If you believe in a god(any god)

[PureX]

Once you understand faith, and let go of this insistence on "belief", all these question become irrelevant.

 

[firedragon]

If you believe in a god.. Is it because of
-faith
or
-evidence
or
-only personal evidence

But you can explain your own choice differently.
All votes are anonymous.

-Evidence I mean physical, testable evidence. Evidence you can present to someone.
-personal evidence that only you experienced. Hence the "personal evidence" choice.
I don't mean the sky is beautiful because god created it.
Be reasonable and honest.

It's a false dilemma because you have defined your version of evidence as testable and physical. It's an oxymoron. How could one have physical evidence for a non-physical being? This type of question is intentionally created for someones pleasure but not for real knowledge.

 

[Mark Charles Compton]

If you believe in a god.. Is it because of
-faith
or
-evidence
or
-only personal evidence

But you can explain your own choice differently.
All votes are anonymous.

-Evidence I mean physical, testable evidence. Evidence you can present to someone.
-personal evidence that only you experienced. Hence the "personal evidence" choice.
I don't mean the sky is beautiful because god created it.
Be reasonable and honest.

Personal evidence.

I witnessed a hallucination in which every tree and plant in the forest I was occupying, had an exaggerated 'spiral' component to it. A couple years later, I learned of the Fibonacci sequence and its presence within biology.

I find our ability to develop algorithmic descriptions of the universe's mechanisms, as points against indeterminism. From there I take to pure conjecture and stake unsubstantiated claims such as, "The universe is structured and ordered, signs of a designer." as well as claims such as "I wouldn't be conscious if, consciousness wasn't inherent to the universe."

 

[DharmaCatLamp]

If you believe in a god.. Is it because of
-faith
or
-evidence
or
-only personal evidence

But you can explain your own choice differently.
All votes are anonymous.

-Evidence I mean physical, testable evidence. Evidence you can present to someone.
-personal evidence that only you experienced. Hence the "personal evidence" choice.
I don't mean the sky is beautiful because god created it.
Be reasonable and honest.

For a long time I found it pretty much impossible to believe in God because of the lack of evidence. When I looked at things I treated everything with a skeptical mind. Partially this was due to having been disillusioned with Islam which caused me to be skeptical of well.. Just about everything.

After practicing Buddhist meditation for awhile I had a variety of experiences that shaped me in such as way that made me less skeptical and more open to experience. Letting go of strict reasoning and going with the flow I eventually had several experiences that for me felt impossible to deny. If I denied what I felt like they told me about the open and loving divine that I could connect to then I may as well deny every experience I had ever had ever.

Reality came crashing in and I had to look at the whole world differently. Things that hadn't made sense in the past suddenly made way too much sense. My perspective got flipped on it's head and things overtime came to become rather clear to me.

The thing about this is that plenty of people could dismiss my experiences and not get anything from them. I get it, the human mind is rather odd and has a tendency to see things in a way that fits with their narrative. These experiences shattered my previous narrative in a way that is hard to explain. This is also part of the reason that I get it when people say they are atheists. I used to be one and I don't think you can't have a meaningful life without God.

This convinced me and I don't require it to convince anyone else. People will come to their conclusions whenever they do and I don't think I need to be an advocate for God. Perspectives can also take one man's truth and make it another man's falsehood. We can only know what we know for ourselves and in many cases it will not go further than that.

From those experiences I had I gained faith in certain teachings and the more I've practiced the further a long I have gotten. Don't get me wrong I am still skeptical of certain things. I am still rather wary of Gurus and am more than a little reluctant to give myself up to any one teacher. There is too much you can learn from outside your tradition to let one teacher be my be all end all. There are too many ways to approach the world for me to say " Ah yes this is THE truth." You gotta explore and experiment and see where you end up.

When you see someone walking another path just remember your own path is not straight and narrow but has numerous twists and turns. You never know when that path that seems so wrong to you now will end up being your own path down the line.

 

[CharmingOwl]

In some spiritual practices it's not about dogma or bad consequences if you don't practice it, but more like "This deity can help you in this way." or it an be traditional for some people's heritage. I was always more convinced by those statements than dogmatism.

 

[loverofhumanity]

It goes something like this.

I believe the Word of God has the Holy Spirit embedded in it which can convey infallible truth to people. Reading and reflecting on the Word teaches the soul. The soul is the first to recognise God and bow down before Him.

But the bounty of the Holy Spirit gives the true method of comprehension which is infallible and indubitable. This is through the help of the Holy Spirit which comes to man, and this is the condition in which certainty can alone be attained.
'Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions

“The Great Being saith: The Word is the master key for the whole world, inasmuch as through its potency the doors of the hearts of men, which in reality are the doors of heaven, are unlocked.” (Bahá’u’lláh)

 

[We Never Know]

It's a false dilemma because you have defined your version of evidence as testable and physical. It's an oxymoron. How could one have physical evidence for a non-physical being? This type of question is intentionally created for someones pleasure but not for real knowledge.

