Which religion is most similar to my views? Input is appreciated!

[Jevam]

Good day to you all.

Please take the time to read this entire post as I am seeking some sincere guidance from all of you other souls out there. I am 18 years old and I have been unhappy for a long time, due to being dead inside because I had no connection to any sort of spirituality. So I have been on a journey to attain spiritual wisdom. I have done a lot of spiritual research without bias because I want to find some sort of meaning in life and I want to have truth and wisdom. I have come to a few conclusions as to the nature of the physical and spiritual realm. None of this is canon and I'm hoping for advice and guidance from all of you.

First of all, I believe in one creation source. I believe it is a source of non-physical (spiritual) energy which is in a non-physical realm that co-exists with our current physical realm. I think this creation source created the laws of physics, time and space, and all of the matter in the universe that abides by the laws of physics.

I believe each human has a soul because our brains have evolved to be sophisticated enough to draw a piece of this creation source's energy into our brain. So basically, the creation source is in all of us, as we are apart of it, and none of us are different from each other or anything else in the universe because we are all one with the creation source. Animals, plants, and other non-living objects have the creation source in them, but not to the extent of humans. Humans have so much of the creation source in us that we can actually be considered deity incarnate, so the bible is kinda right when it says "he created us in his image." Which is why I believe Jesus said he is the son of God, and to love your enemies, because your enemies are actually you, and everyone is the son/daughter of God. I love any figure in history with wisdom, I love Jesus, I love Vishnu, I love the Wiccan Goddess and God, because they are all aspects of the divine creation source. Same as if you poison the environment, if you poison the environment you actually poison yourself because the environment is part of the creation source and you are part of the creation source to... sorry if I'm rambling, but basically.. ALL IS ONE.

Since our souls are simply part of the creation source, I believe that we can manipulate this spiritual energy any way we want. For example, when a Christian prays to heal the sick, or when a Wiccan casts a spell for good health, I believe they are wielding this non-physical, spiritual power. Likewise, I believe that any deity in any religion can exist, because as our souls/minds believe in a deity, we actually manipulate the creation source and it can manifest itself in such a deity. So does the Abrahamic god exist? Yes. Vishnu? Yes. Native American animal spirits and their "creator?" Yes. The creation source can be anything because it is the source of all things, it can be happiness, sorrow, anger, love, death and life... purely chaotic, without order. Which is why the creation source created the ordered universe with the laws of physics and matter, so that the creation source can experience life, attain more wisdom, love, care, etc, by living through us. The creation source can't be a loving grandfather on its own, can't have sexual experiences on its own, can't be a child enjoying a candy on its own, it can't learn the value of helping friends on its own, so the creation source is actually bettering itself as it lives through us and learns lessons. Think of the universe as a perpetual motion machine of self-betterment created by the creation source, whatever you may personify it as - Allah, Vishnu, the great Goddess, etc.

I believe that when we die, our consciousness (the soul) either rejoins with the main consciousness (the creation source), or is simply reincarnated into a brain that is sophisticated enough to use it, like a developing fetus so that the piece of the creation source which is the soul can live yet again and attain more wisdom for the creation source.

I think that my incarnated life is to attain more wisdom for the creation source when I die, because before I was largely ignorant/arrogant about spirituality, but now that I have looked for spiritual wisdom I actually feel that life has a point and I feel that I am apart of something greater than anything we can imagine. I feel like my soul has grown, learned, matured. I truly feel one and in tune with both the universe/nature and the spiritual realm. By the time my life ends and I rejoin the main consciousness for a period of time, I hope I bring experiences of love, spiritual wisdom, and modesty to better the main consciousness (which is actually ourselves, guhh it's hard to put into words).

CLIFF NOTES FOR THOSE WHO DON'T WISH TO READ THE PARAGRAPHS:

- There is one main creation source that exists in the non-physical spiritual realm.
- The creation source created the laws of physics and all the matter that abides by it. This is known as our universe.
- Our souls are simply spiritual energy (consciousness) from this creation source, our brains evolved to be sophisticated enough to draw a portion of the great consciousness and wield it. So we are god, god is us, the universe is god.
- Since our souls are spiritual energy, we can manipulate the great consciousness and spiritual energy in any way. Having deities such as the Abrahamic god, Vishnu, the Wiccan goddess, etc, actually manifest themselves and be real. Likewise prayer/magic also works due to utilizing spiritual energy.
- The point of life is so that the creation source (godhead) can live through us. So that it can learn the lessons of life and better itself. The universe is a perpetual motion machine of self betterment created by the godhead so that it can learn life lessons, attain wisdom, through us. We are all god, parts of it, bettering ourselves.

