Your Religion

[TheNegotiator]

If I had to put myself in a category, I am agnostic. However, I have a number of personal beliefs which all share the common thread of valuing common sense, logic, and the sort of general "morals" that people would respect whether or not they were religious. My philosophy is that no one knows what happens after death, so no one can tell me what the "real" answer is. I will find out when I die. I like aspects of many different religions, but cannot align myself with any one of them completely. I believe people are completely responsible for their own actions, and need to behave as such.

According to a test I recently took, I am most strongly influenced by agnosticism, then Buddhism, Islam, and Satanism in that order.

[LetThereBe]

I believe and have total faith in one thing: truth is absolute. How can anyone say otherwise? I try to live as a Christian, but I will not deny that that is how I was raised and that could be a major factor in my spiritual developement. I struggle, as I tend to fail time and time again to live a life worthy of being associated with Jesus. Whether Christianity is the answer or not is not my main point, however. Far too many people pretend that every religion can simultaneously be valid, though they say contradicting things. To me, this is utter foolishness. Commit yourself to something, and live by it with all you heart. I have read Buddhist books claiming that Christ can lead you to the Buddha realms, and that he was enlightened, just like many other religions. However, Jesus said "I am the truth, the way, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Me." How can these two beliefs coexist?

[CJFreeman]

Quote by: LetThereBe I have read Buddhist books claiming that Christ can lead you to the Buddha realms, and that he was enlightened, just like many other religions. However, Jesus said "I am the truth, the way, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Me." How can these two beliefs coexist?

Well, they coexist in the same way that many opposite claims exist. You can say, "I have a red car," and I can say, "No, it's grey." But like you said at the beginning of your post, there is truth (absolute) that overrides one of us.

As far as what separates Christianity from the other religions of the world, C.S. Lewis answered that very succinctly when confronted with the same question. His answer was one word: Grace.

I'll let you think about that now.

Christopher J. Freeman

[LetThereBe]

well said. That C.S. Lewis was quite the thinker. (and an excellent writer in my opinion)

[Joe7000]

I find that believing everything is the only way to go. I mean, who can argue with me? Whatever you say, I'll believe it.

I started out quite the opposite in nature. I found myself arguing with everyone.

Now I ask the reader, which is the best attitude to take. Tell me -- I'll believe it.

Quote by: dotComa Hey, I'm new to the forums, and I think a good way to get things rolling here would be to ask something personal about you. What is your religious affiliation, why, and what conclusions have you come to about your own religion. Do you accept other ones? If not why... I myself was baptized catholic, but I find myself in a state of disbelief. I tend to keep an open mind, and believe that I do not know enough about my surroundings to judge them yet. I hold an attitude of "if there's a God I've been a good guy, but I'm not going to drink the Kool-Aide" if you get my drift. so...how about you?

[northtexan]

Quote by: LetThereBe I believe and have total faith in one thing: truth is absolute. How can anyone say otherwise? I try to live as a Christian, but I will not deny that that is how I was raised and that could be a major factor in my spiritual developement. I struggle, as I tend to fail time and time again to live a life worthy of being associated with Jesus. Whether Christianity is the answer or not is not my main point, however. Far too many people pretend that every religion can simultaneously be valid, though they say contradicting things. To me, this is utter foolishness. Commit yourself to something, and live by it with all you heart. I have read Buddhist books claiming that Christ can lead you to the Buddha realms, and that he was enlightened, just like many other religions. However, Jesus said "I am the truth, the way, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Me." How can these two beliefs coexist?

I'm all for commiting oneself and living by one's commitments. Consequently I'm a Unitarian-Universalist. But I am not for choosing a belief and believing in it blindly. Consequently, I am an agnostic, as well as a UU.

