lunamoth
Episcopalian
Don't worry friends, I am not losing my faith, but a question asked elsewhere prompts me think about this question.
Especially for the "big three" Abrahamic religions, but also for Baha'i and the eastern religions, why would God not make it very clear and easy for followers of a previous revelation to 'see and hear' the connection to the more recent revelation??
Sure, we are blinded by our egos and ambitions, and pride, yet there are very clear discrepencies between the scriptures and religions. Someone else asked, why would the Quran not confirm the death and resurrection of Christ when that is the heart of Christianity? Why does the Baha'i Faith propose yet a third interpretation of Christ's mission and resurrection? Why would Christ not come in power the first time, as the Hebrews expected? The Baha'i Faith explains it that only the 'social laws,' like divorce or observing Sabbath change, while the metaphysical and deeper truths (like the golden rule) stay the same. But this is not the case. Some religions are based upon practice, others on orthodoxy (beliefs), some think heaven, or one's station in the next life, is earned by good works and developing virtue, while others think it is achieved by grace. Some think God is unknowable, others that we can have a personal relationship with God, others that there is no God. Some religons do not view an afterlife at all, or the afterlife is significantly different than other views. Why would God/the More always manifest in clouds of (mis)understanding?
All of these people earnestly seeking God and/or enlightenment: why would we be set up to mostly get it wrong?
It cant' be. God must be breaking through in different ways for different people. My own conclusion, today anyway, is that while God has manifested Himself to us in various ways, He has always allowed us to experience this manifestation for ourselves, individually. Scripture is God-inspired and a record left to point us toward God, but it is not as if God wrote it once and once only. If you explain why you love your spouse today, will you use the same words tomorrow? (Today you love him because he helped give the kids their baths, tomorrow you love him even though he never puts the toilet seat down.) Yes, it is True, and if there can't be mutally exclusive Truths, then these must be complimentary truths, given to us in different ways because God is gracious and merciful--not because He wants to leave some people out of His light and love (yes, this has my Christian/Abrahmic faith bias, yet Hinduism and Buddhism seem also to allow for other 'spiritual refuges' (thank you Vaj for the term). The Holy Spirit speaks through the prophets, yet we don't all hear the Words in the same way. We are left to struggle and learn, and choose to love. I think it must be the choosing to love, choosing social justice, and choosing the 'skillful way' that it is all about.
If I judge others for "missing the boat" am I missing the boat myself?
I'm not looking for a "my religion explains it better than your religion thread." But, do you think this really is a test by God to single out the pure in heart, or do you think it is a necessary thing so that we may each come to God or grow spiritually by our own choice or is it some other reason altogether?
pondering,
lunamoth
Especially for the "big three" Abrahamic religions, but also for Baha'i and the eastern religions, why would God not make it very clear and easy for followers of a previous revelation to 'see and hear' the connection to the more recent revelation??
Sure, we are blinded by our egos and ambitions, and pride, yet there are very clear discrepencies between the scriptures and religions. Someone else asked, why would the Quran not confirm the death and resurrection of Christ when that is the heart of Christianity? Why does the Baha'i Faith propose yet a third interpretation of Christ's mission and resurrection? Why would Christ not come in power the first time, as the Hebrews expected? The Baha'i Faith explains it that only the 'social laws,' like divorce or observing Sabbath change, while the metaphysical and deeper truths (like the golden rule) stay the same. But this is not the case. Some religions are based upon practice, others on orthodoxy (beliefs), some think heaven, or one's station in the next life, is earned by good works and developing virtue, while others think it is achieved by grace. Some think God is unknowable, others that we can have a personal relationship with God, others that there is no God. Some religons do not view an afterlife at all, or the afterlife is significantly different than other views. Why would God/the More always manifest in clouds of (mis)understanding?
All of these people earnestly seeking God and/or enlightenment: why would we be set up to mostly get it wrong?
It cant' be. God must be breaking through in different ways for different people. My own conclusion, today anyway, is that while God has manifested Himself to us in various ways, He has always allowed us to experience this manifestation for ourselves, individually. Scripture is God-inspired and a record left to point us toward God, but it is not as if God wrote it once and once only. If you explain why you love your spouse today, will you use the same words tomorrow? (Today you love him because he helped give the kids their baths, tomorrow you love him even though he never puts the toilet seat down.) Yes, it is True, and if there can't be mutally exclusive Truths, then these must be complimentary truths, given to us in different ways because God is gracious and merciful--not because He wants to leave some people out of His light and love (yes, this has my Christian/Abrahmic faith bias, yet Hinduism and Buddhism seem also to allow for other 'spiritual refuges' (thank you Vaj for the term). The Holy Spirit speaks through the prophets, yet we don't all hear the Words in the same way. We are left to struggle and learn, and choose to love. I think it must be the choosing to love, choosing social justice, and choosing the 'skillful way' that it is all about.
If I judge others for "missing the boat" am I missing the boat myself?
I'm not looking for a "my religion explains it better than your religion thread." But, do you think this really is a test by God to single out the pure in heart, or do you think it is a necessary thing so that we may each come to God or grow spiritually by our own choice or is it some other reason altogether?
pondering,
lunamoth
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