I was adopted at birth. Grew up in a Catholic family (who wasn’t very strict about dogma btw), and had influences from Evangelical, as well as Othodox Christians as well, before my spiritual awakening (as well as Islam and Judaism, although those didn’t always mix with the Christian influences).

For a time in my early adulthood (I’m 40 now) I was a quite resolute Roman Catholic, yet at the same time big on the idea that the Roman Church and Othodox Church can one day be one church (which I still feel btw).

Then I found science, and became agnostic (at that time, in the absence of experiences overwhelming enough to know that something is real about God or religion.

Then I found the plants, and people like us, and shamanism, and have had an awesome spiritual experience in which I’ve found that there is realness in Christianity.

Yet it hasn’t been spiritually and or karmically easy.

I also found paganism. And the ancient wounds of one paradigm replaced by another... for a time at least. My vision include a world where both coexist.

Hello BundleflowerPower,

As someone who's not religious at all but still enjoy churches and cathedrals for their brilliant architecture I'm finding myself intrigued by your many different experiences in life.

If I may ask: what hasn't been ?
I'm also curious as to why you're, for the lack of a better word "into" religion ;beyond being raised in a catholic family?

It hasn’t always been easy because I have friends who are Christians of various sorts, and Muslims , and Jewish people, and friends who practice forms of Goddess Religion and Wiccan friends, and Buddhist friends, and Hindu friends, and Voodoo and Orisha Religion friends, and friends who practice Native American spiritualities, and shamanic friends and so forth (probably forgot a few).

My spiritual experience relative to all these people has been very challenging at times, given all the things that I have heard people say about each other during the course of my life (when it comes to thing told to me as a child, those things left imprints in my formatable mind). For example the judgements that some Christians have expressed about Voodoo, or Wicca. Or the reverse of that, some part of the more pagan traditions distrusts Christians). Or the distrust between Muslims and Christians, or the taking things out on the Jewish People that I’ve encountered (and even engaged in earlier in life for a time).

And these experiences has come while also healing my own trauma, and the part of me who plays roles, or seeks validation from others, or puts too much stock in what others think or perceive perhaps. The dualistic ego structure some might call it. I’ve had experiences of one tradition seeming to come through that structure to get over on the others, or one other or whatever.

And healing the fear of hell that I grew up with has been challenging. Or the fear that sexual energy is wrong or bad or evil.

And it’s not that I’m “into” religion per se. What seems to resonate with me the most is ancient Europe and Asia Minor. Old Europe and the Great Goddess tradition and the later mythologies of the Hellenistic world. And Egypt. The old world mythological traditions. And the Native American who honor the old ways as well (some of whom are Christian).

Yet after a time of being disgusted with religion I cane to find beauty in them.

For one example, I don’t really know Jesus like talking about, or exactly what he embodies or whatever, yet I’ve found the Virgin Mary to be very real in my experience, and spiritually feel the devotion to her that exists my community amounts the Catholic and orthodox churches. And shes powerful in me, something like a guide. The Holy Spirit as well.

And that’s what’s been challenging. To heal the rifts in my soul that exist between various religions (which to me are about things less important than what really matters in life) and so forth, so that I can honor and even be guided in part by that which I’ve found to be real in the various traditions. Like Fatema, the daughter of the Prophet Mohammad, and the Virgin Mary, and Mother Earth and old goddesses and Goddess for example (to used the feminine as my example). All of they’re spirits can guide me if I’m in at least relative harmony relative to all of them.

Hey BundleflowerPower,

The Catholic Church, which can be seen as a big branch from the Orthodox Church, lies not far away from the stem, despite the Great Schism in 1054. This is comes mainly from the fact that the Catholic Church kept the Apostolic succession – the bishops form a direct, uninterrupted line of descent from the Apostles of Jesus Christ. In practice, it means that any member of the Catholic Church can be re-united with the Orthodox Church by means of a confession and partaking in the Holy Communion. There is no need to re-do the baptizing and the Chrismation (confirmation), while the clergy (lectors, subdiacons, diacons, priests and bishops) retain their respective order.

Indeed - through the use of psychedelics people can rediscover, unintentionally, their faith.

This is because people are inclined to turn outwards, while our whole attention should be turned inwards: to know yourself, to fight the preternatural evil forces (demonic thoughts) and to find God.

There are three types of fear: the fear to get a punishment, the fear of not getting a reward and the fear to upset somebody you love. Of course, it is not possible to really “upset” God, because He is the Absolute Love, but the fear of doing the things He did not intend (as outlined in the Gospel commandments) is the only constructive fear one should have. Thus, the fear of hell is actually the fear of intentionally performing actions that separate us from the Source of all love (God). Even here, on earth, we experience a great sorrow and inner torment when we learn that we will never see again somebody we love. Along this lines, an eternal separation from the Absolute Love implies an absolute sorrow and torment (=hell).

Is electrical energy good or bad? It depends on the use: you can use it to illuminate the house or to electrocute somebody. So is the sexual energy: it can be used in a negative way (violent rape), in a positive way (the love making between a man and woman who love each other) or anything in between (drunk sex with a stranger, orgies, blackmail etc.)

Then maybe it’s time to get to know Him? Repeat during the day, particularly at times of discontent, the Jesus prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me." or the long version: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.", and the Holy Spirit will illuminate you. Reading the Gospel also helps.

True, but you still need to know Jesus better

During those challenging questions, you should ask: “What relevance does it have to my salvation?” The answer is: none. Your mission on earth is not to heal rifts, but to turn your attention inside in order to know yourself, to fight the demonic influences on your mind and to find God.

I grew up Greek Orthodox. I became agnostic/atheist when I moved to Silicon Valley. Found spirituality back less than 8 years ago. It's my opinion that "God" is simply consciousness and the sum (plus more) or everything. Everything else (e.g. organized religion), it's human inventions. I don't believe in gods, angels, demons, saints, or a God that sits in the clouds judging everyone.

As for Jesus, I do believe that he was a historic person, and it's possible that he indeed performed "miracles". Or should I say, alien-assisted, technologically-driven actions that served a long term purpose via a massively scaled social engineering. Because ultimately, what Christianity brought to the world compared to the old world, was social re-engineering.

I greatly appreciate the questions being thoroughly answered

Religion and spirituality are very interesting subjects.