Back to Being a Seeker

[SearchingForGod]

Hello everyone. I'm back and I'm feeling as down as ever. Last time I posted I was convinced that I wanted to be Jewish. That lasted for a good month or so... then I realized that something was still not being fulfilled in my spiritual journey and so I had to say "Thank you, but I'm going to keep searching" to my rabbi... again. He said that this was okay and that I may never find a religion (and that this is okay too). He gave me the reassurance that I needed for my ongoing search and so here I am back on the path to find where I belong. This is kind of embarrassing to say since I was so sure last time I was here that I knew where I was supposed to be. But it's not that easy... I think a lot of my troubles are stemming from a sense of culture shock that I got after I left my Muslim mother's house to go live with my Catholic grandparents. Ever since leaving her house and my own religion, I've felt a sense of emptiness that I can't seem to fill. Sometimes I wonder if God or whoever is punishing me for going off the straight and narrow path that was predestined for me by my parents. But then I remember that this is a silly notion and I continue along my own way.

Anyways, recently I thought I would give Catholicism a try. It seems nice and like maybe it could possibly be for me... but I still have some reservations about joining it, if I'm being completely honest here. And I think it's too early to say I want to join it anyways. After all, I've only been looking into it for about a month and a half. Nevertheless, I'm going to be taking RCIA Inquiry classes this Summer along with going to a youth conference for Catholics just to see what it's like. It's all going to be very educational and very fun... but I'm still wondering if perhaps I should go back to Islam again, just to see if I can't make it work out again this time. It may seem stupid of me to want to go back to Islam, but Islam is basically my home. It's what I know and what I was raised with. I can never have a relationship with Islam like I had with it when I was an early teenager, but... maybe I can find another way of connecting with it that can work for me. Maybe...

In any case, I'm back on the forums and hope to learn and associate more with you guys. And thank you for following me on this crazy journey of mine. I really do appreciate it, even if I do bounce around a lot in what I'm studying and wanting to be.

 

[Axe Elf]

I recommend that you seek God (by whatever name you call Him) in your own way, rather than seeking a way of seeking Him in others' ways. He said that if you seek Him, you will find Him, and that's because He's already where you are.

 

[Estro Felino]

Isn't it better to be atheists?

 

[arthra]

Sometimes I wonder if God or whoever is punishing me for going off the straight and narrow path that was predestined for me by my parents. But then I remember that this is a silly notion and I continue along my own way.

There's a Tablet revealed by Baha'u'llah entitled the Tablet of the True Seeker and I'll post some of it here:

O My brother! When a true seeker determineth to take the step of search in the path leading unto the knowledge of the Ancient of Days, he must, before all else, cleanse his heart, which is the seat of the revelation of the inner mysteries of God, from the obscuring dust of all acquired knowledge, and the allusions of the embodiments of satanic fancy. He must purge his breast, which is the sanctuary of the abiding love of the Beloved, of every defilement, and sanctify his soul from all that pertaineth to water and clay, from all shadowy and ephemeral attachments. He must so cleanse his heart that no remnant of either love or hate may linger therein, lest that love blindly incline him to error, or that hate repel him away from the truth. Even as thou dost witness in this Day how most of the people, because of such love and hate, are bereft of the immortal Face, have strayed far from the Embodiments of the Divine mysteries, and, shepherdless, are roaming through the wilderness of oblivion and error.

That seeker must, at all times, put his trust in God, must renounce the peoples of the earth, must detach himself from the world of dust, and cleave unto Him Who is the Lord of Lords. He must never seek to exalt himself above any one, must wash away from the tablet of his heart every trace of pride and vain-glory, must cling unto patience and resignation, observe silence and refrain from idle talk. For the tongue is a smoldering fire, and excess of speech a deadly poison. Material fire consumeth the body, whereas the fire of the tongue devoureth both heart and soul. The force of the former lasteth but for a time, whilst the effects of the latter endureth a century.

