What is the essence of all religions?

I agree with AndrewX for the most part, with the exception of religious founders and tithes.

Firstly, what use does God have for tithes? Do religious people envision God going grocery shopping or something? Understand, it is greed which causes you to have whatsoever you give in "charity", and you only give in charity what you can comfortably afford. It is the very same greed which has caused poverty, please see.

Secondly, what founder of religion has not sought personal recognition? Why do people accept it of them, but not of others? We will unquestioningly state "they have been sent by God", yet who has not? For me, the most respectable are the mystics, for they give no credit to any founder, they only say these men have pointed at certain truths which are available to us all. They will try to deliver you to those same truths, but otherwise are normal men, there is nothing like ego remaining in them - their sole purpose is to deliver you to the egoless state.

Few mystics are known to history, yet all the religious founders are indebted to them. The only alternative is to say it is divine intervention or to call these men mythological figures - these are the extremes we see in the world today. Truth is each has had a master, each has been shown the way, they have been shown the doors by a mystic - the school used to provide example is irrelevant to them.

It is only their compassion at seeing you trying to walk through walls, the mystic is simply one who has found the door and ushers you towards it if you are ready. If you are not ready, you will certainly fight, for they are a threat to everything you are.

What more compassion than the one who is awake allowing you to sleep a little longer? This compassion is higher than any religious founder, and far higher than mine.
 
AndrewX said:
I would say that the essence of all religions, in common and colloquial terms, is that:
we are all children of the Most High God.

This is phrased, as you can see, in quasi-theistic terms, but it can also be understood quite literally, and still accurately. Many conclusions should naturally follow, but these are not always apparent, so I hope to touch on some of the most obvious ...

What follows should be an ethics (and morality) and a shared recognition of Dharma (Purpose, a deep sense of Responsibility) common to ALL people & peoples, while allowing room for EACH person to develop his/her own life's Path ... with the mutual & common understanding that it is one, united Destiny toward which we are Journeying, ONE shared future we are building in which ALL OF US can, do and will participate.

Anything less, and we have sold ourselves short of our Divine Heritage. Anything less noble, and we have sold our souls to the shortcomings and inadequacies of modern religion ... trading our true potential for rites & ritual, lip service and the staved-off pangs of Conscience ... thus missing the mark by a mile.

Anyone who tries to sell us on less, is immediately identifiable as a wolf among sheep, and/or simply misguided when it comes to the true function and purpose of religions (as their FOUNDERS have always known and regarded them). Beware those who would seek to carve their own spiritual or religious identity out of your forehead, or off of your land, or even by demanding tithes, lip service and other RECOGNITION from within your own person. Only God can do any of these, and when another person or group claims to speak for & from God, to you - or vice versa - you can bet your ass, and any other livestock you own ... he sure ain't doin' it for the reasons he claims.

;) :rolleyes: :)
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I would disagree that this is the foundation of all religions, since not all religions believe in a Most High God.
 
FutureHumanDestiny said:
what are the tenets of agnostic luciferianism? that sounds a bit like a contradictory-true-ism or the religion of embracing-rejection-ism.
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First of all the OP is asking for an 'Essence' aka common ground of all religions, and that doesn't exist.

As for Agnostic Luciferianism, I am agnostic in that I don't write anything off until I have evidence one way or the other.

As for Luciferianism:
Lucifer is a Collective Name for Spiritual Freedom, it is about Gnosis, particularly Luciferian Gnosis, Individuation, and Apotheosis.

Lucifer is the Principle of Spiritual evolution and intellectual inquiry. Through Lucifer's essence humanity first climbed down from the trees and has represented the flow of progress ever since.

But Lucifer may be more than a metaphor for rebellion, enlightenment and advancement - as the pure creative and motive light, Lucifer may actually be the key to life itself . . .

The DNA within the nuclei of all cells of living creatures contains biophotons or ultra-weak proton emissions - in other words, light!
A dynamic web of light constantly released and absorbed by the DNA connects cells, tissues and organs and serve as the organism's main communication network.

