What is the foundation of all the World's Religions?

[Guy Threepwood]

The all have a message of hope.
They all speak of love.
Freedom perhaps?
Anything else?

At it's root, I'd say religion is an original form of skepticism

We are born accepting everything 'just is'- by chance, without any particular purpose. As we grow, most of free thinking humanity comes to question this premise more and more.

I agree also, in love being that ultimate purpose. After 1000s of years, so much has been built over these foundations, it's easy to miss them. So I think everybody has to build their own foundation, start with that same skepticism of chance, and the rest will make more sense

 

[Dawnofhope]

I don't know that I agree with the part about incompatibility with a Bahai, but that is not a short thing to explain.

I like the concept of Dharma and wonder if we have a similar understanding. For me it is about tuning into the reality of existence and understanding the way things really are. As someone who is social and gregarious, growing up I met people from different cultures, countries, and faiths. Multiculturalism was a positive aspect of life in a city. Being from a country on the Asia-Pacific I have had a lot contact with people from Asia, often from a Hindu or Buddhist background. Many of these people valued education, were very respectful of others, and gentle natured.

On the other hand I'm from a Christian background as are most of my ancestors. So when the time came to properly consider and understand what my religion taught there was a dilemma. Some of my 'Christian' associates and friends thought that their religion was the only true religion and the others were false. The most quoted scripture has been John 14:6 so I just over 3 weeks ago started a thread exploring this particular verse.

The Exclusivity of Christianity: Myth or Reality

It has generated some interest and discussion. I'm sure its all been done here before on RF. The point is as someone who is from a Christian background I need to reconcile reason and experience of realty (Dharma) with biblical scripture. My experience is that the teachings of Christ have enormous transformative on those who make the effort to apply the teachings to their lives. I've found the same experience with the Baha'i Faith both personally and with my fellow Baha'is. Of course I can see a similar potential for positive transformation in Buddhism and Hinduism.

My experience with pagans is limited and much less positive. A friend, a solo mother at the time lived next to a fisherman who worshipped Odin. He drank heavily, had lost his licence and wanted a ride to a party so my friend obliged. On the way back she said something that angered him. She had to pull over at which point he dragged her out of the car and was going to throw her over a cliff. She pleaded for her life, reminding him she had 2 young children. He came round, and she managed to drive him back home without further incident.

Where do we draw the line?

 

[Vinayaka]

Odd, as a member of Ásatrú I have yet to pay a dime...

Are there any buildings, any books, anything at all that might cost somebody something? I'm thinking you must have to purchase 'something' to practice your faith, but maybe not.

I'm just asking because I encounter the misunderstanding sometimes of people saying there is a 'free' lunch at our temple, not fully cognizing that someone else donated that 'free' lunch so its not really free at all.

 

[Vinayaka]

I like the concept of Dharma

And what is the concept of dharma, in your view?

 

[Milton Platt]

The all have a message of hope.
They all speak of love.
Freedom perhaps?
Anything else?

Some promote slavery, genocide, rape, pedophilia, human sacrifice. Don't just list the good stuff.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

So in summary

God’s purpose in sending His Prophets unto men is twofold. The first is to liberate the children of men from the darkness of ignorance and guide them to the light of true understanding. The second is to ensure the peace and tranquility of mankind, and provide all the means by which they can be established.

Baha'u'llah

I always find this sort of thing troublesome, because if we are truly talking about God, and this is truly His purpose -- why has it failed to work so abominably, in so much of the world? And meaning no unkindness, I point out that Baha'is have fared especially poorly in those lands where the faith began.

 

[allfoak]

Some promote slavery, genocide, rape, pedophilia, human sacrifice. Don't just list the good stuff.

I wasn't really pleased with this thread from the start.
It lacked clarity.
Your post and many others has made that obvious..

 

[Milton Platt]

I wasn't really pleased with this thread from the start.
It lacked clarity.
Your post and many others has made that obvious..

Not trying to be the bad guy, just want to keep the books balanced.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I don't know that I agree with the part about incompatibility with a Bahai, but that is not a short thing to explain.

