So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love. I Corinthians 13:13, NAB
In these modern times, it is essential that we come to understand that disagreements and misunderstandings cannot be solved through the use of violence or force. Just this past week I have heard many distressing news stories and reports of violence or threatened violence, all for the sake of a personally held belief or ideology, or the mistaken belief that it was the will of God.
It may be that God will ordain love between you and those whom you hold as enemies. For God has power over all things; and God is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. Islam. Qur'an 60.7
Have you ever heard the old adage, "you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar?" Humility and gentleness of spirit, kind words exchanged respectfully, and peaceful activities will do more to get the desired result than any act of violence or anger ever could. God's way is the way of peace and humility.
Do good to him who has done you an injury. Taoism. Tao Te Ching 63
God said, "Resemble Me; just as I repay good for evil so do you also repay good for evil." Judaism. Exodus Rabbah 26:2
God's way is the Way of Love. In Matthew 5:44, Jesus instructs us to "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." In Romans 12:14, Paul tells us to "bless those who persecute you; bless and curse not". He continues on in Romans 12:19 with, "Do not take revenge, dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath. For it is written, "Vengeance belongs to me. I will pay them back, declares the Lord."
Conquer anger by love. Conquer evil by good. Conquer the stingy by giving. Conquer the liar by truth. Buddhism. Dhammapada 223
According to the teachings of Hinduism found in the Ramayana, "A superior being does not render evil for evil; this is a maxim one should observe; the ornament of virtuous persons is their conduct. One should never harm the wicked or the good or even criminals meriting death. A noble soul will ever exercise compassion even toward those who enjoy injuring others or those of cruel deeds when they are actually committing them -- for who is without fault?"
The good deed and the evil deed are not alike. Repel the evil deed with one which is better, then lo!, he between whom and you there was enmity shall become as though he were a bosom friend.
Islam. Qur'an 41.34
Revenge, or returning evil for evil, only serves to multiply evil in the world. Indian political and spiritual leader, Mahatma Gandhi, once said "an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind". Do not be overcome by evil, as the Bible says, but overcome evil with good. This is the way of love and serves to spread goodness in the world. Love is the Way of God.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
One Nation, Many Religions
"Truth has many aspects. Infinite truth has infinite expressions. Though the sages speak in divers ways, they express one and the same Truth. Ignorant is he who says, "What I say and know is true; others are wrong." It is because of this attitude of the ignorant that there have been doubts and misunderstandings about God. This attitude it is that causes dispute among men. But all doubts vanish when one gains self-control and attains tranquility by realizing the heart of Truth. Thereupon dispute, too, is at an end." (Hinduism, Srimad Bhagavatam 11.15)
Born in the early 1930s, my parents practiced the same protestant religion that their parents before them had practiced for their whole lives. They didn't give much thought as to why they practiced the religion they practiced, and had someone asked them if they'd had ever read, for example, The Lotus Sutra (Buddhism) or the Upanishads (Hinduism), they would have scratched their heads. They simply were not exposed to the variety and wealth of religious experience available in America to those born since my generation, a mere 30 years later.
We're now living in an ecumenical age. According to the book, World Scripture, by the International Religious Foundation, the progress in transportation and communication that has brought all the peoples of the world into one global village has also brought the religions of the world into close contact. Just half a century ago, Christians living in North America might never have met a Muslim or a Buddhist throughout their whole lives; in ignorance they could believe that such people were heathen and in dire need of salvation. Muslims in Syria, or Buddhists in Thailand, could as easily hold a similar view of the foreign religions that occasionally intruded upon their lands. But today Western cities teem with immigrants from Asia and Africa bearing their native faiths, and our commercial and political affairs connect us with all nations.
"Like the bee, gathering honey from different flowers, the wise man accepts the essence of different scriptures and sees only the good in all religions." (Hinduism, Srimad Bhagavatam 11.3)
Many people, such as myself, are excited to be able to learn about different religions and practices. I have been privileged to attend a variety of Christian churches, both Protestant and Catholic. I've experienced God's presence in these services, especially during worship. I've also experienced God in nature, and in the many Wiccan and Native American rituals I've taken part in over the years. I've met God in both meditation and prayer, and gained God's guidance through many sources, such as The Dhammapada, The Bhagavad Gita, and The Bible. God is everywhere and I believe God inhabits the praises of all his people's, not just those of a particular religion.
Those who praise their own doctrines and disparage the doctrines of others do not solve any problem. (Jainism, Sutrakritanga 1.1.50)
Although many believers are open to various religions, unfortunately some are still very close-minded, if not hostile, to those with differing religions, and believe that their religion is the "one right true only way". This is unfortunate and I believe stems mostly from lack of knowledge and fear of the unknown. We fear what we do not understand. Only when we can learn to respect one another's religious beliefs, or lack of religious belief, can we truly be one nation, united.
