I know I'm technically "the bad guy" in these matters, but I've always been of the opinion that you don't have to go to a church and take part in ceremonies whose purposes and origins are foreign to you to have faith in God and to recognize what you do and don't believe. I think it was even the Christians themselves who said that our bodies themselves are temples, so it stands to reason that we should be able to communicate with whatever higher power we believe in within the confines of our own self.
You think about what you believe and that, in itself, is a great spiritual accomplishment- as frustrating as it can be. So don't be so disheartened and put off on the idea of turning your faith inward. If more people would turn their faith inward instead of outward, there'd be a lot less bitching and fighting over religious issues and a lot more self-discovery and a more personal spiritual experience for everyone. And isn't religion meant to be a personal thing?
Couple of things as I gesticulated over what you said. Christians do say that our bodies are temples, but we also seem to have a bad habit of defiling that temple. Second, Christianity is indeed personal, but it is by no means solitary. Often I have found in my own faith life I feel dead when I'm disconnected from other people, or when I focus totally inward. Right now, I don't know though.
I think Christianity teaches that there's a mystical bond between Chrstians, and were we to realize and use the connections that have already been built for us we'd have less problems. I think the bitching and fights over little issues are often teh result of too much focus on oneself in a certain sense, and are not the result of an outward focus. Put another way I guess, disunity occurs when an inward, selfish focus is applied outward wherby one's own desires and needs are shoved down someone's throat. Unity occurs when an outward focus is turned inward. I hope that makes some degree of sense.
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You think about what you believe and that, in itself, is a great spiritual accomplishment- as frustrating as it can be. So don't be so disheartened and put off on the idea of turning your faith inward. If more people would turn their faith inward instead of outward, there'd be a lot less bitching and fighting over religious issues and a lot more self-discovery and a more personal spiritual experience for everyone. And isn't religion meant to be a personal thing?
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If something feels wrong, when it comes to spirituality, it is. For the individual.
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I think Christianity teaches that there's a mystical bond between Chrstians, and were we to realize and use the connections that have already been built for us we'd have less problems. I think the bitching and fights over little issues are often teh result of too much focus on oneself in a certain sense, and are not the result of an outward focus. Put another way I guess, disunity occurs when an inward, selfish focus is applied outward wherby one's own desires and needs are shoved down someone's throat. Unity occurs when an outward focus is turned inward. I hope that makes some degree of sense.
And you're never "the bad guy".
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