So have you learnt anything yet UnityBrad?

One thing I'd like you to think about UnityBrad is your concept of "the power if prayer", If god is all-knowing, and Has A Plan, why do you think you could change his mind by praying? So you're actually saying "hey god, I think you've made a mistake here, could you change it? After all, I'm praying." So prayer cannot have ANY power at all (not even a little) if god is omnipotent. Don't make any sense, right UnityBrad?

Why did you join this group? The real reason.

Okay you have me summed up here. I am an ex atheist, then kinda agnostic, then somehow spiritualist because of my interest in Biblical history...or was that the way things were meant to happen?. I have no answers.

Thing is, this post sums me up very well. I would agree that Christians would maybe find this path difficult to achieve because they are too rigidly tied the teachings of the Church. They cannot accept an alternative( subversive) version of what Jesus was teaching. Which is no different to other historic spiritual teachers by the way. But is eye opening non the less.

If you're here to learn, which I doubt, I suggest you go to the website God is Imaginary.

My question here is, "What did Jesus teach?" We don't know. We have four gospels which have been filtered through Paul, who turned Jesus into a the Hellenistic deity: Christ. The closest we'll ever get to what Jesus taught is James, the little brother of Jesus... still those books have been written and rewritten and then made up and written down again. However, Matthew's Sermon on the Mount (aka Jesus' Manifesto) has to be one of the greatest documents ever written.

That being said, I pray all the time. Who do I pray to? I haven't a clue. Probably me, or that part of me that that has access to resources that the "me" isn't aware of.

It's truth that matters. It's that search, and that willingness to challenge our beliefs... that's what gives us the ability to see beyond the superficial...

PS: This is a happy post... welcome to the group.

Typical christian hypocrisy. To say you believe we have "a higher potential to reach the conscientiousness level that Jesus taught" is proselytizing draped in psychobabble. Then you tell us your not hear to proselytize Jesus F____ing Christ. ..

I don't feel that people who believe in talking snakes and donkeys, whales swallowing folks then spitting them out alive on the beach can raise my conscience level at all.

If your really here to learn take my advise. It's imposible to learn and talk at the same time. So be quiet, listen and learn.

I just looked up the Spiral Dynamics that you mentioned in a reply. I think you lost a lot of folks by using the words "consciousness levels" because that sounds like pseudo-scientific woo. The Spiral Dynamics is actually rather similar to Maslow's hierarchy of needs or, more closely, Lawrence Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development. These are tools to discuss the development of individual morals and ethics.

I think you're right that a lot of Christians are in the blue section of the spiral or Kohlberg's "law and order" category. This is a description of people whose worldview is very black and white; there is a strictly "right" or "wrong" position, and they are not good with nuance. They are also rather authoritarian. Authoritarianism is kinda what god-belief is all about. So I understand your idea about nonbelievers having the potential to be higher on the chart (although I wouldn't say "higher consciousness" )

Now that we're a bit closer to being on the same page, tell me what Jesus taught that was nuanced or non-authoritarian. I don't have that understanding of his teachings.

I don't know why everyone is arguing. I think whatever this guy is selling is awesome and I'm a God!!! Haha! I knew it!
(I'm sure that is not what he meant but I'm running with it! Also someone looked up the church and referred to it a a cult?? I'm totally down. But just if I'm the god and I DO NOT WANT TO BE SACRIFICED FOR ANY OF YOU)

Welcome to the friendliest and most open minded place on Earth!

why do you think people with these labels can reach this level of consciousness?

whew read all the posts and welcome to the group

I don't believe in a personal or impersonal god....didn't say there is not god...I just have never seen any sign of one or any higher than human existence that deliberately controls or has any interest in this universe or any of the multiverses. If there is a god - so many questions - why does god make it so hard for people to know about it - why does this god allow such horrible things in this world or are we just toys/pets to use, watch and destroy - what is it that this god wants of us - if we can't really be in touch with this god what is our purpose , etc.
So many questions but no answers, no one who can answer.
So if there is a god - who cares. It isn't concerned with me.
no, I just don't believe in an imaginary thing such as this. God is a word made to describe what we don't understand.

Once a reasonable person sees the truth of god and religion, it is like seeing the light, the ultimate setting the mind free of all the hate, fear persecution, of and by religious groups. you do the "right thing" with others, because it is the "right thing" and feels right, not because of fear of a god, or laying up points to get into an imaginary heaven, with a bronze aged idea of a fairy god daddy in the sky. If you read all your religious Texts be it Bible or Quo-ran or any other, in its context from cover to cover, and make notes of all the nasty bits you have trouble living with today. you are likely to end up an Atheist or realise "God" is a maniac or you may realise you have a mental disorder. However the chances of staying a faithful believer is the least likely outcome. Please try it and let me know. All of it. Ancient and modern. Enjoy seeing the truth.

Welcome. I too was in seminary once a long time ago. I hope that we can be of help to you as you develop new ideas.

If as much time and energy had been expended over the millennia in space exploration as has been expended on religion and controlling people with religion, by now we would be conversing and trading with aliens light years away.

I find discussions about morality somewhat irrelevant. there is morality and immorality and all of us are some of both. what difference does it make where it came from? is some morality more valid than another? do something with it, right or wrong, because it's nothing as an idea.

welcome., glad you're here.

Are we the data points for a research project? Are you going to be quoting people within the body of a thesis? 'Cause that's the only reason I can think of to try to persuade non-believers that you are learning about the god (that is not a god, just an idea, right) that leads to higher consciousness. I'd talk to Buddhists about that kind of concept, myself.