(09-29-2012, 12:16 PM)Shatanka Писал(а): Yesterday some users were talking on chat about religion/life's philosophy so that inspired me to posting this thread. As we're social community, maybe someone of us would like to share his opinion about that. Do you belive in God or any higher power? What is the philosophy of life that you support?

I'm sorry for very late reply (), but this topic is too interesting for me, so I'd like to share some of my thoughts.

My way to cope with my spirituality is very long. I'm from the middle Europe, so I was guided toward "unquestioned Christianity".
I gradually rejected this religion, because there were no answers in it, only a clause "You have to believe." That happened at the of 13.

Then I made a wide research and found a Buddhism (Mahajána). Quite great, I learned a lot from this philosophy, but I found it "inconvenient" for the inhabitant of central Europe - at the age of 16.

Then I have some problems with willpower and tendency of some authorities to push me somewhere I didn't want to go, so I began listening to death and black metal - and it is a short way to be familiarized with Satanism.

La Vey's Satanic bible is very interesting book, it has very egocentric point of view, I was really influented by it back then. After some experience, I realised that there could be more power, but it is always a something-for-something. Power for soul, in this case (one is ostensibly more powerful with deactivation of his empathy and feelings). And I refuse this business - too disadvantageous.

So at my 18, I began to search for my own strength, with my body, soul and mind. Pagan metal led me to shamanism/animism. It worked quite good for some time, but then came extraordinarily difficult relationship problems, which no animism could solve.

Then I began to ramble and look for something suitable. I read many books, experimented and learned about most of world religions, but nothing I found out was "good enough", not only in religion.
So I have to admit that there is no suitable for-me-known higher principle.

So I created my own systems (at the age of 21). It was some sort of "pudding-stone" at the begining, having something from each religion that I liked. This concept was changed and improved many times during time, according to my new ideas, knowledge and life experience.

At the age of 22, I learned about theory of Unity (The Sun is the 3rd generation star, so all the matter in the Solar system was the ONE star of 2nd generation, so we all, everybody and everything, are "star brothers".

Great finding, but then I began to learn molecular biology, chemistry, psychology, nutraceutics and get familiar with human fundamentals - I simply learned "how to human"

At the age of 23, I refuse any idea of God as a personality or being. I refuse any "romantic", idealistic or other similar conceptions, there is no "other" worlds before birth nor after death. Only ontogenesis and DMT in near death experience. This "scientificly radical" theory was great in diminishing of my fear, but not as effective in saturating of my spirituality.

After another deep search, I had some discussions with other "rational spiritual searchers" and I had to admit, that there is a God - not as a being, but as a principle - It is purposeful and infinite.
Now, I take the World as it is, with all of its rules: It is cruel, calculating, competing and brutally imperfect (Fuck creationists ), there is a lot of pain, sadness and loss.
BUT - With accepting this as a true reality, new options became available: I, as a human and Human, can CHANGE these patterns. I can fight the chaos and disorder with my influence, I can fight the pain and loss with my endurance, I can also calculate and invest my sources and time to some great project or effort, to make the World a better place not only for my descendants.
Yeah, life is a one big repetitive calculating - and I'm glad that I'm able to do it.

(And I'm really interested, how will my thoughts evolve in time.)

[Thank to those, who have enough patience to read it whole. If you'd like to discuss or ask me, send me a message or write it here.][/color]