This story has CHANGED MY LIFE ... it may change yours as well.

You know, ever since I was a little boy, Ive always honed this mindset.
To be honest, I remember the exact day I began thinking this way, even though it was close to two decades ago.
I was watching the original Freaky Friday, and I kinda zoned out and wondered what it would be like to be someone else. Then I remember that thought transitioning into "What if everyone around me, is me? Just living a different life."
Even at the age of 4, I remember this being a profound feeling.

But then again, I was a strangeee little boy.

Very wise and articulate for 17 yrs old.

Originally posted by Q:1984A:1776
reply to post by gatorboi117

 

Thanks for the post OP S&F! That story made me laugh several times, made me ponder several possibilities and reinforced many ideas I've had already.

I just have to wonder how you can still call yourself a devout Christian, believing the Bible in its entirety, and consider such things...???...

Certainly, such a beautiful ideal as proposed in that story is in blatant contradiction of MANY parts of your holy book.

Here's a couple of examples:
Isaiah 13:9,15-18 contains this message from God: "Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger. . . . Every one that is found shall be thrust through. . . . Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes . . . and their wives ravished. Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them. . . . [T]hey shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eyes will not spare children." (So this is what is supposed to happen to the enemies of God huh? I guess I had better start following God's commandments, like: )

In Numbers chapter 31, the Lord approves of these instructions that Moses gave to the Israelite soldiers about how to treat certain women and children captured in war: "Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves." (So God approves of pedophilia?)

Or how about Deuteronomy 22:28: If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, 29 he shall pay the girl's father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the girl, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives. (So God forces the poor girl who was raped to see her attacker every day for the rest of her life, cook his meals, clean his home, fulfill her "wifely duties" and bear his children??? Wow! all you have to do if you want to have a house-slave is rape one and pay her dad a month's wages?)

I don't mean to bash you OP, obviously you are beginning to seek other forms of spiritual guidance and I applaud you for that. I am just hoping that you (and others like you with open minds) will eventually abandon entirely this twisted religion that has molded the minds of the masses for far too long. It truly will be impossible for this world to know peace until the violent and hateful Judeo/Christian/Islamic sects lose their strangle-hold on the hearts and minds of the people.

edit on 7-10-2010 by Q:1984A:1776 because: (no reason given)

Although this goes against what I wrote in the OP by not wanting to debate Chritianity, you strike me as a pleasant fellow, especially the way that you worded your reply respectfully. So, I'll bite.

What you quoted are excerpts from a part of the Bible known as the Old Testament. As a Christian, I respect the Old Testament, but don't follow it. I follow the New Testament, which is the gospel of Jesus Christ and the story of the early Christian church, when it still operated the way it was meant to. Jesus Christ, to Christians, is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. So, by following Him, I no longer have to follow any of the Old Testament. All that he told me to do was "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." - Matthew 7:12.

As for how I can consider such things and still be a devout Christian? It's not that I believe them, it just makes me think of things in a different light. It reminds me to "get in someone else's shoes".

Thanks again for adding to the discussion!

Originally posted by etcorngods
Very wise and articulate for 17 yrs old.

Thank-you for the compliment! To me it is just a natural way to present your ideas in a manner that is easily understood.

Originally posted by cheddartoes
You know, ever since I was a little boy, Ive always honed this mindset.
To be honest, I remember the exact day I began thinking this way, even though it was close to two decades ago.
I was watching the original Freaky Friday, and I kinda zoned out and wondered what it would be like to be someone else. Then I remember that thought transitioning into "What if everyone around me, is me? Just living a different life."
Even at the age of 4, I remember this being a profound feeling.

But then again, I was a strangeee little boy.

Now THAT is something special. How do you think that impact your childhood in comparison to others? I'll bet that was mind-boggling for a toddler!