What do you think of my spiritual view thus far? Please add anything if you would like to, or tell me what you disagree with. I will be very appreciative and use it to attain even more wisdom.

With much love, Jesse.

 

[elmarna]

Sounds like you are speaking of the NATIVE AMERICAN CHURCH!

 

[Acim]

I only read crib notes.

Sounds to me like Universalism.

Possibly, but maybe not, metaphysical naturalism.

With theism and Universalism (perhaps a few other isms) you could stick to simple spiritual devotion and call it a day. No need to settle on a religion unless feeling called to do so.

 

[Madhuri]

You use different wording, but a lot of what you said (ie/ about souls and creation source being in all things, reincarnation and purpose of life for maturity of the Self/soul etc) reflects Vedic/Hindu philosophy. But there are things you've mentioned that are 'extra' or that I don't really understand.

 

[Draka]

Well, I can say that the vast majority of what you said not only made sense to me but I agree with. I've often referred to my beliefs as an amalgamation of panentheism, neoplatonism and polytheism. If you care to look those things up you may find a lot of similarities with what you are describing. I personally feel that Wicca is the religion and practice for me which allows me the best representation of my beliefs, though I can also see how Hinduism can fall in line with them as well. All said and done though, you really don't need to claim any particular religion, but you can at least know you are not the only one who believes such and there are whole classifications of thought which follow along the same lines as your own.

 

[Breathe]

Welcome to RF


I'd say Hinduism, possibly Sikhism too (depending on how you interpret 'God can incarnate', as Sikhs don't believe God incarnates, but people are part of God so in that way it's not so much against it), and definitely Panentheism. You could go for Pagan Panentheism?

 

[blackout]

Process theology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Panentheism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[earlwooters]

Jesusism.

 

[methylatedghosts]

I believe all books have some element of truth in them, not matter how well they might be disguised. That's the beauty of being so individual, is only you can have the interpretation you have. Only you take the truth that you read from books. So here's my suggestion:

Find a second hand book store with a spirituality/theology section. Pick up a few books that strike your fancy, and read the blurb, or perhaps the first few paragraphs of each. Browse them for as long as you want. If something really grabs you, buy it and read it. Or you might not find anything. In that case, find another store. Go back a few times when you have time spare. I think that somewhere in there you'll find what you're looking for.

But, that's only my suggestion. There's also nothing wrong with finding a definition for what you believe and sticking to that.

 

[bobhikes]

Belief-O-Matic- Beliefnet.com

From the test results I've seen should give you some starting points.

 

[Pegg]

Good day to you all.
First of all, I believe in one creation source. I believe it is a source of non-physical (spiritual) energy which is in a non-physical realm that co-exists with our current physical realm. I think this creation source created the laws of physics, time and space, and all of the matter in the universe that abides by the laws of physics.

You will find elements of 'one creator' in many religions. The bible and Koran, Judaism, Christianity & Islam all teach that there is only one God Almighty...the Creator of heaven and earth.

The bible speaks of God as the 'law maker' Jeremiah 33:25 "...that I had appointed my own covenant of the day and night, the statutes of heaven and earth..."

And its opening words name God as the creator of the universe (heavens) and the earth
Genesis 1:1 In [the] beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

But the bible presents God as a personal God, with personality, likes, dislikes and one who is interested in all of his creations. The God of the bible has a personal name. It is Yahweh/Jehovah.

I believe each human has a soul because our brains have evolved to be sophisticated enough to draw a piece of this creation source's energy into our brain. So basically, the creation source is in all of us, as we are apart of it, and none of us are different from each other or anything else in the universe because we are all one with the creation source. Animals, plants, and other non-living objects have the creation source in them, but not to the extent of humans. Humans have so much of the creation source in us that we can actually be considered deity incarnate, so the bible is kinda right when it says "he created us in his image." Which is why I believe Jesus said he is the son of God, and to love your enemies, because your enemies are actually you, and everyone is the son/daughter of God.

this is again very similar to the bibles description of the 'spirit' inside all living things. We are told that Gods spirit brings the soul to life:

Isaiah 42:5 This is what the [true] God, Jehovah, has said, the Creator of the heavens...the One giving breath to the people on it, and spirit to those walking in it:

Job 27:3 While my breath is yet whole within me, And the spirit of God is in my nostrils

Acts 17:25 "...he himself gives to all [persons] life and breath and all things.

