Posts by Zachary Cox69

lonestag15 said:You know what the best part is about everything he finally wrote...

It basically nuked the whole middleman concept—completely stripped away the priest's role as some kind of gatekeeper... you know, that monopoly on God that every single religion tries to claim for themselves.

So, based on what’s written here—your relationship with God is actually personal... you don't need to go trampling into some church or bowing down to authority figures just to make it happen...

Sweet

I wouldn't go that far. A man is his own priest—he was in the church every single day—but unfortunately, he passed away, and age doesn't wait for anyone.
Sure, having a personal connection with God is huge, but going to church is still a good thing. If the community isn't right, you can easily skip it—no big deal. Church isn't just about priests or other spiritual leaders; it's about the people, men and women you can stand before God alongside.

wearyowl29 said:Spirituality is something naturally implanted within you, whereas organized religion is mostly just a shortcut for people who don't want to do the heavy lifting of thinking for themselves when they're alone with their thoughts.

Seneca didn't live in a world of monotheism, and Bacon wouldn't have fully grasped the modern concept of individual freedom to choose—or reject—one's own faith.

Look, we all believe in free will. Even God respects that freedom—He doesn't force us to believe in Him.

“Only those who find it in their interest that God does not exist fail to believe.”
(Francis Bacon)

Peter Hall56 said:What exactly constitutes "Christian" meditation? I'm already familiar with how those "Eastern" styles look and feel—so what would the Christian version even entail?

Just some thoughts. Even prayer fits here. Prayer doesn't always need words—you can just direct your thoughts toward God and speak through your mind without saying a thing. Or you could read a passage from the Bible and really chew on it—thinking about what it’s telling me right now. Jesus said the Holy Spirit is our teacher, so we should expect Him to enlighten our minds to help us interpret things we don't quite get—at least sometimes. Gospel of Luke

"Luke said to them, 'This is what I told you while I was still with you: everything must be fulfilled that was written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets and in the Psalms.'
Luke 24:45 [B]Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.[/B]

This is pretty interesting—this priest really took this concept to heart.

"Once someone has truly spoken with God, they stop doubting His existence. Beyond that, the act of communicating with Him changes you."
Tomislav Ivančić on how to communicate with God

The process:

Find a spot where nobody or nothing will bother you for the next twenty minutes or so. Sit or kneel down, take one deep breath, and let it out slowly. Just stay relaxed and calm.

After that, go to those people you're having tension with and make peace—at least in your head for now. Forgive them, and ask for forgiveness too.

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Then, just realize that God is right there, in front of you. You can hear Him and talk to Him through your spirit.

Say, "You are here, God. And so am I. I want to talk with You." Just stay in that peace, letting your heart wait and long to meet with God.

Ask God to prepare you for this conversation. Be persistent in your prayer every single day. You will encounter God. God is an absolute, perfect Spirit. During creation, He breathed His own Spirit into man. As Christians, we receive new strength through the sacraments via God's Spirit. This means a person can communicate with God through their spirit, aided by the Holy Spirit. Just as we communicate with people through touch, sight, or hearing, we can talk to God through the spirit.

To enter into a dialogue with God, you have to center yourself. While physical communication is direct and outward—making it easier for us to notice—spiritual communication is much finer and more delicate. It requires peace, sensitivity, relaxation, and a pure heart. It demands that a person opens up from within, turning themselves entirely into a listener. It’s a lot like when someone is deep in thought or searching for inspiration for an art project. It's deep listening. That's how you can speak to God. But more importantly, it's about listening to Him. A clear conscience is the prerequisite for inner peace, which leads to outer focus.

So, you can hear God and talk to Him. The very certainty that God exists comes from this communication. Once someone has talked with God, they no longer doubt His presence. Even more so, this connection changes a person so deeply that they begin to perform wonderful works of God. Those acts serve as confirmation of His presence. A believer is essentially someone who talks with God. That is what prayer is.

Father Tomislav Ivančić



Essentially, Christian meditation is always directed toward God, the Creator of the world.

His final words: "I commit my soul into the hands of God, my Creator, with absolute faith in Jesus Christ, my Savior."
(William Shakespeare 1564 - 1616)
"A belief in God is hardwired into the hearts of all people. Those who claim they don't believe in His existence are lying—because even they find themselves questioning everything when they're alone in the dark at night."
(Seneca, Roman poet, philosopher, and statesman, 4 BC - 65 AD)

A little bit of philosophy might nudge someone toward atheism—but dive deep enough into philosophy, and it usually brings a person right back to religion."
(Francis Bacon, the father of scientific methodology, philosopher, and statesman)

goldenjackal6 said:Nah, it’s definitely not something "everyone" is missing, and honestly, making a sweeping claim like that just shows how much you're lacking basic empathy.

