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Moonshoe
Blue Mantis


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Practicing all religions 3
#18742373 - 08/22/13 01:14 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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If you have ever read the book "life of Pi" you will remember that the protagonist was considered unusual because he was drawn to, and practiced, all religions.
Born and raised a Hindu, he was enamored of the Hindu Pantheon.

Later he encountered Islam, and began practicing that religion as well. He also discovered Christianity and practiced it too.
Most people talk about "converting" from one religion to another, but he took a different path- embracing them all.
Now, there are of course points of difference between different religions, so that some might say its not "possible" to follow more than one because they contradict.
However, the truth is that even within one religion there are countless contradictions. Many parts of the bible directly contradict other parts, to say nothing of how different interpretations of one religion conflict with one another.
But this does not stop people from practicing those religions, they just do their best to follow it as best they can, taking the interpretation that feels most true and right to them and essentially ignoring the parts that contradict or seem unethical or impractical.
Using a similar process, one can easily practice more than one religion. After all, Christianity, Judaism and Islam all share the same Abrahamic tradition. They all recognize the same important characters (Jesus/Isa, David/Dawood, Abraham/Abrahim, Moses, etc). The Jews and Christians both recognize the sacredness of the Torah (what Christians call the old testament) and Islam explicitly recognizes that the torah (torat) and Gospel (Injeel) are previous revelations from the same God. Yahweh, Jehovah and Allah are all different names for the same God.

Therefore, there is no fundamental reason one can not be a Christian, a Jew and a Muslim simultaneously, depending on how one interprets this. If one considers a Christian one who follows the teachings of Christ and strives to emulate him, that is totally compatible with Islam, which recognizes Jesus as an authentic teacher and prophet of God.
Consider then Buddhism and Hinduism. Both emphasize meditation, contemplation, ethical living, both use the Sacred Mantra OM, both sit in lotus posture and practice breathing meditation (pranayama), meditative hand gesture (Mudras) and sacred Sounds (Mantras) and both practice sacred meditative art (Mandala).
It is entirely possible for one to be a Hindu and also follow the teachings of the Buddha , thus being both a Hindu and a Buddhist.

And there is no reason whatsoever why a person cannot practice Taoism (the primordial religion of the East) which emphasizes harmonizing ones own life with the subtle flow of the universe, while also practicing devotional meditation (Bhakti) as a Hindu and following the teachings and meditative practices of the Buddha, thus being a Buddhist, Hindu and Taoist simultaneously.
The life of Krisha has many close parallels to the life of Jesus, and even the name shares a root (Christos/Krishna) such that we talk about "Christ consciousness" in the west and they talk about "Krishna consciousness" in the East, and both terms refer to exactly the same thing!
When Christian missionaries arrived in the East they were baffled to hear the locals discuss stories of Christ's life. They thought earlier missionaries must have already come and taught the Indians about Jesus. However, this was not the case, its just that Krishna and Christ were seemingly the same person, or at least represented the same Divine Archetype.

Therefore, one can worship Krishna and Christ, with the understanding that these are either two names for the same being, or two incarnations of the same divinity.
If one believes there is One God, one can understand that this One God can have many names and many manifestations and images, appearing to all of his children in different forms suited to the language and culture of their times.
Thus, one can understand that whatever religion one is practicing, whatever name or image one associates with God, you are always worshiping the same God, recognizing that God hears all prayers, regardless of which language or name is used, and accepts all worship, whatever specific ritual or ceremony may be employed.
God certainly understand all human languages, and he knows that human culture is diverse and ever changing, therefore if he exists he certainly receives all prayers and worship, regardless of which deity it is devoted to by the humans who undertake it.
Furthermore, all religions contain wisdom , insight and knowledge. They also all contain mistakes, errors, and false teachings. Therefore, one can study all the sacred scriptures of all religions, and take from each those parts that seem good, true, and useful, and then combine all those parts into a personal religion that has elements of all of them but is not exclusive to any of them.
Thus, one might wake up and say the Lord's Prayer (our father, who art in heaven...), then sit down and chant OM 108 times using a Mala (prayer beads) like a Hindu, and then sit for a further 30 minutes and practice silent breath meditation (as taught by the Buddha), and then go out and have a tranquil walk in nature, following the winding of a river (like a Taoist), before heading to the city to do good works for the poor and help his fellow man (as all the religions teach equally). Returning home he might prostate himself in the direction of Mecca and recite from the Quran, before sitting down to read from the Sacred poetry of the Islamic mystic Rumi, and then the mystic parables of the Hindu Upanishads, before praying to Yahweh to confess his sins and praise God and give thanks for all blessings, like a Jew.
Therefore, it is fully possible to practice all religions equally and simultaneously, and there is great benefit to doing this. As one philosopher explained, this is like the Mixed Martial Arts of religion.
It is all well and good to practice Karate, or Judo, Or Muay Thai, but MMA has proven that the strongest fighters are those who study and practice not one martial art, but all of them, in order to create a hybrid, syncretic, synergistic form of combat that is superior to any one style on its own.
In the same way, one who studies and practices all the wisdom traditions will have more insight , knowledge and technique to draw on in his spiritual path than someone who has only been exposed to a single religion or form of spirituality.
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Everything I post is fiction.
Edited by Moonshoe (08/22/13 01:53 PM)
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rulesq
Bad Mogambo



