Much has been said and written over the centuries concerning the power of faith. By “faith”, I must state at the outset that I mean this in both the holistic sense and the specific sense in terms of the religious and spiritual application of the word "faith."

I was reflecting a few days ago and I thought to dwell a little on the connections, if any, between belief and reality.

Jesus of Nazareth, that famous and unequalled teacher of truth once conveyed the teaching that if a man’s belief be sufficient, there is little that he could not do. He famously asked his disciples to walk on water through faith: and urged them to be capable of casting mountains into the sea through faith.

Is there a level of faith – an absolute conviction – which when held – transposes directly into reality? I suspect that there is. The Nazarene was onto something for sure.

Why are some people able to bend metal spoons by staring intently at them? Certainly there are many charlatans about: but the powers of some psychics are simply undeniable.

Now it seems to me that thoughts carry certain powers. The more intense a thought, the greater its magnetic strength and the more compelling its powers. I feel that in this way, a thought which is held in absolute and utterly unwavering conviction, will transpose into reality.

Now I am not out to convey belief in some sort of imaginary arrogation of powers, which seems to be the tendency of a certain group of people, but it seems clear to me that –

1. Thoughts do carry magnetic and other powers

2. The strength/ intensity of a thought may be related to its possible manifestation as reality

Now at this stage it strikes one that absolute and perfect conviction – the truest certainty that comes from full and total knowledge and perhaps omnipotence – is not possible for any human being. In other words, humans are not able to achieve a perfect thought: a state of absolute and unhindered certainty and belief. Accordingly it follows that humans would have a very limited capacity to transpose their thoughts and beliefs directly into reality merely by thinking/ believing such. Nevertheless there is reason to believe that with deep conviction and ethereal meditation, a human being may create realities out of his thoughts.

Something may therefore be said for the value of faith – even in a religious or spiritual context. A sound and firm degree of faith would doubtless naturally attract that which it seeks to itself.

Now I mentioned earlier that perfect certainty is probably impossible to humans. This would only be possible to a being that is an absolute: such as God.

In this it immediately becomes clear that there is a “mental” relationship between the absoluteness of God and God’s creation.

For the simple fact that God is an absolute being, all that God thinks will irrevocably become reality. This defines the nature of creation– whereat the creator brings things into existence: because whatever the creator has a thought of, IS.

This is a process that we can probably replicate on a much reduced and less perfect degree.

Let there be Light.

Following on the foregoing.

If we work with the thinking that thoughts do carry magnetic vibrations, we can equally infer that such magnetism would be a medium through which people are attracted or repulsed from other people, places or situations.

What this means is that whereas a person's specific location, interactions and situation at a particular point in time may appear to be a matter of coincidence: the truth may well be that these factors are all determined by magnetic vibrations proceeding from the nature of the thought-forms of the individual concerned.

Let us take a small example. A man has been obsessed with thoughts of armed-robbery for a long period of time. Perhaps he is desperate and requires some means of sustenance for his family urgently. His every waking thought revolves about thoughts of robbery to provide for himself. Now he has not in fact commited the robbery but has only been thinking about it.

This same man takes a walk down his street one evening to have a beer. At the bar that he enters, unknown to him, he happens to sit beside a group of young men who are active robbers and are planning a robbery. Now is his presence in that bar right beside a group of robbers a coincidence: or have his thought forms within the ethereal plane made magnetic connection with the similar thought forms of those young men and led him closer to them?

Now let us take the construct a little further. The police barge into the bar to apprehend the group of robbers based on an anonymous tip-off. In the cross-fire that ensues, our innocent man who has committed no robbery is shot and dies.

1. He had not commited a robbery

2. He had been obsessed with thoughts of robbery

3. The magnetic vibrations of his thoughts have led him into a situation of consequences for robbery.

It seems to me that even without committing an act, a person can envelope himself with the aura of the act by dwelling on such acts and obsessing on them such that the spiritual environment around him mirrors that of those who actually engage in such acts. It thus follows that he will bear the consequances of such acts almost as though he had done them. I suspect that this is what Jesus was alluding to when he stated that the mere thought of/ dwelling on a sin may be analougous to committing the sin.

In this way thoughts can lead a man into the reality contained in such thoughts - even when the man has done nothing in that regard.