How can two contradictory beliefs coexist? Well, they can both be partially right, both have some shards of truth. I remember a minister talk about different faiths about salvation as offering different paths up a mountain -- the paths may differ, but they all can lead to the top. I like the image. Of course, as an agnostic, I'm not sure about the top, or maybe it's a volcanic crater. ;-) But it's easy to see how different paths might lead to the same place. Hey, maybe some are superhighways while others are goat paths; but drivers on superhighways sometimes don't make it to their destinations, while folks walking on goat paths sometimes do. And maybe what's important is to follow the path, not to get to its end, if it has an end.

Absolute truth? Sorry, I'm not acquainted with the critter.

[pit bull]

me myself i have no religion only faith and beleif that the human race will wake up

[Starboy]

Quote by: northtexan I'm all for commiting oneself and living by one's commitments. Consequently I'm a Unitarian-Universalist. But I am not for choosing a belief and believing in it blindly. Consequently, I am an agnostic, as well as a UU. How can two contradictory beliefs coexist?

That's easy. It is because they are not contradictory. Gnosis is about knowing, theism is about believing. An agnostic theist is one that has a belief but doesn't know. Unless you are a deist there is a contratiction but it is not what you think. If you are a supernaturalist it is not as if there is any evidence for supernatural belief that is not better explained by natural explanations or that works just as well for explaining other beliefs that you would not ever consider believing in. The problem with supernaturalism in this age of reason and science is that in order to maintin that supernaturalism you will have to be either profoundly ignorant or out and out dishonest or some of both.

Starboy

[Athena]

Quote by: LetThereBe I believe and have total faith in one thing: truth is absolute. How can anyone say otherwise? I try to live as a Christian, but I will not deny that that is how I was raised and that could be a major factor in my spiritual developement. I struggle, as I tend to fail time and time again to live a life worthy of being associated with Jesus. Whether Christianity is the answer or not is not my main point, however. Far too many people pretend that every religion can simultaneously be valid, though they say contradicting things. To me, this is utter foolishness. Commit yourself to something, and live by it with all you heart. I have read Buddhist books claiming that Christ can lead you to the Buddha realms, and that he was enlightened, just like many other religions. However, Jesus said "I am the truth, the way, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Me." How can these two beliefs coexist?

I reason that Jesus may have transcended as others have done, and that in this state of consciousness the ego does not exist, and one has become one with everything. In this state of consciousness, it came to me that I am one with the fense post, one with prisoners in prison, one with everyone and everything, beginning and end. I can easily understand how Jesus could have spoken from this consciousness, not of himself, but of this state of consciousness.

It is sometimes difficult to give words to our experiences so that others can relate to what we are saying. We must use words common to everyone, or no one could make sense of what we are trying to say. The more the experience is not common to everyone, the more difficult it becomes to explain the experience. We run the very high risk of being thought a nut! Oh sure man, and what were smoking? I do not think the bible should be interpreted literally, but abstractly. I think an understanding of Buddhist teachings are very important to understanding Jesus. And I think understanding Hinduism is also important to this study of God and self. And if one is serious about wanting truth, then Eastern and Western philosophy should be also be studied.

My personal library includes a look at religion and the human condition, from every possible study, anthropology, history, pyschology, socialology. I believe we are in the Resurrection now, with anthropologist and geologist ressurrecting earth and human history, and I think we should be particapating in this, by learning of new discoveries and reflecting on new and past information. I think reincarnation may be away that the Resurrection occurs.

[Kuldeep]

Quote by: Athena I think reincarnation may be away that the Resurrection occurs.

