welovejesustoo

[paradise lost]

I don't have much to add as i'm neither Christian nor Muslim, but a friend lent me the Seerah of the Prophet (Muhammed's pbuh life story) and it's something i think all Christians should read. It was very enlightening to me. I am of Jewish extraction and always regarded the Jewish and Christian godhead to be one and the same, and it is clear to me now that Islam also refers to the same godhead.

Sometimes i despair of all the religion-based hatred in the world. We are like childish siblings fighting over who loves the parent best. What makes it especially frustrating (for me) is that the bible, which is the only religious text i am at all familiar with, seems to tell us NOT to fight over such things. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. It is a sin for us to do that which we know to be sinful for ourselves. Love thy neighbour as thyself. It's all there.

I am wearied by the fighting and politics and that is why i shun organised religion. The first thing i was ever told about religion was "God is Love" and with that in mind, none of the fighting makes any sense to me. There is always talk now of the rejection of religion in the modern world. Alot of the most religious people i know have rejected religion simply because they are repelled by the better-than-themness of it all.

Bx

[Bathsheba]

Hoobley: I agree, the Bible (The New Testament, ie after Jesus) is a rare text in that it does advise to "turn the other cheek". It would be easy to throw your hands up in the air and want nothing to do with religion... but I see value in it despite how MAN chooses to interpret the writings. It's not God's fault we are misrepresenting his word. I think the challenge is often to ignore Man's input and just focus on what God ie his spirit in the body of Jesus told us. And it does say in the Bible that the way to God is through Jesus. He was crucified because he did ask people to follow ie worship him.

It's human nature to "flock together" with people of like-minded beliefs. But this has it's dangers when it comes to organised religions. I think the best churches are the ones that allow each individual to remain individuals and to have the power to make up their own minds about things. The ones that have too many rules to govern the details of our lives (I think) are the ones that get a bit confused about "the most important thing" and that there are many paths to God.

ETA: whoops, I didn't realise this thread was in the Islam forum... I just replied from an email notification... sorry about the Christianity focus of my reply. I think those 'paths to God' can be ones that follow Buddah, Allah, Krishna etc but I think the main theme is that people on the right paths are relinquishing their own authority to a greater authority. To have the ability to admit that there is a greater truth than what you can come up with (at any given stage of your life/mood/ state of mind/ state of health/ whether you were treated fairly by your mother etc ... some independent truth is the key.