But how does one know what the Gods want?
What are the guiding principles of your religion?
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But how does one know what the Gods want?
Justice and order.What are the guiding principles of your religion?
This is in interfaith so it's a no-debate zone. I'm not looking for a debate, I'm looking for opinions, academic, spiritual, or otherwise. Naturally, this is in regards to my new religion so this is more for spitballing ideas than debate. Thanks.
I've noticed that many Pagan paths include such things as magic (in AE, 'heka'), astrology, spellwork, magic rituals and so on. While astrology as Western Pagans understand it doesn't really occur in Kemetic thought until the Greeks came along, there was definitely a kind of astrology. My issue is that these kinds of ideas are nonsensical to me and always have seemed so. Put me right if I'm wrong, but Paganisms in general seem to hold the fundamental idea that humans can have some impact on their environments whether it be with heka or spellwork, and that the environment in turn can have effects on humans, such as astrology.
Would you say that's right?
These ideas are wholly contrary to what I believe and would you say it's possible to be a Pagan, at least in any meaningful sense, whilst not believing in these principles? Is there are Pagan idea of what I would call non-interference?
Takk.
Logically speaking, if God is "in control" God is controlling everyone.
So if God controls good people God also controls bad people,
Is the rapist or murderer also doing what God wants him to do?
Jupiter is a bully. It still pushes all the other little planets around. Big mean bully.
613 if you count them in the Torah.God gave 10 commandments, man turned those 10 into 612
Then it strikes me that your practice would naturally proceed from making sure your actions were just and you inner and outer life manifested order.Justice and order.
I believe that there are a lot more than two commandments, even a lot more than 10, because there has been an update from God for this age through Baha'u'llah. The Kitáb-i-Aqdas is Bahá'u'lláh's book of laws, written in Arabic around 1873 while He was still imprisoned within the city of 'Akká. It is considered the Most Holy Book of the Baha’i Faith.Yes, everyone is an important part of God's perfect plan. God gave 10 commandments, man turned those 10 into 612 or so, Jesus reduced the number to 2 to clear things up so that everyone would be on the same page ha ha...
1. Love God with all your heart all your mind and all your soul.
2. Love your neighbor as yourself.
...my 9 year old daughter came home from Catholic school a few months ago reciting the 10 commandments, I tell her that's great but Jesus cut those down to 2, she smiled and said really what are they. I told her, she thought about it, her smile went away and said that's not fair, she said if I love god with all my heart then there's nothing left for anyone else. I say only when you love god with all your heart can you love your neighbor as yourself realizing you both play an important part in god's perfect plan. I've more work to do with her ha ha, probably with you too, so don't give up on me yet!
What are the guiding principles of your religion?
I believe that there are a lot more than two commandments, even a lot more than 10, because there has been an update from God for this age through Baha'u'llah. The Kitáb-i-Aqdas is Bahá'u'lláh's book of laws, written in Arabic around 1873 while He was still imprisoned within the city of 'Akká. It is considered the Most Holy Book of the Baha’i Faith.
Reject any teaching or practice that propagates greed, hatred, or delusion as leading to long-term harm. Accept teachings and practices that propagates a lack of greed, hatred, or delusion as leading to long-term benefit. (Borrowed from the Kalama Sutta.)But that means it's without authority, and to me that's not a personally acceptable form of religion as I don't know that what I'm doing is right practice. It's also still lonely.
It's also still lonely.
It's also still lonely.
So... As God was eyeballing the que to break the rack of creation He put just enough spin on the ball to ensure Jupiter was in the house of the rising sun to obtain just the outcome He wanted from you billions of years before you were born?
I've just found it all nonsense, to be honest lol.
That's my feeling too
Concerning your question as to the influence of the stars and planets on the life of a believer; such ideas should be entirely dissociated from the Teachings. The passage on p. 133 of the 'Gleanings' bears no reference whatsoever to this matter. As to illness or poverty; such calamities may be either irrevocable or, and it is often the case, they may be avoided. There is no reference in the Teachings as to whether the stars have any influence on healing such diseases. These astrological ideas are for the most part sheer superstitions.
Shoghi Effendi, Spiritualism, Reincarnation and Related Subjects, pp. 9, 10
The friends should be encouraged not to waste time on such things as astrology, etc., which you mention. They cannot be forbidden to do so. The exercise of our free will to choose to do the right things is much more important.
Shoghi Effendi, Lights of Guidance, p. 516
Astrology | Bahá’í Quotes
That's my feeling too
Concerning your question as to the influence of the stars and planets on the life of a believer; such ideas should be entirely dissociated from the Teachings. The passage on p. 133 of the 'Gleanings' bears no reference whatsoever to this matter. As to illness or poverty; such calamities may be either irrevocable or, and it is often the case, they may be avoided. There is no reference in the Teachings as to whether the stars have any influence on healing such diseases. These astrological ideas are for the most part sheer superstitions.
Shoghi Effendi, Spiritualism, Reincarnation and Related Subjects, pp. 9, 10
The friends should be encouraged not to waste time on such things as astrology, etc., which you mention. They cannot be forbidden to do so. The exercise of our free will to choose to do the right things is much more important.
Shoghi Effendi, Lights of Guidance, p. 516
Astrology | Bahá’í Quotes
Science is currently stopping the COVID plague, but many Christians deem science to be the foe of religion. Notice that the Vatican (pope) put travel restrictions around itself, not trusting that God would protect them.@Rival , I know you may not care for this idea....but, really, how do you think those ancient cultures that worshipped Molech or Chemosh, requiring something as hideous as <gulp> child sacrifice <gulp>, ever got any traction, if there was not some kind of force behind it? Jeremiah 7:31.
Just think about it: what kind of intimidation / threat / fear would it take for you to offer up your firstborn?
It had to be something drastically scary, to establish such a ritual!
No debate here, I just want you to meditate on those facts.
My opinion, is that Yahweh was right to exact such a heavy penalty for the Israelites practicing pagan worship....I’d get away from it.
We’ve spoken about Exodus 7 before....you said that Pharaoh’s magic priests just used “sleight of hand” techniques.
Was that what Yahweh was doing? No. Then why were those priests even trying to stop those plagues? Sleight-of-hand ain’t gonna work! In fact, the account tells us, they could duplicate the first two (Exodus 7:22; Exodus 8:7), but not stop them.
I wish you the best.