Showing posts with label Belief - Religion - Spirituality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Belief - Religion - Spirituality. Show all posts

Monday, February 28, 2011

The Lord's Prayer - Andrea Bocelli with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Latter-day Saints believe in the resurrected J...Image via Wikipedia
One of the greatest voices ever. And to think he is blind. I wonder if God took away his sight so that he could develop that VOICE to share with the world. Unbelievable!

You be the judge - God vs. Science - Food for thought!!
"Let me explain the problem science has with religion."
The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.
'You're a Christian, aren't you, son?'
'Yes sir,' the student says.
'So you believe in God?'
'Absolutely '
'Is God good?'
'Sure! God's good.'
'Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?'
'Yes'
'Are you good or evil?'
'The Bible says I'm evil.'
The professor grins knowingly. 'Aha! The Bible! He considers for a moment. 'Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?'
'Yes sir, I would.'
'So you're good....!'
'I wouldn't say that.'
'But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't.'
The student does not answer, so the professor continues. 'He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Can you answer that one?'
The student remains silent. 'No, you can't, can you?' the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax. 'Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?'
'Er..yes,' the student says.
'Is Satan good?'
The student doesn't hesitate on this one.. 'No.'
'Then where does Satan come from?'
The student falters. 'From God'
'That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?'
'Yes, sir.'
'Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?'
'Yes'
'So who created evil?' The professor continued, 'If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil.'
Again, the student has no answer. 'Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?'
The student squirms on his feet. 'Yes.'
'So who created them ?'
The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question. 'Who created them?' There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized. 'Tell me,' he continues onto another student. 'Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?'
The student's voice betrays him and cracks. 'Yes, professor, I do.'
The old man stops pacing. 'Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?'
'No sir. I've never seen Him.'
'Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?'
'No, sir, I have not.'
'Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?'
'No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't.'
'Yet you still believe in him?'
'Yes'
'According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist... What do you say to that, son?'
'Nothing,' the student replies.. 'I only have my faith.'
'Yes, faith,' the professor repeats. 'And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith.'
The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His own. 'Professor, is there such thing as heat? '
' Yes.
'And is there such a thing as cold?'
'Yes, son, there's cold too.'
'No sir, there isn't.'
The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain. 'You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit down to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees. Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy.. Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold.. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.'
Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer.
'What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?'
'Yes,' the professor replies without hesitation. 'What is night if it isn't darkness?'
'You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?'
The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester. 'So what point are you making, young man?'
'Yes, professor.. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed.'
The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. 'Flawed? Can you explain how?'
'You are working on the premise of duality,' the student explains.. 'You argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought.' 'It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it.' 'Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?'
'If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do.'
'Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?'
The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.
'Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavour, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?'
The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided. 'To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean.' The student looks around the room. 'Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?' The class breaks out into laughter. 'Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No one appears to have done so.. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir.' 'So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?'
Now the room is silent.. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable. Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers.. 'I Guess you'll have to take them on faith.'
'Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life,' the student continues. 'Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?' Now uncertain, the professor responds, 'Of course, there is. We see it Everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in The multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world.. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.'
To this the student replied, 'Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God.. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light.'
The professor sat down.
If you read it all the way through and had a smile on your face when you finished, mail to your friends and family with the title 'God vs. Science'
PS: The student was Albert Einstein .
Albert Einstein wrote a book titled ' God vs. Science ' in 1921.....
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Thursday, April 8, 2010

If Only We Believe......


To believe is to know that

every day is a new beginning.
It is to trust that miracles happen

and dreams really do come true.

To believe is to see angels

dancing among the clouds,
To know the wonder of a stardust sky

and the wisdom of the man in the moon.

To believe is to know the value
of a nurturing heart,
The innocence of a child's eyes and the
beauty of an aging hand,
for it is through their teachings we learn to love.

To believe is to find the strength and
courage that lies within us.
When it is time to pick up
the pieces and begin again.

To believe is to know we are not alone,
That life is a gift and this is our
time to cherish it.

To believe is to know that wonderful
surprises are just waiting to happen,
And all our hopes and dreams
are within reach.