Originally posted by Puresilence
Do you think that this whole 2012 business with a mass awakening or paradigm shift is related to more and more people waking up to the same realizations that this story presents? Do you imagine what the world would be like if we all realized that we are one and we stopped fighting and killing each other (ourselves)? I can't help but wonder if more and more people waking up to this oneness is what the whole idea of the "2012 paradigm shift" is all about. Or maybe 2012 is the set date that God (us) wakes up from its long excursion into the idea of duality and returns to being one, or nothing but pure empty space. Big bang of dualty returning to the one force that is it's true form...

I'm really not sure I buy into the "2012" stuff. Now, before I get flamed for this, I can honestly say I haven't done much more research than just scratch the surface. It seems that for every "expert" saying that nothing out of the ordinary will happen on that date, I find another "expert" saying the contrary. All I know is:
*The Mayans knew about Astronomy.
*So do we.
*They made a calendar.
*So did we.
*Their calendar ends soon.
*Ours does not.
*Their calendar is cyclical.
*Ours is linear.
*They all died.
*We did not.

I suppose I should research these ideas a tad more. Thanks for giving me something ELSE to devote my time to!

I READ THE THREAD AND I LOVE THE MESSAGE! I did not see that anyone explained on the slot experiment or Dr Emoto. In the slot experiment a single photon was shot thru a slot, it emerged as a wave and/or as a particle depending on how the observer expected it to emerge. Dr Emoto found that when people projected their thoughts onto water it became beautiful and symmetrical if they had good thoughts and ugly and ill formed if they had bad thoughts.

Originally posted by summerbreeze.ddp
I READ THE THREAD AND I LOVE THE MESSAGE! I did not see that anyone explained on the slot experiment or Dr Emoto. In the slot experiment a single photon was shot thru a slot, it emerged as a wave and/or as a particle depending on how the observer expected it to emerge. Dr Emoto found that when people projected their thoughts onto water it became beautiful and symmetrical if they had good thoughts and ugly and ill formed if they had bad thoughts.

Wow! That sounds like an experiment I should have heard more about by now! Do you have any links to this? Personal thoughts?

Interesting.

It's often occurred to me that people accept life as it is because it changes to rapidly and in such a convoluted way that it's literally impossible to predict / capitalise on trends. Every day, I hear on the radio / news horrific incidents that are probably just within my mindset to imagine. Does this mean then, that every single day, horrors such as I hear about are created by my ultimate subconscious imagination?

The absolute, clear and undeniable HATE I feel for certain members of my species are of my own creation? Am I exploring certain elements of myself, erroneous and extreme boundaries? If this is so, then I despise the entity that put me here. I have felt such sadness, such repulsive hatred, such anger, such frustration that I have literally been sick from it. But, in contrast I have also felt the equal extremes of love, awe and respect. I understand how certain emotions can't exist with its counterpart i.e. love can't exist without hate, peace can't exist without angst... but why do I feel so tired of feeling like this?

Taking this story in hand, I have to come to a single conclusion. Many of us are nearing the end of this journey. My imagination is so strong, I can imagine (vividly) various ways of dying. This must then mean, my soul has remembered ALL of these traumatic experiences. I can't remember specific details as such, but I can IMAGINE them. As can various authors, and pretty much everyone I have spoken to. I do not deny that our souls have been through such things, is this really what existence is? Are we to suffer for centuries, with less than equal amounts of happiness? I know for a FACT that I have experienced more sadness, than I have experience happiness.

If there is a god, of whatever kind - even if it is myself staring back. He's getting a great big bloody smack in the eye... after all... it's what I'd expect ME to do.

reply to post by gatorboi117


I had somewhat the same realisation a while ago, and one must be careful with it. I say this because it's so easy to empathise with people who are hurting, people who are down, people who are in a negative place. You have to realise that you CAN empathise with happy people as well - not false happiness, thats easy to see through once you become aware - but actual happiness. Otherwise, it's bound to be depressing (mayhap not for you, due to your faith, but certainly for me).

That said, in the words of Kanye - Welcome to the good life

Originally posted by earthdude
That is a God I can relate to. I especially like the part about being reincarnated backwards in time. I have always thought that Karma works backward in time also. Acts you do today will be paid back in the past. I spend so much time trying to convince evangelicals and other fanatics that we all worship the same God. Maybe this can sway some of those haters.

