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TheKingOfImmortality

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I know I dont come as much as I use to but over the summer I got hit with something pertty big.


Here's the problem. I had a freind I grew up with and use to go to for spritual advice. We use to be best freinds and she got me to open up to religon and leave atheism. Last summer she revield to me she was in a cult. She was aprat of a radical fundamenlist group. Anti-sciences, fear, bigotry, ect. My problem is that she was the one to open me up to relgion and God in the frist place. Now I wonder how much of it was real or if I should keep exploring. For some reason though I dont want to give up. I dont know why but I want to keep going. I am just not sure what I am looking for now. If I ever snap at anyone, Sorry, I am in recovery at the moment. So how do I know what was real and was not?
 
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vajradhara

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Namaste KoIM,

i doubt this forum is the place to go for advice of this nature.

with regards to reality... test it for yourself, see if it matches your experiences. if not, toss it. if so, consider it more thoroughly and then decide if implementing it in your life would be beneficial.. if so, do it.

'nuff said.

Excelsior!

metta,

~v
 
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Arthra

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Hey King of Immortality!

I think you know that we can be guided by all sorts of people.. What's of utmost importance is the guidance... If you were lost in a city in a foreign land I think you would be open to what guidance you could receive..

- Art
 
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arunma

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I know I dont come as much as I use to but over the summer I got hit with something pertty big.


Here's the problem. I had a freind I grew up with and use to go to for spritual advice. We use to be best freinds and she got me to open up to religon and leave atheism. Last summer she revield to me she was in a cult. She was aprat of a radical fundamenlist group. Anti-sciences, fear, bigotry, ect. My problem is that she was the one to open me up to relgion and God in the frist place. Now I wonder how much of it was real or if I should keep exploring. For some reason though I dont want to give up. I dont know why but I want to keep going. I am just not sure what I am looking for now. If I ever snap at anyone, Sorry, I am in recovery at the moment. So how do I know what was real and was not?

I understand your problem. I myself was first exposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ by a person who believes in the false prosperity gospel, which in fact is a gospel of destruction. But I have come to realize that truth is independent of who teaches it to me.

I'm afraid I don't know many of the details of your case. Your faith icon says that you believe in Buddhism, which I believe is a false religion that will only deceive its adherants until they die apart from God. You have also said that though you don't wish to give up on general religion and spirituality, your friend makes you wish to explore further. It would be an error in logic for me to say that the actions of your friend are a sound reason to question your current religious faith. But might I suggest that if you are going to explore other religions, at least give due consideration to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You would do yourself a disservice by judging the Gospel according to Fred Phelps, Pat Robertson, and the various other people who get regular mentions on this forum, for the same reason that it is illogical to judge your Buddhist faith on the basis of your friend's cult involvement.
 
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Alizera

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She might have exposed you to God and Christianity but you both got something totally different from it. You should search in your heart what is true for you. People have different ways of viewing God and have different experiences with Him. I would just hang on to your personal experience and let your friend hang on to hers.
 
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Bookofknowledge

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I know I dont come as much as I use to but over the summer I got hit with something pertty big.


Here's the problem. I had a freind I grew up with and use to go to for spritual advice. We use to be best freinds and she got me to open up to religon and leave atheism. Last summer she revield to me she was in a cult. She was aprat of a radical fundamenlist group. Anti-sciences, fear, bigotry, ect. My problem is that she was the one to open me up to relgion and God in the frist place. Now I wonder how much of it was real or if I should keep exploring. For some reason though I dont want to give up. I dont know why but I want to keep going. I am just not sure what I am looking for now. If I ever snap at anyone, Sorry, I am in recovery at the moment. So how do I know what was real and was not?

Life throws curve balls at you :cool:

Every one is responsible for their own deeds. Even though she introduced you to seeking on your journey, it was you who was making an effort and even now it's you who want to continue hence I would recommend you to continue on your journey.

It's tough but not imposible when one loose their foundation of faith. As Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said, In-between light & darkness there is a grey area, meaning what is in light confirms the good and what is in darkness confirms evil hence what is left is uncertainity for which he advice leave it.
 
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BruceDLimber

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Hi! :)

Just because one group you looked into wasn't worth pursuing, this clearly doesn't mean that all others aren't!

As you investigate, you will doubtless find that some groups are more open and accepting than others, some may be more loving than others, and given that there's a whole spectrum of beliefs out there, some will probably match your own intuitions better than others!

Regardless, it's most important that you keep investigating the various religions--ideally, as wide a variety of them as possible--so that you can draw intelligent conclusions about which path is best for you and then choose that one!

So I wish you good hunting, and will remind you not only that various scriptures command us to investigate, but assure us that the sincere will be guided in their quests!

Best regards, :)

Bruce
 
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Eudaimonist

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Here's the problem. I had a freind I grew up with and use to go to for spritual advice. We use to be best freinds and she got me to open up to religon and leave atheism. Last summer she revield to me she was in a cult.

Whatever else you do, learn from this experience!

Her participation in a cult does not mean that God does not exist, of course. However, don't ever forget that well-meaning people can end up in cults, and make sure this doesn't happen to you.


eudaimonia,

Mark
 
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RedTulipMom

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The Truth isn't found in a religion, dear friend. The TRUTH is found in a person and his name is Jesus. You can't do enough WORKS to get you to heaven. You can't work your way there. Theres not a scale judging your deeds and you do enough GOOD and your transported to the heavenlies.

