Question to all

[Pilgram]

Greetings,

I am new to the study of comparative religion and would like to know the following.

Does anyone know of a religion or organization that INCLUDES all the beliefs agreed upon by the major religions and EXCLUDES all beliefs that two or more religions disagree upon?

This may sound very basic to many of you but I would really appreciate any help you can give.

Thanks

[Vajradhara]

Namaste Pilgrim,

welcome to the forum.

actually... yes the organization is called the Universalist-Unitarian Church... which is a combination of the Universalist and Unitarian sects respectively.

they are usually in regular church looking buildings, but that's not always the case... and you can tell that you're at the right spot due to the various religious holy symbols at the pulpit...

you'll usually see Baha'i, Christian, Taoist, Islamic, Jewish et al symbology displayed.

here's a website that you can visit for more information:

http://www.uua.org/

[Susma Rio Sep]

I understand, Pilgram, that you are after a religion to practice. It is a very good intention. Religion has been with mankind from since the dawn of consciousness. And I for one maintain that people without any religion whatsoever is missing something in life.

My suggestion to you is that you examine yourself to find out what is your preference in terms of rigidity and flexibility in regard to doctrines and practices and conformity with others of the same religion which you might want to join.

From your post reproduced below, you appear to favor a flexible religion, or rather you prefer to maintain your freedom while being a religious person. Before anything else, maybe you would like to consider my definition of a religion:

A human behavior founded upon a belief in an unknown power resulting in affections and actions intended by the believer to influence the power to react favorably to the believer.

Of course you might find it unworthy of you that in religion you are seeking favors from unknown power(s). but when you observe religions and religions and more religions, that is exactly what it is all about.

There are religious people who claim that they are not after favors from the powers they believe in, like God. They just love God without any expectation of reward from Him. Which is very ungodly, for the God they believe in is always promising to reward them.

But just the same, ask them whether they love God without so much as expecting the favor of a smile from their God? Now, is that not intending God to react favorably to them? Or do they wish rather that in the purity of their love of God they want God to react to them with a frown? Anyway, it is still to be noticed by their God.

Or do they insist that they do not want to be noticed by their God, even? Like the way they might feel very bad not to be noticed by anyone as they enter a room with people inside, and nobody even bothering to so much as throw a quick glance at them? Why then do they bother with God, at all? They must be crazy then.


I think Vaj has referred you to a kind of some universal ecumenical religion. My suggestion however is to stay within your own family's religion or religious background whatever, and fashion it to your own liking, to be master of your own religious doctrines and practices, keeping to my definition of religion. Then one day you will see all the good in religion and all the evil also of men in religion. In the meantime:

Primum non nocere;
Ultimum non nocere;
Interim semper non nocere.

At the risk of self-adulation, you might pick up some useful ideas from the thread here on “What is a religion”, where I explain my ideas of what religion is all about.

Susma Rio Sep

Originally Posted by Pilgram

Greetings,

I am new to the study of comparative religion and would like to know the following.

Does anyone know of a religion or organization that INCLUDES all the beliefs agreed upon by the major religions and EXCLUDES all beliefs that two or more religions disagree upon?

This may sound very basic to many of you but I would really appreciate any help you can give.

Thanks

[Susma Rio Sep]

Dear Vaj:

You have a new graphic in your posts. Is that not the representation of the the Chinese goddess of mercy?

Do you pray to her?

Many Buddhists have her picture in their homes and burn incense and pray to her for all kinds of favors.

In which case, my definition of religion is validated in the Buddhism of the Chinese goddess of mercy school:

A human behavior founded upon a belief in an unknown power resulting in affections and actions intended by the believer to influence the unknown power to react favorably to the believer.

Namaste, all.

Susma Rio Sep

PS What's 'Namaste'? I guess it can't be anything but some version of 'Peace' or something not inconsistent with it.

[I, Brian]

Hi Pilgram, and welcome to CR!

[Pilgram]

Thank you, Vajradhara,

I looked at the UU but I guess what I'm really after is a systematic study of the areas of intersection of the world's religions and the areas of non-intersection.