Yeah, I was waiting for it...for somebody to start directing hatred against "evangelicals."

Originally posted by Q:1984A:1776
reply to post by gatorboi117

 

Thanks for the post OP S&F! That story made me laugh several times, made me ponder several possibilities and reinforced many ideas I've had already.

I just have to wonder how you can still call yourself a devout Christian, believing the Bible in its entirety, and consider such things...???...

Certainly, such a beautiful ideal as proposed in that story is in blatant contradiction of MANY parts of your holy book.

Here's a couple of examples:
Isaiah 13:9,15-18 contains this message from God: "Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger. . . . Every one that is found shall be thrust through. . . . Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes . . . and their wives ravished. Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them. . . . [T]hey shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eyes will not spare children." (So this is what is supposed to happen to the enemies of God huh? I guess I had better start following God's commandments, like: )

In Numbers chapter 31, the Lord approves of these instructions that Moses gave to the Israelite soldiers about how to treat certain women and children captured in war: "Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves." (So God approves of pedophilia?)

Or how about Deuteronomy 22:28: If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, 29 he shall pay the girl's father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the girl, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives. (So God forces the poor girl who was raped to see her attacker every day for the rest of her life, cook his meals, clean his home, fulfill her "wifely duties" and bear his children??? Wow! all you have to do if you want to have a house-slave is rape one and pay her dad a month's wages?)

I don't mean to bash you OP, obviously you are beginning to seek other forms of spiritual guidance and I applaud you for that. I am just hoping that you (and others like you with open minds) will eventually abandon entirely this twisted religion that has molded the minds of the masses for far too long. It truly will be impossible for this world to know peace until the violent and hateful Judeo/Christian/Islamic sects lose their strangle-hold on the hearts and minds of the people.

edit on 7-10-2010 by Q:1984A:1776 because: (no reason given)

Q, you truly make me sick. I hope I never meet anybody like you.

reply to post by gatorboi117


Interesting outlook on life. However, in the words of Nick Cave, people just ain't no good...sometimes. We all judge, however much we claim otherwise. It is good to empathize with others, but make sure you don't get used. It happens all too often and only the Mickey Mouse University of Life can teach you that.

reply to post by summerbreeze.ddp


I think it was also that there were multiple slots for the photon to travel through and they discovered
that the photon would travel through a single slot when observed but when not observed it would go through both. Not sure how you "don't observe" something and still know where it went.

reply to post by gatorboi117

Hi, gatorboi117.

At your age, you MUST see the DVDs linked to, in the first line
of my signature !
( Second line is nice too! ) B-)

It stoped persons to suicide.
It made others come back to be thin.
It made others stop smoking. . .

See the 3 DVDs, and you will see that you "create your own reality"
MUCH more than you think. . . and your future depends on it.

And about mind/spirit & matter, think about the "random generators",
or about the "placebo effect" ! !
These are some proofs that we control things with our thoughts !

Blue skies.

www.youtube.com...
www.youtube.com...

Couple of links to Dr Emoto

Originally posted by Terric
Interesting.

I know for a FACT that I have experienced more sadness, than I have experience happiness.

If there is a god, of whatever kind - even if it is myself staring back. He's getting a great big bloody smack in the eye... after all... it's what I'd expect ME to do.

I think a lot of us can relate to your experiences. I also have known a lot of people that are downright mean and cruel and my first instinct is to hate them as well. However, I think you will find that most of those people are that way because of their circumstances. I mean who knows what they have been through to make them see the world through such a selfish narrow viewpoint. That doesn't excuse their actions of course. I hope that you have better experiences in the future and try to find the good in every situation.

reply to post by Puresilence


Brilliant outlook. I understand nurture is far more prevalent than nature, the first decade of your life is certainly the most significant. It's when habits form, understandings become realised, and perspectives are established. Your entire life is defined by your perspective primarily, and secondary the way things actually are. If you are naturally optimistic, then your entire world seems better than someone's who is naturally pessimistic.

