{"id":30,"date":"2013-11-19T16:29:15","date_gmt":"2013-11-19T14:29:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/evol-forum.ch\/dei-en\/religions-and-churches\/"},"modified":"2018-07-19T15:46:56","modified_gmt":"2018-07-19T13:46:56","slug":"religions-and-churches","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/evol-forum.ch\/dei-en\/religions-and-churches\/","title":{"rendered":"Religions and Churches"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">The religions<\/span><\/h1>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">1 <\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">The family has always had a ring in its possession <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">of which it is said that those who wear it shall become pure <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">of mind,<span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><strong><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">wise of thought, and of touching compassion.<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">2 <\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">The wise father, having grown old and tired, <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">had pondered upon which of his three sons he should bestow the ring. <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">3 <\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Since he could not find any of them to be worthier than the other, <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">and did not want to favor any one of them, he had two identical <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">duplicates made<span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><strong><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">and then died in peace.<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">4 <\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">When the sons searched for the ring, instead of one they <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">found three,<span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/strong><strong><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">none of which they could identify as the original.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">5 <\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">At first they were irritated and confused <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">but soon recognized their father\u2019s wisdom. <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">6 <\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">They said to one another: <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u201cIf each of us behaves as if he bore the original, <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">then each of us will feel the power of the ring and <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">so preserve spirit and love.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">7 <\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">So it is, dear Reader, that after having read this chapter <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">you may conclude\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><strong><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">that whenever a religion is played off another <\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\"><strong>as the only \u201ctrue religion,\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><strong>it leads us away <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">from divine unity and truth.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">What is religion anyway? <\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Religio (Latin) = religio, religo religare, means \u201ctie together, join, <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">reunite\u201dwith the\u00a0source (Lactantius, 4<sup>th<\/sup> century). <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">This fundamental definition is importantto know from\u00a0the outset and <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">should provide a sound definition of the quintessence of the subject.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">However, the word religion has a bad connotation, and modern Western <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">people tend to\u00a0display animosity toward this description \u2013 largely due to the <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">behavior of the churches\u00a0themselves (administrative and power structure) <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">that\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: small;\">hold the view that they alone\u00a0preserve and represent the dogma\/religion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Unfortunately, today neither the churches nor\u00a0the churchgoers follow the <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">teachings of the old scriptures. On the contrary, they even pit\u00a0their \u201cdeities\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">against others. However, there is only one God, no matter what we may <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">call\u00a0him\/her. It is interesting to note that the world religions that have <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">managed to establish\u00a0themselves and prevail are all monotheistic <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">(i.e., directed toward one central deity) and were\u00a0followed by a variety <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">of prophets at different times and on various continents.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">The prophets were sent and led by one and the same Creator to reveal <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">paths to humans\u00a0that would lead us closer to our inner selves and <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">thereby to the Creator itself.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">The religions<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">One of the major surprises and discoveries I encountered on my <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">personal path was that\u00a0all world religions essentially have the same <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">message (Genesis and the Books of the Dead),\u00a0insofar as there is one <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Creator who created an entity from within and through which emerged\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">the creation of space and beings. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Another common aspect is that we\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: small;\">mortals incarnate here\u00a0on earth <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">in order to learn and gain experience\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: small;\">so that we may realize our divinity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">In this respect, the four religions were in unison until the sixth century.