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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Ivan Michael on May 7, 2004, at 10:51:54
i have always gone by my gut feeling and it is prettie much always right. i feel kinda emptie with my current religion and have been insecting others, but i still believe in my catholic faith. i have no idea what to do.
Posted by rayww on May 7, 2004, at 11:45:14
In reply to feeling or faith???, posted by Ivan Michael on May 7, 2004, at 10:51:54
http://scriptures.lds.org/james/1/5#5
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his waysHave you asked God? This scripture teaches you how to pray in faith, nothing wavering. It also teaches how to approach God, and to prepare yourself for his guidance. Go to Him asking for mercy and forgiveness, then try to repent, and make a resolve to keep his commandments. The Catholic church has taught you the 10 commandments. Do you believe they came from God? If so, do you believe you should try to live by them? Whatever you decide, please remember the true God and try not to forsake Him.
Posted by Ivan Michael on May 7, 2004, at 20:02:20
In reply to Re: feeling or faith???, posted by rayww on May 7, 2004, at 11:45:14
thanks. it's just that i've been trying for so long. i don't think that i have broken anie commandments but one, and i stopped doing that. i pray everie day. i believe that Jesus is my savior and that he died for me. i believe in God the Father and the Holy Spirit. i believe that all of them have helped me in some way. i also believe in the Virgin Mary. i don't know if your catholic or what, but everietime i prayed to Mary, i was answered. God has answered prayers of mine. the problem isn't reallie what i believe in, it's why my faith is faultering. i still want to believe. i'll keep trying. thanks for the advice. hope to talk to you again sometime.
Posted by Jai Narayan on May 7, 2004, at 21:42:02
In reply to Re: feeling or faith???, posted by Ivan Michael on May 7, 2004, at 20:02:20
I hear what you are saying and honestly life has a way of changing us. We grow and our beliefs change with us or we change because of them.
Life is not static.
I was Catholic as well. I too turned to Wicca. It filled some of my needs. I like the earth religions.
But there were long amounts of time where I just needed to be free from restricting belief systems. There was a long period of time when I didn't believe in anything.
Now I find Buddha is meeting my needs and it works with my body/mind/spirit.
For me the important thing is to be conscious of my life...to live my life knowing that what I do and how I do it, is important.
To consciously put one foot in front of the other...
Actually I have this game called "The Transformation Game". I love this game and have learned so much about myself and life from playing it.
I highly recommend it.
Posted by Impermanence on May 8, 2004, at 19:58:30
In reply to Re: feeling or faith???, posted by Jai Narayan on May 7, 2004, at 21:42:02
I felt like you Ivan at one time, as I got older and my life started falling apart I looked to God for answers and just felt more confused. The deeper I looked into religion the more scientific I became and found no logic or reason in any "blind faith", this in turn left me feeling empty and guilty as I was brought up a catholic.
My mother (a devout catholic) had a life changing experence on a pilgrimage in a holy place called Medjugorje in Yugoslavia where the Virgin Mary is said to appear regularly and has done for many years. I was destroying my life with alcohol and drugs and my Mother persuaded me to go a few years ago. I can't say I had a life changing experence (I'm still battling my addictions and depression) but I did find a sense of calm there I have never felt anywhere else and I plan to go back sometime. People there had a presence about them and where full of joy.
Over the last few years I have read many books that are changing my life, the first of which was "Awareness by the beautiful Anthony De Mello", this book when I first read it about five years ago really did open my eyes and I became very interested in spirituality. I found myself going through phases of being very "Aware", meditating and understanding the true nature of mind, and then falling back into my sleeping unhappy mind. I became a very deep thinker and found myself getting frustrated at not having "answers". I challenged and questioned anybody I could on their believes and tried to have a deeper understanding of all religions.
When I started to read about Buddhism I found logic, it made alot of sense to me and the deeper I looked into it the more I liked it.
The "Tibetan book of Living and Dying" by Sogyal Rinpoche is the most important book I've ever read, it has changed me, but has not made me a Buddhist. I still consider myself a christian but in a very different way. I love Jesus but not as God. I love him for the enlightened being he was, the guideline for happy living he gave us and the suffering he went through to prove to us his undying love.
There is truth in all religions and a path to enlightenment in all, I don't look to deep into the "man-made" rules and regulations handed down from a time of a God of fear. I know now whats truly important, that is love, compassion and understanding of all living things, not just to know it but to practice it. I try to meditate every day and this helps me see through the illusions of life, not to be so attached to the bullshit world we have built and have a true understanding of my negative emotions which ALL stem from fear (the true satan).
I pray to Jesus from time to time and find peace in it, just as muslims find peace praying to allah, there is no right or wrong, it's all the same God at the end of the day, it just depends on where you where born.
I don't worry much about what will happen when I die; purgatory, reincarnation maybe just nothing and I know now I will never have the answers, only theories and ideas. What I do know is living in the moment, seeing the world through fresh eyes like that of a child, being at one with the universe does make you happy and gives you a trust in God. I don't have to know what God is anymore, I never will while I'm alive.
I'm on a journey and the deeper I look the less words and thoughts I find, just a neverending love. Don't be afrid to question what you've always been told, to fear looking in another direction is the very thing that will kill your sprit. God loves you, just learn to trust God is there.
I sometimes feel lost like you, but meditation has helped me wake up. I plan to go on a Buddhist retreat sometime soon for a few weeks or even months, I know things will be clearer then.
Take care on your own journey brother.
Posted by Dr. Bob on May 9, 2004, at 10:18:16
In reply to Re: feeling or faith???, posted by Impermanence on May 8, 2004, at 19:58:30
> The "Tibetan book of Living and Dying" by Sogyal Rinpoche is the most important book I've ever read...
I'd just like to plug the double double quotes feature at this site:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faq.html#amazon
The first time anyone refers to a book without using this option, I post this to try to make sure he or she at least knows about it. It's just an option, though, and doesn't *have* to be used. If people *choose* not to use it, I'd be interested why not, but I'd like that redirected to Psycho-Babble Administration:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20020918/msgs/7717.html
Thanks!
Bob
Posted by Impermanence on May 9, 2004, at 18:01:06
In reply to Re: double double quotes » Impermanence, posted by Dr. Bob on May 9, 2004, at 10:18:16
Here goes; "The Tibetan book of Living and Dying". Thanks Dr. Bob.
Posted by Ivan Michael on May 10, 2004, at 15:45:35
In reply to Re: feeling or faith???, posted by Impermanence on May 8, 2004, at 19:58:30
thankyou my friends. you are all so kind. from what i have seen, a lot of people find peace in Buddha or some in wiccanism. i like the idea of wiccanism in a way and think that i will look into it. i can't reallie do it openlie for my mother is a stern catholic and thinks that such practices come from the devil and are evil. i think that she is a closed-minded, arrogant, hypocrytical fool......i hate saying stuff like that, especiallie about my mother, but people are so ignorant about the world around them and the ways of others. for a while now, i have believed in my own form of christianity. i don't think that i need to go into detail with that so i'll stop now. well it's good to hear from all of you. thankyou again. may you all have peace of mind and soul in whatever faith you believe.
Posted by Dr. Bob on May 14, 2004, at 1:50:22
In reply to Re: double double quotes, posted by Impermanence on May 9, 2004, at 18:01:06
This is the end of the thread.
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