Summing up faiths..

[MehGuy]

I thought this might be a fun thread, and one that might help show the different ideas and concepts people derive from the various religions.

How would you sum up your religion? Or the religion of others?

Is there any core messages within Christianity? Islam? Buddhism? Your specific pagan practice?

Do you think many people wrongly interpret core messages from these various religions? Any core messages that might be cryptic to most? Are there some religions that do not have any core messages and therefore really no point to them?

For me, I personally wonder what the Old Testament in the Bible was all about.

 

[frienden thalord]

Satan is very deceptive.
in all religions their are some beliefs indentical to what Christ said.
But truths mixed with lies....equal lie.
JESUS CHRIST the same yesterday , today , tomorrow.
just in the christain religion many false versions with truths are taught.
But it has to be CHRIST , the TRUE CHRIST , including all his sayings
taught and kept .......to be the TRUE GOSPLE.
beware of interfaith ........I know you are atheist...
but this religion , though it claim love and unity,
will become mandatory for peace and unity in time.
Then those who refused it
well, we will be seen as the haters of humanity
haters of love, haters of peace
and the world will as one have no problem getting rid of us.
I know it may seem hard to see this .
But believe me......it is what will happen in time.
the world is already sick of war
religions are blamed
anyone , even ones like me who wont harm a person
and would not even self defend
but instead would only pray GOD to forgive my killer
still it wont matter to them in time.
Most people today already are sick of the bible
sick of anything which they deem as hate.
the world is on the very path GOD told
it would be near the end.
I pray you search scrips for yourself
and I pray you come to CHRIST.
I truly do.

 

[MehGuy]

Satan is very deceptive.
in all religions their are some beliefs indentical to what Christ said.
But truths mixed with lies....equal lie.
JESUS CHRIST the same yesterday , today , tomorrow.
just in the christain religion many false versions with truths are taught.
But it has to be CHRIST , the TRUE CHRIST , including all his sayings
taught and kept .......to be the TRUE GOSPLE.
beware of interfaith ........I know you are atheist...
but this religion , though it claim love and unity,
will become mandatory for peace and unity in time.
Then those who refused it
well, we will be seen as the haters of humanity
haters of love, haters of peace
and the world will as one have no problem getting rid of us.
I know it may seem hard to see this .
But believe me......it is what will happen in time.
the world is already sick of war
religions are blamed
anyone , even ones like me who wont harm a person
and would not even self defend
but instead would only pray GOD to forgive my killer
still it wont matter to them in time.
Most people today already are sick of the bible
sick of anything which they deem as hate.
the world is on the very path GOD told
it would be near the end.
I pray you search scrips for yourself
and I pray you come to CHRIST.
I truly do.

Thank you for your input....

Also what's with the weird formating?

 

[frienden thalord]

It is just the way I type.
Believe it or not , I did very well in grammar structure in English.

 

[Another Lazarus]

Other religions are dogmas.

Father and Jesus is alive.

 

[awitch]

Rather than a list of dos and don'ts or tickets to an afterlife party, my path is focused on making a connection with the natural world around us. It's subjective, experiential, and an inspiration force to pursue creative endeavors and striving to be a better person. I suppose the core message is "Don't be a jerk and try not to mess up the planet."

It's usually seen as something dark and sinister which is completely ridiculous.

I'm sure the ritualistic aspects are very cryptic to outsiders, but there's no magical powers; it's symbolic and on a psychological level, it's about finding a certain, relaxed state of mind.

So today has been a spiritually fulfilling day.
Last weekend, I was playing PokemonGo at a local park on the edge of a large lake. I found a wooded area off the trails that was strewn with garbage and two ducks. I returned earlier this morning in some old clothes, work gloves, and a roll of garbage bags and cleaned up what I could for my duck buddies. I only fell in the lake once.

After a shower and lunch, I went to a different park and hiked through different woods. I saw some weird insects, recorded bird song, and found an orange feather that I'm dying to find out what species of bird it came from.

Just had some dinner and in a bit, I'm off to study for the Cornell Lab's ornithology class I enrolled in.

(Oooooh so evil)

 

[MehGuy]

So today has been a spiritually fulfilling day.
Last weekend, I was playing PokemonGo at a local park on the edge of a large lake. I found a wooded area off the trails that was strewn with garbage and two ducks. I returned earlier this morning in some old clothes, work gloves, and a roll of garbage bags and cleaned up what I could for my duck buddies. I only fell in the lake once.

Awww, lol.

Nice answer though. Curious what you think of other faiths are mainly about too. Lol.

 

[awitch]

Awww, lol.

Nice answer though. Curious what you think of other faiths are mainly about too. Lol.

I think other religions are primarily about money and political power. Maybe that's not what their intent was originally, but to me, it feels like that's what they have become.

 

[Another Lazarus]

From the year 2009 until 2014 i was desperately trying to seek a family relative, she was a pastor and a mother of a very rich USDOLLAR SCALE BILLIONAIRE, i was hoping she could endeavour to give me a good position at her son's Enterprise.