"There’s nothing worse than running into one of those hyper-cynical, ideologically obsessed critics—those propaganda-style spin doctors who never actually offer an original thought or take a real stand. They just relentlessly harp on and on about anyone brave enough to disagree with them.
Those types basically kill entire discussions.
They drive people away and poison the whole environment.

Well, that describes you perfectly, Terminator!"

Oldie hit the nail on the head there...

frozengull2 said:You again...
Like a broken record, man.

Look, dude!
I’m not trying to be a jerk here, but some things just need to be laid out straight.
Your problem is impotence.
And what do I mean by that?

A total lack of ideas!

The most comfortable spot on this entire forum is where you sit—just trolling.
Just constant bullshit directed at everyone else's ideas, their passions, their fantasies, their beliefs... just crap for the sake of crap.
It’s the easiest thing in the world to do.
But to actually step out into the light with something of your own; a vision of spirituality, or some personal experience (no matter how ridiculous it might sound to others), that isn't easy.
People are always gonna mock you or tear you down for it.
They’ll be like, "Look at this clown..."
Right?

For instance, I don't agree with like 90% of the stuff people post here, but I respect that they actually have the guts to put their weird little obsessions out there and take the heat for it.
Sometimes I’ll throw a jab too, but deep down, I respect the nerve it takes to strip yourself bare like that and share an internal experience.
No matter how much of a "phase" or whatever those ideas are, one thing is certain: they aren't "idea-less."
Because the person sharing them isn't just sitting comfortably in the passenger seat as an "exclusive critic of other people's thoughts."
Which is exactly what your whole pathetic routine is here!

There is nothing worse on a forum than running into some triggered cynic, some ideologically obsessed critic, or some propaganda-driven spin doctor who never brings anything original to the table (never puts their neck on the line), but just relentlessly shits on anyone brave enough to try.
Those kinds of idiots literally kill threads.
They drive people away and poison the whole damn space.

Yeah, that's you, Terminator!

An idea-less, fundamentally hollow machine built for messing around.

If I'm wrong, then screw me, I'm calling you out without any arguments... the best way you could prove me wrong would be to actually come up with something original—something that belongs to *you*.
Describe or share some actual spiritual experience (without the cynical mocking or empty dodging).
Even if we end up laughing ourselves silly...

Or maybe even laugh at your expense.

Think that sounds fair!?

If nothing else, at least you'd show you've got balls.

You feel me, little guy...?

Haha, not great.

goldenjackal6 said:Honestly, why even ask? What kind of connection could electrical engineering possibly have with Hindu mythology? It sounds like some wild late-night dorm room theory, right?

Top-tier.

You're tripping—you totally mashed two different exhibitions together into one.

Only someone who’s totally insecure and playing dishonest games would get this worked up over an argument.

All I can tell you is that you’re clearly struggling with basic reading comprehension, yet somehow you’re incredibly committed to staying ignorant.

Are you honestly still out here convinced that the pineal gland pumps out dopamine and serotonin?

"There is nothing worse than stumbling upon some hyper-aggressive cynic—one of those ideologically obsessed critics or propaganda-style spin doctors who never actually brings anything original to the table (never just lays the facts out straight), but instead just keeps droning on and on about anyone brave enough to try something new.
People like that literally kill discussions.
They drive people away and pollute the whole "space."

Yeah, that's you, Robot Guilliman!"

David Vaughn75 said:Only an incredibly foolish person would try to summon spirits after reading about how dangerous it is. In that same vein, I'm not interested in Yoga or other Eastern teachings, even if they aren't quite as risky. They just don't interest me enough to dive in. Whether we trust someone or not—well, it depends on whether that person is actually worthy of our trust. To me, those things pull people away from God and wreck both the soul and the psyche. I believe the people who say that.
For example, you obviously aren't interested in Christ. You haven't studied the New Testament closely, yet you still jump into debates about Christianity. The Bible is so good and so true that I have no need for things like the Bhagavad Gita or whatever. Jesus is so incredible that I have zero interest in the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. I might read a little bit about it here and there, but the idea of actually immersing myself in that nonsense never even crosses my mind. It's pretty simple—if you want to ride a horse, you aren't going to go looking for a donkey instead.