Born in the early 1930s, my parents practiced the same protestant religion that their parents before them had practiced for their whole lives. They didn't give much thought as to why they practiced the religion they practiced, and had someone asked them if they'd had ever read, for example, The Lotus Sutra (Buddhism) or the Upanishads (Hinduism), they would have scratched their heads. They simply were not exposed to the variety and wealth of religious experience available in America to those born since my generation, a mere 30 years later.
We're now living in an ecumenical age. According to the book, World Scripture, by the International Religious Foundation, the progress in transportation and communication that has brought all the peoples of the world into one global village has also brought the religions of the world into close contact. Just half a century ago, Christians living in North America might never have met a Muslim or a Buddhist throughout their whole lives; in ignorance they could believe that such people were heathen and in dire need of salvation. Muslims in Syria, or Buddhists in Thailand, could as easily hold a similar view of the foreign religions that occasionally intruded upon their lands. But today Western cities teem with immigrants from Asia and Africa bearing their native faiths, and our commercial and political affairs connect us with all nations.
"Like the bee, gathering honey from different flowers, the wise man accepts the essence of different scriptures and sees only the good in all religions." (Hinduism, Srimad Bhagavatam 11.3)
Many people, such as myself, are excited to be able to learn about different religions and practices. I have been privileged to attend a variety of Christian churches, both Protestant and Catholic. I've experienced God's presence in these services, especially during worship. I've also experienced God in nature, and in the many Wiccan and Native American rituals I've taken part in over the years. I've met God in both meditation and prayer, and gained God's guidance through many sources, such as The Dhammapada, The Bhagavad Gita, and The Bible. God is everywhere and I believe God inhabits the praises of all his people's, not just those of a particular religion.
Those who praise their own doctrines and disparage the doctrines of others do not solve any problem. (Jainism, Sutrakritanga 1.1.50)
Although many believers are open to various religions, unfortunately some are still very close-minded, if not hostile, to those with differing religions, and believe that their religion is the "one right true only way". This is unfortunate and I believe stems mostly from lack of knowledge and fear of the unknown. We fear what we do not understand. Only when we can learn to respect one another's religious beliefs, or lack of religious belief, can we truly be one nation, united.
Friday, May 29, 2009
A Long and Winding Road...
"There is only one God and He is God to all; therefore it is important that everyone is seen as equal before God. I’ve always said we should help a Hindu become a better Hindu, a Muslim become a better Muslim, a Catholic become a better Catholic."
- Mother Teresa
During my teen years distractions arose, and I stopped going to church altogether, not giving much thought to God other than wondering whether or not he existed as I lay on the grass looking up at the stars. After high school, I met a couple of cute guys who invited me to their church. (Of course I went.) This church was a non-denominational community church and it was there that I rededicated my life to God. Several years later I married and began attending Vineyard Christian Fellowship with my husband. I felt God's presence very strongly at VCF, especially during worship. I became an elder in the church and, along with my husband, was in charge of the Benevolence Fund, a fund used to help the poor. After my divorce years later, I left the church and began searching once again.
Several years later, I married again and in 1996 my new husband and I used an inheritance and opened up what became a wildly popular store called Whispered Prayers, a religious book and gift store which catered to all religions. For the next eight years or so I practiced Wicca and Buddhism, led rituals, taught classes, provided spiritual counseling and was heavily involved in the Pagan movement.
In 2005 we sold our store and I stopped practicing Wicca and once again (always looking for Truth) began exploring other religions. In 2008, after several years of study and contemplation, irresistably drawn in by those saints who had come before, I joined the Catholic Church.
I have finally come to realize that no one Church can satisfy all my needs - none has all the answers or contains all the truth. I believe that all sincere Faith leads to God, and that the various religions complement one another. I continue to practice Catholicism, but also study the scriptures of various religions, especially Buddhism and Hinduism.
- Mother Teresa
--------------------------
During my teen years distractions arose, and I stopped going to church altogether, not giving much thought to God other than wondering whether or not he existed as I lay on the grass looking up at the stars. After high school, I met a couple of cute guys who invited me to their church. (Of course I went.) This church was a non-denominational community church and it was there that I rededicated my life to God. Several years later I married and began attending Vineyard Christian Fellowship with my husband. I felt God's presence very strongly at VCF, especially during worship. I became an elder in the church and, along with my husband, was in charge of the Benevolence Fund, a fund used to help the poor. After my divorce years later, I left the church and began searching once again.
Several years later, I married again and in 1996 my new husband and I used an inheritance and opened up what became a wildly popular store called Whispered Prayers, a religious book and gift store which catered to all religions. For the next eight years or so I practiced Wicca and Buddhism, led rituals, taught classes, provided spiritual counseling and was heavily involved in the Pagan movement.
In 2005 we sold our store and I stopped practicing Wicca and once again (always looking for Truth) began exploring other religions. In 2008, after several years of study and contemplation, irresistably drawn in by those saints who had come before, I joined the Catholic Church.
I have finally come to realize that no one Church can satisfy all my needs - none has all the answers or contains all the truth. I believe that all sincere Faith leads to God, and that the various religions complement one another. I continue to practice Catholicism, but also study the scriptures of various religions, especially Buddhism and Hinduism.
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