RedGlitter;443961 wrote: Oh boy, I could completely overtake this thread with my notions, if I'm not careful to cut it short!
This is only my personal opinion...
I think we come from *God* who has always been. No beginning, no end. I don't believe anyone ever actually dies. And believe me, since losing Mom, I have done even more searching and thinking than I normally do on this subject!
I am not sure how I feel about reincarnation so I'll leave that one open, but I do feel there is an afterlife, that there are other dimensions besides our current one and that life as we know it is one big mission to improve and learn whatever lessons we need so that we can evolve and eventually come to know God. (Whatever anyone's God(s) may be!) I think there is probably one God Force and many, many ways of getting to *God.* Hence all the religions. I don't think there is only one true way. I don't buy that.
I am as sure as I know in my heart that life and love are the two constants. I think love is the driving force; the thing that moves the world. And I have NO DOUBT in my mind that when we cross over (my term for "dying") we will be reunited with our loved ones and we will either come to know what it's all about then, or else we will be a little closer to knowing.
:)
I agree that we come from what you have called God which I now use as a convenient term for the overall motivating force of love. There is no beginning and there is no end - at least with regard to the whole of life which includes both the physical and metaphysical.
I do not believe, however, that we have any particular lesson to learn. We, as physical beings, believe this simply because we have to strive to live. Yet, if we hold with the higher state of love, everything we need comes to us. The illusion created in our physical state gives us one challenge - to remain in the state of the higher love. The Kingdom of God is around us and within us, so why should we strive? We strive only when we lose our way.
I also agree that there are many paths. I believe there are as many paths as there are beings. Each one pursuing their own joy.