December 1, 2003
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Religion's come up a lot lately....I've had some big religion discussions this week with friends, family (both Mine & Mike's), etc. It's been great being able to express my personal views, and I've learned a lot, gained some good insight from these discussions as well. But I do think there was one thing I left out. So, I'll put it here for all the world to see, and I'm hoping that'll bring everything to a close, because in all honesty, I don't want to discuss this anymore...Think ostrich hiding technique.
The bottom line (to me) is kind of 2-fold, but first off, all religions have the same core beliefs: Do well, treat others well, live a good moral life as best you can. Wicca, Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, all religions will tell you that. They just differ on their view of God. Some religions will tell you that their way is the only way, I beg to differ. I personally feel that there is no "only one way" to heavan/valhalla/paradise/the after-life. My own belief is that anything & everything is possible. My opinion won't change what awaits me, or how to get there, so I believe it is all possible. I could go on & on, but that's not the point. Anyway, secondly, the point of religion is to help you understand the world around you. There are so many mysteries in life, and we turn to faith to help us understand them, to try to make sense of things. Just like so many other things in life, this is subjective. What you see, what you experience, what you learn puts your own twist on answering these mysteries. So, really, who are we to judge someone else's opinion if it differes from ours? If it makes sense to them, if it helps them to understand the world around them, then how/why is it wrong? I differ in beliefs from Wiccan friends of mine, but that doesn't bother me or change my views of them, because I understand that that is what they need. My views are mine, and mine alone. I am not looking for anyone to embrace them, because they work for me, they don't need to work for you. Just as I don't expect you to embrace my ideas, please don't expect me to embrace yours. True contentment understands that everyone is different, and does not need to push anything onto anyone if it's not right for them. A lot of people confuse "believe" with "know." Those words are NOT interchangeable. I hope I don't come across harsh, I don't mean to. As I said, religion is supposed to help you understand the world around you, and therefore it should be personalized: "To each his/her own."
Comments (2)
Not to continue a very sensative topic, but I'm gonna...while there are a lot of the same ideals in most religions today, some parts clash with other faiths. God, our heavenly Father, is Law. What He says is what we shall do as Christians. It is not blind faith; we put our faith in God as our Father who knows best. We, as His children, worship Him first and foremost.
What Christians, among others, often lose sight of, is what vanity truly is. It is a sin...they transpose the order of importance--God-Neighbor-Self. Too many take holier than thou stances and fail to realise the Second Commandment to love thy neighbor.
God is good; He will judge. Not Christians or Wiccans.
Hiya,
my reaction:
no. those words are not interchangable.
believe and know...i know mike, i know lauren,
i had encounters with you, beliving that you exist lies a question of truly knowing...
but i had an encounter with you. therefore its undisputable.
Believing that Jesus is Lord and knowing that He is are also different.
I had an encounter with Him also....
and on that note... i bid u adieu you sweet wonderful woman...
May God Bless u & i love u.
Donna
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