Religion Vs. Faith

[aneaglesangel]

I'm having a hard time understanding things. How is it religious people can tell me the mind of God? It's always been a bit hard for me to understand religion, but maybe I had a strange upbringing. I remember as a child how I would stare at the Jesus figure upon the cross in my grandmother's church. It was one of those really gory ones. He stood, life-sized, nailed to the cross, his eyes full of pain, blood flowing from around the crown of thorns and his other wounds. I used to think to myself, how could they watch him die like that? I'd think to myself, that I would save Jesus if I were there. If I couldn't break him free, at least I could end the suffering with an arrow through his heart. That Jesus statue gave me many nightmares when I was small. It bothered me that much. How could anyone be so cruel as to nail him up like that? How could they be so cruel and let him suffer? Why had no one thought to shoot him through the heart? I was sure they had arrows in those days. So I guess I never got my family's religion. I only saw Jesus and his suffering and inside I hurt for him.

Really I don't know much of religion. I listen to others as they share their views with me, and so far the most open minded religious person I've ever known in my life is my partner in my investigation team, Gabby. She knows the bible inside and out, better than I ever could, for I only know some of the stories from Sunday school. I have never once heard her say, "that's impossible, God doesn't allow that." I've found her not only a source of information on many religions, but refreshing to listen to. I've learned much from her and her outlook. To me, she has more faith than many who call themselves religious. She is a very dedicated Catholic and I honor her for her dedication. I know Mother Mary smiles down upon her!

People try to tell me what is God's will and I can not accept it. Am I a fool? I do not think so. I just can not think that anyone can tell what God thinks, what God knows, or what God allows. I also do not believe that when we read the bible we are reading the word of God. Not anymore. Maybe at one time, before it was re-written, and re-written again by the hand of man, it was the word of God. But how do we know anymore? Many kings who thought they were better than God had their hand in changing the wording of the bible. It is not original anymore. How can you tell me that God doesn't allow a spirit to remain behind? Didn't God give humans free will? Don't we have a choice of what we do? Whether we believe in Him or not is our choice. Whether we go home to him or not is our choice. That's just my opinion, maybe I'm wrong, but I think free will goes on after death. How many ghosts are running around on this planet? They had a choice. They stayed behind. Maybe it was unfinished business. Maybe it was confusion. Maybe they don't realize they're dead. There's many reasons why, but I believe these spirits made a choice. Free will.

So I admit, my early images of Jesus gave me a bad idea of religion. As I grew to be a woman I began to have my own ideas of God. I began to think that maybe our being made in His image wasn't necessarily the physical body part of us. Maybe it is our soul that resembles God. We won't really know until we meet him, will we? I began to have faith that there was something higher than us, but it wasn't exactly a man floating around in space. It was something more, something we couldn't understand. For years paranormal activity had been happening around me,precognitive dreams haunted my sleep. Now people tell me that psychic skills are a sin and not allowed in the bible. Others tell me that demons give these visions to trick us. I try to be open minded but this makes no sense. Why would demons want to warn me of impending danger? To give me a head's up so that the events wouldn't be so shocking? Some of the visions I saw were mundane things that meant nothing. Others were more important. The death of my grandmother, my father, my first love. Yes, it was shocking to see these visions come true. But how much more shocking if they had just occurred with no prior warnings? Demons gave me these visions? No, I can't buy that! I think skills such as some humans exhibit are God given skills. I don't think gifts are given by demons. Nothing good comes of demons, it is not their nature. And I only call them demons in this context because I'm talking religion. I call them negative inhuman entities, for I do not know what they are as of yet. I only know they are negative. No human would have these skills if they were not given us by the big guy upstairs, the good one, God. How can anyone think that something that could bring good to mankind could come of something evil??

