Tell me about 'A Course in Miracles'...is it a hybrid Buddhist/Christian philosophy?
966417
Im not sure A delphic but someone suggested that I read it after answering one of my questions. I wish you well.
1083273
yes, see:\n\nThomas Merton: http://www.britannica.com/ebi/article-9312479\n\nSpiritual Secrets of a Trappist Monk by Fr. M. Raymond, O.C.S.O.: http://www.tiberriver.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/HOME.viewItem/SKU/519\n\nWith love in Christ.
716846
I have a feeling it's a pervasive story.\n\nI just saw "Onibaba"-- a Japanese film that retells an old Buddhist story along the same lines.
60875
i'd have to say that it's like astralling, but you don't return to your physical body when you're done for the day.  there's light areas, and dark areas, and grey areas, and everything in between.  there are spirits of all sizes, shapes, demeanors, and "species"--more than most dare imagine.  from what i've seen, the christian concept of "heaven" does sort of exist, but it's more of a city-state within the astral realms, from which no spirits are reincarnated back into the physical realm.  that is NOT to be confused with the buddhist concept of enlightenment, by the way.\n\nif you want the Full version, find me in yahoo messenger, paganism chat rooms (higher numbers, generally).  i'm known as "Suhrim" all of the time--i never use another name.
820902
See if you can check it out at www.beliefnet.com (or .org)
920101
Hi Midge, yes I know of these miracles and have visited one in Portugal, the most famous though is the miracle of Lanciano in Italy, you can check this one on the web.\nto the last comment, yes there is the danger that some scientific nut would try to clone these miracles so yes they have to be guarded.
158775
*Muttering for some of my better answers this last week got caught in those deletions*\nI myself am a rather strange mixture of eastern (mostly Buddhist), druidic and shamanistic beliefs. As to information sources, this one seems pretty good for a one stop comparison of most major religions including wicca. http://www.religionfacts.com
176963
Self Exaltation 101 (the covert kind)\n\nSEE LINK:
611262
I have looked for and found personal experience with the spiritual world. I was raised Christian, but found the dogma and blind faith to be not enough. I got into witchcraft and formed a relationship with ancient Germanic dieties. I can say from personal experience that spirituality is real and not just all about blind faith and social conformity. Something is there, but it conforms to your expectations so its something that science can easily dismiss as fantasy. I read that some recent study on particle physics showed that some particles can 'pick up' on the expectations of the researchers and thus ruin an experiment by always created the 'desired results'. \nReligeon is a social contruct for the purpose of explaining the unexplainable to many other people who have not directly witnessed the original events or situations. Spirituality, on the other hand, is an innate and highly individual part of each human's psyche. You could try an experiement on this. Choose an ancient god or goddess, look up their associations, create an altar to Him/Her, and pray to them regularly for a specific thing and see if it happens. Dietal associations are things like colors, flowers, stones, metals, incense, objects, animals and other stuff that are representative of that diety. Praying has several parts. Giving of adoration, like saying a flowery speach about he good things you admire about the diety (try to mean some of it). Petitioning is the part where you ask the diety to help you do something, bring something to you, or cause something to happen. Thanksgiving is at the end and its when you thank the diety for its attention.\nPersonal experience is not very scientific and it generally cant be reproduced for another person it exactly the same way with the same results. Religeon is the attempt to replicate the spiritual experience for others. Thats the nature of the spiritual.
474186
http://www.masterpath.org/\n\nhttp://www.masterpath.org/sriGaryOlsen/\n\ni skimmed it, and it seems to be one of those new-age-let's-combine-some-of-the-more-"occulty"-practices-and-philosophies-with-christianity-somehow thangs.\n\ni did a brief search to generate the two sites.  read 'em and see what y'think.
899283
You my dear are on the right path, we are only here for healing, we can walk on water, but need not to be reborn ,only to open our eyes. May I suggest a book called Disappearance of the Universe by Gary Renard. I assure you , you will find the exact answerer's in there.     I hope you stay on this path, for you will go  far, this I can promise you.      \n\n                             I AM
1015734
Interesting website, but I'm a Hindu and this website is definately just a "Christianity is wrong" website. It's concept of God is limited in its perspective and it doesn't seem to bother to look further into the vast landscape of religious, philosophical, theological, and spiritual diversity that exists. The site seems to be aimed at trying to convince Christians that what they believe is wrong (which seems very similar to how many Christians try to convert people by trying to convince them what what they believe is right). So, for me, the website wasn't of any real interest.\n\nI do have a complaint about the website. It loads its pages too slow (and I'm on DSL!). Not sure why it was moving so slow, but it took me a while to even read through the website. Whoever maintains the website should look into this or contact their host. \n\nOther than that I am sure that the website is of interest to those who would already agree with it. Otherwise I seriously doubt many Christians would take it very seriously and the website isn't speaking to people of other religions (it seems not to even acknowledge the larger more diverse concepts of God, religion, etc). \n\nThanks for sharing the website.\n\nPeace be with you.