If only we believe.

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Thursday, April 1, 2010

Meanings In Religion (Part 4 of 4)


  1. Light (theology) - Wikipedia. In theology, light or divine light is a term used to refer to an aspect of divine presence, specifically an unknown and mysterious ability of God, angels, or human beings to express themselves communicatively through spiritual means, rather than through physical capacities. In this concept, "light" can carry the full range of divine or else human-understandable concepts ranging from pure emotion up to the precise concepts and conceptualizations.

  1. Mysticism - Wikipedia (from the Greek μυστικός, mystikos, an initiate of a mystery religion)[1] is the pursuit of communion with, identity with, or conscious awareness of an ultimate reality, divinity, spiritual truth, or God through direct experience, intuition, instinct or insight. Mysticism usually centers on a practice or practices intended to nurture those experiences or awareness. Mysticism may be dualistic, maintaining a distinction between the self and the divine, or may be nondualistic. Differing religious traditions have described this fundamental mystical experience in different ways.

  2. New Age, The (also known as the New Age Movement, New Age spirituality, and Cosmic Humanism,) is a decentralized Western social and spiritual movement that seeks "Universal Truth" and the attainment of the highest individual human potential. It includes aspects of cosmology, astrology, esotericism, alternative medicine, music, collectivism, sustainability, and nature. New Age spirituality is characterized by an individual approach to spiritual practices and philosophies, and the rejection of religious doctrine and dogma.

  1. Palmette - Wikipedia, also called anthemion (from the Greek ανθέμιον, a flower), is an artistic motif resembling the fan-shaped leaves of a palm tree. It was a common decorative motif employed in the Greek/Roman era.

  2. Pearly Gates, The in Christianity this is an informal name for the gateway to the Heaven of Christian beliefs. It is inspired by the description of the New Jerusalem in Book of Revelation 21:21— The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate being made from a single pearl.[1]

  • The image of the gates in popular culture is a set of large, white or wrought-iron gates in the clouds, guarded by Saint Peter (the keeper of the "keys to the kingdom"); those not fit to enter heaven are denied entrance at the gates, and thus descend into Hell.[2]

  1. Spirituality – Wikipedia is relating to, consisting of, or having the nature of spirit; not tangible or material. Synonyms include immaterialism, dualism, incorporeality and eternity.

  • Spirituality has long been associated with religion, deities, the supernatural, and an afterlife. Many equate spirituality with religion, but the two are separate entities, religion being one way man experiences spirituality. Spirituality may include introspection, and the development of an individual's inner life through practices such as meditation, prayer and contemplation.

  1. Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil - Wikipedia In the Book of Genesis, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or the tree of knowledge (and occasionally translated as the tree of conscience, Hebrew: עֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע, Etz haDaat tov V'ra) was a tree in the middle of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9) from which God directly forbade Adam (Eve having not yet been created) to eat (Genesis 2:17). A serpent later tempted Eve, who was aware of the prohibition, to eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge (Genesis 3:1-6). Adam also ate, and they became aware of their nakedness (Genesis 3:6-7). After this, in order to deny them access to the tree of life (and, hence, immortality), they were banished from the garden and forced to survive through agriculture "by the sweat of [their] brow" (Genesis 3:19-24). A similar story is mentioned in the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam.

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Thursday, March 25, 2010

Meanings In Religion (Part 3 of 4)


  1. New Age, The (also known as the New Age Movement, New Age spirituality, and Cosmic Humanism,) is a decentralized Western social and spiritual movement that seeks "Universal Truth" and the attainment of the highest individual human potential. It includes aspects of cosmology, astrology, esotericism, alternative medicine, music, collectivism, sustainability, and nature. New Age spirituality is characterized by an individual approach to spiritual practices and philosophies, and the rejection of religious doctrine and dogma.

  1. Palmette - Wikipedia, also called anthemion (from the Greek ανθέμιον, a flower), is an artistic motif resembling the fan-shaped leaves of a palm tree. It was a common decorative motif employed in the Greek/Roman era.