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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: Moonshoe] 1
#18742399 - 08/22/13 01:20 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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Tl;DR?
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Tmethyl
Smear in the shale


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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: rulesq]
#18742463 - 08/22/13 01:37 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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Extraordinary! Never have I seen a break down and explanation of all popular religions in one place. Overwhelming insight. You are open minded, logical and understanding Moonshoe. I sincerely appreciate this thread and your excellent concise and articulate writing.
Life if Pi was a great book but the movie was powerful I cried of happy and of sad, and for the first time ever, I cried for the beauty of life; I cried because I then realized even suffering is a divine gift. All religions can blend or one can follow his own path without religion, what will be is what will be.
Thank you Moon!
-------------------- ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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koraks
Registered: 06/02/03
Posts: 26,672
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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: rulesq]
#18742469 - 08/22/13 01:38 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
Therefore, there is no fundamental reason one can not be a Christian, a Jew and a Muslim simultaneously, depending on how one interprets this.
Yeah, you can also have a dick and still call yourself a woman, it really depends on interpretation. And while it may work for the individual, it's going to be a tad difficult to explain things to others.
Also, practicing all religions sounds like a lot of work and I don't see a clear benefit in it.
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Murph

Registered: 04/06/13
Posts: 1,678
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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: koraks]
#18742487 - 08/22/13 01:42 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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What about the X-mas presents?
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Burke Dennings
baby merchant

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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: Moonshoe]
#18742515 - 08/22/13 01:47 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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This is basically how Universal Unitarians operate.
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Moonshoe
Blue Mantis


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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: Tmethyl]
#18742530 - 08/22/13 01:48 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
Tmethyl said: Extraordinary! Never have I seen a break down and explanation of all popular religions in one place. Overwhelming insight. You are open minded, logical and understanding Moonshoe. I sincerely appreciate this thread and your excellent concise and articulate writing.
Life if Pi was a great book but the movie was powerful I cried of happy and of sad, and for the first time ever, I cried for the beauty of life; I cried because I then realized even suffering is a divine gift. All religions can blend or one can follow his own path without religion, what will be is what will be.
Thank you Moon!
I have to say Tmethyl, your consistently positive, affirming and compassionate energy means a lot to me. You are an amazing soul, a kind, intelligent, supportive person who takes the time to read and appreciate and would rather build people up than break people down. You are the exact opposite of a troll, and people like you keep this community alive.
I love you, Brother.
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Everything I post is fiction.
Edited by Moonshoe (08/22/13 01:50 PM)
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KremrBigSikter
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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: Moonshoe]
#18742565 - 08/22/13 01:56 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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I don't see how you can practice all religions without a)being very postmodern about it, or b) just reducing them to their lowest common denominator. And if b), then what's the point, then it's just the same thing with different flavour, different songs, different names for things.
-------------------- I have pneumonia
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Doctor Sponge
He's off on a tangent



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I enjoyed the post,pictures,and Ideas
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Apollyphelion
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Instead of piling a shitload of hats on my head, I'd rather just go bald. More honest, plus, more shiny!
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koraks
Registered: 06/02/03
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Hey mah man, how's Berlin?
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Moonshoe
Blue Mantis


