emalpaiz

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Everything posted by emalpaiz

  1. I have always felt an inner spiritual calling, but not to follow the traditional religions. I rarely tell people that I am a minister, nor do I wear any ministerial paraphernalia. I feel that God is the God of all, not just of any particular religion. hermano Luis
  2. I know that you are a devout Christian, but in the United States there are so many religions. Have you had any experience in the hospital that you visit with people of different faiths? I am not a Christian, but if I were in a hospital bed and a minister came around and asked me if he or she could say a prayer, I would not mind. Of course I would tell them before he or she started saying the prayer that I am not a Christian. Would you say the prayer? I ask this because not all Christian ministers would say the prayer. Or would they? Hermano Luis
  3. Thank you! Very interesting; I hope to read more about your believes. Hermano Luis
  4. I have a hard time believing in prophetic writings. It matters not if they are found in Christian books or books of any other religion. I believe that the Bible, like all the other Sacred Books of mankind, to be an allegorical book written to help humans to develop their spiritual potentials. So it makes me think that this anti-Christ could be nothing else but mankind itself. Mankind has the potential of doing great good or great evil. So this so called Anti-Christ could be nothing else but Mankind being led by its own dark side. It is prophetic in the sense that it is reminding us that we have a side of goodness and a side of darkness and evil. That is how I understand the Anti-Christ. Hermano Luis
  5. Rev. Linda Hourihan, thank you very much for your kind sermons.  They are filled with profound spiritual value.  Your words have the power to lift us from the difficulties of our daily battles.  Do not stop sending us those sermons of Joy, Life, and Love.

    Hermano Luis

  6. I am not a Christian nor am I anti-Christian, but I understand what you are saying. Even though you write as a Christian, I understand as a Vedantic. In the Srimad Bhagavad Gita (one of the sacred books of my spiritual tradition), the Beloved One says: "I am the Spirit seated in the heart of all beings; I am the Beginning, Middle, and End of all" (Gita 10:20). We might have different spiritual traditions, but we are speaking of the same thing. Thank you for your words. Hermano Luis
  7. It is nice that you are back. Your words are filled with the spirit of joy. Peace!
  8. It is very interesting: not just did Master Jesus teach without a church, Lord Buddha also taught without a church. Many of the great spiritual masters of the past taught without a church. I have a very small shrine... I meditate there. I feel that the true church is under the sky, and the Beloved One teaches us in His/Her silence. Isn't it beautiful? Hermano Luis
  9. I have to agree... the goal of the church should always be people. I used to go to a Catholic Church in San Juan, Puerto Rico that was open at all hours of the day. When I was younger I used to go there and sit in the silence of the church. There were always some elderly ladies saying the Catholic Rosary in a very gentle way. You could sit in said church for hours in meditational silence. I would do that often. I felt then that I was going on a pilgrimage to said church just to sit in the silence away from the noise of the city. As I grew older and took on the responsibilities of the world my visits to said temple diminished. I have not gone there in years. After reading your post I was reminded of the many visits I had there in my younger years. I should visit there again. The serenity felt in that church was a gift for everyone.
  10. My "Wow!" of the other day was not an approval of what you said. I was surprised by your arrogance. You call yourself "Child of God" and I would expect humility from you, but I saw none. One of the reasons that forced me to walk away from traditional Christianity was the arrogance of many Christians. True spirituality is not forcing ones religion upon others, but expressing our thoughts with Understanding , Love, and Compassion. Let go of your arrogance, and express your thoughts with loving kindness. I know that Jesus Christ expressed His thoughts with loving kindness in the same way that the all the spiritual giants of the world.
  11. To me virtue is serenity in everything that I do. Cultivating a mind of understanding and a heart of loving compassion.
  12. I will definitely read those stories. I am sure that I will find some similarities with many of the stories found in Hindu mythologies. I have found the story of Abraham who had to sacrifice his son in Hindu myths. An elderly couple had to sacrifice their teenage son to the god of death (Lord Yama), but Lord Shiva rescues the young man, I have found similarities in different legends of different cultures. Now that I am getting ready to retire, I am going to read more. Thanks!
  13. I am going to make an effort to study and learn Norse mythology. I have little or no knowledge of those myths. (Shame on me!) Hermano Luis
  14. There is one thing about Hinduism. I love the mythological stories of Hinduism; they are fun, and yes many rituals depend on those myths. I enjoy taking those myths apart and retelling them in different ways. For example, the story of the elephant God (Ganesh) I tell it in a different way, because I do not like having Lord Shiva kill the young elephant. Even when changed the myths continue to have the same value they have had traditionally. Why can't we enjoy good story telling? Why must we convert good stories into religious doctrines?
  15. Science has a lot to tell us. From the beginning Genesis was only a story.
  16. In my religion there are stories of beings from other planes of existence, but I have always taken those stories as myths.
  17. In my home I have a shrine, that is where I usually meditate. Sometimes I go to a Vedantic center in San Juan.
  18. Welcome Magister Aeternus! In the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna (an Avatar of the Supreme) says, "I am the true Self in the heart of all creatures" (Gita 10:20). Once more, "Welcome!" I am sure that you will enjoy your membership in the ULC. Freedom of thought is our basic doctrine. Soon you will encounter some very interesting thoughts, some very brilliant minds. I was also a Rosicrucian once. Hermano Luis
  19. These are not services in themselves, but those who come to me always get a smile and loving kindness. And in some special cases, a good hug. Hermano Luis
  20. I am a ULC minister. My spiritual convictions are clear. I believe that two persons who love each other should have the right to get married. I do not care what their sex might be. So those laws would protect me when I celebrate the wedding. Those laws sound like a big deal, but at the end they are nothing. I believe in love. God is the God of all. Hermano Luis
  21. The founding teacher of my spiritual tradition, Sri Shyamacharan Lahiri (1828-1895) would have agreed with the Pope for he used to say, "God is the God of all." I also believe that. Hermano Luis
  22. I totally agree with this. In the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, God (Sri Bhagavan Krishna) says: "I am the true Self (Atman, Soul) in the heart of every creature..." (Gita 10:20). The Roman Catholic Church celebrates the Day of St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) on October 4 every year. Many Roman Catholic Churches hold blessings for the animals on said date. I think that I will start celebrating services for the blessings of animals. Hermano Luis
  23. Every minister-priest should have the right to perform or not perform a wedding. It should not e imposed on the minister-priest by the government. I strongly believe that minister-priests are here to help everyone with their spiritual life. Then again minister-priests also have rights and freedom. Hermano Luis