This is a three-part series written by Neale Donald Walsch. Supposedly, Walsch was feeling down and out one day and started to write a letter to God. He wrote down his frustrations and questions. To his surprise, his hand seemingly began to move on its own as he realized that God was writing back.
He then goes on to write three books filled with these conversations and dialogs with God, many of which challenge traditional Christian thinking. I'm not 100% into what these books say, but they have caused me to think deeply and reflect heavily about my own beliefs.
For example, the God in the book claims that there is no good or evil, that our will is God's will (but the reverse is not necessarily true), that there is no hell, and so on. To fully understand these statements, you'd have to read the books for the explanation. They're too long to go into detail here. Maybe I'll discuss them one by one in future blogs, but for now, that will have to suffice.
Truth to tell, had I read this book just a mere five years ago, I would be so vehement about it and would probably dismiss it as pure heresy. However, I have come to a point in my life where religion has left me so disillusioned that I have resolved to seek out the truth, no matter where it led me.
Many Christians might look at this and say that I have fallen away, lost my faith, and have began to "backslide." All I have to say on this is: how can you claim that I have lost my faith? In fact, my faith has grown stronger and my relationship with God has grown deeper. How else could I have the inner security to throw all the beliefs I have grown up with to the wind and begin anew? How else would I have the courage to chart my own course and still believe that I will find God in the end?
I believe that God will reveal himself to those that honestly and earnestly seek him. I am not saying my Christian faith is no good. It has helped me a lot. I have been deeply involved in it. I have invested a lot of time studying it (in fact, I almost went into seminary and the circumstances which prevented me from doing so were quite extraordinary that I consider it to be divine intervention, if you can swallow that).
Christianity has brought me to a place where I have a certain understanding of God. For that, I am grateful. But it has also failed to answer many other questions that resonate in my soul.
To that end, I seek my answers elsewhere. And I have enough faith to believe that God will still be with me there.
For how can he leave when he is in me?
Corinthian posted on Mar 21, 2007
| views: 551
Comments
-
beyondtheveil said on Mar 21, 2007....
corinthian- I don't see you as someone who has fallen away, but someone who is readjusting. Asking deeper questions and seeking deeper truth and wisdom.Your spirituality will carry you through. God forsakes no one. -
silverwhisper said on Mar 22, 2007....
corinthian, i think that when you stop asking such questions is when your faith will diminish.
i'd be curious to know more about your views of god, to be honest.
ed -
secretlife said on Mar 22, 2007....
corinthian- that first Conversations book touched me very deeply as well. It opened my eyes to a different way of thinking about God. -
curmudgeon said on Mar 22, 2007....
corinthian,For me, a critical part of one's faith journey is asking the deep questions, and seeing things from different perspectives, even those that might be considered heretical.I imagine that this is what Jesus was doing when he went off into the wilderness, leaving family, friends and temple behind before beginning His ministry. One can only imagine what all of His loved ones thought about Him when He left.So explore. God is with you, till the end of the age. -
Corinthian said on Mar 22, 2007....
Thanks...actually, I've been exploring for around 3 years now.
Ed: Don't worry, you'll hear more from me :-)
-
silverwhisper said on Mar 22, 2007....
i'm looking forward to that, sir.
ed -
VICARIOUS said on Mar 22, 2007....
I studied the BIble quite intensively a few years back, lived it, and tried to find some harmony. Doesn't happen. As long as we are alive we will wrestle with the Bible and God. I think the problem lies with years ago when people were taught that you had to attend church regularly.They didn't want to go. No one does. It's boring. But if you want o believe in all the God stuff you need to do it with your mind, not your body.YOu can't not sin. So stop trying to be squeaky clean. Just be you, curious and fun.If God really intends on slughtering all of those that live in the dark then he is the problem, not the teachings. If His ego is so big that he really expects us to obey unconditionally then he is fool. Probably a pissed off fool.People are victims of this world and strive to keep from eating a friggen bullet let alone walk in the "light". I think we take this whole God thing way too seriously. Didn't he say leave all the worrying to me? I adopt that creed.If he has a problem with me and doesn't want to let me in his home as we are lead to believe, then I probably would be bored there anyway.I'm not going to spend my life fearing the wrath of an egotistical maniac.He knows I believe, after that all bets are off. -
husbandhater said on Mar 22, 2007....