Lucifer is on the move inside you and me, chattering between cell and cell, rousing the cohorts of the life-force, keeping us alive and wonderful. As Crowley stated: "Every man and woman is a star", and now we know we have our own Inner Light.
 
Etu Malku said:
First of all the OP is asking for an 'Essence' aka common ground of all religions, and that doesn't exist.

As for Agnostic Luciferianism, I am agnostic in that I don't write anything off until I have evidence one way or the other.

As for Luciferianism:
Lucifer is a Collective Name for Spiritual Freedom, it is about Gnosis, particularly Luciferian Gnosis, Individuation, and Apotheosis.

Lucifer is the Principle of Spiritual evolution and intellectual inquiry. Through Lucifer's essence humanity first climbed down from the trees and has represented the flow of progress ever since.

But Lucifer may be more than a metaphor for rebellion, enlightenment and advancement - as the pure creative and motive light, Lucifer may actually be the key to life itself . . .

The DNA within the nuclei of all cells of living creatures contains biophotons or ultra-weak proton emissions - in other words, light!
A dynamic web of light constantly released and absorbed by the DNA connects cells, tissues and organs and serve as the organism's main communication network.

Lucifer is on the move inside you and me, chattering between cell and cell, rousing the cohorts of the life-force, keeping us alive and wonderful. As Crowley stated: "Every man and woman is a star", and now we know we have our own Inner Light.
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would you mind detailing some of the reasons why yours is a religion rather than a science?
 
Even Hindusim asserts a Brahman ... whether it is Nirguna Brahman or Saguna Brahman.

Monotheism, Polytheism, Henotheism and Pantheism - Panentheism, etc. - all of these point to the same Higher Ground of Reality. This is what I consider far closer to an essence than the semantics game.

Thus, "Most High God" to one will be Shunyata to another. If one can understand the Unity between and amidst seeingly contradictory or paradox terminology and conceptuality, one is also affirming one realm and type of possible human experience as contrasted with another. I concede that much.

WE CHOOSE whether we will point toward the individual constellations, or look overhead and acknowledge the noonday Sun [one might even add clouds or no clouds]. And we may or may not dance in harmony & rhythm as part of our ritual, as do the planets round the celestial orbs ... or sit quietly in contemplation of the marvels and the Wonder.

So I stick with Most High God because in my mind, in my heart, this differs in no wise from what I consider to be the heart, Soul and highest Spirit of all of the World's Great religions.
 
FutureHumanDestiny said:
would you mind detailing some of the reasons why yours is a religion rather than a science?
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Religion:
a : the state of a religious <a nun in her 20th year of religion> b (1) : the service and worship of God or the supernatural (2) : commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance
2: a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices

3:archaic : scrupulous conformity : conscientiousness

4: a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith


We worship our Higher Self and our Inner God
We are a system of Beliefs, Philosophies, and Practices based on the Principles of the Archetype Lucifer
A few organizations have acquired church status and are recognized officially and do enjoy tax relief benefits and so on.

Did you think this was a club or something? ;)
 
Andrew,
In regards to what I have recently posted here, would you also consider Luciferianism to be within your definition?

EM

AndrewX said:
Even Hindusim asserts a Brahman ... whether it is Nirguna Brahman or Saguna Brahman.

Monotheism, Polytheism, Henotheism and Pantheism - Panentheism, etc. - all of these point to the same Higher Ground of Reality. This is what I consider far closer to an essence than the semantics game.

Thus, "Most High God" to one will be Shunyata to another. If one can understand the Unity between and amidst seeingly contradictory or paradox terminology and conceptuality, one is also affirming one realm and type of possible human experience as contrasted with another. I concede that much.

WE CHOOSE whether we will point toward the individual constellations, or look overhead and acknowledge the noonday Sun [one might even add clouds or no clouds]. And we may or may not dance in harmony & rhythm as part of our ritual, as do the planets round the celestial orbs ... or sit quietly in contemplation of the marvels and the Wonder.

