Yes, Abe, you could say that our problems are never about what God does to man, but what man does to God.

Ann

If someone could prove the truth, who would believe it?

If I were to recommend one simple 128 page book, it would be Phillips, Your God is Too Small.

I have lived from what is in that book ever since I read it. Basically it is that any ideas we humans have are minor in relation to God, that if we believe in Him as so many do, we are putting him "in a box" and not accepting His magnitude. I believe everyone has free will and think trying to figure God out is an admirable endeavor but endless task.

Carol

Abe, he gave us all of creation. All of the wonders of the deep blue sea, the never ending skies, and the green Earth with all of it's humans and animals. Is that not telling us what to believe in?

Carol, if we believe that God is God, in all that that means, then we have to know that the reasons for our failures are not with God, but with our interpretation of Him and his power. God created the heavens and the earth, the skies and the oceans, the humans and the animals, and all else that we know.

When we decided to tell other men what God has in mind for all of us, we created religion, and by doing so, we brought about all of the problems that arose afterward.

God is perfect, Man is not! However, perhaps he allowed us to create religion in order to see how we could cope with it, and to see which of us actually managed to find a way to keep believing in Him, regardless of how hard it might sometimes be.

Don,



Exactly. You just put the 128 page book into a lot fewer words.

Carol

Thank you ma'am. And I like your new avatar photo. Quite the dashing young couple.

Don, you said: "When we decided to tell other men what God has
in mind for all of us, we created religion, and by doing so, we brought
about all of the problems that arose afterward."

I agree. That was my point. Man told us what to believe.

History of religion, huh. My take is that religion (and all of its righteous components, including faith, charity and service) started in the beginning with Jesus Christ and will end with Jesus Christ. I am alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. Jesus also stated that no one will return to the Father except through Him.

The reason there are so many varied opinions and beliefs concerning our mortality, why we're here and where we are going, is because Lucifer (Satan) has been loosed for a season to beguile us.

Religion in mortal form started with Adam and has since adopted many forms as the human family has grown. Human weaknesses like pride and greed found their way into many hearts.

Different religious beliefs spring up as a result of people trying to amend things so that they're personally comfortable. Most of the time people hesitate to venture out of their comfort zone.

So, the concept of history is interesting, but I'd ask about the future. What will be the views of religion and faith 50 or 100 years from now.

Charlie

JoElle,

Good post. I agree. I loved my childhood religion. I loved the people there because they treated each other with caring and concern, which I think religion is supposed to be about.

Then I married a Catholic and all that involved which had nothing to do with spirituality or faith.

Certain things have turned us off to religion such as religions telling people who to vote for, religions being against whole groups of population, religions saying you don't participate in another religious service even it is a funeral and the purpose is honoring a good loving person, and religions putting more emphasis on men than women or saying women are supposed to only fill certain roles.

Carol

JoElle, your quest sounds very familiar. It is much like mine was. I agree, too, about the difference between religion and spirituality.

I believe there can be value in practicing rituals with a group or community. When people gather for such practices, with open minds and hearts, the whole can, for a while, become more than the sum of its parts.

The same practices can become empty when the participants forget what they were designed to symbolize, and take the symbols literally.

There is a mix of good and bad in any group, as there are with the individuals who comprise it.

Ann

If you want to read a book that contains murder, slaughter, infidelity, deceit, debauchery, betrayal, lying, racism, incest, rape, etc., read the Old Testament.

If you want to read a book that promises a better life by following the teachings attributed to Jesus, but also includes betrayal and murder, read the New Testament.

If you want to read a book that you can believe in, write one.

...and they call it the greatest story ever told Abe...LOL