My own personal religious evolution

[Hap]

Started off as an agnostic when I was a kid and young adult, then dabbled a bit with TM, enjoyed the whole meditation part, not the monetary outlay part, then played the Christian game for awhile. I have finally come to the realization that, for me, I really don't care. I'll live my life the best way I know how, do my best not to hurt others, help who I can, and cherish my family and friends (few they may be). After that, whatever happens, happens. It's nothing I have any control over whatsoever, and wasting my time trying to avoid someone else's definition of sin, trying to believe in some kind of savior/god/deity is rather foolish. Can I consider myself enlightened or evolved now? I'd kinda like to be done with it.

[geonuc]

Started off as an agnostic when I was a kid and young adult, then dabbled a bit with TM, enjoyed the whole meditation part, not the monetary outlay part, then played the Christian game for awhile. I have finally come to the realization that, for me, I really don't care. I'll live my life the best way I know how, do my best not to hurt others, help who I can, and cherish my family and friends (few they may be). After that, whatever happens, happens. It's nothing I have any control over whatsoever, and wasting my time trying to avoid someone else's definition of sin, trying to believe in some kind of savior/god/deity is rather foolish. Can I consider myself enlightened or evolved now? I'd kinda like to be done with it.

Except for the TM and Christian part, that's about how I go about life. I explored Wicca for a while. Although I subscribe to most Wiccan values (an ye harm none, do as ye will, for example), I had too much trouble with the metaphysics. Great group of people, though.

As to your question, no, you can't consider yourself enlightened. Life is a journey of continuing enlightenment. You never stop learning who you are.

[code monkey]

i think that you're pretty darned evolved.

when asked to explain torah while standing on 1 foot, hillel replied, 'that which is hateful to you do not do to your neighbor. the rest is commentary.' what more can one want from another?

[Rommie]

I find religion to be an interesting thing because when I was a teenager these questions mattered dammit- I did a several year correspondence with a kid from my astronomy camp who was a Southern Baptist on all sorts of religious topics for example- but when I got older I got "set in my ways" like many others here have. What will happen will happen and I personally don't see myself as ever getting religious once I realized people's ideas were far too limiting in how I've learned to see the universe (if that makes sense). And I think most people mellow out about religion in their 20s as well, though I wonder if part of it has to do with the fact that you tend to be surrounded more and more by people who think like you.

I also think the latter bit- people thinking like you- goes hand in hand with the US that when you get older people don't want to talk about religion as much because they don't want to offend. I've noticed in Europe people don't have such hold-ups and whenever a religious person shows up on the scene they get peppered with questions and debates- in fact the fact that I know a few Mormons in the flesh means I get peppered with questions too!

The one spiritual thing I really hope I can come to terms with is death- just typing out here that I will die someday fills me with a terror inside that I can't begin to get around.

[Swift]

The one spiritual thing I really hope I can come to terms with is death- just typing out here that I will die someday fills me with a terror inside that I can't begin to get around.

Yes

[pumpkinpi]

The one spiritual thing I really hope I can come to terms with is death- just typing out here that I will die someday fills me with a terror inside that I can't begin to get around.

Yes

that to me gets to the heart of just about every religion. The idea of not existing is so terrifying that we invented a way to continue our life beyond death.

[Rebis]

I'm happy on the Pagan path.

[gethen]

The one spiritual thing I really hope I can come to terms with is death- just typing out here that I will die someday fills me with a terror inside that I can't begin to get around.

Yes

that to me gets to the heart of just about every religion. The idea of not existing is so terrifying that we invented a way to continue our life beyond death.

I try to remember this bit of wisdom when the idea of death gets scary:
"I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it." Mark Twain

[Swift]

The one spiritual thing I really hope I can come to terms with is death- just typing out here that I will die someday fills me with a terror inside that I can't begin to get around.

Yes

that to me gets to the heart of just about every religion. The idea of not existing is so terrifying that we invented a way to continue our life beyond death.

I try to remember this bit of wisdom when the idea of death gets scary:
"I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it." Mark Twain

I don't know, I missed out on all kinds of good stuff.

[Rommie]

Mark Twain's always good.

I also don't remember who said it, but once read something on the lines of "death is the price we pay to enjoy the wonders of life." For some reason that has given me more calmness about the topic than anything else I've ever read.

[FZR1KG]

I was very religious when I was younger.
My mother forced me to go to church every Sunday and even tried Catholic school.
While the parents were in the church, I'd be outside walking along the river smoking cigarettes that I bought with money I was meant to put in the beggar box they passed around...though I knew that the beggar was the priest and the church even then, driving around in their new Mercedes and molesting kids.