Christianity : where I stand

I believe in a spiritual realm.
I believe that we all have a soul.
I believe that there is something, but I don't know exactly what that something is.

I also believe ...

• - we are all connected (at the spiritual/soul level).
• - while alive, we live partly in the material/physical realm, partly in the spiritual realm.
• - that while we are alive our soul resides within the spiritual realm (heaven? astral?) : hence, there is always a part of us that is connected to the divine source (god, 'centre of all', etc).
• - the soul is where insights, intuition, creativity, choice/free-will, values/morals come from.
• - in psychics, mystics, mediums.
• - the possibility of multiple/different universes (also mentioned in the book 'Journey of Souls') ... although I have some doubts regarding some multi-verse theories (eg. Hugh Everett's many-worlds interpretation) - as when you factor in that a soul truly exists, Hugh Everett's interpretation gets complicated and ultimately falls apart. Although, Hugh Everett's sounds much like the description of what the Akashic Records are said to be - perhaps that was what he was interpreting? rather than each soul spliting infinitely + universe infinitely as well.
• - that humans evolved (and the earth is truly billions of years old), yet at the same time 'god' had some guidance in the process.
• - in kindness and compassion ... living life in a peaceful way towards others.
• - that consciousness isn't limited to the boundaries of the brain.

  this is part of the understanding of being a sensitive/empath. the boundary of where 'you' ends, and another person starts is somewhat of a grey area. this is why a sensitive/empath can often 'feel' other people's emotions.
  also, for many years - I have considered myself a sensitive/empath - although in my mid 20's I hadn't actually done much research on the topic, nor called it that - just that I could 'sense' things that others couldn't.

• - the physical body is an extension of the soul.

  while both the 'remote mind' (soul) and the 'local mind' share many similar traits/characteristics, I believe that the soul is a completely separate entity - that has it's own thoughts/feelings (separate to the 'local mind').
  also, while incarnated in a physical form, some of the traits from the 'local mind' are absorbed by the soul ... a sort of mind meld between the soul and the 'local mind' takes place (one of the books also mentions this better than what I can put into words).
  
  spiritual/new-age people often use the phrase "as above, so below" ... loosely meaning, that which happens in the spiritual realm, also happens at the material/physical level ... and vice-versa.
  and by my own account - whereby I went into the spiritual realm via astral projection : spoke with the soul of my first love, and the resulting happenings ... that is certainly a very strong indication for the saying 'as above, so below'.

And it's clear from the points that I have outlined in this website, my perspective and personal experiences of the spiritual realm just don't conform to the rigid views of the 'current Christian model' anymore.

I don't identify as a Christian, nor have I for quite some time ... and I'm ok with that.

I don't believe ...

• - the majority of the dogmas and doctrines taught by christianity.

• - the christian interpretation of heaven/hell.

  if the soul already exists in the spiritual realm (form of 'heaven') - rather than within the body ... then the soul can't exactly 'go to heaven/hell' when a person dies. where's the logic in that???
  ALTHOUGH, one could say - "depending on how the soul has lived their most recent life, then the soul could be moved to a different area of the astral - either higher/lower, or simply just to another soul group." ... that statement I completely agree with.
  I strongly feel that for the majority, the soul will continue to exist with the same soul group (also mentioned in 'journey of souls').

  Perhaps heaven/hell are just the opposite extremes of the astral plane.
  Is there even more beyond that - closer to the God/Godhead?

  ... is this where the souls of the 'ascended masters' + 'spiritual guides' reside?
  ... does it take more than one lifetime for our soul to reach this stage?
  to have that line of thinking - is an esoteric view ... and is more than what christianity teaches to be true.

  Generally, heaven == kind souls together in soul groups, and 'hell' == the darker,lower levels of the astral.
  ... in "we don't die" - george anderson mentions that he generally won't discern a soul from the darker,lower levels.
  ... george mentions "A higher soul can come down if it wants to, but a lower soul cannot visit a higher plane until it's earned."
  ... george also mentions "We all seem to stay with the same people that we felt close with - birds of a feather flock together."
  ... and by my own accounts, souls can move to different places (other soul groups) within the astral, even while the person ('local mind') is alive ... although, I feel that this is an exception (divine intervention) rather than a general rule.

  In both of the books 'we dont die' + 'journey of souls' ... they discuss how at the stage of physical death, so many souls panic as the soul thinks that they haven't been saved and gone to heaven - as the spiritual realm that the soul finds itself in is vastly different than that of the christian 'heaven'.
  In 'we dont die', George also mentions that there are souls that meet us at the end of the tunnel, and how some souls/guides take on a role of comforting the 'newly arrived soul'.
  
  Perhaps this is why other souls comfort/help others at the end of 'the tunnel' - to help remind that soul of it's spiritual existance, existing beyond that of the physical realm.

I also don't believe ...

• - the story of Adam & Eve (original sin + the sin of that event being transferrable to other souls).

  If Eve is being punished for eating the forbidden fruit, and as punishment, she will have to go through childbirth and have to suffer labor pains. If her Divine punishment is childbirth, then does that mean that humans can circumvent this 'punishment' by having a cesarean section? Other Christians speculate that, instead, Eve's punishment was to be the person to give birth to Cain and Abel.
  Life and birth is not a punishment, it is a blessing!!!
  And women are held in high regard because of it, they are the bringers of life ... even Islam speaks true of this.

• - that god made the world in 6 days and 6 nights.
• - the bible ... in my opinion, a fair amount isn't factual.
• - nor should modern day society base it's laws on what the bible says (eg. marriage) - as society has changed and evolved over time.

• - that there is a better life to come ('heaven') ... in the Christian sense that is.

  while I am of the opinion that there is a part of us that lives on after death, I believe that Christianity has misinterpreted things.
  
  this comes back to my own belief that while we are alive, "we live partly in the physical realm, partly in the spiritual realm".
  hence, this so called "better life" is actually running concurrently while we are alive.
  with Christians holding onto this belief, it helps to put off tackling challenges (soul lessons) that currently exist in a person's life. even so, this "better life" would exist for the soul ... not the 'local mind' (or the 'I', or 'you' or 'me' that we know of).
  perhaps, after death ... life for the soul will continue much the same, just that it won't be attached to a physical body anymore.

• - religious/bible studies classes in schools.

  while I agree on teaching values/morals, there are many facets of Christianity that shouldn't be taught as "absolute truths".
  Also, in the US the status of teaching about creation in public education has been the subject of substantial debate and conflict in legal, political, and religious circles.

  Regarding Australia,

  Listen to 720 ABC radio's story, God In The Classroom - religion in public schools (in .mp3 format) - 12.03.2014. (#11)
  Also read ABC.net.au : religion and ethics : Too Much Faith in Schools: The Rise of Christian Schooling in Australia.
  Parents flee Access Ministries religion classes - 720 ABC radio national - 31.08.2014.
  Does God still belong in schools? - 720 ABC radio national - 04.02.2015.
  
  In Victoria, from 2016 onwards, Religious instruction has been scrapped from the curriculum for school children. Instead it will be moved to an 'out of hours' program.

  And over in the UK, they are considering trying something different - teaching 'Mindfulness' and meditation techniques (article 12.03.2014). This was partially brought about due to a decrease in religious assemblies in the UK schools.