paulno Posted February 23, 2011 Infinity, it started off as an answer to you. After the first paragraph it was all about me. I hadn't realized how deep that wound is. Also, sorry if it seemed like a scathing attack on you. Have a good one Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
InfinityTruth Posted February 23, 2011 Infinity, it started off as an answer to you. After the first paragraph it was all about me. I hadn't realized how deep that wound is. Also, sorry if it seemed like a scathing attack on you. Have a good one  No, its fine. I didn't feel like it was an attack at all. I felt like you were just contributing your experience.  No worries. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Immortal4life Posted March 15, 2011 (edited) Certainly there are evil religions as well, and evil followers of religion too. Edited March 15, 2011 by Immortal4life Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted March 15, 2011 Certainly there are evil religions as well, and evil followers of religion too. Â Hmmm. I wonder how valid that first phrase would be if we looked deeply into all the religions and based our opinions on the founding tenents of these religions. Â I think it might be more at the corruption of the original founders' wisdom that causes this to appear to be true. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Immortal4life Posted March 15, 2011 Yes,a great being will come down and give a great teaching amd method to mankind. To liberate and empower mankind. Â However, those who would seek to enslave mankind an dhold them down, have a sloution. Hijack the teachings, twist them around, turn them evil, and use them against the people they were meant to empower. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted March 15, 2011 Yes,a great being will come down and give a great teaching amd method to mankind. To liberate and empower mankind. Â However, those who would seek to enslave mankind an dhold them down, have a sloution. Hijack the teachings, twist them around, turn them evil, and use them against the people they were meant to empower. Â Hehehe. I wouldn't be that harsh on them but I do agree with you to a degree. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thelerner Posted March 16, 2011 Yes,a great being will come down and give a great teaching amd method to mankind. To liberate and empower mankind. Â However, those who would seek to enslave mankind an dhold them down, have a sloution. Hijack the teachings, twist them around, turn them evil, and use them against the people they were meant to empower. Â Like Marble said, overly harsh. IMO religions are started by mystics. Their language is symbolic, their teachings in metaphor. They can be hard to understand because of the gulf between enlightened and not, but there presence is an unmistakable light. Â I don't know if they are out to 'save' mankind, more likely they want to get across the truth they've experienced. Those who are personally touched by the founder are greatly inspired and empowered. But trying to codify mysticism is all but impossible, from person to person, generation to generation its reduced to dogma. Â Some of the evil done by religion is done by bad greedy people. But much of the evil, maybe the worst, is done by those who to 'save' mankind. Sad, but true. Â Â Michael Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Immortal4life Posted March 16, 2011 Like Marble said, overly harsh. IMO religions are started by mystics. Their language is symbolic, their teachings in metaphor. They can be hard to understand because of the gulf between enlightened and not, but there presence is an unmistakable light. Â To add to that, I believe it goes even further. The Friends of Mankind, the great teachers who have made the sacrifice to give spiritual teachings to the general people, knew the greedy would corrupt their teachings. They knew symbolism, and metaphor, would be harder for them to change. The real teachings could be hidden from the corrupt, while still understood by those who got it. Beyond that, they knew the truths they gave were so fundamental, they would shine through the corruption. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted March 16, 2011 My favorite religion along these lines is the Zoroastrian religion. Zarathustra founded a religion with the concept that there is only one God. This God gave man 'free will' and we are responsibile for all our choices. Â Shortly after Zarathustra died his followers couldn't handle the responsibility for their wrong-doings so they created a Devil to blame all their negative attributes on. Â How's that for creating dualities? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Immortal4life Posted March 16, 2011 That type of thinking still remains in some of the religions of today. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites