this is a copy of a discussion being had about the point of life and whether or not there is an afterlife on the TAPS boards
i decided i liked the musings and wanted it in the nest
enjoy
"i apologize in advance if i go off for too long. this is a big topic for me...
for me, the answer to an 'afterlife' was within myself
so, far anyway
i've not, so far, had that aha moment where you figure everything out.
and it's not as if i haven't tried. in fact, philosophy of religion has been a huge part of my life and studies over the years. which is odd because i live very far from a religious life and yet feel drawn to places of worship and have for many many years.
that seems like an odd difference to have...to shun organized religion yet be drawn to places of worship...from celtic and wiccan alters to stonehenge to cemetaries and churches
my parents made me take the 'body and blood of christ' as a child thought i felt obligated..not that i understood the point. then they stopped going to church when i was like 8. my gma was always very strong in her beliefs but didn't push them on anyone. my ex gma in law is a devout morman. her daughter, my ex mother in law was a born again christian maniac (yes, frickin maniac) who has deliberately taken really wrong steps in my children's lives to propogate her religion despite my beleifs. she thinks because i have no set rules of religion i live by or teach my children that i am setting them up for eternal damnation.
i think that's crazy talk. if 'god' loves all of 'his' children, as she claims to believe......my children would supposedly be loved and accepted as would i no matter what, no?
i'm 37 now...but i studied it in college specifically to delve deeper into what the hell religion was because i saw it affect the world (and my family) in so many negative ways...yet so many people praised it like their way was the only 'salvation'
i also didn't understand how so many people of so many different religions could be so adamently absolutely certain that they were right about god....yet no one respected each others beliefs
as far as i could tell...everybody was going to hell according to everybody else's religions
then i decided i didn't think hell existed.....
and i know plenty of people have made comments about being on earth being hell....but in a way i think maybe there's some truth there.
we are brought to this series of challenges for a reason. and no one would dispute..life's a bit*&. ask anyone.
more to the point, ask anyone in china or myanmar or any of our states that recently got torn apart by tornadoes.
does god have anything to do with this stuff?
do i really think a god would have the time to attend the the personal needs and prayers of billions of people? no.
do i think there are miracles? yes.
does that mean there is a god who suddenly had a moment to notice a personal plight? i don't know
(here's where that whole agnosticism thing comes in. i don't think there's proof enough in anyone's version to be solid.....so i live in doubt and yet secure that there is something...so i claim agnostic)
it doesn't seem possible that the thing that makes me feel and think...my 'soul' as people would saycan just vanish when i 'die'.....it feels to me as if it is seperate of this body. it feels like it will continue when this body tires or it's time is done
it doesn't feel right to me that all we go though in our time on earth is reduced to one lifetime...one chance to make or break all of your challenges and lessons...and then you get judged
so in that i have to question, as you are, what is the point. why are we here and what is the goal? heaven? that's the whole point?
seems to me i'm here because i need to learn something...my spirit has lessons to learn to....move on to a higher place of enlightenment. somehow...some sort of freedom...some sort of being ok with wherever you are at....is the place of peace we are looking for.
not just where you are at the physical level... but the whole package...who you are; where you are; what you do for a living.....
and the evidence of and my own personal feelings about the paranormal and reincarnation lead me to believe that life on earth is a series of lessons...things we have to figure out to feel more at peace
to move on...we must learn
good luck in your learning and search"
be well wanderers
raven
