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If you've visited the other sites
in the emotional feelings network of sites, you'll see that I recommend
getting curious!
"why?" you ask.
Getting curious is healthy is my #1 reason. I'm in
search of things that I can do that are healthy! Getting curious can protect me from danger! #2 reason & #3 reason....
I'm interested in learning about what other people in this world believe.
"why?" you ask
That's the easiest answer of all! It's because we all occupy
the same planet, "planet earth" & I believe that learning about other people can make this world a better earth to
live on!
Learning to live in positive energy with a positive life
force is what we all need to do. In everything we do we connect with each other somehow or in some way. Religion for so long
has been a taboo topic. It is highly personal, but it's good to talk about good things. If religion isn't a "good thing" for
you - maybe it's time to investigate why it isn't and resolve those issues.
  I have participated in many different religions,
a preacher told me that I wasn't, "walking with God,"when I separated from my husband because he was abusive & I was afraid for my
life.
It's for this reason that I find it important to begin conversations
with others concerning their beliefs and how they affect the problems they're dealing with in their lives. I'm sure that God
doesn't want any woman or any child to live in an abusive home. But since we get our belief system from our parents or from
whatever church we went to as children - we never know exactly why we believe what we do.
It's for this reason that I am asking you - especially if
you are in a personal growth recovery journey - that you step back and see what you believe for yourself, and not because
someone told you that it was what you should believe!
There are many topics that you will come across that perhaps
you've never thought much about if you're studying for personal growth and recovery. If you open your mind and look deep within
- it's good to be honest with yourself and really determine if you believe in what you were taught as a child or is there
something else that you believe that is causing a conflict inside of you?
 What do you know about other religions? Religion is a very
important topic in our world today, especially in the Middle East. What do you know about the Muslim faith or the Pope or
the Mormons? This site wants to explain in simple terms the differences in religions today.
Making an effort
to learn about other religions will allow you to understand and be able to empathize with others who might be facing negativities
through simple ignorance. We must continue to learn throughout our life. Understanding what different religions believe will
also help you to understand why people think differently about marriage, abortion, and other issues that have a basis in religious
beliefs.
All in all, this site is an opportunity to share
what others might not want to talk about in your life. Here is a safe place to discuss and learn what this world believes
about religions.
The remaining articles on this page will tell you just what
religion means to some people. From the day they are born, religion plays a major role in their lives. While this is true
of others; religion also plays a cultural role. Read through the articles and find also the different pictures of symbols
and definitions and explanations of different religions, their characteristics, traditions, symbols and other important information throughout
the site!
 Are We Really Hiding Behind Our Religions?
By E. Raymond Rock
The Catholic Church is losing folks. A recent survey reveals that 6 out
of 10 Catholics feel that they are out of touch with Catholic views. Much of this might result from the pedophile cases and
views on contraception and illegal immigration, but I have a hunch that this is merely the course of events that are unfolding
regarding organized religion in general all over the planet.
Kids are certainly leaving
the folds in all religions worldwide; Eastern and Western. Christianity in Europe
is on its last legs, and even in Hindu and Buddhist countries, business and commerce are infringing upon the traditional religious
values and ceremonies that have persisted for thousands of years.
So what's going on?
What is happening to our religious faith? Could it be that a new consciousness is arising that is not necessarily secular, but reflects an awareness of things that organized religion has never touched because
it is fearful? Could this new awareness of things be dangerous to organized religion's survival because it promotes the liberty to inquire freely into this strange phenomenon called life?
Is the old consciousness really hiding behind
religion? This is a very important question, because when we hide behind anything, we can't see over the top; all we can see are the walls of that in which
we are hiding. Hiding behind something means that we are not aware of what's happening.
If our entire identity is predicated on what we believe, then because there are 4,000 different religions in the world, somebody must necessarily
be hiding behind something that is untrue. Since every religion claims to be the one and
only truth, they must all be false (except for that one religion that you, the reader, belong to!)
Which means that everyone in the world is hiding behind a false religion, except you!
So what would you recommend to these other religions to wake
them up, other than, of course, insisting that they join your religion . . . which they
refuse to do? Let's say, for sake of discussion, that you can't recruit them to your particular religion,
and can only wake them up in some other way.
Considering that they are hiding so desperately that they could never be persuaded to see their belief as a fairytale, how would you proceed? How would you wake people up? By telling them that they are asleep and hiding, which
of course will only make them angrier?
Who wants to hear that they are asleep at the switch, even though 3,999 of the religions logically are asleep at the switch, because not everyone is right? Making people angry,
of course, doesn't seem to be compassionate, but if it does wake them up in the long run, perhaps it is kindhearted. And perhaps encouraging people to hide behind their religions isn't.
So how
do you, the reader, who is certain that your religion is true, wake up these other
3,999 disbelievers without proselytizing your own faith? If you say, "My religion is true and yours is false," that just doesn't cut it with most
folks! So how can we cleverly wake all these people up?