That seeker should, also, regard backbiting as grievous error, and keep himself aloof from its dominion, inasmuch as backbiting quencheth the light of the heart, and extinguisheth the life of the soul. He should be content with little, and be freed from all inordinate desire. He should treasure the companionship of them that have renounced the world, and regard avoidance of boastful and worldly people a precious benefit. At the dawn of every day he should commune with God, and, with all his soul, persevere in the quest of his Beloved. He should consume every wayward thought with the flame of His loving mention, and, with the swiftness of lightning, pass by all else save Him. He should succor the dispossessed, and never withhold his favor from the destitute. He should show kindness to animals, how much more unto his fellow-man, to him who is endowed with the power of utterance. He should not hesitate to offer up his life for his Beloved, nor allow the censure 266 of the people to turn him away from the Truth. He should not wish for others that which he doth not wish for himself, nor promise that which he doth not fulfil. With all his heart he should avoid fellowship with evil-doers, and pray for the remission of their sins. He should forgive the sinful, and never despise his low estate, for none knoweth what his own end shall be. How often hath a sinner attained, at the hour of death, to the essence of faith, and, quaffing the immortal draught, hath taken his flight unto the Concourse on high! And how often hath a devout believer, at the hour of his soul's ascension, been so changed as to fall into the nethermost fire!

Our purpose in revealing these convincing and weighty utterances is to impress upon the seeker that he should regard all else beside God as transient, and count all things save Him, Who is the Object of all adoration, as utter nothingness.

~ Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 264
Bahá'í Reference Library - Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Pages 264-270

 

[sun rise]

then I realized that something was still not being fulfilled in my spiritual journey

I'm not sure if I gave this feedback the last time, but in any event...

That's a critical question. The more you can get a sense of what is missing, the closer you'll be to finding something that works for you. Good luck moving from seeking to finding.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Hello everyone. I'm back and I'm feeling as down as ever. Last time I posted I was convinced that I wanted to be Jewish. That lasted for a good month or so... then I realized that something was still not being fulfilled in my spiritual journey and so I had to say "Thank you, but I'm going to keep searching" to my rabbi... again. He said that this was okay and that I may never find a religion (and that this is okay too). He gave me the reassurance that I needed for my ongoing search and so here I am back on the path to find where I belong. This is kind of embarrassing to say since I was so sure last time I was here that I knew where I was supposed to be. But it's not that easy... I think a lot of my troubles are stemming from a sense of culture shock that I got after I left my Muslim mother's house to go live with my Catholic grandparents. Ever since leaving her house and my own religion, I've felt a sense of emptiness that I can't seem to fill. Sometimes I wonder if God or whoever is punishing me for going off the straight and narrow path that was predestined for me by my parents. But then I remember that this is a silly notion and I continue along my own way.

Anyways, recently I thought I would give Catholicism a try. It seems nice and like maybe it could possibly be for me... but I still have some reservations about joining it, if I'm being completely honest here. And I think it's too early to say I want to join it anyways. After all, I've only been looking into it for about a month and a half. Nevertheless, I'm going to be taking RCIA Inquiry classes this Summer along with going to a youth conference for Catholics just to see what it's like. It's all going to be very educational and very fun... but I'm still wondering if perhaps I should go back to Islam again, just to see if I can't make it work out again this time. It may seem stupid of me to want to go back to Islam, but Islam is basically my home. It's what I know and what I was raised with. I can never have a relationship with Islam like I had with it when I was an early teenager, but... maybe I can find another way of connecting with it that can work for me. Maybe...

In any case, I'm back on the forums and hope to learn and associate more with you guys. And thank you for following me on this crazy journey of mine. I really do appreciate it, even if I do bounce around a lot in what I'm studying and wanting to be.

I'd say more but its 2am here. My advice is not to take RCIA classes this year. The priest actually told me not to and to wait. I didnt listen. Catholicism is a life long devotion and communal faith. They help you when you are still seeking. Some parishes have workshops so you can mingle. The only time you have to be "officially" catholic is if you want to take communion and confession/repentence. Also, think about how you view jesus. Is he prophet? You can go to mass and bow your head for blessings instead of communion.

As for muslim, if you become catholic there is no mix. Can you seperate yourself from non catholic religious practices?

Id make an appointment with one of tbe piriest and discuss how you feel. Thats what I did. It also cleared up the misconceptions of meaning behind tradition when practiced.

That or follow god in a community without committing yourself to one devotional mindset. God didnt say be catholic then J bless you. Being catholic means you follow The Church tradition and scripture (not the quran). Its a total cultural shock more so in differences in muslim and catholic practices than belief in god. To me, Id probably stay muslim and go to god directly. If you need to be saved, experience the church first before you commit.

