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I almost died, literally, being drained of my life. I posted about it in another thread.
Deconversions weird thiers a time in it that you realized you havn't really believed in a long time but never really accepted that yourself. It's diffrent from atheist to atheist but I had a hard time I really liked my religion. But once you declare yourself atheist it's kind of a battle you have to fight alone for a while.I understand all of that. Disenfranchisement was the primary reason I walked away. I was looking for something authentic and couldn't find it. It didn't exist elsewhere either.
I was agnostic and nearing atheism. The turning point wasn't a tradition or hidden message. It was love and a lot of time. The message is simple. The bloat is man's doing.
These days I live the questions. Why do I feel this way? What am I doing and what is serving? Things along lines. I probably wouldn't do that if I remained where I was. I'd be more accepting and less discriminating. It served a purpose.
~bella
Deconversions weird thiers a time in it that you realized you havn't really believed in a long time but never really accepted that yourself. It's diffrent from atheist to atheist but I had a hard time I really liked my religion. But once you declare yourself atheist it's kind of a battle you have to fight alone for a while.
I've been thinking about this and honestly? I miss the church. Not just the fellowship per say (they kinda ditched me before I even deconverted ) but it was this grand old building with these amazing stained glass windows i still look at them when I pass by.You're going through the motions and doing what's familiar. It takes a lot of honesty to recognize you're 'dead'. The tree has withered and you're clueless.
Being awake is a continuum. The world lulls you to sleep and beckons you to close your eyes or play make believe to survive.
Rumi said, "don't go back to sleep." It takes awhile to understand what he meant and why applies today.
What did you like most about your religion?
~bella
I've been thinking about this and honestly? I miss the church. Not just the fellowship per say (they kinda ditched me before I even deconverted ) but it was this grand old building with these amazing stained glass windows i still look at them when I pass by.
Penny's.That isn't strange. What do you associate with the physical space?
~bella
Penny's.
EDIT. I should add onto that when I was a child goofing off at church my mother would throw a penny at me. I could never tell where they came from, but my mom would tell me that they were from God. And dumb kid that I was believed her.
This one is interesting, in part because the pentagram wasn't associated with Satanism until recently (the mid 20th century, if I'm not mistaken). It was long used in Christian culture, to symbolize the wounds of Christ and represent the star of Bethlehem. Pointing up or pointing down, the orientation didn't seem to matter. The pentagram, in various rotations, can be found in medieval Christian literature and on the walls of old church buildings. It also existed long before, representing various things through the years. Some people choose go assign it an occult meaning, but there's nothing inherently occult or unchristian about it.... the origins of the pentagram for example
There is scripture that says not how one sees God is how you will meet Him, but there is one that says how you judge is how you will be judged. Not sure if that’s the same thing or not.
Yes! That's what i mean occult simply means hidden lots of intresting details such as that can be found through it's study. Occult isn't necessarily anti-Christian. It blew my mind when I learned that it had roots in Christianity.Let's say I enjoy walking in the woods while pondering the meaning of life, and somebody tells me that I shouldn't because "That's what witches do". Should I stop? No. Witchcraft has no power over me, and changing my life around it would give witchcraft power where it has no right to be. I'm not going to call myself a witch, because I'm not one, but walking around in the woods while pondering the meaning of life is perfectly acceptable.
Although I find the idea of Christian Yoga to be a little odd, and don't practice it myself, I disagree with the notion that Christians who do so are worshiping pagan gods or anything of the sort. Yoga poses, and symbols like the pentagram, have no meaning to us as individuals other than the meanings that we assign to them. Not to mention that things like exercise, stretching, standing in particular poses, or whatever existed long before Yoga was a thing. Maybe call it something more descriptive and less potentially misleading.
This one is interesting, in part because the pentagram wasn't associated with Satanism until recently (the mid 20th century, if I'm not mistaken). It was long used in Christian culture, to symbolize the wounds of Christ and represent the star of Bethlehem. Pointing up or pointing down, the orientation didn't seem to matter. The pentagram, in various rotations, can be found in medieval Christian literature and on the walls of old church buildings. It also existed long before, representing various things through the years. Some people choose go assign it an occult meaning, but there's nothing inherently occult or unchristian about it.
In terms of just the specifics she addressed in the video, I generally agree. From what I learned about a Christian missionary to people of an occult/New Age background, there are witches who call themselves Christian, but mainly because one or both of their parents went to church. And that label doesn't always stick, these people can be very fluid in terms of what they believe, practice, and identify as.Christian Witches: New Age in the Church
I saw this on YouTube and thought I’d share it for others to chew on.
Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. —Psalm 25:5
In terms of just the specifics she addressed in the video, I generally agree. From what I learned about a Christian missionary to people of an occult/New Age background, there are witches who call themselves Christian, but mainly because one or both of their parents went to church. And that label doesn't always stick, these people can be very fluid in terms of what they believe, practice, and identify as.
I would want to know how she differentiates "stretching" from "yoga". I agree that yoga is in fact united with Hinduism (which New Age is ultimately an outgrowth from), but I don't believe that demons can be summoned accidentally. I'm trying to sympathize with her in that Christians who try to have it both ways can end up playing with fire, but there has to be a delineation between occult practices and clean ones. She unfortunately didn't give one in that video.
Looking at their ministry's website, they do appear to have some beliefs that are simply wrong, and I have a sense that they are overly strict about some other things not mentioned. If we limit the scope to the video itself though, she is rightly calling out New Age beliefs and practices as wrong.
But there's a problem. If you're not praying to our heavenly father, then who or what is the power coming from? Who or what is fulfilling your spell?
I believe there's a price to pay for having your spell fulfilled, and the price is that you have to sell your soul.
I prefer to not even look into it or learn about it. The less I know, the less likely I am to be tempted, or think that the grass might be greener. All I need to know is that if I'm not praying to our Heavenly Father, then I'm doing something wrong.Few know its satan. They think they’re dealing with a benevolent force. They don’t believe they’re walking in darkness. They’ve taken a different path to God.
That’s a different matter. You don’t sell it haphazardly. A bargain is made and the person knows who they’re dealing with.
Whereas, spell-casting has 3 approaches: white, grey, and black. White is non coercive. Grey is situational. Black is no holds barred. Most new agers fall in the first two camps. God knows they’re ignorant. They don’t know they’re deceived.
I’ve noticed a sharp increase in the topic. The books are everywhere and there’s lots of references on Pinterest. That wasn’t the case two years ago.
~bella
I prefer to not even look into it or learn about it. The less I know, the less likely I am to be tempted, or think that the grass might be greener. All I need to know is that if I'm not praying to our Heavenly Father, then I'm doing something wrong.
For the same reason a Christian might be tempted by anything else. We all have moments of weakness and temptation. It's a large part of being human. It can't be entirely eliminated. I know I don't want to go there, so I shan't even bother looking and learning. I don't want to do the equivalent of standing outside a shop, looking through the window at unchristian stuff.Why would you be tempted? If you know the truth and believe it is so; why would the deception entice you?
For the same reason a Christian might be tempted by anything else. We all have moments of weakness and temptation. It's a large part of being human. It can't be entirely eliminated. I know I don't want to go there, so I shan't even bother looking and learning. I don't want to do the equivalent of standing outside a shop, looking through the window at unchristian stuff.
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