God is truth! -
boyzmom said on Mar 22, 2007....
I applaud you for looking deeper and getting out of your comfort zone to find truth and God. I am not ready to do that now but someday I will do that also. I hold on to my beliefs and I am happy doing just what I am doing now. -
mom said on Mar 22, 2007....
I think it is always important to study things pertaining to God, it is through those times we gain greater knowledge. None of us are mindless animals, so it is within reason to look in different areas for answers. Maybe the things you haven't learned yet or the answers you seek hasn't come yet because you aren't ready to hear them. God teaches line upon line, precept upon precept. As you search for your answers they will come.It used to bother me when I would pray and ask God for something and my prayers weren't answered in a way that I wanted. I used to think that he hadn't answered my prayers but in fact he did. Sometimes when we don't get what we ask for it is because he has said, "No". -
FaithfulDisciple said on Mar 22, 2007....
I believe that God will reveal himself to those that honestly and earnestly seek him
You are so right about this Corinthian. God doesn't forsake those who seek him out with a sincere and honest heart. I pray that in the end, wherever your search leads you, you will find a greater understanding of the goodness of God which will be revealed in His Divine Plan as was meant for you. -
Corinthian said on Mar 22, 2007....
vicarious: I've stopped attending church regularly for a few years now. I pop in every once in a while and see that I haven't really missed much. God (in Walsch's book) says, "You know what I really want? Do you want to know what God really wants? Here it is: nothing." God doesn't want us to do anything, for what can we do for him that will really affect him in some cosmic way? What can we do that will offend an infinite, all-loving, all-understanding God? And yes, God is fun and even humorous. Who do you think invented the sense of humor?
husbandhater: Ah, but what is truth?
boyzmom: Blessings to you when you are ready to do that. Each person has his/her own timing :-)
mom: What you said about not being ready to hear rings true. As I've said, I've been diligently studying the Bible practically since I was a teen. But just a few years back, I was surprised to see new and fresh meaning in verses that I had gone over many, many times.
FaithfulDisciple: Thanks. Blessings to you too.
-
mom said on Mar 23, 2007....
One of the most powerful scriptures in the bible is "Be still and know that I am God". To me that says so much in just a few words. I know you will find your answers. -
Corinthian said on Mar 23, 2007....
mom:
You know, I used to have a T-shirt back in college. It had a nice nature backdrop with an orange and purplish pink sky. That exact verse was written below the picture.
I was also wearing that shirt when I got stabbed by some would-be thieves while walking home from my ex-girlfriend's (now my wife) house. I gave one a whack on the head. Fortunately they ran away before I could sustain more damage. The wound wasn't that serious but they kept me 3 days in the hospital to observe if I had internal injuries.
That day also happened to be my mother's birthday. :-D
-
VICARIOUS said on Mar 23, 2007....
I couldn't help but break into the Spice Girls song when reading your comment to me:I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want ...I'm not a tyrant when it comes to talking about God, I merely wanted to speak my mind openly, rather than fear His retribution. He knows me well enough to know I still love Him. Lol. -
Zeal_for_life said on Mar 27, 2007....
If you are looking for answers, you might find them here.
My questions were answerd when I found this. I to am from a christian background, I believe there is a higher power but I needed something more, and I found it. I always thought that there must be more to the world than what I was been told... and there is.
Z
-
Corinthian said on Mar 29, 2007....
Z: Sorry but I didn't find it enlightening...in fact, I found the site too pretentious. -
Zeal_for_life said on Mar 29, 2007....