Now I have no problem against religion. Some good friends I have are religious. I have my views, they have their views and we coexist in peace and harmony. I try to be open minded, I try to accept other religions, and I have a belief that all religions that look to the light are worshipping the same thing really anyways. But here on Earth, we are only humans, how can any of us claim to know God's will? Now I'm in the middle of a tough case. I need help. I've worked with a couple of empaths and psychics on this case. They have all told me the same thing. At the moment, I am under attack, severe attack. It all started with a girl from Kentucky, she died in the early 1990's and no one knows how she really died. The family is still agonizing over this. Everyone I have asked to "read" this case psychically has told me the same thing. The girl has unfinished business. She wants her killers identified, whether or not they are brought to justice, or so I believe. Her family's love and hurt over this help to hold her here. As long as she is stuck between the planes, a battle for her soul goes on. Somehow she found me. I've been defending her ever since. When her soul is set free, by identifying her killers and helping her family to come to terms with this, I will also be free. Now my intuition has been telling me this from the first time I woke up and found bite marks on my arm from a battle with something from that plane. This has been going on for two years now. How can anyone tell me this is not the truth? That God doesn't allow this? I for one, don't know what God allows. I don't even try to guess. I only think that the girl's free will allowed this to happen. What I need is some help to free this girl, not to be told what she can and can't do.

I have faith that this will work out in the end. I don't believe that the bad guys win every time. I do believe God has a plan, but that we have to work it out on our own. I look for answers through science. What did God give me? A brain, thoughts, ideas, the imagination and the wonder I carry in my heart for the workings of the universe. It was God who set me on this path. After I banished the creature that plagued me for 22 years, I was free. Or so I thought. But no, I wasn't. You see, ghosts still followed me. Ghosts still wanted to talk. Ghosts still called my name. Moved objects. Appeared for me and others to see. Touched me. Stroked my hair when I cried. Finally I told God that I understood. This was my place. That for some reason He wanted me to work in the paranormal field. So I accepted it. I told God I would do what He wanted me to do. For why would they come if it wasn't meant to be? Why are some people more attractive to ghosts if God didn't mean it to be that way? What the demons did it??

Then I think about this. I believe that the reason I have skills, the reason I'm so attractive to ghosts is because I am birth defected. My spinal bones are fused, they play on my nerves, causing my chakras to be blown wide open, especially the purple one. So, I was born like this. Seems odd to me. Also seems like it was meant to be. Was it God who made me to be what I am? Or was it demons? So far I'd have to say I'll bet my money on God. Now I'm not even sure why I'm writing this other than I'm a bit upset that a person can't get help when she needs it. Here on Earth, we're all humans. We're all in the same boat. Unless we've got some severe psychic skills we can't know the mind of God. What we can do is take what we are given and do the best we can. I'm just a tiny creature that God made the way I am. Ever since I was a child, I've had these "skills" that I have no control over, entities that follow me from place to place. Ghosts that seem to be attached to me, ghosts that want to communicate. Is this my fault? Did I ask for this? Most times I'm asleep when dream contact occurs with a spirit. I don't give permission, it just happens. Did God make it happen? I don't know. I have no idea. All I know is God gave me a mind. Man gave me science. God gave me this whole world to explore and learn from. I'm trying to learn, but keep hitting a brick wall. It's the people I hit a brick wall with. They tell me they know the mind of God. They tell me this can't happen. They tell me this girl can't be stuck between the planes. They tell me God doesn't allow that. Well, so far one person has told me this, but it was enough to make a bit disappointed. I want help. Not only for myself, but this spirit who is lost between the worlds. Who came to me for help. Who I desperately want to help.

So can we come back to faith, and forget religion? Can we remember we are all just people and we don't have all the answers? That we don't know the mind of God? Can we come back down to what we set out to do and forget all of our preconceived notions? I try to remain open minded in all of this. I can't claim to know how this happens, or how it is possible. I only know it is happening to me and that I trust the psychics I've worked with in this case. Yes, a deliverance would be great, I'm sure after all I've been through with this girl's spirit that it would be great protection for me, but it won't solve the problem. I need to be hypnotized, I need to remember what this girl showed me when she was showing me her death. For try as I might, I can't remember in my physical body what she showed me. I need to tell the family who killed her. Hopefully that will be enough to set this girl's soul free. I have faith in that. Would God leave me here with no way out? Or would he leave me the clues and leave me to find my own way out? I don't know, I can't say as I know the mind of God. But I know one thing I can't believe. That is this, that demons showed me the last moments of this girl's life. Why would they do that? They don't want me to solve this and set the girl's soul free. And if you're going to use a spirit to trick me or "play" me, why not use someone I know and trust? There's enough loved ones who have passed on to use a face, why not my father, my mother, Leo, for that matter? It makes no sense to me.