  2. Pearly Gates, The in Christianity this is an informal name for the gateway to the Heaven of Christian beliefs. It is inspired by the description of the New Jerusalem in Book of Revelation 21:21— The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate being made from a single pearl.[1]

  • The image of the gates in popular culture is a set of large, white or wrought-iron gates in the clouds, guarded by Saint Peter (the keeper of the "keys to the kingdom"); those not fit to enter heaven are denied entrance at the gates, and thus descend into Hell.[2]

  1. Spirituality – Wikipedia is relating to, consisting of, or having the nature of spirit; not tangible or material. Synonyms include immaterialism, dualism, incorporeality and eternity.

  • Spirituality has long been associated with religion, deities, the supernatural, and an afterlife. Many equate spirituality with religion, but the two are separate entities, religion being one way man experiences spirituality. Spirituality may include introspection, and the development of an individual's inner life through practices such as meditation, prayer and contemplation.

  1. Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil - Wikipedia In the Book of Genesis, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or the tree of knowledge (and occasionally translated as the tree of conscience, Hebrew: עֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע, Etz haDaat tov V'ra) was a tree in the middle of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9) from which God directly forbade Adam (Eve having not yet been created) to eat (Genesis 2:17). A serpent later tempted Eve, who was aware of the prohibition, to eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge (Genesis 3:1-6). Adam also ate, and they became aware of their nakedness (Genesis 3:6-7). After this, in order to deny them access to the tree of life (and, hence, immortality), they were banished from the garden and forced to survive through agriculture "by the sweat of [their] brow" (Genesis 3:19-24). A similar story is mentioned in the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam.

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Friday, March 19, 2010

Meanings In Religion (Part 2 of 4)

  1. Illuminism - Wikipedia is a belief system whereby a believer makes a claim that he has been illuminated or experienced enlightenment of a spiritual nature.

  • It is an archaic term deriving from the French illuminer. The term has been used in modern times primarily with respect to and by secret societies, for the most part, orders that have modeled their practices after the mystery cults of the Hellenic world, which flourished around the Mediterranean coast and Near East at the period when the Roman Empire dominated the region and its cultures. The word Illuminism, when used as a proper noun, refers specifically to the form of enlightenment or illumination that is a part of advancement in the ranks of various secret societies that claim a common origin with the Illuminati. As such it is an important concept within Discordianism as well.

  1. Light (theology) - Wikipedia. In theology, light or divine light is a term used to refer to an aspect of divine presence, specifically an unknown and mysterious ability of God, angels, or human beings to express themselves communicatively through spiritual means, rather than through physical capacities. In this concept, "light" can carry the full range of divine or else human-understandable concepts ranging from pure emotion up to the precise concepts and conceptualizations.

  1. Mysticism - Wikipedia (from the Greek μυστικός, mystikos, an initiate of a mystery religion)[1] is the pursuit of communion with, identity with, or conscious awareness of an ultimate reality, divinity, spiritual truth, or God through direct experience, intuition, instinct or insight. Mysticism usually centers on a practice or practices intended to nurture those experiences or awareness. Mysticism may be dualistic, maintaining a distinction between the self and the divine, or may be nondualistic. Differing religious traditions have described this fundamental mystical experience in different ways.

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Thursday, March 4, 2010

Meanings In Religion (Part 1 of 4)

You may wish to comment – at the bottom of each page; no email needed to do that. Comments will be moderated before being published. The email address for this web site is in the profile. Your back links and recommendations are appreciated. Please remember, however, that the basis for this work is an academic study of comparative religions. Although we do not have control over advertising content; this NOT a web site to espouse one religion over another.
  1. Age of Enlightenment – Wikipedia, The, or simply The Enlightenment, is a term used to describe a time in Western philosophy and cultural life, centered upon the eighteenth century, in which reason was advocated as the primary source and legitimacy for authority.[1]

  1. Ātman (Buddhism) - Wikipedia (Sanskrit: आत्मन्) or Atta (Pāli) literally means "self", but is sometimes translated as "soul" or "ego". The word derives from the Indo-European root *ēt-men (breath) and is cognate with the Old English æthm and German Atem.[1] In Buddhism, the belief in the existence of an unchanging ātman is the prime consequence of ignorance, which is itself the cause of all misery and the foundation of saṃsāra. The early[citation needed] scriptures do, however, see an enlightened being as one whose changing, empirical self is highly developed.

