I believe in God but I'm not religious

W2L

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No, spiritualism in the sense I'm talking about is dealing with seances, mediums, etc., formalized into an organized religion. Down here in Florida there is a whole town full of that stuff called Casadega.
Yes i knew what you meant. I was just saying that there is also a biblical Spiritualism.
 
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Saint Steven

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I have stopped expecting people to believe or think like me. I know I don't have a pattent on the truth and know for sure I can be found to be wrong on matters. It happens to often not to know it.
Fair enough.
With that in mind, what would be the best approach for you to take with people?
 
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W2L

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Usually that is just called Pentecostalism or the charismatic movement.
I refer to spiritualism all the time, but im not referring to pentecostalism or the charismatic movement. Im talking about walking in the Spirit, and seeking the fruit of the Spirit such as love, joy, peace, righteousness, hope, faith.
 
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Saint Steven

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Don’t forget “what do you mean by spiritual”. I am flat out afraid to tell someone I am that.
Again, it all gets back to definitions.
You don't have to tell someone that you are spiritual and then walk away leaving them to guess what you meant by that. Spiritual is the opposite of physical. Most people understand that and are not frightened by it. Why are you? (answer to yourself, not me)

I'll hook up to anything someone says to enter into a conversation with them about the things of God.

If someone asks me what I did last weekend.
I will include going to church as part of what I did. It doesn't mean I'm going to give them my sermon notes while they look for a way to escape. lol

But the way they do react is very telling.
Weeks later they may ask me a question about something that is bothering them.
And it is because I told them that I go to church on the weekend.

These situations are valuable beachheads for the advancement of the kingdom.
God has placed you in a whole network of human souls that need someone to talk to them about Jesus. What are you doing with that?
 
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Saint Steven

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No, spiritualism in the sense I'm talking about is dealing with seances, mediums, etc., formalized into an organized religion. Down here in Florida there is a whole town full of that stuff called Casadega.
This is more in line with my thinking.
If you say "spiritualism", then people will want you to qualify it as either Christianity or New Age religions, including the occult.
 
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dreadnought

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People say this line so much its starting to make me wonder if being religious is a bad thing? Or do people say this because they want to cover themselves incase the person isn't a believer? To me you can't say anything more lukewarm than this line and I hate to see people say this because it really gives a mixed message and its confusing to know what you actually believe.
To some people, "religious" means "climbing the church social ladder," maybe. I think of "religious" as trying to do the Lord's will.
 
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Blade

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I understand.. like saying.. are you a Christain.. I am a follower of Jesus Christ.. I have a relationship with Christ. For me.. may to some mean the same but.. many use it and are not a believer.

Can one not say.. I believe in Jesus just not religious? Play the game to Church blah blah blah.. as THEY would see it through there eyes
 
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2tim_215

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I don't belong to a church but I consider myself religious in the sense that I pray daily, talk to God daily, practice biblical teachings daily. I don't belong to a church but I am always thinking about God and living as best as I can to the model Christ set before us. If not belonging to a church makes me not religious then I guess I believe but I'm not religious. If believing in God and practicing christianity makes me religious then I am religious. To me I always viewed it when people said I believe but i'm not religious as basically saying I believe in God but I'm not a practicing christian.
According to the Bible, it says,
James 1:27 (KJV)
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Judaism was a religion, Christianity is about a person, and that person is Jesus Christ and your relation ship with Him.
The only thing you may be lacking is you need to study the Bible and if you can find a good Bible believing church which teaches the Word of God that you feel comfortable in, start going. But don't just go somewhere just to be going, or you don't feel comfortable in.
 
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Galilee63

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Pray for them and make The Sign of The Cross invisibly over them for our Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit and Holy Mother Mary to work through them for their conversions, repentance to Jesus, Healing and to Salvation with your prayer or the Holy Prayer our Lord Jesus Christ delivered to Holy Saint Faustina in the 1930s delivering His Holy Divine Mercy Novena and Chaplet

"O Blood and Water which gushed forth from The heart of Jesus as a Fount of Mercy for us I Trust in You" x 3 times

Allow our Blessed Holy Trinity to decide and act.



