Years and years ago I heard a very wise Catholic priest say that God is whomever you want to call him...Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, Yahweh, etc, etc. They are all one in the same person. Rather controversial for a priest to say, wouldn't you think? He was a very forward thinking priest, in my opinion.
I'd like to think that years and years ago, when there were far, far fewer people on the earth, that there was a charismatic, peaceful man who went around and tried to get his fellow man to be kind to one another. He made friends wherever he went, but much to the dismay of the rulers at that time, he was probably more popular than them, even though he didn't ask for notoriety. He had to be made an example, and therefore he was killed/crucified by the ruling party.
Of course he had some very ardent followers who kept his dreams alive, and spread his good will. Through the years his good will, and good works, became, like all stories and rumors, embellished. He was raising people from the dead. He was turning water into wine. And what he preached, was reinterpreted to make the people of any particular region feel that he was speaking to them only. This may be where the separation of religions came about.
Religion, itself, is supposed to be a good thing. But now we have people saying their religion is better than someone else's religion. We are presently condemning Muslims, but think back to the Crusades. The Christians, at the time, were a rather bloodthirsty bunch! And there are probably plenty of other examples, on all continents, where religion is used as the reason to get rid of someone you consider your enemy. This is not what "God" wanted, when he walked the earth thousands of years ago. This is not what any peaceful, free person would want.
But today we were interpreting, and reinterpreting the bible, or other holy books, to serve our purposes. It's a story book that has been told, and retold, with embellishments along the way, to fit the mood of the time. Too many people read passages that seem to fit their agenda, and if not, they find a different interpretation that will. They want their "God" to say what they want to hear/read.
I'm just trying to understand it all, on Day 221!
I'd like to think that years and years ago, when there were far, far fewer people on the earth, that there was a charismatic, peaceful man who went around and tried to get his fellow man to be kind to one another. He made friends wherever he went, but much to the dismay of the rulers at that time, he was probably more popular than them, even though he didn't ask for notoriety. He had to be made an example, and therefore he was killed/crucified by the ruling party.
Of course he had some very ardent followers who kept his dreams alive, and spread his good will. Through the years his good will, and good works, became, like all stories and rumors, embellished. He was raising people from the dead. He was turning water into wine. And what he preached, was reinterpreted to make the people of any particular region feel that he was speaking to them only. This may be where the separation of religions came about.
Religion, itself, is supposed to be a good thing. But now we have people saying their religion is better than someone else's religion. We are presently condemning Muslims, but think back to the Crusades. The Christians, at the time, were a rather bloodthirsty bunch! And there are probably plenty of other examples, on all continents, where religion is used as the reason to get rid of someone you consider your enemy. This is not what "God" wanted, when he walked the earth thousands of years ago. This is not what any peaceful, free person would want.
But today we were interpreting, and reinterpreting the bible, or other holy books, to serve our purposes. It's a story book that has been told, and retold, with embellishments along the way, to fit the mood of the time. Too many people read passages that seem to fit their agenda, and if not, they find a different interpretation that will. They want their "God" to say what they want to hear/read.
I'm just trying to understand it all, on Day 221!
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