The Dalai Lama - Interfaith Dialogue

Rather than follow the path of the New Atheists, The Dalai Lama choses to embrace religious faiths. Even though he is not religious himself he recognises that, even with their faults, many of them historical, religion is not going to go away despite the rise of militant atheism.

What is so astounding with the Dalai Lama's approach is that he promotes the positive side of religious faiths thereby presenting the good rather than the bad. Obviously, he is fully aware of what has been going on in the name of religion but by taking the Buddhist path his efforts in bringing together a united front centred around The Golden Rule is slowly bearing fruit. He is managing to not only de-construct New Atheism's argument but also to defeat those who would usurp faith for their own purposes.

Carpe Diem Acts of Devotion: Trail of Saints, Krakow, Poland

Church of Our Lady of the Snows

I stop at the graves

along the trail of the saints

take tea with each one

~Cie~

Carpe Diem Acts of Devotion: Pilgrimage of the Relics, Maastricht (The Netherlands)

Saint Servatius

my fascination

with relics may be gruesome

or is it divine?

~Cie~

The Golden Rule - Karen Armstrong

Heeding Haiku with Chèvrefeuille: Summer Solstice

Image Source

At the beginning of the day on the summer solstice, I leave my body sleeping and walk in dreams to a place I will never see in life. I watch the sunrise through rocks mysteriously stacked long ago and wonder if it was possible that I was there in some form.

Do I have a connection to a time and place I could not possibly have known in my current reality, or do I merely wish that I was more important than I am? Did I once have wisdom and abilities forgotten by the passage of centuries and lifetimes, or am I merely a pathetic creature who wishes there was a possibility that I might not be as utterly hopeless and wretched as I appear?

There was a time when I believed in one God and a single savior. Then came the time that I believed in many deities and no specific savior. At this point, I neither believe nor disbelieve in any specific thing, except that I think the god postulated by most organized religious institutions is a construct created to give adherents carte blanche to behave cruelly.

is there someone there

a powerful entity

or are we alone?

~Cie~

Note:

It is not my intent to belittle anyone's faith. The thoughts I express are mine and mine alone. I neither believe nor disbelieve in any particular deity or set of deities, including the Christian god. My final paragraph is a criticism of the sorts of people who use their religion to behave as intolerant bigots and to cause harm to those who do not adhere to their dogma and edicts.

William Blake's Poem "Jerusalem"

William Blake, born 1757,  died 1827, was a passionate Christian but one who vehemently disliked the Church of England as equally as he did all organised religion. Odd that his poem about the Christian Messiah's mythical journey to this island home of mine has become both an alternative national anthem but also a hymn sang by members of the multi-faceted, fractured Christian faith. Here it is beautifully sung by choir and congregation at St. George's Chapel, Windsor.

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The Cheese Grates It: Questioning the Faith One Was Raised With

Before reading this, please keep in mind that I have no intent to insult anyone's faith in a supreme being. I am an agnostic who believes in the possibility of a supreme being or beings. My thoughts on the nature of said supreme being or beings are theory. For me, the belief in a supreme being or the possibility thereof is removed from adherence to religious dogma.
Religion is a system created by people, ostensibly to honor the supreme being or beings which are the object of worship. Like any other tool, it can be used in either a constructive or destructive manner.
That being said, I have found that religion is used destructively a disproportionate amount of the time, and thus my thoughts towards it tend to be cynical. However, I acknowledge that there are truly good people who utilize religion in a positive way, and I fully support these people and feel that they are positive representatives working on behalf of the deity or deities of their belief system.
I often cite the good people with the Christian organization Faithful America. Please take a moment to see what they are about and to support them.
www.faithfulamerica.com

And now, on to the subject of the post.

A young woman on a Facebook forum was expressing feelings of sadness and doubt regarding her faith in what I refer to at this point in my life as the Church God. Here is what she had to say:

Is okay to be angry with God? It hurts me to see people suffering especially babies and child. When you hear terrible news about the bombings in Syria or the fact that a evil man becomes president and now everyone is frighten for the future. Makes me doubt a divine being even exist. What do I do? Do I keep being angry? Or just accept the fact that I'm losing my faith and accept that the world for the way it is?

The following are the thoughts I had for her.

My personal belief is that there is a higher power or powers but it/they are not what the church taught us. Most religions have their basis in politics rather than spirituality and exist to control people. I think whatever powers there be are not particularly involved with the affairs of humanity. They are more architects of the Universe, one might say. Anyway, that is my thought on it. I was raised Catholic and for many years struggled with the idea on one hand that God was all powerful and all loving and yet allowed horrible atrocities to take place. I understand your feelings about this.

