17-04-2005 14:10									#61
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"Rely not on the teacher/person, but on the teaching. Rely not on the words of the teaching, but on the
spirit of the words. Rely not on theory, but on experience.Do not believe in anything simply because you
have heard it. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. Do
not believe anything because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything because it is
written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and
elders. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is
conducive to the good and the benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it."

- the Buddha

	17-04-2005 14:26									#62
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and why does satan never speak to anyone?

I'd like to hear politicians and famous people say they heard satan speaking to them.

	18-04-2005 03:11									#63
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quote: Originally posted by child of Thor @Odin - Yes the few times i've been close to snuffing it, i've had a simular thing. Something that could be your own voice maybe, but doesn't really make much sense when your that close to the void as your not really concious of anything, other than a 'voice'(more like a feeling?) telling you its not your time and to keep fighting. Afterwards as you sit in contemplation of the fact you nearly died, you do feel somehow something divine touched you and interviened. I call it Thor - but people give it many names equaly as good

Exactly. It's like a feeling that's somehow interpreted as words...can't really explain it right, but it sounds like you know what its like.




Exactly.

	18-04-2005 03:45									#64
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Ask God and then wait. Sometimes answers come in greater understanding brought about by events. The understanding usually is either an answer or why the question was screwed up.

It seems impossible for alot of people not to ridicule me for this but when I was young and super depressed, weight of sin kind of stuff, I prayed and the holy spirit changed everything. Never felt anything so powerful or peaceful before or since. I went to bed and fell asleep thinking, if this doesn't stop I won't be able to go to work tomorrow. Never had been religious or gone to church and my parents were both athiests.

Another time...I'm diabetic and woke up with a very low blood sugar. I had no control of my body and little understanding of the world around me. I couldn't tell the meaning of objects though I recognised them as familiar. In other words I could see a lamp and know it was familiar and yet not know it was for light. Low sugar is very strange, and can kill. Instead I watched as I got up, made a bowl of cerial, ate it and went back to bed. Like I was in a car and someone else was driving. Just that way. I recall thinking, who is doing this?

	18-04-2005 04:48									#65
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quote: Originally posted by Dissident and why does satan never speak to anyone? I'd like to hear politicians and famous people say they heard satan speaking to them.

Satan tells them to say it was God. If Satan is tricksey, he says he is God.

	18-04-2005 04:51									#66
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quote: Originally posted by Dissident and why does satan never speak to anyone?

Oh, I'm sure he does. I'd be surprised if he didn't speak to people like bin Laden. The problem is, the Devil lies to these people, tells them he's God, and they believe him.

God's spoken to me a few times. The first time when I was an antheist...so it came as quite a surprise.

Usually He's working on me to become a better person. Once when my frustration with a problem was turning into anger, was turning into hatred, He popped yo ti point out that hatred is the tool of the devil. It made me stop, take a deep breath, get rid of all that bile that was building up inside of me, and take an approach based upon love, gentleness but a firm resolve to see things done correctly.

	18-04-2005 04:54									#67
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quote: Originally posted by Lancer I prayed and the holy spirit changed everything. Never felt anything so powerful or peaceful before or since.

I have, twice. The specific sensation has a name, and it's on the tip of my tongue.

1st time, I was in church on Maunday Thursday, and I started thinking, really thinking about what it meant to trade you life for another, about Jesus' sacrifice. Wham! the feeling hit me like a sack of bricks and I began weeping uncontrolably, but ecstatic and guilty at the same time.

The 2nd time I was working at UPS, and while I was stacking pallets, I was reflecting on the Marx I had read earlier, and Wham! I had the exact same sensation. I wasn't weeping, but I was zooming in my head. My thoughts wer flying miles a minute, and I really got it and understood it.

It's a natural human sensation that happens when you understand something really profound. It has a name, and as my experience shows, it isn't simply linked to the mystical.

	18-04-2005 04:58									#68
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quote: Originally posted by chegitz guevara The specific sensation has a name, and it's on the tip of my tongue.

epiphany? satori?

	18-04-2005 05:07									#69
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che, I respect your experience, but mine wasn't me.

	18-04-2005 05:08									#70
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Epiphany, that's it. Thanks, Zkibbler.

	18-04-2005 09:18									#71
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God has banned me for a week for spamming heaven and using a DL in prayer.

	18-04-2005 09:26									#72
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IP ban?

	18-04-2005 09:31									#73
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nah just Godapulco

	18-04-2005 09:44									#74
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Isn't that called Hell?