Receive our Lord Jesus Christ into our hearts in trust first

Repentance to Jesus

Blessed Holy Trinity and through Most Holy Mother Mary through Jesus and Holy Spirit leading hearts to conversions, then to healing of hearts by our Lord Jesus Christ to Salvation.

Reading Gods Holy Divine Word being guided by Jesus and Holy Spirit

Praying and talking to Jesus in trust - praying for the conversions and salvation of all hearts and Souls, for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for all souls on their way to eternal damnation, for all souls awaiting judgement passed over, focussing on Jesus and His Life, His Sorrows, Sufferings and on His Bitter Passion

Holy Confession - receiving our Lord Jesus Christ in His Holy Confession

Receiving our Lord Jesus and Holy Spirit in His Holy Communion from hearts

Asking our Blessed Holy Trinity for His Holy Divine Callings, His Holy Apostolate and Shepherds works for Gods great Glory.

Doing works of mercy of our Lord Jesus Christs

Religion is required to visit our Lord Jesus Christ Spiritually and Physically Present in His Blessed Holy Divine Sacrament at the Altar, in His Holy Tabernacles Manifested and Present and to receive our Blessed Holy Trinity in our Lords Holy Divine Sacraments - Holy Confession and in Holy Communion, most of all to love and adore our Lord Jesus Christ in His Holy Divine Catholic Church at His Holy divine altar around 3pm or at any time on a Friday Jesus has requested Himself Loving and thanking Him in deep gratitude for suffering and dying for us all and being sorry for the worlds sins in deep remorse and making The Stations of The Cross that should have been mine.

Yes, it is important to mention to believers that they are missing out on our Lords Holy Divine Blessings, Holy Divine Graces, Holy Divine Gifts from Holy Heaven Jesus mentioned in His Divine Mercy delivered to Holy Saint Faustina and in His Holy Word

"Whosoever eats My Flesh and Drinks My Blood has Life in them" and

"Whosoever does not eat My Flesh and does not drink My Blood has no Life in them whatsoever".
 
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W2L

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This is more in line with my thinking.
If you say "spiritualism", then people will want you to qualify it as either Christianity or New Age religions, including the occult.
What do you call christian spiritualism? We all walk in the spirit, and we all search for fruit of the spirit, we all want to be spiritual. What do you call that?
 
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Saint Steven

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What do you call christian spiritualism? We all walk in the spirit, and we all search for fruit of the spirit, we all want to be spiritual. What do you call that?
What I am saying is that we need not be fearful of the word "spiritual".
Most people understand that the word spiritual simply means other than physical.
There is a spiritual realm, and there is a physical realm.
However, in the spiritual realm, there is a dark side and a light side.
So, if you say you are spiritual, people want to know which side you are on.
And they may divide the realms differently than you or I. For instance, they may consider New Age religions or even white magic to be on the light side.

But to answer your question, I don't use the term "christian spiritualism".
As to what I do call it, I would call it faith. But that term needs to be defined as well.
Someone may ask, "What faith are you?" They are defining faith as a denomination.
Or they may ask, "Are you a person of faith?" Which is a more general question.
They may want to know whether you are an agnostic or atheist. (or not)
 
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W2L

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What I am saying is that we need not be fearful of the word "spiritual".
Most people understand that the word spiritual simply means other than physical.
There is a spiritual realm, and there is a physical realm.
However, in the spiritual realm, there is a dark side and a light side.
So, if you say you are spiritual, people want to know which side you are on.
And they may divide the realms differently than you or I. For instance, they may consider New Age religions or even white magic to be on the light side.