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Quote:
KremrBigSikter said: I don't see how you can practice all religions without a)being very postmodern about it, or b) just reducing them to their lowest common denominator. And if b), then what's the point, then it's just the same thing with different flavour, different songs, different names for things.
I would suggest that the key is reduce them not to their lowest common denominator, but rather to their highest common denominator, taking from each religion all that is most holy, most wise, most beautiful, most good and most true, and leaving behind from each all that does not resonate with the heart or satisfy the intellect.
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Everything I post is fiction.
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Apollyphelion
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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: koraks]
#18742608 - 08/22/13 02:05 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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Well, good, but when you come ovah it will get more interesting! I am drinking and maybe gonna play a bit 'o' Minecraft!
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"I'm looking at you looking at it" SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL PLEASE! www.youtube.com/apollyphelion Creator of the World's Worst Comic Book
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koraks
Registered: 06/02/03
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I will, man, I will; it may take eons, but if Jehova is my witness, I will visit one day!
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Moonshoe
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Quote:
learning sponge said: I enjoyed the post,pictures,and Ideas
Thanks Spongey, nice to see a WCA brother in the pub!
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Everything I post is fiction.
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Apollyphelion
Dungeon Master/Princess(1009)


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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: koraks]
#18742621 - 08/22/13 02:08 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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You ain't far away! Come for a weekend!
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"I'm looking at you looking at it" SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL PLEASE! www.youtube.com/apollyphelion Creator of the World's Worst Comic Book
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KremrBigSikter
Spränger Språnger




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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: Moonshoe]
#18742689 - 08/22/13 02:21 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
Moonshoe said:
Quote:
KremrBigSikter said: I don't see how you can practice all religions without a)being very postmodern about it, or b) just reducing them to their lowest common denominator. And if b), then what's the point, then it's just the same thing with different flavour, different songs, different names for things.
I would suggest that the key is reduce them not to their lowest common denominator, but rather to their highest common denominator, taking from each religion all that is most holy, most wise, most beautiful, most good and most true, and leaving behind from each all that does not resonate with the heart or satisfy the intellect.
Yeah, but that's cherry picking. Not saying that's bad, I'd say that's a pretty reasonable approach and I do it myself. But I wouldn't say you're practicing all religions when you're only practicing the parts you like. Most religions are, you know, kinda dogmatic (possibly with the exception of buddhism and a few minor ones).
-------------------- I have pneumonia
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Moonshoe
Blue Mantis


Registered: 05/28/04
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Quote:
KremrBigSikter said:
Quote:
Moonshoe said:
Quote:
KremrBigSikter said: I don't see how you can practice all religions without a)being very postmodern about it, or b) just reducing them to their lowest common denominator. And if b), then what's the point, then it's just the same thing with different flavour, different songs, different names for things.
I would suggest that the key is reduce them not to their lowest common denominator, but rather to their highest common denominator, taking from each religion all that is most holy, most wise, most beautiful, most good and most true, and leaving behind from each all that does not resonate with the heart or satisfy the intellect.
Yeah, but that's cherry picking. Not saying that's bad, I'd say that's a pretty reasonable approach and I do it myself. But I wouldn't say you're practicing all religions when you're only practicing the parts you like. Most religions are, you know, kinda dogmatic (possibly with the exception of buddhism and a few minor ones).
Most (actually all) people who practice only a single religion do the same thing, practicing only a tiny part of that faith that they like or have been taught, and ignoring the rest.
This is inevitable , because all religions are far too vast, ancient and complex for any one person to fully understand, much less practice. So in that regard , the situation is no different whether you practice one religion or many .
Cherry picking is the only way to get cherries, which are sweet and delicious.
When one finds a juicy apple covered in mud , what does one do?
Wash away the mud, savour the apple!
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Everything I post is fiction.
Edited by Moonshoe (08/22/13 02:41 PM)
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KremrBigSikter
Spränger Språnger




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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: Moonshoe]
#18742745 - 08/22/13 02:34 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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Like some wise man once said: Fair enough.
-------------------- I have pneumonia
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Tmethyl
Smear in the shale


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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: Moonshoe]
#18742750 - 08/22/13 02:35 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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Moon, with great sincerity I love you too. Don't stop writing here brother, I am addicted.
All Christians are cherry pickers, the Bible has some disturbing content and some of it would land you in prison nowadays. Have a browse, www.dumbshitthebiblesays.com
-------------------- ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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RiderOnTheStorm
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Quote:
Apollyphelion said: Instead of piling a shitload of hats on my head, I'd rather just go bald. More honest, plus, more shiny!
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Moonshoe
Blue Mantis


Registered: 05/28/04
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Loc: Iceland
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Quote:
RiderOnTheStorm said:
Quote:
Apollyphelion said: Instead of piling a shitload of hats on my head, I'd rather just go bald. More honest, plus, more shiny!