  2. Ātman (Hinduism) - Wikipedia (IAST: Ātman, sanskrit: आत्मन्) is a philosophical term used within Hinduism and Vedanta to identify the soul. It is one's true self (hence generally translated into English as 'Self') beyond identification with the phenomenal reality of worldly existence.

  3. Falun Gong - Wikipedia The teachings of Falun Gong were introduced to the public by Li Hongzhi in Changchun, China, in 1992. Falun Gong is also known as Falun Dafa (Great Law of the Law Wheel). The teachings cover a wide-range of topics ranging from spiritual, scientific and moral to metaphysical. Falun Gong became the fastest growing qigong school in Chinese history.

  • The teachings of Falun Gong are based on the principles of zhen 眞, shan 善 and ren 忍 (which translate approximately as 'truthfulness, benevolence (or compassion), and forbearance')[1] articulated in the two main books Falun Gong[2] and Zhuan Falun.[3] Falun Gong is an introductory book that discusses qigong, introduces the principles, and provides illustrations and explanations of the exercises. Zhuan Falun is considered the central and most comprehensive exposition on the teachings of Falun Gong. According to the book Falun Gong, "Falun Buddha Fa is a great, high-level cultivation way of the Buddha School, in which assimilation to the supreme nature of the universe, Zhen-Shan-Ren, is the foundation of cultivation practice.

  1. Gnosticism - Wikipedia (Greek: γνῶσις gnōsis, knowledge) refers to diverse, syncretistic religious movements in antiquity consisting of various belief systems generally united in the teaching that humans are divine souls trapped in a material world created by an imperfect god, the demiurge; this being is frequently identified with the Abrahamic god, (as opposed to the Gospel according to the Hebrews) and is contrasted with a superior entity, referred to by several terms including Pleroma and Godhead.[1] Depictions of the demiurge—the term originates with Plato's Timaeus[2]—vary from being as an embodiment of evil, to being merely imperfect and as benevolent as its inadequacy permits. Gnosticism was a dualistic religion, influenced by and influencing Hellenic philosophy, Judaism (see Notzrim), and Christianity;[3] however, by contrast, later strands of the movement, such as the Valentinians, held a monistic world-view.[4] This, along with the varying treatments of the demiurge, may be seen as indicative of the variety of positions held within the category.

  2. Illuminism - Wikipedia is a belief system whereby a believer makes a claim that he has been illuminated or experienced enlightenment of a spiritual nature.

  • It is an archaic term deriving from the French illuminer. The term has been used in modern times primarily with respect to and by secret societies, for the most part, orders that have modeled their practices after the mystery cults of the Hellenic world, which flourished around the Mediterranean coast and Near East at the period when the Roman Empire dominated the region and its cultures. The word Illuminism, when used as a proper noun, refers specifically to the form of enlightenment or illumination that is a part of advancement in the ranks of various secret societies that claim a common origin with the Illuminati. As such it is an important concept within Discordianism as well.

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Enlightenment (spiritual)

Early stage development of coming articles on enlightenment and religion.

You may wish to comment – at the bottom of each page; no email needed to do that. Comments will be moderated before being published. The email address for this web site is in the profile. Your back links and recommendations are appreciated. Please remember, however, that the basis for this work is an academic study of comparative religions. Although we do not have control over advertising content; this NOT a web site to espouse one religion over another.