But to answer your question, I don't use the term "christian spiritualism".
As to what I do call it, I would call it faith. But that term needs to be defined as well.
Someone may ask, "What faith are you?" They are defining faith as a denomination.
Or they may ask, "Are you a person of faith?" Which is a more general question.
They may want to know whether you are an agnostic or atheist. (or not)
Yes i understand. It just seems strange to me that we christians will use the word spiritual but not the word spiritualism. It doesn't matter anyway. Thanks for your reply.
 
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Saint Steven

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Yes i understand. It just seems strange to me that we christians will use the word spiritual but not the word spiritualism. It doesn't matter anyway. Thanks for your reply.
Spiritualism actually has a bad connotation. And "Christian Spiritualism" is actually a New Age false religion. (google it) Here's a definition of Spiritualism. (occult)

"Spiritualism is a belief that spirits of the dead have both the ability and the inclination to communicate with the living. The afterlife, or "spirit world", is seen by spiritualists, not as a static place, but as one in which spirits continue to evolve."
 
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W2L

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Spiritualism actually has a bad connotation. And "Christian Spiritualism" is actually a New Age false religion. (google it) Here's a definition of Spiritualism. (occult)

"Spiritualism is a belief that spirits of the dead have both the ability and the inclination to communicate with the living. The afterlife, or "spirit world", is seen by spiritualists, not as a static place, but as one in which spirits continue to evolve."
Im certainly not referring to that myself. I understand what you mean.
 
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Saint Steven

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Im certainly not referring to that myself. I understand what you mean.
Yes. I understood that. Thanks.
But you see the problem with the term. The general understanding is that it refers to the occult, or at a minimum, to a New Age religion.
 
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Melissa Suzanne

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People say this line so much its starting to make me wonder if being religious is a bad thing? Or do people say this because they want to cover themselves incase the person isn't a believer? To me you can't say anything more lukewarm than this line and I hate to see people say this because it really gives a mixed message and its confusing to know what you actually believe.
What I think of sometimes when I think of Christian religion is rules and regulations, divided churches and doctrines, past religious corruption, and I sometimes think of the lukewarm state of the church in America. The state of the church when man makes himself God. Many people view God as what they see in Christian religion.

Honestly, religion has and will always fail but when we look at Jesus and the Bible, we can see Jesus' character for how it truly is. Religion becomes corrupted but Jesus has never failed us. That's why I like to refer to my beliefs as a "Christian relationship". When I say "religion" unbelievers point to the corrupted church establishment past or present and hypocrisy, but when I describe only my personal life with Jesus maybe they will see differently.
 
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2tim_215

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What I think of sometimes when I think of Christian religion is rules and regulations, divided churches and doctrines, past religious corruption, and I sometimes think of the lukewarm state of the church in America. The state of the church when man makes himself God. Many people view God as what they see in Christian religion.

Honestly, religion has and will always fail but when we look at Jesus and the Bible, we can see Jesus' character for how it truly is. Religion becomes corrupted but Jesus has never failed us. That's why I like to refer to my beliefs as a "Christian relationship". When I say "religion" unbelievers point to the corrupted church establishment past or present and hypocrisy, but when I describe only my personal life with Jesus maybe they will see differently.
I think you have the right atttiude.
 
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Ashlyn111

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I don't belong to a church but I consider myself religious in the sense that I pray daily, talk to God daily, practice biblical teachings daily. I don't belong to a church but I am always thinking about God and living as best as I can to the model Christ set before us. If not belonging to a church makes me not religious then I guess I believe but I'm not religious. If believing in God and practicing christianity makes me religious then I am religious. To me I always viewed it when people said I believe but i'm not religious as basically saying I believe in God but I'm not a practicing christian.
 
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Ashlyn111

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People say this line so much its starting to make me wonder if being religious is a bad thing? Or do people say this because they want to cover themselves incase the person isn't a believer? To me you can't say anything more lukewarm than this line and I hate to see people say this because it really gives a mixed message and its confusing to know what you actually believe.
Sorry I’m new to this site and am trying to get some help. However I don’t know how to ask a question or start a thread. I would appreciate if u could help. Thanks
 
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