While it is true that Spirituality is a deeply personal issue, we share many of the same questions regardless of our denomination, spiritual traditions and religion.
With " Your Questions " it is our aim to open up a dialogue with one another. This exposure brings light to places in the Spirit, showing our commonalities.
You may submit your questions using the form you see in the left navigation pane, or, if you are already a registered member, by sending your question via the special email address we've specified for this purpose.
We will post these questions along with our best response on this page. Your identity will remain anonymous unless you specify otherwise.
- Dear Gavin,
I'm essentially a Humanist verging on Agnostic and I reject most of what are considered "holy" books as written by men to control other men [sic]. I believe in the spirit and inherent goodness of all human beings. Should I believe in SOMETHING just in case Hell really does exist? Does that make sense?
G.
Anaheim, CA
Dear G.,
Thank you for a highly engaging question and one which I'm certain many people share. And, yes, it makes perfect sense to me.
First of all, Humanism and religious practice are not mutually exclusive. For example, I define myself as a Progressive Christian Humanist. Second, if you think about it, everyone is an Agnostic to one degree or another, as Agnosticism simply means that one believes the existence of "God" is impossible to prove (and it is…Christians for example will tell you that one walks by faith not by sight). Third, you are correct in your belief that "holy" books were written by men (remember, women were thought not fit to educate at the times when most "holy" books were written), and yes, they were often misused by those in power to control the masses.
Perhaps you might try a different angle of vision and transcend the abuses of power by ignorant men/women, thereby allowing yourself to pay attention to the message of the "holy" books, rather than how they have been abused and corrupted. Reading the Bible in this way works very well for me.
Finally, you DO believe in something: "the spirit and inherent goodness of all human beings". That says quite a bit about you. As far as the existence of "Hell" goes, ultimately only you can answer that question. I will, however, point you to two references which you may find interesting:
- The Anchor Bible Dictionary
has an outstanding entry on "Hades, Hell" and how those terms and concepts crept into the Judeo-Christian tradition. This series is expensive and worthwhile for the serious scholar, but for others the library should also have it available. Amazon.com offers a number of good Bible dictionaries in a range of prices, all of which have entries on "Hell".
- The recently published New York Times Bestseller, 23 Minutes in Hell
by Bill Wiese.
These two references will give you more information, as well as illustrate competing viewpoints. After all, one can only make an informed decision after gathering as many facts as possible.
Thanks again for your question, G.
Be at peace and all the best on your Journey. Gavin
- Hello,
I feel like I have digressed in my positive thought process, my integrity, and connectedness. I felt so high a couple of years ago. I was at a point that I thought I would never again question life, love, and the whole "human thing". I still have the same general beliefs, but I have been making poor decisions, feel depressed, and been "out of control". People could always count on me to be a positive role model, to think clearly, and be open and honest. My question is how do you reach and maintain consciousness, the "knowing" that we are all connected and things happen for a reason?
A.
Dear A.,
Point #1: Feelings aren't facts. In other words, you may FEEL as if you've digressed, but that's not necessarily true. Ralph Blum, in his seminal work, Book of Runes, makes reference to "the winter of the spiritual life", "the ebb and flow of the spiritual life", and reminds us that "in the spiritual life, one is always at the beginning".
From my perspective, I am very happy that you've moved away from a place of "never" questioning life, love and the whole "human thing", because were you to stay in that place, your future growth would at best be stunted, at worst, not happen at all.
Do you have a daily spiritual practice/regimen that helps keep you connected even when you don't feel connected (e.g., prayer, meditation, devotional reading, ritual, oracles, etc.)? Personally, I've come to welcome the times when I feel spiritually "out of gas", for it is often then that I am the most teachable and humble.
I don't believe you've lost your consciousness; it may just have fallen asleep for a bit and needs a jolt to wake it up. Reaching and maintaining consciousness are choices. Ditto the "knowing" that we are all connected and that things happen for a reason. You either accept those premises or you don't. One choice leads to peace, the other to disconnectedness. I'm reminded of a quote from Eckhart Tolle's book, A New Earth: Awakening to your Life's Purpose. It is as follows:
"Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you know this is the experience you need? Because this is the experience you are having at this moment."