	18-04-2005 09:47									#75
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no, purgatory - a temporary state

	18-04-2005 09:58									#76
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quote: Originally posted by chegitz guevara I have, twice. The specific sensation has a name, and it's on the tip of my tongue. 1st time, I was in church on Maunday Thursday, and I started thinking, really thinking about what it meant to trade you life for another, about Jesus' sacrifice. Wham! the feeling hit me like a sack of bricks and I began weeping uncontrolably, but ecstatic and guilty at the same time. The 2nd time I was working at UPS, and while I was stacking pallets, I was reflecting on the Marx I had read earlier, and Wham! I had the exact same sensation. I wasn't weeping, but I was zooming in my head. My thoughts wer flying miles a minute, and I really got it and understood it. It's a natural human sensation that happens when you understand something really profound. It has a name, and as my experience shows, it isn't simply linked to the mystical.

God wants you to become an communist christian

Jon Miller

	18-04-2005 10:14									#77
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quote: "There's a difference, when Lincoln prayed, he talked to God. When Bush prays, God talks to Bush." --Mario Cuomo, to Bill Maher

He says it like you can have a command of the Lord or something, and have him talk to you. It's blasphemous.

Is this a thing specific to America? What about India, South America, Africa? Do elected representatives in those areas claim to have personal relations with their dieties? Even in Europe, what if an intelligent charismatic pro-separation of church and state socialist (IOW, someone that would be very popular if they didn't say God spoke with him) politician said God spoke with him? Would the Euros still like him? Part of the reason I nearly toss up every time I hear someone say "God speaks with me" in the US is because it's invariably always said by a slimy double-faced politician wishing to forward an agenda so backwards and repulsive that he has to claim divine support to barely make the polls 50-50.

	18-04-2005 10:42									#78
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Hitler thought God, in the form of "providence", spoke to him and he was God's instrument.

	18-04-2005 12:36									#79
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God speaks to my cat, then my cat tells me what he said.

Attachment: cat.jpg
This has been downloaded 28 time(s).

	18-04-2005 12:44									#80
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In all seriousness, those who can be taken as experts in this practice would be mystics.
Almost all mystics from any religion or philosophy agree on one thing. That God becomes the nature of their life and thought. Meaning their thought and God`s thought merge and their life into a place of union with the absolute.

This requires letting go of all attachment and involves complete abandonment or surrender to the higher source of the All.

"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."
-- Jesus

	18-04-2005 12:53									#81
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all I know is God doesn't give lottery numbers

	18-04-2005 12:57									#82
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Or at least the winning ones.

	18-04-2005 12:59									#83
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quote: Originally posted by Alexander's Horse all I know is God doesn't give lottery numbers

That is because God has a big budget, it takes money to run such a big universe. So he takes most of the money.

	18-04-2005 13:03									#84
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quote: Does God speak to you?

No. He speaks through me...

	18-04-2005 13:04									#85
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google search it

	19-04-2005 00:01									#86
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I think 'providence' is more like the god of Spinosa.

	19-04-2005 00:12									#87
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quote: Originally posted by Alexander's Horse God has banned me for a week for spamming heaven and using a DL in prayer.

	19-04-2005 00:15									#88
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On topic:

"Jesus was sexually liberal, he had sex with guys and girls, God told me this, I'm not about to argue with him, maybe you'd like to." -- Thorn

The reason why I love this quote so much is because:
1. I think Thorn was serious and really believed that God told him so.
2. It shows to the religious people that you'd better take any "word of God" (and especially its bearers) with a grain of salt.

	19-04-2005 02:32									#89
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I believe that on earth, in this mortal realm, God is part of all the cultures that exist, in many different names. After all its mans interpretations of 'Gods' wisdom that causes the problems.
Too many cultures/peoples have their God for it to be pure fabrication.
Something in the stories of the faith ring true to our human condition.
And this is the wisdom of 'God', weather your a buddhist/Taoist/Bible belter/Jehova/shintoist/Islamist/Thorist etc.

And in these 'wisdoms' people find guidence in how to live thier lives. Generaly they all form a simular pattern and rule set. Be respectfull of life, be kind to one another etc.
Of course these are hard rules to live by, especialy if you've been wronged, but its the ultimate spiritual goal of the human race.

And it definately doesn't help when 'God' gets hijacked for political reasons, and the good messages get warped by personal interests; the crusades showed this all too clearly

I think the real test for humankind, in a spiritual sense, is if we can all put our intolerances aside and see the love of 'God' for what it really is. At this momment we will truely understand the wisdoms of 'God' imho.

	19-04-2005 03:19									#90
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quote: Originally posted by child of Thor Too many cultures/peoples have their God for it to be pure fabrication. Something in the stories of the faith ring true to our human condition.

Don't you think that could come from the fact that there are many commonalities in human mass-behaviour, that transcend individual cultures? For example, a great many cultures have a patriarcal structure. Does it mean it's divinely inspired, or does it mean it's a likely outcome of a society forming?