But what is worship? Does it need to take place in a church, temple or synagogue? Is it in my prayer for healing or in my appreciation of my beloved? CASIEY QUOTE.
(I WHISH i new how to do quotes properly)

great question casey what is worship, for me it's anything and everything too or furthers a positive loving intent, attitude or action in the wolrd. Concisley or subconcislie done.
So i woship when i have the above when i feed or bath my child, help another young mother, hug a sad mate, walke in countrie park, make love, sit by the sea, find pebbles, when i recognise a positive feeling eg joy and just offer up to the devine spirite that moment of joy, and much more....

Woshipping is about who i am thse days my way of life and being in the world as well as the formal worship that goes on in churches chapels and the likes. In my prayers, my meditasions or healling prayers thanks goodness those actions or the act of worship is not just confined to a certine place or a certine way.

Thanks for opening this up for further expresion of all types of worship casey.

celtic

I don't know what pagan isum is like in the USA but heer it's having a god and godess as dietie figuers...The regognision of rythums of time or phases of moon and sessions, attension to the earth and the cycles of birth, life/maturasuin and death. Ritules that mark the seesions and the symbolisum of the seasions....The three fold law of return, what you do or give out comes back to you three times (be it good or bad). Whats wrong with a gentile respectfull way of worshipping like that........More or less thats it, no animal sacrifice or beastiality.....
I know that some of the woman heer on the forum are pagan, or spacifica strain of paganisum named wiccan. They are good sane sound woman...

Is paganisum a much diffrent type of religion or practice in the USA? could someone who know's answere this, or at lest someone not biased agenst it

celtic

I agree that worship isn't confined to the four walls of a church. I worship Christ every day in my car on the way to work, in deep thankfulness for what He has given to me, in the love and innocence I see reflected in the eyes of my grandchildren, in the beauty of the state I live in, the warmth of the sun and the sea air, the rhythm of the waves.

I know my Creator also made these things and that He loves me very much and cares about even the simplest things that concern me.

I know that my son in law left his wife and two little boys for paganism. He moved in with a girl he worked with and broke my daughter's heart and the hearts of his sons. I know he abused my oldest grandson when he was an infant and now he has learning disabilities and it breaks my heart to hear him say, "Grammy, I don't talk right and the other kids make fun of me." I know he used to sniff my youngest daughters underwear and masturbate while married to my daughter.

I know my husband who passed away was married to a Wiccan and he told me about her leaving her two daughters alone each day, all day while she chased after her coven sisters. I know she tried to lead the kindest man I've ever known into the occult trying to tell him he and she had been together in another life and he had tried to kill her and they needed to relive that time and get it right this time. I know she hated me because I loved him so much that together we discovered real happiness and faith in Christ.

That's the only experience I have with Wiccanism and its enough for me.

sound like some preety nastie people NL...
did you report the son-in-law?....

Strange that he did the type of stuff that their form of spirituality is agenst.

pittie you had such bad example/experinces or reprisentitives of this type of spirituality....

still they all can't be the same....you get good and bad in all types of religions and it's not necassarilie the religions fault or teachings

celtic

Yes, Celtic, I reported him to the doctors at the Marine Corps hospital where they took my grandson. He was almost dishonorably discharged from the Marine's.

The second time I saw my grandson, he was only three months old. My son in law had refused to let my daughter breastfeed him saying she was getting sexual pleasure out of it and my precious little grandson had a huge soft watery knot on his head. "Fluid buildup", yeah, whatever. I reported him to the Marines as soon as they got back home and tried not to let any of my family members know it was me who had reported him.

Hes a huge jerk! I will always report anything I see like that in any circumstance where the innocent are involved, especially MY innocents.

The Wiccan exwife was an artist. She has subsequently gained about 100 lbs. and is under a doctor's care for depression.

I agree with Celtic that there are good in bad in every religion. It has less to do with religion in my opinion, than with people.

Here in Santa Cruz, CA, there's actually a listing for Pagan churches in the yellow pages of the telephone book -- which I've never seen anywhere else I've lived. I have good pagen friends and recently celebrated a ceremony with them that was a combination house-warming and some festival beginning with an S. (My memory is NOT what it used to be! LOL). It was warm and loving. It was also very different from anything I'd ever been to. A tad out of my comfort zone -- therefore a good experience for me.

I spent about three years living on a Native American reservation. I became very aware of their beliefs and ceremonies. Some of their viewpoints crept into my bones. There's is a much more polytheistic religion, with gods of storms and mountains and such, although there is a divine head -- the Great Spirit.

To me all ways of worship and religion are fascinating. It's people's attempt to make sense out of their lives, the world around them and the events they don't understand. (Like why someone would abuse a small child.)

(Celtic, hit reply and not quick reply and you will see QUOTE in a box at the bottom. When you click that, there will be two words with QUOTE in them. Put your quote between them.)

Casey, I agree that its not the religion that makes or defines the person but it sure does serve as a huge neon light pointing to what they are willing to invest their lives, time and energy in.

Its not hard to understand that it would be hard to turn away from the belief system we were raised with and other belief systems are fascinating, I agree. As I've stated before, my grandma was mostly Blackfoot and Southern Baptist.

But, for myself, I have such a responsibility to know the truth and the truth isn't relative. Its black and white. There's no such thing as your truth or her truth or his truth or my truth. There is an ultimate truth and no matter how good the counterfeit religions look and no matter how sweet the participants are and how "normal" their activities seem to be or how much sense they seem to make, if their God isn't God the Father and Jesus Christ in the flesh and the Holy Spirit, then they're hitting all around the mark but missing it. I believe the Bible states "narrow is the road and not many people choose to travel it..." Its certainly not that God doesn't want them with Him. He isn't willing that anyone should perish, but that all should have everlasting life with Him.

