Author
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Topic: apparitions - and all things religious
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neptune5 Knowflake Posts: 2009 From: Registered: Jul 2006
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posted February 17, 2008 09:37 AM
maybe this questions makes me sound like i'm a scientoligist, but i'm not. I'm sure you all know about religious apparitions and how people are practically obsessed with them, but on a grander scale, what do these apparitions mean or how does it aid the survival of mankind and how we understand each other (intentionality - the structure that gives meaning to experience), how does it get us closer to developing and using our intentionality and thus, saving ourselves from ourselves?how does religion do that for us?
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Beka Knowflake Posts: 27 From: Netherlands Registered: Feb 2008
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posted February 17, 2008 10:35 AM
Personally I do not believe in religion, because it makes us think in squares; we have to live by the rules of one religion. I think religious people don't consider mankind as an unity, so they fall back on duality, ignoring the fact that we are all connected.Thats my point of view IP: Logged |
neptune5 Knowflake Posts: 2009 From: Registered: Jul 2006
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posted February 17, 2008 12:37 PM
exactly, quote: so they fall back on duality,
everything exists in polarity, and there are a ton of different understandings about who we are that religion keeps in the dark. I believe in God, but not religion. thanks again for the input. IP: Logged |
Kat Knowflake Posts: 935 From: Cleveland, Ohio Registered: Jan 2003
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posted February 17, 2008 01:31 PM
Lets put the religious question aside and look at "apparitions" that certain people that are considered religious experience and what it means or can imply.Say a group of Catholics see the Virgin Mary. What meaning is given to this experience depends upon the mental filter or perception that they hold. Their beliefs, experiences, intellect, etc. will filter their experience and what they tell others will be directly effected by this. Say you are a "New Ager" and see an unbelievable aura around a group of people. The same applies. Essentially what I'm saying is that "apparitions" mean absolutely nothing. They get their meaning from the person experiencing it.. Ipersonally believe change comes from how we change our perceptions in how we relate to one another and ourselves. If you shift your perceptions and loving relationships result, a miracle has occured. These are the type of miracles that grow and expand towards unnifying people. I personally this this is more "meaningful" than seeing Jesus in the bark of a tree.
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augentier Knowflake Posts: 366 From: KS Registered: Nov 2007
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posted February 17, 2008 01:34 PM
I agree with Beka on that ^ I think religious apparitions are a figment of someone's imagination. Or part of the bizarre world seen through psychedelic experience. However I do believe there are images and "archetypes" (Jung's theory) that show up throughout history , throughout spiritual experiences, that are really THERE (on another plane, dimension, whatever).
What they mean, I'm not sure..they probably have no meaning, we individually give them meaning because our reality is subjective. They stand as a base for human thought and belief..perhaps that is their only purpose, and we make what we will out of it. ------------------ Capricorn sun / Scorpio rising / Sagittarius moon Mercury:: Sagittarius Venus::Scorpio Mars::Pisces IP: Logged |
Beka Knowflake Posts: 27 From: Netherlands Registered: Feb 2008
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posted February 17, 2008 02:09 PM
''If you shift your perceptions and loving relationships result, a miracle has occured. These are the type of miracles that grow and expand towards unnifying people. I personally this this is more "meaningful" than seeing Jesus in the bark of a tree.''Yeah I agree with you It is just what Jesus said, Seek the kingdom first in thyself. If we can truly look in ourselves...then we can change ourselves(perception) in order to be involved in something bigger. To bad some catholics and christians don't understand this IP: Logged |
neptune5 Knowflake Posts: 2009 From: Registered: Jul 2006
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posted February 17, 2008 03:26 PM
thanks everyone for replying, you all have such good insights.IP: Logged |
neptune5 Knowflake Posts: 2009 From: Registered: Jul 2006
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posted February 17, 2008 04:07 PM
quote: Essentially what I'm saying is that "apparitions" mean absolutely nothing.
i agree with you Kat, and this is part of the reason why i started this thread. Its ridiculous to me that the church, religious institutions, and many lay people set aside days and even weeks to honor, adore, and glorify these religious icons although these icons do nothing in aiding humanity in our material survival in this nuclear age we live in, nor do those icons who appear to these people know what its like to live in a time where man can extinguish himself through nuclear activity. So to me, worshiping these religious figures is completely irrelevant in the context of our physical and spiritual needs today. When I say spiritual, i mean we need to feel enlightened by realizing our full potential, not by feeling subservient or look up to, some religious icon (refering to the saints and Mary) who was only human. IP: Logged |