Questions of Importance

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   emrldphxposted 12 years ago

   I am going to pose some questions that I consider important to our journey of spiritual self-discovery. Feel free to answer these questions as you understand them, or add to the list with your own questions.
   
   I have found that my understanding and answers to these questions gets broader and deeper as I age. When I was younger, I could easily answer each question with a short, simple sentence. Now, the deeper I try to consider them, the more understanding I seem to come across.
   
   1 - Who am I?
   2 - Where did I come from?
   3 - Where am I going next?
   4 - Who is God?
   5 - What is my relationship to God?
   6 - Why did God create me?
   7 - What is my purpose here in life?
   8 - How do different religions fit within God's plan?
   9 - What is my relationship to the rest of humanity?
   10 - What am I going to do today, because of my understanding of God?

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      couturepopcafeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      1 - I am
      2 - ?
      3 - ?
      4 - Collective Spirit
      5 - One and the Same
      6 - ?
      7 - Whatever I say it is, whatever I create it to be
      8 - ?
      9 - One which is defined by my current awareness
      10 - Increase my awareness of my behaviors and how they improve or disprove my current understanding

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         emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you couturepopcafe. I didn't know if by your ?'s if you meant you didn't know exactly what I was asking or if they don't apply to your world view.

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            couturepopcafeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            I just thought that those answers would require a bit more thought and take up an awful lot of room in the forum for me to answer.

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   2. 70

      Cagsilposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      1 - Who am I?Not a question in need of answering, due to the fact it's already been answered.
      2 - Where did I come from?I came from my parents to think anything else is pathetically stupid.
      3 - Where am I going next?This is irrelevant.
      4 - Who is God?Irrelevant.
      5 - What is my relationship to God?Irrelevant.
      6 - Why did God create me?No proof I was created other than through human procreation. To think otherwise defies all knowledge known about humans.
      7 - What is my purpose here in life?My purpose is already defined.
      8 - How do different religions fit within God's plan?Irrelevant.
      9 - What is my relationship to the rest of humanity?Through my purpose.
      10 - What am I going to do today, because of my understanding of God?Irrelevant. My purpose continues on regardless.

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         emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         A little more respect would be appreciated.
         
         
         
         Thank you for your contribution Cagsil

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            Cagsilposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Why? No respect is needed. I answered the questions and they were for me to answer. If you don't like my answers, then don't ask question in HP's forum.

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            1. 60

               emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               I didn't say respect is required, just that it is appreciated. That being said, this is a forum to discuss and debate ideas, not attack people personally. You stated that anyone that believes in a spiritual life that preceded this life is stupid...

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                  Cagsilposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  I know what you said.
                  I didn't attack anyone, so get your facts straight.
                  Yeah, so what. It goes to show that those individual don't understand their life. Thus, it not only makes them stupid, but also makes them highly ignorant.
                  
                  Spiritual life is BS. It's intellectual dishonesty.

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                     emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                     I said it is appreciated. You asked why. The reason why, is because it is appreciated.
                     
                     Verbal attack is a form of abuse, including calling people stupid. That kind of behavior has no place in a discussion forum, even though many believe it to be the norm.
                     
                     
                     
                     Do you want to talk about intellectual dishonesty? Since it's a hot word right now, I believe the currently used definition going round the forum is "Intellectual dishonesty is the advocacy of a position known to be false.".
                     
                     Now, you say it is intellectual dishonesty for people to believe in spirit, even though they are too ignorant to know that it's BS. So which is it? Are they ignorant, therefore not intellectually dishonest, or do they actually not believe it?
                     
                     You are so intellectual, you should understand that you can't define reality by what you think is true. Yet, you think spiritual life is BS, therefore it is. It doesn't work that way.

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                        Cagsilposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                        A verbal attack is when it is direct at an individual. Again get your facts straight.
                        Correct, when attacks are directed at individuals, then they are personal attacks.
                        Of course you would choose to use Mikel's definition. I'm not surprised.
                        They are both. I have no belief about the topic. You didn't open this debate anything. You only wanted to display whatever it is you think you know. Most of which isn't part of reality.
                        I don't define reality by what I think. Now you're just reaching.
                        Didn't say it was, just because I said it. But nice try.