Except above sentence, your rest of the post is verymuch thought provoking! It is possible, I am unable to difentiate between Reincarnation and Resurrection. Both the words mean "Coming back to life". Former means coming back of same person (person means not physical body, but to whom he calls HE and you call HIM; a pure abstract thing which somewhere else on different thread I termed it as I'NESS or say Ego of self existence), becomes re-conscious of himself in its existing physical body frame; we call he is Resurrected. While; if he becomes re-conscious of himself in some other physical body frame ( as a new born baby for simplar case) and starts feeling when grown up somewhat to communicate his feelings that he has been such and such person previously, we would call he is Reincarnated. Examples of both types exist and are documented in history. What I want to add is Resurrection is possible upto the limited time i.e. till physical body is not decomposed or damaged, while; Reincarnation can take place after any time lapse. In fact, in that case, it is independent of time. Measure of time has no relavence in the case of consciousness of self existence. I have explained ealier also that feeling of 20 year old person and 90 year old person that they exist has no relation with time. Both feel they exist and that is all!!!! When it comes to mental calculations then third person or even those two also may understand one has lived for 20 years and the other has lived for 90 years. To my mind, the feeling of self existence remains even after destruction of physical body. But then, in more or less all cases, the memory of previous births is erased, very similar to head injury case in physical body of a living person. Nature has done it with a well needed purpose of "Confusion Removal". Imagine what sort of cofusion would occur, if every living species rememember say only 100 of previous births. But still, to unravel the mistery of reality to us, however, few do remember their old births incidents as gift from nature.

However, even after meeting such persons personally, our respective faiths, biased and dubtful nature of human mind, self prejudice and the like make us go away and away from the Apparent Reality. Who is to blame for that!!! Definitely not the Nature which provides us proof, but our own pre-occupied ignorant and adament mind.

True, unbiased study of ancient scriptures may be even pre-historic times detils, what to speak of few thousand or lakh years knowledgeadmixed with intellectual unbiased rationality might lead us to absolute reality of supreme consciousness of which everything (both concievable and un-concievable) are part and parcel. This abolute truth according to Sanatan Dharma (meaning properties which always exist) :confused:

[Athena]

Quote by: Kuldeep Except above sentence, your rest of the post is verymuch thought provoking! It is possible, I am unable to difentiate between Reincarnation and Resurrection. Both the words mean "Coming back to life". Former means coming back of same person (person means not physical body, but to whom he calls HE and you call HIM; a pure abstract thing which somewhere else on different thread I termed it as I'NESS or say Ego of self existence), becomes re-conscious of himself in its existing physical body frame; we call he is Resurrected. While; if he becomes re-conscious of himself in some other physical body frame ( as a new born baby for simplar case) and starts feeling when grown up somewhat to communicate his feelings that he has been such and such person previously, we would call he is Reincarnated. Examples of both types exist and are documented in history. What I want to add is Resurrection is possible upto the limited time i.e. till physical body is not decomposed or damaged, while; Reincarnation can take place after any time lapse. In fact, in that case, it is independent of time. Measure of time has no relavence in the case of consciousness of self existence. I have explained ealier also that feeling of 20 year old person and 90 year old person that they exist has no relation with time. Both feel they exist and that is all!!!! When it comes to mental calculations then third person or even those two also may understand one has lived for 20 years and the other has lived for 90 years. To my mind, the feeling of self existence remains even after destruction of physical body. But then, in more or less all cases, the memory of previous births is erased, very similar to head injury case in physical body of a living person. Nature has done it with a well needed purpose of "Confusion Removal". Imagine what sort of cofusion would occur, if every living species rememember say only 100 of previous births. But still, to unravel the mistery of reality to us, however, few do remember their old births incidents as gift from nature. However, even after meeting such persons personally, our respective faiths, biased and dubtful nature of human mind, self prejudice and the like make us go away and away from the Apparent Reality. Who is to blame for that!!! Definitely not the Nature which provides us proof, but our own pre-occupied ignorant and adament mind. True, unbiased study of ancient scriptures may be even pre-historic times detils, what to speak of few thousand or lakh years knowledgeadmixed with intellectual unbiased rationality might lead us to absolute reality of supreme consciousness of which everything (both concievable and un-concievable) are part and parcel. This abolute truth according to Sanatan Dharma (meaning properties which always exist) :confused:

I love your explanation of the difference between resurrection and reincarnation. However, when I used the word Resurrection, I was speaking of the biblical Resurrection after the last days, when the dead are resurrected. Like I haven't studied this a lot and am not familiar with how others think this through. It just occurs to me that reincarnation could be away of achieving this bible resurrection of all souls. However, with your explanation, I am much more interested in studying this specific thing called resurrection. I will start a thread specically for this.