I'm pretty sure misanthropy and moral nihilism are compatible with the Baha'i faith. Also with viewing humans as just another animal, because Baha'i seems very anthropocentric, placing humans above the rest of Nature.

 

[LuisDantas]

I like the concept of Dharma and wonder if we have a similar understanding. For me it is about tuning into the reality of existence and understanding the way things really are. As someone who is social and gregarious, growing up I met people from different cultures, countries, and faiths. Multiculturalism was a positive aspect of life in a city. Being from a country on the Asia-Pacific I have had a lot contact with people from Asia, often from a Hindu or Buddhist background. Many of these people valued education, were very respectful of others, and gentle natured.

On the other hand I'm from a Christian background as are most of my ancestors. So when the time came to properly consider and understand what my religion taught there was a dilemma. Some of my 'Christian' associates and friends thought that their religion was the only true religion and the others were false. The most quoted scripture has been John 14:6 so I just over 3 weeks ago started a thread exploring this particular verse.

The Exclusivity of Christianity: Myth or Reality

It has generated some interest and discussion. I'm sure its all been done here before on RF. The point is as someone who is from a Christian background I need to reconcile reason and experience of realty (Dharma) with biblical scripture. My experience is that the teachings of Christ have enormous transformative on those who make the effort to apply the teachings to their lives. I've found the same experience with the Baha'i Faith both personally and with my fellow Baha'is. Of course I can see a similar potential for positive transformation in Buddhism and Hinduism.

Those are pretty positive attitudes from you, and they sure sound reasonable enough.

I suspect you are trying a bit too hard to reconcilie with Christianity... but in truth, that is no business of mine anyway.

My experience with pagans is limited and much less positive. A friend, a solo mother at the time lived next to a fisherman who worshipped Odin. He drank heavily, had lost his licence and wanted a ride to a party so my friend obliged. On the way back she said something that angered him. She had to pull over at which point he dragged her out of the car and was going to throw her over a cliff. She pleaded for her life, reminding him she had 2 young children. He came round, and she managed to drive him back home without further incident.

Where do we draw the line?

All I can say is that I am sorry such a situation happened. Clearly, it was wrong.

 

[allfoak]

Not trying to be the bad guy, just want to keep the books balanced.

Your fine.
I actually enjoy playing the role myself.

 

[The Kilted Heathen]

My experience with pagans is limited and much less positive. A friend, a solo mother at the time lived next to a fisherman who worshipped Odin...

Odd that he didn't worship Ægir or Njorð. Still, goes to show that there are bad eggs in any religion.

Where do we draw the line?

What do you mean? What line?

Are there any buildings, any books, anything at all that might cost somebody something?

Of course, but they're not necessary. There are two temples that I know of - one in Norway, and one being constructed in Poland. I don't know how they were funded, but it wasn't through tithing or dues. Books are supplementary, and much of what is core to Heathenry is available online for free.

To be a Heathen, you really only need your senses, and a call to the Gods.

 

[Vinayaka]

Of course, but they're not necessary. There are two temples that I know of - one in Norway, and one being constructed in Poland. I don't know how they were funded, but it wasn't through tithing or dues. Books are supplementary, and much of what is core to Heathenry is available online for free.

To be a Heathen, you really only need your senses, and a call to the Gods.

Thanks for the response. There are few religions where donations are compulsory. Most people give cause they want to. Course I could be wrong.

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

My experience with pagans is limited and much less positive. A friend, a solo mother at the time lived next to a fisherman who worshipped Odin. He drank heavily, had lost his licence and wanted a ride to a party so my friend obliged. On the way back she said something that angered him. She had to pull over at which point he dragged her out of the car and was going to throw her over a cliff. She pleaded for her life, reminding him she had 2 young children. He came round, and she managed to drive him back home without further incident.

Where do we draw the line?

What line and to what purpose?

 

[Dawnofhope]

All I can say is that I am sorry such a situation happened. Clearly, it was wrong.

The point is that we if we are to live with others or in a community, there has to be rights and wrongs otherwise its not going to work. The challenge for us is to make it work globally. It has to. The biggest obstacle is now our world view, particularly as it concerns both religious and political spheres.