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                        1. 60

                           emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                           If you call all people who are 'X' stupid, then you are calling each individual person who is 'X' stupid.
                           
                           
                           I believe in spiritual bodies. You say that to think as I do is pathetically stupid. Even if you don't realize it, that's calling me stupid.
                           
                           
                           Provide another definition for me then. I just used the one that has been presented on the forums most recently. Please, provide your definition.
                           
                           
                           
                           They are both. So, they are ignorant and believe it, yet know it to be false and are just lying about it, simultaneously? That makes sense.
                           
                           Again, you say my beliefs aren't part of reality. Do you have any proof? Or does your thinking they aren't real make it so?
                           
                           I definitely left the door open for discussion, in the first part of the OP. The only reason we are here now is that you come into a friendly discussion and start calling people 'pathetically stupid'.
                           
                           
                           
                           You just said my beliefs aren't part of reality... again I invite you to present proof. Otherwise, it's just your opinion. But, if you state your opinion as reality, then you are attempting to define reality by what you think. It's not a difficult flow of logic to follow if you try.
                           
                           
                           
                           You said 'Spiritual life is BS.' Later you said what I believe isn't part of reality. Nothing about your opinion in there, you just stated your opinion as fact.
                           
                           The minute you go from stating what you think to applying it to others and calling them stupid, you cross that line into defining reality by your opinion.

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                           1. 93

                              Jean Bakulaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                              I don't think spiritual life or beliefs are BS. I live in NJ and am catching up on email from the library, but would like to discuss this more at a later time. Like when my electricity comes on, just spent 4 nights freezing in the dark. Pls check out some of my hubs! These forums get rather nasty.

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                              1. 93

                                 Jean Bakulaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                                 Oh, and loaded with religious nuts who quote scripture straight from the Bible, unsure why HP allows it. Not original material.

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                                 emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                                 Sure, any time

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   3. 0

      Brenda Durhamposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      .....
      1-I'm a "whosoever" (I believe in, and have accepted, Christ as my Savior).
      2-I am the product physically of the union of my parents;  spiritually of my heavenly Father.
      3-I'm going to heaven after this life, as I'm promised.
      4-God is the great "I Am", Creator of the world and Savior of all the "whosoevers", past, present, and future.
      5-I'm one of God's children, because I'm born-again.
      6-I was created for His pleasure, as the Bible says we all were.
      7-To live for Him, serve Him, and to tell others about Him.
      8-Only one "religion" fits His plan, and that is Faith in Jesus Christ.  As far as both faith and works, the Bible says pure, undefiled religion is to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep one's self unspotted from the world.
      9-My relationship to the rest of humanity is a sister-in-Christ to all who believe, and a person with the duties of a "watchman" to all those within my reach who do not or do not yet believe (but no, I'm not of the JW religion).
      10-Today, and tomorrow, or however long I have life, I'm going to praise His Holy name!

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         emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you! I have one question for clarification.
         
         "Only one "religion" fits His plan, and that is Faith in Jesus Christ.  As far as both faith and works, the Bible says pure, undefiled religion is to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep one's self unspotted from the world."
         
         So to you, for those who lived and died never hearing of Jesus Christ, do you think they will have a chance to accept Him, or will they be judged on their works differently because they didn't know him?

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            Brenda Durhamposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            I believe Jesus gave them a chance after He was crucified.  The Bible speaks about Him "preaching to the spirits in prison". As far as anyone today who dies without hearing the Gospel, I think He will reveal Himself to them at the time of their death and give them the opportunity to accept Him.  I can't say exactly how this occurs, but I will say I believe He gives everyone of the age of accountability the opportunity to Love Him or deny Him.

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               emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               I believe something similar, thank you! I can't stand the idea of a God who wouldn't give all of his children a chance at salvation.