 

[PureX]

Hello everyone. I'm back and I'm feeling as down as ever. Last time I posted I was convinced that I wanted to be Jewish. That lasted for a good month or so... then I realized that something was still not being fulfilled in my spiritual journey and so I had to say "Thank you, but I'm going to keep searching" to my rabbi... again. He said that this was okay and that I may never find a religion (and that this is okay too). He gave me the reassurance that I needed for my ongoing search and so here I am back on the path to find where I belong. This is kind of embarrassing to say since I was so sure last time I was here that I knew where I was supposed to be. But it's not that easy... I think a lot of my troubles are stemming from a sense of culture shock that I got after I left my Muslim mother's house to go live with my Catholic grandparents. Ever since leaving her house and my own religion, I've felt a sense of emptiness that I can't seem to fill. Sometimes I wonder if God or whoever is punishing me for going off the straight and narrow path that was predestined for me by my parents. But then I remember that this is a silly notion and I continue along my own way.

Anyways, recently I thought I would give Catholicism a try. It seems nice and like maybe it could possibly be for me... but I still have some reservations about joining it, if I'm being completely honest here. And I think it's too early to say I want to join it anyways. After all, I've only been looking into it for about a month and a half. Nevertheless, I'm going to be taking RCIA Inquiry classes this Summer along with going to a youth conference for Catholics just to see what it's like. It's all going to be very educational and very fun... but I'm still wondering if perhaps I should go back to Islam again, just to see if I can't make it work out again this time. It may seem stupid of me to want to go back to Islam, but Islam is basically my home. It's what I know and what I was raised with. I can never have a relationship with Islam like I had with it when I was an early teenager, but... maybe I can find another way of connecting with it that can work for me. Maybe...

In any case, I'm back on the forums and hope to learn and associate more with you guys. And thank you for following me on this crazy journey of mine. I really do appreciate it, even if I do bounce around a lot in what I'm studying and wanting to be.

Why not just let God be God, and stop worrying about how the various religions depict God? Believe in the God that you want God to be. You won't be any more right or wrong about it than anyone else is because none of us knows God's nature or even if God exists at all. The whole point of faith is learning to trust in the God that we hope is there. And then living according to that hope, because we find that doing so enables us a better way of life.

None of this is about "being right about God". It's about trusting in hope. And about being better humans for each other, as a result.

 

[Srivijaya]

I guess whilst trying to figure out whose version of God is the right one, the following
quotes from a book by Kallistos Ware (The Orthodox Way) may give pause for thought:

"God cannot be grasped by the mind. If he could be
grasped, he would not be God."
Evagrius of Pontus

"As the Greek Fathers insisted, 'A God who is
comprehensible is not God . ' A God, that is to say,
whom we claim to understand exhaustively through
the resources of our reasoning brain turns out to be
no more than an idol, fashioned in our own image.
Such a 'God' is most emphatically not the true and
living God of the Bible and the Church. Man is
made in God's image, but the reverse is not true."

 

[Windwalker]

Anyways, recently I thought I would give Catholicism a try. It seems nice and like maybe it could possibly be for me... but I still have some reservations about joining it, if I'm being completely honest here. And I think it's too early to say I want to join it anyways. After all, I've only been looking into it for about a month and a half. Nevertheless, I'm going to be taking RCIA Inquiry classes this Summer along with going to a youth conference for Catholics just to see what it's like. It's all going to be very educational and very fun... but I'm still wondering if perhaps I should go back to Islam again, just to see if I can't make it work out again this time. It may seem stupid of me to want to go back to Islam, but Islam is basically my home. It's what I know and what I was raised with. I can never have a relationship with Islam like I had with it when I was an early teenager, but... maybe I can find another way of connecting with it that can work for me. Maybe...

I think it's a good thing to learn about other perspectives on these questions, and if you need to immerse yourself in it for a time to discover its deeper meanings that's fine. But ultimately wherever you find yourself, it isn't the systems that gave you that truth, but the person seeking. At which point, all religions drop away. Like the Buddha said, "To insist on a spiritual practice that has served you in the past, is to carry the raft on your back after you have crossed the river." Sometimes, we already are on that other shore, but out of a fear of what dry land is like, we think we should get back into the boat again because it feels more familiar.

