I never intended we talk about the existance of God.
I knew we would, but may I say in defense of your God, we humans have very many, most have not advanced him here.
I have said the holly books give or gave us something to grow on.
You talk of things that will out last man but seem to include God in that?
I can not share your views.
I find more Christians with clay feet than not.
I prefer to think my actions make me what I am not a phantom God.

Belly, you wrote:

"I never intended we talk about the existance of God."

It is inevitable that if you mention the word 'God', people would start to belittle God by imagining Him as existing. Next down this slippery-slope they may discuss what He has for breakfast. If all you wanted was to discuss humanity, then why mention Him at all?

"I have said the holly books give or gave us something to grow on."

I certainly agree. So have also books on science and philosophy.

"You talk of things that will out last man but seem to include God in that?"

Certainly not! I stated here again and again that God is not a thing. It therefore makes no sense to attribute Him with longevity.

"I prefer to think my actions make me what I am not a phantom God."

It is your very right to think as it pleases you. Do you indeed believe that you created yourself? My view is that although your actions may to some extent modify your body, your mind and your environment, they cannot affect yourself. You are and ever been what you are, so there was never a need for you to be created, neither by yourself nor by God.

Dear Belly,

Many of us become seekers as we begin to
question and search.
Then, as we continue our search
and deepen our commitment, something else
begins to happen. To be a seeker still
implies that there is a road to be found.
After sever years of searching, many people
find their roads; some kind of spiritual
path. At a certain point, the seeker becomes
a pilgrim. They are no longer looking for
the road they are on the road. The pilgrimage
is a process by which we can change what we
think and transform who we are...

Thanks for this thread.

Dear Foxy,

This was beautiful.

Just one point puzzles me, your last one:

"The pilgrimage is a process by which we can change what we think and transform who we are..."

We can definitely change what we think, but how possibly who we are? Can we, by whatever process, become someone else? it just doesn't make sense.

Dear Yuyutsu,

As I've explained in the past
spirituality is an inner fire,
a mystical sustenance that feeds our
souls. The mystical journey drives us
into ourselves, to a sacred flame at
our center. The purpose of this
experience is to develop eyes by which
we see this inner flame, and our
capacity to live its mystery.

We shall become as different from who
we are now as the butterfly from the
caterpillar. We need to turn back into
ourselves, to the well inside from
which we are endlessly creative.

I can't explain it any better than that.

Thank you very much Foxy for your beautiful explanation.

I thoroughly agree. If I may suggest a better wording:

The pilgrimage is a process by which we can change what we think and transform our experience of who we are...