Some say it is the will of God. Others deduce, God has given us the mind to think things through and apply wisdom in the course of events.

Imagine you being caught of in a situation beyond your believe : How do you come to terms with the Good, the bad and ugly without losing your sense of self or subconscious mind in tandem with your spirituality/faith ?

Interesting and defined opinions are welcomed.........

The Word of God is sure and guides us through the path that we should follow.Again the word of God says God will not put more on us than we could bear but will provide a way of escape.

You as a Christian is expected to be full of the Word of God and exercise your faith to build it so you can overcome whatever situation you face.If a situation overwhelms you,it's because your faith is small and requires you grow.

The word of God never changes and is the standard.Those who make excuses do so just to circumvent the word.

thorpido: The Word of God is sure and guides us through the path that we should follow.Again the word of God says God will not put more on us than we could bear but will provide a way of escape.

You as a Christian is expected to be full of the Word of God and exercise your faith to build it so you can overcome whatever situation you face.If a situation overwhelms you,it's because your faith is small and requires you grow.

The word of God never changes and is the standard.Those who make excuses do so just to circumvent the word.

Hmmm, quite meditative and of course, Faith cometh by hearing the word of God. However, how do we reconcile this FAITH with REALITY ....... as in, what Theological line do we tow in this regard that also aligns with our philosophy on life.... That I seek answer to.

For example : How do you explain to an individual who is grieving about the loss of a child/husband/wife/friend/classmate/colleague who was caught up in a bomb blast or chaos which could have been prevented by working toward an order or putting preventive measures in place : Do you just say, that is how God wants it ?

neutralwaya:

Hmmm, quite meditative and of course, Faith cometh by hearing the word of God. However, how do we reconcile this FAITH with REALITY ....... as in, what Theological line do we tow in this regard that also aligns with our philosophy on life.... That I seek answer to.

For example : How do you explain to an individual who is grieving about the loss of a child/husband/wife/friend/classmate/colleague who was caught up in a bomb blast or chaos which could have been prevented by working toward an order or putting preventive measures in place : Do you just say, that is how God wants it ?

Accidents do happen.The bible says,the thief cometh not but to steal,kill and to destroy,but I am come that they might have life and have it to the full(John 10:10).
What Christians need to do more is anticipate evil and ward off evil with prayers.The bible shows us that destruction is not God's will.

If you know anyone bereaved,you can condole with them.Let them know that it's not only in this life we have hope.The bible says we are of all men miserable if we do not have hope beyond this life.Let them know that they shall find comfort in God and God will give them the fortitude to bear it.

thorpido: Accidents do happen.The bible says,the thief cometh not but to steal,kill and to destroy,but I am come that they might have life and have it to the full(John 10:10).
What Christians need to do more is anticipate evil and ward off evil with prayers.The bible shows us that destruction is not God's will.

If you know anyone bereaved,you can condole with them.Let them know that it's not only in this life we have hope.The bible says we are of all men miserable if we do not have hope beyond this life.Let them know that they shall find comfort in God and God will give them the fortitude to bear it.

Reconciling the fact is what is central.

Well, I suppose Time and God's time will tell......

neutralwaya:

Reconciling the fact is what is central.

Well, I suppose Time and God's time will tell......

The two things are irreconcilable. Most Christians are atheists who were converted by their parents at a very young age. So don't expect any intelligible answer. Experience is the best teacher, other than direct revelation to your person. What you're trying to do is reconcile your experiences with empty dogma. Unless you've had some kind of direct revelation, I suggest that you let your experiences guide you for future references. Empty dogma will cause you to walk into the same experiences over and over, good or bad.

Weah96:

The two things are irreconcilable. Most Christians are atheists who were converted by their parents at a very young age. So don't expect any intelligible answer. Experience is the best teacher, other than direct revelation to your person. What you're trying to do is reconcile your experiences with empty dogma. Unless you've had some kind of direct revelation, I suggest that you let your experiences guide you for future references. Empty dogma will cause you to walk into the same experiences over and over, good or bad.

Now, this is a Classic Response .... You seem to grasp the philosophical and theological aspect of what I am trying to uproot.

Well, for me I don't think they are irreconcilable. This is what truly ushered in the Age of Enlightenment in the western world that led them to broaden their minds in all spheres of life including religion.

Have you ever wondered why the less religious society are the more peaceful ones. Despite the fact they align with a particular Doctrine; I won't necessarily use religion in this sense cause it is becoming more or less a social construct.

Now, where I am heading at is the capability to create a balance in this insane world. In agreement to what you highlighted, I had a direct revelation, not fundamentally as a born again christian but as one who was seeking the truth, a purpose and path to living a much better comprehensive life in the midst of chaos. After that experience, I am still seeking to imbibe it in my nature. I am not an atheist neither would I call myself a born again christian. But I just want to have a deeper understanding why eventuality happens in Both the Physical Time and God's time..... This is leading me to consider studying Theology/Philosophy through PHD level....Practically, Science and Technology with reasonable dose of spirituality can be able to balance things as well in the long run......

