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    Thread: Angels, Demons, Heaven, Hell and Purgatory

    1. #1
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      Default Angels, Demons, Heaven, Hell and Purgatory

      I believe in angels and demons but not in the traditional sense. Different faith traditions urge us not to make imagery of God or spirit forces like angels and demons. I think this is because they are concepts of the human spirit and of the divine.

      Most people think of an angel as humanoid with wings. And religion would have us believe that a being like this exists. It does but not as such. A demon is a scary monster with horrible fangs and a forked toung. Demons exist but not as such.

      This is the danger of trying to paint or sculpt an abstract idea in concrete literal form. I believe they are forces corresponding to the human spirit. I also think spirits are real, but not as ghosts or ghouls. A spirit is the governing force essence driving a human life.

      I believe in inner demons and as Lincoln termed them in his inaugural address, "the higher angels of our nature". What spirit rules or "owns" you. Are you "owned" by your anger, your hate, your vices?
      "Owned" is a synonym for "possessed." I believe people can be possessed by their inner demons. It is low (like hell is typically depicted as being below), it is scary, it is ugly.

      I doubt many religious people would endorse angelic possession. This is odd as they believe in demonic possession. And demons are synonymous with fallen angels.

      I believe in it though. We can be "owned" by the "higher angels of our nature". We can be at peace, we can love, be kind. We can learn to overcome and master many things. We can be positive, full of light and life. If we are possessed by these angels, our human spirits will soar! (Hence humanoids with wings.)

      Our human spirits can choose to dwell below. Hell is real too and it is in the minds of those who who are owned by inner demons. We can become angelic through self mastery and goodness. For these people Heaven exists on earth. Purgatory is for those who have shunned their inner demons but who have not yet grappeled with themselves to realize their higher (Divine) nature.

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      Hmm...interesting thoughts honey. I kinda agree with you to some extent although I do beleive there are forces at work outside of our 'world'. It is interesting to note that the Devil did not exist as such until Christianity came along....it was used as an example to teach, to pressure people to keep on the right side of things. The same as angels were used to be a guiding light.
      I personally have experienced things that cannot be explained away and know I would not be here now if it were not for something/someone intervening in situations. Angels?? Not sure but something/someone wanted me to continue living to do what I am here to do.

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      @Kiran

      I agree completely! And mind you, I do believe in these forces! I can see how it would be easy to interpret my statements as those of someone who is rationalizing away centuries and millenia of mysticism.

      I believe that our world and everything in it is a medium, avatar, incarnation whatever for spirit forces in the universe. If someone is ruled by inner demons, I believe they are being inhabited by negative forces in the universe, or negative spirits. In studying particle physics, I have come to know that scientifically we are affected by cosmic radiation and cosmic forces all the time. I believe these forces have an intellegence and are incorporeal beings.

      What is an angel? A spirit force that has ability to intervene super-humanly or inter-humanly. Meaning a force beyond us or actually through us.

      I have met people who I would swear are angels. But not because of themselves, because they are ruled by a higher power and at that moment and at that time are literally transmuted into higher beings.

      Also I have experienced events, like you, from which I was only saved by a force or being greater than myself. So I believe people can literally BE angels. AND I believe these forces can still help us when they are in the nonphysical form.

      Does this make us pawns to the supernatural? In a manner of speaking. But we can be aware of it and somewhat control it.

      If someone were to have a car accident late at night, on a back country road, perhaps that person would be found by a kind soul driving along. Perhaps that kind soul was not just impressed by some strange thought to drive down that road, but actually became possessed by an angel.

      Many people have been rescued similarly. Was it a supernatural being that lets say you could never look up in the phone book? Or was it an actual person with an actual address, an actual name and number simply used for a moment by cosmic forces to intervene in our world.

      I have a syncretic approach to religion and therefore believe in dichotomous beliefs, paradoxical dualities.

      We are entirely human, but can be entirely angelic. Christ was entirely human while being entirely God. We can still be human, but unknowingly angel or otherwise simultaneously. An angel can be a literal person and an incorporeal force simultaneously. We are natural and follow natural law, they are supernatural and do not follow natural law.

      We are human but can be entirely God. Interesting that the sides of the skull are refered to anatomically as the "temples". And nearly every faith has its scriptural equivalent of "the body is the temple of God". Hindus say Namaste, and bow to that place within others wherein "God dwells". So if God literally can live in the temple of a man, does that make us God or man? I say that we can be one or the other, or both. The body is a host, spiritual forces would be parasite. I would love to find a positive equivalent of parasite, the word seems so derogatory. But for now that is the only word I have.

      It is compelling to me that Christ was entirely human AND entirely divine at the same time. He was the son of God. How can we understand this concept, even as seekers without religious bias? Also people are called to follow Christ, and to be like him. He said at one point, that there would come people (after him) who do even more miraculous things. How can it be that humans could come along in later generations who could do GREATER things than GOD? Perhaps the message is the realization that we are all sons and daughters of life. We are entirely human but can be entirely divine simultaneously. It is all a matter of where your head is!

      Christ always deferred to his Heavenly Father. Why would God be humble and give the credit to something higher like a heavenly father? Is it because we can be human and divine simultaneously but we must always remain in humility. We should not say, "I AM love" but we should say "I am a vessel for love". Divine wisdom is ALWAYS humble!





      Quote Originally Posted by Kiran View Post
      Hmm...interesting thoughts honey. I kinda agree with you to some extent although I do beleive there are forces at work outside of our 'world'. It is interesting to note that the Devil did not exist as such until Christianity came along....it was used as an example to teach, to pressure people to keep on the right side of things. The same as angels were used to be a guiding light.
      I personally have experienced things that cannot be explained away and know I would not be here now if it were not for something/someone intervening in situations. Angels?? Not sure but something/someone wanted me to continue living to do what I am here to do.

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      for me and the way i have come to see it : the term "demons" is representative of two things 1. negative energy that can manifest within ones being eg. unhappiness,hate,anger,jelousy etc 2. dark beings which operate so to create the yin yang of the universe which is a needed balance sometimes these beings operate out of their bounds and can cause havoc on the mortal soul.

      " angels" is a term to describe two things 1. positivity manifested within eg .happiness, selfless helper,love etc 2. angels,guides whatever one calls it they are beings external to ones soul who to came into creation to serve others on their path ..

      of course this concept means alot to different people depending on where they are at in their learning ,their individual experience in life ..i know these beings to be very real and exist ..
      thankyou for a wonderful thread ..is always good to venture into this territory once an a while .. xx Rana









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      @Rana Thank you for sharing your understanding. My meditation for the day is "Help me be more angelic! Happy, Loving, Selfless, Full of Light!"

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