(Image from Quote Addicts) |
I Believe in "A New Spirituality"
—from the—
"Conversations with God" books!
I believe that "there may be something we do not know, the knowing of which could change everything. Do we dare to explore, suggest, recommend, and create a new spirituality—one that does not reject everything about the old, but improves upon it; carrying humanity to greater heights?..."
I believe that "[we] may want to consider the possibility that what would work for the world right now—given what the world says it wants to experience, which is peace and harmony—is a New Spirituality based upon New Revelations. A spirituality that enlarges upon organized religion in its present form. For it is many of [our] old religions, with their inherent limitations, that stop [us] from experiencing God as God really is. They also stop [us] from experiencing peace, joy and freedom—which are other words for God as God really is..."
I believe that "the world must create a New Spirituality. Not something to completely replace the old, but to refresh it. Not something to reduce the old, but something to expand it. Not something to subvert the old, but something to support the best of it. It is now time to present the world with new theological thoughts and ideas, a new spiritual model..."
I believe that "if [we] are courageous, if [we] are very brave, [we] will allow a New Spirituality to enhance [our] religious experience. This spirituality will not reject out right our traditional religious teachings, but enlarge upon them and alter some of the teaching that [we] agree no longer apply or no longer function..."
I believe that "[we] can change our world, and the fastest way to do that will be to step away from [our] fallacies and embrace a new revelation and a new spirituality. This would be the most courageous thing that human beings have done for centuries. It could change human history..."
I believe that "the world is more ready than it has ever been. The world is hungry, the world is starving, for a new spiritual truth—a truth that works in sustaining life, not a truth that brings an end to life. The world is searching for a new spiritual path, begging for a new set of understandings. Most people simply do not dare to say so publicly. Saying so would mean having to acknowledge that the world's present spiritual path is not getting humans where they say they want to go. It is very difficult, it can be very fearful, for people to go against the prevailing notion of things—even when that prevailing notion of things is killing them..."
I believe that "the first thing [we] can do is take the Five Steps to Peace. [We] can acknowledge that what [we've] been doing up until now no longer works..."
I believe, however, that we should not "seek to make the New Revelations a new religion, but rather, allow the New Revelations to reveal the simple and awesome truth that new revelation is possible. In doing so, [we] empower humanity to reveal true humanity to itself. For when true humanity is revealed, it will be found to be Godly..."
I believe "that the New Spirituality will not be a complete rejection of the old, but rather, it will expand upon the old. It will eliminate from the old what clearly no longer serves [us], and bring a new a deeper understanding to that which does not serve [us]. It will retain the best of [our] ancient wisdoms..."
I believe that "this is why, if [we] wish to enhance [our] world as [we] say that [we] do, [we] are invited to create a New Spirituality, based upon New Revelations..."
I believe that "an international, universal, transcreedal, transcultural, transracial, standard for theology is the statement: 'We Are All One. Ours is not a better way, ours is merely another way.' This can be the gospel of a New Spirituality. I can be a king of spirituality that gives people back to themselves..."
-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., Poet, Artist and Philosopher)
"I am the poet who thinks that he knows it!"
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My Writing About How We Are All Equal To Each Other: We are not better—or worse—than each other; we are all equal to each other. –Paul Whiting (written June 11th, 2016, revised August 18th, 2016 and revised October 16th, 2022)
My Writing About How I Believe In The 'Conversations With God' Books: I believe in the "Conversations with God" books, including "A Conversation with God: An Uncommon Dialogue (Book 1)," "Conversations with God: An Uncommon Dialogue (Book 2)," "Conversations with God: An Uncommon Dialogue (Book 3)," "Friendship with God: An Uncommon Dialogue," "Communion with God: An Uncommon Dialogue," "The New Revelations: A Conversation with God," "Tomorrow's God: Our Greatest Spiritual Challenge," "What God Wants: A Compelling Answer to Humanity's Biggest Question," and "Home with God: In A Life That Never Ends." And, to clarify, the reader should know that I have not yet read any of the supplemental books, which is why they are not listed above. –Paul Whiting (written August 17th, 2016, revised September 2nd, 2016 and revised October 16th, 2022)
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"Conversations with God" from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia—which is funded primarily through donations from millions of individuals around the world, including this blogger (I make a totally affordable monthly donation):
"Conversations with God (CwG) is a sequence of books written by Neale Donald Walsch. It was written as a dialogue in which Walsch asks questions and God answers. The first book of the Conversations with God series, Conversations with God, Book 1: An Uncommon Dialogue, was published in 1995 and became a publishing phenomenon, staying on the New York Times Best-Sellers List for 137 weeks. The succeeding volumes in the nine book series also appeared prominently on the List.
