A Progressive's View on Politics and Spirituality
Jul 16, 2017 16:19:46 #
paul987109
Loc: Oscoda
Heck With It – In a Nutshell
I posted this little diatribe one evening when I got tired of the many admonitions of doom and gloom at this website, "the Daily Kos," a progressive political site. They and others rarely mention alternative spiritual systems as a possible source of answers to the monumental pile of sh*t that has also been hitting the fan of late.
So heck with it—going over the edge here—but many posts I've read at other places say we need some real answers to this Trump crisis, we need to act, or do something. Many have said they don’t know WHAT they can do, despite the desperate urgency of the matter. So I’ve decided on a rant here. (Not a new thing here I imagine). It’s the only answer I know of, but IMHO it is the answer.
We are dealing with a spiritual disease of which the Trumpster and his Cabinet from the Id are merely the latest and most egregious examples. So many of our social problems are spiritual ones. And this disease has infected, and affected all who live in this conspicuously consumerist, utterly materialistic society. Well, we have had so little other choices, right, or so it seems.
Recently, as in the last hundred years, someone very wise once said, “We are caught in a technological singularity, and unless we avoid its gravitational pull in some manner, we will all get sucked into it and become members/victims of a frightening, Orwellian, new world order." To paraphrase.
So the situation has gone far beyond the level of learning to deal with certain minute particulars in the news, various spot issues, the latest venomous words, or which neanderthal Trump has appointed in his cabinet. Taking a more zoomed out view, it is our cultural software inside all, running behind the scenes, that has, over the last few decades, become “seriously” toxic--to us, and even the planet itself. Why is this? Why only lately?
The problem is that we have oriented our lives completely around the creation and accumulation of possessions. Our cultural and personal thinking/programming has been set, through our schools, churches, and parental training, orienting our lives, our full being, around this idea. Even the people around us are often viewed in shallow, object-like terms. Our schools and religions have taught us from early on that this is all that matters. That there is indeed nothing else than our materialistic ways we should pay mind to. And as long as we show homage to Jesus for an hour every Sunday, our future place in heaven is assured. I wonder. Nevermind that all alternative spiritual perspectives have been suppressed or stamped out, conveniently, and almost completely.
So the questions all must eventually ask is: Has school taught me the way things are, or at least the most relevant things, like how to succeed with my life? Does traditional religion really have the corner on higher T***h? Does it really have all the answers, the Hotline to heaven, or does it truly bestow a deep sense of meaning and purpose? And, has it brought real peace to your life, and to the world around? Or, does religion just sound a bit too nonsensical and fairy-tale-ish to waste time listening to? Me too.
If so, and only if that, then a few (those who have missed my other posts here) may be ready for some new ideas-of-the-astounding-sort. It's won't be just a lot of intellectual trife. Because new ideas of this sort are what are sorely lacking in this realm, because it’s about us, we individuals and our soul nature, which is never touched on in Sunday school. It is about the consciousness inside all things, even the "dead" aspects of nature--stones, rivers, mountains, the universe as a whole. It is not about some stale, archaic institution’s ideas of an angry “Father God” sitting on a golden throne in the clouds; a man who sent his “only child” on a suicide mission, to save humans from a mistake He Himself made.
I came across Seth Speaks in 1972 or so, at age 15. I had just missed the LSD revolution of the nineteen sixties, which had touched upon a marvelous concept: that of a hidden world within the inner psyche of each person, a realm of astounding new perceptions and experiences, and accessible through the taking of a tiny pill. But that period lasted only briefly, and expressed itself in often overly-dramatic, if drug-distorted fashion. But it was enough for most to get a good glimpse of what was there, deep inside their heads. And it was inside all, this "super" consciousness, though utterly unique inside them as well.
People had very heavy experiences--of their own deeper existence, outside time and space. And many of these people just looked around themselves, at the whole of society, and thought, “this is all absurd.” The Viet Nam War was raging then. And many of them simply dropped out, and began nurturing, digesting, this new world view. In private mostly, for obvious reasons.
My approach to this realm is NOT through LSD or by dropping out, but in a nutshell: “spirituality, not religion.” It is about this inner exploring into one’s own deeper subjectivity, to see what’s there, through introspection, meditation, dream study, and other un-drugged means (in the beginning). My approach is based mostly on a system of ideas presented by a woman named Jane Roberts, a psychic channel. She channeled a being named Seth; and if there was ever a symbolic “burning bush” for our time, this is it. The Seth books bring together spirituality, philosophy, psychology, physicality, and cosmology, and does it ever make a whole lot of sense.
