Wondering About Different Religions

[Spockrates]

Emotion.
God would never want us to be without peace.
If our decisions do not bring peace then they are not likely the right decisions.

Allfoak: Interesting. I'm not sure I agree emotion is the right guide for me. I mean, when I'm faced with a difficult decision--one that will do some harm no matter what choice I make--what I feel about such a choice is anxiety, not peace. So when there is no peace, what besides emotion will direct my path?

 

[Spockrates]

Do you believe God can be more than one or just one?

What i mean by "believe" is your opinion according to your understanding.

Then I believe I don't know the answer to your question.

 

[allfoak]

Allfoak: Interesting. I'm not sure I agree emotion is the right guide for me. I mean, when I'm faced with a difficult decision--one that will do some harm no matter what choice I make--what I feel about such a choice is anxiety, not peace. So when there is no peace, what besides emotion will direct my path?

Peace is something we must seek out.
It is within that it is found.
If one does not find peace within, do not expect to find it without.

 

[Spockrates]

Peace is something we must seek out.
It is within that it is found.
If one does not find peace within, do not expect to find it without.

Not sure I understand. Are you defining peace within as emotion and peace without as one's own actions? Or do you mean peace without to be the way others act toward the one with peace within?

 

[allfoak]

Not sure I understand. Are you defining peace within as emotion and peace without as one's own actions? Or do you mean peace without to be the way others act toward the one with peace within?

If we are not at peace with ourselves then we can't expect to find peace through our circumstances, it is the other way around.
Our life will be peaceful when we find peace within.
If we are stressed, fearful, angry or negative then the circumstance will follow.
Thought has momentum and the momentum is caused by the emotion behind it.
Thoughts are things, and we use them to create life, from a peaceful state of mind, choose them wisely.

 

[DawudTalut]

So I think I was here before, not sure. Looking forward to checking things out.

Peace be on you.
Welcome.

Any suggestions for someone wanting to learn about different religions?

a-You can check internet.
b-Also
COMPARATIVE RELIGIONS
A SURVEY OF MAJOR FAITHS
@ wwwDOTalislamDOTorg/books/religiousknowledge/sec6.html

 

[Spockrates]

If we are not at peace with ourselves then we can't expect to find peace through our circumstances, it is the other way around.
Our life will be peaceful when we find peace within.
If we are stressed, fearful, angry or negative then the circumstance will follow.
Thought has momentum and the momentum is caused by the emotion behind it.
Thoughts are things, and we use them to create life, from a peaceful state of mind, choose them wisely.

By saying "peace in our circumstances" which of these do you mean?

A. Peace despite stressful circumstances

Or

B. A lack of stressful circumstances

 

[allfoak]

By saying "peace in our circumstances" which of these do you mean?

A. Peace despite stressful circumstances

Or

B. A lack of stressful circumstances

We can have peace in any circumstance and eventually create nothing but peaceful circumstance.

 

[Spockrates]

Peace be on you.
Welcome.



a-You can check internet.
b-Also
COMPARATIVE RELIGIONS
A SURVEY OF MAJOR FAITHS
@ wwwDOTalislamDOTorg/books/religiousknowledge/sec6.html

Thank you. I find dialog more helpful than reading.

 

[Spockrates]

We can have peace in any circumstance and eventually create nothing but peaceful circumstance.

OK. What you are saying is too vague to comprehend. Maybe using examples will clarify your meaning.

Example 1: I work at a gas station. A man wearing a mask walks in, reveals a concealed handgun, aims it at my face, and says, "Open the register and give me all the cash, $@&%#¥£€!"

Is example 1 a peaceful circumstance?

 

[Spockrates]

Allfoak: If it is a peaceful circumstance, then what an odd definition of peace we have: Being threatened with violence or even being the victim of violent acts is peaceful!

If it is not a peaceful circumstance, then is the inference that feeling peace within has the effect of protecting one from such violent events?

 

[Quintessence]

Wait! What? People still go to libraries?

Folks who are interested in serious research and learning do, yes. The internet remains a poor source of information by comparison, for many reasons, none the least of which being that proper sources are locked behind subscription services that you will not have access to unless you use a public library or a university library.

 

[Mindmaster]

Folks who are interested in serious research and learning do, yes. The internet remains a poor source of information by comparison, for many reasons, none the least of which being that proper sources are locked behind subscription services that you will not have access to unless you use a public library or a university library.

