Faith verses religions

[Tao_Equus]

Hi there

The problem is that we are reviewing the "politics of faith" at the hind end of more than a thousand years since a widely known religious Founder - when the civilization had already peaked many hundreds of years earlier for each of those religions (for Jews the time of David, for Christians the early-mid Roman Empire, for Moslems the Abbasids and Fatimah Caliphates for example) and the administrative orders meant to preserve and perpetuate the spiritual verities have become in the eyes of too many disconnected from the very spiritual verities their Scriptures call for.

Just like governmental politics, there is a true basis of organizing human resources, which is far far from "politics" which is the seaking of advantage.

But viewed over the very long term it is clear that religions and governments have evolved and changed. So we will in the future as well - perhaps not so much waiting for God, as He is waiting for us.

I hope so.....we can but live in hope


Regards

TE

 

[Tao_Equus]

Hello

Mind you, most people are not thinking this extensively about it. They are just falling in line until the catastrophic betrayal arrives, in which faith is modified onto the course of the 'enlightenment' that Wil talks about.

This is why I tend to dislike religeons. Rather than nurturing faith they can replace it with dogma, intolerance and narrow-mindedness. The followers of many extreme religious sects seem to me to be faithless in the true sense. They have become too corrupted by the politics of their religion and in doing detatched from the essence of their own individual faith.
That we are social animals and wish to share our common feelings and beleifs can be so positive, and so spiritualy and socialy rewarding. Faith however can be forgotten in this collective, replaced by the feelings of happiness we all get when we feel included, wanted, needed. Then the door is open to the charismatic egotist to direct this group whichever way he/she wants. The flock will follow rather than risk isolation or loss. The individual will work hard to justify choices and ideas they may not agree with and their faith become corrupted. I cannot be a part of a flock, I will not bleat in tune to an institutional belief system and I cannot see the world getting to be a more just place while so many people do. Without a paradigm shift to individual faith being the norm we will remain in the spiritual twilight. Sorry but thats my humble opinion.

Regards

TE

 

[Bandit]

Hi Bandit



I think we share the same point maybe. I very much mean faith is an individual thing, when you try to externalise it, it becomes politics of religeon. The two are never the same thing as you say.
On your note to Wil, the sad fact is we do not learn from history. If we did we would not have so many wars raging across the planet, we would not have obviously corrupt politicians ruling our nations and syphoning the budgets to corporate freinds. We would not have religeous charlatans preaching hate and intolerance. You can preach histories mistakes till your blue in the face.....makes no difference because we are apt to be too selfish to relate to anything other than what happens to us directly. As for taking words literaly in such a corrupted assemblage of ambiguous tales as the bible, well to me thats pure folly. But thats for me and I appreciate thats not the case for many.

Regards

TE

see, its things like this that start wars. the same thing religions do you are preaching the same hate. if you dont like something, you dont have to keep saying how much you dont like it. that shows that you are still holding something inside that you need to let go of. i used to have these same feelings over religions & i realized that if i am smart i will learn from history & not make the same mistakes. when you make strong statements like that against the bible or anyones beliefs, this is the kind of thing that starts war with others.
a belief is a belief. PERIOD.
& we dont change what others believe by putting down their belief.
if someone wants to believe the earth is 6000 years old & someone else wants to believe it is 6,000 billion years old, what difference does that make with what we do NOW?

 

[Arizona]

Religion tends to focus on outward behavior and not the inward nature. In this everything gets turned upside down. For example, a name is exposed by its nature not the nature exposed by the name. That is why religion in general take on names. It mimicks because importance is put on the behaviors and not on the nature of things. Faith is dynamic not static.

 

[Tao_Equus]

Hi Bandit

see, its things like this that start wars. the same thing religions do you are preaching the same hate. if you dont like something, you dont have to keep saying how much you dont like it. that shows that you are still holding something inside that you need to let go of. i used to have these same feelings over religions & i realized that if i am smart i will learn from history & not make the same mistakes. when you make strong statements like that against the bible or anyones beliefs, this is the kind of thing that starts war with others.
a belief is a belief. PERIOD.
& we dont change what others believe by putting down their belief.
if someone wants to believe the earth is 6000 years old & someone else wants to believe it is 6,000 billion years old, what difference does that make with what we do NOW?

You are right Bandit and I appologise. The regular contributers here by now know where I stand and its time for me to let up. Thank you for your frankness.

Regards

TE

 

[Bandit]

Hi Bandit



You are right Bandit and I appologise. The regular contributers here by now know where I stand and its time for me to let up. Thank you for your frankness.

Regards

TE

Thanks Tao. we can always go shoot at tin cans & paintball out back if you want to sometime.
peace to you

 

[akbar]

By Tao Equus,

"This is why I tend to dislike religeons. Rather than nurturing faith they can replace it with dogma, intolerance and narrow-mindedness. The followers of many extreme religious sects seem to me to be faithless in the true sense. They have become too corrupted by the politics of their religion and in doing detatched from the essence of their own individual faith.
That we are social animals and wish to share our common feelings and beleifs can be so positive, and so spiritualy and socialy rewarding. Faith however can be forgotten in this collective, replaced by the feelings of happiness we all get when we feel included, wanted, needed. Then the door is open to the charismatic egotist to direct this group whichever way he/she wants. The flock will follow rather than risk isolation or loss. The individual will work hard to justify choices and ideas they may not agree with and their faith become corrupted. I cannot be a part of a flock, I will not bleat in tune to an institutional belief system and I cannot see the world getting to be a more just place while so many people do. Without a paradigm shift to individual faith being the norm we will remain in the spiritual twilight. Sorry but thats my humble opinion."

It seems that here you have expressed my feelings and point of view. I would have taken these words as mine but then people would say, "Here he doesn't seem to be a farmer from The Punjab, Pakistan."
This is a sort of liberalism I have been mentioning to have a true faith in the God. I do not mean to renounce all which is mentioned in books or holy books of religions but an invidual acceptance after full understanding is necessary and not a bound or traditional belief to have a true faith in the God.

 

[akbar]

Welcome Arizona,

I think here you are perfectly right,

"Religion tends to focus on outward behavior and not the inward nature. In this everything gets turned upside down. For example, a name is exposed by its nature not the nature exposed by the name. That is why religion in general take on names. It mimicks because importance is put on the behaviors and not on the nature of things. Faith is dynamic not static."

 

[akbar]

Dear n4h1z, friend from Malaysia,

Have I offended you? If so I am sorry for that.