So, is there someone out there who can help me? Hypnotize me? Help me remember what I saw that night when I relived the last moments of this girl's life? Without telling me this is impossible, that God doesn't allow this? I have faith that God won't give me more than I can handle, but I do know I need help on this one. I am not religious, I do have faith. I try very hard to be a good person. I work with science and I try to find answers. If God hadn't wanted me to do this, he wouldn't have made me this way. He wouldn't have allowed this spirit to contact me. None of this would have happened. So, if you can help me, please contact me, I'd appreciate it. Contrary to the way this sounds, I am not against religion, I accept other religions and embrace them for what I can learn from them. What I can't accept is someone telling me they know God's mind. I have no explanation for any of this. I can only plod along, work with my doctor, record evidence and hope for the best. Maybe someday we'll know all the answers, maybe we won't. But either way, I think humans were meant to learn in this manner, or well, we wouldn't be here, would we?

I really don't mean any disrespect to any religion. I do embrace other religions, for we have much to learn from each other. I think I'm only upset with close minded people who try to tell me what God will or won't do. How do they know?? I sure as heck don't!

[aneaglesangel]

Bless the Unitarians!! I went there today looking for the protection of the church. I stood up in front of them, barely able to contain myself, I was so afraid to speak up of my problem in front of everyone. I told them my problem and I asked for them to pray for April's soul to cross over and for protection for myself from evil. Do you know every single person in the church touched me in a way? They came and introduced themselves, asked me to tell them more, offered me their prayers, some even offered the help of friends who they thought might be able to offer psychic help.


Unitarian where all religions become one. I so love the thought and feeling of it. I feel safe in its protection at the moment and listening to the sermon today I learned things I didn't know and about the history of my city I didn't know. I learned of a man I never heard of. I wonder if it was a coincidence that the theme of the sermon was freedom......

[andergraph]

I’m so sorry your feeling this way and I may not offer the best advice in this because it is out of my realm and can only speak for me. Please do not take any of this the wrong way and like you it is not meant to offend.

Let me start by summing up the entire message first I hear I am not religious but I believe. First we need to establish what Faith is – “your personal relationship with god.” That is faith and it’s yours and yours alone to share completely or to ignore. You either have a relationship or you don’t. First question I would ask is – What is your relationship with God? (Faith). Do you put your faith in others to talk to God and help you or do you look in inner solace and truly try to listen to god? I read you looking for someone to help but by your text you have skimmed over the one who you want to help the most.

I have my own quirky ideas and ideals on my relationship and while I am religious I feel you should run from anyone who states that they are, run and run fast because in my view they don’t get it. You should be able to see it on a person and just know. Never saying anything about my past, feelings or religion I have had co-workers apologies for cursing in front of me. It did not bother me except the GD word but I was truly shocked to learn this.

The bible is not contrary to popular beliefs an historical reference.

Does it hold truth- yes, is it accurate in a historical way? – for the most part yes, we can see that from Archeology.

Are the stories there to relate how you should live? –yes.

Is everything you read there a fact? No, there are too many items that can be scratched of reading from one chapter to the next and the contradictions there are many.

Do I have the answers to the universe –no. I do have a intimate relationship with my lord, I believe without a doubt that he is there for me and I for him. I hate going to church for the same facts you brought up in your post, I don’t like going at all. I am closer to God in the great outdoors and alone than in a room full of people proclaiming his name.

In order to help this girl you need to help yourself and find your relationship (faith) and it can only be from you to him. Ask questions, research, explore that’s great and you need to do it, but in the end it has to be you and him.

I rambled a bit and in the end it may mean nothing but if you need to talk or just someone to listen you know how to reach me.

If I was out of line, sorry and will say no more.

[aneaglesangel]

No I would never take it out of line. I enjoy seeing things from other people's perspectives, it sometimes helps me learn. To me faith is a personal relationship and I wish more people who say they are religious would see it that way. Maybe they've lost touch with it, I don't know. My faith is very deep too, ander, I'm just a bit different about it. I know one thing, if it weren't for knowing that Great Spirit is always with me, I don't know if I'd still be standing after all I've been through lately. You see this all started with a promise to Him....


