Religion

[JOEBIALEK]

With the passing of Pope John Paul ll, perhaps some reflection on religious beliefs is appropriate. Religion is defined as a set of beliefs concerned with explaining the origins and purposes of the universe, usually involving belief in a supernatural creator and offering guidance in ethics and morals. It also consists of any of several institutions with their own beliefs, rituals, and teachings. Throughout history and even still today, most religions claim to be the one true religion and all others are considered either phony imitations or some sort of heretical sacrilege. It is a sad reality that most people do not recognize the benefit of what can be learned from other religions along the way of their spiritual journey. If one studies the major religions of today such as Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism etcetera they will find more similarities than differences. They are guides for how to live and grow spiritually. Some would argue that religion has been one of the biggest causes of humanity's problems but others counter that it is the misinterpretation of religious tenets that causes strife. Still further, many people see religion as a form of control over the masses whereas others see it as a necessary shield against evil influences.

I had the opportunity to read a book recently concerning near death experiences {NDE}. The book was a compilation of individual testimonies by those who left their bodies temporarily and returned to tell about their experience. The author characterized their stories and then pointed out the large similarities and small differences in each of the NDE's. Two personal friends of mine have had an NDE and shared their experience with me. I've also communicated with a deceased friend by way of a psychic medium. All three sources agreed that upon death of the body, we travel through a tunnel toward a bright, warm and loving light. Upon entering the light, we are given a life review. During the life review, we re-experience all the thoughts, words and actions that came from us. Anything negative is re-experienced as though we are the person on the receiving end of our negativity. For example, one of the contributors to the book re-experienced the event where he had severely beaten another man although this time, he felt the blows he had administered. The whole premise for experiencing the light appears to be an opportunity to examine what we have learned along our spiritual journey. In conclusion, it appears that Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, Confucius, and Buddha were all very wise men who made a significant impact on humanity teaching spirituality as it applied to a specific civilization. Perhaps if humanity could somehow integrate all these religious belief systems toward the goal of one spirituality with God, we could finally begin to see the emergence of world peace.

[JOEBIALEK]

no replies?

[BombShelterBob]

I'm hardcore Christian, so naturally I wouldn't consider Mohammed, Confucius, and Buddha To be all that wise.

[scrap]

Whether they're wise is not the point.

Whether we agree with the different teachings is also not the point.

I was brought up in a very conservative Church that basically taught if people weren't members there, they would be going to hell.

I left when I got to an age where I chose for myself.

I don't attend Church now but do believe that good people whatever their faith will find their way to the promised land be it Heaven or reincarnation or whatever each faith teaches.

World Peace is a great thought and maybe a few generations down the road it will be accomplished.

We can only hope.................................

[MO]

but do believe that good people whatever their faith will find their way to the promised land be it Heaven or reincarnation or whatever each faith teaches.

That makes no sense. They can't all be right. Also, what is a "good" person? Is there a scorecard?

I believe we all suck. It's the total depravity of man. If we have to rely on our own works to be saved, none of us would make it. We would all be plunged straight to hell, like we deserve.

[scrap]

They don't all have to be right from our perspective.

They just have to please whoever their Supreme being happens to be.

He's called (and yes I said He) different things by different faiths but He's still the Supreme being.

As long as They believe in and act according to those tenets of their faith why shouldn't they be saved.

I know a can of worms can be opened by this statement so I don't feel the need to say it has to be a religious belief that is within some kind of standards.

Mo
The score card is kept by the Supreme being of each faith.

You can go to hell if that's what you want but don't drag the rest of us with a little bit of faith left with you.

Don't you try to live a decent life?

Believe me I'm no pillar of the community but I try to to the right thing on most occasions and there's forgiveness when we mess up, if we ask.

[TNRighty]

Joe,

This sounds to me like an attempt at some sort of spiritual United Nations of religious thought, some sort of idea of a religious compromise among people of various faiths with the goal of having a "one size fits all" man-made religion in which we all live in a pipe dream of universal religious bliss. Far fetched at best, but in my opinion down right ignorant.

I'm guessing you're not a religious man because I don't see how anyone advocating such an idea can have so much as an ounce of real faith in any of the aforementioned religions if they're willing to compromise it and merge it with the beliefs of other religions.

When you attempt to take the best (or worst) out of several religions and merge them into one religious doctrine, that is a blasphemy of your own God, whoever it is. I'm not saying its wrong to learn other religions and learn lessons from them, but when you try to merge them all into one universal religious spirituality with a generic God, you've got problems. What you get is a figurehead "God" subject to the whims of man.

You are so wrong its pathetic!

[MO]

scrap, sounds like you've bought into one of the oldest tricks in the devil's bag.

[scrap]

Nah... I don't believe any of that crap.

Just trying to play the devils advocate.

As someone said in a movie once..

"just trying to keep the conversation lively"

I think it was William Hurt in the BIG CHILL.

[Patriot]

I must say, I was rather surprised at the new selection for pope. Pleasantly surprised, in a certain sense.

Cardinal Ratzinger is no easy push-over, that's for certain. He brings an aura of severity to the Christian faith that is increasingly difficult to find these days in any denomination. For instance: admonishing American bishops to with-hold communion from politicians who condone abortion; warning the European Union to with-hold membership from Turkey because Turkey is a Muslim, not Christian nation.

