Is religion a stepping stone used to better know ourselves?

Question

I was once a baptist, and it served me well,until it didnt. Then I was penecostal, and it too served me until it didnt. I visited a Mormon church, and was too much with spirit. I found Catholic churches boring, and gave me not a connection with god, nor myself. I dabbled with witchcraft, and found it uneccessary. Buddhism, and loved it, but it was not my path. I read books about Drunvaloe, and how god is an alien, but all that did was strike more questions for me. I met a Reiki master who taught me the power to heal, but I did not call myself a Reiki master. I went to channeling sessions for the questions, but the spirit told me they could not tell me the answers, because I would not comprehend them. I created drama all around me to quiet the voices, that had been with me since I was a child, and all this did was create more misery. Then one day a voice of clarity came to me, and it said Misty you do not need to catergorize yourself. Take everything you have learned and apply it to you

Life. I have done so now, and have found that every religion holds a valid purpose for everyone. I think it is a stepping stone, it was for me. Do you feel the same tell me.

Answer 1

Everyone has hs/her own path. To each his reach.

I agree with the message of the voice of clarity..

Religion is the way you behave yourself, regardless of lables,titles, or stereotypical designations & expectations. Religious communities, oraganizations are not monolithic in their approaches, responses, practices, or belief among its members. Even if two siblings are raised in the same family with both parents ministers of the same organization, the two siblings will have some differences in their perspectives regarding religion(personal behavior). In addition the parents will also have different views as well.

The various religious organizations are for me, an "All you can eat buffet," from which the variety of worship styles are to be sample. If you find somethng you like you make a return trip, put it on the plate; if you like it with sauce or plain, you get it that way; if you like it plain, you take it plain; if you like it in a bowl,you take that way.

The All Knowing, All Wise, All Aware, Maker and Provider of ALL Things, is the Master of Infinite Diversty and Master of Infinite Combinatons. The Deity Loves variety! Look around you. If I say apple to you which one comes to mind? Rome,Jonathan, Washington, Granny Smith...? If I say flower? Daisy, Rose,Sun, Violet, Dandylion...? There is more than one way to skin a cat. The Human imagination itself conjures things all of the time and is known to the All Knowing before any Human existed. Humans have conjured our current mode of communication, the energy convertors, the lighting systems, musical instruments, bread, steel, etc. All without any suprise to the All Aware!

The importance of a personal, intimate relationship with the Diety, is just that. Your business and the Creator's business is not everybody's business. A personal realtionship between Humans such as freinds or relatives will allow certain caveats to you that would no be available for anothers. This is particularly true with our family elders. A parent will allow one child a favor or task that they would not allow another, and vice-versa. This is not a preference for one child over another, it is a preference for who is best to receive the privilige, or perform the task.

Religious organizations are in existence, to keep evil in check; regardless of how inept, corrupt, or messed up as they might seem. They help someone become a better person in some small or large way. Even a person leaving one organization for another has gained something from the experience to add to his understanding to enhance his application of behavior. Compare the Religious organizations to departments within a super-large corporations. Each department can do different task, but are working for the same bottom line. Accounts payable and accounts receivable are different from each other, and both are different from legal, motor pool, marketing etc.

Even Atheist and Agnostics play are part in the lage corporation, because often time the challenge of questions regarding the validity what one whom considers hinself a believer is requried, which results sometime in polarization of ideas, but also can cause course correction through introspection and action.

.Behave yourself, being true to yourself the Almighty will guide you in the time and ways fit for you.That is the way to obatin spiritual progress void of "spiritual arrogance.' Let the "expert," the Alminghty, show you, Your job is to apply yourself so that you be prepard to receive the guidance. We cannot force the hand of the Almighty.

Enjoy the voyage, be careful How you sample!

Answer 2

Misty,

You are a seeker, and that's a good thing.

For me, religion is simply a way to organize the things I learn about myself and the universe I live in. I, too, have been to many churches and studied a bit of many paths. In the end, I've created my own path, which I call the Center Path. Most all of the churches and groups I visited were polarized in some aspect or other. I'm transgendered, being born, essentially, between male and female, and I didn't find myself fully fitting in any of these groups.

