New and becoming disheartened

[Sudarshan]

Namaste Sudarshan

"Vedanta" means "after the Vedas".

So I repeat my original question:

So?

Vedanta does not mean after the vedas, it refers to the climax(end part) of the vedas - the Upanishads in specific. There is nothing "after the vedas".

Vedanta is very speciifc that it is only for mumukshus as its first aphorism confrms. Few people are ready for in reality. Both Karma Kanda and Jnana Kanda comprise a unitary text. If you are not following one the the prescribed methods of Yoga in the vedanta, you are not a vedantin, but only belong to Karma Kanda - the vast majoriity of hindus fall in this class only, irrespective of what they claim to be.

[jaggin]

Finally, a discussion worth having.

The fastest growing chuches are those who entertain the members. So much for spirituality.

The winds of change are blowing hard and to survive you have to be flexible. Brahman is resident in a lot of places and has a lot of varied followers.

The Pastor of my current church feels the same way about the entertainment. My previous church had an entertainment type worship survice. The reality is that such a service does engender a stronger spirituality if the participants are spiritually oriented.

Perhaps it is a little like presenting materialism to attract worldly people but then we can hope also that those people will catch the spirit while they are there.

One of the problems with mainline Christian churches is that they tend to have music from the 17th century when most people today are relating to a different form of music. Lack of flexibility is responsible for the demise of mainline churches.

At the same time mainline churches are falling into apostasy and that will further erode their effectiveness accept for attracting sinners who will never be saved because of a watered down Gospel.

[willie]

There are a lot of modern christian singer, most of whom want to be crossover singers and work both sided of the street.

I think the days of the hellfire and brimstone sermon are over , at least, in the midwest, east, west and north. In the south there is more of the old testament in the sermons even to progressive churches have it. Well that and a church on about every block of town. When I drive through the south I am always surprised at the sheer number of churchs there are. And for the attitude of the people I ran accross they needed everyone of them.

I used the stop some sundays and go in to listen to the sermons, at least , until I got threw out of a few. But that is just me I guess.

Go to church and try and have a conversation about spirituality , and don't be afraid of the tough issues. See where it leads. A good place to start it with the book of judas of how jesus were declared devine be committee. It will scratch off the spirituality veneer and show what is underneath.

[jaggin]

I lived in Alabama for two years, so I know what you mean. I usually go where the Lord sends me and that meant an all black church that was a member of the Southern Baptist Convention. At least with black churches spirituality is real and not just a veneer. I liked the openness to Christian subjects in the south. In the northeast (where I'm from), you have to be careful lest someone seeks to remove your head.

It is no embarassment being thrown out of churches. Usually I am told to keep my mouth shut at which point, I leave voluntarily. I am about to leave the church that I am attending because the Lord has me very sensitive to holiness issues at present. Unfortuanately for me I get to go to a Christian Science church next where I don't believe what they believe from the start but the Lord has His purposes. It may have something to do with the Lord's promise to give me the gift of healing because that is where Christian Science falls short.

Another thing the south has is the mega-church with televised services. I lived near the Fraser Methodist in Montgomery, AL and sometimes went to the breakfast buffet there but I think biscuits and red eyed gravy were meant to create heart attacks.

If you are starting with the book of Judas, you are starting from a position of heresy, the Bible is the best antidote for that. The divinity of Jesus was already proclaimed in the book of Isaiah, all any committee would be able to do is affirm what the Bible has to say as central to Christian belief as opposed to those who disavowed the Bible by saying something else.

[willie]

The book of judas actually says that judas was instructed by jesus to turn him in. What a way to become a hero , get someone to finger you. Judas was to beceme the hero of the chruch but like all organization , when the leader gets it the underling start in fighting over who will be the next leader.

Maybe the people on the committee knew the truth they jesus had to have somone turn him in so he could die a hero. Wonder where god was all this time?

[izi]

i love Siva, and how he ridicules the Brahmins in the forest....

he is so wise

[satay]

namaste,

Welcome to HDF.

how he ridicules the Brahmins in the forest....

huh? Care to explain?

[izi]

In that one story where he confronts the brahmins, who are performing rituals that are empty....and then their wives run off with him....rofl. oh my god I love siva

anyways...maybe a change of perspective is needed here- if one sees their own self as as already recieving everything they need, then you can take their rudeness as a lesson - it is, after all, what the universe has presented you at that moment...so...

fear of rejection is just one less thing to worry about on the laundry list of flaws we must purge, right?

[Nuno Matos]

Namaste

Right ! And i bet you are going to give a true and very beautiful story teller.




Pranams!

[Eastern Mind]

anyways...maybe a change of perspective is needed here- if one sees their own self as as already recieving everything they need, then you can take their rudeness as a lesson - it is, after all, what the universe has presented you at that moment...so...

fear of rejection is just one less thing to worry about on the laundry list of flaws we must purge, right?

You understand karma very well. The universe is in a perfect state... of evolution. Having someone be rude to you is a boon for you. More karma gone. Aum Namasivaya