My further thoughts:
I "lost my religion" at eighteen, although I had been questioning for quite some time before that. I probably would not have lost my religion had it not been for the judgmental people I met who accused me of being a "devil worshiper" for being curious about the nature of the Universe, for not being comfortable with the idea that people get condemned to eternal torture for not believing in the existence of the Church God, and for liking that evil, evil rock and roll blasphemy. I was disgusted by the "Satanic Panic" believers who accused innocent people of terrible acts.
Rigid and judgmental attitudes pushed me away from the church. I might not literally burst into flames if I have to step into a church at this point, but I'm not comfortable doing so either.
At this point, I adhere to what Marcus Aurelius so wisely said, and I imagine I will continue to do so for the remainder of this lifetime.

~The Cheese Hath Grated It~

The Wheat and the Tares Parable

My maternal grandmother and great-aunts were raised hardline baptist. Gram was a big believer in the coming of the Mark of the Beast. She had a whole book about the subject.
Unfortunately, Gram was very taken in by the likes of Oral Roberts and Jerry Fallwell. She gave a lot of money to these scammers.
After she died, I found letters she'd received from them, which made my blood boil. They said things like "Dear Mrs. Brown, it is imperative that believers such as yourself make a generous contribution so that I may continue my battle against Satan."
Sadly, Gram was very taken in by these snake oil salesmen, as were many other well-meaning people.
I may not be in agreement with the guy in this video, but at least he seems to sincerely believe what he is preaching. He isn't just trying to get money out of his viewers.

~Cie~

The Blessed Hope: Adventist Hymns and Stories

I present this video in order for us to both enjoy Mr. Raney's beautiful voice and to understand the beliefs of the Seventh Day Adventists.

When I was in my teens, I enjoyed visiting different houses of worship and learning about the different belief systems. I was raised Catholic but came to what might generally be described as a Gnostic approach to religion, seeking truth through the various beliefs. This continues to be my approach, although I no longer feel quite so inspired to go exploring as I did in my youth.

I am very grateful to have found a group of people who are open-minded with regards to religion and spirituality. Such like are, sadly, rather difficult to find.

~Helena~

Religion and Community

Although I tend to be critical of organized religion, one aspect I tend to approve of is community. People involved in a church may come together in a positive way, as these people are. There are several benefits to this sort of gathering, including forming bonds with others and spending an enjoyable time in the company of like-minded people.

The problem with organized religion is the intolerance that is often inherent in religious communities. A similar-minded outsider would be welcome, but someone with a very different mindset, even if said visitor were tolerant, would likely be treated with suspicion if not outright disdain.

If we could all learn to open our minds to one another's viewpoints and beliefs, and respected such, even if we didn't share the same belief, we could create a greater world community. Then we could join together in love and tolerance. It may seem a foolish idea, but I believe that one day it may be possible.

~Ellie~

Happy Birthday Father Roger

In truth, I don't know the Good Father Roger. This was a video I stumbled across while looking for something else. However, it got me thinking.

Father Roger seems a companionable sort, a bit of a colorful character who enjoys telling a story and likes seeing others happy. One might say that Father Roger seems to embody a truly Christian spirit. 

I would far rather listen to someone like Father Roger, and would be more likely to take his words to heart, than to listen to one of these hate-mongering sourpusses such as Bill Donohue. That's the fellow who said that marriage wan't about love, it was about having children, his point being that same sex couples shouldn't be allowed to marry because they can't have children. 

My question for Bill is if marriage isn't about love, why the hell do it? We live in modern times where one neither needs to be married or to have sex outside of the bonds of marriage in order to conceive a child. If I really wanted a child, I could go to the sperm bank and have a doctor perform a medical insemination. By having this procedure, I could skip the whole loveless marriage business while also avoiding sex outside of marriage. 

In any case, if Christianity is to survive, it needs a whole lot more Father Rogers and a whole lot fewer Bill Donohues.

I hope that Father Roger had an excellent birthday. He seems like a nice chap who deserves good things.

~Naila~

I Am: 365 Names of God

A meditative video for Christians.

Thom Hartmann asks: How Could Anyone Be Both Christian and Republican

A must listen. 

A to Z Blogging Challenge 2014: M is for Music

There is music for many belief systems.
The Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir may not have any specific beliefs, but they like Gospel music.
It's hard to find specific Buddhist musicians. Many times the chants are done by monks.
Counting Crowns sing for Christ with their brand of contemporary Christian music.
I don't know if one could consider this music "representative of Deism," but it is cool.

