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Since the dawn of civilization people have looked for signs to predict the future. Seers looked at smoke patterns, the way bark grows on trees, the flight of birds, dreams, or in their own sneezes.
Jacob dreamed, “and behold a ladder was set upon the earth, and the top of it reached heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. The chief priest used sacred stones carried in his breastplate. These gave the divine answer, by whether the “yes” or the “no” stone was first drawn. But prophets had a different power than a seer. He spoke with the authority of God himself. While the seer declared how events would turn out, the prophet prescribed what other men should believe. Seers were mere forecasters but prophets spoke for God.
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When Moses spoke to the Pharaoh he spoke for God. He said he saw God face to face and brought the 10 commandants from Sinai to the people. The 10 commandments made obedience the mark of the believer. As the ancient Hebrews were his chosen people, so was He their chosen God. This mark would become, millennia later, the heart of Islam, the surrendering of life to God’s will.
About the eighth century B. C.the oracles of the Hebrew prophets were written down by prophets or their scribes. The prophet’s oracles now addressed all who would read their words. So the words of the prophets became a body of divine teachings for people everywhere. It expanded tribal revelations into a world religion. It had happened first when teachings of Zarathustra (late second millennium B.C.) became the foundation of Zoroastrianism. It would happen again with the recording of the words of Jesus. and then with the teaching of Mohammad in the seventh century.
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The problem of Western thought is-Why would God allow evil in the world he has created? Why would God let innocent people suffer?” The only excuse for God, said Stendhal, is that he does not exist. Reluctant to disbelieve, Westerners have used imagination to it’s highest degree. This problem of justifying God has not troubled all the world equally. The Muslins (from Islam,surrender to divine will) believes that God owes no explanation to his creatures,and it is blasphemy for man to demand one. For the Muslim, wrong worship, is the sum of all evil.
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Hindus and Buddhists have not committed themselves to one religion. For Hindu thought, there is no problem of evil. The world is a necessary world of opposites. Light is meaningless without darkness. There is no up without down. Still two dogmas shared by Hindus and Buddhists is the idea of karma. Karma is a way of giving each person responsibility for prosperity and suffering, at the same time leaving no power to change his fortune in this life. A person’s present life is thought to be determined by past actions and will continue until those influences are used up.
http://socyberty.com/lifestyle-choices/love-is-forgiveness/
http://socyberty.com/lifestyle-choices/the-key-to-happiness/
http://socyberty.com/lifestyle-choices/the-will-to-live/
http://healthmad.com/alternative/healing-through-relaxation/
Beautiful work…
Nice article. For me there is only one religion.. HUMANITY
Religions also can create wars. Fanatics stand on what they believe and are willing to die for it. Religion is the root cause of war, in my opinion.
Thanks for sharing this informative article, Ruby.
This is very interesting, Ruby. I am not familiar with a lot of religion so I you taught me something. I do believe in God, but I am not a very religious person.
This is a very interesting and informative article, Ruby. Thank you for sharing, I always learn something new!
But in my opinion, all religions have got their own merits and demerits.But will they provide salvation to humanity ? still it is a myth or riddle to be solved.
Jesus said that His Kingdom is not in this earth, thus why suffering is still happen in this earth. But in heaven there is no suffering.
People misintrepret religion and become fanatics.They fail to see the sublime effect.
The article is knowledgable, a wholesome read.Humanity is the best religion.
Very interesting
Great article on religion. God is #1 in my life.
Excellent article.
nice write
I like the Hindu philosophy. For example we don’t always have a happy day since it has to turn bad sometimes.Philosophically we can’t say we’re happy if we didn’t experience being sad.So indeed good or bad has to exist.Nice post, Ruby.
Very interesting
All true and honest religion will not teach us to do bad things. It all depends on us on how to interprete it.
very nice and interesting
Nicely done Ruby. Religion can be such a highly controversial subject, and you handled it very well.
great post
good information, keep it up
hi Ruby great article,Thanks for sharing
Very well done…historically and otherwise. Not everyone has the mind set nor the willingness to write objectively about religion.
wonderful ruby, never read so much about religions, very informative and in depth details…thanks
Great and well rounded article!
Wonderful, I love reading about beliefs and religions. Next to the Holy Bible, which can be quite scarry at times, my favorite reading is Mythology. You have qued me into some other avenues that I might delve into. thnx
A very well rounded article, Ruby. I used to worry when I was teaching because thought we were catholics we were expected to teach the children a little about all religions. I used to think they would find this confusing but now I realise it would help them to make informed decisions about their religions when they were older. Well done.
Christine
thanks for sharing this with us Ruby
Very interesting article. Thanks for sharing.
Well presented,written with good perception of the subject. Though one facet of Hinduism projects fatalism or karma as a justification for the present, there is yet another which insists that God, the omnipotent, will overrule to lead a person to happiness, if he has faith.
You touched some great points here Ruby. Excellent!
good guide to some of the common religions, however I am apparently the 1,000,000 visitor and have won a prize, I wonder which religions God is responsible for that?
Very interesting work Ruby! I had not realized that about muslims!! Very informative and an enjoyable read!
Great article… Religions all teach the same things, you know? They’re all so interesting
Very interesting! Great post.
Well -written, concise and very informative. I’ve learned new things out of this post.
Another informative and well written article, you handled the subject of religion extremely well.
Thank you Ruby for another interesting and well written article. Today I tend to be spiritual rather than religious. Life itself is a prayer and we are here to make this life better for those we meet, regardless of their religion or lack of it. If we follow the golden rule which is found in all major religions, we need never fear death or what follows.
Thank you, Ruby, no everyone is brave enough to write about religion as it is usually a subject of great debate. This was a well rounded, and informative article.
yes i agree that religion can create war. it is happened in the time of apostle Paul. Therefore i conclude that the religion is good at all time!