My Upcoming Journey

Hi and welcome to the forum!
As a Christian minister who also grew up in a conservative christian house I can totally relate to your story. I also reached a point in life where I realised that I was being fed a bunch of restricting rules that totally sucked the joy out of life.

Thankfully I realised that it is possible to have fun and be a Christian at the same time!

You will find this forum has some great people with great advice and support. Have a look at my blog for more info and happy riding!

* Caveat: This post has a religious content.*
@gowithit. I go even further than @feelnmyway. When I read the Gospels (I do) and brush away the added stuff I find Jesus the most liberated person ever, he refused to be manipulated by the culture, encouraged people to enjoy the life that was God's gift to them, to see through the stupidity of a restricted culture, treat women as equal (scary!) and leave the world a better place for passing through it. I really don't think God minds what we do that is his gift of free will and he gives it without condition. But I do think we feel better if we generally do good stuff. A lot of the heavy stuff in the New Testament is because as usual people can't cope with freedom particularly other peoples! His love for us is also without condition, that what makes him God!

@feelnmyway --- I totally get the value and significance of a Christ centered life! My heart has been there and I benefited from being so focused for much of my life! I'm now at the point in my life that I still believe in God Almighty and Jesus Christ, but I also believe that his grace extends to the entire world and it's people, and that we were all created in his image and we are who we are! Yes, people make bad choices, but should we be limited in our ability to care for each other because of an interpretation of the bible? WWJD makes more sense in that he tried to get us to care for everyone, not just a few! Why can't Christians care for and be understanding of how the world is, and accept that some will see the way, and some won't, which should mean they should not condemn them and label them abhorations of this world! Also, there are very bad people in the world and if they are not tolerant, then we have the right to defend ourselves!

TG

@Theme_Gasm - I propose that you PM me that we can discuss your questions as my answer runs the risk of being off topic.

Sufficed to say that I agree with most you said and to remember that Jesus hung out mainly with the people that society despised and rejected......that should point to the heart of Christianity.

As for @gowithit I will congratulate you on having the courage to post your view and as your handle states... go with it!.... and leave guilt behind!

@isvara - well said! I agree with what you said, only to emphasize that with the freedom of choice that is given to us, there still remain some things where we should exercise restraint.

@gowithit, welcome to the forum. It all sounds good. Be prepared for some of your previous conditioning to surface now and then. Trust that your body is a pretty amazing creation and there are many hidden things about it to discover. I believe our body is to be cared for and enjoyed. It is the most intimate friend you will ever have so get to know it. You have a nice selection of Aneros tools, lower expectations and allow the healing to wholeness to happen for you. Find the simplest lube that will work for you and ask questions in the forum or in chat.

@gowithit, the only advice I can give you, is to be as the Bereans; whenever someone told them something about what to believe, how to live, etc., they searched the Scriptures daily to see if it supported what they heard.

@gowithit, welcome to the forum. It all sounds good. Be prepared for some of your previous conditioning to surface now and then. Trust that your body is a pretty amazing creation and there are many hidden things about it to discover. I believe our body is to be cared for and enjoyed. It is the most intimate friend you will ever have so get to know it. You have a nice selection of Aneros tools, lower expectations and allow the healing to wholeness to happen for you. Find the simplest lube that will work for you and ask questions in the forum or in chat.

Thanks for the advice. I'm really looking forward to it!

gowithit,

I, too, am a Christian and I am so grateful to God for giving me this amazing gift! Glad you have allowed yourself to be open to what God has for you.

brine

Welcome Gowithit. Sounds like you've dared to find your own way. Congratulations, that takes guts and can feel awful. I broke away from a group that I belonged to for several decades when I found out about some unpleasant secrets. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done and took years to understand and regain peace with myself. I lost many friends but I made some new ones and we supported each other.

Do you still consider yourself a Christian? Did your parents, siblings and friends understand? Did they stay in touch? Do you have support? You mention that you're interested in understanding the body's energy. Some of us are also interested in this but not everyone. Have you some experience with this? Do you meditate? Aneros prostate massage will open you up to new pleasures and sometimes, unexpected experiences. If you haven't already, read the wikis to get started. Mantak Chia's book "How to become a Multiorgasmic Man" could answer some of your questions about the sexual energy part of this. I've found that learning to relaxedly focus my mind for long periods during sessions and in my life, to be the most helpful. Good luck and stay in touch.