Connection?

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Justin24

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I was reading a News Week Special edition Magazine on Prophets. I decided to read about Muhammed. They talked about how the Jews and Christians had there own prophets and how god gave them there Holy Book. That was until Muhammed came along and they finally had someone for the Arab people. He gave them there version of a Holy Book (Quran). Now If there saying this then could it be that God came to the asians as Buddha?

Could all religions be inner connected?

Sorry if the first part sounds confusing, but I did not want to write 10 pages worth of wording.
 
Well I like Sharing God. I was just thinking about this after reading that part in the magazine.
 
The notion of a personal God and Buddhism are fundamental opposites. There is no god per se in Buddhism -- there is transcendence. "The Buddha" as we know him is just a teacher -- Siddhārtha Gautama Buddha -- who according to Buddhist principles is only one buddha among many. (Anyone who has become enlightened is a buddha.) This is fairly different from Jesus' statements about hoping that his disciples would know the Father as he knows the Father.
 
Re: Re: Connection?

martha said:


They all are, more than most people want to realize.

I agree with this 100%.

God is bigger than any one religion.
 
Cool thanks for all the responses. I mean if god is energy and can be who he/she wants she, than god could be Sadartha in my view, giving each there own personal belief of who God is.

I dont know if that makes anysays but oh well.
 
Justin24 said:
Cool thanks for all the responses. I mean if god is energy and can be who he/she wants she, than god could be Sadartha in my view, giving each there own personal belief of who God is.

I dont know if that makes anysays but oh well.

Please don't take this the wrong way, I might be putting this a bit bluntly because I am at such a loss of words, but I think this is could very well be the most enlightened thing you've ever posted. I am heartened by such a post by someone I earlier perceived to be yet another right-wing conservative Christian.

I am of the belief that God appears to people the way that would make the most sense to them. Don't you think God would know the best way to reach the hearts of those he created? In the end there is one God, and its not yours or mine, its essential for tolerance and understanding. People might disagree on how to honor God all they can, but doesn't change the fact that they all believe the same thing.
 
all_i_want said:


Please don't take this the wrong way, I might be putting this a bit bluntly because I am at such a loss of words, but I think this is could very well be the most enlightened thing you've ever posted. I am heartened by such a post by someone I earlier perceived to be yet another right-wing conservative Christian.

I am of the belief that God appears to people the way that would make the most sense to them. Don't you think God would know the best way to reach the hearts of those he created? In the end there is one God, and its not yours or mine, its essential for tolerance and understanding. People might disagree on how to honor God all they can, but doesn't change the fact that they all believe the same thing.

Thanks. I actually went to a mosque with a former co-worker to see what it's like. I also wanted to take some photos and I was invited in. Unfortunatly this was also during my first begining B&W photography class and when I tried to develope it, the film got destroyed. :(
 
Justin24 said:


Thanks. I actually went to a mosque with a former co-worker to see what it's like. I also wanted to take some photos and I was invited in. Unfortunatly this was also during my first begining B&W photography class and when I tried to develope it, the film got destroyed. :(

Well, I am not much of a mosque-goer myself, but I do regard the better part of them highly as pieces of architecture. I am not much of a believer myself, maybe because I am tired of seeing how much conflict religion brings to the world. Still, it's nice to see willingness to understand instead of the opposite. Most of us could use more of it.
 
I do plan on asking a local Budhhist temple and Samoan baptist church if I could take some photos.
 
all_i_want said:


Please don't take this the wrong way, I might be putting this a bit bluntly because I am at such a loss of words, but I think this is could very well be the most enlightened thing you've ever posted. I am heartened by such a post by someone I earlier perceived to be yet another right-wing conservative Christian.

I am of the belief that God appears to people the way that would make the most sense to them. Don't you think God would know the best way to reach the hearts of those he created? In the end there is one God, and its not yours or mine, its essential for tolerance and understanding. People might disagree on how to honor God all they can, but doesn't change the fact that they all believe the same thing.