Thanks for your post. I really want to know, if you want our views, opinion or agreement on "faith" or "Psychic powers"?

I'm just curious.

Thank you for that brilliant question. Would you not say that they can be viewed as the same thing? Are they not interelated? Can the one not give rise to the other?

@DeepSight,
Nice post.
I will like to add that whatever faith or psychic method is used to bend spoon today will become common knowledge in the future.

Nobody has been able to demonstrate any of his psychic ability in a laboratory kind of condition. This makes psychic abilities to be found wanting by an objective observer.

Whatever faith has done,objective knowledge has done more.What I mean is scientific statistics and medicine has healed more people than faith and engineering will certainly move mountains more efficiently than relying on faith.

But does it mean faith is useless in a world where objectivity rules.NO.
You need to have faith in the uniformity of nature in order to be truly objective.

Is there such a high degree of faith that directly transforms into reality.NO
Rather it is faith in the uniformity of nature that allows you to manipulate nature to obtain your desired result.

@ VALIDATOR - Brilliant! Excellente! Magnifique! I could not have said it better. I have been struggling with the right words to convey my meaning.

I strongly believe in the uniformity of nature: i do not beleive that its is possible for a pure illogicality to exist - some things only seem to be illogical because knowledge from the observer is deficient. Accordingly if one does have the necessary knowledge of the laws of nature it would be possible to manipulate such things as thought-forms and other ethereal substances into deriving desired realities.

Rather it is faith in the uniformity of nature that allows you to manipulate nature to obtain your desired result

Let me agree again with this and add that this is simply what is done by so-called witches and wizards - application of natural laws to obtain desired ends. Nothing wrong with that in itself. Only question would be to what ends the purposes are applied.

I just Like Deep Sight and his posts.

^^^ his user ID says it all.

I will also like to add that believe in the uniformity of nature is in direct contrast to magic.
believe in the uniformity of nature _{as practiced in developed countries} encourages your brain to work and become more objective.
believe in the possibility of magic _{as practiced in under-developed countries} hinders your brain from working and you become less objective.

Hence you will find that lazy thinkers find it easy to dwell on believe in magic/miracles _{though the like to call it faith} .
Good thinkers are likely to seek to know the underlying principle so that others can replicate their findings.This is what i call faith.Faith that there must be a principle because of the uniformity of nature.

Therefore,
Lazy Faith=believe in magic/miracles/illogical stuffs/myths/etc
Real Faith=believe in the uniformity of nature.

Poor countries use lazy faith,rich countries use real faith.

@deepsight
welcome to the fourth dimension.

Deep Sight:

Much has been said and written over the centuries concerning the power of faith. By “faith”, I must state at the outset that I mean this in both the holistic sense and the specific sense in terms of the religious and spiritual application of the word "faith."

I was reflecting a few days ago and I thought to dwell a little on the connections, if any, between belief and reality.

Jesus of Nazareth, that famous and unequalled teacher of truth once conveyed the teaching that if a man’s belief be sufficient, there is little that he could not do. He famously asked his disciples to walk on water through faith: and urged them to be capable of casting mountains into the sea through faith.

Is there a level of faith – an absolute conviction – which when held – transposes directly into reality? I suspect that there is. The Nazarene was onto something for sure.

Mehn, i have never seen so much gibberish in my entire life.

Just like a policeman who invents a hypothetical situation and goes on to build a case out of it

Why are some people able to bend metal spoons by staring intently at them? Certainly there are many charlatans about: but the powers of some psychics are simply undeniable.

Could you please provide us ONE psychic verified to have bended metals with their eyes??

Now it seems to me that thoughts carry certain powers. The more intense a thought, the greater its magnetic strength and the more compelling its powers. I feel that in this way, a thought which is held in absolute and utterly unwavering conviction, will transpose into reality.

It seems to you, HOW??
Have you carried out a study and found a direct relationship between intensity of a thought and ''magnetic strenght'' or powers??

How are you certain maybe for instance the so-called metal benders to acheive this feat clear their minds of every thought and therefore suggests an inverse relationship between intensity and strenght of magnetism??

Now I am not out to convey belief in some sort of imaginary arrogation of powers, which seems to be the tendency of a certain group of people, but it seems clear to me that –

Your postulations are IMAGINARY allright. , . . .