Personally, what really gets under my skin about the Bible is when God orders these massive wars, wipes out infants, or calls for the killing of homosexuals and young boys—stuff like that. For me, that's definitely not "super."
Which babies?
In Egypt?
Weren't they killing Jewish babies for no reason?
Before all that!
Honestly, maybe they deserve the karma—let them see how much that kind of injustice hurts.
And are you gay?
Sorry, didn't realize.
People aren't being killed for it today; let them march. I don't have an issue with that. In the end, when God decides to judge everyone, those "Christians" who are adulterers, pedophiles, or gays will face the same judgment.

frozengull2 said:

goldenjackal6;77518567]Yeah, unfortunately, in Catholic America, it’s totally normal to take out a massive loan, start a business, file for bankruptcy, pocket all the cash, and then just dump the debt onto the taxpayers and the government.

The way you constantly throw mud at anything "Catholic" or "American" every single time some bullshit comes up—which, honestly, anyone can pull off without it having anything to do with their faith—is just proof of how much propaganda you're peddling.

You're just worked up over nothing, acting out for no reason.

I get that people have biases and defend their side... that people disagree... even to the point where it starts looking like ideological narrow-mindedness.

But this constant, drooling, hyper-aggressive, comically pompous, white-hot nonsense you keep spewing just for the sake of being annoying? It’s beyond anything I’ve ever seen on this forum.

Good grief...

I've seen this guy popping up on other forums too—usually under a different handle—mostly hanging around the religion boards. So many smart people like you have tried to give him the straight truth to his face, but it’s honestly a waste of breath. There are two main issues here: pride—and we know God resists the proud while showing mercy to the humble—and pure malice. He's capable of lying and using those really sneaky, subtle jabs. Honestly, I think that constant need to go for the low blows is exactly why he sticks to religious threads. For me, he’s becoming just as uninteresting as Anthony Perez9. If someone's going to spit on, insult, and aggressively attack every single post made by a believer, then they aren't worth throwing pearls before.

casualtiger2 said:

😂
Zachary, why even start a thread if you clearly have no clue what you're talking about?
It's pretty obvious there's no real desire to learn here—you seem totally closed off to any new perspective. You know what they say: there's no shame in not knowing something, but there's definitely shame in being too stubborn to find out.

😂
Zachary, why even start a thread if you clearly have no clue what you're talking about?
It's pretty obvious there's no real desire to learn here—you seem totally closed off to any new perspective. You know what they say: there's no shame in not knowing something, but there's definitely shame in being too stubborn to find out.

😂
Zachary, why even start a thread if you clearly have no clue what you're talking about?
It's pretty obvious there's no real desire to learn here—you seem totally closed off to any new perspective. You know what they say: there's no shame in not knowing something, but there's definitely shame in being too stubborn to find out.
Only an incredibly foolish person would try to summon spirits after reading about how dangerous it is. In that same vein, I'm not interested in Yoga or other Eastern teachings, even if they aren't quite as risky. They just don't interest me enough to dive in. Whether we trust someone or not—well, it depends on whether that person is actually worthy of our trust. To me, those things pull people away from God and wreck both the soul and the psyche. I believe the people who say that.
For example, you obviously aren't interested in Christ. You haven't studied the New Testament closely, yet you still jump into debates about Christianity. The Bible is so good and so true that I have no need for things like the Bhagavad Gita or whatever. Jesus is so incredible that I have zero interest in the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. I might read a little bit about it here and there, but the idea of actually immersing myself in that nonsense never even crosses my mind. It's pretty simple—if you want to ride a horse, you aren't going to go looking for a donkey instead.

goldenjackal6

Judging by your vocabulary, you aren't exactly known for being merciful—just for being insulting.

Besides, it wasn't even that long ago that you were posting about teaching your seven-year-old son how to beat up kids his own age. That’s just peak American Catholic charity right there.

I don't respect a liar. And you know damn well you're lying when you write this. I told my son to defend himself against bullies. Nothing more, nothing less.

goldenjackal6 said:Look, he defended a guy in court who personally pulled him out of a massacre site, but that doesn't mean the defendant gets a free pass for every war crime they committed. Unless, of course, you talk enough about Jesus, because in the "highly intellectual" circle known as Christianity, the rule that actions speak louder than words doesn't seem to apply. Apparently, if you just drop "God" or "Jesus" into every other sentence, you're automatically an angel.

The truth is, he's a war profiteer because he used his veteran status to scam money out of Medicare.

