God

Hello everyone. Before I begin, I want to point out that I am not trying to offend anyone with anything that I say... I say this because I have tried discussing my ideas with religious people many times and they always end up being very defensive, as if I were attacking...
Anyways, I feel like all religions are interpretations of the same exact thing... God. As religion now a days seems to have a focus on differences between them and other religions, I feel like God has been lost here. God is love. Why aren't the religious focusing on their similarities and working from there? There are very many similarities, after all. Focusing on the differences only creates negativity, which is not love. To me, it seems many people are confused and trusting in ideas that are for what they think they are against.

I think you are right Divinus. All religions are searches for God. They work for some people and provide comfort. The problems come when religions (or those who follow them) think that they alone know the truth and everyone else is wrong.

People are free to believe whatever they want, but no-one should force their beliefs on others.

[Simon_Templar]

religion should only be considered a philosophy

[desert rat]

To the churches its more about power and control . They kind of interept God as they want . I see God as a creative life force of the cosmos . This lady asked to see God while she was out of body ( astral projection ) what she found was more energy and consciousness , and colors she could not discribe .

[Seawolf]

Originally Posted by desert rat

To the churches its more about power and control . They kind of interept God as they want . I see God as a creative life force of the cosmos . This lady asked to see God while she was out of body ( astral projection ) what she found was more energy and consciousness , and colors she could not discribe .

People in churches are people just like you and me. I would say very few are out for any power and control. As we are all one, the power and control is in all of us. It's not 'us' and 'them', we are all one species and part of the universe.

Religion and spiritual beliefs are diverse because people are diverse, coming from different cultural backgrounds and histories. We're all human though and have a side of us that desires spirituality, and that's expressed in our different religions.

Everyone has beliefs that are unique and important to them. It doesn't matter if they agree or not, and it would be a dull world if everyone believed the same way.

Originally Posted by desert rat

I see God as a creative life force of the cosmos .

I agree with you here. Ever consider the idea of consciousness being God?

I think when people take God as they know him makes them to feel more comfortable in there beliefs but many misuse it and invite negative energy which later leads to hatred and take the people of different belief as their opponents.

Originally Posted by shone

I think when people take God as they know him makes them to feel more comfortable in there beliefs but many misuse it and invite negative energy which later leads to hatred and take the people of different belief as their opponents.

I do agree with you. Knowledge of self=knowledge of God. Hatred comes from confusion of true self by acceptance of materialistic ego as self. Everything is God, we are one... Where does hatred fit in? You can only truly love if you love yourself, and you can only truly hate if you hate yourself... If you hate yourself, you don't know yourself, so you don't know God.
...IMO. :)