I come from a background of devout Catholic-turned-New-Ager by personal experiences that couldn't be explained within the framework of Catholicism. I no longer identify as Christian, because I refuse to be a part of a group that has yet to take a firm stand on political "Christianists" who do not behave in accordance with the teachings attributed to Christ but loudly insist that they, and only they, are in fact "Christians".

But this section is not about Jesus (Yeshua ben Yosef) of Nazareth. It's about God: who or what that might be, and how one can connect with this [whatever] for energy, guidance, and understanding.

And, no, it's not about using God to get rich.

God

By: Paul S Cilwa	Occurred: 1/20/1972		Page Views: 3,216
Hashtags: #Spirituality #Metaphysics #God #Poetry
A poem examining the nature and dilemma of God.
Estimated reading time: 2 minute(s) (239 words)

It exists.
It has no name; there is no one to call It.
It has no face, for there is no one to see It.
It is Energy
It is Harmony
It is a matrix of patience, of hope, of love.
It is Its own Cause,
Its own Effect.
It is Its own Yin,
Its own Yang.
It is Its own Question.
It is Its own Answer.
And
It is lonely.

Going Home

By: Paul S Cilwa	Posted: 1/23/2006 Updated: 8/16/2015		Page Views: 2,974
Hashtags: #Sufism #Spirituality #HeartMeditation #Meditation
Sufism.
Estimated reading time: 2 minute(s) (433 words)

I studied Sufism for a couple of years. Sufis believe that mankind is God's lover, separated from God by a metaphysical curtain that cannot be breached until death. They believe that the heartache, the longing, so many people feel is the pain of separation a lover feels for an absent beloved.

The God I Don't Believe In

By: Paul S Cilwa	Posted: 7/24/2006 Updated: 5/16/2017		Page Views: 5,625
Hashtags: #Spirituality #ReligiousPolitics
Let's examine the connection between abused children and their need as adults to rely on an Authority figure to give their lives meaning.
Estimated reading time: 9 minute(s) (2093 words)

One of the most perplexing issues faced by people is how a "Christian" can claim to accept the teachings of a man who said to turn the other cheek to an enemy who smites you, and then invade and destroy a country in his name!—But the understanding that abused children grow up to be abusive and religious allows this apparent paradox to be seen as parts of the same, cohesive whole. After all, God as an authority doesn't in fact exist; so people who "accept" God as an authority are really just accepting the authority of someone claiming to speak for God—as many abusive parents do, and as more than one politician has done.

Is That All There Is?

By: Paul S Cilwa	Posted: 11/18/2008 Updated: 6/6/2017		Page Views: 3,262
Hashtags: #Metaphysics #Spirituality
Many people feel that something is missing from their lives; and for all their attempts to fill that void with food, fashion, TV or religion, nothing they've tried seems to really bring them happiness. And that, of course, is the key: Nothing they've TRIED.
Estimated reading time: 4 minute(s) (835 words)

In perhaps the most depressing song ever written, "Is That All There Is?" by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and recorded in 1969 by Peggy Lee, the singer laments that the various events that should have defined her life, such as a house fire, going to the circus for the first time, or falling in love, instead left her feeling empty and disappointed. In the song, the singer announces that she won't kill herself, only because she's certain that even death will be "that final disappointment."

God's Ringtone

By: Paul S Cilwa	Posted: 11/21/2008		Page Views: 4,930
Hashtags: #Metaphysics #Spirituality
How to get in touch with God Within.
Estimated reading time: 4 minute(s) (758 words)

The problem is, the thing that is missing, that void, is within your deepest being. You can't fill a void there with anything external. No round-the-world cruise, no bed of nails, no rosaries or festivals or contortioned postures can, of themselves, fill that innermost void. At best, they can only distract one from feeling that void for a short time. But when the cruise ends or one rises from that bed of nails, or, yes, one emerges from the Wednesday night prayer service, one finds the void is still there.

Recognizing God

By: Paul S Cilwa	Posted: 4/2/2009		Page Views: 4,840
Hashtags: #Metaphysics
How to recognize God when you see Him. Or Her.
Estimated reading time: 3 minute(s) (669 words)

There's an old story, attributed to Jesus, that "he"—that is, God—might show up in unexpected ways: as a beggar, or a lame person. The moral of the story is generally taken to mean that we should treat such people as we would treat a deity, should one drop by. However, I prefer to take the story literally.

A Letter From God

By: God			Page Views: 3,278
Hashtags: #Metaphysics #Spirituality #God
This message has been passed around the Internet, in various forms, for several years. Its Author is unknown…perhaps it really is God!
Estimated reading time: 6 minute(s) (1253 words)

My blessed children of Earth, the world has grown too small for your pervasive religious bigotries and confusion. The whole planet is now connected by air travel, satellite dishes, telephones, fax machines, rock concerts, diseases and mutual needs and concerns. Get with the program! If you really want to help Me, then commit yourselves to figuring out how to feed your hungry and clothe your naked, and assist your abused to stand up for themselves and your poor to shelter themselves. And, just as important, make your own everyday life a shining example of kindness and good humor. I've given you all the resources you need, if only you abandon your fear of each other and begin living, loving and laughing together.