[pianoperformer]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

I choose my own beliefs.

There are parts & pieces (sometimes quite big parts and pieces) in every major religion that I would accept, and believe.

I was like that once.

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

If God is omniscient, omni-present and all-powerful, it seems very unlikely to me that God or certain aspects of it would not have shown itself in different ways to different cultures and people throughout the history of mankind.

I mean, if I were God and I were interested in directly communicating with you little folks from time to time, why would I limit myself to one particular form called "Jesus of Nazareth" at a particular time in history; or an elephantine idol called Ganesha; or communicate through one particular type of harp-slinging, white-feathered angel only?

No, I think that if God is everywhere all the time, God must be communicating and interacting with man, in an endless variety of forms and ways.

Interesting. I'm not sure I can agree, though. The major religions are rather different on many points, and those points seem non-negotiable. I mean that sure, all of them believe in a God or gods of some kind, but they are so very different in their approach.

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

And man must also be able to communicate with God in a wide variety of different ways. And those ways may or may not fall into the category of what is normally termed "religious".

The problem with organised religion is simply a human problem which shows up in any kind of human organisation.

In the corporate workplace, there will be politics; jostling for power; people with their own agendas; people who focus on the irrelevant things; and mindless policies and procedures inherited from the past.

This is simply human nature.

So in the religious organisation, there will also be politics; jostling for power; people with their own agendas; people who focus on the irrelevant things; and mindless cultural baggage inherited from the past.

Therefore I choose to stay away from organised religion. Not that it is completely valueless, but the positives for me are outweighted by the negatives.

This is not how all churches are, though. I can see that point for the Catholic church, but that is neither the only church, nor does it represent all churches. When I attended a Baptist church, there were just a bunch of people gathered together in worship, happy to be there with others who believed similarly. No useless rules, formalities, etc.

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

Furthermore I do not believe that intermediaries are necessary. I do not believe that I need a priest, a shaman or some other religious figure to make the connection between myself and the divine.

I shall put it more boldly. I *know* that I do not need a priest, a shaman or some other religious figure to make the connection between myself and the divine.

Because I have made the connection myself, directly.

(Oh, we direct connectors are not that uncommon, really. ).

You make it sound like you are part of some elite. I know you say it is not that uncommon, but you say "we direct connectors." I think only Catholics would disagree with you. Others seem to pray directly to God.

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

This is where you have not gone yet, pianoperformer. You still talk about using "reason" to discover God, as if he were some kind of Sudoku puzzle which you could surely solve, if you were sufficiently logical.

"Reason" has its uses. It also becomes unnecessary, when you actually know something to be true.

Actually, you misjudge me. I didn't say I was trying to use reason. I just want to know why people believe what they believe, or why they think another belief can't be correct. Or, if they think there is no objective truth, why they think so, when our experience says otherwise.

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

Of course I do not claim to know God completely. I know, however, that I have encountered aspects of God quite directly. Again, I do not think that this is uncommon, and I also think that people can have quite different, yet authentic, sorts of encounters with God.

This is one of my encounters:

“God” « The Magickal Mind

I don't know. I'm glad you've had such an experience, but I wonder if God is so impersonal as you claim.