So I stick with Most High God because in my mind, in my heart, this differs in no wise from what I consider to be the heart, Soul and highest Spirit of all of the World's Great religions.
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Etu Malku said:
Religion:
a : the state of a religious <a nun in her 20th year of religion> b (1) : the service and worship of God or the supernatural (2) : commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance
2: a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices

3:archaic : scrupulous conformity : conscientiousness

4: a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith


We worship our Higher Self and our Inner God
We are a system of Beliefs, Philosophies, and Practices based on the Principles of the Archetype Lucifer
A few organizations have acquired church status and are recognized officially and do enjoy tax relief benefits and so on.

Did you think this was a club or something? ;)
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Brava! "worship of God or the supernatural", "devotion" to such, and a personalized or "institutionalized system of [such] attitudes, beliefs and proctices".

Luciferian, Wiccan, Shamanistic, Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism all qualify--however, they are really, really hard for me to reconcile with "God Most High".
 
Etu Malku said:
Andrew,
In regards to what I have recently posted here, would you also consider Luciferianism to be within your definition?

EM
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Dunno, I haven't paid much attention. Is Lucifer the Most High God? Can Lucifer be equated with the Logos, in any form or fashion? Could we say that attaining to oneness with Lucifer ushers the Soul on to greater and nobler experiences?

If Lucifer's just a middle man, then I'd be inclined to say no, this is not the essence. "Most High God" will always be synonymous with Love-Wisdom, or Compassion, sometimes Loving Compassion or even Compassionate Wisdom ... also Agape in Christianity, as I recall.

Does Luciferianism speak of this Brotherly Love for Humanity, emphasizing it as in fact *the only way* by which we may achieve, both individually and collectively?

If not, I would submit that the principle of intellect has managed to somehow outshine, at very least in the philosophy, if not also in the practice. And if so, it is no better an expenditure of time and energy than crossword puzzles ... although the latter do keep the mind busy, and usually without major spiritual crises as a consequence.

Truly, if the first few questions above can be answered in the affirmative, then perhaps Luciferianism also embodies the essence of all religions. But I don't see all religions as equal, any more than I see all people that way. It's just how we start out, so to speak - and it's also a reflection of our highest Potential.

What does Luciferianism say about either of these? Sometimes religion is about the middle man, and attaining to one Realization, or even a gradated set of Realizations [Initiation!] on the way to highest fulfilment or Enlightenment. In that regard, recognizing the Lightbringer(s) as embodying and presenting for us the Creative Intellect or potential of Creative Mind ... might well put Luciferianism right alongside any other tradition, even if it was invented, or newly presented just yesterday.

Arguably, depending on how you identify Lucifer, it's understandable that you might claim an 18 million year or so lineage ... which predates quite a few other mainstream religions by ... a lot. :D
 
Truly, the essence of all religion is love.

You may look at this as a strange statement, but this is the very essence of life itself, the very nature of the energy which gives us life. God is merely love personified, objectified, where the Higher Self is love subjectified.

Where God is the central teaching, love is cultivated that it can dissolve you. Where meditation is the central teaching, you are dissolved to make way for love. These are the two poles of religion, and when you are not, love is all there is. This is the experience of oneness, that nothing in existence is outside love, all is the subjectivity of love - including the body which has climbed to this plateau, it simply exists as part of the totality of love.

What is love? It is not what most believe it to be, it is not separate from the dissolving of self. It is a certain resonance which brings you exactly in tune with existence, and this frequency brings with it bliss for the body, infinitely deeper for the being.

This is why it hurts so much that religion is a cause of enmity in the world, how can the purification of love be used to kill? Such hatefulness is in the world, and it is all in the name of love - how foolish has man become? It all stems from this personification as God, it is simply poisonous for man to believe he is serving some outside power. When you call the religious blossoming as divine love or grace, it means something else is in charge of it, you will want to please this entity, but there is no such thing.

It is simply that we must grow in love, every ethic, every moral, every religious law is a command on how to love. Do you really need to be told how to share your love, how to express love towards all you encounter? Can you not simply love existence itself for supporting you, and see that it is not so discriminate? If it is willing to share its love, if it deems this person worthy of life, who are you to judge them? Can you not also shower love on them, rejoice that this person is walking the world with you?

