tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1707215866042944684.post6252482022973952570..comments2023-03-22T15:04:55.281-07:00Comments on Delicate Awakening: Can Christians Become Enlightened?Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12693795343641111526noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1707215866042944684.post-25910457769822219052013-12-04T22:29:27.229-08:002013-12-04T22:29:27.229-08:00To be perfectly honest, no. As much as I hate to b...To be perfectly honest, no. As much as I hate to be the one to say this, you can't be religious and be enlightened at the same time; enlightenment does not mesh with religion, nor do they co-exist. You see, the foundation in which enlightenment stands is the ability to think for yourself; meaning not to let anyone dictate how you live your life. Be the master of your own destiny, if you will. Furthermore, the very notion of enlightenment initially began with Guatama Saddhartha, better known as the foregoing enlightenment master, the Buddha, and in all technicality, his teachings are not religion; they are philosophy. Therefore, you cannot possibly be religious and claim to be enlightened because in all technicality, it doesn't work that way. When you are willing to seek your own truth, be your own salivation, and control your own destiny, is then that you will have your foot in the door of enlightenment. In all due respect, religion and enlightenment, as aforementioned, cannot possibly co-exist or correlate to one another; in conflicts in nature. Conclusively, no, Christians cannot be enlightened. Thank you. Namaste . Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1707215866042944684.post-60673765446349666822011-10-23T12:34:22.525-07:002011-10-23T12:34:22.525-07:00Spiritual things are spiritually discerned. We can...Spiritual things are spiritually discerned. We cannot observe the spiritual health or the spiritual discipline of another person. Eastern spiritualism is not the only spiritual disciplines or practices on Earth. All beings with a spirit are inherently spiritual beings. All spiritual beings by their nature of having a spirit have spirituality. Their spirituality may take different forms and may never take an observable form. But just because it is unobservable does not mean that those beings are not exercising their spirituality. And it definitely does not mean they do not have spirituality.<br /><br />And so I disagree with you.<br /><br />I have never overcome the evil things I desire to do. As I study God - spend time learning of God, the evil things I once desired I no longer desire. It is not by some practice, discipline or exercise of mine.<br /><br />So I cannot agree with you.<br /><br />I cannot observe another's spiritual work. Therefore, I cannot judge it to be good or bad, dormant or active.<br /><br />It makes no sense, if the things recorded in the Bible are true, to disregard what it has to say on this subject. <br /><br />And if the Bible is not true, why believe what it says about Jesus Christ? I find no solid historical evidence for Jesus Christ outside of the Bible. If the Bible is not true, there is no evidence for Jesus Christ, in my opinion.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1707215866042944684.post-38986052337256954412011-10-22T08:28:46.517-07:002011-10-22T08:28:46.517-07:00Tragedy - I haven't responded to your comment ...Tragedy - I haven't responded to your comment up until this point because I keep coming back to it and wonder what I'm missing. I don't understand what it is that you are disagreeing with.Michellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12693795343641111526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1707215866042944684.post-41730839222991246562011-10-15T08:37:12.913-07:002011-10-15T08:37:12.913-07:00If thine light be dark, how dark is thine darkness...<em>If thine light be dark, how dark is thine darkness?</em><br /><br />I disagree with you. <br /><br />I know how this works: So I will agree to disagree with you, now. <br /><br />It often feels, looking back, as if God has "just flipped a switch." [Observe: I used the term <em>feels</em>, it is not a word I use much. If I can't think something, why say it? but it is why I disagree.]Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1707215866042944684.post-28276861941890398442011-10-10T15:43:55.822-07:002011-10-10T15:43:55.822-07:00JSS - Whenever you write or comment I am reminded ...JSS - Whenever you write or comment I am reminded that I want to read "Map of the Soul" by Jung.