 

[Aupmanyav]

How can you find what is non-existent? We can very well do without God.

 

[Epic Beard Man]

How can you find what is non-existent? We can very well do without God.

Non-existent to you maybe...

 

[Epic Beard Man]

I recommend that you seek God (by whatever name you call Him) in your own way, rather than seeking a way of seeking Him in others' ways. He said that if you seek Him, you will find Him, and that's because He's already where you are.

[50-16] "And indeed We have created man, and We know whatever thoughts his inner self develops, and We are closer to him than (his) jugular vein, [16]."

 

[Buddha Dharma]

It's good that you continue seeking because you want to find something. To find something you do have to keep seeking. Don't give up.

 

[WalterTrull]

I don't believe in Holy punishment. I do believe we are led, very often by what we see as "carrot and stick" methods. It all comes out in the wash, although sometimes the water is a bit too warm for my delicate sensitivities.

 

[SearchingForGod]

I'd say more but its 2am here. My advice is not to take RCIA classes this year. The priest actually told me not to and to wait. I didnt listen. Catholicism is a life long devotion and communal faith. They help you when you are still seeking. Some parishes have workshops so you can mingle. The only time you have to be "officially" catholic is if you want to take communion and confession/repentence. Also, think about how you view jesus. Is he prophet? You can go to mass and bow your head for blessings instead of communion.

As for muslim, if you become catholic there is no mix. Can you seperate yourself from non catholic religious practices?

Id make an appointment with one of tbe piriest and discuss how you feel. Thats what I did. It also cleared up the misconceptions of meaning behind tradition when practiced.

That or follow god in a community without committing yourself to one devotional mindset. God didnt say be catholic then J bless you. Being catholic means you follow The Church tradition and scripture (not the quran). Its a total cultural shock more so in differences in muslim and catholic practices than belief in god. To me, Id probably stay muslim and go to god directly. If you need to be saved, experience the church first before you commit.

I just wanted to clarify here that the Inquiry classes are for people interested in the faith and there is no pressure to commit, at least not immediately. I'm taking the classes so I cam at least make an informed decision on whether or not I want to be Catholic. Besides, I want to know more about my grandparents' religion and the Seeker's Catechism that I bought seems like it wasn't teaching me enough. I just have this thirst for knowledge that won't be sated until I take a class I think. But yeah, those are my motivations for wanting to take those classes. Hopefully that helps if what I said was confusing!

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I just wanted to clarify here that the Inquiry classes are for people interested in the faith and there is no pressure to commit, at least not immediately. I'm taking the classes so I cam at least make an informed decision on whether or not I want to be Catholic. Besides, I want to know more about my grandparents' religion and the Seeker's Catechism that I bought seems like it wasn't teaching me enough. I just have this thirst for knowledge that won't be sated until I take a class I think. But yeah, those are my motivations for wanting to take those classes. Hopefully that helps if what I said was confusing!

RCIA is specific for anyone who wants to take the sacraments. Its alright to stay for the workshop class part. Later if you take the sacraments you need a sponsor. The best way to learn in my opinion is go to mass more often. Know the experience and you will personally understand the teachings more.

Let the priest know you dont want the sacraments until you decide first. Confession, communion, and baptism are for if you ready to be apart of the Church.

Its a devotion. Experience it in worship and prayer. Many people go into the church because god pulled them. Faith rather than intellect. Prayer helps.

My experience and opinion.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Non-existent to you maybe...

People sell their stories.

I don't believe in Holy punishment. I do believe we are led, very often by what we see as "carrot and stick" methods.

That is a social necessity. How else would you have a peaceful society? All resort to it.

I want to know more about my grandparents' religion and the Seeker's Catechism that I bought seems like it wasn't teaching me enough.

Why should that be important for you?

 

[SearchingForGod]

Why should that be important for you?

It's important for me because I want to know about where they are coming from and what they believe. I don't think there's anything wrong with that, personally. I just have a mighty need to satisfy my thirst for knowledge, that's all.

 

[Epic Beard Man]

People sell their stories.That is a social necessity. How else would you have a peaceful society? All resort to it.Why should that be important for you?

So do atheists...Atheists do the same sad stuff

 

[Buddha Dharma]

So do atheists...Atheists do the same sad stuff

Like nihilism and consumerism as actual points to life?