Accusing people of the crap you're trying to do

1.Thoughts do carry magnetic and other powers

2.The strength/ intensity of a thought may be related to its possible manifestation as reality

Now at this stage it strikes one that [b]absolute and perfect conviction – the truest certainty that comes from full and total knowledge and perhaps omnipotence – is not possible for any human being. In other words, humans are not able to achieve a perfect thought: a state of absolute and unhindered certainty and belief. Accordingly it follows that humans would have a very limited capacity to transpose their thoughts and beliefs directly into reality merely by thinking/ believing such. Nevertheless there is reason to believe that with deep conviction and ethereal meditation, a human being may create realities out of his thoughts.

you lost me here. . . . You didnt care to tell us the relationship between 'certainty from knowledge' and 'transposing to reality'. It just appeared magically into the equqtion. I thought it was just ''thought'' that can bring reality?

Are you saying absolute certainty without knowledge cannot exist?

And I disagree with you that conviction comes only from full knowledge. Infact its easier to be in conviction when you have absolutely no knowledge.

Thats why illiterates find it easy to hold on to ridiculous beliefs in the name of religion that any educated bloke out there will have problems holding on to.

Something may therefore be said for the value of faith – even in a religious or spiritual context. A sound and firm degree of faith would doubtless naturally attract that which it seeks to itself.

You seem to be just bandying about the word 'faith' not knowing it has several meanings.

Religious faith based on actually no proof is quite different fom faith based on knowledge like science.

So when you use adjectives like ''sound'' and ''firm'' for faith, what the hell do you mean there??

Now I mentioned earlier that perfect certainty is probably impossible to humans. This would only be possible to a being that is an absolute: such as God.

In this it immediately becomes clear that there is a “mental” relationship between the absoluteness of God and God’s creation.

For the simple fact that God is an absolute being, all that God thinks will irrevocably become reality. This defines the nature of creation– whereat the creator brings things into existence: because whatever the creator has a thought of, IS.

This is a process that we can probably replicate on a much reduced and less perfect degree.

Let there be Light.

This entire jabberworky based all from the false premise of Humans capable of physically altering reality based only on 'thought force'.

please show us anyone who can alter reality with thoughts then we'll probably take you serious.

And pls dont go blabbing about hypnotics or mind reading or whatever. I can understand a transistor radio sending radio waves to another radio set and causing it recieve its signals but telling me a transistor radio can emit radio waves to bend iron is just ridiculous

Your comments are in order, Tudor. Frankly these are musing thoughts only. I can prove nothing. I wonder. . .i just wonder. . .that's all.

^^

This is not to slight or insult you but i'm tempted to ask, do you do recreational drugs?

Its an honest question. Your mind is sooo hyperactive I seriously doubt its natural.

Lol. . .a bit of weed back in school but that's been many years ago.

Deep Sight:

Lol. . .a bit of weed back in school but that's been many years ago.

Tudór:

^^

This is not to slight or insult you but i'm tempted to ask, do you do recreational drugs?

Its an honest question. Your mind is sooo hyperactive I seriously doubt its natural.

Deep Sight:

Lol. . .a bit of weed back in school but that's been many years ago.

Deep sight,
You have great principles and I wonder why you are not born again yet. Sometimes I feel you know God but you just dey vex for God.

Reality to many is what the eyes can see or the material realm of life. But reality according to scriptures is to dwell in truth of the spiritual realm. Truth means reality. The real realm of the unseen you beyond material. A man functions in reality by faith. He is able to manifest the invisible him , the hidden man on the inside. Jesus brought reality to us (truth} because he is truth (reality) By Jesus we can function in truth also.

John 1:17
For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

John 18:37
Jesus answered, To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

Pilate asked a golden question that day, but he didnt wait for the answer.
[color=#990000]
John 18:38
Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.

It is the realm of spiritual verity. That was why Jesus could defy laws of nature . walks through wall, walk on the water. performs miracle. Men walk according to senses but reality is in God. We power on the inside that we are yet to fully display. The holyghost is the agency by which we walk in reality. He helps us to function in the other realm beyond material. Jesus calls him THE SPIRIT OF REALITY( TRUTH)
When a man gets born again and recieves the holyghost, he can begin his journey in the spiritual real of life.To be trained and grow up unto christ. The world is yet to see us for who we are.

