“The essence of all religion is one. Only their approach is different.”
Gandhi
Religion is a very sensitive topic and can potentially stir uncomfortable feelings in many individuals. Know that this post is written with the utmost care and sensitivity. I am not here to judge, nor do I claim to have all the answers. I would simply like to pose a few questions. This conversation will require you, the reader, to keep an open mind, evaluate the questions honestly and then choose what is right for you. My intention is to propose a concept for the potential evolution of some beliefs and a bridge between the variations of religions. As always, you are free to choose what makes the most sense and works best for you. Follow your internal compass, your feelings and listen to what feels good and right. Notice when you find yourself resisting, dig into the core belief and reasons you believe, in order to validate that belief. If you find that you believe something because “that is the way it’s always been” or “that is what they told me was true” ask yourself two questions: ‘do I personally believe that?’; and, ‘how does it make me feel?’ Be honest…
What is Religion?
Let’s start with the technical definition. What is religion? Bing provides the following definition: “A religion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to an order of existence. Many religions have narratives, symbols, and sacred histories that are intended to explain the meaning of life and/or to explain the origin of life or the Universe.”
Who is your God?
“In Christianity they refer to him as God, who is a Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In Judaism they call him God, Hashem (The Name). In the Sikh Religion, there is only One, Hari. In the Buddhist Religion, there are many Buddhas. In the Hindu Religion, there is one Formless God and a trimurti of Creator, Preserver and Destroyer Gods. In the Parsee Religion, Zoroastrianism, there is Ormazd, sometimes called “Ahura Mazda” or simply “Mazda”. In Confucianism, there is Ti’en (Heaven). Also known as Shang Di(The Lord on High).” The Muslim name for God is sacred to the point I cannot write it, but it is simply Arabic for ‘the God.’
“Africans didn’t have a religion, they had Spirituality from which ALL religions began…had Gods such as Isis, Horus, Heru, Ausar,Osirus; Mayan religion has many deities, Ancient Greek and Roman religions all had myths for example Yesus, Thor, Zeus, Mercury. The American Indians had their deities, and the Australian Aboriginals had their Gods and the Dreamtime. There were Norse Gods, Scandinavian Gods, Celtic Gods, Druidic Gods, along with nature religions also. Where ever there is mankind, there you will find worshippers of the Divine. “ Source Religion Answers
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
It’s amazing the variations and yet the similarities. Does it really matter what we call him? Can we all agree there is a higher power, something greater than us that intends something good for us all? This is just one factor in the bigger picture. Let’s take a step back and look at it from a higher level.
How Does It All Come Together?
Religion is a collection of beliefs, compiled over time, throughout multiple generations, in order to understand the purpose of life. Each culture has their own explanation as to who God is and what laws he has defined. Each culture feels strongly that their religion is right and all others are false. Generally most have good intentions, believe in doing the right thing, helping others and achieving a reward for making good choices. These beliefs are derived from a collection of writings passed down by men who were considered to be inspired scribes, divine messengers, prophets or other revered holy men.
Because they were recorded by men, one could argue that these messages were the constructs of mankind, not God. Others disagree, saying that God is the Source for such sacred teachings, and the prophet, angel or author was merely His most expedient communication channel of the time. Whatever side of the debate you reside on, shouldn’t we as humans be conscientiously aware of our own fallibility? We all make mistakes and there is no way to know for sure that all messages were delivered with 100% accuracy. Not to mention many of the messages were delivered thousands of years ago, in a different language and have been translated numerous times. Would it be prudent, to assume that the message is exactly the same now, as when it was first delivered? Or, that precise context and delivery have been carefully preserved the way they were intended to be?
In many of the teachings there are messages of hope and love that seem divinely ordained. However, in some religions, there are contradictory messages, condemning mankind to a life of repression, supplication, self-deprivation, suicide and murder. This is where I question the translation and validity. Is it possible things were changed to suit the interests of the translator? Or could it have been a simple mistake?
Lost in Translation
Consider the game of telephone. If you have never played the game, get a few friends together and give it a try. Start with 5 or more friends and stand in a line. The first person in line should tell the second person a secret that is at least 2-3 sentences long. Each person should pass the secret to the next person in line. When the final person receives the secret, have them say it out loud. 9 out of 10 times the secret is completely distorted and may not even make sense.
Considering how much can be lost in communication, translation and transportation, we have to ask ourselves, what might be missing from the holy writings that we so passionately live and die by? When we are told to sacrifice ourselves, give up everything, reject our hopes and dreams and grovel in the dirt, does that feel right to you? When they tell us we are to be ashamed and hide the truth of who we are does that feel right to you? When they say God wants us to live in fear, guilt and shame…I ask again, does it feel right to you?
Think for Yourself
This is not to say we should discredit the teachings all together. We do however, need to consider the need for interpretation, in a way that makes sense and feels right to us. We have been given a conscience for a reason. When we are honest with ourselves, we know the difference of right and wrong. We certainly do not need to be condemned to hell to know we should do the right thing.
