Religious Rant
This topic was created in the Sagittarius forum by Draumstafir on Monday, August 12, 2013 and has 8 replies.
Okay, so, where I started from: Roman Catholic. I started this as a sort of rant to other Roman Catholics, so the "we" and "they" may or may not apply to you directly. I started to filter these out for more diverse readers but then lost the motivation to finish.
If you are at least "spiritual" in any way I hope you find some relation with this. If you are entirely athiest, consider this for your own philosophical amusement.
In order to completely get this you need at least a basic understanding of Christianity. Not the big defining historical moment that has become the symbol. No. The principles that are taught. Or rather, the principles that are taught beneath all the rules and hypocrisy and such. Considering (and this is only one small introductory consideration) that at the time of Moses we were taught not to have a symbol or an altar. Moving on now:
If you are at least "spiritual" in any way I hope you find some relation with this. If you are entirely athiest, consider this for your own philosophical amusement.
In order to completely get this you need at least a basic understanding of Christianity. Not the big defining historical moment that has become the symbol. No. The principles that are taught. Or rather, the principles that are taught beneath all the rules and hypocrisy and such. Considering (and this is only one small introductory consideration) that at the time of Moses we were taught not to have a symbol or an altar. Moving on now:
In the Bible, we (those of us attending sermons or actually reading) are taught that when asked for a name, God answered, "I Am Who Am". How vague! Our Bible is an account from a group of people in a certain part of the world with something of a desert-like climate and possibly an Arabic descent. They were primitive in comparison, although surely considered themselves advanced, and parables were used to teach them. Stories they could relate to; examples of their time. Certainly an excellent way to teach!
The Bible has been destroyed, rewritten by memory, and translated so many times throughout history. Translators can skew things, but so can poor memory. No single fault to blame. Yet its stories remain and are repeated every year.
Church is like a history class. The teacher is up there teaching the book. He (or she, in some religions) can be an inspirational teacher or a snozz-fest teacher. Persuasive, offensive, smart, not smart, relatable life examples or not. Helpful intentions or hurtful ones. The building can be big, small, bright, dark, inviting, repellant, safe, scary, whatever. He's just teaching history. And that book is what we have left of our history.
"After you've heard two eyewitness accounts of an auto accident it makes you wonder about history." But it's still all we've got. And it's repeated every year. It has a schedule!
To get a little specific, I believe in Jesus. 100% . Christians are taught over and over that believing in Jesus is the only way to get into Heaven. It's drilled in. Indefinitely. Thing is, what IS Jesus?
Not who.
WHAT.
There's a very famous passage about how a man named Job was tested horribly. Everything was taken from him, to tempt him to forsake God. In the end he still seeks God, but begs for some tangible symbol of God's love for us. And he's given tons of good things. Family in abundance. Good health, very comfortable. And no one is ever tested again in this dramatic way. Yes, some of this could be symbolic. Remember the bit about the writings having been destroyed and rewritten and translated multiple times. Yet this one is SO FAMOUS. Grain of truth?
The Bible has been destroyed, rewritten by memory, and translated so many times throughout history. Translators can skew things, but so can poor memory. No single fault to blame. Yet its stories remain and are repeated every year.
Church is like a history class. The teacher is up there teaching the book. He (or she, in some religions) can be an inspirational teacher or a snozz-fest teacher. Persuasive, offensive, smart, not smart, relatable life examples or not. Helpful intentions or hurtful ones. The building can be big, small, bright, dark, inviting, repellant, safe, scary, whatever. He's just teaching history. And that book is what we have left of our history.
"After you've heard two eyewitness accounts of an auto accident it makes you wonder about history." But it's still all we've got. And it's repeated every year. It has a schedule!
To get a little specific, I believe in Jesus. 100% . Christians are taught over and over that believing in Jesus is the only way to get into Heaven. It's drilled in. Indefinitely. Thing is, what IS Jesus?
Not who.
WHAT.
There's a very famous passage about how a man named Job was tested horribly. Everything was taken from him, to tempt him to forsake God. In the end he still seeks God, but begs for some tangible symbol of God's love for us. And he's given tons of good things. Family in abundance. Good health, very comfortable. And no one is ever tested again in this dramatic way. Yes, some of this could be symbolic. Remember the bit about the writings having been destroyed and rewritten and translated multiple times. Yet this one is SO FAMOUS. Grain of truth?
I see Jesus as God's LOVE for us. The tangible example that was begged for. Whether Job's story is 100% true or not, this just sort of clicked one day, and it made sense to me. Think about what He stands for. Think about what He's done and any miniscule motivations we're given as to why. All throughout, in every single teaching parable and every act of abundant forgiveness, He teaches us to practice love. I use capitalization because my slight OCD tells me to. I obey my OCD. ^_^ And it's sort of a name, if sort of vague. But that's sort of the point. Considering we've only ever been given "I Am Who Am" and yet have come up with so many names on our own. Hello odd grammar. Hello, translation issues.
As a Christian, I've been taught that the only way to enter Heaven is to believe in Jesus. So, to believe in God's love, for us? SO many religions promote living the love that we're taught as the only way to enter paradise. Some call it ascension. Some call it a higher reincarnation.
Said Shakespeare: "A rose by any other name is still a rose."
Well, in Olde English. But meh.
Isn't it possible, then, that God would present Himself in a way that could be understood by other people in other parts of the world; those who also needed to hear His voice? And they would record this in their own ways. Or that others still would be already peaceful and fulfilled, and not need such direct interaction, but would feel God's love innately and try to describe it in their own way. With their own names, of their own languages. Yet the same God. Perhaps even recorded as separate entities because they could not come to terms with a multifaceted God. Yet the same teachings. Job begged for a mediator between him and God (9:33; 33:23), a Redeemer. A physical example of God's love, that humans could understand more easily. And Jesus came. The human God. Perhaps not during Job's lifetime, but He came nonetheless. To the people of Job's time and place; who had been, and would continue to, compile what we know today as the Bible.