Sute you self, to many people do because it is very diffrent and its a message that is not easy for most people to take the time to actualy think about, or they just don't want to, but I do know the ONE who is leading this mind battle... a war for freedom, he is a very close and trusting friend that I have known for quite some time.
He is not like anyone else I have ever met, and he is true to his heart and soul, he spends every hour of his life fighting (to his death) for the one thing this world needs, "True Peace". He NEVER sees himself as above anyone else, never will accept money for the truth, and is so... compassionate.
I do need to refrase what I wrote and I am very sorry (I was very tired at the time), that site was not the one I found, I forgot to change it after I changed the web address. The site I found on a deliberate search is this:
If people actualy spent some time reading and thinking about it all... the changes that can be made, the number of people who might get somthing out of this, the people who need to know its ok to be who they are.
Yes, the world is not ready for this... but there is no time.
Was the world ready for Jesus?...
Think about it... please.
Z
-
Corinthian said on Mar 29, 2007....
Z: It just looks like this guy watched The Matrix too many times...not that I don't like the film, I do, and I believe there are a lot of insights that can be gleaned from it. But then again, the concept is not really that original...
-
Zeal_for_life said on Mar 30, 2007....
Believe what you will blindly, but I feel you are jumping to conclusions before you even know him "that can't be true, he is just a fictional character". That is WHY it is so hard, if he was anyone else, it would be so much easyer... but he is who he said he is, and he can't change that.
You tell me why he keeps going after over 5 years of flamers, people saying he should be killed because of what he believes and his health going to hell... would'ent you think he would have given up, if it were not true. Can you give him writen documents by scientists proveing he is not who he said he is. Can anyone do the same thing for God... I think not.
He has has phycological tests done many years ago, to make sure he was not going around the bend, and the tests showed nothing.
I could keep going on... but that wont help anything.
But as always its up to you what you do, thats the good thing about free will.
Z
-
mom said on Mar 30, 2007....
Well that was really bizarre, sorry Zeal I have to go with Corinthian. This was too Sci-fi for me to believe. But if you are happy with it, great.
-
Zeal_for_life said on Mar 30, 2007....
Mom: Did this rock your little world view of REALITY! the things that don't "fit", how far down the rabit hole did you actualy go, or were you to afraid. Because if it is true you have to re-work everything you have been told is wrong, right or can't happen.
How many things were Sci-fi but no longer are... maybe you had take a better look at what is in front of you and around you in this world! Think about it.
Just because someone tells you that something can not happen or be true because someone else tells them, and it keeps cycleing. Does it really mean its false! do they have proof? do you have proof?
Again, think about it.
-
mom said on Mar 30, 2007....
I will give it some thought. -
Zeal_for_life said on Mar 30, 2007....
If you have a listen to the archrives of his radio station Radio Zero-One (you can fast forward the music if you don't like it) you might see what I mean. The message is more important then the vessle.
I recomend the monday 19th March show, but they are all really good.
Here is the link
www.truthofthespoon.net/radio01archive.html
Z
Comment on "Conversations with God"
Related Posts:
truthsayer
posted 6 days ago
| views: 225
|
Not to be mistaken for the Flaky Cafe'!!!Mysticism:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mysticism
Mysticism (my trusty Webster's New World dictionary):
The doctrine or beliefs of mystics; specif., t... read entire post
Me-Myself&I
posted 3 days ago
| views: 55
|
It is harder to share pain than it is joy. Sometime with the help of friends and family, we endure our pains. But sometimes we have to stand alone. But if you maintain a postive outlook and endure cheerfully, we will find more company along the way.... read entire post
uniquely-ironic
posted 6 days ago
| views: 281
|
I am a published photographer!!!! yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!... read entire post
cuppajava
posted 5 days ago
| views: 96
|
its back for more surgery I go......with a pick axe here and a hatchet there........ read entire post
CreativeWoman
posted 4 days ago
| views: 127
|
Could it be?No ...
Wait ....
Not sure ...
Wait ....
Definitely yes ...... read entire post