Oddbean

I sit in a weird position. I don’t personally call myself a Christian, but the teachings of Christ resonate with me. This is because I dislike being tied to an ideology and prefer to act on my personal beliefs through faith and action. I’ve studied various religions and explored the works of Jung. I lean toward the Omnist approach, which holds that truths can be found in all religions—for example, Buddhism, which also resonates with me. To me, Christ represents the visual embodiment of the “Self” image. I definitely feel a sense of divine influence and believe, in some way, that he was a manifestation of God himself. Yet, it’s all still a complete mystery to me—perhaps even a test. The fact that, as a species, we have a well-recorded account of a man named Jesus who lived 2,000 years ago and is still taught and cherished to this day amazes me. Something truly mysterious must have happened for that to be our reality. It makes me wonder. My honest answer would be: I don’t know. I’d accept it if I knew for certain, but I also understand that’s what faith is all about. That’s why it’s a weird for me to grasp with…I do believe in a creator and that Jesus existed. However, I’m hesitant about organized religion, largely because of the many wars fought in its name and the so-called righteous people who fail to act in accordance with the "absolute truths" they follow.

I agree with so much of this. I always felt pretty much the same. The one thing that got me thinking was that it only makes sense that there is one creator, not a bunch of different ones. So if that's the case, all religions might be claiming to know that their god is the creator, but in fact there can only be one true God. Buddhism has dozens of gods, which doesn't make any sense. There must be one Supreme being above all who created all. The fact that there are thousands of accounts of Jesus rising from the dead has a strong indication that God was at hand. I always struggled with organized religion as well for the same reasons. During covid i almost offed myself due to various reasons. Out of desperation i tried one last thing, praying to Christ. Within 3 months my two massive requests were answered. I couldn't deny what had happened. These two things eluded me for over two decades. This lead me to spend the rest of the lock down reading the Bible. I found so much wisdom there that i wish i had known earlier. This is how my eyes were opened. We've only recently joined a church but with some hesitancy. I'm certainly grateful to have read a bunch of the teachings first. Anyways, sounds like you're on the right path brother. Pray that God would open your eyes to truth. Because the truth matters. Religion aside, i pray that you would make that genuine connection with the one true God. It is full of fruit. Changed my life beyond comprehension and i always disliked religion and particularly Christianity. God has been doing a great work within me. Blessings. May God draw near to you.

Buddhism doesn’t actually believe in gods; that concept aligns more closely with Hinduism. However, as I’ve mentioned, I believe Jesus represents a physical and material embodiment of the ‘Self’ image. Christ is the Western interpretation of what the East refers to as the Self, the Atman, the Purusha, or the Buddha. In symbolic terms, Buddha represents the Self. Christian doctrine asserts that Christ was God who became man. In psychological terms, this signifies that the Self approached human consciousness in a distinct form, manifesting autonomously from outside rather than being a product of human realisation. If you examine the differences between the West and the East closely, you can see this representation of the Self more clearly. Eastern cultures tend to be less preoccupied with and entangled in materialism, focusing more on the concept of the mind. As a result, their understanding of the Self is often more refined than that of their Western counterparts. For Western man, the meaninglessness of a static universe is intolerable; he feels compelled to assume that it holds meaning. Conversely, the Eastern individual does not require this assumption; instead, he embodies meaning. While the Westerner seeks to complete the meaning of the world externally, the Easterner strives for the fulfillment of meaning within himself, detaching the world and existence from his own sense of being. The central symbol of Christianity is the cross, a representation rooted in physical materialism, whereas Buddhism symbolizes the Self. Western culture tends to exhibit a predominantly extraverted worldview, projecting meaning onto external objects and assuming that meaning exists outside oneself. In contrast, Eastern culture often leans toward introversion, perceiving meaning within. However, meaning exists both internally and externally. This tension between internal and external meaning can be observed in various aspects of modern life. In my view, religions serve as symbolic systems that help individuals connect with their unconscious minds, achieve psychological balance, and find meaning in life. The God-image can be understood as an archetype representing the highest aspects of human experience, often projected onto religious symbols and deities. Here’s a video that might help clarify what I’m discussing: https://youtu.be/Y1lYekAU5Tc?si=mabmLL5hMU62RPP-

It sounds like Jesus is calling you to Himself. Get a Bible and start reading. In the long run, it is important to fellowship with other believers and even to attend church, but churches are run by fallible humans and a lot of them are not very good at follow what God says about Himself. You can't know if you've found a good church if you don't know God's word, the Bible. May the one and only God and Creator call you to Himself, show you the truth, and guide you life. May God bring Godly men and women to disciple you in the truth and guide you to His plan for you.

Thank you for the kind messages. It’s worth mentioning that I do pray from time to time and have a strong connection to Christianity, to the point where I’ve even had encounters with Christ through dreams. However, I just genuinely prefer not to label myself within a specific group to be accepted. When I tell people I follow Christ but don’t identify as a Christian, it often causes confusion. That said, I believe all religions offer perspectives and truths worth exploring, analysing, and embodying to live a fulfilled life connected to something greater than ourselves. Essentially, that’s what all religions aim to achieve. I admit I’ve only read passages and certain verses from the Bible and should take a deeper look at some point, though I’m unsure if my underlying perspective will change.

It isn't what group you identify with that matters. What matters is if you repent of wrongs done, trust Jesus, and identify with Him. People make mistakes. Our Creator God does not. It is however important to trust in the one true God. There is only one right path. "Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (John 14:6)