I just wanted to add that it is real hard to learn about religions from people participating in them due to the associated confirmation bias inherently implied in that idea in the first place. It is better to read information from scholars or researchers who can provide more comprehensive resources to gain basic understandings of each system at least if you are approaching it from a factual point of view.

I, however, also value the aesthetics and largely that piece is the part of the mix that is omitted from their mentioning. I think it is also worth mentioning that most pagan traditions are participation only, and they won't show their teachings to those outside the group. So you can gain a logical understanding, but you aren't going to have an intuitive or practical understanding of them because they just can't give it to you.

 

[lovesong]

I just wanted to add that it is real hard to learn about religions from people participating in them due to the associated confirmation bias inherently implied in that idea in the first place. It is better to read information from scholars or researchers who can provide more comprehensive resources to gain basic understandings of each system at least if you are approaching it from a factual point of view.

I, however, also value the aesthetics and largely that piece is the part of the mix that is omitted from their mentioning. I think it is also worth mentioning that most pagan traditions are participation only, and they won't show their teachings to those outside the group. So you can gain a logical understanding, but you aren't going to have an intuitive or practical understanding of them because they just can't give it to you.

I would argue to say that learning about a faith from the people within it would be the best way to gain an understanding about it. Who better to learn the basics of belief from than believers themselves? When it comes to interfaith dynamics and a religion's role in history though, I agree scholarly sources are the best way to go.

As for Pagans, some initiated in an order will not disclose their teachings, and some individuals as well, but many of us are happy to share our beliefs and our resources. In my experience I've found that magic and ritual are the things we're more likely to be secretive about.

 

[Quintessence]

It may be worth bearing in mind that when I speak about "serious research" I mean using sources that are properly authoritative. As beneficial as immersing in a demographic is, doing that is prone to sampling biases and creating a non-representational image of that group. Basically, immersion like that needs to be treated like gossip and hearsay - that is, it has limited applicability and should no be extrapolated to the entire group given it is not representational and may be distorted in various ways. This is particularly problematic for demographics that have no fixed sets of teachings or practices, or for very heterogenous demographics.

Of course, all of this is only an issue if you care about having a statistically accurate and representational mental image of a group. If you don't care about bias, and prefer telling the story you want to tell, there's no need to go to anything that's properly authoritative.

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Not 2 sure if anyone else has recommended meditation.

Here's a quote from a great little book called "Hurry up and meditate":

If meditation was available in capsule form, it would be the biggest selling drug of all time. It has been scientifically proven to deliver highly effective stress relief, boost our immune systems and dramatically slow the ageing process. It has also been shown to make us much happier and more effective thinkers. Given all the physical and psychological benefits, why aren't more of us doing it?

There are probably hundreds of sites that can teach you 2 meditate. Here's one of my faves -

http://www.lionsroar.com/beginning-with-buddhism-and-meditation/

All the best in your search!

 

[Mindmaster]

I would argue to say that learning about a faith from the people within it would be the best way to gain an understanding about it. Who better to learn the basics of belief from than believers themselves? When it comes to interfaith dynamics and a religion's role in history though, I agree scholarly sources are the best way to go.

As for Pagans, some initiated in an order will not disclose their teachings, and some individuals as well, but many of us are happy to share our beliefs and our resources. In my experience I've found that magic and ritual are the things we're more likely to be secretive about.

The reality is there is nothing new under the sun, but the thing is there are disadvantages to pick-a-mix methodology. You can get the table scraps, and other bits out of context. Trust me, just speaking out of experience here. It's generally better to have a structure to the teachings and time between them to absorb them. When left to my lonesome I could consume unlimited quantities of unrelated junk and I think none of it helped me, but it probably seemed like it did. I assure you that the groups that aren't screwing around keep the core of their teachings off the net, but will be happy to go at them in a roundabout way. It's not really the same... If you're a pagan and know what you like I'd recommend you sign up to something that represents that idea and go through their program. The difference really is night and day.

People who are parts of a faith are happy to ignore its failings or be honest with them. If you cannot name the faults of your own faith you aren't capable of being honest about it. They all have problems. and severe issues. This is why I made the confirmation bias comment and also recommend the academic stuff as well. The problem is I've never seen a person who you ask, "What are the things you hate about your religion?", and answer in any sort of honest way.

 

[Aupmanyav]

God would never want us to be without peace.

If God wanted peace for us, he would have made humans different.

 

[allfoak]

If God wanted peace for us, he would have made humans different.

Blaming God won't help.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Yes, but whom else to blame if it is his doing?