Different spiritual paths

Michael Moore3 said:If all sacred texts were penned by human hands under divine inspiration...
then I suppose one has to wonder what actually sets the Bible apart from any other holy book written through that exact same process?

I’ve always felt it stands out because it seems much more steeped in FEAR OF GOD than in LOVE FOR GOD.
In my experience, leaning too hard on that fear tends to make people spiritually stagnant. It often ends up fueling all those other anxieties we deal with—like being afraid of death or just feeling unsettled by the unknown.

Honestly, I’ve started feeling like the Bible was actually written by Satan himself rather than the Holy Spirit. It’s just wild watching fanatics cling to the Bible like it’s some kind of lifeline, when in reality, they seem to trust the devil more than they ever put their faith in God!!

Brian Thomas612, fanatics of any stripe tend to be cut from the same cloth.
For some folks, the Bible—especially the New Testament—actually serves as real inspiration and a roadmap for their spiritual journey. Honestly, since we're already talking about Christianity here, I think this thread would be better off focusing on the positive side of things—you know, the actual spiritual depth of the path.

So, let’s pivot. Let's talk more about those who are fanatical about virtue and loving their neighbor, rather than obsessing over the fanatics running bureaucratic institutions and rigid dogmas..

casualtiger2 said:Brian Thomas612, fanatics of any stripe tend to be cut from the same cloth.
For some folks, the Bible—especially the New Testament—actually serves as real inspiration and a roadmap for their spiritual journey. Honestly, since we're already talking about Christianity here, I think this thread would be better off focusing on the positive side of things—you know, the actual spiritual depth of the path.

So, let’s pivot. Let's talk more about those who are fanatical about virtue and loving their neighbor, rather than obsessing over the fanatics running bureaucratic institutions and rigid dogmas..

Man, I just don't think that's how this is working out. 😢
If you have the time, maybe scroll back to the very beginning of this thread.
The title "On Spiritual Paths" doesn't actually describe what's happening here at all. In fact, this doesn't even feel like a fair discussion because the person who started it is just relentlessly trying to convert anyone who disagrees with them—essentially claiming that every single spiritual path other than Jesus' is the work of Satan, and if you don't accept Jesus and the Bible as the ultimate authority, you're headed straight to hell!
Honestly, I'm starting to wonder why I'm even putting in the effort. 🤷
Maybe one day this whole thing will serve as interesting material for a psychoanalysis of someone with a deeply depersonalized personality...

edit: The New Testament is an inspiration and a support for my own spiritual walk too, but mainly because I rely more on my own intuition and feelings regarding Christ's words and everything He represents, rather than just clinging to a literal interpretation of the text itself.

Brian Thomas612 said:You're generalizing again! 🙂
What you lived through was that transcendental meditation movement which, honestly, lost almost everything Maharishi originally intended for it once it hit the West. People drifted away once they started mass-opening their centers and chasing those flows of siddhi powers. It turned into this pursuit of mastering various energies just to get ahead or prove something here in the physical world, all while hiding behind the mask of TM spirituality.
It makes total sense that when someone enters what we might still call 'spirituality' through that door, you have to wonder where that energy is truly originating. That’s the dark side of the New Age movement right there. You even mentioned yourself how you wanted to move up to a higher level, but couldn't because you were short on cash (maybe a couple thousand bucks?).
But if a person stays honest and sincere, eventually they'll hit a point of burnout, and God's mercy will show them a better path forward—kind of like how things worked out for you.
🙂

Precisely.

Michael Moore3 said:If all sacred texts were penned by human hands under divine inspiration...
then I suppose one has to wonder what actually sets the Bible apart from any other holy book written through that exact same process?

The prophecies regarding the coming of Jesus, delivered by various prophets who lived in different eras, never met one another, and had no way of hearing or knowing what others had predicted about the same event—coupled with the fact that these prophecies were actually fulfilled—is what distinguishes it from everything else.
I believe that provides sufficient evidence.

shadownomad4 said:The prophecies regarding the coming of Jesus, delivered by various prophets who lived in different eras, never met one another, and had no way of hearing or knowing what others had predicted about the same event—coupled with the fact that these prophecies were actually fulfilled—is what distinguishes it from everything else.
I believe that provides sufficient evidence.

Aren't all those prophets actually from the Bible? And if they aren't, I'd love to hear at least one name.

Michael Moore3 said:Aren't all those prophets actually from the Bible? And if they aren't, I'd love to hear at least one name.

But where else would they come from, my friend Michael Moore3? Should one really be expected to trust some outside collaborator over their own people? The Bible was written specifically for the Jewish people during that era, and their ancient prophets were reliable because their prophecies came from the very same God to whom both the people and the prophets prayed.

