Grateful Dead

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well said and well spoken(typed)!!let you who are free of sin cast the first stone.... here take mine! one's personal belief in a higher authority is like a happy place in your mind, no one can force their happy place on you nor can anyone take that happy place from you! peace2all love4all, nobody

Very well said!********************************** Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone, you will still exist, but you have ceased to live. Samuel Clemens

peakin - I thought that this topic was a place to exchange thoughts on spiritual matters and to be open ended and not shut other people down when they speak their mind and hearts. I feel that going "yawn" to other people's spiritual matters is arrogant and not very compassionate and is closed minded. Which is why I for one have had trouble with Christianity over the years. The refusal by many (not all) Christians to respect the beliefs of others. I am not saying that there are not many amazing Christians, what I am saying is there is often a lack of tolerance that I really don't feel is very loving. I will say that many of the most amazing activists I have met in the peace movement are Christians so obviously there are many that are moved by the love they find within the religion and in Christ. Well I guess this may stir up the pot a bit. Peace and love and oneness with others including other forms of life is where it is at for me. I think there are many different paths on the spiritual journey. . If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite. William Blake

perhaps you all could tell me where and when and by whom these gnostic gospels were written. All I know is that before I became a friend of Jesus I had a lot of hate in my heart, now I have none.

Ever read the Gnostic Gospels, BobbaLee? Talking about discrepencies, Mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, etc. had a whole lot different story to tell than the guys did. Is really very interesting reading!!!!!!!!!********************************** Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone, you will still exist, but you have ceased to live. Samuel Clemens

At one time and for most of my life I was a christian and was active in a church. I went through periods where I would party and periods when I was straight. I loved Robert Schueller and the positive message his ministery preached. I began to study biblical history and archelogy. The discrepancies in the 4 gospels of the new testament began to bother me. I studied even more and as painful as it was at the time I decided to follow the truth ( or at least as I have studied and determined it to be) I still believe in God however not a Jesus the christ centered religion. It doesn't mean I don't believe Jesus never lived-(his name was Joshua though) he did.He said some things that were wonderful and said some things that weren't so wonderful. He was one of many messaniac figures in that region at the time of the Roman occupation. My dilemma is how am I supposed to live a belief system when I can't? I am not willing to throw away all of my possessions as Jesus asked his followers to. I think it is almost criminal to expect to live off the charity of others if I am able to provide for myself. I am not willing to forgive everyone who has wronged me. I may let go of the anger over an incident however if someone has committed a serious crime against myself or a loved one I want to see that person apprehended and punished according to the law. I look at what religions spend on the trappings of bureacracy and buildings and wonder if that is really Jesus or Moses or Muhammed really wanted. To me there are universal truths that belong to all human kind. All can be found in the writings of the different religions and other philosophies. I do know that sometimes when I am totally wrapped in a great GD Jam I feel really connected to humanity. Its odd I have never experienced that with any other type of music. And the road goes on forever.... BobbaLee

very nicely put.

Any church that would kick you out for smoking weed isn't a church to be in anyways. Those who judge and shun others are just decieving themselves. Keep the faith!

when the great wizard discovered Cid,he invited a pretty handful of priests to try it....i dont think it did harm them in any way because i have a book where these guys express their experience and none of these comments is negative:-)(-:Peace AND Love ,Frankly

I do believe in Jesus, and am very torn about the fact that most Christians would expel me from a church if they new that I smoked weed and like to take a walk with Cid once in a while. I have trouble finding churches that go by scripture and still smoke weed. There is now where in the Bible that does not say you cant smoke weed... well I hope to find that church that smokes and believes. lol heck i may go Rastafari.. JJ but do have much love for them.. peace and love.