These days, a hat is essential. What with the holes in the ozone layer and global warming, your bald head might get sunburned!
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Everything I post is fiction.
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Apollyphelion
Dungeon Master/Princess(1009)


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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: Moonshoe]
#18742888 - 08/22/13 03:04 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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Callousing is pretty good. Don't want the top of my skull to be a baby's ass.
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"I'm looking at you looking at it" SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL PLEASE! www.youtube.com/apollyphelion Creator of the World's Worst Comic Book
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RiderOnTheStorm
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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: Moonshoe]
#18742890 - 08/22/13 03:04 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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Some of us prefer the sunscreen of reason to the hats of mysticism, faith and dogma.
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KremrBigSikter
Spränger Språnger




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Sunscreen smells funny and leaves you feeling kinda greasy.
-------------------- I have pneumonia
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Moonshoe
Blue Mantis


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Quote:
RiderOnTheStorm said: Some of us prefer the sunscreen of reason to the hats of mysticism, faith and dogma.
Not all of religion is incompatible with reason. Even the most reasonable and rationale person can find wisdom, beauty and insight in the scriptures of each religion, without ever sacrificing any of his rationality.
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Everything I post is fiction.
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Apollyphelion
Dungeon Master/Princess(1009)


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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: Moonshoe]
#18742938 - 08/22/13 03:13 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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God is like a crazy asshole talking shit on the subway, that mostly rambles about beating women and fisting children
and amidst all this rambling he'll say something like We must love everyone!
Then all of a sudden people hear this and forget what an asshole he is.
It doesn't really take a genius to come up with the morals in the bible however the poetry is pretty genius you can have genius poetry talking about doing dope. Look at Bukowski.
I think religion has had all the cherries picked off the tree already, so lets concentrate on whats in the basket rather than the bare branches and tell god to go kill himself.
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dontknow
It's all in the reflex


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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: Moonshoe]
#18742989 - 08/22/13 03:30 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
Moonshoe said:Many parts of the bible directly contradict other parts
examples pls
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The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly. -Proverbs 15:14
“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of Life’s coming attractions.” Albert Einstein
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RiderOnTheStorm
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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: Moonshoe]
#18743020 - 08/22/13 03:42 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
KremrBigSikter said: Sunscreen smells funny and leaves you feeling kinda greasy.
The cheap stuff maybe, the good stuff makes your skin healthier and gives it a nice glow.
Quote:
Moonshoe said:
Quote:
RiderOnTheStorm said: Some of us prefer the sunscreen of reason to the hats of mysticism, faith and dogma.
Not all of religion is incompatible with reason. Even the most reasonable and rationale person can find wisdom, beauty and insight in the scriptures of each religion, without ever sacrificing any of his rationality.
True, not all of it is, I just find it simpler to be a naturally good and mindful person than to pick and choose silly beliefs and rituals that subtly convey wisdom and lessons that could have been stated plainly in a paragraph rather than be stretched throughout books of inane babble, lies, violence and theocratic manipulation, coded in parables.
To put it simply, I don't need my insights and wisdom all dressed up and buried within a river of shit. I also don't believe that there is wisdom or insight within the "holy" texts that is unattainable through secular and less divisive or perverse mediums.
To each his own though, if you enjoy spending half your day counting beads and bowing to Mecca, more power to you, just never was my thing.
Bald Head Crew fo' lyfe.
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Tmethyl
Smear in the shale


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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: dontknow]
#18743054 - 08/22/13 03:50 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
dontknow said:
Quote:
Moonshoe said:Many parts of the bible directly contradict other parts
examples pls
There are literally hundreds.
PSA 145:9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.
JER 13:14 And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them.
The shape of the earth
ISA 40:22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
MAT 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
-------------------- ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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Penelope_Tree
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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: Moonshoe]
#18743062 - 08/22/13 03:51 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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Nice post I wish I had more time to read about different religions. It'd be cool if there was an informational podcast or audio... anybody know any?
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full blown human
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dontknow
It's all in the reflex


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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: Tmethyl]
#18743066 - 08/22/13 03:53 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
Tmethyl said:
Quote:
dontknow said:
Quote:
Moonshoe said:Many parts of the bible directly contradict other parts
examples pls
There are literally hundreds.
PSA 145:9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.
JER 13:14 And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them.
That's not a contradiction. All you did was take a verse out of context. He's talking about wicked people in Jeremiah 13:14.
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The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly. -Proverbs 15:14
“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of Life’s coming attractions.” Albert Einstein
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Tmethyl
Smear in the shale