<br /><br />Cheryl - I so get that! I thought I had to choose to... and still struggle with that as well.Michellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12693795343641111526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1707215866042944684.post-90759366048320181932011-10-10T14:48:56.251-07:002011-10-10T14:48:56.251-07:00Great post! This has been a great struggle for me ...Great post! This has been a great struggle for me and why I've always shrugged away from places of worship and God in general. My entire childhood, I wanted to be a "good", "God-fearing" girl. I don't even know where I came up with that desire as it wasn't pushed on me in home or my church. But I was very scared of God, if He existed and very certain that I wasn't worthy of Him and you all knew it. I've always been attracted to literature about all faiths and pagan lifestyles and intuitive healers.. and I thought that made me inherently bad. I thought I had to choose and I still struggle with that today. <br /><br />Hm, your post is inspiring a post in me! Thanks! :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1707215866042944684.post-81473832662426021482011-10-10T06:56:53.699-07:002011-10-10T06:56:53.699-07:00There are those who would say that our brightest l...There are those who would say that our brightest light is hidden, and can therefore emerge from our darkest parts. I for one would not disagree. To ignore our 'fallen' self is to ignore one half of the whole.<br /><br />Can Christians become enlightened? What exactly is our definition of enlightened? I suspect each of us has our own and I suspect that is the way it was meant to be.jsshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02841951364803029201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1707215866042944684.post-83916121301495074572011-10-08T19:51:13.701-07:002011-10-08T19:51:13.701-07:00Pippi - Yes Pippi, I think you're right. Very ...Pippi - Yes Pippi, I think you're right. Very well said.<br /><br />Sandra - The world of Fundamentalism is so far removed from anything I've experienced that it never fails to shock me. I grew up in a home with an excess of drinking, smoking, card-playing, movies... and yet here you and I are, on very similar paths.<br /><br />I've seen a few blogs like the ones you describe and it used to frustrate me but now it just makes me sad. (Ok, sometimes I still get frustrated.)<br /><br />You said something that really struck me and made me think. What we do is more important than what we don't do. I used to think I couldn't come to Christ because I wasn't ready to "not do" certain things (like live with my boyfriend, stop drinking, etc.).<br /><br />Brian - Good point!Michellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12693795343641111526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1707215866042944684.post-39477155847149844832011-10-08T11:03:07.748-07:002011-10-08T11:03:07.748-07:00I think yes and yes.
At the same time, Fear has ...I think yes and yes. <br /><br />At the same time, Fear has been a dominating force within the Church to "motivate" believers to stay away from practices others have found useful for a healthy spirit. There is a fundamental attitude that God is strong enough to send us to hell for doing yoga but far too weak to keep us from it if there's something inherently bad in its practice. (just picking yoga, could say meditation, or any number of things.)BrianMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18125662305006040149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1707215866042944684.post-76147569401021575642011-10-08T09:19:16.174-07:002011-10-08T09:19:16.174-07:00I certainly saw this attitude growing up in fundy ...I certainly saw this attitude growing up in fundy evangelicalism--our obligation to God is to act like a Christian (whatever that meant in our particular church--generally no dancing, drinking, smoking, card-playing, movies, revealing clothes .... --but our spiritual transformation was supposed to be something God did. Somehow, any spiritual practice was "works" but lifestyle changes were not.<br /><br />I see it now on blogs and websites I run across while googling some topic or other--that walking a labyrinth is Pagan or using a rosary or memorizing prayers is "repetitious utterings" (or whatever that phrase is) and all bad, at best simply against the bible, at worst actually inviting evil into our souls.<br /><br />I think that's just dumb. God already animated us from brainless, spiritless lumps of clay, why do we want to return to that like it is some holier state--to show more of His Grace? That's like when Paul talks about going about sinning so that God can demonstrably forgive more--and he condemns that pretty soundly. So why is any spiritual practice other than simply reading the bible (and certain approved study materials--which vary by church) somehow taking away God's ability to work in our lives? Why isn't it considered giving God something to work with? Why isn't it considered doing our part in meeting God--like not buying beer? Frankly, an hour of yoga does a whole lot more to make me available to hearing God than sanctimoniously bypassing the liquor aisle in the grocery store.Sandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04332778549254318293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1707215866042944684.post-8552801523211550102011-10-08T08:38:27.248-07:002011-10-08T08:38:27.248-07:00I think Western Christians certainly have that pro...I think Western Christians certainly have that problem. They talk about faith but they have no spirituality, because they are afraid of it. So faith becomes just a mind over matter thing, instead of a genuine trust.Pippihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05598890631695015818noreply@blogger.com