The disappointment was that she never even care to meet me. I was sad and disappointed.

Until one day in 2014 i was sitting in my bed watching TV, then suddenly the situation changed, I found myself in a white hospital room, i saw a nurse covering a body with a white blanket. I was shocked didnt understand what that meant, i thought could it be that i shall die soon because i was sick that day.

The next morning i was phoned by my other relative that the woman pastor which i have been seeking for help in vain for five years has passed away at the same hour i got that vision the night be4.

It took a few days until i realize why God gave me the vision, there are 8 billions people in the world, GOD KNOWS WHEN ONE DIES and God knows she was the pastor i have been looking for support.

The lesson that God taught me : GOD KNOWS our WORRY OF FUTURE and JUST TRUST HIM NO MATTER WHAT EVEN IF HE WANTS TO USE US AS ANOTHER "LAZARUS", its our SALVATION ANYWAY.

Thats why i say other religion are DOGMAS but our Jesus is ALIVE.

Psalm 147:4 He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.


May Jesus bless you all HalleluYAH

 

[Arthra]

I don't see a lot of distinctions between religions. For me they have a lot in common and similarities really. The initial teaching usually emanates from a Messenger or Prophet.. a great Teacher or Illumined Being.. When the message is given there's usually resistance and denial by the established order. Sometimes there is violence and repression. In time and even after the martyrdom of blameless and innocent souls the truths eventually are shared and continue and can have great effect on civilizations.

 

[PloverWing]

Interesting set of questions.

Here's my one-paragraph summary of my Christian faith: The good news is that God saw our brokenness, and God entered into the world in human form, experiencing a human life and a human death, and was then raised from the dead. This event was so powerful that it broke the hold that evil and death have on us. It enables us to live in a new way, to begin to set aside the evil that entangles us, to begin to live in the way that God always intended for us, a life of love for God and compassion for the people around us. Further, God has forgiven all of the evil things that we have done; God calls us to rejoice in that forgiveness and to extend a similar forgiveness to others.

Summing up the religions of others is harder, but I'll try a couple of them, and then practitioners of those religions can tell me what I got wrong.

I think that a core insight of Islam is the belief that God is perfectly good; therefore, the way to live the ideally good life is to submit totally to God.

I think that a core insight of Buddhism is the observation that most, maybe all, human suffering is due to improper attachment to the transitory aspects of this life. If we can learn to let go of these attachments, we can be free of suffering.

I think that a core insight of neo-Paganism is that Sacred Presence can be found in nature.

I don't feel qualified to attempt to summarize other religions at the moment.

To answer one of your other questions, I think we misinterpret each other's core messages all the time, and that's the cause of a lot of interfaith animosity.

 

[ananda]

Buddhism?

Everything subject to origination is subject to cessation. Anicca, dukkha, anatta.

 

[Jane_the_Bane]

Buddhism: "Life is miserable because you expect the wrong things from it."
Shamanism: "Reality is alive. You can expand your perspective and understanding of the same through trance."

 

[Zoness]

I think that Season 1 Episode 7 of Rick and Morty summarizes the basic philosophy of my life:

"Nobody exists on purpose, nobody belongs anywhere, everyone is gonna die. Come watch TV?"

It seems apparent to me that the universe is so big that nothing in it ultimately matters. But that's cool because I am a sapient individual who has beliefs, goals, passions, dislikes and quirks and I make my own meaning in the framework that I am given; Earth, Western society, friends, family, interests, media and so on. My paganism has taken a bit of a nihilistic bent but I don't really regard that as a negative thing that its often taken as.

I revere nature, and am glad to be a part of this world. I am mindful of those around me and have over the last couple of years become a lot more attuned to people's suffering and I try to my part to alleviate it. I am constantly growing in my spirituality so check back a year or two to see where I stand.

 

[Phil 1:21]

Christianity: TRUTH

Everything else: False

-end of list-

 

[awitch]

Christianity: TRUTH

Everything else: False

-end of list-

Interesting that your summary is about being right rather than any description whatsoever about your actual belief.

 

[Phil 1:21]

Interesting that your summary is about being right rather than any description whatsoever about your actual belief.

You can find the beliefs of Christianity here New International Version (NIV) - Version Information - BibleGateway.com It's a great read. I highly suggest it.

 

[Zoness]

Interesting that your summary is about being right rather than any description whatsoever about your actual belief.

A turnoff to say the least.

 

[Albion]

I don't see a lot of distinctions between religions. For me they have a lot in common and similarities really. The initial teaching usually emanates from a Messenger or Prophet.. a great Teacher or Illumined Being.. When the message is given there's usually resistance and denial by the established order. Sometimes there is violence and repression. In time and even after the martyrdom of blameless and innocent souls the truths eventually are shared and continue and can have great effect on civilizations.

Using your own standard, I'd say that Christianity provides a critical difference, having been founded by a man who was God himself--not a messenger or prophet or great teacher but the Creator himself. Not many others can say that.

 

[Phil 1:21]

A turnoff to say the least.

The truth is often a turn off for those running from it.