The Holy Spirit

Originally posted by Bosse de Nage
Look up the Gnostic Gospels (& other apocrypha). These were texts declared heretical at the Nicean Council, 325AD, when the current canon was drawn up.

Ok, but then we are not talking about the Trinitarian Holy Spirit. As an atheist I have to confess I don't know much about esoteric religions, or care too much...

Originally posted by Palynka
Ok, but then we are not talking about the Trinitarian Holy Spirit. As an atheist I have to confess I don't know much about esoteric religions, or care too much...

I'd regard that as an error, since spiritual practice is quite available to atheists. You don't have to believe in anything to practice t'ai chi, for example. Then there is Dr Timothy Leary's stimulating theory of the 8 circuits of human consciousness...Take a look & see what you think:

http://deoxy.org/8circuit.htm

Originally posted by Bosse de Nage
I'd regard that as an error, since spiritual practice is quite available to atheists. You don't have to believe in anything to practice t'ai chi, for example. Then there is Dr Timothy Leary's stimulating theory of the 8 circuits of human consciousness...Take a look & see what you think:

http://deoxy.org/8circuit.htm

It's not an error, it's time management. 🙂 I know some things about it but I would probably make a lot of mistakes if I started giving my opinions regarding it.

I learn about religions mostly to criticize them, so I prefer to spend my time on the ones I encounter regularly. I'm sure it's impossible to speak with some knowledge about all religions, or at least it would take more time than I can afford.

Thank you for your link, but I'm quite skeptic regarding all such theories.

Originally posted by Palynka

Thank you for your link, but I'm quite skeptic regarding all such theories.

I'm a skeptic too--but you can't knock them until you've tried them.

By the way, if you've smoked marijuana, you should read up on at least the first 3 circuits of consciousness!

Originally posted by Bosse de Nage
I'm a skeptic too--but you can't knock them until you've tried them.

By the way, if you've smoked marijuana, you should read up on at least the first 3 circuits of consciousness!

I looked at it... But the beginning was enough:

"To understand neurological space, Dr. Leary assumes that the nervous system consists of eight potential circuits, or "gears," or mini-brains. Four of these brains are in the usually active left lobe and are concerned with our terrestrial survival; four are extraterrestrial, reside in the "silent" or inactive right lobe, and are for use in our future evolution."

That's too many assumptions I'm not willing to accept so...finito!

Forgive me if I ask but...are you serious about this?

Originally posted by Palynka

Forgive me if I ask but...are you serious about this?

I believe that the mind can harness the sub-conscious mind to effect change in reality--"the greatest magician is the sub-conscious". On this basis (I'm not going into detail here), any paradigm--however absurd--may be embraced with effective results. For example, scientologists undoubtedly obtain results, however reprehensible the nature of their organisation; the achievements of Hindu mystics are well documented; businessmen who apply Deepak Chopra's Spiritual Laws of Success undoubtedly derive benefits from assiduous practice.

As to the 8 Circuits of Consciousness, it is worth keeping an open mind (key to all paradigms) and trying out the exercises that go with them (not sure if they're on the web site).

Originally posted by KellyJay
There are many spirits in the world, but only one Holy Spirit. I'm
not sure I'd go along with saying that the Holy Spirit is also some
of the other names in other religions.
Kelly

"There are many spirits in the world, but only one Holy Spirit."
How about the gift of holy spirit? That every believer has within?

Originally posted by checkbaitor
"There are many spirits in the world, but only one Holy Spirit."
How about the gift of holy spirit? That every believer has within?

If you are asking about the Holy Spirit, there is only one, if you
are asking about the gifts of the Spirit there are more than one.
Kelly

Originally posted by KellyJay
He is blind spiritually, and he wants to talk about the Spirit of God,
I'm simply wanting him to understand that is impossible for him,
I cannot give him eyes to see, but I know who can.
Kelly

You compare your BS about "spiritual blindness" to physical blindness. Alright, let's take this one step further. Riddle me this, Kelly. Who "sees" better with no light, the man who has his sight, or the man who doesn't. Since there is absolutely no basis for any of the crap you believe, when it comes to the question of God, we're technically all in the dark.

Good answer. However, the brain in and of itself, does not have the capacity to laugh or cry or run or jump. The brain, it and of itself, cannot express joy. The brain, in and of itself, can decide what to do, how to think, where to go, etc. However, the brain, in and of itself, cannot carry out any decision.
The brain is nothing more than a physical construct along with the rest of the body. So, what makes a man?

The brain can express joy Mr. The-World-Is-Flat. Read up a little on quantum physics. Hell, there's even a movie that explains that concept in a way that even you might be able to understand. I think it's called something along the lines of "What the (bleep) do we know?"

P.S. Sorry if I answered questions that were already suitably answered, but I couldn't read too far through this thread because of the desire I was getting to beat certain people with something heavy until they stopped literally embracing ignorance as a way of hiding from reality.

Originally posted by CinderHeart
You compare your BS about "spiritual blindness" to physical blindness. Alright, let's take this one step further. Riddle me this, Kelly. Who "sees" better with no light, the man who has his sight, or the man who doesn't. Since there is absolutely no basis for any of the crap you believe, when it comes to the question of God, we're technically ...[text shortened]... omething heavy until they stopped literally embracing ignorance as a way of hiding from reality.

Well if there is no basis for what I believe why are you bothering?
Kelly

Because there seems to be some sort of epidemic or something that somehow makes people prefer ignorance over common sense and intelligence, and I feel the need to call into question the fools that try to spread this mindless devotion to some being that has as much proof to back it up as the tooth fairy.

Originally posted by CinderHeart
Because there seems to be some sort of epidemic or something that somehow makes people prefer ignorance over common sense and intelligence, and I feel the need to call into question the fools that try to spread this mindless devotion to some being that has as much proof to back it up as the tooth fairy.

So maybe you would like to tell us where matter came from?

Originally posted by dj2becker
So maybe you would like to tell us where matter came from?

This thread is about the Holy Spirit. Secular or theistic accounts of this intriguing phenomenon (preferably based on personal experience--nobody has yet contributed such) would be of more interest than the usual blathering about the chicken and the egg.

Originally posted by CinderHeart
You compare your BS about "spiritual blindness" to physical blindness. Alright, let's take this one step further. Riddle me this, Kelly. Who "sees" better with no light, the man who has his sight, or the man who doesn't. Since there is absolutely no basis for any of the crap you believe, when it comes to the question of God, we're technically ...[text shortened]... omething heavy until they stopped literally embracing ignorance as a way of hiding from reality.

Originally posted by CinderHeart
The brain [b]can express joy Mr. The-World-Is-Flat. Read up a little on quantum physics. Hell, there's even a movie that explains that concept in a way that even you might be able to understand. I think it's called something along the lines of "What the (bleep) do we know?"

P.S. Sorry if I answered questions that were already suitably answered, but I couldn't read too far through this thread because of the desire I was getting to beat certain people with something heavy until they stopped literally embracing ignorance as a way of hiding from reality.[/b]

Now who's BS-ing? When people bandy around words like "quantum physics" in discussions just to make it appear as though they're saying something substantial, that tells me who's "embracing ignorance as a way of hiding from reality".

Originally posted by lucifershammer
When people bandy around words like "quantum physics" in discussions just to make it appear as though they're saying something substantial, that tells me who's "embracing ignorance as a way of hiding from reality".

Yes. Evergreen questions: What do you know? What is your way of knowing?