The people in the desert weren't in contact with people in other parts of the world. Nor were those ancient people in contact with each other. Small little pockets of people all over. So if the group that eventually compiled what resulted in our Bible today... were given all these religious examples and standards to live by... why not the other pockets of people, too? Filtered by their own cultures and understandings, of course.
As a Christian, I've been taught that the only way to enter Heaven is to believe in Jesus. So, to believe in God's love, for us? SO many religions promote living the love that we're taught as the only way to enter paradise. Some call it ascension. Some call it a higher reincarnation.
Said Shakespeare: "A rose by any other name is still a rose."
Well, in Olde English. But meh.
Isn't it possible, then, that God would present Himself in a way that could be understood by other people in other parts of the world; those who also needed to hear His voice? And they would record this in their own ways. Or that others still would be already peaceful and fulfilled, and not need such direct interaction, but would feel God's love innately and try to describe it in their own way. With their own names, of their own languages. Yet the same God. Perhaps even recorded as separate entities because they could not come to terms with a multifaceted God. Yet the same teachings. Job begged for a mediator between him and God (9:33; 33:23), a Redeemer. A physical example of God's love, that humans could understand more easily. And Jesus came. The human God. Perhaps not during Job's lifetime, but He came nonetheless. To the people of Job's time and place; who had been, and would continue to, compile what we know today as the Bible.
The people in the desert weren't in contact with people in other parts of the world. Nor were those ancient people in contact with each other. Small little pockets of people all over. So if the group that eventually compiled what resulted in our Bible today... were given all these religious examples and standards to live by... why not the other pockets of people, too? Filtered by their own cultures and understandings, of course.
And filtered through the generations.
Until we reach contact with each other and have the basic human response of "Mine is better than yours."
It's sad. But it's what happens. How else do you explain such animosity over such irrelevant things like favorite sports teams? Dude, seriously?
So:
I see all the good-will religions as the exact same thing. All the ones that say be nice to people and animals and plants and anything alive. Anything that was alive. Anything that will one day live. Not for a reward, but just for the sake of kindness, and kindness will come back to you.
In a word: karma. (And no one said karma has any indication of TIME relevance!)
But we all attach to our favorite interpretations. I'm very comfortable with mine because it's what I grew up with. I recognize my preference as due to being familiar. Yet I can't fight it. Nor do I want to, because I don't want animosity with my family. It's a very big family.
But I've added to what is familiar. I've begun exploring the sanctuaries of other faiths during sermons as a visitor. Not to convert, but to add. To expand. Part of me wants to share these findings with my family. A big part of me says not to tell my elders, as they are more set in their ways and goodly people anyway, and I do not want to hurt them.
I believe that no matter the name or any aesthetic description used, each religious culture stems down to the same central teaching. Love your neighbor. Respect yourself, as this body is a gift. Be kind to those less fortunate. Share. Love. Do unto others as you would have done to you, because you love them. We are all created. We have different gifts of talent, equally important. Together with all our differences creates balance. Balance is healthy. (Feng shui rocks!). Together we are stronger, healthier, and more able to notice God's love. In Christianity we call Him Jesus. Jesus is the way. God's LOVE is the way. No matter the name. There is a place of goodness to look forward to for those who seek and express God's love. What are you doing, when you do something to a fellow creature created by God? Do you do it out of love? "And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them." --Dalai Lama
No, that religious philosopher was not my inspiration. But these revelations have inevitably led me to him. More to research now...
Until we reach contact with each other and have the basic human response of "Mine is better than yours."
It's sad. But it's what happens. How else do you explain such animosity over such irrelevant things like favorite sports teams? Dude, seriously?
So:
I see all the good-will religions as the exact same thing.
All the ones that say be nice to people and animals and plants and anything alive. Anything that was alive. Anything that will one day live. Not for a reward, but just for the sake of kindness, and kindness will come back to you.In a word: karma. (And no one said karma has any indication of TIME relevance!)
But we all attach to our favorite interpretations. I'm very comfortable with mine because it's what I grew up with. I recognize my preference as due to being familiar. Yet I can't fight it. Nor do I want to, because I don't want animosity with my family. It's a very big family.
But I've added to what is familiar. I've begun exploring the sanctuaries of other faiths during sermons as a visitor. Not to convert, but to add. To expand. Part of me wants to share these findings with my family. A big part of me says not to tell my elders, as they are more set in their ways and goodly people anyway, and I do not want to hurt them.
I believe that no matter the name or any aesthetic description used, each religious culture stems down to the same central teaching. Love your neighbor. Respect yourself, as this body is a gift. Be kind to those less fortunate. Share. Love. Do unto others as you would have done to you, because you love them. We are all created. We have different gifts of talent, equally important. Together with all our differences creates balance. Balance is healthy. (Feng shui rocks!). Together we are stronger, healthier, and more able to notice God's love. In Christianity we call Him Jesus. Jesus is the way. God's LOVE is the way. No matter the name. There is a place of goodness to look forward to for those who seek and express God's love. What are you doing, when you do something to a fellow creature created by God? Do you do it out of love? "And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them." --Dalai Lama
No, that religious philosopher was not my inspiration. But these revelations have inevitably led me to him. More to research now...
Danged double-post.
Oops! I meant SPIRITUAL philosopher.
I agree with you that Jesus was a pisces. I kind of feel that if he came back today he would be a scorpio.
Ohhhh but an EVOLVED Scorpio, who could heal you with just a look!
Give us confused stragglers something to aspire to.
Give us confused stragglers something to aspire to.
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