Then maybe you should choose choice three, personal evidence.

 

[firedragon]

Then maybe you should choose choice three, personal evidence.

Thanks for the suggestion. Doesn't suit my stance.

 

[We Never Know]

Thanks for the suggestion. Doesn't suit my stance.

Ok. Then don't vote. Thanks anyway

 

[muhammad_isa]

Then maybe you should choose choice three, personal evidence.

I would vote for all three, if I could.

 

[firedragon]

Ok. Then don't vote. Thanks anyway

Thanks for the instructions. I shall abide by your command.

Cheers.

 

[We Never Know]

Thanks for the instructions. I shall abide by your command.

Cheers.

It was a suggestion since the choices didn't suit your stances. Cheers

 

[firedragon]

It was a suggestion since the choices didn't suit your stances. Cheers

Maybe if you read that post again and consider it a little you will understand what I said.

If you did, you will not make such irrelevant suggestions.

Have a great day.

 

[Wildswanderer]

Pick the one that applies the most.
If everyone picked all.three, the poll would be useless.

I don't understand why faith is included. I believe because of faith? Faith and belief are the same thing.

 

[Mark Charles Compton]

I don't understand why faith is included. I believe because of faith? Faith and belief are the same thing.

Precisely. This is for those who do not need exterior information outside of that which they find to be the truth.

 

[wellwisher]

If you believe in a god.. Is it because of
-faith
or
-evidence
or
-only personal evidence

But you can explain your own choice differently.
All votes are anonymous.

-Evidence I mean physical, testable evidence. Evidence you can present to someone.
-personal evidence that only you experienced. Hence the "personal evidence" choice.
I don't mean the sky is beautiful because god created it.
Be reasonable and honest.

I have some very unique personal evidence. Many years ago I did some unique unconscious mind research on myself, based on work done by the late Psychologist, Carl Jung. His thesis was connected to the archetypes of the collective unconscious, which is modern lingo, were analogous to brain firmware connected to our collective human nature. These appear to be based on human DNA and make collective human propensities, similar in all cultures They define us as a species. He proved his thesis by showing patterns within collective human symbolism all over the world, which were projections from within, from the firmware.

My goal was to take his research to the next level by gaining first hand experience of the archetypes. Nobody has done this before, in modern times, and my temperament was suited to this. I started with recording and analyzing my dreams while studying the collective works of Jung to learn more about collective human symbolism. As time went on my dreams become less personal and more collective with strange things starting to happen. For example, I would dream dreams of symbolism the day before I would read about them in books I had never read before; cause and affect was reversed.I knew I was in the right place. I leaned to become conscious in dreams.

This research, to isolate and differentiate the archetypes and the inner self, over several years, led to a dissociated state of mind. My research and quest for experiences, had disrupted the unconscious integration of the firmware. With this self awareness, I took that as a sign it was time to reintegrate my personality, but I had no idea how to do it. I initially depended on Jung's most challenging work called "Mysterium Coniunctionis", which was Latin for the mystical union; symbols of transformation.

Luckily, the inner self took over the job, with the unconscious mind leading the process of transformation and integration. This began with the worse nightmare of my life. In that a dream that a dark shadowy presence had entered my room. I then saw a ring of light and fire rotating horizontally. As I watched a man and women jumped into the fire and merged. The presence spoke to me and said when you have entered the ring it shall be complete. At that point, I felt in shear panic; animal body, while my mind was calm trying to observe and figure out what to do. So I decided to wake myself, only to find the walls of my bedroom breathing and the presence ready to enter my room.

I was in shear panic and decided to pray to clam myself down and within a few minutes I became calm and the presence departed. Reason alone was no match for where I needed to go to become whole. I needed both reason and faith; sword and shield. There is a wall in the unconscious mind where one is not supposed to go, at risk of messing up the firmware; unless one is led by the inner self. After that I was not afraid of the guardian of the wall; dragon, since the inner self was escorting me. Faith in God appears to have a connection to the IT of the firmware of the brain. To use it, you need genuine faith to insert the command lines; emotional tagging processes.

The nightmare had outlined the procedure that the inner self would use. It would generate scenarios that were connected to my mind and heart; man and woman. I needed to analyze and solve the riddles. If I got it correct the inner self would give me a dose of endorphins. I would feel timeless. This was the 1000-fold distillation wrote of in Jung's book. These scenario went on for several months getting more and more complicated and even occurring day and night; awake and asleep. They even extended into the material world via synchronicity; meaningful coincidences. In the the end, I was so exhausted; eternal vigilance was the price of liberty, but I was back to normal, with one new feature.