Agreed, this doesn't excuse anyone as digging yourself out of that "hole" is part of the learning and growing experience. If you succeed, it certainly makes you a better and stronger person... but how do you do that unless it is initiated by someone, something or some event? Everything needs a spark, and these days we all see fewer and fewer of those in our lives. EVERYONE is waiting for THAT spark... and it takes a very rare person to ignite anyone's life.

Only the very young are appreciating life for what it's worth, and a lot of those are so misguided and lacking of good examples that we're so lost. Our "effective" age is beginning to reduce dramatically. We're far less productive now than ever and our race's quality is slowly declining. This has nothing to do with genes however, but everything to do with poor management and OLD people ruling everything. Perhaps when the old habits are gone, our race will flourish into something great again.

Who knows, but the 70+ year old I see driving the Jaguars / Mercedes, holding the most prestigious jobs and highest authority now is certainly NOT the best person to be there. How can you possibly care about the future of the nation when you've abandoned your children to a society you've helped create, but can no longer understand and you're 90% out of the door and into the next venture / eternal darkness?

Great and thought provoking. here is something else in the sort asme sort of idea called talking with God
www.fullmoon.nu...

reply to post by gatorboi117



EU friggan REEKA! I am legally blind and I am thankful for this because it has always let me step back and observe the lonely girl sitting at a table, or the clerk at the store who has such a hard day and life or even the jerk that drives the local city bus. I love these people for who they are and what they've been. I have always felt what they felt. Earth can get along so much better with our type of mind set. All my family and girlfriend get mad and rued with people sooooo much and it really makes me mad because that person has feelings to and other than their appearance or voice we have no idea who that person really is and we really need to find out and understand. THANK YOU FR THIS POST SF.

PS

I currently have 2 kids and I am raising them to be exactly this. ENLIGHTENMENT I love it.

!

Originally posted by gatorboi117

Although this goes against what I wrote in the OP by not wanting to debate Chritianity, you strike me as a pleasant fellow, especially the way that you worded your reply respectfully. So, I'll bite.

What you quoted are excerpts from a part of the Bible known as the Old Testament. As a Christian, I respect the Old Testament, but don't follow it. I follow the New Testament, which is the gospel of Jesus Christ and the story of the early Christian church, when it still operated the way it was meant to. Jesus Christ, to Christians, is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. So, by following Him, I no longer have to follow any of the Old Testament. All that he told me to do was "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." - Matthew 7:12.

As for how I can consider such things and still be a devout Christian? It's not that I believe them, it just makes me think of things in a different light. It reminds me to "get in someone else's shoes".

Thanks again for adding to the discussion!

Thank you as well for being civil in return when I did kinda go against your wishes about debating Christianity. If you will forgive me once more, I must respond to your "old testament defense" as is so often given by Christians when quoted the previous verses.
While Jesus was an awesome guy (whether fictional or historical) and said a lot of excellent things, there was a GREAT deal of hatred and prejudice and violence in the new testament as well. For the sake of brevity, I will only give one example, spoken by Jesus of Nazareth himself, not one of his apostles:
Matthew 10: 34-36
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword.
For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one's enemies will be those of his household."

Just as the god of the old testament contradicted his own laws of "thou shalt not kill" by commanding his servants to slaughter infants in front of their mothers, his son follows in his footsteps by contradicting the golden rule with the above statement and his promises of what most refer to as "Armageddon" and the ensuing punishment of eternal torture for anybody who simply doesn't believe in his message of "love".
While the message conveyed in your OP was one of peace, love and understanding, one has to overlook almost everything written in the bible (old and NT) to find the same.
I once again invite you to use that (obviously gifted) mind of yours and reconsider giving your support to a religion that continues to fuel misery and division throughout the world.
I only write these things because you and many people who would find this post attractive have the right frame of mind to deny ignorance and join with the rest of us trying to build a better world. Here. Now. Not in some vague afterlife.