I am not saying that we throw caution to the wind and live hapless, careless lives. This is where our own internal regulation is necessary. If we are honest with ourselves and aware of our motivations, we know what choices and actions are right and wrong. ‘The eye seeks what the mind already knows.’ Voices by Shanghai Restoration Project
Evolution
“Religion is part of the human make-up. It’s also part of our cultural and intellectual history. Religion was our first attempt at literature, the texts, our first attempt at cosmology, making sense of where we are in the universe, our first attempt at health care, believing in faith healing, our first attempt at philosophy.” — Christopher Hitchens. When was the last time you tried something for the first time and got it right on the first try? Who is to say that our first attempt at defining religion was accurate? Shouldn’t it continue to evolve the same way nature evolves? Who is to say that all parts of religions other than my own are wrong? Couldn’t some pieces of all religions be right or hold valid lessons and guidance? Is it possible we all could be saying the same thing in a different way?
Think about creation theory vs. evolution theory for a moment. The Christians say the theory of evolution is not possible because God created the earth in 7 days and the planet is approximately 3000 years old. Evolution says it all started with a big bang, everything we see today has evolved from a single organism, which has taken millions of years. What is the real issue here is the measurement of time? Consider for a moment that a day in the eyes of God may be a million years by our measurement of time. Consider that God could have started with a blank piece of paper and a single organism and tweaked his artwork as he went along, allowing things to evolve as new challenges arose?
Open to Interpretation
When sketching or painting, an artist cannot be so ridged that, every time a line goes outside of his vision, the artwork is scrapped. No, he works with the line as it was laid and allows the piece to evolve. Often times it is the unexpected line or misplaced stroke, which creates a unique and positively disruptive response in the viewer. Abstraction and color outside the lines allows us to interpret the artwork to mean, whatever it needs to mean to us, in that moment. A musician will not tell you what the lyrics of a song should mean to you, it is open to your interpretation. The powerful emotional connection happens when the song speaks to you in the way you needed to be spoken to.
Open Your Mind
Considering all of this, should we be more open to each other’s beliefs? After all, “judge not lest ye be judged.” Who are we to say what is right for the person next to us? To each his own. Whatever floats your boat. I will take care of mine and you should focus on taking care of your own. It is none of our business what others choose to believe or think is right for them. So long as it does not threaten our safety, we should leave well enough alone. The key is to remember ‘your freedom to swing your arm stops where the tip of my nose begins.’ Abraham Lincoln
Remember that no one knows anything for sure. And even if you think you have it all figured out today, it is sure to change tomorrow. So stop wasting your energy trying to convince others of the way you believe things to be. Stop trying to control others with guilt and shame and focus on sweeping in front of your own door.
Karma
To those who threaten the safety of others, in your heart of hearts you know the truth of what is right. Be honest with yourself and ask what is truly driving your motivation to hurt others. What causes you so much pain you feel disgusted by others? And remember, what goes up, must come down. The cycle of nature will take its course and your misguided actions will be corrected, one way or the other. Good luck with that one…
Guilt, Shame and Power
We also have to consider what this did to our core beliefs when we were impressionable young children. Were you told you were a sinner? Were you led to believe you were bad? Have you ever considered that these tactics may have been developed to create a sense of control over people? Fear is a great motivator. Long ago a group of people were looking for the truth. They found what they believed to be true and called it their religion. Then a few people in that group realized the power in it and decided to use it to their advantage. Convincing the masses of their need for guilt and fear kept people in line and money the pockets of the deceivers.
To be clear, I am not challenging the validity of any organized religion. What I am questioning is the use of guilt and fear to condemn people and coerce them into following a path dictated by others. Free yourself from the shackles of these coercive techniques. I assure you, they are not from God, but of Man.
Does That Make Sense?
The truth is, God doesn’t want us to hurt or suffer. God is love…is he not? Why would God give us hopes and dreams so that he could deny us of them? Why would he give us feelings only to leave us hurting and in pain? Why would he allow us to understand joy and happiness if we were not intended to experience them? How does any of that make sense?
New Core Beliefs
I believe that we are purposely, ‘wonderfully and fearfully made’ and that our Creator fully intends for us to be happy. We are given dreams so that they can be fulfilled. We are given hope so that we will never stop pursuing our dreams. We are given the capacity to love so that we can understand the beauty loving and being loved. We are given feelings so that we can understand what is good for us and what is not. We are capable of joy and happiness because they make life worth living. We are given the ability to communicate so that we can share joy and happiness with others, by bringing light to a dark places. We are given strengths and talents because we are intended to use them. We are given the ability to think so that we do it for ourselves. We are given a conscience so that we can self-regulate. We are given the ability to create so that we can better ourselves and those around us. It is time to change the paradigm and think differently.
“Neither do they say, ‘Behold, here it is!’ and ‘Behold, from here to there!’,
for behold, the Kingdom of God is within some of you.”
Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Meaning To Life 