I had developed an embryonic interactive connection with the inner self. The self had created a communication link as it integrated the firmware. This would be developed over the next several years. It began with pondering some of the mysteries of human knowledge. This evolved into a mystical psychosis based on bible prophesies; within my mind, leading to an update in the operating system. I would not do it again since it was as much of a curse as a blessing.

If science wants to experience the gods of religion, they need to use their brain and its unconscious operating system. I can show them how, but be forewarned, if you lack faith you can end up lost, forever. Reason alone is not enough. You will need a shield, also.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

. From there I take to pure conjecture and stake unsubstantiated claims such as, "The universe is structured and ordered, signs of a designer." as well as claims such as "I wouldn't be conscious if, consciousness wasn't inherent to the universe."

I see "God" as a metaphor for our relationship with the Universe: That we, being conscious pieces of the Universe, are (to invoke Emerson) part or particle of "God" in that we are the conscious Universe adding design to it as our discriminating minds model the sensory data we get from it.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

I have some very unique personal evidence. Many years ago I did some unique unconscious mind research on myself, based on work done by the late Psychologist, Carl Jung. His thesis was connected to the archetypes of the collective unconscious, which is modern lingo, were analogous to brain firmware connected to our collective human nature. These appear to be based on human DNA and make collective human propensities, similar in all cultures They define us as a species. He proved his thesis by showing patterns within collective human symbolism all over the world, which were projections from within, from the firmware.

My goal was to take his research to the next level by gaining first hand experience of the archetypes. Nobody has done this before, in modern times, and my temperament was suited to this. I started with recording and analyzing my dreams while studying the collective works of Jung to learn more about collective human symbolism. As time went on my dreams become less personal and more collective with strange things starting to happen. For example, I would dream dreams of symbolism the day before I would read about them in books I had never read before; cause and affect was reversed.I knew I was in the right place. I leaned to become conscious in dreams.

This research, to isolate and differentiate the archetypes and the inner self, over several years, led to a dissociated state of mind. My research and quest for experiences, had disrupted the unconscious integration of the firmware. With this self awareness, I took that as a sign it was time to reintegrate my personality, but I had no idea how to do it. I initially depended on Jung's most challenging work called "Mysterium Coniunctionis", which was Latin for the mystical union; symbols of transformation.

Luckily, the inner self took over the job, with the unconscious mind leading the process of transformation and integration. This began with the worse nightmare of my life. In that a dream that a dark shadowy presence had entered my room. I then saw a ring of light and fire rotating horizontally. As I watched a man and women jumped into the fire and merged. The presence spoke to me and said when you have entered the ring it shall be complete. At that point, I felt in shear panic; animal body, while my mind was calm trying to observe and figure out what to do. So I decided to wake myself, only to find the walls of my bedroom breathing and the presence ready to enter my room.

I was in shear panic and decided to pray to clam myself down and within a few minutes I became calm and the presence departed. Reason alone was no match for where I needed to go to become whole. I needed both reason and faith; sword and shield. There is a wall in the unconscious mind where one is not supposed to go, at risk of messing up the firmware; unless one is led by the inner self. After that I was not afraid of the guardian of the wall; dragon, since the inner self was escorting me. Faith in God appears to have a connection to the IT of the firmware of the brain. To use it, you need genuine faith to insert the command lines; emotional tagging processes.

The nightmare had outlined the procedure that the inner self would use. It would generate scenarios that were connected to my mind and heart; man and woman. I needed to analyze and solve the riddles. If I got it correct the inner self would give me a dose of endorphins. I would feel timeless. This was the 1000-fold distillation wrote of in Jung's book. These scenario went on for several months getting more and more complicated and even occurring day and night; awake and asleep. They even extended into the material world via synchronicity; meaningful coincidences. In the the end, I was so exhausted; eternal vigilance was the price of liberty, but I was back to normal, with one new feature.

I had developed an embryonic interactive connection with the inner self. The self had created a communication link as it integrated the firmware. This would be developed over the next several years. It began with pondering some of the mysteries of human knowledge. This evolved into a mystical psychosis based on bible prophesies; within my mind, leading to an update in the operating system. I would not do it again since it was as much of a curse as a blessing.

If science wants to experience the gods of religion, they need to use their brain and its unconscious operating system. I can show them how, but be forewarned, if you lack faith you can end up lost, forever. Reason alone is not enough. You will need a shield, also.

This was absolutely amazing to read! Thanks for sharing this.

 

[We Never Know]

I don't understand why faith is included. I believe because of faith? Faith and belief are the same thing.

Thats why they both aren't a choice.

 

[Wildswanderer]

Thats why they both aren't a choice.

But it's redundant to say I believe because of faith.