Whatever he did or survived during the war doesn't justify or erase the criminal stuff he pulled afterward. But I guess you can't see that since you're blinded by a double dose of religious zealotry and nationalism.

Look, he actually said publicly that he wasn't claiming the guy was innocent; he just said the man saved his life. And get this—it was pure coincidence. The guy was just walking past the house, had a sudden thought of "I should go in," even though he'd walked that way before. He goes inside, finds Carver covered in blood, and saves him from those Belgian mercenaries. He says, "I am an Orthodox Christian who believes in God." Meanwhile, William was praying, "God, save me from this right now," just before they planned to assault him.
He started a business, it did well for a while, and then it went under. Suddenly there’s no money for his family or to pay his employees, so the idea hits: maybe we can grab some cash from Medicare. Honestly, what kind of normal person wouldn't react that way? Especially if he bled for this country more than most. All while being a pretty superficial believer at that.
How can you say that with a straight face: "A true American Catholic"? It’s as if only Catholics are thieves, while you and people like you are the honest ones. There's no such thing as an atheist thief. Or any of the others here in the States who aren't Catholic. You're acting like a total communist lackey—just like how the partisans operated after the war, crushing anyone who didn't align with their communist ideology or sending them to the gulags. As a believer, I try to be merciful; I believe anyone can repent and change. Just think about it—it's honestly wild. Someone like you sits at home while people are bleeding and dying, and then you turn around and attack the very people who defended the country. Because of people like you—people who don't respect that sacrifice—so many veterans end up taking their own lives. It’s a tragedy. I condemn you.

David Vaughn75 said:So, what does actual Christianity say about this? Is it really okay to just go around insulting and spitting on everyone else?

You call that spitting on someone?
If someone is heading down the wrong path, let them go—let them crash. If they want to follow a false God, let them. If some nonsense starts preaching stuff like "don't have sex in marriage, just hold back," fine, let them believe it. If they think something isn't a sin when it actually is—like refusing to eat meat—let them be.
Look, if something stinks, you say it stinks. You don't tell someone it smells great just because their nose is broken.
Or if they're blind, let them walk their own way, even if they end up walking straight off a cliff.
Even within Christianity, you find spiritual wreckage and total nonsense—look at suicide bombers in Islam, for instance. Are we allowed to condemn that?

Paul Rogers94 said:So we've finally reached the point where we're out here promoting war profiteers, corrupt criminals, and murderers as Christ's representatives—people who go into schools spreading hate in His name? That exact same hate that led to his own suffering? You’re just one of those guys still fighting a battle from twenty years ago for a world that doesn't even exist anymore. Only someone as mentally stunted and perverse as you could push this nonsense... "he changed"? My ass. People like him don't change. He's a monster, plain and simple, and you're just his loyal servant.

Your father is the devil, and you want to fulfill his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not live in the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44)

It's honestly a miracle how shallow your writing is. You're just shouting into the void without actually looking at the facts. This man talks about forgiveness and love—he actually forgave the Mexicans who tortured him, went to their homes, even stood up for some of them in court in Mexico City and appeared before the tribunal in The Hague. He isn't a war profiteer; he's a fighter for America. And you? Who even are you? Nobody. Have you ever shed a single drop of blood for this country? Listen to what the man is actually saying before you start dumping nonsense everywhere. Or does it just bother you that he's an American hero? If he had fought for the frontier instead, you'd be praising him. Pathetic.

David Vaughn75 said:Just because you're looking at something from the outside doesn't mean you've got it right—you could be totally misreading the situation.

Look, I took a look at Hare Krishna from the outside once, and honestly? I saw an awesome religion.

Think if you want.
They worship someone who isn't God, chanting "Hare Hare ...." through neighborhoods and streets.
They give up all sorts of foods that God provided for us to eat—not to mention a lot of couples giving up sex.
If those people seem normal to you, then something is definitely off.

Joseph Bailey41 said:Just circling back to my original question... what are the actual similarities between Christian meditation and Eastern styles?

Funny how names work.

bluemason3 said:It isn't an opinion; it's a fact. Read two books on Hare Krishna (admittedly mediocre literature, but it's basically all you'll find in English regarding that specific Hindu spectrum) or something similar. Then you'll see how their core views align perfectly with Christian ones, opposing impersonalist views just as much as your post does.