Are there any books or studies that have attempted to take on such a systematic approach?

[Susma Rio Sep]

Allow me to take the liberty to answer to you, seeing that you put your query in public.

Reading other people's writings is useful. But you must finally do a lot of thinking of your own, taking into account also of what you read.

There in your mind and heart and even your physiology is a vast library where you can dwell endlessly and enrich your treasure of knowledge and wisdom to guide you in life.

Don't bury yourself in other people's writings which in many instances are just rote reproduction or rehasing of more of other people's thinking and writing and ruther re-roting.

For the exercise of thinking on your own, try to arrive at a definition or the answer what is religion or 'a religion' as Brian puts it. I am sure you have enough materials from years of being exposed to Christmas and Valentine days to work on.

Areas of intersection and non-intersection? Have you ever prayed in your whole lifetime so far? If not, then say this prayer:

God, Whoever you be if you be at all, then take it from me: You are great; but please go easy on Your temper, and keep your sovereignty, understanding that as whims and caprices, within the limits of human endurance. Amen.

And see if other people of religion are praying and how they pray, from rote or from their own spontaneous promptings.

There you will find areas of intersection and non-intersection.

Susma Rio Sep

Originally Posted by Pilgram

Thank you, Vajradhara,

I looked at the UU but I guess what I'm really after is a systematic study of the areas of intersection of the world's religions and the areas of non-intersection.

Are there any books or studies that have attempted to take on such a systematic approach?

[Vajradhara]

Originally Posted by Susma Rio Sep

Dear Vaj:

You have a new graphic in your posts. Is that not the representation of the the Chinese goddess of mercy?

Do you pray to her?

Many Buddhists have her picture in their homes and burn incense and pray to her for all kinds of favors.

In which case, my definition of religion is validated in the Buddhism of the Chinese goddess of mercy school:



Namaste, all.

Susma Rio Sep

PS What's 'Namaste'? I guess it can't be anything but some version of 'Peace' or something not inconsistent with it.

Namaste Susma,

Namaste is an ancient Nepali greeting that roughly translates as..

"i greet the divine in you. when you are in that place in yourself and i am in that place in me, there is only one of us."

as for the graphic... yes, that is Kwan Yin.. though i was just playing around with other pics... hopefully, my true one will be up shortly

Kwan Yin is Avoelokiteshavara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion... by the by... also known as Kannon in Japan.

no.. i do not pray to her or him...

[IMSassafras]

Originally Posted by Pilgram

Does anyone know of a religion or organization that INCLUDES all the beliefs agreed upon by the major religions and EXCLUDES all beliefs that two or more religions disagree upon?

Welcome Pilgram,

You're question seems to be one of truth seeking. I hope all of us here are of some help with your search.

What you are asking for sounds familiar. You might want to give the Baha'i Faith a look at if you haven't already. The Baha'i Faith excepts all the major world religions of God in what we call "Progressive Revelations". Since the time of Adam, God has taught mankind through Prophets, or Manifestations, each time renewing the Divine message of the past and also giving new directions for mankind to advance in society.

The exclusions that you are talking about remind me of dogma or doctrine which has been introduced by man. Thus, these beliefs would not be excepted by every religion. The Baha'i Faith believes through self-investigation we can find truth, and the suspicious doctine of any world religion can be investigated in order to find truth with the rational thinking that God gave us.

Does this sound like what you are looking for? If not, my apologizes. If it seems like I am on the right track here are some websites:

www.bahai.com
www.bahai.org
www.us.bahai.org

I hope this will help you in your search. Feel free to ask any questions, we are all here to answer and help you in your search.

Unity in Diversity
Sassafras

[Mick]

Originally Posted by Pilgram

Thank you, Vajradhara,

I looked at the UU but I guess what I'm really after is a systematic study of the areas of intersection of the world's religions and the areas of non-intersection.

Are there any books or studies that have attempted to take on such a systematic approach?