Ecclesiastes 12:7 Then the dust returns to the earth just as it happened to be and the spirit itself returns to the [true] God who gave it

I love any figure in history with wisdom, I love Jesus, I love Vishnu, I love the Wiccan Goddess and God, because they are all aspects of the divine creation source.

I agree that all religions teach some aspects of truth, but we need to also recognize that in many instances, they teach very contradictory things that cannot both be true.

If you truly believe that God is 'one', then would you agree that he must also have certain truths that pertain to himself? For instance, some religions teach that God is not interested at all in mankind, others teach that he is... could it be both?

Some religions teach that God is a trinity and that he is one part of other parts, others teach that God is a complete individual who is one person, not many. Could he be both?

So while its true that all religions teach some aspect of truth, it does not mean they all teach truth as God sees it. Finding a source of Gods truth is a difficult thing to do, but it comes down to choosing which God to listen to. You may need to compare each of the Gods in the various religions to come to that determination...its well worth putting in a little effort though because having a solid belief is much better then believing in bits and pieces.

Likewise, I believe that any deity in any religion can exist, because as our souls/minds believe in a deity, we actually manipulate the creation source and it can manifest itself in such a deity. So does the Abrahamic god exist? Yes. Vishnu? Yes. Native American animal spirits and their "creator?" Yes. The creation source can be anything because it is the source of all things, it can be happiness, sorrow, anger, love, death and life... purely chaotic, without order.

If you came upon a house, and inside that house everything had a place, every knife and fork placed in its position, every book on the shelf organized in an alphabetical order, every piece of clothing folded in a certain way and packed according to color and style...would you assume the occupant was a disorganized person?

When you look at the order in creation, it certainly doesnt speak of a God of disorder. The way information is stored in DNA, The creation itself shows us that the creator is highly organized and very efficient. The laws of nature, the periodic table and the precise measurements of mathematics show that he is a genius of sorts.
I dont see any evidence of chaos and disorder in the universe , his physical creation.

 

[earlwooters]

The word of El. El is the oldest, confirmed, named deity in history. BOOKOFEL - Home.

 

[Jevam]

Thanks for the input, guys. I've decided for the time being I will keep taking in spiritual information and believing what seems most accurate, rather than choosing a religion yet.

The vast majority of my beliefs do fit with Hinduism and the idea that individuality is Maya, an illusion, that we are all just pieces of the god power put into physical bodies, and when we die we return to the god power or reincarnate. In this way the god power can live lives and learn lessons and better itself.

However, I've been giving it some thought and I rationalized that the contrary is also possible:

Could this main consciousness have created eternal individuality? Meaning the main consciousness experiences through every individual soul, but individual souls never experience through the main consciousness... Even further, if the main consciousness does not have to exist in its creation, could the main consciousness not experience through individual souls? Could it be akin to a parent figure? This would fit with the Abrahamic religions I'm sure.

I think this would be fit for a spot in the debate section. I think it would be a good idea to post it there.

 

[Pegg]

Could this main consciousness have created eternal individuality? Meaning the main consciousness experiences through every individual soul, but individual souls never experience through the main consciousness... Even further, if the main consciousness does not have to exist in its creation, could the main consciousness not experience through individual souls? Could it be akin to a parent figure? This would fit with the Abrahamic religions I'm sure.

I think this would be fit for a spot in the debate section. I think it would be a good idea to post it there.

just to give you a heads up, the bible doesnt actually say that humans have a soul...as in a separate entity within them

it actually says that humans ARE souls.
"God formed the man from the dust and blew into his nostrils the breath of life and the man came to be a living soul (Nephesh)"

The hebrew word for 'soul' is 'nephesh' and genesis uses the same word to describe the animals...
Gen 1:20-21 "“Let the waters swarm forth a swarm of living souls (nephesh)....And God proceeded to create the great sea monsters and every living soul (nephesh) that glides."


And the bible also says that the soul dies
Eze 18:4 "the soul that is sinning, it itself will die"

And the bible also says that at death, consciousness ceases
Psalm 146: 4 His spirit goes out, he goes back to his ground; In that day his thoughts do perish
Eccles 9:5 For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all"


So there is no idea of an eternal consciousness to be found in the hebrew scriptures.

