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 Post subject: What was your faith ?
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Hey there everyone. I was just wondering what your religion was or your beliefs before finding the Urantia book. I ask this because the Ub focuses on many aspects of what beliefs should be and because its interesting ! :smile:

What I was : I was ( and still consider My self) a Christian. I aspired (and still do) to some aspects of Taoism.

And you ?
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I was 23 years old when I came to my "spiritual crossroads." I had no spiritual-belief experience up to that point. The Urantia Book contains a passage that states, "At first you live, then think about your living." Well I had very pointedly started to "think about my living." I reasoned that there had to be "a truth" about life, everything that was going on around me and even out into the whole universe....and I wanted to know it.

So only generally having a somewhat vague idea as to what to do about it, I offered up in my heart and mind what is usually referred to as "the sinner's prayer" to "God." I told God that I wanted to know the truth about everything, I wanted to know Him, and asked Him to show Himself to me in a way that I could understand, to.....facilitate my belief. And I was sincere.

So a couple of weeks later He did.

Being an American and knowing that Christianity was the prevailing religion, I began my studies in that direction. I also had been brought up in an Episcopalian family but never had or sought a genuine spiritual experience while growing up and attending this church.

So for awhile you would have witnessed me calling myself a bible believing Christian. However I very soon began questioning much of the information contained in the bible, both Old and New T's. The spirit inside me directly led me to also believe and accept Jesus of Nazareth as being part of the truth. But here, I was almost immediately struck by the paucity of information about Jesus that the New Testament contained. Here is a whole religion about Jesus yet the records of his sayings and doings were apparently....grossly incomplete.... and that seemed frankly odd.

So still being primarily keenly seeking the truth above all else, I kept my mind open and kept searching. Within the first year the spirit led me to an existing good friend of mind who chanced to have TUB in his book collection. A particular conversation we had led him to showing me this book. At once fireworks started going off in my head as if the spirit was throwing a big party. I believed in what this book had to say immediately and it has been my choice for information about God, Jesus and everything to do about life and the cosmos ever since.

I hope you don't mind the little story TheRecognized. I thought it might would be helpful to some others watching this thread to see one example of a more or less complete story of one person's transition from bible - Christianity to Urantia Book - Jesusonian.

Thank you!


Vann

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TheReconized wrote:
Hey there everyone. I was just wondering what your religion was or your beliefs before finding the Urantia book. I ask this because the Ub focuses on many aspects of what beliefs should be and because its interesting ! :smile:

What I was : I was ( and still consider My self) a Christian. I aspired (and still do) to some aspects of Taoism.

And you ?


Howdy Reconized! I'm a Catholic, Baptized one, went to Catholic School 5th 8th grade. Started finding Jesus in the second or third grade Catechism. I always liked the stories about Jesus. The Church rules and laws always had something wrong in them. But Jesus' teachings were always right. I always wondered why people didn't live how He taught. It just puzzled me. It seemed so RIGHT. As a Teenager, I saw the hypocrisy in others first but it didn't seem right, me judging them. Then I saw the hypocrisy in myself and I began to be able to forgive others as I ask God and Jesus to forgive me. First I saw the good in having compassion for the downtrodden and oppressed and then came my compassion for the enemies and the oppressors of the poor and downtrodden.

I'm still a Catholic and I live and contribute to a "living spiritual" community. Detested or spurned by Catholic Conservatives and other denominational traditionalists, we go on living our faith. It doesn't matter to us what they think, it matters what God thinks of us. :smile:

I'm a firm believer that TUB improves the person in the denomination and does not try to change the denomination the person is in. :smile:

We are the change our Church needs. What ever that church, is we will return it to the Love of God and the Teachings of God as shared with us in the Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ. Amen Brother. :smile:

Here’s the first things I posted on Truthbook a few Years before I found this forum.

How The Urantia Book Changed My Life
here

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Baptist.
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I was a seeker. Then I found the UB.

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Me and my sister would get on all the so called joy buses that would come through the neighborhood back in the 60's and early 70's and check out all the different faiths in our area, it was fun for us but in truth we had phases with different churches depending on the persons we found there.

My father after re-marrying took us to a Baptist church as much as he could, but me and my sister would find problems in most of the churches we saw ...she did like the Catholic church for a while, and I had alot of fun at one of the Methodist churches back in the 70's, we stuck with a Church of Christ church for a while because of a friend, but as soon as we started getting judged for loving music and dance we left.

Gave up on churches around 1977...I found the U.B. in 87, and than found the Unity church some time late it was a nice change from the norm.

I have realy never found a church that fits my relationship with God and Christ, so I walk in this cathedral call earth, it works for me.

There is one church that I found back in early 90's... well they don't call them self a church they call there gathering place Celebration Circle and they accept all faiths and open there service with a Native American prayer..really cool people there, you name it and some one is represented there from Wicca to Catholics... :)

have not found that any where before.


Last edited by J. Barry on Tue Feb 23, 2010 3:22 am +0000, edited 1 time in total.

