I am a Spinozan agnostic non-denominational universalist
follower of Jesus Christ as I understand Him to be and as He has
revealed Himself in my heart (not the pump in my chest).
I am not diagnosed bi-polar, but underwent treatment for
emotional disorder for a while - to no benefit. My brother and sister
(I'm in the middle) have both been diagnosed bi-polar and both are on
medication. My mother was also hospitalized in her 30s for severe
depression. It's in the family.
I believe very strongly that bi-polar disorder (and
other similar mental disorders perhaps) may be at the heart of many
religious conversions, many a deeply religious person, and also be at
the core of many testimonies by individuals who claim to have been
'touched' (for want of a better word) by a higher power, or God, some
of whom are quite famous, such as St. John of the Cross and Julian of
Norwich. There are no doubt countless others, ancient and modern.
I do not really **know** what I believe or don't
believe; I have zero certainty; but I do know that I have a strong
faith (made the leap) that a Being or Beings have intervened in my
heart and mind and that this Being or these Beings are benign,
loving, and are of a nature that is beyond my brain's capacity to
comprehend. I have named these Beings God and Jesus Christ, and while
my gut and my heart tell me I am correct, my reasoning brain allows
me to consider that this could be (and probably is?) due to the place
of my birth, my upbringing, and the information about the world that
I have been exposed to. From my scant reading of Buddhist beliefs, if
I were born in the Far East, I would probably be a Buddhist; and the
same may be said if I were born in the Middle East, etc, etc.
I've been astonished of late by the similarities in core
teachings of all world religions, and believe that there is a reason
for that which goes beyond what we know scientifically, historically,
philosophically, and sociologically.
The LAST thing I wish to do is offend my Lord, or to
offend God. I would gladly die right now than willfully do such a
thing. While I say this, I am fairly convinced that Jesus Christ and
God cannot possibly be offended by me, because their nature is such
that there is simply no means available for me to cause any actual
offense to them. I may, however, be wrong, and this very thing that
I've just said right there could very well constitute a grievous
offense to the very Lord and God Whom I love with all my heart and
soul. That is my greatest fear at the moment. I don't fear eternal
punishment, as I believe that to be utterly contrary to a loving God;
what I fear is offending That which I love so much, so deeply. A
retreat to disbelief, at this point in my travels, would leave me
with a feeling on par to that of abandoning one of my children,
and/or forsaking my parents.
I realize that none of this sounds remotely rational or
reasonable. I cannot defend my views or my feelings with wholly
rational, reasonable discourse or argumentation.
I was a militant atheist, and was even a Randian
Objectivist for a few years, for most of my adult life. I went
through what I can only call a radical religious conversion in 2011,
over the course of a few months of intense depression, elation,
confusion, grief, and sporadic bouts of prolific artistic creativity,
which has lasted up until now and is ongoing.
That's about it,
Bill
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