Second though, unbiased study of all we can know of earth and human history, and human thought and practices. How I thrist for such an unbiasedness. My head is so full of prejudices, I know I can see truth for them. I think I need to learn better how to think.
Yes, I need to give some time to the study of critical thinking. This is the first time I feel the meaning of what loosing my prejudices can do to being enlightened to truth. Yes, I must make the effort.

:) Strange how our minds can hold a thought without fully grasping the meaning of it. Amazing what sharing our thoughts can do our understanding of thought! Critical thinking is not just about secular desires. It can applied to search for spiritual truth and transform our consciousness. What is you say of consciousness? The trick? I feel like the wall between myself and God consciousness is a thin film, and I am aware of fear of passing through and possibly realizing the illusions of my ego, and maybe not liking that. I am afraid of loosing "I" and my sense of self importance. Although I believe too, the suffering of "I" will pass when the delusion is ended. But then what?

[Kuldeep]

Quote by: Athena I will start a thread specically for this. ?

You are well-come to have one!

How I thrist for such an unbiasedness. My head is so full of prejudices, I know I can see truth for them. I think I need to learn better how to think. Yes, I need to give some time to the study of critical thinking. This is the first time I feel the meaning of what loosing my prejudices can do to being enlightened to truth. Yes, I must make the effort.

Your head is full of prejudices!!! What you are, is not only due to what has been fed to your brain by your parents, teachers, friends, relatives and society. All that what they did have made a partial impact only, but basically you are sum total of many many many (innumerable) impacts ocurred through your mind to your cosciousness (not brain) during your past thousands of births due to repeated incarnations. This sum total impact makes you (property wise) unique. Science attribute it to unique DNA pattern. Why it is uniquely different with millions and millions of people, animals and even with plants; it won't be able to explain???? Finite can not achieve infinite!!! Simple mathematics. :)

[/quote] Strange how our minds can hold a thought without fully grasping the meaning of it. Amazing what sharing our thoughts can do our understanding of thought! Critical thinking is not just about secular desires. It can applied to search for spiritual truth and transform our consciousness. What is you say of consciousness? The trick? I feel like the wall between myself and God consciousness is a thin film, and I am aware of fear of passing through and possibly realizing the illusions of my ego, and maybe not liking that. I am afraid of loosing "I" and my sense of self importance. Although I believe too, the suffering of "I" will pass when the delusion is ended. But then what?[/quote]

If you followed, what I said above about your true property of yours, my further explanation would become easier to grasp. Most of the action which you did in this life or you are doing or, even think of doing in future, ALL Actions would have a direct relation with your own interest for those. I FEEL, NOBODY CAN PERFORM ANY ACTION WITHOUT HIS TRUE INTEREST AND WILL TO DO IT, However when left free of societal bindings and obligations.

I think, I have already given a simple example of your consciousness. Your feel that you are something is your Consciousness or, what you call your self as you is your real consciousness No, there is no wall or film between your and God's consciouness but, there exists a well built thickly woven net of ignorance over millions and millions of your births that you are different than supreme consciousness. somewhere else, I mathematically proved there can be no physical God; but definitely personalities with power more than normal and also less than normal ( both abnormal termed as super--natural beings) can exist either in physical form (as we can concieve) or, in form we may not concieve.

Coming to your fear of losing own identity after realisation of supreme consciousness is part of that ultimate ignorance, thick wall or film (you can give any name to it). Till you believe you are different than ultimate, you are! The moment you realise you are same, fear as well ignorance would seize to exist. What then has to be practically watched!!!!!! Nobody can tell you what sweetness is like, unless you taste sugar. Practical is different than theory!!!! But, constant efforts in that direction are always peace giving and self satisfying.

A word of suggestion in this direction is that you need not strenessly think hard to achieve this reality of non-duality. It is a gradual process and you have to chage your property in you so that ignorance is removed that too gradually.