Except as noted, references are from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [including the number references].
  1. Age of Enlightenment (Wikipedia), period in Western history and its corresponding movement

  2. American Enlightenment (Wikipedia), intellectual culture of the British North American colonies and the early United States

  3. Buddhist Enlightenment (spiritual) (Wikipedia), a final blessed state free from ignorance, desire and suffering

  4. Catholic Enlightenment (Wikipedia), movement within Catholicism to find answers to the secularism of the Enlightenment

  5. Enlightenment (spiritual) (Wikipedia), a final blessed state free from ignorance, desire and suffering

  6. Greek Enlightenment (Diafotismos) (Wikipedia), an 18th century national revival and educational movement in Greece

  7. Haskalah (Wikipedia), Jewish Enlightenment, movement among European Jews in the late 18th century

  8. Polish Enlightenment (Wikipedia), ideas of the Age of Enlightenment in Poland

  9. Russian Enlightenment (Wikipedia), a period in the eighteenth century in which the government in Russia began to actively encourage the proliferation of arts and sciences

  10. Ionian Enlightenment (Wikipedia), the origin of ancient Greek advances in philosophy and science

  11. Scottish Enlightenment (Wikipedia), period in 18th century Scotland

  12. Spanish Enlightenment (Wikipedia), Bourbon period of reform and 'enlightened despotism'

  13. Western secular tradition Enlightenment (Wikipedia)

The World's Main Religions (Also, see Comparative religion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and Religious studies - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia , also consider: Comparative mythology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

In alphabetical order, there are twelve classical major world religions. We've added Wicca, but these are the religions described most often in surveys of the subject, and studied in some of the World's Comparative Religious classes (some of these more for historical, rather than contemporary):

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Thursday, February 25, 2010

Major Religions of the World.


We do not want to proselytize [to try and make a convert, or push] any religion over another; this is just the beginning of some meditative thought and research on the world's religions. For a basic starting point we have used Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ~ A free encyclopedia built collaboratively using Wiki software. (GNU Free Documentation License). ]

You may wish to comment – at the bottom of each page; no email needed to do that. Comments will be moderated before being published. The email address for this web site is in the profile. Your back links and recommendations are appreciated. Please remember, however, that the basis for this work is an academic study of comparative religions. Although we do not have control over advertising content; this NOT a web site to espouse one religion over another.

See also,
Major Religions of the World Ranked by Number of Adherents from Adherents.com, a growing collection of over 43,870 adherent statistics and religious geography citations: references to published membership/adherent statistics and congregation statistics for over 4,200 religions, churches, denominations, religious bodies, faith groups, tribes, cultures, movements, ultimate concerns, etc. The religions of the world are enumerated here.

  1. Middle-Eastern and Western 'Abrahamic Religions' (also known as Abrahamic faiths, Abrahamic traditions, and the religions of Abraham) has become a popular and often used designation for the monotheistic (one God) faiths of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, emphasizing their common origin and values. For some 1,300 years their histories and thought have been intertwined. The three are all considered inextricably linked to one another because of a 'family likeness' and a certain commonality in theology.[1] They are faiths that recognize a spiritual tradition identified with Abraham.[2][3][4] However, relationships among them have varied from time and place and have often been characterized by mistrust, hatred [5] and even war/persecution (e.g., the Arab-Israeli conflict, Crusades, the and the Inquisition). Today, there are an estimated 3.8 billion followers of the three largest Abrahamic religions,[6] accounting for more than half of the world's population.[7] By some measurements, Islam is the fastest growing.[8]

  2. East Asian Religions (also known as Far Eastern religions, Chinese religions, or Taoic religions) form a subset of the Eastern religions. This group includes Caodaism, Chen Tao, Chondogyo, Confucianism, I-Kuan Tao, Jeungism, elements of Mahayana Buddhism, Shinto, and Taoism. These traditions or religious philosophies focus on the East Asian concept of Tao 道 ("The Way"; pinyin dào, Korean do, Japanese tō or dō, Vietnamese đạo).

