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| In a message dated 10/14/2005 10:27:51 AM Pacific Daylight Time, bnolledo@juno.com writes: In my old age and being alone now, I have gotten the habit of talking (in my thought) to God, which others may find rather crazy. When we are young we are so occupied with other things: housework, child-rearing, career--we don't have time to talk to God, or, are we even aware of His presence in our midst? Blanca, Count me not among those who may, like you say, find your action rather crazy. My late grandfather, bed-ridden and during the twilight of his life (he passed away in 1954 at age 85), communicated with God through frequent prayers and Bible-reading. He must have read the book which was in the vernacular (he could not read English) from beginning to end a dozen times or more. He knew the Bible forward and backward, and knew it like the back of his hand, to use that cliche. And he was not senile, he knew what he was doing. We are more lucky in that we live in this internet age when all sorts of views on religion are at our fingertip. Philosophical and religious views have never been so accessible. Unlike my grandfather who, with no other book on God to read, and not exposed to any other faith besides the religion he was born into, and thus had no other choice, we do. My question to you and to others is, have you tried reading other religious views? I mean, of course, reading such books long enough to digest what is really in them, and not just scan them for a few minutes and and then lose interest so quickly in the process, and you toss them aside because you know they don't conform with the religion you have been brought up with since birth. As regards praying, I hope you don't just orally recite words again and again like the proverbial broken machine. For in most cases, that method is not just cumbersome but shallow according to what I've read. The intention too is also liable to slip away since the mind could easily wander away, having become dependant on the reflex and memory of the lips that have been set on "auto pilot" mode. Or do you convey your thoughts deeply, silently and unspoken, a la meditation? Do you ever include wishes in your prayers? By the way, for me, wishes and prayers are different. Wishes can either be granted or not by Mother Luck. It is like betting in a game of chance. Prayers are more meaningful and are always with a noble or sacred purpose. If done properly such as in a heartfelt manner, you'll always get an answer from God. However, if it is just done in a casual way without real outpouring from the heart or done just to fulfill a religious obligation, very likely the doer would just find himself frustrated and with a heart still as empty as before. For where is the answer to a prayer if not in one's heart? By praying you can not stop an earthquake. If an earthquake stops while you are praying, it would be wrong to think that it stopped because of your prayer. An earthquake stops, not because you pray, but because the plates underneath the ground have fallen into place and have temporarily corrected a fault. It's all incidental, and the prayer had nothing to do with it. But why is it still important to pray to God when there is an earthquake? To prevent the ground on where you are from caving in and swallowing you? To prevent the roof of the building from falling on you? To make God stop it lest you get crashed to death by falling objects? To me the answer is no. A prayer doesn't make God interfere with the works of the forces of nature. The reason we pray is so that we can overcome the fear and get enlightened on what to do to be able to protect ourselves by, for instance, going under a table, running out of the building, or whatever safety measures we can take. Like I already wrote in my other message, prayers are for the heart, the mind and the soul. Not for elements outside yourself. Prayers can give you peace of mind, confidence in oneself, better attitude, more mental awareness, strength, courage, contentment, happiness, love....all the bright side of things. And if temptation has reared its ugly head on you, a prayer (again, if done correctly) can help you overcome the evil in it, and you will in the process be set free from its clutches. Blue Star In a message dated 10/15/2005 5:45:35 PM Pacific Daylight Time, dm0904@yahoo.com writes: Lynn wrote: >>> I think, I'm still waiting for God to come down and tell the world about himself. In the first person, that is. Is that too much to ask, and impossible? <><>< Lynn, You hit the nail on the head or the bull's eye on target. This problem involving our curiousity, yearning, interest and determination to seek the truth can only be resolved that way. Only if God, without any disguise, would show himself up there in heaven, and with his own voice communicate his message of truth to us in words so simple and direct that they don't have to be paraphrased or interpreted. Or if scientists would discover him somewhere in the universe and get to ask him for the truth behind everything. Yes, in other words, through our own scientific discovery, or God's own miraculous revelation from up there. Whichever comes first! For then, true knowledge would replace faith, and we would really be free and fulfilled. As of now, believe it or not, most of us are still groping in the dark. Blue Star In a message dated 10/30/2005 8:26:32 AM Pacific Standard Time, bnolledo@juno.com writes: Ernie, I like your reacting to posts in this forum. I actually find it so amazing that you take pains to read and email reactions to them (not all moderators do that): it only shows how serious and conscientious you are. And that's so remarkable. Oh yeah, it's because I am now free, Blanca. I am no longer under the influence. My book is my own mind, a God-given gift, the ability and the right to think, to understand, to compare, and to make decisions. I have more or less become an independent thinker. I now take and keep only what makes sense to me, never mind if my church would say I'm wayward. If there is no justice in a particular thought or matter, I lose my faith in it. This is because in passages or doctrines where justice is seen, there is credibility, there is righteousness, there is love, there is fulfilment, and thus, there is truth as well. Because of the awesome feelings I derive from what I believe in, my relationship with God, my Creator, has become tighter and more profound. Each year that I get older in age, I thank God for blessing me with another year in life. Very soon I will be celebrating my birthday again and the degree of gratitude I'll outpour with love then will certainly be more than what it was last year. Blue Star> |
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