Keep asking the tough questions and thanks for writing. Peace. Gavin
- Blessings,
Can it be possible that all religions have
it wrong? Where can I find information on the
different masters that have lived in this plane, like
Jesus did prior to his ascension?
S. Leon
Sunrise, FL.
Dear S.,
Blessings to you too. "Can it be possible that all religions have it wrong?" begs the question: What is "it"? If you'd like to rethink your question a bit and then resubmit it, I'd be happy to tackle that portion of it.
As far as information on the different Masters or Way Showers who have lived on this plane, the Internet is your best research tool. Do a search on "Ascended Masters", or "Founders of Religions", or simply "spiritual masters". I think you'll be amazed at what comes up. With regard to Jesus specifically, I think you'd enjoy reading John Shelby Spong's,
Jesus for the Non Religious.
Thanks for writing. All the best to you,
Gavin
-
Dear Gavin,
Greetings from seychelles.....
I am a divorcee and intend to be a spiritual life coach one day. I am doing some research and studies on my own .....so my question is just as simple as this:
What kind of information and advise can you give me to help me achieve my goal?
My regards, Peace & Blessings,
Z.
Dear Z.,
First of all, please forgive my long delay in responding to your question. I answer them as I'm able and sometimes that just isn't immediately. There's a lot to running one's own business, and that's exactly what this is, Z, a BUSINESS. You must always treat it that way.
Fortunately, I've been blessed with a fantastic assistant/co-collaborator and at some point you'll need to look into getting an assistant yourself, someone to handle the nitty gritty aspects of running your business, which in turn gives you more time to do what you love to do, which is COACH!!
I can't stress enough the importance of finding a niche for yourself. Coaching (yes, and even spiritual coaching) has become highly competitive and you have to maintain an edge if you're going to get anywhere. So what is your niche? Who is your target audience? Do they have a need for your services? What is your specialty and what are your credentials? Do you have a website? Are you charging enough? What sources of passive income have you thought about implementing? Yes, this is a barrage of questions, and you'll need to answer each one.
May I suggest a book written by MY mentor coach, Milana Leshinsky? It's called
Coaching Millions: Help More People, Make More Money, Live Your Ultimate Lifestyle
and is arguably the best book around on building a successful coaching business. It's practically become my second Bible!! You can find it on Amazon by clicking on the link above and it's quite reasonably priced. Moreover, if you take the time to read it and implement Milana's proven techniques, you'll be well on your way to being a successful, sought after coach.
In fact, how would you like to do a joint venture project with me someday? Who knows what we could come up with together: an e-course, e-book, a teleseminar, etc. I mean the sky is the limit or rather, your imagination is the limit.
I hope I've at least covered some of what you asked and I wish you great success as a coach.
Please feel free to keep in touch with me.
Blessings,
Gavin
- I have a question for you.
Recently I had the pleasure of hearing a seminar about the Mayan people and the true (according to the presenter) meaning of the epochs in their calendar. He stated that the much ballyhooed "end of the world" date of October 21, 2012 that the Mayan calendar predicts, was actually meant to be more the end of a time period. i.e. stone age, iron age, industrial age, information age, something more similar to that. He surmises that it will be a far more spiritual age. It made me think of the reference in the Bible (Acts 2:17) to the end times when the prophet said: God says, I will pour out my Spirit on everyone. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.
Do you think that there is a correlation here or is it entirely unrelated, or don't you have a clue, like most of us.
J.
Dear J.,
This question has been answered by my new associate, Lloyd Vandever
(see Homepage "letter" for a brief introduction to Lloyd). This subject is near and dear to his heart. Happy reading!!
Gavin
Your question is evidence of your search to find your own answers. I believe we incarnated here to learn how to Love. If you think about it, Love encompasses all things. It is the very fiber that holds the cells of all things together without which all of existence would be a vast void filled with darkness, but I digress. Let's examine this quote from the Christian Scriptures:
"There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Luke 21:25
If I had to guess, I would say that we have seen at least a few of these "signs". Some believe that all of the prophecies save one have been fulfilled. Although I don't believe I have even come close to answering your question,
click here for the PDF file of my complete response.
Lloyd