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Well...I was raised in the Catholic Faith when it was a sin to even walk into another church...of course I was curious. I left the church in 1968 (long story :roll: ) and that free'd me up to explore and visit other faiths...boy did I go. I read and studied eastern/western religions all with a open mind...It was while praying one day asking for my guru that I saw the light and a feeling from within said..."I am your guru" I knew in my heart that it was Jesus. I was surprised and amused as I was studying eastern thought at the time...I then started studying Christian churches...Baptist, Jehovah Witnesses, Mormon, Gospel of Salvation, Presbyterian, Bahi and others. I was then living in the islands and on a visit to a friend I saw this big blue book on the coffee table. I opened the pages in the quiet of the night and started shaking as I knew I was home...I knew from the first page that I was given the highest revelation that I had ever heard and after all these years I still feel the same. And the exileration one get when I have one of those a-ha moments. There is nothing like it. Thank you Father... O:)

God Bless you all...

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Dear Tootsie and ALl,

Tootsie, your story gave me goose-bumps. We have a similar background, even to the year that I quit the Catholic Church, cold turkey, after 20+ years of complete indocrination. Lotsa changes from that, as I know you will agree.

The part that really got me was when you told of your feelings upon reading the UB. I felt the same way, and that feeling has never waned, but only gotten stronger and better as the years wear on. It was, and is, an indescribable thrill to have that feeling of "coming home." What a long, great trip it's been - and the best is yet to be!!! YAY!

Thanks, Tootsie!

MaryJo
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I was a protestant Christian since I sang in a cathedral choir. I later became a Ufologist Christian, and then later became a multi-religious Urantian.

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Salutations.

TheRecognized,


Just a little response to taoism. Taoism is simply the perception of the divine nature, not really a religion or faith. It adds wisdom to things of already, but isn't a stand-alone faith. In essence, it really robs a person of the aquirement of wisdom because it is the book of aquired wisdom. It denounces individual wisdom by offering it, therefore handicapping the natural process. Nevertheless, it's good if you don't ever plan to gain access to wisdom yourself.

To answer the forum question, however, I would say I was part of no-religion previous to finding the UB. Still, I am of no-religion.

lux, vita, amor,

RS

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 Post subject: What is your faith?
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Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:58 am +0000
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I have to say, like lots of others here it seems was raised catholic. I cant speak for other religions, but im convinced that if you can show me a catholic thats spiratually satisfied with catholoscism, youve shown me someone thats either spiritually shallow, or just doesnt care, as long as they do their 45min. every sunday. I started to question them at about 19, when I found out that the church executed copernicus...for suggesting the earth wasnt the center of the universe! Well, its not, right? So the church EXECUTED someone IN GODS NAME, not for speaking against god, but for questioning their teachings. How they maintained credibility after that(and hundreds of other instances) I dont know. And lets not forget the "Holy Roman wire tap" ...reconciliation. I started reading the UB a few months ago, but already God is more real to me now than He ever has been...plus now I can acknowledge obvious scientific facts, and believe in God at the same time. I always told myself "show me a religion that isnt scared of science...thats the one true way".

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Wow, I just read my last post, and it seemed kinda harsh. Dont get me wrong, My whole family is Catholic, so nothing personal. Actually catholocism is kinda like the Mafia, U cant just "get out" , so I guess im still catholic on paper too.

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Hi all,

Welcome to TruthBook bouk. I hope you are enjoying TUB.

I was raised a Methodist Christian, but spent many hours in Chatholic services with a girl I dated in High School, and recently attending quite a few Catholic funerals, serving as a pall-bearer. The only way to "get out" of the "Mafia" legitimately. :smile:

You are right to say the church has condoned many questionable deeds and practices in the past and even to this day, yet it has lead many noble souls to our Creator Father, and to brotherly service, in the name of Jesus.

God Bless O:)

Jim
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TheReconized wrote:
Hey there everyone. I was just wondering what your religion was or your beliefs before finding the Urantia book.


Before finding the Urantia Book I was an embittered atheist. I was in full and open rebellion against the established religions of the day, adopting as my patron philosopher Betrand Russell, whose works still stand as a valid criticism of the religions of authority and dogma.

I have always been a real scrapper, and I daily sharpened my anti-Christian rhetoric in order to confront them on the streets where I could find them "witnessing for the Lord" in their efforts to recruit new members to their churches. They learned to avoid me.

Fortunately I was able to get beyond the churches and find something that answered all my questions and explained all the errors of organized religion in ways that made total sense to me. Without the Urantia Book I don't know that I would have ever had the spiritual life I now have.

a.
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Vann wrote:
The spirit inside me directly led me to also believe and accept Jesus of Nazareth as being part of the truth. But here, I was almost immediately struck by the paucity of information about Jesus that the New Testament contained. Here is a whole religion about Jesus yet the records of his sayings and doings were apparently....grossly incomplete.... and that seemed frankly odd.


Yes!!!

That's one of the main reasons I began to question the whole Christian doctrinal deal! Spotty coverage at best of only 3 years of His life and teachings. Where was the rest of it?

Another reason was the very legalistic and codified rules of the churches that seemed to have nothing at all to do with an actual spiritual life.

I also had a problem with the dutiful recitation of set and formal prayers that those reciting them at the behest of the priest in charge did not even seem to think about, but only recite them as a formal ritual.

There just had to be more to spirituality than that!

a.
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