Its people. A person's stiff necked rejection of the truth. How does that saying go, "If I can't impress them with brilliance, I'll baffle them with bulls***." Meaning, the truth and the way are sooooo simple and so easy that people think they have to DO something spectacular to merit it so the counterfeits baffle with bs to appeal to the insecure ones who think there's no way they could merit something so wonderful without earning it.

The Gospel seems too simple. Why don't we have to earn it or beat ourselves or our drums, or hop around three times or say ninety mantra's or put our kids in the trunks of trees or whatever...Its a FREE gift. Nothing you or I can do to earn it or deserve it. The gift was paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ. We don't have to go around and around and around in the universe coming back as cats or dogs or gnats, we are and were in the mind and heart of God from the very beginning of time. "It is destined a man once to die and then the judgement." not to die over and over again until he gets it right.

Anyway, that's what I believe and I really don't want to offend anyone. You guys are very special and dear. The Bible refers to the latter days of the earth when people would worship the creation rather than the Creator.

I mean, how would you feel if your husband loved and worshipped his clean shorts or his apple pie rather than being thankful for you because you made those things possible for him?

While reciting this in church on Sunday, I thought of htis forum and decided to share:

I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of Heaven and Earth; and in Jesus His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Often we recite prayers without grasping their meaning. I've been reciting this since before I knew what the heck I was saying. Now I embrace it with all my heart and soul.

They perish because they refused to love the truth. (2 Thessalonians 2:10)

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. [Colossians 2:8]

Question: Can there be only one truth?
We hear the term "my truth", when in an argument, stemming from the "takes" of one or the other. So, the answer could be "yes." But, as for a universal truth, I think there can only be one. That doesn't that what each of us has learned in regards to the one truth is the truth. There is so much to be learned recarding the truth, but the truth is so simple.

I believe unless you search for the truth with good search tools and a truth focused mental attitude, you won't be able to discern truth from "feel good." It's not hard to be drawn into a "self" centered philosopical place and end up in fairy tale land, (to use another's term). We have to be careful not to adopt spiritual imitations of the real truth. Remember the "Burger King - have it your way" and "cafeteria style" references - can't do that when it comes to the truth.

How do we come to the truth?
"If you hold to my teaching.... Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." [John 8:31-32]

Aren't we lucky that we are given choice -> a powerful (potentially self-condemning) gift.

Question : What do you think about God knowing who will choose and who will not?

In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will... (Ephesians 1:11)

I also wholehartedly belive in a truth, a universal truth....that their is but one god (by whatever name you address the dietie by)Just one god....

their are also a multitude of pathways to that god....their are as many pathways are their are good deeds and spirituale people and actions and spiritual based texts....thats what redeems the truth or puts flesh on the bones of the truth and turnes it into spiritual action...

Quotes from the bible detail but one pathway to the truth, the bible is your text book and your guide...to THAT spiritual truth it clames to be the only true religion. It sincerly is to the followers and belivers. It is not going to say "well follow my way or alternitivly a few other religions is just as good" becouse it wants to hold it's follower bound in loyalty to that religion. It's necassary for the religions survival, for any religions survival

However the Jewish religion will have their own sacred text and passages claming that that religion is the true religion and the only true religion. The jewish people belive this with all their hart and as much ferver and fire as any christion.
The Muslum religion will have it's own sacred texts and passages claming they have the truth and their way is the only true religion and so on. THIS is one point thats common to all religions they all claim to be the ONLY way.

what is a spiritual imitasion of the real truth? Gymster. How can it be an imitasion if it is based in loving sound spiritual ideologies. Is that not the same as the main teachings of the bible?.....so were is the imitasion? In the bible or in the basic spiritual values held by any religion?

I agree with you about the ease of being drawen into a "self" centered philosopical place wearby the "feel good" overtakes the truth...living a spiritual life at times is not easy when it goes agenst indivduel will to be brough into line with devine will......Thats something that all people from all religions have to gard agenst and have to work towards manifesting in every day life. It's not easie to live in a violent materlistick world that at times is ruled bu hate fear the need for one up manship....but to live a spiritual life then one has to turn away from theas things as often as one can....even when it is hard and even when it's not in your earthly intrest to do so.

That last question i am having a bit of trouble intrpriting it, more likly my reading >>>>Question : What do you think about God knowing who will choose and who will not?

i answere it both ways i interprited it. I don't think people get to chose anything over and above the pathway the chose to walk in all sincerity and hart felt belife, not just ease of the pathway.....

Or will god chose who enteres for want of a better word heven, YES it's the devine that choses that...In my life it absolves me of any responcibilite or need to personaly force, convert, or intice anyone else into my religiouse belifes......AS it remains the indivduels choice in how they act and the devine dose the judging therfore i don't have to and more importantly have no right to deem one religion more important or valed than another, as its god that dose the chosing and deciding.

NEWLEAF some of what your saying the diversity of religous belifes heralds the end of the world accourding to your sacred book 9if i am interpriting rightly). If thats a proficy and proficies are deemed to be the truth then relax as their is nuthing that can be done to stop a proficy from happening. It's devine will that it happen or that it will happen.

Good question to descuss versions of the truth.....their may be more pople reading than answereing for whatever reason hopfullie they will get involved

celtic