[Athena]

Quote by: Kuldeep You are well-come to have one! Your head is full of prejudices!!! What you are, is not only due to what has been fed to your brain by your parents, teachers, friends, relatives and society. All that what they did have made a partial impact only, but basically you are sum total of many many many (innumerable) impacts ocurred through your mind to your cosciousness (not brain) during your past thousands of births due to repeated incarnations. This sum total impact makes you (property wise) unique. Science attribute it to unique DNA pattern. Why it is uniquely different with millions and millions of people, animals and even with plants; it won't be able to explain???? Finite can not achieve infinite!!! Simple mathematics. :)

Strange how our minds can hold a thought without fully grasping the meaning of it. Amazing what sharing our thoughts can do our understanding of thought! Critical thinking is not just about secular desires. It can applied to search for spiritual truth and transform our consciousness. What is you say of consciousness? The trick? I feel like the wall between myself and God consciousness is a thin film, and I am aware of fear of passing through and possibly realizing the illusions of my ego, and maybe not liking that. I am afraid of loosing "I" and my sense of self importance. Although I believe too, the suffering of "I" will pass when the delusion is ended. But then what?[/quote]

If you followed, what I said above about your true property of yours, my further explanation would become easier to grasp. Most of the action which you did in this life or you are doing or, even think of doing in future, ALL Actions would have a direct relation with your own interest for those. I FEEL, NOBODY CAN PERFORM ANY ACTION WITHOUT HIS TRUE INTEREST AND WILL TO DO IT, However when left free of societal bindings and obligations.

I think, I have already given a simple example of your consciousness. Your feel that you are something is your Consciousness or, what you call your self as you is your real consciousness No, there is no wall or film between your and God's consciouness but, there exists a well built thickly woven net of ignorance over millions and millions of your births that you are different than supreme consciousness. somewhere else, I mathematically proved there can be no physical God; but definitely personalities with power more than normal and also less than normal ( both abnormal termed as super--natural beings) can exist either in physical form (as we can concieve) or, in form we may not concieve.

Coming to your fear of losing own identity after realisation of supreme consciousness is part of that ultimate ignorance, thick wall or film (you can give any name to it). Till you believe you are different than ultimate, you are! The moment you realise you are same, fear as well ignorance would seize to exist. What then has to be practically watched!!!!!! Nobody can tell you what sweetness is like, unless you taste sugar. Practical is different than theory!!!! But, constant efforts in that direction are always peace giving and self satisfying.

A word of suggestion in this direction is that you need not strenessly think hard to achieve this reality of non-duality. It is a gradual process and you have to chage your property in you so that ignorance is removed that too gradually. [/quote]

I am very thankful that I have time to ponder my thoughts. I feel bad for those whose lives are so busy they have no time to think about what they think. Especially US culture is very bad about not giving people time to ponder their thoughts, as though an idle moment were a supreme sin! This of course is disasterous for self government (democracy), We really don't have the time and energy for democracy as a way of life. The Buddhist and others realized that when people spend all their time and energy aquiring what they need/want they don't have enough time of spiritual growth. I think the business of US culture has much to do with the materialistic drive and lack of spirituality.

That said, some years ago, I spontanious became aware in mind's eye, of polluted water.
A few days later a droplet fell in the water, and a few days later this happened again. How do I say? It was just something that would spontaneously come to my mind. Then one day, I noticed the water was beautifully clean, then there was a lily floating in the water. This was a time of healing for me, and when I got that droplet was cleaning up the pollution I realized my life is significantly improving. This is how I relate to spiritual awakening and loosing fear. I have a sense of myself getting there, but I have a long ways to go, before the spiritual mode is habitual, instead of the fear/anger mode. Conversing about this, makes aware that need to keep this in mind.

I want to apologize for the times I have responded to other people post, like a dog protecting its territory. I can be aware of doing this, but have not over come the habit.

[osman4]

I'm a beliver I believe in God . I believe there is an absolute some where that we never know .For me this absolute is God but as a creature .if I can prove it then he would not be a Good.