If we don't wake them up,
then we can never have a world of peace, because each of the 4,000 religions set themselves apart from all of the other 4,000 religions
by hiding behind their faiths, and therefore religion, by its very nature, becomes contentious. This isn't good, because
it causes all kinds of separation and violence. Just look at humankind's history.
So how
can we wake people up to the damage that they are doing to themselves, and to the rest of the world, by hiding behind
their false religions. This is very difficult, simply because since the reader knows that
his or her religion is true, how can he or she convince other that theirs is false?
It's a good question to ask oneself.
Author's
Bio: E. Raymond Rock of Fort Myers,
Florida is cofounder and principal teacher at the Southwest Florida Insight Center, www.SouthwestFloridaInsightCenter.com
His twenty-nine
years of meditation experience has taken him across four continents, including two stopovers in Thailand where he practiced
in the remote northeast forests as an ordained Theravada Buddhist monk. His book, A Year to Enlightenment (Career Press/New
Page Books) is now available at major bookstores and online retailers. Visit www.AYearToEnlightenment.com
source site: click here
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The cross, which is today one of the most widely recognized
symbols in the world, was used as a symbol from the earliest times. This is indicated in the anti-Christian arguments cited
in the Octavius of Minucius Felixchapters IX and XXIX, written at the end of that century or the beginning of the next,
and by the fact that by the early third century the cross had become so closely associated with Christ that Clement
of Alexandria, who died between 211 and 216, could without fear of ambiguity use the phrase τὸ
κυριακὸν σημεῖον (the Lord's sign)
to mean the cross, when he repeated the idea, current as early as the Epistle of Barnabas, that the number 318 (in Greek numerals,
ΤΙΗ) in Genesis 14:14 was a foreshadowing (a "type") of the cross (T, an upright with crossbar, standing for
300) and of Jesus (ΙΗ, the first two letter of his name ΙΗΣΟΥΣ, standing for 18),
and his contemporary Tertullian could designate the body of Christian believers as crucis religiosi, i.e.
"devotees of the Cross". In his book De Corona, written in 204, Tertullian tells how it was already a tradition for
Christians to trace repeatedly on their foreheads the sign of the cross.
The Jewish Encyclopedia states:
The cross as a Christian symbol or "seal" came into use at least
as early as the second century (see "Apost. Const." iii. 17; Epistle of Barnabas, xi.-xii.; Justin, "Apologia," i. 55-60;
"Dial. cum Tryph." 85-97); and the marking of a cross upon the forehead and the chest was regarded as a talisman against the
powers of demons (Tertullian, "De Corona," iii.; Cyprian, "Testimonies," xi. 21-22; Lactantius, "Divinæ Institutiones," iv.
27, and elsewhere). Accordingly the Christian Fathers had to defend themselves, as early as the second century, against the
charge of being worshipers of the cross, as may be learned from Tertullian, "Apologia," xii., xvii., and Minucius Felix, "Octavius,"
xxix. Christians used to swear by the power of the cross.
Although the cross was known to the early Christians, the crucifix, did not appear in use until the fifth century
Some personal thoughts...
From my own personal experience
with religion I believe with everything in me that a strong conviction with God or the "Higher Power" within your religion
- should it be different than God - will help you with many aspects of life. Of course, when we are sick or injured and need
peace of mind over the consequences of the medical emergency or illness - we turn to our faith for comfort. In hospitals all
over the country you will find that there are pastors or some type of religious consult available for anyone who is in need.
My question for you is, "When do you know what
you believe?" - "At what age?"
The reasoning behind this question is that our parents raise
us up in a religion that they believe in. If they aren't believers of any sort - or agnostic, not believing in any religion
- some kids grow up going to a neighborhood church or receiving religious instruction from the religion of a friend or relative.
So we grow up learning what our parents believe. Some learn bible stories, songs and other rituals of that religion. Do children
understand the true meaning of these rituals, religions or beliefs?
My grandfather, being a Catholic, went to mass early in
the morning, even during the week. My grandmother - his wife - was a baptist and didn't go to church because she had a social
anxiety disorder. The pastor would come to visit her in her home and would pray with her. My parents went with my father's
religion which was Episcopalian. We went to church together as a family every Sunday and participated in other church activities.
My parents would often invite the minister in charge of the congregation and his family for dinner on a regular basis.
I automatically believed in God because my parents told
me that it was the right thing to do. Later on, I had many chances to think about my beliefs as an adult and I questioned
what I was taught as a child. Has this happened to you as well?
Physicians View Religiosity as Factor in Patients' Health
By Judith Groch, Senior Writer, MedPage Today
April 10, 2007
CHICAGO, April 10 -- A majority
of physicians in a large survey declared that religion and spirituality,
including divine intervention, affect their patients' health.
