Is religious affiliation important?

[Breathe]

What's important is to find God.

Totally.

So did you?
If so where was he?

I bumped into It once, after searching through many places for It -- and it turned out, for me, God was within my Self this whole time.

 

[BruceDLimber]

That's one of the daftest posts I've read yet.

Then you clearly have no idea of the historic hostility of many Muslims toward Baha'is and the fact that at least one country still actively persecutes, imprisons, and executes Baha'is solely for their faith to this day!

Peace,

Bruce

 

[Aamer]

Then you clearly have no idea of the historic hostility of many Muslims toward Baha'is and the fact that at least one country still actively persecutes, imprisons, and executes Baha'is solely for their faith to this day!

Peace,

Bruce

I think most of us are aware of the brutal treatment & persecution "apostates" face in many Muslim countries. But your previous comment implied that all Muslims behave this way or that Islam teaches this. That is simply not the case. Don't blame every individual for the ignorance of extremists.

 

[Gaura Priya]

I hardly think that in this modern time, religious affiliation has extreme importance. It certainly did so in the past, because that age was that of conformity.

Maybe it is because of my past religious upbringing or whatnot, but while affiliation may not be important, community is. Communal worship can provide shared experiences of mystique and power that solitary worship can not normally provide.

Whether that means singing the names of God in a Hindu temple, or praying the rosary in a Christian parish, or performing ritual prayer in the local mosque, or reciting prayers in a Sikh temple, or holding hands and swaying to song in a Unitarian Universalist congregation, gatherings of people will provide a different stimulus of sensory experience.

In Hinduism, jaiva-dharma, or the religion of the soul, is not the affiliation of Hindu, Christian, Jew, Jain or Agnostic, but rather that of its own relationship with Divine Presence. The difference of method, practice, and tradition is dependent on realisation, culture, and personal taste and aesthetic preference.

 

[BruceDLimber]

Don't blame every individual for the ignorance of extremists.

I didn't (and wouldn't).

I simply pointed out that I hoped he wasn't part of that attitude.

Peace,

Bruce

 

[dust1n]

I think not.
I have Islam in my title because I believe that surrender to God is at the core of my religious journey. Yet I have more in common with many atheists than I do with many who deignate themselves as muslim.
I have had the religion as a raft metaphor in my mind for a long time and I can't shake it off.
I believe in God, that is important to me - but in the scheme of things I don't think it is that important. What I do think is important is striving to be authentic to whatever this is that we are. In my case this means God. I can fully accept that this is not the same for everyone and as such that religion and religious affiliation is not important. The life journey is what matters.

What do you think?

I think of Friedrich Schleiermacher or Rumi or something.

 

[Wannabe Yogi]

But I like being both an atheist & an agnostic cuz it really fires up people who say I can't be both.

You just can't be both. How will God know what to do with you. It has to be one or the other. Is it the Atheist lake of fire or the Agnostic hell. Which one, you can't go to both now can you ?