[Zealot]

Quote by: dotComa Hey, I'm new to the forums, and I think a good way to get things rolling here would be to ask something personal about you. What is your religious affiliation, why, and what conclusions have you come to about your own religion. Do you accept other ones? If not why... I myself was baptized catholic, but I find myself in a state of disbelief. I tend to keep an open mind, and believe that I do not know enough about my surroundings to judge them yet. I hold an attitude of "if there's a God I've been a good guy, but I'm not going to drink the Kool-Aide" if you get my drift. so...how about you?

I'm a a born again Christian, very happy, leading an exciting action filled life serving my God and fellow man as best I can. The sins of others and myself have no bearing on my belief in Jesus Christ and His teachings. I would be glad to fill you in if you got the guts to really try to know Him. Really, you got nothing to lose.

Zealot, I'm available

[Starboy]

Quote by: CJFreeman As far as what separates Christianity from the other religions of the world, C.S. Lewis answered that very succinctly when confronted with the same question. His answer was one word: Grace.

That is a good point. Grace is only something that exists between a master and a slave. Christianity is the religion for a slave society.

Starboy

[5010]

Thought I'd weigh in on where I stand.

As a child, I was born and raised in a Catholic family, taught in a Catholic school, and was a firm believer in the faith and followed the way to the best of my ability.

As a young adult, I questioned the whole deal and formed my own faith that can be summed up very simply:

I believe in God
The source of Nature
Whose language is Nature
And I believe
That everything spoken or written about God
Is the word of the speaker

[Kuldeep]

Quote by: Athena This is how I relate to spiritual awakening and loosing fear. I have a sense of myself getting there, but I have a long ways to go, before the spiritual mode is habitual, instead of the fear/anger mode. Conversing about this, makes aware that need to keep this in mind. I want to apologize for the times I have responded to other people post, like a dog protecting its territory. I can be aware of doing this, but have not over come the habit.

You have asked a very important question to my explanation that when one's illusion self ego gets dissloved and fear of self destruction will also go away;THEN WHAT???

You would feel all in you and you in all. Yes, it will be peculiar situation!!! even when you exist in a separate body you would feel the universe as play going on. No feeling of your own. You would become as pure as mirror. If some loves you, you would reciprocrate; or if somebody would hurt you would also hurt him. It would be just action and reaction phenomina. You won't have any feeling about anything. you woulds act as per the property of your senses, organs etc. Your mind would be full of peculiar bliss. Nobody would be dear to you or have hate for anybody. You would act like an instrument to fulfill your reactions with others who deserve those reactions as per their actions done in the past.

I am not certain, if you could understand what I am saying about your position when you remove your self ego!!!!

[Athena]

Quote by: Kuldeep You have asked a very important question to my explanation that when one's illusion self ego gets dissloved and fear of self destruction will also go away;THEN WHAT??? You would feel all in you and you in all. Yes, it will be peculiar situation!!! even when you exist in a separate body you would feel the universe as play going on. No feeling of your own. You would become as pure as mirror. If some loves you, you would reciprocrate; or if somebody would hurt you would also hurt him. It would be just action and reaction phenomina. You won't have any feeling about anything. you woulds act as per the property of your senses, organs etc. Your mind would be full of peculiar bliss. Nobody would be dear to you or have hate for anybody. You would act like an instrument to fulfill your reactions with others who deserve those reactions as per their actions done in the past. I am not certain, if you could understand what I am saying about your position when you remove your self ego!!!!

I have seen some people who seem comfortable, detached observers of life. This line of thought is pressing an uneasiness on me, and I am tickled by this awareness. I do not chose to be as the observers of life, whom I admire. It is right for them, but not me.

What of the people of Pakistan who just lost everything in the earthquake? Their suffering would end if they were egoless observers of life, who do not define themselves by their relationships and possessions, providing they had sufficent food and shelter. Right now the pain of suffering of many must be so great as to want to die, but it wouldn't matter that they just lost members of their families and all the comforts of their homes if they were detached and egoless. This doesn't seem right to me. It is not human. Human is caring about the people in our lives and the things we own that express something about ourselves.