The survey of more than a thousand practicing physicians found that 56% believe religion
and spirituality have a significant effect on health,
researchers reported in the April 9 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Nearly as many said that on
occasion the influence is attributable to divine intervention, said Farr A. Curlin, M.D., of the University of Chicago, and
colleagues. Yet only a few said that these beliefs change "hard" medical outcomes.
"We find it notable, particularly
in light of perennial discussions about the relationship between science and faith, that most physicians apply medical science
while maintaining a belief that God intervenes in patients' health," said Dr. Curlin and colleagues.
The survey also found that
the physicians' perceptions were strongly influenced by their own religious convictions.
"Patients are likely to encounter quite different opinions about the relationship between their
religion and spirituality and their health, depending on the religious characteristics
of their physicians," the authors wrote.
Although many patients
draw on prayer and other religious resources to manage the spiritual challenges that arise from illness, controversy has remained
about whether, and to what extent, religion and spirituality
help or harm patients, Dr. Curlin and colleagues said.
To study this relationship,
the researchers mailed a cross-sectional survey in 2003 to a stratified, random potential sample of 2,000 practicing U.S.
physicians, 65 or younger, representing all specialties.
Physicians were asked
to estimate how often patients mentioned religion and spiritual
issues, how much these issues influenced health, and in what ways the influence manifested itself.
The survey also included questions
to determine the physicians' own religious characteristics, general observations, and interpretations of religion.
Among eligible physicians,
the response rate was 63% (1,144 of 1,820), and the average age of the
physicians was 49. Most physicians (56%) believed that spiritual issues had much or very
much influence on health, while 54% believed that at times a supernatural being intervenes, the researchers reported.
However, although
85% of the physicians believed that the influence of spirituality is generally positive, only 6% perceived that these beliefs often changed "hard" medical outcomes.
Rather, the study
found that 76% of the physicians believed that spirituality helps patients cope, 74% said that it gives patients a positive state of mind, while 55% reported that
spirituality and religion provide emotional and practical support via the religious
community.
Only 7% of the physicians
said that spirituality often causes guilt, anxiety, or other negative emotions, while 2% said it leads patients to decline
medically indicated therapy, and 4% reported that patients use it to avoid responsibility for their own health. Finally, about
1/3 said it can have these harmful influences sometimes.
The physicians' observations
and interpretations were strongly influenced by their own religious beliefs, the researchers
said.
Compared with those with low
religiosity, highly religious physicians were substantially more likely to report that patients often mention spiritual issues
(36% versus 11%; P<0.001).
They were also more likely
to believe that religion and spirituality strongly influence health (82%
versus 16%; P<0.001), and to interpret the influence of religion and spirituality in positive
rather than negative ways, the researchers found.
These associations persisted
in multivariate analyses that controlled for religious affiliation, region of practice,
age, sex, ethnicity, and specialty.
In further analyses,
comparing physicians with religious affiliations with those with no religious affiliation,
Protestant physicians were more likely to report that their patients bring up spiritual issues and are more likely to believe that God intervenes, that spirituality helps patients cope, and sometimes prevents hard
medical outcomes.
Catholic physicians put their
faith in God's intervention first and also agreed that belief helps patients cope. They were less likely to say that belief causes negative emotions.
Physicians of other religious affiliations were more likely to report that their patients bring up spiritual issues, that God intervenes, and that spirituality strongly influences health and sometimes prevents
hard medical outcomes.
Finally, physicians
who practiced in the South, followed by the Midwest, were more likely to report that their patients often mention religious beliefs, with those in the West and Northeast not as likely to do so.
This survey indicated,
said Dr. Curlin and colleagues, that religious issues may influence end-of-life care in
which some patients and families express hopes for miracles. Because religious physicians may be more likely to share such
hopes, further study is needed to explore how these differences may affect the care patients receive.
As a cross-sectional
survey, this study was not able to explain why religious and non-religious physicians
differed so markedly in their observations and interpretations, the researchers said.
Yet it is possible,
they said, that other factors being equal, physicians with different religious or secular
commitments may interpret the same evidence in different ways. What the secular physician may not notice or
ignore, the religious physician may emphasize or exaggerate.
The study had important
limitations, the investigators wrote. Although the study had a better-than-average response rate and there was no substantial
evidence to suggest response bias, religious and other characteristics may have affected physicians' willingness to respond
in unmeasured ways.
There may also have been
other ways to define physicians' religiosity. However, the analyses found similar
relationships for frequency of attendance at religious services and self-reported religiousness,
the investigators said.
Limitations, notwithstanding, the investigators said, these findings challenge any attempt to create a single interpretation of the relationship
between religion and health. The study lends support to recommendations by the Association
of American Medical Colleges that physicians recognize how their own beliefs affect the way they provide care for their patients.
"Future studies should
examine the ways physicians' religion (and secular) commitments shape their clinical engagements in these and other domains," Dr. Curlin concluded.
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