Romans 8:19
For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

As we meditate on Gods word we are tranformed in the realm of realityand truth.Some bare the name others function in it,

Many people say many things that are very ambiguous but enchanting but they say it as if it were fact. Deep Sight has apparently a deep sight, lol. He is very introspective and won't believe a thing simply because it is easy to believe or because it is cute and cuddly to do so either. I just had to say that.

As regards your musings, I have thought of similar things and I won't bore you with them but the ultimate bus stop is that it would appear a Hindu or a Muslim or a Christian with sufficient faith juice would be capable of this feat and it is nothing but spirituality (another entry into the esoteric handbook) and has nothing to do with communion with God and that frankly is all I am concerned about.

I remember when I read Foucault's Pendulum. I started to think that the 'supernatural' is not supernatural but just natural that we have not found out or have little control over and has nothing to do with God. In other words, supernatural powers do not necessarily have to come from God or the devil. One can simply attain such a state. I unfortunately am not interested in this.

vescucci:

Many people say many things that are very ambiguous but enchanting but they say it as if it were fact. Deep Sight has apparently a deep sight, lol. He is very introspective and won't believe a thing simply because it is easy to believe or because it is cute and cuddly to do so either. I just had to say that.

As regards your musings, I have thought of similar things and I won't bore you with them but the ultimate bus stop is that it would appear a Hindu or a Muslim or a Christian with sufficient faith juice would be capable of this feat and it is nothing but spirituality (another entry into the esoteric handbook) and has nothing to do with communion with God and that frankly is all I am concerned about.

I remember when I read Foucault's Pendulum. I started to think that the 'supernatural' is not supernatural but just natural that we have not found out or have little control over and has nothing to do with God. In other words, supernatural powers do not necessarily have to come from God or the devil. One can simply attain such a state. I unfortunately am not interested in this.

True that, Vesc. . . the word "supernatural" does not exist for me.

@DeepSight:

Based on your command, I'm here. Seeing as there's no need reinventing the wheel, please take a look at the following sites. I'd really love you to give a few minutes thought to them and let me know what you think

http://www.letusreason.org/wf25.htm
http://www.gotquestions.org/Word-Faith.html
http://www.intotruth.org/wof/tract3.html

Sincerely, I believe 1st order proponents of these (What I'll call group A) to be mostly criminal and 2nd order proponents (group B) to be members of the crowds who welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem - one day they hailed Him and 3 days later howled for His blood i.e they are in it only for what they can get. Group A on the other hand, sees this and seizing on that, offers a "way", a formula - confession, excitement, togetherness (cult like), enjoyment etc whist getting paid by group B.

But as you will have seen from the sites above, when group A members temporarily fall into group B, there comes no "healing" or "miracles" or "blessing". Best case of a scam I ever saw with the prey most vociferously defending their predators

Meanwhile, wetin you do Tudor?

@Tudor, if you dey here, I'm prostrating O!

One's deeply held belief - whatever that belief might be - creates one's reality. There is no doubt about that. Belief and reality are very closely intertwined in ways that we do not fully understand. Thousands of scientific experiments over the last decade have already proven this beyond reasonable doubt. And i am not talking of belief in the religious sense, even though that is some form of belief also.

Those people who happen to have very strong belief in their own abilities to change the world are usually the world movers and shakers. This is by no means by accident or by chance. This reality responds to our beliefs because our reality itself is made of thought and it can be influenced to change through thoughts modulations. We live in a conceptual reality that can be influenced and changed via beliefs or thoughts. This is what mystics have known for millenia, as well as Shaolin monks. Scientists also know about it now.

^^^ My sentiments exactemente.

Hello Nuclearboy -

I have had a look at the links you posted. I will like to note a number of things.

I do not believe that there is anything particularly heretical about the WoF teachings. However before proceeding, let me carefully draw a distinction between the personalities behind the movement historically and the teachings of the movement. I say this because it is all too apparent to me that some of these persons, as is common with modern-day commercial pentecostalism, anyway, are simply hawks who may be pursuing their own material and corrupt agenda. This is an entirely different question from the matter of the core teaching of their faith - which teaching is what I beleive is at issue.