Knowing the path to affirm when it matters is what is at Stake here ----- Remember, Jesus Christ was crucified on a Stake....

I feel you bro, although I would study philosophy instead of theology. Philosophy covers some extensive theological studies, especially at that level. I have a masters in cell biology myself from Georgia State university, and I also read logic heavily at the undergraduate level. Both of my degrees are in biology. It was this combo which prompted me to experiment with visionary plants, after listening to and reading the works of another biologist, the late Terence Mckenna. The answers you seek requires a rewiring of the CNS, and the plants expedite the process by years. I learned more after eating 3 grams of psilocybin than the combined knowledge acquired during all of my previous years on earth. The universe is stranger than the ability of humans to comprehend, especially if our consciousness is arrested by the constraints of culture and society as it now. But philosophy will set you on the right path, and the revelations of quantum physics will help solidify your eventual conclusions either way. I'm more of a doubting Thomas myself, I'd rather experience something for myself rather than believe the words of people who have no idea what they're talking about.

Weah96: I feel you bro, although I would study philosophy instead of theology. Philosophy covers some extensive theological studies, especially at that level. I have a masters in cell biology myself from Georgia State university, and I also read logic heavily at the undergraduate level. Both of my degrees are in biology. It was this combo which prompted me to experiment with visionary plants, after listening to and reading the works of another biologist, the late Terence Mckenna. The answers you seek requires a rewiring of the CNS, and the plants expedite the process by years. I learned more after eating 3 grams of psilocybin than the combined knowledge acquired during all of my previous years on earth. The universe is stranger than the ability of humans to comprehend, especially if our consciousness is arrested by the constraints of culture and society as it now. But philosophy will set you on the right path, and the revelations of quantum physics will help solidify your eventual conclusions either way. I'm more of a doubting Thomas myself, I'd rather experience something for myself rather than believe the words of people who have no idea what they're talking about.

i agree with u.its only through experience that reality becomes truly librating.believing what u are yet to experience is always born out of fear and nt out of knowin thus its a dangerous tin 4 those seekin enligntment out of this many mysteries of life(but then the law is for everyonelse bt the truth is for us the gnostics eventhough the truth and the law are paradoxically the samething if u knw wat i mean). Bros av u tried iboga tree or the ayahusca psychadelics?hard to find down here in naija

neutralwaya: Some say it is the will of God. Others deduce, God has given us the mind to think things through and apply wisdom in the course of events.

Imagine you being caught of in a situation beyond your believe : How do you come to terms with the Good, the bad and ugly without losing your sense of self or subconscious mind in tandem with your spirituality/faith ?

Interesting and defined opinions are welcomed.........

from my angle spirituality and reality paradoxicaly mean the samething to me.to me spirituality means waking up to reality by accepting what is rather than fighting it cos one can never win really(well there is rili ntin like win or lose in the first place) and nt all those fairytales religions throw around.

Weah96: I feel you bro, although I would study philosophy instead of theology. Philosophy covers some extensive theological studies, especially at that level. I have a masters in cell biology myself from Georgia State university, and I also read logic heavily at the undergraduate level. Both of my degrees are in biology. It was this combo which prompted me to experiment with visionary plants, after listening to and reading the works of another biologist, the late Terence Mckenna. The answers you seek requires a rewiring of the CNS, and the plants expedite the process by years. I learned more after eating 3 grams of psilocybin than the combined knowledge acquired during all of my previous years on earth. The universe is stranger than the ability of humans to comprehend, especially if our consciousness is arrested by the constraints of culture and society as it now. But philosophy will set you on the right path, and the revelations of quantum physics will help solidify your eventual conclusions either way. I'm more of a doubting Thomas myself, I'd rather experience something for myself rather than believe the words of people who have no idea what they're talking about.

I see, though the two courses are paired together at this university. It seems your study of biology and also at the cell level must have influenced your approach to this thought huh . Yeah, the constraints of culture and society is very central to coming to terms with these facts. What does psilocybin do to the body or brain ? Dissecting my experience philosophically and having a good theological understanding of the revelations I saw will go along way. I think I will look more into quantum physics. As of now, a lot of things that happens around us is yet to make definite sense to me. Like making a lot of money, dating and so on, it doesn't irk me.

How do you define spirituality and reality, keep in mind that every man has his own reality. So your definition is from your level of consciousness.

beejaay: from my angle spirituality and reality paradoxicaly mean the samething to me.to me spirituality means waking up to reality by accepting what is rather than fighting it cos one can never win really(well there is rili ntin like win or lose in the first place) and nt all those fairytales religions throw around.

Well, if that works for you, fine. I see you are Agnostic. To quote the foremost American Psychologist William James who said 'what works is true'.

