I've put it off long enough... (Jesus, hell, bible, Israel)

[kadzbiz]

Originally Posted by BFD_Zayl

there are many ...... faiths to choose from, whatever makes you happy.

Y'know, I may be being a bit simplistic here, but a belief that I've always had is "a person may chose to practise whatever faith he or she feels fulfils his or her ideals, as long as its principles don't adversely affect any other individual" which I believe is just another way of saying "do as you would be done by".

[wicca_woman]

Welcome to RF !!

[jamaesi]

I embarked on this reading quest after speaking with a work colleague who happens to be a Seventh Day Adventist. He suggested I read the NKJV because it was easy to read. In heinsight, I could've read something a little easier. The Bible is my first stepping stone into discovering my own beliefs.

Oh, any King James verison of the Bible sounds like stones falling in water to me, just "plop plop plop." Haha! I'm not really a fan. That's why I love The Message translation so much, it's just so beautiful and lyrical and sounds more like a peaceful bubbling creek with little waterfalls here and there. I also have a copy of the Bible that has four translations all in a row- it makes finding the real meaning in the verses easier to decypher, which is hard to do from a translation.

Dan, another one of my favourite Holy Books is the Tao. It's a very fascinating to read and ponder over.

Of course, keeping with my faith, I'll also recommend reading the Qur'an, I find Yusuf Ali's translation to be the most enjoyable one in English. I like to read the Bible and Qur'an together and see the similarities and differences. (But don't think I'm trying to convert you! That's just not my style.)


I used to be where you are, unsure of where I was and where to go spiritually. I spent almost ten years as an agnostic reading and researching religion and carefully reading all the Holy Books I could get my hands on. I wish you the best of luck and I hope you find your path. I'll be in my DIRs (Islam and Unitarian Universalism) if you have any questions about those paths, and anyone of any other faith will be more than happy to answer your questions in their respective DIRs! We have so many people here who have such knowledge about their faiths!

[zenzero]

Friends,
Reading religious books are very good but those who have an understanding about life itself they too can have god realisation. They too can have salvation, samadhi etc.
All discussion will results in two one for one against because the mind that we carry is the root of all troubles to mankind and the mind itself is the satan who tells eve to tell adam to eat the fruit. just by stilling the mind each one is in the garden of eden. in fact everyone of us is born in the garden of eden but slowly we move from there and land in hell because we follow our mind the satan.
Each religion has been trying to teach how to still the mind by proper code of conduct by prayers by rosary by mediataions etc.
Though in the history of mankind most words have beenb written to make people understand the same thing about realising god but still few have understood it only a small percentage of the population understands it.
UNDERSTANDING has to grow with or without reading.
Love & rgds

[kadzbiz]

Originally Posted by jamaesi

I spent almost ten years as an agnostic reading and researching religion and carefully reading all the Holy Books I could get my hands on.........I'll be in my DIRs if you have any questions......

Sounds like at his point in my life I may be an agnostic also, after looking up what it meant. Hmm, I wonder if I can shortcut your ten years some how? And what does DIR stand for please?

Originally Posted by zenzero

.......but those who have an understanding about life itself ....... can have god realisation ......... only a small percentage of the population understands it.

For as long as I can remember, I've had a strange inner feeling of spiritual guidance that I have pretty well kept to myself for fear of mockery and at the same time I have "talked" with "God" (my own feeling of some omnipresence) about how I view life and the principles I live by. I feel "God" understands me and will help with my realisation.

[lilithu]

Originally Posted by kadzbiz

Hello everyone. I'm almost 40 years old and have tried to coax myself into reading the Bible for many, many years. I finally started a few weeks ago. I'm generally a slow reader, but this collection of books is very draining and hard on the eyes as well as the mind. It has opened up so many questions and I have caught myself quoting Bible exerpts to my work colleagues and family just to get their opinion. It's hard to not talk about things raised in this book. I've only read about a fifth of it so far and I must say that I am astounded so far that anyone could accept that this is the word of God, with all the killing of men, women, children and animals and that only one group of people (ie. the Israelites) has been continually offered the acceptance to God. I have been told though to read the whole thing before making any judgement. I've also been told that after I have read it once, I need to read it four more times to even start to understand it. Hmm, is that a brainwashing technique? Anyway, I have taken part in various other forums about different things, so I thought I may as well join a religious one and maybe learn from it too. Pleased to meet you all.

Namaste kadbiz. And welcome.

I say this with no hostility towards Christianity - in fact, I'm quite fond of it - but I don't understand why people told you that reading the whole thing would make a difference in your judgement. The bible isn't a treatise, logically building up an argument. Nor is it a novel. I can understand if it were either one of those things you would want to read all of it, in order, before judging. The bible is, as you say, a collection of books, written by different people over time reflecting different views. And then it was edited - the books were chosen, some were left out, and then placed in a specific order in order to suggest a certain progression.

Again, I am not saying this to disparage the bible or to discourage you from reading it. I just don't think reading it from cover to cover four times is the best approach. Pick a book and wrestle with it. If you have questions, ask away! RF is a great resource for such questions as you will find many knowledgeable and opinionate people here.

[kadzbiz]

Originally Posted by lilithu

I don't understand why people told you that reading the whole thing would make a difference in your judgement ........ I can understand if it were either one of those things you would want to read all of it, in order, before judging.

Maybe they suggested it because that's how they did it. I don't know. Maybe they're too indoctrinated. But like every book I've read, (except Kathleen Ann Goonan's "Crescent City Rhapsody", which I just couldn't tolerate to the end) I'll read it all and decide how I like it.

[zenzero]

For as long as I can remember, I've had a strange inner feeling of spiritual guidance that I have pretty well kept to myself for fear of mockery and at the same time I have "talked" with "God" (my own feeling of some omnipresence) about how I view life and the principles I live by. I feel "God" understands me and will help with my realisation.___________________________

Friend,
Only if you understand the mind phenomenon you will realise that what you mention about talking to is all the doing of the mind the same mind which is the actual Satan of the bible which convinces Eve to get Adam to eat the aple etc.
By Stilling the mind can one witness truth.
Love & rgds

[kadzbiz]

Originally Posted by zenzero

.......you will realise that what you mention about talking to is all the doing of the mind the same mind which is the actual Satan ....... By stilling the mind can one witness truth.

Well, if I must believe in Satan, then I must believe in God, and if I believe in them, why do I have to believe that it is Satan in my mind rather than God? Further to this, I will add that I find that my "talking" happens at times when my mind is at its stillest.

[jamaesi]

Originally Posted by kadzbiz

Sounds like at his point in my life I may be an agnostic also, after looking up what it meant. Hmm, I wonder if I can shortcut your ten years some how? And what does DIR stand for please?

I sure hope you shortcut my ten years. That was a long uncertain time, though I was basicly just heading in the same direction for most of it!

And the DIRs are the Discuss Individual Religions forums, they are these ones here. Each religion has it's own forum.