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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: dontknow]
#18743082 - 08/22/13 03:57 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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It is a direct contradiction, one verse says mercy to all, the next says no mercy and destroy. Context is irrelevant here. The entire book is the "word of god"
One God.
-------------------- ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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Tmethyl
Smear in the shale


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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: dontknow]
#18743102 - 08/22/13 04:01 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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On this common defense
Quote:
"It has to be understood in context." I find this amusing because it comes from the same crowd that likes to push likewise extracted verses that support their particular view. Often it is just one of the verses in the contradictory set which is supposed to be taken as THE TRUTH when, if you add more to it, it suddenly becomes "out of context." How many of you have gotten JUST John 3:16 (taken out of all context) thrown at you?
-------------------- ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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Heffy
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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: Moonshoe]
#18743154 - 08/22/13 04:11 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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I'm not convinced there are any real benefits to practicing a religion in the first place. Why would I want to practice more than one?
-------------------- I am the king of Rome, and above grammar! - Emperor Sigismund
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Tmethyl
Smear in the shale


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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: Heffy]
#18743169 - 08/22/13 04:15 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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He is not telling you to, he is just saying its not impossible or illogical. For those who benefit from religion, it would be optimal to be more open minded and eclectic and extract knowledge from all the best parts of many religions.
Just do what feels good.
-------------------- ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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Heffy
BrauMeister



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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: Heffy]
#18743180 - 08/22/13 04:17 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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If I think practicing one religion is illogical, it follows that I would think practicing more than one would be illogical........
-------------------- I am the king of Rome, and above grammar! - Emperor Sigismund
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Tmethyl
Smear in the shale


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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: Heffy]
#18743208 - 08/22/13 04:24 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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He wasn't writing about you.
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Moonshoe
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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: dontknow]
#18752435 - 08/24/13 05:23 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
dontknow said:
Quote:
Moonshoe said:Many parts of the bible directly contradict other parts
examples pls
"Interactive map traces 463 of the Bible's contradictions"
http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread966425/pg1
"Using data from the Skeptic's Annotated Bible, programmer Daniel G. Taylor created this encyclopedic visualization of 463 of the Bible's major contradictions"
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Everything I post is fiction.
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Moonshoe
Blue Mantis


Registered: 05/28/04
Posts: 27,202
Loc: Iceland
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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: Heffy]
#18752441 - 08/24/13 05:25 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
Heffy said: I'm not convinced there are any real benefits to practicing a religion in the first place. Why would I want to practice more than one?
I once took a course on the sociology of aging and dying. One thing that was interesting is that regular church goers live substantially (average seven years I believe) longer than non church goers, even when other factors are controlled for.
So it does seem that there is a health benefit to religious participation. And of course, there are countless benefits to meditation (reduced stress, beneficial changes in the structure of the brain, reduced risk of heart attack etc.).
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Everything I post is fiction.
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Moonshoe
Blue Mantis


Registered: 05/28/04
Posts: 27,202
Loc: Iceland
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Quote:
RiderOnTheStorm said:
True, not all of it is, I just find it simpler to be a naturally good and mindful person than to pick and choose silly beliefs and rituals that subtly convey wisdom and lessons that could have been stated plainly in a paragraph rather than be stretched throughout books of inane babble, lies, violence and theocratic manipulation, coded in parables.
To put it simply, I don't need my insights and wisdom all dressed up and buried within a river of shit. I also don't believe that there is wisdom or insight within the "holy" texts that is unattainable through secular and less divisive or perverse mediums.
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I understand where you are coming from. However, like most of us in the West, your opinion on religion seems to be largely determined by your experiences with Christianity and perhaps the other Abrahamic Monotheisms of Judaism and Islam.
Before you write off religion entirely, I would highly recommend you make a study of Buddhism and some aspects of Hinduism. In particular, I recommend everyone read the book "The Dhammaphada" which is the recorded teachings of the Buddha.
The Dhammaphada is highly insightful, full of practical wisdom that anyone can benefit from.
I also recommend the study of the Upanishads and the reading of the Bhagavad Gita. I especially recommend everyone read the Tao Teh Ching. All four of those books are full of profound wisdom, deep insight and beautiful poetic writing.
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Everything I post is fiction.
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Tmethyl
Smear in the shale


Registered: 07/16/12
Posts: 16,431
Loc: Florida
Last seen: 1 year, 4 months
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Re: Practicing all religions [Re: Moonshoe]
#18753147 - 08/24/13 09:18 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
Moonshoe said: I especially recommend everyone read the Tao Teh Ching.
I live this book, i also recommend it.
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