesn't, I guess it wasn't meant to be. I don't see it much making a difference in the years I have left to live, so I need to focus on what I know.

 

[JustGeorge]

I am doing that as well, so I should probably just focus more on those things than staying up too late studying religions. I guess if a deity wants my attention, he or she will make the first move. And if one doesn't, I guess it wasn't meant to be. I don't see it much making a difference in the years I have left to live, so I need to focus on what I know.

Might I suggest changing your focus on that as well?

I stay up late at night studying religion... but its because its fun for me. I'm not trying to find anything for myself, I'm just doing what I enjoy.

Perhaps if there was less pressure to 'find', things might come easier as well.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Very helpful, thanks. I want to develop practices too, but just not sure how to manifest them.

I find Jesus said to manifest developed practices to be to the worship of his God - John 4:23-24.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

I am doing that as well, so I should probably just focus more on those things than staying up too late studying religions. I guess if a deity wants my attention, he or she will make the first move..........

Luke wrote at Acts of the Apostles 10:35 that God accepts people who are God fearing ( fear of displeasing God )
At Zephaniah 2:3 we can read about conditions, a process to be met:
Seek God ( personally seek through prayer, the pages of the Bible and by good association )
Seek God by righteousness ( uphold His righteous standard of what is right and wrong )
Seek God by meekness, and as Jesus promised humble meek people will inherit the Earth - Matthew 5:5; Psalms 37:9-11)
- Isaiah 55:6; 1 Chronicles 28:9 B

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Dear Shadow Wolf,

I feel deeply for what it is that you have had to bear. Sometimes, we’ll find ourselves in midst of trauma - such times are very challenging.

Most times though, our pain and despairs will either be about events in our past or about things that we imagine in our future.

A central aspect of spirituality is to train oneself to be in the present - is difficult but not impossible. When our consciousness dwells in the present and we remain attentive to what is before us in the now, we acquire the chance to actively partake/ interact with it from a more neutral perspective; a place with less personal trauma and more energy to give to what/whom we encounter at the time.

Your present is a place from which you have both the power and right to expel the perpetrators from your past. Cast them out! Remind yourself that you are not willing to assert their grip over you by living in what they bestowed upon you any longer: your present is yours; not theirs. Take back your power by expelling the reminiscences of them from your being.

You are not the effect/result of your perpetrators’ actions - they are! You will free up your presence and future for your own, autonomous being.

Sending you prayers of courage, clarity, patience and perseverance.

Humbly
Hermit

Kids who are abused generally face issues as adults. It's not a conscious efforts but conditioning from years of abuse. Such as I was uncomfortable at a UU sermon because it had a very Protestant way of doing thing, I'm deeply mistrusting of healthcare providers due to discrimination and being ignored, I even panic when people are nice to me because growing up nothing good came without bad being attached to it. Even with conscious effort to overcome these thoughts they are still automatic and reflexive.
As for religion and spirituality, the Church was very traumatic for me and it left me so afraid and terrified that I still remember the nightmares I had over 20 years ago of being sent to Hell and feeling the mental anguish of that and the pains of the fires searing my flesh.
The effects of trauma and abuse are actually quite complex, and when a child grows up in survival mode the result is apparent in adulthood.

 

[Sand Dancer]

Might I suggest changing your focus on that as well?

I stay up late at night studying religion... but its because its fun for me. I'm not trying to find anything for myself, I'm just doing what I enjoy.

Perhaps if there was less pressure to 'find', things might come easier as well.

You're probably right, but it might be like an addiction. Right now I might need to stay away from religious books, because I might fall back into searching again. I have been searching ever since leaving Christianity 7 years ago, so I might need to avoid that to break the cycle. I usually read non-fiction, so I can learn stuff. I need to also try more fiction books, so I can just read for enjoyment instead of trying to learn.