 

[Jevam]

just to give you a heads up, the bible doesnt actually say that humans have a soul...as in a separate entity within them

it actually says that humans ARE souls.
"God formed the man from the dust and blew into his nostrils the breath of life and the man came to be a living soul (Nephesh)"

The hebrew word for 'soul' is 'nephesh' and genesis uses the same word to describe the animals...
Gen 1:20-21 "“Let the waters swarm forth a swarm of living souls (nephesh)....And God proceeded to create the great sea monsters and every living soul (nephesh) that glides."


And the bible also says that the soul dies
Eze 18:4 "the soul that is sinning, it itself will die"

And the bible also says that at death, consciousness ceases
Psalm 146: 4 His spirit goes out, he goes back to his ground; In that day his thoughts do perish
Eccles 9:5 For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all"


So there is no idea of an eternal consciousness to be found in the hebrew scriptures.

So as a Jehova's Witness, you think people die and stay dead?

 

[Breathe]

Could this main consciousness have created eternal individuality? Meaning the main consciousness experiences through every individual soul, but individual souls never experience through the main consciousness... Even further, if the main consciousness does not have to exist in its creation, could the main consciousness not experience through individual souls?

That's a possibility, although Hinduism's goal is to "merge" with God.

Is this your own view, or just a possibility you are pondering?

 

[ScottySatan]

Theosophy

 

[Orias]

- There is one main creation source that exists in the non-physical spiritual realm.


- The creation source created the laws of physics and all the matter that abides by it. This is known as our universe.

- Our souls are simply spiritual energy (consciousness) from this creation source, our brains evolved to be sophisticated enough to draw a portion of the great consciousness and wield it.

So we are god, god is us, the universe is god.

- Since our souls are spiritual energy, we can manipulate the great consciousness and spiritual energy in any way. Having deities such as the Abrahamic god, Vishnu, the Wiccan goddess, etc, actually manifest themselves and be real. Likewise prayer/magic also works due to utilizing spiritual energy.


- The point of life is so that the creation source (godhead) can live through us. So that it can learn the lessons of life and better itself. The universe is a perpetual motion machine of self betterment created by the godhead so that it can learn life lessons, attain wisdom, through us. We are all god, parts of it, bettering ourselves.

What do you think of my spiritual view thus far? Please add anything if you would like to, or tell me what you disagree with. I will be very appreciative and use it to attain even more wisdom.

To me, you honestly sound like a true LHPer.

I wouldn't concern myself with taking on a label to describe yourself, your curiosity in itself, is a strong spiritual energy.

Your notions of us all being "God" is something I completely agree with and is the essence of auto-theism (Satanism). You used the term "Godhead" which kind of surprised me and made me wonder if you have ever read any of Anton LaVey's writings.

Your quest for knowledge has similar Origins as mine. Being 18 years old myself, I think I can apply myself more directly to your inquisition.

The baphomet is a symbol I have taken oath to, which is a composition of words that essentially describe "absorption of knowledge". Though of course this symbol was adopted by Anton LaVey when he started the Church of Satan ( I am not recommending this).

Your notions are very similar to mine, though I wouldn't necessarily consider them "Satanic", since my Satanic roots have led to me to journey into many different Aspects and views of Life. An example would be that I am a non-theistic pantheist (in terms of "God" belief), while possessing Satanic "morals" and guidelines.

Though the term "Satan" is often misleading and kind of makes people look in the other direction, I completely understand any disagreements.

If you wish to expand on this further, all you have to do is ask

 

[Pegg]

So as a Jehova's Witness, you think people die and stay dead?

Yes that is what we believe.

The hope of living again is spoken of as the 'resurrection' in the scriptures. Once we have died, any chances of living again rests with God. And the scriptures say that all of the dead will be raised to life again during Christs Millenial rule.

John 5:26 For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted also to the Son to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to do judging, because Son of man he is. 28 Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment

While on earth, Jesus resurrected people from the dead. They were brought back to life in order to show on a small scale, what Jesus would accomplish on a much larger scale when all of mankind are brought back to life.

 

[Otherright]

Good day to you all.

Please take the time to read this entire post as I am seeking some sincere guidance from all of you other souls out there. I am 18 years old and I have been unhappy for a long time, due to being dead inside because I had no connection to any sort of spirituality. So I have been on a journey to attain spiritual wisdom. I have done a lot of spiritual research without bias because I want to find some sort of meaning in life and I want to have truth and wisdom. I have come to a few conclusions as to the nature of the physical and spiritual realm. None of this is canon and I'm hoping for advice and guidance from all of you.