:up:
 
Justin24 said:
Cool thanks for all the responses. I mean if god is energy and can be who he/she wants she, than god could be Sadartha in my view, giving each there own personal belief of who God is.

That's the real question though -- is God energy (e.g. the Force), or is He a person who wants a relationship? The two are somewhat incompatible. Which is where the differences in religions come into play. There are fundamental differences here that can't be denied.

It's like the difference between karma and grace.
 
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all_i_want said:

I am of the belief that God appears to people the way that would make the most sense to them. Don't you think God would know the best way to reach the hearts of those he created? In the end there is one God, and its not yours or mine, its essential for tolerance and understanding. People might disagree on how to honor God all they can, but doesn't change the fact that they all believe the same thing.

I agree with this. :yes:

(well, if there is a god, that is. :) )
 
There are religions and philosophies that teach that THAT BEING or energy has come in various forms to enlighten others so that they may tap into the greater energy.
 
Justin24 said:
Could all religions be inner connected?

Yes, and it isn't all that far-fetched, particularly to those who have studied anthropology and/or linguistics. No existing religion was created out of a vacuum; they are always an extension of an earlier religion of an earlier culture.

The trouble is that these connections have often occurred thousands of years ago. Some of them are almost literally on the edge of history and prehistory. Others can be derived by generally common deity names and theological similarities within each religion's scriptures. And, most certainly, the history of some religions are forever lost.

Despite their current hatred of each other, the Jewish and Muslim people share a common heritage, as demonstrated linguistically through study of Hebrew and Arabic. Both are designated as "Semitic" languages, and while the Bible likes to portray the Israelites as outsiders claiming their land from "outside enemies," linguistics and history have further demonstrated that they were, in fact, relatives within a larger Semitic family.

Where things get interesting is how Indo-Iranian beliefs get thrown into the mix. Hinduism, being one of the oldest known religions, had a schism during the early Vedic era, which led to Zoroastrianism, which was the state religion of the Persian Empire. And by the way of cultural imperialism, their theology profoundly influenced Judaism (through the Pharisees) and Christianity (both through the Pharisees' heritage and the popularity of Mithraism during the time of Jesus).

And, to add further into the mix, "Indo-Iranian" is merely a sub-family of the larger "Indo-European" family, thus expanding its heritage to all of Europe and Russia.

Now obviously, time has done a great job of obscuring these connections, not to mention the scriptures of many of these religions; after all, a schism usually makes the old religion an enemy of the new religion, so they are quick to try and erase all connections. However, the connections are there, wide open to those who know where to look.
 
Unless it's actually the reverse, which is what Scriptures seem to indicate. All the universe crackles with spiritual energy that came from a Creator. Jesus could have simply reiterated the Buddha's teachings (which had existed for several centuries to that point). He did not, and seemed to go to great lengths to focus on a personal relationship with God (which was considered blasphemous by religious leaders).

Can a love relationship exist without two subjects?
 
A_Wanderer said:
One can be quantified and the other cannot, in the absence of evidence we shouldn't assume.

Materialism falls short to me because we cannot live our lives entirely as empiricists. Even science is mostly based on likely assumptions not logical deductions. Despite the efforts of the logical positivists (and the analytic philosophers, many of whom teach my field of study at UCLA - who says the academic community is progressive?) a logical system for inductive reasoning cannot be created.
Hell, some would even argue that as we know our senses sometimes fail us, we shouldn't ever trust them. of course this argument is undesirable so most just dismiss it.
 
nathan1977 said:
I was curious to know what blueeyedpoet meant by "I am a materialist."...how that self-definition played out.

I am NOT a materialist, meaning I do not believe extended bodies (objects or materials) are all that exists. I believe in a higher dimension of reality, or maybe not even "higher" just an alternative realm - if you will.
 
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