“I am a Christian and I can tell you why…”

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So Christians believe in silly stuff, but there is nothing silly at all to everything you are espousing?
The idea of separateness is the most silly of all. It’s like your arm believing that it can cut itself off and go live a life all on its own away from the rest of the body.
 

Lyfe

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The idea of separateness is the most silly of all. It’s like your arm believing that it can cut itself off and go live a life all on its own away from the rest of the body.
The beliefs that you have. Are you willing to stand by them as absolutes or are they just mere ideas or presumptions that you cling to about God and the universe?
 

Alanantic

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So Christians believe in silly stuff, but there is nothing silly at all to everything you are espousing?
If you're comfortable where you're at, I've no business making you otherwise. But, if you ever feel a bit UNcomfortable...
 
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If you're comfortable where you're at, I've no business making you otherwise. But, if you ever feel a bit UNcomfortable...
Following God isn't easy. I imagine their is alot of perceived freedom to where you are at. But the prodigal son he felt that way too eventually he came back I have the feeling one day u will return.
 
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The beliefs that you have. Are you willing to stand by them as absolutes or are they just mere ideas or presumptions that you cling to about God and the universe?
Your very question is as presumptive as it gets. If you have actual, honest questions I will try my best to answer them.
 

Lyfe

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What difference would it make to you either way? It’s not a sales pitch.
It doesnt make a difference to me. I just think its silly to call someone elses beliefs silly when you arent even willing to admit that you dont even know what the truth is.... Or that you dont even believe that there is an absolute truth in general.
 

Nikōn

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You cannot simultaneously believe you have unity with the One Infinite Creator while believing you are somehow able to exist separately. It’s contradictory.
That is very much THE paradox of metaphysics, regardless of one's position (any form of Theism or Atheism). How everything either from or is part of some unity while remaining existent as separate. This is the area where Pseudo-mystics, philosophers, esotericists, occultists, magicians, kabbalists, gnostics, platonists all jump in and spout incoherent nonsense.
Even the Hindus, who professed that dualism and nondualism where somehow the same, where never able to reconcile this metaphysical paradox.
 
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It doesnt make a difference to me. I just think its silly to call someone elses beliefs silly when you arent even willing to admit that you dont even know what the truth is.... Or that you dont even believe that there is an absolute truth in general.
Truth is alive and infinitely expanding, not some finite body of information. This is why I said your question was presumptive. It’s an infinite journey of moving through, moving into, and seeing from all perspectives and through all vantage points of truth. Information is not truth, but information can certainly reflect truth from within the proper perspective, which is ever-shifting and evolving. Truth remains there with you always, within you, surrounding you, etc. Truth is still with YOU even when you are not with truth, if you catch my meaning.
 
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That is very much THE paradox of metaphysics, regardless of one's position (any form of Theism or Atheism). How everything either from or is part of some unity while remaining existent as separate. This is the area where Pseudo-mystics, philosophers, esotericists, occultists, magicians, kabbalists, gnostics, platonists all jump in and spout incoherent nonsense.
Even the Hindus, who professed that dualism and nondualism where somehow the same, where never able to reconcile this metaphysical paradox
Yes, there are always the filters and distortions of personal beliefs and definitions which tend to be taken for granted rather than dissolved like the illusions they really are, which is only muddying the waters and needlessly complicating things. Separateness is the illusion, and actual cognizance of this simple facet will solve the paradox, however it is also the most difficult thing for the separate ego personality to acknowledge, let alone accept.
 
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The illusion of separateness that comes with identifying with the body/mind is a lot like finding yourself as a character in a dream but unaware of who's sleeping. When one becomes "lucid" in a dream, you suddenly realize you're not that character but the Dreamer. This can happen in real life. You can be One with Everything.

"Tell them I am awake." -- Buddha
That’s a good analogy. Except there are something like 1700+ different characters in various timelines and parallel realities at once. That’s getting a bit too deep for this topic, though. Best to keep it simple.
 

Nikōn

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Yes, there are always the filters and distortions of personal beliefs and definitions which tend to be taken for granted rather than dissolved like the illusions they really are, which is only muddying the waters and needlessly complicating things. Separateness is the illusion, and actual cognizance of this simple facet will solve the paradox, however it is also the most difficult thing for the separate ego personality to acknowledge, let alone accept.
You may not see it but you aren't outside of the paradox, you are reinforcing it.
Anyhow, this is a philosophical matter as it is an ancient debate in metaphysics that will never be answered. You are however imposing your particular ideology onto the matter.
 
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You may not see it but you aren't outside of the paradox, you are reinforcing it.
Anyhow, this is a philosophical matter as it is an ancient debate in metaphysics that will never be answered. You are however imposing your particular ideology onto the matter.
Why would I want to be outside the paradox when the paradox has such an important function and purpose? The question itself becomes its own answer, therefore I can have this physical experience. Otherwise there is no growth, no expansion, no separate “me” to be the character in the story. This reminds me of something I read somewhere. To paraphrase, someone had asked a mystic “what did you do when you reached enlightenment?” He answered “I laughed uncontrollably for a little while, and then I had lunch.”
 

Alanantic

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Why would I want to be outside the paradox when the paradox has such an important function and purpose? The question itself becomes its own answer, therefore I can have this physical experience. Otherwise there is no growth, no expansion, no separate “me” to be the character in the story. This reminds me of something I read somewhere. To paraphrase, someone had asked a mystic “what did you do when you reached enlightenment?” He answered “I laughed uncontrollably for a little while, and then I had lunch.”
At some point we should all come up for air, and see the big picture. The Ghost in the Machine is is rattling the cage...in this new age...
 

Nikōn

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Why would I want to be outside the paradox when the paradox has such an important function and purpose? The question itself becomes its own answer, therefore I can have this physical experience.

You are the one who said this initially:
You cannot simultaneously believe you have unity with the One Infinite Creator while believing you are somehow able to exist separately. It’s contradictory.

In one post you say it is "contradictory" and now you say it has "such an important function and purpose". Frankly you don't know what you believe or how to hold a coherent position. You mock the 'creator outside creation' yet concede when I point out the wider ancient philosophical-theological issue, and even bend over to spout how important the issue is.
 
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You are the one who said this initially:



In one post you say it is "contradictory" and now you say it has "such an important function and purpose". Frankly you don't know what you believe or how to hold a coherent position. You mock the 'creator outside creation' yet concede when I point out the wider ancient philosophical-theological issue, and even bend over to spout how important the issue is.
Slow down a second. Let’s regroup, shall we? Essentially what I’m trying to communicate is that the separate self, when acknowledged as illusion, becomes the useful tool it is intended to be, rather than just running the whole show, so to speak. Does that make sense to you?
 
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It’s entirety possible to understand that separateness is only illusion, that unity is all that truly “exists”, knowing that I do not and cannot possibly exist separately apart from the creator, etc while also having immense gratitude for the experience, and understanding the purpose and value of the illusion of separateness. “Believing” in separateness is the opposite of acknowledging that separateness is merely an illusion.
 
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