I'd bet my life on it, too—mostly because unlike Joseph Ratzinger, I actually know what I'm talking about. 😉

Most people aren't informed at all, and frankly, I am usually far more knowledgeable than the majority. If we're talking credentials (a degree in Buddhist studies + yoga therapy from a medical-yoga institute + years spent in India + decades spent in various "sects"—what exactly are the qualifications of Rak or Blazevic? Or yours?). Rak is a Catholic theologian with zero academic background in Orientalism, Indology, or Eastern religions, no personal experience, and no ties to that culture. He's just like most Catholic "experts" who can only sell their nonsense to the uninformed.

I'm not even disputing that people lose their minds over TM (though it's always hard to tell how much is due to meditation versus pre-existing predispositions or mental health issues that draw them to these practices in the first place), but that has nothing to do with our actual discussion. People lose it in every walk of life; some even become Catholic saints 😁
.

Knowing something from the inside isn't the same as looking in from the outside. An addict might think drugs are great, too. But I don't need to consume them to understand the consequences.
Some people know a ton about groups like Temple Nation, Jehovah's Witnesses, Hare Krishna, or Scientology, so they're "informed," even if being involved is a bad move. Summoning spirits is dangerous, yet people do it anyway. Magic is the same way—black or white, people still mess with it.

bluemason3 said:So, go ahead and keep arguing with an armored concrete wall. Even after saying it 500 times and pointing out how completely nonsensical this rambling is, not a single grain of common sense gets through. They just stubbornly keep copy-pasting the same mindless garbage. 🙄

Anyway, here's attempt number 501:

Stop trying to lump all "Eastern spirituality" or "Eastern meditation" together. In India, you have hundreds of different denominations within Hinduism alone, not to mention all the other religions outside of it. Add the rest of Asia to the mix and it’s even more chaotic.

Take the Hare Krishna movement, for example; the famous ones in the West actually hold views nearly identical to Christians on this issue, and they level the exact same criticisms against "Impersonalists."
Not every Eastern practitioner is some Advaita-style impersonalist—especially not the cheap, reductionist version shoved down people's throats via New Age nonsense and a total misunderstanding of anything outside their own little bubble.

And don't even get me started on the vocabulary. It's meaningless. What exactly is the "universal essence of the world"? To dualists like those in the Hare Krishna movement, that means nothing. To Buddhists, it means nothing (since there are no "essences"), so it's probably just some weird interpretation of Advaita.🤔

In short, it's just more nonsense from clueless critics who invent, fantasize, and project their own imaginary ideas onto some abstract, non-existent "East," just so they can feel special about living a lie.

That's just your opinion. And you’d probably swear on your life that you're 100% right.
But the people actually writing about this aren't just making things up as they go. They know what they're talking about—they've lived that reality. You seem to think you're somehow a hundred times more informed than them. Personally, I know a few people who completely lost their grip after diving into Transcendental Meditation or similar Eastern trends.

Copied from another forum:

"When people talk about 'Eastern meditation,' they aren't talking about Christian meditation—they're different things entirely.
A person can't just figure out God on their own through sheer willpower—God is beyond our grasp; He has to choose to reveal Himself to us.
In a Christian sense, Eastern meditation isn't prayer. Prayer is a conversation with a living God.

Joseph Ratzinger explained the difference between Christian meditation and the Eastern style quite clearly:
"To put it simply, what matters in transcendental meditation is that a person sheds their own self; they merge with the general essence of the world—so, in a way, their personality becomes a ruin.
In Christian meditation, however, I don't lose who I am; instead, I enter into a personal connection with the person of Christ. I enter into a 'thou' relationship with Christ, so my 'self' isn't lost—it actually reinforces my identity and responsibility.
At the same time, it opens up and penetrates the deepest unity—a unity of love that doesn't destroy you. So, to simplify it slightly, I’d say transcendental meditation is impersonal and, in that sense, depersonalizing. Christian meditation, on the other hand, personifies and opens up a deep unity born of love, rather than the disintegration of the self.
Christian meditation is, first and foremost, an encounter: the creature meeting its Creator."
-------------------------------------------
Christian meditation is a form of prayer, in a way. But during the actual meditation, you're silent before God. You reflect on Him—waiting for a revelation, seeking a deeper understanding of who He is and His nature. We often meditate (reflect) on passages from the Bible we've just read, expecting the Holy Spirit to reveal their deeper meaning. Jesus said the Holy Spirit would be our teacher—and He is God, just as much as the Father and the Son. So, we direct our thoughts toward someone—and that someone is God.

bluemason3 said:Religion has always been nothing more than a lever used to socially reset a world full of naive people.

That’s a spot-on Marxist diagnosis right there.