I have selected some extracts from the second link you provided and I wish to use this extract to address the elements of the supposedly heretical WoF teachings as set out therein. Here -

At the heart of the Word of Faith movement is the belief in the "force of faith." It is believed words can be used to manipulate the faith-force, and thus actually create what they believe Scripture promises (health and wealth). Laws supposedly governing the faith-force are said to operate independently of God's sovereign will and that God Himself is subject to these laws. This is nothing short of idolatry, turning our faith—and by extension ourselves—into god.

I do not see that this is at variance with Christian teaching.

1. The power of faith is a key teaching of the New Testament. As i stated in the OP, Jesus himself famously taught that if men would have sufficient faith, they could walk on water or lift mountains into the sea. Whichever way you read these statements, either literally or symbolically - the connotation is clear: that by faith all things may be accomplished. Indeed in terms of walking on water this was actually literal as the scripture records that Jesus walked on water and urged Peter to do the same (and he actually did), but faltered, lacking sure conviction. If this is not a wholesale endorsement of the WoF teaching that faith accomplishes all things, I do not know what else is.

2. The extract talks about laws operating in the universe. Do you deny this? Does scripture deny this?

3. The extract talks about the laws being independent of God's will and that God himself is subject to those laws. Really this is just another way of stating that that which God has established is unchangeable in terms of the laws that govern creation: as such God is not to be seen changing his laws - and Bible teaching bears this out when it states that God is unchangeable. Understood right, therefore, this extract simply means that God will not change the laws of creation beacause those laws are perfect and eternal, as they proceed from God. For this reason there is nothing to change, and this is why it is said that God himself is "subject" to those laws. I believe this is mirrorred in the biblical teaching that heaven and earth may pass away but the word of the Lord abideth forever. That word, simply is the law of God, and this is what is said to abide forever.

4. It is thus not a question of turning faith into God: it is simply a question of realizing that there are latent laws within the universe and that the bible does teach that through faith one may key-into those laws and reach a desired reality. Jesus clearly taught this - and you will find that it is a standard piece of truth which is mirrorred in may oriental traditions as well. I thus cannot see that the teaching regarding faith is in anyway heretical or unbiblical.

From here, its theology just strays further and further from Scripture: It claims that God created human beings in His literal, physical image as little gods. Before the fall, humans had the potential to call things into existence by using the faith-force. After the fall humans took on Satan's nature and lost the ability to call things into existence. In order to correct this situation, Jesus Christ gave up His divinity and became a man, died spiritually, took Satan's nature upon Himself, went to hell, was born-again, and rose from the dead with God's nature. After this, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to replicate the Incarnation in believers so they could become little gods as God had originally intended.

1. I do not know that the WoF claim God to be physical (like a good friend of yours does, Lol!) - but without contest the bible does teach in Genesis that God made man in his own image.

2. If God did make man in his own image as the bible teaches, then clearly man must have had attributes of the "Godly" nature, which includes the power  of creativity. Thus up till today, man actively creates things.

3. The bible teaches that there was a fall of man.

4. The bible teaches that that fall of man placed man within the will of the satan as conceived in the garden of Eden. The Bible teaches that this alienated man from God.

5. The bible teaches that Jesus' coming was necessary to reconcile man with God.

6. The Bible teaches that by his death, Jesus took on the sin of the world. This is exactly analogous to that which is stated in the extract above namely "taking on the nature of satan" - this simply refers to his act of taking on the sin of the world at Golgotha.

7. The bible teaches that by this very act, Man became reconciled to God - and Jesus urged christians to thereby excercise faith to influence reality.

8. Jesus himself referred to men as "gods" - and the NT teaches that by his sacrifice men would become brothers of christ in the kingdom of God. Does this not sync perfectly with the WoF teaching regarding the powers and status of the saved christian man of faith?

All  of these, which are contained in the extract, are taught by the Bible. As I said earlier, Jesus himself propounded the thought  that by faith men could control reality. I thus cannot see why there is such a mighty furore over the teachings of the WoF movement as expressed herein. Frankly it seems to me that those teachings are derived from the Bible. What I do understand is that different christian sects have different interpretations of scripture. This is only natural and should not lead you to brand them heretical - they simply have a different view of scripture which they are entitled to have, especially when all the things enumerated above are undoubtedly conveyed by scripture.

