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  1. Dawnofhope

    Did the Buddha exist?

    Buddhism is the fourth largest religion with an estimated 500+ million followers or about 7% of the world's population. The religion is based on the teachings of the Buddha, a character who is widely believed to have existed two and a half thousand years ago. Did the Buddha really exist, and if...
  2. Dawnofhope

    Jacinda Adern resigns

    Jacinda Adern, prime minister of New Zealand, has resigned after 5 1/2 years in office. She became New Zealand's youngest prime minister at the age of 37. She took over from as leader of the opposition a couple of months out from an election where her political party was headed towards certain...
  3. Dawnofhope

    Proof against the existence of God?

    What is the strongest or most compelling argument in your view for the non-existence of God or gods? I'm sure this question has done the rounds on RF ad nauseum. I'm curious as to why people would be completely convinced about the non-existence of God. The strongest argument I would put...
  4. Dawnofhope

    I am the living bread

    In the Gospel of John, Jesus is recorded as speaking; "I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven. If any man eat of this Bread, he shall live for ever; and the Bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” John 6:51 What did Jesus mean?
  5. Dawnofhope

    Where does Christianity begin and end?

    I wish to explore what it means to be a Christian and follower of Christ. What does it mean to identity as Christian and non-Christian. I attended an interfaith gathering recently and initially there were six Christians, one Buddhist and a Baha'i. The theme was 'hope' and we were sharing from...
  6. Dawnofhope

    The decline of traditional religion in the West

    Some countries in the West including New Zealand where I live and the USA where many people on this forum live, are witnessing an unprecedented decline in religion. The process of declining numbers are more pronounced in New Zealand. Only a third of our population identify as Christian whereas...
  7. Dawnofhope

    The Concept of Prophethood - How useful is it?

    It is hard to avoid the term Prophet in religious discourse. It is central to Abrahamic Religions, including Judaism, Christianity, Islam and the Baha'i Faith. I'm not aware of its use in Dharmic Faiths though there may be parallels, for example the word Avatar in Hinduism. I'm wanting to...
  8. Dawnofhope

    If our religious teachings are contrary to science and reason should we reject them?

    A fundamental teaching of the Baha’i Faith is the harmony between science and religion. Abdu’l-Baha whose passing 100 years ago was commemorated by Baha’is worldwide this year, went even further. “If statements and teachings of religion are found to be unreasonable and contrary to science, they...
  9. Dawnofhope

    The Legitimacy of Apostolic Succession and the Christian Church

    In this thread I'd like to explore the legitimacy of Apostolic succession within Christendom. It's an important topic that relates to the succession of leadership and authority derived from the Ministry of Christ Himself. Those whom Christ appointed as Apostles were commissioned to carry on His...
  10. Dawnofhope

    Who is the God of Abraham to you?

    Who is the God of Abraham to you? I've seen a couple of featured threads about the God of Abraham today but first we could ask who is He and can we define Him? So often when we discuss the God of Abraham we have vastly different concepts. Is He a he, her or transcendent about human conception...
  11. Dawnofhope

    John 14:6

    An important controversy in Christianity is the interpretation of whether or not Jesus made exclusive claims where He envisaged no one could come to God except through Him, or whether a biblical theology should allow for the validity of other religions. An important verse used by Christian...
  12. Dawnofhope

    Why join a religion?

    Many of us on this forum have made a conscious choice to follow a religion or ideological path that makes sense or appeals to us in some way. It may be the worldview we grew up with and we’ve come to appreciate the beauty and value of our cultural heritage. Sometimes we choose a path that...
  13. Dawnofhope

    Baha'i and Islamic concepts of Prophets - Similar or irreconcilably different?

    Islam and the Baha'i Faith are two independent religions. Islam emerged from the Arabian Peninsula during the seventh century and was founded by Muhammad. Both Muslims and Baha'is believe Muhammad to be a Messenger of God and the Quran to be the authenticated Word of God. The Quran refers to...
  14. Dawnofhope

    Maitreya - Relevance and origins

    In this thread I seek to better understand the concept of the Maitreya Buddha within Buddhism. The Meitreya Buddha has its origins in Buddhist literature and refers to a future successor to the present Buddha, Guatama Buddha. According to wikipedia: Maitreya (Sanskrit) or Metteyya (Pali) is...
  15. Dawnofhope

    How important are facts within your religious beliefs?

    For some of us our religious beliefs are founded on historical characters who we can attribute coherent teachings and know of their lives. For others our beliefs have little if anything that can be attributed as historically true, yet we believe. Does historical fact matter or should religious...
  16. Dawnofhope

    If God exists why does He allow suffering?

    I was working amidst a rural community and was invited to dinner with one of my workmates and her husband. My colleague has just been diagnosed with cancer for the second time in her life. Its a tough time for her but she’s dealing with it really well. She had grown up Christian but in her...
  17. Dawnofhope

    What are the positive reasons for joining a new religion?

    What’s good about changing religion for you? There have been a couple of threads recently about why people have left religion. That often implies a negative experience with one’s former faith, though it could also be due to positive reasons for joining. I’m interested in exploring the positive...
  18. Dawnofhope

    What constitutes a Prophet of the God of Abraham?

    This is a discussion and debate mostly for followers of Abrahamic Faiths though others are free to contribute as well. The concept of a Prophet is well developed in Abrahamic scriptures including the Tanakh, New Testament and Quran. There are numerous examples of Prophets in the Tanakh, the...
  19. Dawnofhope

    What was the intent of the Gospel authors when writing of the resurrection of Christ?

    The story of the resurrection of Christ is recorded in all four Canonical Gospels and is one of the most important aspects of Christian Faith. Christians believe Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit to the Virgin Mary, was baptized, crucified and resurrected from the dead. Many Christians take the...
  20. Dawnofhope

    Is Hindu monotheism incompatible with Abrahamic monotheism?

    Hinduism incorporates diverse views on the concept of God. Different traditions of Hinduism have different theistic views, and these views have been described by scholars as polytheism, monotheism, henotheism, panentheism, pantheism, monism, agnostic, humanism, atheism or Nontheism. Monotheism...
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