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">It was none other than the Christian church that was responsible for the <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">abolishment of the\u00a0so-called reincarnation doctrine and the law of karma <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">associated with it during\u00a0the 5<sup>th<\/sup> Vatican Council 553 A.D. in Constantinople <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">(Istanbul, Turkey) and which has never\u00a0since been corrected by the Roman <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Catholic Church. This is the reason Christians no longer\u00a0have knowledge <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">regarding the significance, the objective and the implication of reincarnation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">It is especially sad to note that the 5<sup>th<\/sup> Council of Constantinople was not <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">convened by the Pope\u00a0but by the Christian- Byzantine emperor Justinian. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">He was dominated by his wife, Theodora,\u00a0and ruthlessly determined the <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">course\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: small;\">of the state, church and the contents of the Bible and its beliefs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Since then, we \u201cpoor Christians\u201d must accomplish EVERYTHING in a <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">single lifetime on earth to ascend\u00a0to divinity, otherwise we poor sinners <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">will land in \u201chell\u201d. (Fortunately this is not the case,\u00a0but it was and still is <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">helpful for churches to let humans who are conscious of their guilt pay <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">penance\u00a0for their sins). Without the understanding of reincarnation many <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">of Jesus\u2019 passages in the New\u00a0Testament are meaningless.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Religio, i.e. the connectivity to the inner divine source is not, as <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">commonly asserted, purely a\u00a0matter of belief, but a personal <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">experience and therefore very difficult to understand and\u00a0communicate. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">The ensuing conflict is programmed insofar as each religion claims to be <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">the\u00a0\u201csole and true\u201d one.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">I was also surprised to find that Christianity, Judaism and Islam have <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">common roots going back\u00a0as far as the Old Testament, refer to the <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">same prophets and regard Abraham (Ibrahim) as their mutual\u00a0earthly <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">founding father. Abraham is also the keeper of clarity and the God seeker <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">who shatters all\u00a0false idols, realizing and teaching that we shall never <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">possess divinity itself, but can recognize it within\u00a0us and return to it. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">In those days, the religions were nearly in mutual agreement and the\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">differentiation\/split between the Abrahamic religions did not yet exist.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">All religions were still awaiting the coming of the Messiah (Deliverer, <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Redeemer).\u00a0But when he finally made his appearance, he was not <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">recognized as such because the deity\u00a0within him was not apparent to <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">most people. And yet he brought light (the awareness of the\u00a0way back <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">to the father) and love (the teaching of love leading to insight and <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">redemption),\u00a0and changed the conditions of the Plan of Redemption. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Most people expected or were hoping\u00a0for a God who would make an <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">ostentatious descent from heaven and act according to their\u00a0assumptions <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">by alleviating the difficulty of life on earth. For example, at the time <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">many\u00a0Israelites associated the Messiah with an earthly king who would <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">liberate them from Roman rule.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Let us visualize for a moment how it would be if all these peoples had <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">recognized and accepted\u00a0him and followed his teachings of love. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">There would be only one religion in all of the regions now\u00a0inhabited by <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Christians, Muslims and Jews today.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Our history of the past 2,000 years would have been completely different <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">and with far fewer wars.\u00a0Instead of unity, the birth of Christ heralded <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">dissention.\u00a0In Christ\u2019s day, only some people\u00a0recognized and accepted the <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">son aspect of the deity and\u00a0the Christ Eioua, the Messiah and\u00a0Redeemer in <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">him. They followed his \u201cNew Testament\u201d of love\u00a0and evolved as Christians.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Others did not believe in him at all and regarded him as an imposter\u00a0and blasphemer,\u00a0because he was a poor craftsman who was not afraid to tell <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">priesthood of the\u00a0Pharisees where\u00a0they erred, misunderstood or <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">misinterpreted the ancient scriptures to their own\u00a0advantage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">He represented the greatest danger to them, which is why they accused <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">him of\u00a0blasphemy and brought him before the Roman authorities to <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">demand his crucifixion.\u00a0Their descendants became the Jews who to <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">this day are still waiting for \u201ctheir\u201d Messiah.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u201cChristianity needs Judaism but Judaism does not need Christianity!\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">This claim can often be heard or read from Jewish scholars with regard <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">to the Old Testament.