I'm a Pagan, having rejected the strong polarity of Christianity. I don't believe that any group can fully know the mind and wishes of some transcendent God. We are all wonders of creation, and until we can see ourselves as part of a wonderful whole, part of the circle and cycle of life, we won't see ourselves fully for who we are, and therefore, won't know why we're here.

This is to Bigez, who's claime of a personal quote is: Be still and know that I am God,

"How dare you?

Being a Christian doesn't give you the right to be a bigot or an a**hole.

You, and your ilk are part of the reason that Christians are so hated. You don't offer the word of Christ, but rather self-centered trash. In insulting others, and their religion, you take the name of Christ and wash the toilet with it.

Good job in being another of the creeps that makes the name of the Lord nothing more than a tool for boasting and bragging and putting others down. Surely, by doing so, you're winning others over, right?"

I"m sick of self-righteous people coming around and trashing everyone else's religions, and then getting upset because people are so anti-christian. It makes me sick.

Answer 3

Their is a tyranny in the black book called bible, where the message is fear if you ignore the dogma. And far greater the damage, if you close your mind to the rest of the world and what it has to teach. With ever book you read you open the door to reality. Like you, at an early age I questioned, sought answers and found none.

What I did discover, I did not need a religious crutch to follow me around to help me go to the bathroom of the dark ages, I found a world alive and wonderous devoid of any religious attachment.

If there is a God - he is a prankster - and just as evil as any devil for imagine what this world could be like and yet isn't. Where is his perfection? Look around and see the failings, the suffering - blame everything else under the sun but don't blame God or religion.

I think the cruelist joke played man, through out all history, is this thing called religion.

I have come to know myself by knowing myself, satisfaction and contentment is mine.

Answer 4

I do, I feel the same - and I think many, many of us do too. I think that these ancient stories are there to lead us down a path of self discovery and I think they all sort of have a core of basic tenets that they all share - follow love not hate, the golden rule and a way "home" so to speak. The better ones remind people that if god is an ocean, we are each a glass of god and each of us divine in our own right.

With respect to labels, I think that labelling people has gotten humans into more trouble than anything else. Labels for race, education, medical and religious reasons has caused suffering, hatred and hopelessness - thereby detracting from the very unity we share in spirit.

It is so wonderful to find you and others like you here. I think many of us have felt like a crazy tiny minority of 1 for a very long time and it is just great to see us all coming out of the woodwork. It makes me hopeful that the intolerant are a small but very vocal minority, trying desperately to cling onto the power that is slowly diminishing as humans enjoy a renewed sense of peace and understanding of themselves and the world around them.

Peace!

Answer 5

There is a way that seems right unto man but that it leads to death. You have dabbled in religion, may even swallowed alot it but religion will not save you, nor humanism which is just the religion that is of man. The only thing that will save you is the relationship with Jesus Christ, Who is the Only begotten Son of God and who of no merit of your own or by your own goodness for your goodness as well as mankinds is as filty rags this too with all religions is as filthy rags. There is only one way to get to Heaven and that is through the Man Christ Jesus. By accepting by grace is sacrifice for your sins and my sins and sins of the whole world, and is by your complete trusting and turning to him by the repentance of them that you come to him wholly accepting Him for who he is and what he did for you can you ever hope to find the hope that you have been searching through all the religions of the world that are bankrupt for they are without him - the only pure religion is the relationship found in Christ, wrought by the Holy Spirit brought forth by the Father by sending His Only Begotten Son into the world - for God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life - John 3:16

Answer 6

I agree Misty.

Perhaps you might just consider a book called the course in miracles for your next stepping stone.

It seems to be the direction you are moving in.

Love and blessings Don

Answer 7

May he find peace in a loving family. Be blessed, little ghatten. (I already have two cats, we can't have any more in the apartment buildings around here, and I have another cat on a "waiting list" for us to take once we get a place that lets us have more cats. Otherwise, I'd love to take him.)

Answer 8

It's a double edged sword. Does the believer use it as a means of achieving spiritual growth or does he immerse himself in meaningless dogma? What you put into it is what you get out of it.

Answer 9

for me religion is basis of my life.without it i am nowhere! literally telling u,the peace n satisfaction,most important factor in life is given to me by my religion...n that's Islam.
probably u didn't gave it a thought...