People who follow the tenets of Eckankar believe that the sound HU has special meaning.

I once worked with a fellow who practiced Eckankar. I was interested to hear about his beliefs until I discovered that his real goal was to try and get into my pants. Then I stopped listening.

Hindu songs praise the various deities of Hinduism.

There are many others. We may examine them at another time!

~Gretyll~

Spectra Says It: Why I Don't Believe In or Worship the Church God

I do not believe in or worship the Church God of what many people call Christianity.

This is not to say that I don't believe in a higher power/creator force.

It is not to say that I don't believe in certain entities or possibilities currently termed "metaphysical" or "magic."

It is not to say that I don't believe in at least the possibility of beings such as those creatures that might be termed angels, demons, or deities. 

What I am saying is that even if the Church God exists, I do not and will not worship said being. However, in truth I believe that the Church God is mostly a projection of the ideals of Zir worshipers.

The Church God is an egotistical, abusive asshole. I will not worship an egotistical, abusive asshole.

What deity worth zir salt would require the absolute prostration of creatures so far beneath it? To an all powerful being, we would seem no more evolved than a cluster of caterpillars. To require absolute worship from us would be similar to me requiring absolute worship from my fish. After all, I feed the bastard and change its water. It should be bowing down and worshiping me. I allow it to live.

As for the omnipotence of such a being, if it is omnipotent and involved in our lives, then how dare it allow such horrors as children being raped, women and girls being impregnated by rape, children dying of cancer and other diseases, people of any age losing their intellectual capabilities due to terrible conditions that destroy their brains. 

What kind of a monster would allow a person who felt they were male be born into a female body to a father who, when said person hit puberty, raped them and forced them to bear the child of said forced copulation? Then, to add insult to injury, said person came to love said child, and said child died as the result of anaphylaxis following a bee sting. Then, while said person was recovering from the grief of losing said child, it is discovered that he has bone cancer.

The above is a true story which has all happened in the brief 18 years that this unfortunate young man has been on the Earth.

If the Church God exists, perhaps one can explain away the rape as free will on the part of the father, who chose to commit the vile act of rape. But how do you explain away the bone cancer? 

If Church God gave this person bone cancer, ze is malicious. I don't care if it's "so he can learn important lessons and get closer to God." That's just fucking awful.

If Church God did not give this person bone cancer, but ze cannot take it away, ze is not omnipotent. 

If Church God did not give this person bone cancer, but ze will not take it away, ze is either malevolent or apathetic.

The only one of these that I would even consider paying homage to is a benevolent but not omnipotent creator force which is able to give life but not prevent disease or evil.

Let us postulate for a moment that Church God is an absolute fact. Church God exists. Ze giveth and Ze taketh away. Ze allows evil of all stripes because human free will. (I'm still not sure how our free will allows diseases or death raining from the sky in the form of killer asteroids or anything but human-perpetrated crime such as rape and murder, but okay.) Ze is omnipotent (all powerful) and Zir followers claim that Ze is all-loving.

I still call bullshit.

A being that is all loving would not require absolute worship or to the eternal lake of fire and torture to any being that does not believe or refuses to worship. That isn't all loving, that's all ego. I refuse to worship any being under threat of punishment. 

A being that is all loving AND all powerful would never allow one of its creatures to be raped and murdered. Hell, it wouldn't have even created anything that was carnivorous. Everything would be eating leaves and seeds happily.

For a being that is omnipotent to stand idly by and watch its creations suffer?

That's just all kinds of fucked up.

Either Church God is benevolent but not omnipotent, ze is omnipotent but malevolent, ze is omnipotent but apathetic, or ze is nether benevolent nor omnipotent. 

The one thing Church God is not is benevolent and omnipotent. Because if Ze were, the world would not be nearly as fucked up as it is.

~Spectra~

Jesus: A Buffer Between Humanity and a Dickish Overlord

I used to be devout, one of the believers. I was raised by a family who believed the old fire and brimstone teachings. When I was in my teens I began to question. By the time I was out of high school, I could no longer buy any of it.

I went through a period of disgruntled atheism. When I was eighteen, I was one of those acerbic atheists who felt that anyone who had faith was a perfect idiot. By the time I was twenty-five, I had mellowed on that perspective, becoming an agnostic rather than a hardline atheist. I think becoming a parent had something to do with this.