\u00a0This is a statement we do not share because <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Judaism has actually remained attached to the\u00a0harsh and judging God <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">of the Old Testament, which has become a closely and tightly knit code\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">of conduct for its believers (as later in Islam). However, in this context, <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">both Christianity and\u00a0Islam represent progressive teachings in which all <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">humans are deemed equal and follow the path\u00a0back to divinity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: x-small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">For this reason Judaism will not be mentioned separately or regarded <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">as a world religion\u00a0in the comparison that follows, in spite of the fact <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">that it holds the most comprehensive and\u00a0detailed documents and <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">descriptions of the Old Testament in its legacy and that the Torah,\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Talmud and Kabbalah all contain many divine truths and wisdoms. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">However, through the centuries\u00a0they have come to contain many <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">half-truths about a \u201cchosen people\u201d who are meant to lead and direct\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">others \u2013 a misinterpretation of a remnant from the Old Testament in <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">which \u201cchosen\u201d referred to\u00a0prophets stemming from their tribes who <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">would announce the Redeemer. However, this prophecy was\u00a0finally <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">fulfilled with the birth of Christ on earth. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">In our overall view, Judaism is a tangent of early\u00a0Christianity <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">in the Old Testament. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">However, there was a third group that recognized him as the\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u201cGreat Prophet\u201d, but not as the Messiah, the God who became man. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Following the Christians\u2019 lead,\u00a0they turned away from the Israelites because <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">the Pharisees (predecessors of the Jewish priests)\u00a0were responsible for the <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">crucifixion of the Great Prophet, Jesus (Koran from Sure 2.81).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">To this end, they could and would not follow a uniform teaching until <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">500 A.D.,\u00a0when the prophet Mohammed introduced the stringent code <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">of conduct of Islam.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Since then Muslims have lived in a spirit of rejection <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">of the Jews and to some degree in\u00a0mutual acceptance of Christians, <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">although Islam was gaining ground as a religion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">This continued until 1095 when Clermont Pope Urban II launched the <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Crusades to liberate Jerusalem\u00a0and the \u201cHoly Land\u201d from the Muslims <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">(80 years after the destruction of the nativity church,\u00a0a sanctuary for <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Christians, in 1009 under the rule of the Caliph, al-Hakim).<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">This occurred in spite of the fact that the Muslim rulers of the time <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">openly received and respected\u00a0Christians, as many historical scriptures <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">confirm. This attitude changed when Christians\u00a0undertook increasingly <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">greater Crusades of destruction and considered Muslims to be of an\u00a0inferior <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">race. In the course of the next 200 years, four Crusades were undertaken, <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">none of which\u00a0ended in a decisive victory in spite of heavy human loss. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">In 1187 during the battle of Hattin,\u00a0the kingdom of Jerusalem suffered a <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">crushing defeat and Jerusalem was again lost.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">To this day, war continues to plague the Holy Land, which, to a large extent, <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">has been annexed\u00a0by the merely 90-year old Jewish state accompanied by <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">gruesome suppression of the local\u00a0Palestinian population and in accordance <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">with their deity Jahwe and the old scriptures of the Torah.\u00a0A recent tragic <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">and gruesome episode of inciting war through misuse of religion was carried <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">out\u00a0by American President George Bush by launching the two controversial <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">invasions of Iraq by\u00a0US and English troops, thereby re-instigating the old <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">feud\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: small;\">between Christians and Muslims.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Bush spoke of a \u201ccrusade\u201d on Iraq <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">and\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: small;\">that \u201cGod stood by him and his\u00a0objectives\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">(This is quite a controversial\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: small;\">statement in light of the suffering resulting<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"> from\u00a0the\u00a0medieval-style Crusades).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">The Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, and the Islamic mullahs responded in <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">kind by calling for a\u00a0\u201choly war\u201d against the Christian invaders \u2013 in the name <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">of Allah, of course \u2013 and considered it\u00a0to be an honor to go to war against <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">the \u201cChristian\u201d Americans.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">It is just as blasphemous and contrary to the Holy Scriptures for both <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Christians\u00a0and Moslems,\u00a0since both preach: Thou shall not kill!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">To this day, the masses can be influenced and power struggles waged\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">through religion and in the name of God.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">The incarnation of Jesus Christ ushered in the start of a new era and <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">fulfilled four great\u00a0objectives of the Plan of Redemption on earth for all, <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">and yet his spirit of love\u00a0was not able to prevail in the human environment <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">and way of life, not even among Christians.