But this is a male/female difference too? I have read, females are more prone to defining themselves through relationships than men. I am daughter, sister, mother, grandmother. My identity as wife is strange since I am divorced, but I live with a sense of this status, past and present, as important to who I am. I am committed to these relationships, and self sacfricing. This is what gives my life meaning and is very important to me. I think civilization depends on women on being like this. I have perhaps not so kind feelings about males detaching themselves from all these relationships, pinning their identities on what they do, rather than their family relationships. I have bad feeling about Jesus detaching himself from his family, and telling us to turn our backs on our families. I would go to hell to be with my mother. Perhaps this is about being female, or about not being spiritually evolved? I don't think I would want to experience not having feelings, because then everything would be meaningless? I know what is important, because I feel it in every cell. This is what is important to me, and no others. I am more than one ego. I am family and generations of family. I am US citizen with history. I question what I think?

[Kuldeep]

Quote by: Athena I have seen some people who seem comfortable, detached observers of life. This line of thought is pressing an uneasiness on me, and I am tickled by this awareness. I do not chose to be as the observers of life, whom I admire. It is right for them, but not me.

You made a bit of mistake in understanding my point. Have those people, you mentioned, remained detached observers even when you harm them physically, pariticularly their bodies. Let me elaborate this. If you without any reason go on hammering his body till his one after other bone gets fractured. Still he remains comfortable, detached observer of life. If you have seen such one person, I would not only salute him but you also. Because you have then come across a real self realised soul!!!!!!

What of the people of Pakistan who just lost everything in the earthquake? Their suffering would end if they were egoless observers of life, who do not define themselves by their relationships and possessions, providing they had sufficent food and shelter. Right now the pain of suffering of many must be so great as to want to die, but it wouldn't matter that they just lost members of their families and all the comforts of their homes if they were detached and egoless. This doesn't seem right to me. It is not human. Human is caring about the people in our lives and the things we own that express something about ourselves

.

Again, there is lot of confusion in your mind. I think you would have now understood who is real egoless person. Egoless person is above misery and comfort. He has full vision of everything. He looks at such catastorophies as reactions of previous actions done by all those sufferers. Where as a person like you love to continue be a separate individual identity (Individual Consciousness), but a noble one with a mind to help others. Thus you are in a stage of doing good actions, or repaying sufferers as reaction for their good actions done towards you in their past lives. If it is your good action, you would get reaction later in this life or in next lives and if it is reaction of their past good actions then it is balanced out.

But this is a male/female difference too?

Yeah, anatomical, psychological and cultural differences are there, which makes a the things as they appear. Self realization goes above gender difference! I have told you till you are thinking yourself separate you are separate and you are free to be male/female /any specie and everything for that matter, at the time of leaving body and you woul get it definitely.

I have bad feeling about Jesus detaching himself from his family, and telling us to turn our backs on our families.

I can not comment on what Jesus has asked people to do, as I am not good scholar. However, I would remove your doubt. Jesus was a state of soul, who had considered family not his few members but a section of community. He preached love for every body even for enemy. Looking from my angle, he asked to always do good actions so that one would get good reactions later. Same thing which I explained above. You are fine, as long as you act according to your conscience. You feel you did anything as person, you have to bear fruit good or bad, sooner or later.

I would go to hell to be with my mother. Perhaps this is about being female, or about not being spiritually evolved? I don't think I would want to experience not having feelings, because then everything would be meaningless? I know what is important, because I feel it in every cell. This is what is important to me, and no others. I am more than one ego. I am family and generations of family. I am US citizen with history. I question what I think

Yeah, you defnitely are not spiritually evloved, so think like an individual. But if you become spiritually evolved, then everything would not be meaningless. On the other hand you would find yourself as part and parcel of every thing, even non-living identities. You would enjoy whole thing as endless play, actions and their reactions all around. :) :) :)