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   4. 59

      autumn18posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      1 - Who am I? - I am (my birth name)
      2 - Where did I come from? - The union of my parents
      3 - Where am I going next? - I'm not sure. I hope to live a long content life with my loved ones.
      4 - Who is God? - I don't know and anything I want to see as God or Godlike isn't considered a who.
      5 - What is my relationship to God? - The Judeo-Christian God? I don't have one.
      6 - Why did God create me? - I'm not sure God created me.
      7 - What is my purpose here in life? - To live it the best I know how.
      8 - How do different religions fit within God's plan? - I don't know.
      9 - What is my relationship to the rest of humanity? - I would like to think we have a common goal and that is to co-exist peacefully.
      10 - What am I going to do today, because of my understanding of God? - Nothing.

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         emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks! It's fine to change the wording of the question to fit your model. For example, if you think God is nature, or a spiritual force, it would be What is God, not Who.
         
         I just want to see what others' beliefs are. Also, I find that each time I consider these questions, it's a new chance to learn.

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            autumn18posted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Hi emrldphx. I'm still figuring out what my spirituality means to me but I do know that I don't claim or practice any religion. It's probably because I wasn't raised on any religion in a rigorous way. It's not a part of me. Like you mentioned, I do like to view a God/higher power as nature and the universe. I think these types of questions are great, it gets us thinking.

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               emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               I think my favorite way to try and answer questions like that is write down the first answer that comes to mind, then consider them both. Then, I'll either change the answer completely or modify it. Usually I'll get to a point where I'm not unhappy with the answer, so I go with that for then

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   5. 57

      A Troubled Manposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Laugh hysterically at believers who obey and worship an invisible sky fairy.

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         emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you for your participation Troubled...
         
         If you don't want believers trying to shove their beliefs down your throat, why are you second-most active on a religious discussion forum? Do you enjoy misery?

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         1. 57

            A Troubled Manposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            The only way to analyze and criticize hate speech is with more speech.

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               emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               Right... people discussing what is important to them personally with each other, even if they don't agree, is hate speech? Gotcha.

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                  A Troubled Manposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  That's not what I said at all. I was referring to scriptures as hate speech and not what other people may agree or disagree personally.

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                     emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                     Yet you are here criticizing people's beliefs daily.
                     
                     I can say I believe in God, and you respond with something about me believing in nonsense. In other words, you are the one crossing the line from belief into reality.
                     
                     Stating beliefs isn't hate speech. I've yet to see you analyze scripture.

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                        A Troubled Manposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                        Are you now saying that your religious beliefs and the beliefs of others are NOT based on scriptures And, that believers aren't filling these forums with quotes from scriptures to back up their beliefs?

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                           emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                           I'm saying, you claim that the scriptures are the hate speech, but I never see you address the scriptures.
                           
                           Since you only address people's arguments about their beliefs, it can only be reasoned that you consider people's statements of belief to be hate speech.

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                           1. 57

                              A Troubled Manposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                              Oh, but I have, many times.

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                                 emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                                 Maybe, but I haven't seen it. All of your arguments I have seen have been with what other people say. You told me the reason you are here is to combat hate speech with more speech. I can only derive that you consider other people's beliefs to be hate speech.

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                                    A Troubled Manposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                                    You're new here, aren't you? Like joined 8 days ago?

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                                       emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                                       I asked why you were posting in a thread. You said 'you can only fight hate speech with more speech'. So, you defined your own motive for posting in that thread as 'fighting hate speech'. The only speech in that thread was personal opinion.
                                       
                                       See the logic?
                                       
                                       Yes, I'm new, but you say you are fighting hate speech when I ask why you attack personal beliefs. It's crystal clear.