In an interview with Larry King, Walsch described the inception of the books as follows: at a low period in his life, Walsch wrote an angry letter to God asking questions about why his life wasn't working. After writing down all of his questions, he heard a voice over his right shoulder say: 'Do you really want an answer to all these questions or are you just venting?' Though when he turned around he saw no one there, Walsch felt answers to his questions filling his mind and decided to write them down. The ensuing dialogue became the Conversations with God books. When asked in a recent interview how does he 'open up' to God these days, Neale stated 'I am reaching out to touch others with this information. When I reach out and touch others with this information I reconnect immediately with the divine presence.'"
CwG's basic messages:
"In Friendship with God, Walsch writes that God presents four concepts which are central to the entire dialogue:
1. We are all one.
2. There's enough.
3. There's nothing we have to do.
4. Ours is not a better way, ours is merely another way.
Existence is essentially non dual in nature. At the highest level there is no separation between anything and there is only one of us; there is only God, and everything is God. The second statement, following from the first, means that we, in this seeming existence, lack nothing and if we choose to realize it, we have enough of whatever we think we need (or the means to create it) within us. The third statement combines the first two to conclude that God, being all there is and is thus always sufficient unto Itself, has no need of anything and therefore has no requirements of humanity. The final concept puts an end to our need to always be right. Given that we have and are everything, and there's nothing we have to do, there are an infinite number of ways to experience this, not just the one way we may have chosen so far..."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conversations_with_God
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My Philosophical Notes:
The reason that I wrote this prose can be summed up with the following statement: I am rereading the "Conversations with God" series of books [which I reread from just shortly after June 5th, 2016 to exactly September 12th, 2016]... And I was rereading "The New Revelations: A Conversation with God," when I read the quotes below on pages 64, 142 to 143, 177 to 178, 185, 228, 258 to 259, 262 to 263, 273, 280 and 282, which inspired me to write the post above:
Page 64: "There may be something we do not know, the knowing of which could change everything. Do we dare to explore, suggest, recommend, and create a new spirituality—one that does not reject everything about the old, but improves upon it; carrying humanity to greater heights?"
Page 142 to 143: "You may want to consider the possibility that what would work for the world right now—given what the world says it wants to experience, which is peace and harmony—is a New Spirituality based upon New Revelations. A spirituality that enlarges upon organized religion in its present form. For it is many of your old religions, with their inherent limitations, that stop you from experiencing God as God really is. They also stop you from experiencing peace, joy and freedom—which are other words for God as God really is."
Page 177 to 178: "The world must create a New Spirituality. Not something to completely replace the old, but to refresh it. Not something to reduce the old, but something to expand it. Not something to subvert the old, but something to support the best of it. It is now time to present the world with new theological thoughts and ideas, a new spiritual model."
Page 185: "If you are courageous, if you are very brave, you will allow a New Spirituality to enhance your religious experience. This spirituality will not reject out right our traditional religious teachings, but enlarge upon them and alter some of the teaching that you agree no longer apply or no longer function."
Page 228: "You can change our world, and the fastest way to do that will be to step away from your fallacies and embrace a new revelation and a new spirituality. This would be the most courageous thing that human beings have done for centuries. It could change human history."
Page 258 to 259: "The world is more ready than it has ever been. The world is hungry, the world is starving, for a new spiritual truth—a truth that works in sustaining life, not a truth that brings an end to life. The world is searching for a new spiritual path, begging for a new set of understandings. Most people simply do not dare to say so publicly. Saying so would mean having to acknowledge that the world's present spiritual path is not getting humans where they say they want to go. It is very difficult, it can be very fearful, for people to go against the prevailing notion of things—even when that prevailing notion of things is killing them."
Page 262: "The first thing they can do is to take the Five Steps to Peace. They can acknowledge that what they've been doing up until now no longer works."
Page 262 to 263: "Do not seek to make the New Revelations a new religion, but rather, allow the New Revelations to reveal the simple and awesome truth that new revelation is possible. In doing so, you empower humanity to reveal true humanity to itself. For when true humanity is revealed, it will be found to be Godly."
Page 273: "Remember I said that the New Spirituality will not be a complete rejection of the old, but rather, it will expand upon the old. It will eliminate from the old what clearly no longer serves you, and bring a new a deeper understanding to that which does not serve you. It will retain the best of your ancient wisdoms."
Page 280: "This is why, if wish to enhance your world as you say that you do, you are invited to create a New Spirituality, based upon New Revelations."
Page 282: "I suggest that such an international, universal, transcreedal, transcultural, transracial, standard for theology is the statement: 'We Are All One. Ours is not a better way, ours is merely another way.' This can be the gospel of a New Spirituality. I can be a king of spirituality that gives people back to themselves."
And this prose was formerly published on my "Three Dark Horses" and "Small All White in the Forest" blogs, but I decided to only publish "The 'Conversations with God' books-Inspired Posts" on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog, because these posts are more about philosophy and so is this blog.
Thus, this prose was only published on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog.
This prose was written in Portland, Oregon.
-Paulee
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This "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" Post No. 130 was edited on May 5th, 2024.
"Prose is using all of the words that are necessary in order to describe all that is necessary to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]