721713
i have heard from some ppl that during that period , he have travel through Tibet to India to study meditation and Buddhism ..\n\ni mean , its not impossible since Buddhism is earlier than Christianity
473026
A discussion is a great idea.  We can learn from each other about the good and fruitful parts and ignore what is harmful. I have a Buddhist background but I respect others'\nbeliefs.  One day maybe we can open the "Church of all Faiths" where the services are alternatively Christian, Buddhist, Muslim,Jewish, Hindu, Atheist, Agnostic. I think we will find that we are human first and foremost. Why not?
129846
Huh? lol. I guess from personal perspectives Im still in discovery mode in my life. In a fast paced all blending world, even with my Christian roots, I find myself liking the uniform nature of peaceful balance in buddhism, as well as some of my Genetic roots as being part Native American in the valueing effect of trusting the earth. But someone from somewhere else in the world like lets say for the hell of it... Hawaii, might believe in tikii island gods, and the powers from that which is... I myself feel keeping the doors open on exploration is educational as each belief has its concentric core, and its outside positive and negatives.\n\nI mean if your trying to do this by dictionary terms...\nau·then·tic    ( P )  Pronunciation Key  (ô-thntk)\nadj. \nConforming to fact and therefore worthy of trust, reliance, or belief: an authentic account by an eyewitness. \nHaving a claimed and verifiable origin or authorship; not counterfeit or copied: an authentic medieval sword. \nLaw. Executed with due process: an authentic deed. \nMusic. \nOf, relating to, or being a medieval mode having a range from its final tone to the octave above it. \nOf, relating to, or being a cadence with the dominant chord immediately preceding the tonic chord. \nObsolete. Authoritative. \n\nspir·i·tu·al·i·ty    ( P )  Pronunciation Key  (spr-ch-l-t)\nn. pl. spir·i·tu·al·i·ties \nThe state, quality, manner, or fact of being spiritual. \nThe clergy. \nSomething, such as property or revenue, that belongs to the church or to a cleric. Often used in the plural. \n \n\n[Download Now or Buy the Book] \nSource: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition\nCopyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.\nPublished by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. \n\n\nspirituality\n\nn 1: property or income owned by a church [syn: spiritualty, church property] 2: concern with things of the spirit [syn: spiritualism, otherworldliness]\n\n\nSource: WordNet ® 2.0, © 2003 Princeton University \n\n\nspirituality\n\nspirituality: in CancerWEB's On-line Medical Dictionary
395368
Well you know the crosswords are a great alternative, or perhaps bingo? Or better yet bridge or knitting. lol\n\nYou know the buddhists believe that the way to true enlightenment is to free yourself from the urges of the body and the world. But its a catch 22 because we all need to procreate and eat and need money to live right? I guess its a lifestyle of trying to reach this enlightenment through spiritual discipline and meditation. To achieve Nirvana the state of wanting nothing\n\nThats nice and all but I say to hell with it. I'm gonna have sex and eat a nice cheeseburger with fries when I'm done. Oh and don't forget the pre sex cocktail and the post sex ciggarette. lol
282494
Definitely NOT Christianity.  But since you think it has the most empirical evidence, I am very interested in knowing from you what that is.  I am conducting a study on the evidence both for and against Christianity, and I will do my best to survey it scientifically without bias, so please show me this evidence you speak of.\n\nJudaism offers the most "empirical evidence" of any religion I have seen to date.  However, the evidence is flawed.  It at first seems impressive, but upon scrutiny, one realizes it is not good evidence.\n\nBuddhism would have to get my vote just because it does not require you to believe in anything which you cannot discover with your own mind.  It invites you to lay its teachings on the line and if you find that the Buddha was wrong, then you just don't follow his teachings.  It does not require belief in God.\n\nHowever, I am not a Buddhist.  I embrace lots and lots of Buddhist teachings.  In fact, I probably embrace more of it than I reject.  I am a Hindu because I believe in that religion, and so obviously Hinduism is the most believable in MY eyes.  I cannot prove to another that God is, but I believe in God, and therefore I choose a theistic religion.  But more than this, the Hindu Scriptures teach things, like Buddhism, that can be arrived at independently.  Some of the mythology (which I do not call "mythology" in a condescending way at all) may be difficult to arrive at again, however, the ideas and teachings BEHIND that mythology could.\n\nIt is said that if all the Vedas were lost, all the years of teachings of the Hindu religion were somehow forgotten, that given time, people could rediscover them.  These are timeless truths, inherent in the universe.  That is why we call it the sanatana dharma (eternal dharma).  It is the truth that people of all cultures have found in the so-called "pagan" religions.  Every culture developed similar beliefs to the Sanatana Dharma.  Something happened, involving politics usually, that changed that pristine vision.  And then religions like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, supposedly enlightened above those "pagan religions" try to stamp them out.  But they cannot succeed, because the truth is there in the universe before us, and when we open our eyes and hearts to it, we will find it again.