If we’re all “made in the Creator’s image,” than why are we always being discouraged from dreaming, as in class, and being sidelined from creating our own destiny. We were taught to hush up when we sought to express our own t***hs, and knew automatically to forget finding deeper answers to our curiosity. Religion professed to include the dream state in its story, but they, more than any tended to put dreams down or ignore them, as our imaginations are equally stamped out in class.
But this suppressive aspect actually began in our early childhood; some of us got it more than others. Survival was often at stake. But later, such unofficial behaviors were seen as disruptive in class and at church, and many adults came to see us as foolish or infantile, even though Christ Himself said, “the kingdom of heaven is within you” (Luke 17:21). What else would this mean. It is precisely this sort of inner activity and training that has been beat out of us, but which could lead us into more conscious living, create more sane and empathetic individuals, and is, according to this Seth philosophy, where the human race is actually evolving towards.
But if everyone were to begin to discover the incredible vistas and benefits of moving their attention into these inner states of mind; accessing the great resources of creativity and wisdom and joy there, and thereby becoming more and more uniquely individualized and fulfilled--then wouldn’t this become an intolerable situation to any f*****tic power structure, which has been presenting a lot of itself lately? Would it lead to our destruction—or to our ultimate salvation.
In any case, I think our hand is now being forced, don’t you?
I posted this little diatribe one evening when I got tired of the many admonitions of doom and gloom at this website, "the Daily Kos," a progressive political site. They and others rarely mention alternative spiritual systems as a possible source of answers to the monumental pile of sh*t that has also been hitting the fan of late.
So heck with it—going over the edge here—but many posts I've read at other places say we need some real answers to this Trump crisis, we need to act, or do something. Many have said they don’t know WHAT they can do, despite the desperate urgency of the matter. So I’ve decided on a rant here. (Not a new thing here I imagine). It’s the only answer I know of, but IMHO it is the answer.
We are dealing with a spiritual disease of which the Trumpster and his Cabinet from the Id are merely the latest and most egregious examples. So many of our social problems are spiritual ones. And this disease has infected, and affected all who live in this conspicuously consumerist, utterly materialistic society. Well, we have had so little other choices, right, or so it seems.
Recently, as in the last hundred years, someone very wise once said, “We are caught in a technological singularity, and unless we avoid its gravitational pull in some manner, we will all get sucked into it and become members/victims of a frightening, Orwellian, new world order." To paraphrase.
So the situation has gone far beyond the level of learning to deal with certain minute particulars in the news, various spot issues, the latest venomous words, or which neanderthal Trump has appointed in his cabinet. Taking a more zoomed out view, it is our cultural software inside all, running behind the scenes, that has, over the last few decades, become “seriously” toxic--to us, and even the planet itself. Why is this? Why only lately?
The problem is that we have oriented our lives completely around the creation and accumulation of possessions. Our cultural and personal thinking/programming has been set, through our schools, churches, and parental training, orienting our lives, our full being, around this idea. Even the people around us are often viewed in shallow, object-like terms. Our schools and religions have taught us from early on that this is all that matters. That there is indeed nothing else than our materialistic ways we should pay mind to. And as long as we show homage to Jesus for an hour every Sunday, our future place in heaven is assured. I wonder. Nevermind that all alternative spiritual perspectives have been suppressed or stamped out, conveniently, and almost completely.
So the questions all must eventually ask is: Has school taught me the way things are, or at least the most relevant things, like how to succeed with my life? Does traditional religion really have the corner on higher T***h? Does it really have all the answers, the Hotline to heaven, or does it truly bestow a deep sense of meaning and purpose? And, has it brought real peace to your life, and to the world around? Or, does religion just sound a bit too nonsensical and fairy-tale-ish to waste time listening to? Me too.
If so, and only if that, then a few (those who have missed my other posts here) may be ready for some new ideas-of-the-astounding-sort. It's won't be just a lot of intellectual trife. Because new ideas of this sort are what are sorely lacking in this realm, because it’s about us, we individuals and our soul nature, which is never touched on in Sunday school. It is about the consciousness inside all things, even the "dead" aspects of nature--stones, rivers, mountains, the universe as a whole. It is not about some stale, archaic institution’s ideas of an angry “Father God” sitting on a golden throne in the clouds; a man who sent his “only child” on a suicide mission, to save humans from a mistake He Himself made.