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">During the Reformation in the 16<sup>th<\/sup> century they were known to fight <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">against each other,\u00a0resulting in the Catholic and Orthodox churches and <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">later the Protestant Church.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Not until recent years did the opposing sides manage to settle shameful <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">disputes in Northern\u00a0Ireland where Catholics and Protestants fought and <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">killed one another on public streets for\u00a0centuries and into <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">the 21<sup>st<\/sup> century \u2013 in a Western country!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">These are only a few examples that serve to demonstrate how people <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">fight and kill each\u00a0other in the name of the same God when they allow <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">themselves to be manipulated by\u00a0political and religious leaders.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">In contrast, all the holy books state: <strong>follow the path of charity!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Essentially, all religions should lead to calm and peace, love and <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">fulfillment,\u00a0but so far none of the religions on earth have succeeded <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">in their mission.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">In contrast, the viewpoint of the Oriental Sufis is impressive and <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">connective.\u00a0They view the world religions as stepping-stones and <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">tools that are interdependent\u00a0and complementary.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-size: small;\">A Sufi woman in Giza explained it to us as follows: <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><em><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">\u201cGod the father, Allah, gave Ieoua creation and the teachings and in <\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><em><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">turn passed<span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/em><em><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">them on to the prophets Moses, Mohammed, <\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><em><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">Buddha and Krishna.<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><em><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">For those who are ignorant (spiritually dead), Buddhism demonstrates <\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><em><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">the fundamentals<span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/em><em><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">of life in a simplified form <\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><em><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">and acquaints humans with rebirth\u2026<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><em><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">Islam is an elementary school with many rules for those having chosen <\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><em><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">to follow the path<span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/em><em><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">to divinity, to learn and to develop\u2026 <\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\"><em>Consequently, Christianity is the higher school,\u00a0<\/em><em>since it is very difficult <\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><em><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">for us weak humans to emulate Ieoua and the angels,\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\"><em>\u00a0<\/em><em>and yet this is our destiny\u2026<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><em><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">The Vedas comprise the spiritual ascension that Christians embark upon,\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><em><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">those who have recognized and follow the divinity within.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><em><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\">They are supposedly the oldest scripture on earth and constitute <\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"color: #2f3f88;\"><em>a framework\u00a0<\/em><em>for all the others because they contain the whole picture\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">I have often contemplated this statement and must admit that this <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">definition holds true\u00a0as a rough guideline and wonderful vantage point <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">to all religions. We should therefore\u00a0recognize that we are all equal <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">beings originating from the Divine Creator and that the\u00a0various religions <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">only show different ways of recognizing our divinity and ourselves.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">No more and no less\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"font: normal normal normal 12px\/normal Helvetica; margin: 0px;\"><span style=\"letter-spacing: 0px;\">This is an excerpt from the book\u00a0<a title=\"Bookorder DEI LEGACY\" href=\"mailto:orders@atlasbooks.com\">DEI LEGACY<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The religions 1 The family has always had a ring in its possession of which it is said that those who wear it shall become pure of mind,\u00a0wise of thought, and of touching compassion. \u00a0 2 The wise father, having grown old and tired, had pondered upon which of his three sons he should bestow [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":600,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-30","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Religions and Churches - DEI-LEGACY<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/evol-forum.ch\/dei-en\/religions-and-churches\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/evol-forum.ch\/dei-en\/religions-and-churches\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/evol-forum.ch\/dei-en\/religions-and-churches\/\",\"name\":\"Religions and Churches - DEI-LEGACY\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/evol-forum.ch\/dei-en\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2013-11-19T14:29:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-07-19T13:46:56+00:00\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/evol-forum.ch\/dei-en\/religions-and-churches\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/evol-forum.ch\/dei-en\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/evol-forum.ch\/dei-en\/\",\"name\":\"DEI-LEGACY\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/evol-forum.ch\/dei-en\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Religions and Churches - 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