If you have never heard the TRUE GOSPEL...here it is..

God is HOLY. God is GOOD. God is JUST. Because he is JUST...justice WILL be served. With our sinful nature there is no way we can be perfect. We can't be in the prescence of a GOOD, perfect, HOLY God all stained with sin and bad intentions. God wants us all to spend eternity with him. God made a plan in the beginning. He knew that we couldnt keep all the laws and BE GOOD PEOPLE on our own. Have you ever read the 10 commandments? If you have then you KNOW that you have broken atleast one of them..you have stolen something, or lied, or coveted something at some time. If you break ONE law, you have broken them all and your a sinner. Jesus came to earth, he is the Son of God. He came here, lived as a human and he followed the law PERFECTLY. He didnt sin once. He never broke a commandment. Because he lived a perfect life he became a perfect sacrifice. Jesus died a horrible death for your sins and mine. He died a death he didnt deserve to die. HE took the punishment for YOUR sins and mine. Because God is Just, someone had to be punished...so he punished his own son for you and me. God loves YOU! Give your life to Jesus and follow him. Turn from your sins. Repent and follow Jesus. Are you sorry for your sins? Are you sorry enough to ask forgiveness? Ask God to show you the TRUTH and he will show you JESUS! Once you are born again and have the Holy Spirit living in you...God will look at you and see JESUS. you will be PERFECT in God's eyes. I promise you if you want the TRUTH..you will be given the TRUTH..and the TRUTH will set you free. Jesus and what he did for you and me..that is TRUTH. I am praying for you! God bless you.
 
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Secundulus

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So how do I know what was real and was not?
Study history. Study the writings of those closest to the event you are questioning. Everything you are listening to now is simply someone's interpretation of those primary sources.
 
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Druweid

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She might have exposed you to God and Christianity but you both got something totally different from it. You should search in your heart what is true for you. People have different ways of viewing God and have different experiences with Him. I would just hang on to your personal experience and let your friend hang on to hers.
Life throws curve balls at you :cool:

Every one is responsible for their own deeds. Even though she introduced you to seeking on your journey, it was you who was making an effort and even now it's you who want to continue hence I would recommend you to continue on your journey.
Just because one group you looked into wasn't worth pursuing, this clearly doesn't mean that all others aren't!
Whatever else you do, learn from this experience!

Her participation in a cult does not mean that God does not exist, of course. However, don't ever forget that well-meaning people can end up in cults, and make sure this doesn't happen to you.
Study history. Study the writings of those closest to the event you are questioning. Everything you are listening to now is simply someone's interpretation of those primary sources.
WoW! I can agree with everyone here! :clap: Reps all around! :D

-- Druweid
 
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Im_A

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I know I dont come as much as I use to but over the summer I got hit with something pertty big.


Here's the problem. I had a freind I grew up with and use to go to for spritual advice. We use to be best freinds and she got me to open up to religon and leave atheism. Last summer she revield to me she was in a cult. She was aprat of a radical fundamenlist group. Anti-sciences, fear, bigotry, ect. My problem is that she was the one to open me up to relgion and God in the frist place. Now I wonder how much of it was real or if I should keep exploring. For some reason though I dont want to give up. I dont know why but I want to keep going. I am just not sure what I am looking for now. If I ever snap at anyone, Sorry, I am in recovery at the moment. So how do I know what was real and was not?

i'm sorry to hear about your experiences.

i think you are the only one that can answer your own question. i mean sure i'm atheist, and me personally, i believe that every spiritual journey is a fantasy and none of it is real, but at the same time, no one can answer your own question. i think our perception of reality makes what we believe real and our desires of any sort, needs etc. strengthen that conviction of what is real or not. this is where certainity comes in. its been my goal now, to get rid of all desire to be teased if you will or more polietly, to think that my questions, my needs and my desires are found anywhere else but in the natural world, and so far i've been doing quite well with that goal of my life, and my conclusion is now as you see in my icon that i use here.

but even with all that said, none of that could probably ever convince you, because i would lay money after reading this post of mine, you will still question the same question you have in your OP.

my best advice is to analyze it and come to your conclusions, think for yourself about this. maybe some questions to start to ask yourself is, these were some questions i thought to myself that i just re-worded to better fit what the situation you explained in your OP, and then the reason why in my opinion, or the reason for me they were critically important questions to ask myself.

1. why did i open myself up to that belief?-this helped me to understand the real reason why i used to believe in what i believe.
2. why am i questioning it now?-i kind of believe that doubt and questioning is our accountability part of us. to deny it, is to not live honestly.
3. why do i want to not give up and what do i mean by "giving up?"-this one was big for me 4 years ago when my deconversion process started. when i could actually answer it, it lead me to the reasons why i didn't want to give up.
4. why am i in recovery stage?-this one here was one that i think i used for only a short while. it was the question to understand why i'm going through all these changes after a perception of life, reality that you longed and strived for failed/fell apart.

hope this helps you out man. :)
 
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nesian

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Just because she seems to have deviated away from your original impression of her, it's no good reason to stop exploring theism. I've learned a lot from people of different faiths or those with contradicting views.
Whether it was real or not, that's for you to decide.
To stop learning because the instigator of the adventure's thrown in the towel, would be tragically sad.
I think we can learn a lot from other people.
But at the end of the day, it's about you and God, not you and your best friend or for eg. youth leader.
 
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