Shoghi Effendi the Guardian of the Baha'i faith has written in similar terms:

"Unification of the whole of mankind is the hall-mark of the stage which human society is now approaching. Unity of family, of tribe, of city-state, and nation have been successively attempted and full established. World unity is the goal towards which a harassed humanity is striving. Nation building has come to an end. The anarchy inherent in state sovereignty is moving towards a climax. A world, growing in maturity, must abandon this fetish, recognise the oneness and wholeness of human relationships, and establish once and for all the machinery that can best incarnate this fundamental principle of life." (The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, page 202).

 

[Dawnofhope]

What line and to what purpose?

See post #75 above

 

[Dawnofhope]

Odd that he didn't worship Ægir or Njorð. Still, goes to show that there are bad eggs in any religion.

True about the bad eggs in any religion. My concerns is that worshipping a god of war may encourage the bad eggs and discourage the good.

 

[Dawnofhope]

And what is the concept of dharma, in your view?

As stated tuning into the reality of existence and understanding the way things really are. Being a Baha'i and not a Buddhist leads me to defer my expertise in these matters to others. That being said, Baha'is do or should meditate.

 

[LuisDantas]

The point is that we if we are to live with others or in a community, there has to be rights and wrongs otherwise its not going to work. The challenge for us is to make it work globally. It has to. The biggest obstacle is now our world view, particularly as it concerns both religious and political spheres.

Shoghi Effendi the Guardian of the Baha'i faith has written in similar terms:

"Unification of the whole of mankind is the hall-mark of the stage which human society is now approaching. Unity of family, of tribe, of city-state, and nation have been successively attempted and full established. World unity is the goal towards which a harassed humanity is striving. Nation building has come to an end. The anarchy inherent in state sovereignty is moving towards a climax. A world, growing in maturity, must abandon this fetish, recognise the oneness and wholeness of human relationships, and establish once and for all the machinery that can best incarnate this fundamental principle of life." (The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, page 202).

Quite right.

 

[Dawnofhope]

I always find this sort of thing troublesome, because if we are truly talking about God, and this is truly His purpose -- why has it failed to work so abominably, in so much of the world?

I posted this earlier in the thread:

"Throughout history, the primary agents of spiritual development have been the great religions. For the majority of the earth’s people, the scriptures of each of these systems of belief have served, in Bahá’u’lláh’s words, as “the City of God”, a source of a knowledge that totally embraces consciousness, one so compelling as to endow the sincere with “a new eye, a new ear, a new heart, and a new mind”. A vast literature, to which all religious cultures have contributed, records the experience of transcendence reported by generations of seekers. Down the millennia, the lives of those who responded to intimations of the Divine have inspired breathtaking achievements in music, architecture, and the other arts, endlessly replicating the soul’s experience for millions of their fellow believers. No other force in existence has been able to elicit from people comparable qualities of heroism, self-sacrifice and self-discipline. At the social level, the resulting moral principles have repeatedly translated themselves into universal codes of law, regulating and elevating human relationships. Viewed in perspective, the major religions emerge as the primary driving forces of the civilizing process. To argue otherwise is surely to ignore the evidence of history."

One Common Faith

Obviously a positive view!

On the other hand if religion is the cause of hate and disunity:

"Religion should unite all hearts and cause wars and disputes to vanish from the face of the earth; it should give birth to spirituality, and bring light and life to every soul. If religion becomes a cause of dislike, hatred and division it would be better to be without it, and to withdraw from such a religion would be a truly religious act. For it is clear that the purpose of a remedy is to cure, but if the remedy only aggravates the complaint, it had better be left alone. Any religion which is not a cause of love and unity is no religion." Abdu'l-Baha

And meaning no unkindness, I point out that Baha'is have fared especially poorly in those lands where the faith began.

Have they? In 1992, 100 years after Baha'u'llah passed away, the encyclopaedia Britannica recorded that His religion was the second most widespread in the world, Christianity being the first.

Number of followers of the Baha'i faith

Bahá'í statistics - Wikipedia

Not too bad for a religion that lost nearly 20,000 of its early followers. They were put to death as the Persian and Ottoman empires for 75 years did their utmost to eradicate its influence!