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So I've always been approached by Christians trying to "save" me. And I'm Jewish but don't necessarily go all out during certain events. So I kinda always believed that as long as I believe and am a good person blablabalba then that's just as good as any religion. Then Christians say, "No you need to accept Jesus to remove the impurities of your blood and be saved"

I like explaining stuff scientifically and just being able to back stuff up. Of course there's many events that I can't put reason or seem too good to be true to decypher so I categorize them into godly, devine, fate, supernatural, or the way the universe is acting in harmony with itself. They all are the same in the end depending on what sounds best for whoever you're talking to.

So I read the Tao Te Ching and Chinese characters having these multiple meanings the Tao Te Ching means The Classic Book of the Supreme Reality and its Perfect Manifestation, The Book of the Way and Its Power, The Classic of Tao and Its Virtue.

Whatever you want to call it, it's all the same. So I read this, it's very short like ~60pages of poems but very clear. Not abstract, hard to comprehend philosophy of some moderm philosophers. But I found it amazing where much of it was saying be selfless, have virtue but don't seek it, and then this really got me...

The best way to live
is to be like water
For water benefits all things
and goes against none of them
It provides for all people
and even cleanses those places
a man is loath to go
In this way it is just like Tao

So everything I was told about Jesus ran through my head. In particular Jesus would wash anyones feet, even whores and prostitues, and be spit on and wouldn't care. He was selfless. So Christians say," JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY TO GOD!" And this is my take on it... Jesus is THE WAY to god because Jesus follows The Way(The Tao). And by living as Jesus or accepting him then you are apparently saved. But if you live by The Way and Jesus lives by The Way then you are believing in Jesus. Not by giving your allegiance to any denomination but simply because you believe in The Way. The Tao goes on...

Tao and this world seem different
but in truth they are one and the same
The only difference is in what we call them

I read this and think all religions are the same. Sure they may be different rituals but all in all they are all the same. They are based on The Way of life.

I just think it's wild how this was produced way before the bible. All in all, if you live by Jesus, you are living by the Way... If you live by the Way and I live by The Way then apparently we are one. I never thought of it but that scene in Wedding Crashers where Vince Vaughn is seducing that girl with the "we are all one" talk is completely true.

Words can only describe so well but when you see and feel it then what can describe a feeling more than actually feeling it first-hand?

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Cracka_X said:

People are so concerned about being Christ, where I've heard that Christ would ask people,"what do you think you should do?"

You shouldn't follow Christ, but you should follow his example of being yourself. That's a true Christ believer IMO.

And that's what Taoism is about. Being yourself going with the flow/universe.

If you go against yourself and live a lie, you won't be happy. Set yourself free and fall into the stream of life and begin where you lie in stasis.

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The Bible says that true freedom can only come from God. It also says that sin is bondage.

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Grav said:

hrmm maybe then i should do my paper on the similarities between Christianity and Hsun-Tzu.

being yourself is not necessarily "self-serving" either i might add. many people find joy(for themselves) by helping others. aren't all christians primarily concerned with their own soul in the afterlife?

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Cracka_X said:

Yeah, I read a little bit of Paul/Saul's epistles. It's a neat story he has but I don't really feel anything from it.

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The Bible says that true freedom can only come from God. It also says that sin is bondage.

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that's funny, I believe true freedom lies in releasing one's self of bondage.

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Cracka_X said:

While we're talking about it, you should pick up an organic chemistry book.  The way compounds are synthesized and broken down, free radicals and other types of reactions I could form a religion or philosophy based on Chemistry, because 'we' basically are a tremendous myriad of chemical reactions.  I could say we're all unpaired electrons who have a greater affinity for some than others based on our 'make-up'.  Some people act as catalysts for relationships, wars, and such.  Anyhow, I probably am off topic.

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Actually you're not off-topic.
It is a fact that we chose our friends, lovers and so on based on who we are on a particular moment... or to be more exact on who we think we are. Or by the limitation our own "real" world has to offer.
For example, if you, becoming aware you are so much more then a doctor, or a forum-poster, or a writer, or a guy who's passionate in movies, fee the need ( as a person who just became more self-aware ) to make contact with a rocket-engineer... I'm pretty sure that the rocket engineer would make the assumption that you wanna learn about his science and nothing more. And in return he would "politely" ask you about movies and art. And if you would start a discussion about... let's say the ocean world he would say something like you're talking to wrong guy, I'm a rocket scientist.
Bondage is everything that defines us.
When we break this circle and become nothing of all that we're free.