Have you ever considered that the people alive today, that share this world with us at this moment, not one of them has ever existed before? Each should be looked on as a unique gift, an example of the wide range of possibilities existence can support. Even the criminal is an example of love, for he is willing to do whatsoever is necessary to support his life and that of his family. How can you judge? Realize that all your criteria have been given to you, none of it has originated with you.

Have the nerve to be unique, this is your intrinsic freedom, and freedom is intrinsic to love. Love cannot be controlled, you can only fight it or allow it, but still it will remain. If you cannot bring love to its peaks, for me you have not lived at all.
 
When I say I am God, I simply say I am love.

You will look at that statement and say "how can you be an emotion?"

Love is not so poor, it is nothing less than the very energy of life. Everything is supported on love, yet we are so miserly with it, so few understand the economics of love. It is such that the more you give, the more comes back to you. It doesn't matter where or to whom it is shared, simply share. Many see that their love has seemingly gone to waste, they have become hurt when they have shared so openly of themselves. I say the only one punished is the one who has not drank of your love, you must have the strength to continue sharing without holding back.

Instead, we limit it to a select few, and we wonder why our very life begins to fade. We will say it is because we are getting older that we are becoming weak, no, it is because you have been miserly with love. I have met 60, 70 year old people who still overflow with love, and they are more alive than most 20 and 30 year olds for this reason.

Drown in love, and it will become your very air.
 
seattlegal said:
I think this might have to do with privacy being needed for intimacy, or something like that. Things have devolved since then, imo. :p
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Contrast simply adds spice to life, it allows you to appreciate things more when they are not always there. For me, this is the highest crime of the ordinary religions though, that they go on emphasizing a split in reality - then we look around and wonder why people have become schizophrenic.

Love is a bringing together of opposites, it is the very merging of all the poles. This is most basically expressed in the sex act, where male and female come together so intimately. Yet existence consists of so many such pairs, and none are outside the realm of pure love.

Of course, many will say love is just the opposite of hate, that is just providing another contrast. You will have to look at what hate and love are, for hate is a desire to separate, it is to be absolutely against something. Outbursts of anger are just like the small dog which barks at everything to try to create distance, it is a fear of coming together. Indeed, love is the opposite of this, it is to give of yourself, it is to come closer to another. Pure love is absolutely for everyones freedoms, yet this is where so many miss. We become jealous, controlling, these are not stemming from love, the average sort of love is more like hate than real love.

True love knows no object, there is no objective whatsoever to love, it is simply a flowering of life, the fragrance of life. We must not create distinctions, but rather see all as complimentary.
 
Lunitik said:
True love knows no object, there is no objective whatsoever to love, it is simply a flowering of life, the fragrance of life. We must not create distinctions, but rather see all as complimentary.
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Actually, I would say that love understands and recognizes the Two Truths.
 
AndrewX said:
Dunno, I haven't paid much attention. Is Lucifer the Most High God? Can Lucifer be equated with the Logos, in any form or fashion? Could we say that attaining to oneness with Lucifer ushers the Soul on to greater and nobler experiences?
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Lucifer is a Principle, we don't worship as a deity. Understanding Lucifer as an archetype (as all non-corporeal beings should be understood IMO) we may incorporate Luciferian ideals into our highly individual practices. I don't know how you define LOGOS, but I will say that the Principles of Lucifer are found in ALL the Universe as they embody spiritual and intellectual progress with a good dose of compassion. There is no "Oneness" with Lucifer, because there is 'no' Lucifer per se, the Oneness is experienced through spiritually evolving by way of our Dæmon to our Highest Self which does not exist in the object universe, yet enables the objective universe to exist.

Does Luciferianism speak of this Brotherly Love for Humanity, emphasizing it as in fact *the only way* by which we may achieve, both individually and collectively?
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There is not one form of Luciferianism, it is highly individual, so I cann't speak for every Luciferian on this.
 
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