What surprised me most of all about Ratzinger's appointment is that he was actually a Nazi. Served under the Third Reich and was held as a German prisoner of war by the Allies in WWII.

I'm not sure whether to be happy or sad about that, not being Catholic myself. But on the whole, I welcome the newfound air of discipline in the Vatican.

Heil Benedict! ;D

[ASadAmerican]

The new pope was born April 16, 1927, in the German village of Marktl am Inn, the son of a rural policeman and a hotel cook who changed jobs frequently, in part because of his father's outspoken criticism of the Nazis.

In an anecdote attributed to his older brother Georg, a cardinal visited Joseph Ratzinger's kindergarten class one day, prompting the boy to announce that he, too, would like to be a cardinal.

In 1937, his father retired and moved to a suburb of Traustein, where Ratzinger spent most of his teen years. He studied Latin and Greek in gymnasium, the equivalent of high school, and entered minor seminary in 1939, at age 12.

In 1943 and 1944, his studies were interrupted by compulsory wartime military service, but he deserted near the close of the war, in part because he was appalled by the Nazi cause. He was briefly incarcerated by the Americans as a prisoner of war in 1945.

In 1951, Ratzinger and his brother Georg were ordained priests, and, in 1953, he earned his doctorate in theology from the University of Munich.

In 1959, he became a full professor of theology at the University of Bonn. He served from 1962 to 1965 as the chief theological adviser to Cologne Cardinal Josef Frings at the Second Vatican Council.

In 1966, he was hired at the University of Tubingen at the encouragement of the liberal Hans Kueng -- whose theology he would later attack from his Vatican post.

Ratzinger's turn to conservatism was fueled in large part by the student protests that swept much of Europe, including Germany, in 1968. He later left Tubingen, became a theological adviser to the German bishops' conference, and in 1972 founded the magazine Communio, which offered a more traditional interpretation of the Second Vatican Council.

He was made archbishop of Munich and Friebourg by Pope Paul VI in 1977, and was elevated to cardinal the same year.

STATEMENT BY SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER ON ELECTION OF CARDINAL RATZINGER TO POPE BENEDICT XVI

The Simon Wiesenthal Center congratulates Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger on becoming Pope Benedict XVI.

"I hope that he will continue to build on the legacy of Pope John Paul II’s special relationship with the Jewish people," said Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder and dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. "The new Pope, like his predecessor, was deeply influenced by the events of WWII," he said. "As a child, Pope Benedict XVI grew up in an anti-Nazi family. Nonetheless he was forced to join the Hitler Youth movement during the Second World War."

Rabbi Hier continued, "Pope John Paul II dramatically changed the Catholic Church forever in reaching out to other religions, particularly Judaism. I am confident that the Vatican under the leadership of Pope Benedict XVI will continue to build on those remarkable achievements and organizations like the Simon Wiesenthal Center look forward to being partners in that process."

The Wiesenthal Center had two private audiences with the late John Paul II in 1983 and 2003.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, and the Council of Europe.

[TNRighty]

Good point Patriot,

I'm not a Catholic and thus not too in-tune with Catholic tradition, but as an outsider my observations have been that certain people are upset with the new pope because he is a man who stands up for what the Catholic religion is all about and is unwilling to compromise his religious doctrine. I think the Cardinals did exactly what they are supposed to do...appoint a pope who looks out for the best interests of Catholicism.

We have enough Muslim sympathizers in this world, the last thing we need is a pope who does the same.

To me its a lot like the criticism Bush has received over his nomination of John Bolton as UN ambassador. We need a man there that represents the interests of the United States, not the interests of the UN. The UN exists to serve its member nations, not the other way around.

Just as the pope represents Catholicism and its best interests above all, our UN ambassador represents the USA, not everyone else.

[Patriot]

Righty:

Well put as usual. I guess I'm pleasantly surprised that the Catholic Church chose Ratzinger when the very essence of its moral fabric seems to be unravelling, at least here in the US. But, American Catholics are apparently known in international circles as "cafeteria Catholics", picking and choosing various doctrines and various times to be devout.

It would be good, in a certain sense, if we could link the priestly sex scandals to the fact that they occurred here in the US. Interesting that such complaints are not raised by parishioners elsewhere in the world. Perhaps it is all due to the fact that these are American priests, infected with popular culture and loose morality. I hate to say this, being a staunch American conservative myself. But, when looking for causes and effects, it always helps to be honest.

In any event I hope to see a real recrudescence in the values of traditional Catholicism, in the world at large. Even if our whoremongering American priests and congregations take issue with Ratzinger's appointment.

[ASadAmerican]

I am a devout Roman Catholic, the thing I take issue with is that Bernard Lay was given such a prominent post in The Vatican hierarchy after the deplorable things he did when he was in Boston. That is truly sad. We sadly have no accountability in America, most people are looking for easy $$$$$$$. Not sayingh those things did not occur, but how many did not?

[Patriot]

A Sad American:

Welcome to the board. I hope you don't mind if I henceforth address you as "Asa" for sake of brevity.

Could you be more specific in regard to the actions of Bernard Lay in Boston? Who is he, first of all-- a bishop, a cardinal, a bluejay? Obviously you are more familiar about this than the rest of us.