What do I believe?
By Bensen32
@Bensen32 (27612)
United States
April 18, 2020 3:19pm CST
The other day I made a post that got a lot of reaction and a few questions and I decided to make this post to try and answer one of those questions. If you missed the post you can check it out.
The question is, what do I believe?
First, I will start with a little background. How I got to where I am, I guess.
I was raised Catholic, went to Catholic school till I was in 6th grade and about that time, or maybe it was closer to 8th grade I really started asking questions about god, heaven, the bible. I just felt that it was not sitting well with me. More things seemed hard to believe. I was not sure what exactly it was. I looked to my parents, aunts and uncles, other adults that were friends of the family, who were all Catholic.
As I asked questions, I was always told something like “cause the bible says so”. That was not an answer to me, that was more of a cop out. They looked at me like how dare you question it. Well I thought that was the way you learn, by asking.
By time I was in 11th grade I started to go to other Catholic, Lutheran and Protestant churches in the area, maybe I could find something there. I went into the Marine Corps and while traveling the world I went to Baptists, Methodists even looked into Buddhism, Judaism, Paganism (Wicca) and others to find something.
I’ve spent much time looking for something that feels right to me. What I found was none of these make much sense to me but what I did find over the years is people tell me that you just have to have faith. That god makes them feel comfortable and safe. They get clarity from their faith in god. God guides them in life and gives them answers to their questions. When they need help through the tough times god is there too.
So based on that I believe in nature. I have faith that nature will be there. I feel safest and most comfortable in the middle of the forest. Nature gives me the answers that I need and clears my head always. If I have something that is weighing heavy on my mind I go to the forest and find that clarity.
Do the trees or the little birds talk to me? No, I’m not crazy, but I think it just makes me so relaxed that I clear my head and can think more clearly.
Some say, did I ever think that it is really god that is there. I will say the same thing I always say, I can not prove or disprove that. If it is then I guess my god only talks to me when I am in nature cause I never get any of those feelings anywhere else.
Hope this answers some questions some of you have asked me.
I don’t want to piss anyone off but I have seen three post today about it and I have to finally ask. I mean no disrespect but it is something I have been...
7 people like this
4 responses
@JudyEv (335364)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 Apr 20
I enjoyed reading this and thanks for sharing it. It virtually mirrors my husband's life although most of his questionning came a lot later in life and he didn't/hasn't explored other beliefs. I wasn't brought up with any religion but always supported Vince although we don't go to church at all now. I find my spirituality in the bush and in nature.
4 people like this
@JudyEv (335364)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Apr 20
@Bensen32 I'm sure you're right. I was really interested that, in a schoolyard in Nepal, there were big posters giving a very basic outline of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. I keep meaning to put them up here as I found them very informative. It worries me that some of our Catholic friends seem to be getting more and more dogmatic and intolerant. It has really turned us off.
3 people like this
@cherriefic (10399)
• Philippines
18 Apr 20
Some people are more at ease with nature. I don't personally believe in religion but I still believe that there's one thing or someone out there who has greater power.
4 people like this
@cherriefic (10399)
• Philippines
18 Apr 20
@Bensen32 I think it all depends on what we believe depending on our life's experiences. Some people get to experience what they called spiritual awakening.
4 people like this
@Bensen32 (27612)
• United States
19 Apr 20
@cherriefic Oh sure, there are people that find god later in life, you hear those stories now and then. I say good for them, if it makes them a better person I don't care what they find, that is a good thing to make yourself a better person.
2 people like this
well that is good.
@innertalks (21684)
• Australia
23 Apr 20
That's an interesting discussion on beliefs.
I have gone down the spiritual paths of many teachings too.
I always felt that they had no complete answers for me, but some did give me experiences that raised my eyebrows a bit, to speculate that there was more here to life, than meets the eye.
I do not believe in anything, but I search for anything that can answer my questions. I do not connect to nature. I am more afraid of nature.
If nature, is all that I am a part of too, that could never be enough for me.
I want to believe that some part of me, like my soul, or my higher self, lives as a higher functioning unit, outside of nature, as might God, if he exists, too.
Why do I think like this?
Belief in some higher power connects you to that power if the power really exists, but if it doesn’t really exist, all it does is to give you false power, in a delusionary way.
Whether God exists, or not, is a moot point because, fundamentally, we only all ever exist to ourselves, as does God, if he exists.
Who and what you connect to inflates your existence to include that too.
So, if you can connect to anything, and call it God, or nature, this seems to make you greater than just your being an existing member of creation, you are existing, connected to all creation, feeling that connection in yourself too.
I also want to believe that I am connected to some higher power, greater than myself, as I am not happy, just being a part of nature.
I feel God's presence at times, but I always downplay it, and want to have another such experience to strengthen the feeling in me even more, before, I will finally decide to believe in it.
This is why I will never believe, but I do enjoy having my "out of this world" experiences, that continue to whet my appetite for more such experiences.
Hypnosis, past life regression, rebirthing, meditation, visualisation, having visions, journal writing, all of these things give me such experiences, but not belief.
2 people like this
@innertalks (21684)
• Australia
23 Apr 20
@Bensen32 Thanks, but I am not sure if we will find out later either, maybe there is still a degree of ignorance on the other side for us too.
Will, we really find out all when we get to Heaven, or is there continuing ignorance/darkness there too, and only God knows it all, as perhaps our soul can not bear to have all of the knowledge of God in it at any one time?
We can access it, but not hold it all.
Maybe God more made soul to experience love, not to hold onto it, as then they are "stealing" it from him.
All love must remain in God, as his ocean, which we can swim in, but not create separated ponds for ourselves, outside of God's ocean.
That is trying to go it alone, and only ever muddies our waters, separating us from the pristineness of God's great ocean, which we should remain in, by loving God, ourselves, and all other parts of creation too.
@Bensen32 (27612)
• United States
24 Apr 20
@innertalks I guess that could be true. I just think it is over when you die, there is nothing else. So I guess I will never know.
1 person likes this