  3. Indian Religions form another subset of South Asian Religions and are the related religious traditions that originated in the Indian subcontinent[1], namely Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Ayyavazhi, inclusive of their sub-schools and various related traditions. They form a subgroup of the larger class of "Eastern religions". Indian religions have similarities in core beliefs, modes of worship, and associated practices, mainly due to their common history of origin and mutual influence. The documented history of Indian religions begins with historical Vedic religion, the religious practices of the early Indo-Aryans, which were collected and later redacted into the Samhitas, four canonical collections of hymns or mantras composed in archaic Sanskrit. These texts are the central shruti (revealed) texts of Hinduism. The period of the composition, redaction and commentary of these texts is known as the Vedic period, which lasted from roughly 1500 to 500 BCE.

  4. There are many, many different religions, and forms of religion. For instance, Tibetan Buddism is a little different than Buddism practiced in China, India and elsewhere in the world. World religions are Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism.[9] They are the "Eastern religions" that include the "Dharmic" religions of India and the "Taoic" East Asian religions.

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Friday, February 19, 2010

“A God-Shaped Hole at the Heart of Our Being”


From EnlightenNext magazine's Editor:

“We now move from the timeless realm of enlightenment to the present-day battle between science and religion.

These two fields of thought and practice often seem diametrically opposed. Yet, with disarming simplicity, theologian John Haught explains how both domains are actually in pursuit of the same eternal mystery in an interview entitled, “A God-Shaped Hole at the Heart of Our Being.”

As Haught eloquently states, “Even a scientist is grasped by the value of the truth and surrenders his or her life to the pursuit of that truth. Whether they say so explicitly or not, I think many scientists, if not most, have made a commitment to something much larger than themselves that is inexhaustible.

“They realize that no matter how much they probe, the horizons will keep on receding. I associate that very closely with what theology refers to as religious experience.”

Read the article here:
http://www.enlightennext.org/magazine/j35/haught.asp “

Source reference: EnlightenNext magazine: “A God-Shaped Hole at the Heart of Our Being” - An interview with evolutionary theologian John F. Haught, by Amy Edelstein

Label: Belief - Religion - Spirituality, Philosophy

Friday, February 12, 2010

Belief, Enlightenment, Philosophy, Religion and Spirituality

The start of a further examination of belief, enlightenment, philosophy, religion and spirituality.

A big topic? ... Yes!

Some would say that it is beyond the scope of this author's experience or training. Yet, we all start as small beings; and, we learn. Now, at age 65 years, I'm well along the way of experiencing the rich tapestry of life; and death. Yes, I do ask the BIG QUESTIONS; always have, always will.

And why not? Is there a God (Higher Power) – 84% of the world's population seems to think, YES!; and only 16% say that they are nonreligious. (See, Adherents.com: Major Religions of the WorldRanked by Number of Adherents here, and following):

(Sizes shown are approximate estimates, and are here mainly for the purpose of ordering the groups, not providing a definitive number. This list is sociological/statistical in perspective.)

Introduction
The Adherents.com counts presented in the list below are current estimates of the number of people who have at least a minimal level of self-identification as adherents of the religion. Levels of participation vary within all groups. These numbers
tend toward the high end of reasonable worldwide estimates. Valid arguments can be made for different figures, but if the same criteria are used for all groups, the relative order should be the same. Further details and sources are available below and in the Adherents.com main database.”

  1. Christianity: 2.1 billion

  2. Islam: 1.5 billion

  3. Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist: 1.1 billion

  4. Hinduism: 900 million

  5. Chinese traditional religion: 394 million

  6. Buddhism: 376 million

  7. primal-indigenous: 300 million

  8. African Traditional & Diasporic: 100 million

  9. Sikhism: 23 million

  10. Juche: 19 million

  11. Spiritism: 15 million

  12. Judaism: 14 million

  13. Baha'i: 7 million

  14. Jainism: 4.2 million

  15. Shinto: 4 million

  16. Cao Dai: 4 million

  17. Zoroastrianism: 2.6 million

  18. Tenrikyo: 2 million

  19. Neo-Paganism: 1 million

  20. Unitarian-Universalism: 800 thousand

  21. Rastafarianism: 600 thousand

  22. Scientology: 500 thousand