The Three Kings weren't part of the Jewish people either, yet their presence serves as confirmation of the birth of the Son of God. Honestly, what more can I say? I don't think I've ever encountered anyone more skeptical than you.🙏

shadownomad4 said:But where else would they come from, my friend Michael Moore3? Should one really be expected to trust some outside collaborator over their own people? The Bible was written specifically for the Jewish people during that era, and their ancient prophets were reliable because their prophecies came from the very same God to whom both the people and the prophets prayed.

The Three Kings weren't part of the Jewish people either, yet their presence serves as confirmation of the birth of the Son of God. Honestly, what more can I say? I don't think I've ever encountered anyone more skeptical than you.🙏

Of course I am. An unbeliever. I tend to base my experiences on what I’ve personally come to realize rather than just taking someone else's word for it; after all, if something is truly true, you can feel that truth for yourself instead of simply believing in it without ever actually experiencing it.

I find myself somewhat fascinated by the logic of believing that truth exists exclusively within the Bible, especially since everyone mentioned in its pages insists that what they’ve written is the absolute truth. It feels a bit like taking the word of Coca-Cola employees when they claim their soda is actually good for you, and simply accepting it as fact just because they happen to work for the company.
Of course they aren't going to dig their own grave by admitting their product is flawed; Coca-Cola—if we’re looking at the Bible as an analogy—only stays relevant because there are enough people willing to take everything the executives at Coca-Cola say at face value without ever bothering to check the facts for themselves.
I suppose that’s precisely why they call you "believers"—because you aren't exactly out there hunting for facts, but rather just settling for whatever you choose to believe.
The absolute pinnacle of stupidity has to be that whole "blessed are those who see not, but believe" nonsense. Honestly, I don't think Jesus would ever actually say something like that; it feels more like someone just tacked it onto his teachings because the lie itself makes zero sense. It’s like if Coca-Cola decided their new slogan was "blessed are those who drink without questioning what's inside." I mean, hello? You're essentially handing over your entire faith to a handful of people, letting them dictate how you live your life and even what you consume. Seriously, hello?

Let’s get behind shadownomad4 and his beliefs! If there’s nothing harmful about them and they bring good to others and himself, then I say go for it!🙂

Michael Moore3 said:Of course I am. An unbeliever. I tend to base my experiences on what I’ve personally come to realize rather than just taking someone else's word for it; after all, if something is truly true, you can feel that truth for yourself instead of simply believing in it without ever actually experiencing it.

I find myself somewhat fascinated by the logic of believing that truth exists exclusively within the Bible, especially since everyone mentioned in its pages insists that what they’ve written is the absolute truth. It feels a bit like taking the word of Coca-Cola employees when they claim their soda is actually good for you, and simply accepting it as fact just because they happen to work for the company.
Of course they aren't going to dig their own grave by admitting their product is flawed; Coca-Cola—if we’re looking at the Bible as an analogy—only stays relevant because there are enough people willing to take everything the executives at Coca-Cola say at face value without ever bothering to check the facts for themselves.
I suppose that’s precisely why they call you "believers"—because you aren't exactly out there hunting for facts, but rather just settling for whatever you choose to believe.
The absolute pinnacle of stupidity has to be that whole "blessed are those who see not, but believe" nonsense. Honestly, I don't think Jesus would ever actually say something like that; it feels more like someone just tacked it onto his teachings because the lie itself makes zero sense. It’s like if Coca-Cola decided their new slogan was "blessed are those who drink without questioning what's inside." I mean, hello? You're essentially handing over your entire faith to a handful of people, letting them dictate how you live your life and even what you consume. Seriously, hello?

But I do not place my faith in any human beings; rather, I place it in Jesus, and my faith has matured into actual perception because I experience His presence in various ways every single day. Once you experience God, that is when the Path truly begins, where you will receive all your answers. This is why Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be born again—born of the spirit of God. Your spirit must be reborn, which occurs when you invite Jesus into your life.

And what does it cost you to invite Him? Will you lose anything? You won't. So, please, just invite Him and say, "Jesus, if You are real, please show me. You see my heart seeking the Truth..." Simply put it in your own words, and He is so faithful that He will show you who the Truth is, in a way that is specific to you—a way you can understand and grasp, in a manner known only to Him because He knows you perfectly.🙂

shadownomad4 said:

mistygull16 As stated by:
Question for shadownomad4
How many years have you been practicing meditation—if I recall correctly, you mentioned Transcendental Meditation—and just how consistent has your practice been?
I believe we all understand that one size doesn't fit all when it comes to spiritual practice; as human beings, our needs are inherently diverse. If a particular technique isn't resonating with you, it simply suggests a need for a different approach—it doesn't mean the original method was flawed. In your specific case, it seems your inclinations might lean more heavily toward the bhakti component, which would naturally call for meditative techniques that align with that devotion. However, I must offer a word of caution: what is most likely to distance you from God is your own exclusivity.
Let me try to illustrate this point by sharing a story.
There was once a student who was taught by his guru that God resides within the heart of every living being, and he was instructed to live his life in accordance with that truth. This sentiment echoes the teachings of Jesus, who pointed out the hypocrisy of anyone claiming to love God while failing to love their neighbor. After all, how can someone claim to love a God they cannot see if they are unable to show love to the person standing right in front of them?
There was once a student who lived strictly by the instruction to honor every living creature, believing that God resides within every single heart. On one occasion, he traveled into a bustling city, only to find the streets deserted. People were fleeing in terror because a massive elephant had gone rogue, charging through the streets and demolishing everything in its path. Despite the chaos, the student remained unmoved. He ignored the frantic warnings of the locals, refusing to seek cover simply because he held fast to the conviction that God dwelt within the heart of that very elephant. The citizens continued to shout at him, pleading with him to get out of the way before the beast reached him, but he found little reason to listen to mere mortals when his Teacher had already declared that God is present in all things. Ultimately, his unwavering devotion offered him no protection. When the elephant finally closed the distance, his singular focus proved useless. As it turned out, even the elephant seemed amused; it appeared quite content to find that it wasn't the only mad thing in town—there was now a student even more irrational than itself, standing his ground against a rampaging beast.
What else could one possibly expect? Our naive little student barely managed to escape with his life before fleeing in a rage to his teacher, demanding to know why he had been told that God resides within all living things. He was, quite understandably, livid after the ordeal he had just endured with that elephant. To this, the teacher simply replied that he had failed to recognize God in the very people who had tried to warn him, choosing instead to acknowledge the divine only through the lens of a maddened elephant.

Common sense always takes precedence over written doctrine; that is where true wisdom begins.
The concept of scripture is fundamentally irrational; it is nothing more than a mechanism for exclusivity.

I’ve been dedicated to this practice for two years now, only missing a single evening because something urgent came up. I have always been an incredibly disciplined student, and my goal was to move on to the advanced course, but at the time, I simply didn't have the funds to make that happen—you might be familiar with the Flying technique. It was honestly discouraging to realize I needed to shell out $1,100 just to advance my spiritual journey when I was so hungry for growth. In reality, though, I’ve learned that chasing spiritual phenomena is a distraction. Miracles, whether they seem to come from God or from the devil, don't actually lead us closer to Him. What truly matters is a devotion to the truth; once you establish that, everything else naturally follows. Don't fall into the trap of thinking a Christian can't have profound spiritual experiences at a higher level, or that someone can only experience out-of-body sensations through meditation. I have had those experiences myself, as have many of my friends who remain open enough to receive them, and such moments are never without purpose. However, that sensation itself isn't the ultimate goal, nor is anything similar to it. The true objective is His presence through the Holy Spirit—a state where you can simply sit in one place for hours, abiding in Him, and receiving everything you need directly from the Lord.

The fundamental difference is this: when you walk with Him, you have the absolute certainty that you are on the right path. He is the only one who declared Himself to be the Way. When you operate through Him, you carry His power within you; you lay hands on the sick in His name, and they are healed. But after you meditate, you find you can no longer simply lay hands on the suffering in some arbitrary name just to see what happens—you can only look upon them with compassion, realizing you have no power of your own. Now, go ahead and try to tell me that "bioenergy" is a viable alternative. I’ve actually practiced it myself; I worked with people and they genuinely felt better, right up until the moment the illness struck them again. Because they had relied on a mere energy rather than a Name, they had nothing to stand against the sickness when it returned, leaving them without healing. It simply doesn't work that way. Attempting to heal through such means only breeds dependency on the practitioner instead of reliance on God. The ultimate goal for any Christian is to help others become self-sufficient—to ensure they are reliant solely on God, rather than on any mere human being.

I am quite far from there, my apologies.

Just another example of how Jesus' words get butchered in translation. If you actually dig into the Greek, it tells a completely different story. It suggests Jesus was stating he was the sole current teacher to that specific people, but not necessarily the *only* one ever. This leaves room for spiritual teachers to have existed before him, or even to exist elsewhere on Earth right now, just not in Palestine. It lines up better with the idea of God's universal nature—that God is the father of everyone, not just some exclusive club. (God isn't just the father of humans, but all living things. Every living thing has a soul, and consciousness is the proof)
So, to be fair to the original Greek text that keeps getting mistranslated: "ego eimi ha hodas kai ha alatheia kai ha zoa; oudeis erketai pros ton patera ei ma di emou".
The key is the word "erketai. The verb tense here is heavily present-focused. A more accurate translation would be: "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one can now come to the Father except through me."