Tag: religion
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Easter Myth #3: The gospels accurately recorded Yeshua’s last words
Ten Easter Myths Most leading historians, archaeologists and linguists don’t believe that the four official Christian Gospels can be relied upon as accurate records of historical fact. The Christmas stories, for instance, are known to be complete fabrications based on stories passed down from other traditions, edited to make them appear consistent with ancient Hebrew…
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Easter Myth #1: The gospel accounts of Yeshua’s trial are broadly in agreement
Ten Easter Myths Most leading historians, archaeologists and linguists don’t believe that the four official Christian Gospels can be relied upon as accurate records of historical fact. The Christmas stories, for instance, are known to be complete fabrications based on stories passed down from other traditions, edited to make them appear consistent with ancient Hebrew…
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Universal Intelligence – however you conceive it – loves all its children equally
Not long ago a local Councillor from Northern Ireland stated his belief on UK national radio that Hurricane Katrina was God’s retribution against gay people in New Orleans (apparently a gay festival would have taken place in the city two days later had the hurricane not happened) and added that the Tsunami in December 2004…
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Warnings from history
Religions get interpreted by their followers in many ways. Some have been very positive (such as affirmations of love, compassion and forgiveness), but they have also been used to justify violence and repression. In the past few years Muslim suicide bombers, for instance, have frequently set out to kill innocent people with the words of…
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Religious texts
There are many wonderful religious writings. Most were written in allegorical style and were never meant to be taken literally (although some people do); others are reasonably accurate records of events as far as we can tell. Some reflect the best information available at the time of writing, but were subsequently proven to be untrue.…
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How to spot a fake prophet
Teachers, philosophers and prophets Throughout history, humanity has benefited from the leadership and inspiration of many great teachers. but all too often their followers made a god of the prophet, created a mythology, established dogma, and lost the original message. Once a religion is established, it becomes possible for an elite ‘priesthood’ to control their…
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Anatomy of a religion
All religions have certain things in common: They separate ‘us’ from ‘them,’ believers and non-believers, members and non-members. They lay down set beliefs, creeds and rites of practices. Usually they insist that followers subscribe to the whole package. They usually expect followers to contribute financially. An appointed ‘priesthood’ or ‘clergy’ sporting special robes and/or role…
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Where should we look for the secret of life?
‘We shall not cease from exploration And the end of our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time.’ (T.S.Eliot) There’s an old Eastern story: Long ago, four senior gods met to decide where to hide the greatest secret of life. They knew they needed a…
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Faith is not just for the religious
Faith is trust in an idea even when there’s no logical proof. It is often believed to be misguided because it does not depend on sensory evidence. However, faith has accomplished wonders and continues to do so. Without it, no-one would ever take a risk or try anything original. To have faith that we can…
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Spirituality in action
Spiritual awareness is not an escape from the world, a burying of one’s head in the sand. It’s about engagement in the world from a different perspective, making life more satisfying and productive. Firstly, we go about our activities with mindfulness and a positive attitude. Secondly, we become proactive. We don’t sit around waiting for…