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Syncretism can involve substitution. For example Mayan syncretism has Christian elements that were substituted for Mesoamerican religious beliefs (Tavanti, 2003). Historically, syncretism has had a bad name because some substitutions don't make much religious sense. For example practitioners...

Re: similar is not the same Here you are in effect arguing my point of view. The lack of consensus even among religions that have common point of origin underscores the need to exercise great care when attempting to blend faith traditions. Mary Frolich notes that "spiritual living does not...

I might mention that Panentheism is considered mainstream Christianity in some sectors of Christian society. I think it is quite reasonable to think of it that way I might mention in passing that the oft repeated phrase "For in him we live and move and have our being" is Paul (Acts 17:28)...

What did Plato and Aristotle have to say about G-d's capacity for absolute foreknowledge?

Whereto? What makes more sense as a topic for discussion for this forum area: Religion, Faith, and Theology/Belief and Spirituality?

Re: similar is not the same My immediate reaction: Yes, Christianity has various subsets, but that doesn't mean there's isn't substantial overlap in beliefs and practices. Even where practices differ (e.g., grape juice versus blessed wine), at least there's some continuity for some basic...

Please bear with me as I allow myself 3-seconds worth of a sense of vindication. Here's Chan Master Sheng-yen, Litt.D. (Linji and Caodong lineages, the founder of the Dharma Drum Mountain Organization, and co-chair of the World Council of Religious Leaders) speaking my mind on this...

similar is not the same I can see where you'd make this argument. It would make more sense if there was nothing more to the ritual than the observable aspect. The outward aspect of the ritual behavior is external. It may indeed indicate a similar attitude of humility for different...

It would be relevant if theology is determined by linguistic parameters and the conceptual metaphors that reflect linguistic conventions shape larger analogical arguments about divine attributes, etc. As someone put it, the Bible is written in a kind of "code." Presumably the same concepts...

Thomas, This is a bogus distinction. Your primary source for classic theism would seem to be Aquinas, who was a priest/ideologue with the Catholic Church. for about 30 years. The Church was very preoccupied with G-d's omnipotence of God and Acquinas was an evangelist of the Church's views and...

It usually means a weak case. Who defines the "essence of Taoist wisdom"? Who decides these things and how is the standard verified ? This would explain why both the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh encourage people tho stay with their own tradition. Recall the Dalai Lama specifically discouraged...

I would have to disagree. Mantra recitations are fairly mechanical in the sense that they involve certain physical actions that generate speech signals that have vibrational properties. While there would be real-time variations, they reference a basic waveform which is relatively consistent...

I should ask her about what YOUR intentions were when you quoting her in connection with something PoO said? Thanks for the evasion, fella. :):):):)

ok. I was just agreeing with your train of thought and elaborating a bit. I think it also helps us make sense of evolution of the physical universe, which may be a symbol for the evolution of the soul. It can be distracting if it's an attempt to oversimplify. On the other and, some of the...

Snoopy, So are you saying the Bodhisattva vows is obsolete? :)

Pan-entheism is a variation on traditional theism. I thought Druidity was pantheistic (G-d= nature) or at least not theistic in sense these of having a Creator g-d who transcends nature.

That's quite different from the way Christians see it, isn't it? I have no data on this You are talking individual differences. Since you provide no data, I have no way of addressing those. We can talk about doctrine, though, and that's what I was talking about. I have no data on this. Not to...

As far as I know, what happens is people decide to make one religion their main one and then they have another as an aside. They then go with most or all the beliefs associated with their main choice and include a few practices from the ancillary one. In other words, there's not much going on...

I really think you're pushing your relativizing to the furthest limits here. How can people handle mutually exclusive and contradictory G-d concepts? For example how does one reconcile atheism (Buddhism) with monotheism (Christianity? This goes well beyond "cognitive dissonance." It goes to...

Thomas, Who are your primary sources again? My impression is that most of your objections to panentheism have relied on positions you made up on the spot that have no referent at all in panentheistic doctrine.