I've mentioned this concept before, but I think it is worth repeating. Nowadays I hear all the time from people that are disillusioned with religion and have therefore decided to forgo being a part of it all together. They are perfectly content just believing in God and doing their best to be a good person all on their own. They let their conscience be their guide.
I can completely understand why so many have given up on religion. As I said in July, "...many of the reasons behind it are understandable - materialism, outdated dogma, horrible scandals, "holy" bloodshed due to ancient prejudices and a lack of a modern vision for the world". So because of all this filthy, nasty "bathwater", many choose to completely throw religion out of their life. Problem is, there is some really important stuff floating around in there that they should have "fished out" first - the Holy Verses of God.
It's the main reason I created this blog. I wanted a variety of people to share their thoughts and opinions on important and philosophical subjects with a focus on the actual heavenly writings of all religions. By removing the fear-based preaching and the dogma and focusing on the beauty of the original scriptures, you can truly see the golden thread of truth that binds them all together.
Here's my thing. Based on the research I've done and the numerous Holy Scriptures I've read, either all of the religions are from God or none of them are. Nothing else makes sense to me. And based on the beauty and poetry I have found within them and they way I feel when I read them, I choose to believe that they originated with the one and only God who created us all.
He wanted us to know about Him and gave us commandments so that we did not have to figure it out on our own. He wanted us to have knowledge about Him so that there would be no question about the best way to live our lives while we are here. Seems to me that we should value and treasure the wisdom and guidance that He sent down for us.
Which leads me back to the original issue - throwing the "baby" out with the "bathwater". Sometimes the bathwater does need to be thrown out, its dirty, its filthy and it needs to be purified and renewed. Just don't throw the baby out with it. Please? The "baby" is precious and beautiful and somehow important, don't you think? Or else why would these precious words have been given to us in the first place?
"Even if the faithful can recite
only a few of the scriptures,
if they act accordingly,
having given up passion, hate, and folly,
being possessed of true knowledge and serenity of mind,
craving nothing in this world or the next,
they are living the holy life."
(Buddhist, Dhammapada - Sayings of the Buddha 2 (tr. J. Richards))
"Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (King James Bible, 2 Peter, 1:2-8)
"...after the deeper meaning of the Udgîtha or Om has been described, the advantage of knowing that deeper meaning is put forward, and it is said that the sacrifice which a man performs with knowledge, with faith, and with the Upanishad, i.e. with an understanding of its deeper meaning, is more powerful." (Upanishads vol. 1, Introduction to the Upanishads, vol. 1)
"The supreme cause for creating the world and all that is therein is for man to know God." (Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 267)
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2 comments:
OK here's the thing...I think there is "something" in all "religions"...but the fact is I don't need religion or more specifically to subscribe to one faith in order to be spiritual or to have a love of god. I do enjoy reading quotes...I have a "salad bar" mentality I guess. BUT I do not think "religion" is the answer. I love to be inspired; but the truth is God and I don't need a middle man. and no matter how inspired all religion is filtered through man and the time period etc.
I wrote this the other day "Religion is not bad, how people use it is bad; but people can also use money, food, politics, families and a host of other things to do "bad"...religion is not the evil; evil people are"
So although I don't believe religion is inherently bad, I also don't think it is inherently necessary. I do think we can love god, be good people, study religious works and never have to subscribe to one brand of religion. Hmmmmh what's a good metaphor/????
It's like exercise...every form of exercise has some good in it...but it can also be detrimental if that is all you do, if you don't adjust for your age and healthy and if you don't have a variety and when something new is discovered you need to be able to move on...like finding out the intervals are better for you...and you have to understand that not every exercise is right for every body --- so just becuase it works for you doesn't make it work for the next person. So if you never ever did yoga I might think you are missing out...but that is just my opinion...
Sure some scripture has great messages; but that doesn't mean I want to stay and eat it all.
Of course that makes me wonder if selecting what I like makes me any better than the bible thumpers that use the bible to condemn but still only pick and choose what works for them. http://www.elephantjournal.com/2008/09/bible-forbids-homosexuality-west-wing-michael-moore-gay/
Thanks for the post Aminda! Very common and understandable sentiment in this day and age. Most older religions have become so warped and I wouldn't want to eat every item at that salad bar either. That is why I love the Baha'i Faith so much. The teachings within it fit the ailments of humanity for this time and I don't need to pick and choose out of it - it all tastes amazing. We shouldn't have to choose between different religions - if we could just recognize that they are all one.
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