What if I told you that all of the worlds religions have either been created or co-opted by the hidden hand.. what if I told you that most of us don’t practice the same mercy we wish to obtain for ourselves.. what if I told you that in order to obtain forgiveness, you first must learn to forgive and forgive.. what if I told you that Christianity has the most version and sects out of any religion, because it was Christianity that almost unified humanity, but the hidden hand caused the divisions and corrupted Christianity and its purpose… what if I told you that your churches are not there to shine light on the darkness, but to expand that darkness by separating the light… what if I told you that there is a straight path out of darkness in unity, the pyramid or prism divides the light into its many different colors, but the light remains one, even in its division light is still light… how long will you allow the prism/pyramid to divide you from the rest of you?
Where we go one, we go all.
Interesting and insightful post, WarMind.
I've long thought that any religion's core teachings should fit on a 3 X 5 card, should be presented up-front at the beginning of its text, and be expanded after that with details consonant with the core teachings. Of course -- sigh -- it's too late for that.
The confusion caused by the "you can support any position with text from the Bible"^ factor is a major reason for division among Christians, in my experience. (^Yes, I understand that's an overstatement).
The expanded details of any religion naturally and beneficially include cultural differences, as long as they don't conflict with the most IMPORTANT of the core teachings, which is:
Any TRUE religion must obviously emphasize emotionally healthy behavior and attitudes. There are many ways to do this; Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism famously do so with Ahimsa, the doctrine of non-violence to all living things, which those religions and their adherents conform to in slightly different ways, especially as regards vegetarianism.
Jesus did this most famously with his admonitions about love, about proper treatment of children, and (IMO, but I'm probably an outlier here), in his statement about the location of the Kingdom of God / Heaven:
Clearly, any admonition to initiation of violence against others (human sacrifice, violent jihad against those who believe differently, etc) is at odds with the healthy ethos that defines a true religion.
Indeed. Jesus was more of a buddhist in the sense of practice, when compared to a modern Christian. Many fail to understand the journey Jesus Christ underwent is also the personal journey we must all undertake.