I don't think that we live in a black and white Universe. I think there are a lot of shades of gray. To me, deism has come to make sense. I believe in the possibility of a higher power or powers. I do not believe that they are egotistical enough to require human worship. I think they're pretty well uninvolved. 

At this point I see Jesus the way I see Siddhartha: a teacher who tried to guide people to treat one another better. I do not discount the possibility of reincarnation. The personality is energy. It makes a degree of sense that when energy is displaced it changes form and may find a new home.

Following my exodus from fire and brimstone Christianity, I came to see Jesus as a mediator between humanity and a dickish overlord: the God of the Christian Church. This God sees fit to send "challenges" to people to see if they can "maintain their faith" in the face of awfulness, sometimes such awfulness that no-one could come through it unscathed unless they were a completely soulless sociopath. Jesus is the one who helps people bear up under such onslaughts by their dickish, egotistical God.

I think that true Christianity has little to do with the Overlord of Dickishness. It has to do with treating one another as we would like to be treated. It has to do with extending ourselves a little to help one another so we can all live as well as possible. 

In my view, God (if you will) is not a dickish overlord. It is a distant, remote, uninvolved power. Such is the nature of deism. Jesus now becomes less of a mediator than a healer and teacher.

I like Jesus. I always have. I do not like the brand of Christianity which pervades in the modern world, which postulates judgmental attitudes and servitude to a dickish overlord. I'm done with that brand of Christianity. If Jesus were here today, I'm quite sure he'd be done with it too.

~Petra~

Can Jesus' Resurrection Be Proven? A Debate

I feel that they both conducted themselves like adults and never resulted to petty behavior or childish insults. It was an interesting listen for a person identifying as an agnostic, (Buddhist) such as myself.

Turn It Over To a Higher Power

He calls it the Holy Spirit. One could also call it the Universe. There is no one right way. There is the way that works for you, and that is the right way for you.

We need to let go of trying to control everything. We need to let go of our ego. It isn't easy.

~Naila~

The Lord's Supper

Here is a unique cartoon explaining why one must be baptized in order to receive the sacrament. 

I was raised Catholic, and I honestly don't think I ever heard this explained, although, to be fair, I'm in my late forties now, and catechism classes were a long time ago.

~Illsa~

Rotting Christ: Visions of the Dead Lovers

The old glory is failed
The old emperor in a lonely empire
Eternity so shiny
But followed by noone

Among the crowd
Princes & kings
Those who defeated
All lovers... of monarchy

The sky is mourning
Near to the sun... human blood
It's too late for nation

After this misery
A bigger one is coming
The promised centuries... recycling

The dog have died
Around the tyrant

Mythic sovereigns
In sea and land
Shout loud
But voices come back

The eagle has throwned
The beast has enough
The days of the omen
Visions of the dead lovers

Read more: Rotting Christ - Visions Of The Dead Lovers Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

Here is why I have no problem with this video, although I still identify as Catholic, albeit a very unorthodox one.

The video was not disparaging the suffering that Jesus endured. In fact, it showed a fairly accurate depiction of the horrors of crucifixion. Anyone being killed in this manner would have suffered greatly. 

Whether or not they believe in Jesus as the Messiah, they respect the fact that Jesus the man suffered. This video in no way mocks that suffering. In fact, it asks us to examine whether any of the followers of Jesus truly realize what he endured, or if he is for them simply a symbol of their belief system. To make him simply a symbol is to deny the real horrors he was subjected to.

The band professes anti-religious beliefs, stating that Christianity is one of the worst things to happen in human history. In many ways, they are correct. For the most part, Christianity has had nothing to do with Jesus other than to use him as sort of a holy enforcer. In other words, if you don't do what we say  Jesus says, you are going to endure eternal torment in the fiery pit.
Jesus the activist, Jesus the kind, forgiving person, Jesus the evolved soul would have deplored the tactics of the so called "Christian" church. Jesus loved the outcasts. The "flock" of most churches sanctimoniously pushes the outcasts away. They do not want the homeless, the mentally ill, the unpretty making their house of worship look bad.
Jesus would deplore the existence of mega-churches.

In any case, I have a much bigger problem with the theocratic extreme right in the United States today than I do with the viewpoint of the members of Rotting Christ that religion is a social negative. It is a social negative because of the fact that it has been primarily used as a political tool to control people, no matter what the claim may be.
I actually do believe in a "great beyond," although I have no way of knowing what it is really like. I like the imagery used in depicting Heaven. I like the positive messages that Jesus left for us. I do not like those who use his name as an excuse to act like bigoted assholes.

~Viki~