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   6. 50

      paarsurreyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Mirza Ghulam Ahmad- the Promised Messiah has explained it as follows:
      
      The Object of Man’s Life and the Means of its Attainment
      
      "Different people, being short-sighted and lacking
      high resolve, appoint different purposes for their
      lives and limit themselves to worldly goals and
      ambitions. But the purpose that God Almighty has
      appointed for man in His Holy Word is as follows:
      
      And I have not created the Jinn and the men but that they may
      worship Me. (The Holy Quran, adh-Dhariyat 51:57)
      
      That is, I have created men and jinn so that they
      may know Me and worship Me. Thus the true
      purpose of man’s life is the worship of God, His
      understanding and complete devotion to Him.
      It is obvious that man is not in a position to
      appoint the purpose of his own life, for he does not
      come into the world of his own accord, nor will he
      depart therefrom of his own will. He is a creature and
      the One Who created him and invested him with
      better and higher faculties than those of all other
      animals, has also appointed a purpose for his life.
      
      Whether anyone penetrates to it or not, the purpose
      of man’s creation without a doubt is the worship and
      the understanding of God and complete devotion to
      Him. At another place God Almighty has said in the
      Holy Quran:
      
      Surely, the true religion with Allah is Islam (complete submission). (The
      Holy Quran, al-e-‘Imran 3:20)
      
      Follow the nature made by Allah— the nature in which He has created
      mankind…….That is the right religion. (The Holy Quran, ar-Rum 30:31)
      
      That is, the religion which provides true
      understanding of God and prescribes His true
      worship is Islam. Islam is inherent in man’s nature
      and man has been created in accord with Islam.
      That is the everlasting faith. This means that God
      has desired that man should devote himself to His
      worship and obedience and love with all his
      faculties. That is why He has bestowed on man all
      the faculties that are appropriate for Islam.
      
      These verses have very wide meaning, a part of
      which we have set out in the third part of the answer
      to the first question. Here we wish to state briefly
      that the true purpose of the internal and external
      limbs and faculties that have been bestowed on man
      is the understanding of God and His worship and His
      love.
      
      That is why, despite occupying himself with
      diverse projects in this life, man does not find his true
      welfare except in God. Having had great wealth,
      having held high office, having become a great
      merchant, having ruled a great kingdom, having been
      known as a great philosopher, in the end he departs
      from all these involvements with great regret.
      
      His heart constantly rebukes him on his total
      preoccupation with worldly affairs and his conscience
      never approves his cunning and deceit and illicit
      activities. An intelligent person can appreciate this
      problem in this way also, that the purpose of
      everything is to be determined by its highest
      performance beyond which its faculties cannot
      operate. For instance, the highest function of a
      bullock is ploughing or irrigation or transportation.
      Its faculties are not adapted to anything else.
      Therefore, the purpose of a bullock’s life are just
      these three things.
      
      It has no power to do anything
      else. But when we look into the faculties of man and
      try to discover what is their highest reach, we find
      that he seeks after God, the Exalted. He desires to
      become so devoted to God that he should keep
      
      nothing as his own and all that is his should become
      God’s. He shares with the other animals his natural
      urge towards eating, sleeping etc. In industry some
      animals are far ahead of him. Indeed the bees
      extracting the essence of different types of flowers
      produce such excellent honey that man has not yet
      been able to match them. It is obvious, therefore,
      that the highest reach of man’s faculties is to meet
      God, the Exalted. Thus the true purpose of his life
      is that the window of his heart should open
      towards God."
      
      Page-164
      http://www.alislam.org/library/books/Ph … -Islam.pdf

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         emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you Paar
         
         Do you think it is possible for the God of the Bible and Allah of the Quran to be the same Creator?

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            paarsurreyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            YHWH of the OT Bible and the Allah the Creator God are one and the same; the attributes of the Creator God is what matter most; His name could be any good name in any language which human speak.
            
            NT Bible presents Trinity; and Jesus as god, which is not the same.

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               emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               Thanks, I appreciate you stating your beliefs.

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2. 60

   emrldphxposted 12 years ago

   I could write an essay on each of these questions, but I will try to keep them short.
   
   1 - Who am I?
   I am me. I am a soul, a combination of spirit and physical, coupled with intelligence and free will.
   
   2 - Where did I come from?
   I don't know the beginning. I know that I was a spiritual being before I was a physical being, and I think my spiritual being is similar to my physical; coupled with another 'type' of me.
   