I came across Seth Speaks in 1972 or so, at age 15. I had just missed the LSD revolution of the nineteen sixties, which had touched upon a marvelous concept: that of a hidden world within the inner psyche of each person, a realm of astounding new perceptions and experiences, and accessible through the taking of a tiny pill. But that period lasted only briefly, and expressed itself in often overly-dramatic, if drug-distorted fashion. But it was enough for most to get a good glimpse of what was there, deep inside their heads. And it was inside all, this "super" consciousness, though utterly unique inside them as well.
People had very heavy experiences--of their own deeper existence, outside time and space. And many of these people just looked around themselves, at the whole of society, and thought, “this is all absurd.” The Viet Nam War was raging then. And many of them simply dropped out, and began nurturing, digesting, this new world view. In private mostly, for obvious reasons.
My approach to this realm is NOT through LSD or by dropping out, but in a nutshell: “spirituality, not religion.” It is about this inner exploring into one’s own deeper subjectivity, to see what’s there, through introspection, meditation, dream study, and other un-drugged means (in the beginning). My approach is based mostly on a system of ideas presented by a woman named Jane Roberts, a psychic channel. She channeled a being named Seth; and if there was ever a symbolic “burning bush” for our time, this is it. The Seth books bring together spirituality, philosophy, psychology, physicality, and cosmology, and does it ever make a whole lot of sense.
If we’re all “made in the Creator’s image,” than why are we always being discouraged from dreaming, as in class, and being sidelined from creating our own destiny. We were taught to hush up when we sought to express our own t***hs, and knew automatically to forget finding deeper answers to our curiosity. Religion professed to include the dream state in its story, but they, more than any tended to put dreams down or ignore them, as our imaginations are equally stamped out in class.
But this suppressive aspect actually began in our early childhood; some of us got it more than others. Survival was often at stake. But later, such unofficial behaviors were seen as disruptive in class and at church, and many adults came to see us as foolish or infantile, even though Christ Himself said, “the kingdom of heaven is within you” (Luke 17:21). What else would this mean. It is precisely this sort of inner activity and training that has been beat out of us, but which could lead us into more conscious living, create more sane and empathetic individuals, and is, according to this Seth philosophy, where the human race is actually evolving towards.
But if everyone were to begin to discover the incredible vistas and benefits of moving their attention into these inner states of mind; accessing the great resources of creativity and wisdom and joy there, and thereby becoming more and more uniquely individualized and fulfilled--then wouldn’t this become an intolerable situation to any f*****tic power structure, which has been presenting a lot of itself lately? Would it lead to our destruction—or to our ultimate salvation.
In any case, I think our hand is now being forced, don’t you?
Jul 16, 2017 16:36:59 #
slatten49
Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas
paul987109 wrote:
Heck With It – In a Nutshell br br I posted this ... (show quote)
To quote John Denver, "Far-Out
"Jul 16, 2017 20:25:26 #
Jul 17, 2017 10:07:02 #
"Meaning" is found outside of ourselves. The only persons knowing the "Kingdom of God" is within them are those believing that the Holy Spirit has revealed the "righteousness of Christ alone is the basis for its establishment. The Gospel is a revelation about a person's standing before God and the certain need for restoration; it is not some delusional new age progressive "spirituality."
Jul 17, 2017 13:52:30 #
paul987109 wrote:
Heck With It – In a Nutshell br br I posted this ... (show quote)
An awful (both figuratively and literally) lot of generalities in this rant. My church preaches a God of love and a Son who redeems. And since I'm 65 school didn't suppress my creativity or desire for wisdom. And God DOES NOT MAKE MISTAKES, as well as the fact that there is nothing new under the sun. As for channeling spirits, you might want to be real careful when you walk with an agent of satan, who is the father of lies and a master manipulator.
Jul 23, 2017 19:48:20 #
Jul 23, 2017 19:48:50 #
Jul 23, 2017 19:50:52 #
paul987109
Loc: Oscoda
This is confusing. I was attempting to acknowledge only CURRAHEE's comment, with "okay".
