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RELIGIONS AND CONFLICTS
Submitted by K Prabhakar Rao on Mon, 08/04/2008 - 11:18. conflicts Franks GuruGranth Sahib intolerance Morrs persia religion Sikhs Soain ZorostrainismFrom time immemorial, prophets and God men have guided mankind on path of truthful living. Prophets took birth in various parts of the world and in many instances; there was no communication between one part of the world, societies and other parts of the world. Thus, religions developed in certain areas without close interaction with the existing religions. However, certain religions that evolved had an advantage of studying shortcomings in the practices and philosophies in the existing religions. Basically, religion can be described as a social prescription for an orderly way of life. Human beings live in organized societies and cannot live in isolation from another. Therefore, orderly behavior and proper conduct is most essential and religion thus became very important for cohesion and social conduct and living in human societies. Human beings in the primitive stages worshipped various powers of nature such as, Sun, star, Moon, Rain, Thunder, Trees, Lightening, Fire, Ocean, animals, Wind etc on which he had no control. Human being is the only living creature who has been bestowed with power of reasoning and analytical intelligence. He had the power of expression and interaction with others. He drew various forms of animals and imaginary creatures and worshipped them as Gods. He was highly fascinated by the sun, moon, thunder, fire, star, clouds, and wind and always believed that some mysterious forces that did not belong to this world and were from the far off places in the sky that he called heavens were influencing him......................
Poet Saint Vemana and his teachings
Submitted by K Prabhakar Rao on Tue, 06/10/2008 - 10:22. facts of life god religionVemana a saint poet is believed to have lived in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India during 17-18 centuries. He enjoyed worldly pleasures and company of women in his youth without a check and is believed to have renounced the world at a later stage much disillusioned with the way of world. Common men and thus became very popular spelt out his poems in simple Telugu poetey that could be very easily understood. His poems reflect the social and political conditions of that age and ills in the society. A great amount of research work has been done by the European officer C Brown of East India Company who was an officer in the related district where Vemana roamed and lived. Some of his Telugu poems are presented as translated English poems that send an universal message to the people of the world.
The Lesson of Jeremiah Wright
Submitted by bill on Thu, 05/15/2008 - 15:16. Culture & Society jeremiah wright liberation theology religion salvation victimhoodThe exposure of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's Victim Gospel is merely an opening window peeking into the seedy works of victimhood preaching in particular, and to the church's widespread and divisive, sheep-versus-goat teachings in general. Both of these philosophies indulge parishioners' want to be comforted in their perceived afflictions, rather than encouraged to grow spiritually through adversity. This is not a true reflection of the teachings of Jesus. It's just the message that best sells.
God is Sought Where Answers End and Mystery Begins
Submitted by bill on Thu, 04/17/2008 - 13:36. belly of the fish Faith, Meaning & Purpose god mystery philosophy religion scienceIs God immanent or transcendent? Are we made in God's image, or do we create God in our own? These are common and ancient questions. But I'm asking another one these days—one that seems to better suit my quest. And that question is this: where is God to be found?
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I've Changed. Moved On. It's done, and There's No Going Back
Submitted by bill on Sat, 04/05/2008 - 22:11. debate discernment faith Faith, Meaning & Purpose religion spirituality truthI've moved on. Changed. It came on slowly, almost imperceptibly, but my eventual recognition was rather swift, once I understood what was happening. Only a matter of days, it was. Now I can hardly see the path I trod to get to here from there. But I do remember that it as very long, bewildering and painful. And still there is much more of the road to travel.
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Science Explains Religion
Submitted by bill on Mon, 03/24/2008 - 14:50. religion scienceAn interesting article at The Economist, titled Where angles no longer fear to tread, covers recent scientific research attempting to explain religion as a biological phenomenon. The article is worth reading, but much of the research described is frankly absurd. There are also many interesting comments appended to the article.
Life, Death, Grief, and Finding Meaning in the Commons
Submitted by bill on Thu, 03/06/2008 - 15:30. death faith imago dei Kingdom of God life meaning Paradox purpose in life religionMy sister lost her husband of thirty-one years last week. It all happened rather quickly and Tuesday was the quickest that we could get out to see her to share some grief, and to begin to find some meaning for it all—especially for her as she begins to forge a new identity as half of what was, toward all of what needs becoming. But to some extent, every one who had any ties of consciousness with Fred needs to readjust to the loss, because true friends and loved ones are actually a part of us in this respect—we take each other into our selves. She has received many comments, cards, phone calls, and emails as evidence to the often surprising extent to which one person can affect many others through their lives, and consequently, also in their death.
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Pew Forum: U.S. Religious Landscape Survey
Submitted by bill on Fri, 02/29/2008 - 20:47. documents religionIntroduction from Pew:
Based on interviews with more than 35,000 Americans age 18 and older, this extensive survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life details the religious affiliation of the American public. This online section includes dynamic tools that complement the full report. View Full Report. For
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The Changing Landscape of American Religion: The Growth of the Unaffiliated
Submitted by bill on Fri, 02/29/2008 - 20:18. Culture & Society Faith, Meaning & Purpose religion unaffilated unchurchedAmerican religious affiliation is in flux according to a new report from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. One finding that we're familiar with here, is that the “unaffiliated” category is growing. The report compares the change in religious affiliations of respondents between their childhood and adulthood, finding that the unaffiliated group has grown from 7% as children to 16% as adults. This unaffiliated category now makes up 16% of American adults, compared with 18% Mainline Protestant, 26% Evangelical, and about 24% Catholic.
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Taking Science on Faith
Submitted by bill on Sun, 12/09/2007 - 09:31. Culture & Society faith paul davies philosophy religion scienceThere has been some discussion around the net over Paul Davies op-ed piece in the New York Times titled Taking Science on Faith. As you might imagine, believers like it, and non-believers don't. This paragraph contains the flammable claim that science too, requires faith.
The problem with this neat separation into “non-overlapping magisteria,” [that science is based on testable hypotheses and religion is based on faith] as Stephen Jay Gould described science and religion, is that science has its own faith-based belief system. All science proceeds on the assumption that nature is ordered in a rational and intelligible way. You couldn’t be a scientist if you thought the universe was a meaningless jumble of odds and ends haphazardly juxtaposed. When physicists probe to a deeper level of subatomic structure, or astronomers extend the reach of their instruments, they expect to encounter additional elegant mathematical order. And so far this faith has been justified.1
This claim, that science has its own faith-based system, is comforting or vindicating to religious believers, and something close to anathema to Atheists and probably some Agnostics.
