BabyUniversity.com › Forums › Hot Topics › Religion & Spiritual Practices › Lifejewel on THE IMPORTANCE OF RELIGION
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Lifejewel on THE IMPORTANCE OF RELIGION

post #1 of 8
12/15/03 at 6:36pm
Thread Starter 
Throughout history, one important fact clearly stands out.

Man, in essence, is a social being and requires a social identity.

Religion has, for many, been the source of this social identity.

If you ask someone who they are, they often reply with "I'm Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Hindu etc."

In a time when religion is having to be more liberal, this definition is also evolving to be more liberal.

Take some time to ask yourself who you are.

Do not satisfy yourself with a social label, but probe deeper. In its answer lies the road to your happiness and sense of meaning and value.

Reply
post #2 of 8
12/21/03 at 1:50pm
Thread Starter 

Lifejewel on the importance of religion

Religion

If we look at the importance of religion on society, it is immense.

Society is bound by a legal and ethical system that dominates the relationship between its members and the way in which they live.

This legal and ethical system has been directly adopted from religious teachings.

European and American Society are governed by Christian beliefs, Arabian countries by Arabic beliefs, Asian countries by Hindu and Buddhist beliefs and Israel is ruled by Jewish beliefs.

This is a crucial fact as it has been the cause of many wars and many deaths.

As we approach the New Year, it is beneficial to understand the major religions and mind-sets that dominate the way we live.

All religions have one objective, to provide people with a purpose to live. This week we will look at how each religion does this.
Reply
post #3 of 8
12/21/03 at 8:25pm
Thread Starter 

The Ethos of ISLAM

The Essence of Relgion

Islam is the most misunderstood religion in the world.

This is simply because Islam is a religion born from Western Theology that finds its practicality from Eastern tradition.

The world can learn alot from Islam because its emphasis is based on compassion.

Islam teaches us that we are all equal and no life is greater than the other. Everything finds itself from Allah.

As we enter the new year, it could be beneficial to ponder this ethos.

In life, we spend a lot of time judging people. Very often, the people that we judge as good (based on our own prejudices) turn to be harmful and vice versa.

Follow the wisest road of non-judgement and treat each person on their strengths and not your prejudices. This is the key to valuing people.
Reply
post #4 of 8
12/21/03 at 8:46pm
Thread Starter 

The Essence of Christianity

One of the most prominent foundations of Christian Philosophy is the following statement:

"Ask and it shall be given unto you, seek and ye shall find."

Christian philosophy is based on the principle of expectancy.

Its objective is to provide us with a mindset of expectancy.

We can expect help from others and we will give help to those we can give help to.

In life, there are very few problems that we achieve on our own. There are very few successes that are fully down to us individually.

Follow the wisdom of Christianity and expect help as equally as you are willing to give it. There is always someone with a solution.



Christianity is the world's most familiar religion, and due to this, it is the basis of most of our ethical structure. It is the most optimistic of all religions and this is because its whole ethos is on the goodness of man.
Reply
post #5 of 8
12/22/03 at 12:35am
Thread Starter 

The reality of Judaism

The Essence of Judaism

In the Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare says of Judaism:

"For Sufferance is the badge of our tribe."

There is no religion that has suffered more hardship than the Jews.

This is seen from the heart-renching heat of bondage in Ancient Egypt to the heart breaking pain of the Concentration Camps.

Judaism is a religion based on the premise of sacrifice and appreciation.

In life, there are very few victories that are our own. We suffer because it will benefit us or our children later in life.

Follow the wisdom of Judiasm, its teaching is simple. Fear not for present circumstances as their true value will later be revealed.



This week, we are looking at each of the major religions and finding the philosophical gems that we could all benefit from. Judaism is the foundation upon which the religions of the book (Judaism, Islam and Christianity) is built. It is a realistic religion that teaches us the true value of life and the hardships that challenge us throughout it.
Reply
post #6 of 8
12/22/03 at 12:40am
Thread Starter 

The Individualism of Hinduism

The Eastern foundations of Hinduism

Wheras the Western Religions are based on Dogmatic principles that apply to all, the Eastern Religions are fuelled by Individualism and the fact that each person needs to find their own path.

Hinduism is one of the world's oldest religons and follows the individualistic route.

One of the fundamental beliefs of Hinduism is Karma.

This fatalistic principle essentially deems that everything happens because of a cause set in motion.

More importantly, it is a cause that you set in motion.

In life, it is a most powerful feeling to know that you control what happens to you, that you can make choices that can change you by doing things differently.

Try adopting this belief for a short period of time. Take responsibility for your actions and look to the future knowing that your actions of today determine where you are in the future.



Hinduism
This week, we are looking at each of the major religions and finding the philosophical gems that we could all benefit from. Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world. It is an individualistic religion that puts its focus on the individual and his responsibilities and duties, as opposed to a Dogmatic regime that is evident in Western religions.
Reply
post #7 of 8
12/22/03 at 1:08am
Thread Starter 

The Values of Buddhism

The Values of Buddhism

Buddhism is a religion based on the value of life.

Its main premise is that everything has come from God and, thus, must be respected equally.

Everything from an ant to an elephant should all be respected with an equal dignity.

The philosophy behind this is simple.

Buddha once said that if one wanted to appreciate an orchard of apple trees, one first needs to appreciate the seed that it came from.

Similarly, if one wants to appreciate the creator, the only way to do this is by valuing its creations.



Buddhism

This week, we are looking at each of the major religions and finding the philosophical gems that we could all benefit from. Buddhism is one of the most philosophical religions in the world. It is an individualistic religion that puts its focus on valuing God's creations. It is a placid and peaceful religion that. The Dalai Lama, a spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism a prime example of Buddhist virtues.
Reply
post #8 of 8
12/22/03 at 1:10am
Thread Starter 

Religion and the INDIVIDUAL

Religion and the Individual

There are two different styles of religion. The first is a doctrine based religion where the individual adapts himself to the faith. The second is an individualistic type of religion in which one adapts the faith to suit them.

In truth, religion is similar to a shoe.

If a person had one shoe and expected everybody's foot to fit into it perfectly, this would simply not happen.

Similarly, with religion, everybody cannot fit into the idealistic concepts that are the foundation of their beliefs.

The purpose of religion is to help people find meaning and guidance.

It is not something to force other people into as they simply may not fit into that spiritual mode of thinking.

At the end of the day, decisions about religion are the most personal and, consequently, important choices that we will ever make.



Religion

This week, we are looking at each of the major religions and finding the philosophical gems that we could all benefit from. The best way to learn about other religions is to learn about the people who practice them and, consequently, have mastered the concepts that they hold so highly. By going to any place of worship, you will find these people. Do not fear away from them but learn from them by judging them on faith and not position.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Religion & Spiritual Practices
BabyUniversity.com › Forums › Hot Topics › Religion & Spiritual Practices › Lifejewel on THE IMPORTANCE OF RELIGION