Jul 23, 2017 20:06:03 #
paul987109
Loc: Oscoda
To RICKTLOML: That dude in red pajamas? Seriously?
I rely on my own rational mind when perusing new ideas, or new idea systems. When I was a teen I was desperately seeking answers to lot of things. I checked out all the different new age s**ms and dropped them, but found a few books that actually MADE SENSE to me. I feel that religious people really have to twist their minds into prezyles (sp?) to "make it work," and I hope you will forgive me saying it that way.
BECAUSE I think and feel that religion has done a grave disservice to humanity, by stifling all dissent and alternative interpretations of their concepts. I'll give you one example and then get off it. If every time you run across "finding Jesus" or "Christ" in scripture, if you substitute "Christ mind," then it all makes a lot more sense. We're ALL made in the Makers image.
Have a great day.
I rely on my own rational mind when perusing new ideas, or new idea systems. When I was a teen I was desperately seeking answers to lot of things. I checked out all the different new age s**ms and dropped them, but found a few books that actually MADE SENSE to me. I feel that religious people really have to twist their minds into prezyles (sp?) to "make it work," and I hope you will forgive me saying it that way.
BECAUSE I think and feel that religion has done a grave disservice to humanity, by stifling all dissent and alternative interpretations of their concepts. I'll give you one example and then get off it. If every time you run across "finding Jesus" or "Christ" in scripture, if you substitute "Christ mind," then it all makes a lot more sense. We're ALL made in the Makers image.
Have a great day.
Jul 24, 2017 03:52:20 #
paul987109 wrote:
To RICKTLOML: That dude in red pajamas? Seriousl... (show quote)
Satan is far from a dude in red pajamas. Satan was the full package, rich in beauty, intelligence, but unfortunately also rich in p***e and arrogance, who sought to BE God, not serve his creator. I never feel I have to twist ANYTHING to learn and live through the Word of God. But as with anything that can be learned, there is the milk and the meat, so study is necessary. Of course God stifles dissent, God has warned, and still warns his children incessantly about idolatry, any rejection of His way and choice of a way that is not Him. And by the way, the warning was genuine, not snarky. Any spirit sent from God will identify himself as coming from God, those who do not, or present a message conflicting with that of the Lord, IS an agent of Satan. I hope you succeed in your spiritual journey, but watch what path you choose.
Jul 25, 2017 00:40:00 #
paul987109
Loc: Oscoda
Anyone who SAYS they come from god, I will dutifully ignore. But you're reading a book that is a bit outdated, you know. I doubt the orient or the native Americans will agree with everything Christianity says (except for most of the ethical teachings). The Hindus of India say that what the Bible refers to as "the devil" is the affect of worldly influences on our desires and motivations--greed, sex, etc. I don't believe God made trash, but people can pick up a lot of crappy ideas out there, including how they feel about themselves.
I believe a re-interpretation of scripture is in order--an update. It's like computer software that has gone out of date. Just one example, and I'll shut up: If one replaces "finding Jesus" or "Christ" with "Christ mind" (Galatians 4:19; Luke 17:21), which resides in ALL people, then that would change the face of Christianity and the world. We're ALL "Made in the Image." We're just been taught/trained to BELIEVE otherwise.
Oh, and the phenomenon of DREAMS are mentioned 5 times in the first two pages of the New Testament. They contain outrageous knowledge and wisdom, some of it personal, and some of it very very practical. So WHY does the minister never talk about the value of these nightly phenomenon? I would say it's because they would give you all the guidance and inspiration you ever needed; and you wouldn't need the "authorities" anymore. Just sayin'.
I believe a re-interpretation of scripture is in order--an update. It's like computer software that has gone out of date. Just one example, and I'll shut up: If one replaces "finding Jesus" or "Christ" with "Christ mind" (Galatians 4:19; Luke 17:21), which resides in ALL people, then that would change the face of Christianity and the world. We're ALL "Made in the Image." We're just been taught/trained to BELIEVE otherwise.
Oh, and the phenomenon of DREAMS are mentioned 5 times in the first two pages of the New Testament. They contain outrageous knowledge and wisdom, some of it personal, and some of it very very practical. So WHY does the minister never talk about the value of these nightly phenomenon? I would say it's because they would give you all the guidance and inspiration you ever needed; and you wouldn't need the "authorities" anymore. Just sayin'.
Jul 25, 2017 00:43:55 #
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