We are taught from an early age that if we want to make it in life, we have to work hard. That life involves pain and struggle, that we have to earn love and acceptance; and that, if we want to come out on top, we have to fight our way there. This is a false teaching of the world, in my view. Life doesn’t have to be a struggle. There’s a difference between struggle and effort. Struggle is effort laced with negative emotion or desperation. It’s a battle that we fight only with ourself. S...

I’m not sure if anyone is interested in this. But it might be good fodder for Biblical scholars. I’ve just been round my parents’ house, and I found a photocopied article on a table. I thought it was good stuff, so I typed some of it up. (My parents are fundies, so don't worry, it's traditional stuff.) The article seems to imply that personal interpretation of Scripture is actually endorsed by Scripture itself, and is consonant with Christian faith. Here are some snippets from it. "Doe...

I was going to post this on the personal relationships thread. But I think it would be off the radar for most people. It was written in 1910 by Joseph Benner, who, in my opinion, is an enlightened dude indeed. "Do not think for one moment that it was an accident or a mistake that you are wedded to the one who is now legally your husband or wife. For God never makes a mistake. There is a deep purpose in your coming into such special relationship with this other soul. The human mind knows not...

This one is great. Every line expresses the deepest of spiritual truth "The Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need, He lets me rest in fields of green grass, and leads me to quiet pools of fresh water. He gives me new strength, He guides me in the right paths, As He has promised. Even if I go through the deepest darkness, I will not be afraid, Lord, For you are with me. Your shepherd’s rod and staff protect me. You prepare a banquet for me, Where all my enemies can see me...

From the highest we choose experiences that we know can promote optimum positive faculties for the soul. It seems quite grim down here. But it’s actually very good. Even though we see earthquakes, cancer, death and friction, it’s all good stuff. It’s all part of the plan. Our eternal reality is so much more beautiful, wonderful and peaceful than this place. But whatever happens, there’s no such thing as accidents. God is a puppeteer, ultimately, and knows exactly what He’s doing. We may as wel...

I read the following in a book called ‘The Future of Love’ by Daphne Rose Kingma. I thought it was good stuff, and wanted to share it: "Evolution is a process of growth. Not just to make sure that we will survive, but to move us to higher and higher levels in every area of our existence. This means not just breaking through our physical limitations by flying to Mars, breaking Olympic records, or extending our life spans, but also emotional clearing and spiritual expansion. As we evolve, ...

I read the following in a book called ‘The Future of Love’ by Daphne Rose Kingma. I thought it was good stuff, and wanted to share it: "Evolution is a process of growth. Not just to make sure that we will survive, but to move us to higher and higher levels in every area of our existence. This means not just breaking through our physical limitations by flying to Mars, breaking Olympic records, or extending our life spans, but also emotional clearing and spiritual expansion. As we evolve, ...

Every soul is an angel in disguise. Why? Because everyone we encounter provides an opportunity to exercise love. "Love", in this context obviously isn't of the romantic kind. It's the stuff that makes a soul strong and wise. It's the stuff that makes us want to understand why another person might be hurt, or bitter, or misguided. A person who abuses another person, in whatever form and to whatever degree, is surely hurt, bitter or misguided. They are an angel with a broken wing, and they ...

Adam and Eve were created in Paradise. Everything was good, and pain and death didn't exist. God warned Adam and Eve that if they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would surely taste death, and would be banished from Paradise. Doesn't the underlying meaning of this story fall into place when we assume that Adam and Eve were created in Paradise-"Heaven"? After all, in order to taste the fruits of evil, they would surely have to be driven out of Paradise to ...