After a very long time of being attacked by a negative inhuman entity that had started when I was a child, I had a time of freedom. But then some things happened in my life that were paranormal that sort of gave me revelations. One of them was when the spirit who died saving my life wrote his name in the picture of my then boyfriend, who I found to be cheating on me. I looked back and I realized how much paranormal activity there was in my life and that there could still be victims of negative entities out there. I began to think that my attractiveness to spirits could be useful. I knew it sure hadn't stopped. I just had been choosing to ignore it, and found that I could live with it. But then one day I realized that this was really where I belonged, that there was so much that I might be able to do, not just to possibly help advance the field with my ghost magnetism, but to advocate for victims. One day I spoke to Great Spirit and I told him that I finally understood, it seemed to make sense to me in those moments. All the precognitive dreams, visions, the visitations by spirits, dream contacts, even the negative entity, it seemed to be pieces of a puzzle that showed a picture of me in the paranormal field. Hunting ghosts happily. Doing something I thought was worthwhile and meant something to me. That day I told the Lord above that I finally understood that this was what He meant for me and if it was that I was ready to do what He wanted me to do. I said I accept whatever Great Spirit had in store for me. And I walked into the paranormal field.

Maybe sometimes the cases are going to be more difficult than other cases. Sometimes, like in this case, I'm going to need help. Lots of help. Prayers. Protection. But no matter what happens I know I never walk alone. Great Spirit is always there with me and I can never forget that. No matter how dark my path may seem to be, there is always that light shining up ahead. So in a way it started with a promise. But it also started with faith. I think when all is said and done, it will end with faith.

[aneaglesangel]

I thought more about what you said. To me religion has done some bad things. People were sold into slavery and people said, that's ok, the bible says we can do this. Men put women down and didn't let them have power or freedom, and they said that's ok, the bible says we can do this. It was all in how people interpreted things, in how they twisted the words to benefit their needs. Still others went about and said, what those people are doing is wrong. In the bible it says we must help our fellow man. Those were the people who had faith. The ones who felt in their hearts what was right and what was wrong. Look at our own area here. The Wampanoag Indians were almost totally wiped out. Why? They didn't pray to the same God. The puritans left England looking for religious freedom, yet they wouldn't give the same to the Wampanoags. To me, they had no faith!!

Faith to me is what makes a person help another who is in need. Or to offer a smile and prayer or help to someone who is in pain or is hurt. It is doing the right thing and knowing it in your heart. It's doing the right thing because it feels good inside of your heart, not because you read in a book that it was a good thing to do. I don't know, but somehow it made more sense to me suddenly. I just hope my words show how it hit my heart and the impact it made. I know I've got faith. If you see my walking down the street, you'll know me. I'll smile at you and have a kind word.

[andergraph]

Unfortunately history is written by the winners. It was not just one sect of people punishing another. Early Indians captured other Indians and sold them into slavery; Africans caught and sold their own people too, the crusades where just as bad as the current Jihad, we kill what we don’t understand or want to know. Man as a species is a pack animal with all the instincts of kill, concur or be killed or concurred. That is nature and I wonder why sometimes that these feelings where given to us or why god made misquotes? and stuff like that.lol

When it boils down to the basic essence of religion it really boils down to 2 prime aspects – Love the Lord with All your heart and soul and love your neighbor as yourself. Everything else as you said we created to fit in our wants, needs and desires. Right or wrong – we are the most important people to ourselves – to us.

[aneaglesangel]

Yes, that reminds me ander, we are animals. Many people don't like that fact, but it's true. We are mammals. We're the most intelligent animal on the planet, but it doesn't necessarily mean we always use our brains. If we did things like prejudice and hate would have been gone a long time ago. We wouldn't need weapons of mass destruction because we'd have learned to live in peace. I think many times with the hustle and bustle of life we forget what we really are and that we have to strive to become better if we really want to. We have it in us, I do believe that, it's in our hearts and souls, we just have to want it I guess. But yes, we are animals, the most vicious species on the planet!

But even so, a little faith goes a long way....

[aneaglesangel]

Just bumping this back up. I like the input I've gotten from it so far! So many thinking people give me wonderful ideas! Gotta love it!