Direct experience of deity?

Is there such a thing as a direct experience of deity?

If so, does such an experience transcend religious literature, including the bible?

Sunstone-

as a Quaker, my answer to both questions would be yes. i believe that we are capable of experiencing the divine in a direct, personal way, and that this experience is itself superior to revelations that have been set down in books, including the Bible.

revelation is a fluid thing, as is human understanding. what is acceptable for one generation may not be so for the next. religious law should be able to change with believers' convictions, as should personal morals.

In Christianity, is a direct experience of deity that which is called "Grace"?

Sunstone said:

In Christianity, is a direct experience of deity that which is called "Grace"?

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for some it is. some Christians understand grace as the gift of salvation and forgivness from God, where as others may understand it as personal revelation as a gift from God.

i can't speak for all Chritians or all Quakers, but generally Quakers believe that there is something of the divine within us that can lead us towards what is good, and help us to see the holy in life, if we are open to it.

a similar idea for other Chirstians may be something like the Holy Spirit, though i'm not sure.

Sunstone said:

Is there such a thing as a direct experience of deity?

If so, does such an experience transcend religious literature, including the bible?

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1). Is there such a thing as a direct experience? Yes, I belive that Christ's coming was specifically to enable complete union with God.

2). Does it transcend religious literature? That's a yes and no. The Bible isn't the summum bonum of my faith. There are other things, but it is also there as a guide, one that I should heed. The Bible and the Church Fathers do serve as a hedge and a guide to me lest I succumb to prelest though. God is not going to teach me something that contradicts what He taught those who went before, nor is He going to work in me a substantially different way. If that is occuring, then I should back up and trace my steps.

Sunstone writes: Is there such a thing as a direct experience of deity?

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I will say yes because I am continuing such a experience to this day.

Sunstone writes: If so, does such an experience transcend religious literature, including the bible?

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A direct relationship with GOD offers ample opportunity to get to know this BEing, which in turn will help someone to discern where and if GOD is evident in The Bible and other religious teachings. An experience with a positive deity such as GOD helps you construct your own "bible" and to research and document the TRUTHs that we uncover in our own existence.


In all my discussions about The Bible with GOD it doesn’t seem that he is discrediting or discounting its writings. At the same time GOD has reminded me that he will not and can not be contained to one book.



Excerpts from our discussions....

“The Bible is, and ALL(WAYS) will BE, what YOU make of it.”



“While the Bible contains many examples of wisdom through experience, there is an endless amount of TRUTH that exists outside of the Bible. Some people will miss them because their perspective does not extend outside the binding of this one particular book.”

“There is no one book or one law humans can follow that will help them excel and prosper in the eventual PURPOSE they have defined for their individual existence.”

Sunstone said:

In Christianity, is a direct experience of deity that which is called "Grace"?

Click to expand...

In my Church we believe something like that for grace. We believe our capacities that enable a proper union with God are fallen. Grace is the uncreated power of God (in the Greek the Fathers use the word "energy" to describe it, even the NT has the energy language) that makes these capacities function. The Holy Spirit works with these capacities to reveal Himself and incarnate Himself in people.

When put in that way, the grace enables our ability to unite with God, and so we meet the person of the Holy Spirit.

Do I personally believe a direct two-way relationship with a deity named GOD could transcend religious teachings and practices? Not only do I believe it can transcend them but I believe it should replace them.

It has in the past Carrdero, I don't see why it can't in the future.

Sunstone said:

Is there such a thing as a direct experience of deity?

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No, I don't think so. I think that we all feel very powerful emotions at times, but it is erroneous to attribute them to a deity.

When I was walking to my first sweat lodge, it was raining slightly, and dusk had fallen heavily. While I was walking, though, I saw ahead of me a woman standing in the mist, with white robes. She stood far enough away that I couldn't see her features, but she had long, black hair, and was swaying from side to side slightly, enough for me to see it wasn't just a trick of the light making me think a far-away white towel was a woman. I felt peaceful looking at her, and empowered.

Well, we got to the sweatlodge and it struck me that none of the other group members were wearing white, especially nothing long enough to reach the ground. Since I was trying to concentrate on it the ceremony, I didn't really realize the impact of that until after we were leaving, at around 12 pm. The woman was standing further away this time, but her robes were almost luminescent. I turned to the group leader, whom I was walking with, and asked him to confirm what I was seeing, but he simply smiled.

I thought about it the whole night, but didn't realize what had happened until the following day, when we sat around a medicine wheel that had a large buffulo skull in the middle. This time I turned to the leader, and didn't ask- simply stated "It was the White Buffalo Woman I saw last night."

So... that's my most recent experience with Deity.

Sunstone said:

Is there such a thing as a direct experience of deity?

If so, does such an experience transcend religious literature, including the bible?

Click to expand...

Christ dwelleth in me. Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world. The Spirit beareth witness. He that believes on the son of God hath the witness in himself.
1John 2:20 But you have an unction from the Holy one and ye know all things.
27 But the anointing which ye have recieved abideth in you.....

All of these things and more from the bible should be experienced so that you know that you have eternal life.

As far as your second question is concerned, don't forget that Pharoah's preists could also turn a rod into a serpent so there are supernatural phenonoma that is not from God. I believe that Jesus in John 14-16 indicates pretty much the operation of the Holy Spirit who is God. I personally don't believe that God the Holy Ghost will manifest himself to do anything but Glorify Jesus because Jesus is every thing that the bible says he is and if you get baptized in the Holy Ghost you will know that.