Allah'u'Abha, Pilgrim,

You may want to go to http://www.ibiblio.org/Bahai/Texts/EN/#Bahaullah and click on the Kitab-I-Iqan. This is called "The Book of Certitude". "The Epistle to the Son of the Wolf" is also a volume that deals directly with the revelation of God and His religions. These were both penned by Baha'u'llah, the Prophet/Founder of the Baha'i Faith and whom we believe is the most recent Manifestation of God.

Actually, while you are there, you may want to browse other volumes as well. Feel free to ask questions concerning any of the documents.

warmly,

Mick

[Mick]

Originally Posted by Pilgram

Greetings,

Does anyone know of a religion or organization that INCLUDES all the beliefs agreed upon by the major religions and EXCLUDES all beliefs that two or more religions disagree upon?

Thanks

Allah'u'Abha, again Pilgrim,

Hope I am not overdoing your welcome.

I just read your profile and you described yourself as a eclectic/apostate/deist. Bravo! I would dare say, that many Baha'is I have met, as well as myself, would have fallen in that category at sometime in our search for the Truths of God.

Good Luck on you venture,

Mick

[I, Brian]

I have to admit, reading this thread creates an immediate concern - I do not believe that this site should be used at all to attempt to "convert" members to any particular point of view. This is a place for sharing perceptions, not for trying to define them for others.

I appreciate that on this thread a question was asked and was answered - but the point does need making for future reference that a careful line needs to be drawn over what is regarded as sharing experiences and perceptions, and what may be construed as proselytising.

A general point for everyone.

I'll have to address this more properly and officially soon. New template coming which should have a new Code of Conduct clearly labelled. Suffice to say, I think for the overwhelming majority of instance of posting here, there is no issue whatsoever. However, I should create clearer guidelines for people to reference for themselves.

[Vajradhara]

Namaste Pilgrim,

thank you for the reponses...

everyone seems to have addressed your issues in some manner...

to respond to your latest query...

there is a book that you might find of interest... it's called World Religions and it is written by a fellow named Huston Smith. it's quite excellent.

this isn't a comparative religion text book, per se, though it fully expounds the major world religions... which is a good place to start

good luck in your searching!

[Pilgram]

Thanks to all who responded to my original question. To those of you who wonder if I've ever prayed, Yes, daily! I am not looking for a religion to follow. I asked my original question because I am contemplating writing a book that invites people to leave their DIFFERENT dogma behind and to go forward with only the beliefs, (dogma) that all major religions AGREE upon. I suspect that they would be relatively few, i.e. love god and each other (and all the subsets of these two).

I would like to know how this idea sounds to those of you who are interested enough in religion, god and/or virtue to visit this website.

My perception of god is GOODNESS, TRUTH AND BEAUTY, but also possibly the lack of omnipotence and possibly the evolution of god toward perfection through and with human and other beings.

I do not understand Process Theology and Process Philosophy yet as I have only recently heard of either but there seems to be something there that has caught my interest. If anyone cares to give me the "nutshell" version of these concepts, I'd be very happy to hear from you.

Peace and love to all,
Pilgram

[Mick]

Pilgram,

I told my wife that I would bet this individual was writing a paper.

I would like to know how this idea sounds to those of you who are interested enough in religion, god and/or virtue to visit this website.

The book? Probably wouldn't read it. There are already a large amount of books written by people that are trying to reinvent religion/spirituality.
Interested in your ideas? Sure. In the seventies, I discarded all beliefs and dogma that I had encountered and looked at what I knew. I found I knew that God existed and that He represented love to me. Because of this, I was able to spend time in college looking at all of the religions. For instance, I met some Islamic individuals and was able to spend time in prayer and discussion with them. They were very spiritual and loving individuals. Without that experience, I could be looking at the crisis in the Mid-East differently.

My perception of god is GOODNESS, TRUTH AND BEAUTY, but also possibly the lack of omnipotence and possibly the evolution of god toward perfection through and with human and other beings.

The concept that God evolves and not man batters my brain. Can't make it work.

Wish you well on your journey,

Mick