First of all, I believe in one creation source. I believe it is a source of non-physical (spiritual) energy which is in a non-physical realm that co-exists with our current physical realm. I think this creation source created the laws of physics, time and space, and all of the matter in the universe that abides by the laws of physics.

I believe each human has a soul because our brains have evolved to be sophisticated enough to draw a piece of this creation source's energy into our brain. So basically, the creation source is in all of us, as we are apart of it, and none of us are different from each other or anything else in the universe because we are all one with the creation source. Animals, plants, and other non-living objects have the creation source in them, but not to the extent of humans. Humans have so much of the creation source in us that we can actually be considered deity incarnate, so the bible is kinda right when it says "he created us in his image." Which is why I believe Jesus said he is the son of God, and to love your enemies, because your enemies are actually you, and everyone is the son/daughter of God. I love any figure in history with wisdom, I love Jesus, I love Vishnu, I love the Wiccan Goddess and God, because they are all aspects of the divine creation source. Same as if you poison the environment, if you poison the environment you actually poison yourself because the environment is part of the creation source and you are part of the creation source to... sorry if I'm rambling, but basically.. ALL IS ONE.

Since our souls are simply part of the creation source, I believe that we can manipulate this spiritual energy any way we want. For example, when a Christian prays to heal the sick, or when a Wiccan casts a spell for good health, I believe they are wielding this non-physical, spiritual power. Likewise, I believe that any deity in any religion can exist, because as our souls/minds believe in a deity, we actually manipulate the creation source and it can manifest itself in such a deity. So does the Abrahamic god exist? Yes. Vishnu? Yes. Native American animal spirits and their "creator?" Yes. The creation source can be anything because it is the source of all things, it can be happiness, sorrow, anger, love, death and life... purely chaotic, without order. Which is why the creation source created the ordered universe with the laws of physics and matter, so that the creation source can experience life, attain more wisdom, love, care, etc, by living through us. The creation source can't be a loving grandfather on its own, can't have sexual experiences on its own, can't be a child enjoying a candy on its own, it can't learn the value of helping friends on its own, so the creation source is actually bettering itself as it lives through us and learns lessons. Think of the universe as a perpetual motion machine of self-betterment created by the creation source, whatever you may personify it as - Allah, Vishnu, the great Goddess, etc.

I believe that when we die, our consciousness (the soul) either rejoins with the main consciousness (the creation source), or is simply reincarnated into a brain that is sophisticated enough to use it, like a developing fetus so that the piece of the creation source which is the soul can live yet again and attain more wisdom for the creation source.

I think that my incarnated life is to attain more wisdom for the creation source when I die, because before I was largely ignorant/arrogant about spirituality, but now that I have looked for spiritual wisdom I actually feel that life has a point and I feel that I am apart of something greater than anything we can imagine. I feel like my soul has grown, learned, matured. I truly feel one and in tune with both the universe/nature and the spiritual realm. By the time my life ends and I rejoin the main consciousness for a period of time, I hope I bring experiences of love, spiritual wisdom, and modesty to better the main consciousness (which is actually ourselves, guhh it's hard to put into words).

CLIFF NOTES FOR THOSE WHO DON'T WISH TO READ THE PARAGRAPHS:

- There is one main creation source that exists in the non-physical spiritual realm.
- The creation source created the laws of physics and all the matter that abides by it. This is known as our universe.
- Our souls are simply spiritual energy (consciousness) from this creation source, our brains evolved to be sophisticated enough to draw a portion of the great consciousness and wield it. So we are god, god is us, the universe is god.
- Since our souls are spiritual energy, we can manipulate the great consciousness and spiritual energy in any way. Having deities such as the Abrahamic god, Vishnu, the Wiccan goddess, etc, actually manifest themselves and be real. Likewise prayer/magic also works due to utilizing spiritual energy.
- The point of life is so that the creation source (godhead) can live through us. So that it can learn the lessons of life and better itself. The universe is a perpetual motion machine of self betterment created by the godhead so that it can learn life lessons, attain wisdom, through us. We are all god, parts of it, bettering ourselves.

What do you think of my spiritual view thus far? Please add anything if you would like to, or tell me what you disagree with. I will be very appreciative and use it to attain even more wisdom.

With much love, Jesse.

There is a lot of Hinduism in your words... the oldest continuously practiced religion known to man.