Following the natural progression of these teachings, as little gods we again have the ability to manipulate the faith-force and become prosperous in all areas of life. Illness, sin, and failure are the result of a lack of faith, and are remedied by confession—claiming God's promises for oneself into existence.

What is so unscripural about the foregoing? Did Jesus not teach same?

As a post script let me just say this: Scripture and christainity aside, thought, belief and faith undoubtedly influence reality. This has been the vocation of mystics for generations. I cannot see what is evil about harnessing the power of thought to transform belief and positively influence one's reality. That is what this thread is about.

Driving so will reply in depth later. Consider though, that a perfect lie is couched mainly in truth. As the Bible says 'dead flies spoil the perfumer's ointment - so also does a little folly destroy much wisdom'

Deep Sight:

^^^ My sentiments exactemente.

Take a look at the Nigerian reality for example, it is vastly influenced by the collective belief of Nigerians that they are not good enough to make positive changes in their world(the mental state of victimization) without outside help. The result of that collective belief forms the reality of our nation today. There is a correlation, and that is it.

We have been programmed by the society through traditional beliefs, religious beliefs and secular education to believe that we, as human beings, are very limited in our abilities to affect or influence events in our collective reality. We have these viruses of human limitations poured into our psyche from cradle to grave by all these institutions of society. The end result is what we see today, a nation in misery amidst abundance. That is the reality that we have been made to create for ourselves without us even realizing it.

We have been modulated all along to produce collective chaotic and hellish reality for ourselves by those who desire this kind of reality for whatever reasons. The universal rule of law goes thus; "If you have a victim mentality, you will create victim circumstances or reality for yourself." Nigeria, and Africa as a whole, are that one BIG VICTIM CIRCUMSTANCE/REALITY, because we have allowed ourselves to be modulated into not believing in ourselves, but to believe in others, outside help, external Gods and saviours. We have been made to surrender our creative powers which are our birthright from our CREATOR.

Human beings are very powerful and multi-dimentional beings in their natural state, but because we do not "believe" in our powers to affect our realities, we have become weak, "FALLEN" . All Jesus wanted to do was to help us get back to our original state and to recover our birthright, but that effort has been hijacked by the church and his mission has been corrupted and turned on it's head. The church says that Jesus wantes to be worshipped, but the actual fact is that it is the CHURCH that wants to be worshiped and is just using the name of Jesus for cover. Jesus never wanted to be worshiped, but to teach us the truth that we are powerful being that can influence this reality through the power of self-belief and inner conviction.

Everything we need to change our world for the better is right with us, but because of our lack of belief in our God-given powers, we continue to seek external help from wherever that does not exist. KNOW THYSELF, that is the true salvation. All the so-called miracles that were associated to Jesus were not done to make Jesus look fantastic in front of people of then and now, but they are to tell us, to hint us what our potentials are, rather than our limitations. When one reaches the state of consciousness where one fully knows who one really is, one can create universes.

When next you go to any church service on sunday, or mosque on friday, listen to what the high priests of these two religions will be reiterating as often as possible. I bet you, it will be about human limitations as opposed to human potentials, because that serves them and their continuing survival more. People must be made to not realize their true potentials to make them dependent and in servitude to the church.

What spiritual traditions do, on the contrary, is to make humans to be aware and in full knowledge of their full potentials. Which is why the church hate these traditions so much and demonizes them, because such teachings threaten it's very existence. The negative reaction of the church comes out of sheer fear of losing control over the masses upon which it's existence is totally dependent. Keeping the masses ignorant of their potentials and true self keeps the church in perpetual control. By "church", i mean the ruling class of clergy of the entire christiandom, of course, no matter the denomination. And that also goes for the ruling clergy of islam. They are both doing the same thing to humanity.

The ultimate truth; JESUS WANTED HUMANITY TO BE FREE BY TEACHING IT HOW TO KNOW IT'S FULL POTENTIAL VIA THE FULL KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUE SELF IN THE TRUE STATE, WHILE THE CHURCH/MOSQUE WANTS HUMANITY TO REMAIN IN SHACKLES BY BURYING IT DEEP WITHIN THE CONFINES OF IT'S ALLEGED LIMITATIONS. But humanity will win in the end.

^^^ Jenwitemi, I cannot but duff my hat to you. The above is brilliantly articulated. I particularly agree with the notion that religious traditions limit the inner being, while spiritual traditions free up, ennoble and strengthen the being.