I used to think like this until I was faced with a reality and revelation that goes beyond this physical world we find ourselves. As I embraced my spiritual nature more, I overcame it. In fact, I am trending carefully on that part, cause if I were to immerse myself fully eeh, I could be highly spiritual but I prefer to be a Funky-monk .

beejaay: Bros av u tried iboga tree or the ayahusca psychadelics?hard to find down here in naija

Ayahuasca is illegal here in the states except for the Santo Daime churches which obtained a court order to drink the tea for religious reasons. I believe that they're perfectly legal in a lot of south American countries like Brazil and Venezuela. I wouldn't advise anyone to drink that tea under casual or recreational circumstances though. However, the active ingredient, DMT, can be isolated, and I've tried it once. I haven't tried Iboga although it's on my bucket list of things to do in Africa. I intend to go directly to the Bwiti professionals in Gabon, and cut out the petty dabblers and middle men. There are Ibogaine clinics popping up around Canada and Europe but I wouldn't advise that either, unless you have a dangerous addiction problem which requires immediate and desperate help.
What I do consume regularly is psilocybin or 'magic shrooms' as they call them down here.
They're widely available, but illegal as well.

neutralwaya:

Well, if that works for you, fine. I see you are Agnostic.

check my signature bro, i dont belong to any side am just an OBSERVER in this giant ball call earth

neutralwaya: To quote the foremost American Psychologist William James who said 'what works is true'.

i dont even know who is this james is talk more of reading any of his works

neutralwaya:
I used to think like this until I was faced with a reality and revelation that goes beyond this physical world we find ourselves. As I embraced my spiritual nature more, I overcame it. In fact, I am trending carefully on that part, cause if I were to immerse myself fully eeh, I could be highly spiritual but I prefer to be a Funky-monk .

u dont used to think like me bro, what u called ur revelation is what is called EXPERIENCE, the problems lies in making believe out of your little experience and call it reality...be free and flow with the tide of enlightenment and more experience will come your way which will alter what you called reality over and over again.the danger of believe is that it stop us from embracing our experiences and marveling at the wonders.. u should know i dont hold any believe rather am with knowing and knowing is not fixed rather its always in motion just like the universe is ever expanding..

the story of the madam evil explain this more "One day Mara, the Evil One, was travelling through the villages of India with his attendants. he saw a man doing walking meditation whose face was lit up on wonder. The man had just discovered something on the ground in front of him. Mara’s attendant asked what that was and Mara replied, “A piece of truth.”

“Doesn’t this bother you when someone finds a piece of truth, O Evil One?” his attendant asked. “No,” Mara replied. “Right after this, they usually make a belief out of it.”

Weah96:

Ayahuasca is illegal here in the states except for the Santo Daime churches which obtained a court order to drink the tea for religious reasons. I believe that they're perfectly legal in a lot of south American countries like Brazil and Venezuela. I wouldn't advise anyone to drink that tea under casual or recreational circumstances though. However, the active ingredient, DMT, can be isolated, and I've tried it once. I haven't tried Iboga although it's on my bucket list of things to do in Africa. I intend to go directly to the Bwiti professionals in Gabon, and cut out the petty dabblers and middle men. There are Ibogaine clinics popping up around Canada and Europe but I wouldn't advise that either, unless you have a dangerous addiction problem which requires immediate and desperate help.
What I do consume regularly is psilocybin or 'magic shrooms' as they call them down here.
They're widely available, but illegal as well.

thanks bro but am down here in our obodo naija and getting my hand on those stuff is kinda hard.. i also heard that iboga can be found in Cameroon also, is that also ture??
does cannabis also have an active DMT in its chemical composition though i have read it somewhere that it does but cant ascertain

neutralwaya:

What does psilocybin do to the body or brain ?

To the body, not very much. However, it does have profound effects on the brain, effects which vary with the amount you ingest. Most of the time, especially in low dosages, all you will see are geometric patterns in everything, even completely unrelated things like dirty dishes and a TV remote. The trick is to crank up the dosage as far as your comfort level (the Ld 50 for the chemical psilocybin is about 18 grams, which is about 2 pounds of mushrooms), so eating a mere 5 or 6 grams of mushrooms won't hurt. Eating 5 grams will cause you to experience parallel worlds or universes, probably the sames ones predicted by quantum physics. I say probably because I always reserve the possibility that these experiences are only hallucinations, even though they look and feel as real as the present reality, and apparently happen to everyone. You may interact with different entities without a need for oral language. They always SHOW you what they mean, rather than speaking. It's very very weird. It's almost like they've evolved a superior form of communication which is based on light rather than sound.

beejaay:
thanks bro but am down here in our obodo naija and getting my hand on those stuff is kinda hard.. i also heard that iboga can be found in Cameroon also, is that also ture??
does cannabis also have an active DMT in its chemical composition though i have read it somewhere that it does but cant ascertain

There's no DMT in weed although some of those edibles sold in the California dispensaries need to be investigated by someone. LOL. I ate one half of a chocolate chip cookie once ( retail $20) and it felt like I was having a psychedelic experience. I didn't come down for hours. I don't know about Cameroon, but given it's proximity to Gabon, I'm assuming that certain villages share similar traditions. The Bwiti have been using Iboga for thousands of years, so I figure they would know everything about the plant. Border villages usually share a lot of cultures, even languages, so I won't be surprised.

You cannot reconcile fairy tales with reality.