   3 - Where am I going next?
   After this life, I will go to heaven. We all will go to heaven. Heaven is the state of existence that we most deeply desire and strive for. It is the type of eternity we will be most comfortable with. My heaven and your heaven may not necessarily be the same. My heaven involves family, as it is the most important thing to me on this earth.
   
   4 - Who is God?
   My father, literally the father of my spiritual body. A being of perfection, living eternally in perfect bliss, happiness, and love.
   
   5 - What is my relationship to God?
   He is my father, but he is also my guide. He desires to show me how to live the kind of eternity that he lives.
   
   6 - Why did God create me?
   To bring me from a state where I existed, to a higher state of existence(spiritual body), to a higher state of existence(physical body), to a higher state of existence(living in heaven eternally).
   
   7 - What is my purpose here in life?
   To learn myself, and to develop the characteristics of perfection, as demonstrated by God.
   
   8 - How do different religions fit within God's plan?
   I love the words of C.S. Lewis in 'The Voyage of The Dawn Treader'. Aslan tells Lucy, I believe, that when she returns to her world, He will be watching over her, but that He is known by another name. I believe there is only one path, but that path is known by different names to different people.
   
   9 - What is my relationship to the rest of humanity?
   They are all my brothers and sisters. Just as real families fight, we do too. It's part of being human. We are all striving for the same goal.
   
   10 - What am I going to do today, because of my understanding of God?
   Today, I am going to spend more time playing Legos with my son.

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      couturepopcafeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Well stated.

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3. 83

   psycheskinnerposted 12 years ago

   I am the subjective experience of self going by my name
   A sperm, egg, womb and period of parental care.
   Forward in my professional and personal life according to my goals.
   N/A
   N/A
   N/A
   N/A
   N/A
   As a member.
   N/A

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      emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for your input

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   awareposted 12 years ago

   10 questions , 12  I , 5 my, and 1 me.  hmmm. answer is    a abundance of self importance.

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      emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      "I am going to pose some questions that I consider important to our journey of spiritual self-discovery."
      
      If you don't care about self-discovery, that's fine, but are you really going to come in and demean the entire concept of introspection?

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   awareposted 12 years ago

   i like your question thats why im weighing in on it.  i am aware . of my shortcomings . ego is one of them.

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      emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      
      
      I just wasn't exactly sure what you were saying there... of course questions about your own self view will be predominantly self-centric.
      
      I hope we all find what we are looking for.

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   awareposted 12 years ago

   my 42 year journey so far has  led  me to know this.  life isnt about me. or what i think.  hope that saves you some time   with your path

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      couturepopcafeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      aware - you sort of went to both ends of the spectrum and you've chosen 'aware' as your moniker.  Interesting.  I think you have it right but may be conflicted.  It's exactly about you and what you think and everyone else who touches your life.  You grow by virtue of your experience, then everyone else grows (depending upon their receptivity/awareness) because of their experience with you.

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   awareposted 12 years ago

   we cool? i m just waxing philosophic.  im silly like that .  i mean no offense

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      emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      We're like ice, buddy
      
      So if it's not about me, then what about you? Where do you think *you* are going?

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   awareposted 12 years ago

   i hope  in metamorphosis .  its proven. the afterlife is a pill hard for me to swallow.   ahh... to be a butterfly .  forward  i hope to  keep going forward despite its consequence.   
     i like deep thinking. and those that partake in it.
   smile

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      emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I get claustrophobic... I wouldn't do well in a cocoon... But that would be a nice way to go about it, progression without interruption.

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   awareposted 12 years ago

   a newborn only need look behind  them  to find the answer to question #2. on my birth day  i always get my mom a card . thanking her for her labor .

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    Wilfionposted 12 years ago

    1.  I am who I am
    2.  I came from my parents
    3.  Next, I am going to my grave.
    4.  God is made in man's image.
    5.  He's my uncle.
    6.  God didn't create me, my parents did.
    7.  To take up space until I become worm food.
    8.  All religions are manmade and nothing to do with God.
    9.  I am one of the 7 billion, most of whom I don't know.
    10. I'm going to have a few sherries and contemplate the meaningless of it all.

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