Thanks, man. We are all contributing as much as we can to wake the masses up. Self knowledge is key in this battle. The masses need to be fully informed.

Yes, belief greatly influences reality.

Deep Sight:

^^^ Jenwitemi, I cannot but duff my hat to you. The above is brilliantly articulated. I particularly agree with the notion that religious traditions limit the inner being, while spiritual traditions free up, ennoble and strengthen the being.

Another very powerful example of correlation between belief and reality, is between the deep desire of billions of christians worldwide for the endtimes and the fulfillment of the events in the book of revelation to finally materialize and the current global upheavals of all sorts, which is our current reality. On this forum alone, this christian fervor to see the "end of the world" can be easily seen through the posts made mostly by christians, almost on daily basis.

When such high numbers of people are holding such belief deeply in their hearts, the chances of such wishes manifesting in this reality is pretty high. This is why i suspect that the bible and koran both serve(among numerous other functions) as some form of "Belief or thought modulators of the masses". The two books force the masses to hold certain thoughts in their hearts true deep beliefs, therefore allowing the manifestation of events already scripted in the two books. These books, in this way, can then be viewed as very very dangerous to humanity. It is a theory worth taking a much closer look at, methinks.

Like Jagunlabi, you seem to often place your quotes below your text, and not above it. . .this seals the suspicion!

Jenwitemi places his texts either below or above.

Deep Sight:

Like Jagunlabi, you seem to often place your quotes below your text, and not above it. . .this seals the suspicion!

Jenwitemi:

Another very powerful example of correlation between belief and reality, is between the deep desire of billions of christians worldwide for the endtimes and the fulfillment of the events in the book of revelation to finally materialize and the current global upheavals of all sorts, which is our current reality. On this forum alone, this christian fervor to see the "end of the world" can be easily seen through the posts made mostly by christians, almost on daily basis.

When such high numbers of people are holding such belief deeply in their hearts, the chances of such wishes manifesting in this reality is pretty high. This is why i suspect that the bible and koran both serve(among numerous other functions) as some form of "Belief or thought modulators of the masses". The two books force the masses to hold certain thoughts in their hearts true deep beliefs, therefore allowing the manifestation of events already scripted in the two books. These books, in this way, can then be viewed as very very dangerous to humanity. It is a theory worth taking a much closer look at, methinks.

Self fulfilling prophecies?

It is not correct to blame the churches or religions for the problems of humanity. The lack of genuine spirituality among most human beings is not due to churches or religions but it is due to man himself. A man who is inwardly alive can still absorb what is true in the churches of today and discard what is untrue. It is for this reason that one will find enlightened human beings within and outside the confines of religions and churches, Indeed for some, the churches or religions can open the path to enlightenment. If men become inwardly alive, then the churches and indeed all human endeavours will bubble with life. In addition, being outside the confines of religions does not in itself make one enlightened and knowing. Most often, we mistake what is new and esoteric for what is spiritually beneficial. Every change is always refreshing albeit temporarily and  it is partly the reason why many find a lot of old and modern esoteric teachings fascinating and attractive. And yet, the substance in these old and new esoteric teachings is not even up to one tenth of what is already present in sacred books of world religions including the bible and the Koran.

Man can draw on the neutral power of God to bring forth forms but this power does not lie with man, rather man has the God given ability to tap into this power of God. An enlightened human being will only use this  power of God to serve the will of God while ignorant people will apply it to serve one or this selfish purpose. But those who channel the power of God into endeavours that are not in accordance with the Will of God will become the victims of there own impure creations and will be destroyed  by there own impure creations either here or hereafter. Thus if one wants to change reality, one has to submit to the laws of God and serve God accordingly. It is this obedience to the divine will that in reciprocity grants one the grace of knowing conviction and with this knowing conviction the human desire of wanting to change reality will cease. Bathed in the pure rays of God, the only reality for such a one is the reality of God and his divine will. A simple, childlike faith in God is what a human being needs and nothing more. With such a childlike faith, the individual will be permitted uncountable experiences which gives him or her absolute conviction in the omnipotence and omniscience of God. Man has enormous potentials and from his standpoint, these potentials are limitless but from the standpoint of a higher specie or spirit, the limitless potential of a human being is indeed limited . Best wishes.