  Spiritual
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Religion is always a tricky subject matter, isn't it? After all, there are so many different religious paths a person can follow. Are they really that different at the core, or do different faiths actually have something in common?
This week's Spiritual Newsletter is about faith.
kittiara |
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As some of you may know, I have always been fascinated by religion. Though I guess I am, by definition, a Christian, I am always interested in learning about other faiths. Perhaps this stems from my childhood years.
My grandmother was a member of the Salvation Army, and so was her sister. On Christmas Eve I would go with my grandmother to celebrate the birth of Christ, and I always had a wonderful time. My school was defined as Christian, but there were a mixture of children in my class from a variety of backgrounds and faiths. Even then I was curious to learn about the differences and similarities between our cultures, and the differences and similarities in our faiths.
As a child I never saw any reason to judge my friends just because they believed differently than I did. It didn’t even cross my mind to think that way. My friends were my friends, and that was all there was to it.
For one who is curious about the variety of faiths in this world, the Internet is a wonderful invention. On the Internet I can speak with people from around the planet and learn about their culture and religion. I have found that when you approach someone from an unbiased point of view, usually people are happy to share and compare. Many a time I will learn of something new – a new experience, a new viewpoint – and I’ll end up with plenty of food for thought.
I think what interests me the most is how a faith can help shape who we are, and how faith can shape the world around us. Most religious faiths teach the same type of values – to be good and kind to others, to help those in need, to not judge others, to show respect to other human beings and to the world that we live in. They teach to show mercy, to be humble and patient, and to be honest, honourable and fair. These are good values. Religious faiths also teach us about the bad things we should avoid, such as lying, stealing, jealousy and greed, and that it is wrong to cause harm to others.
Of course, one doesn’t need religion to know the difference between good and bad. I think it’s something that’s inside us all, our conscience, which naturally tells us what’s wrong and what’s right. Still, I don’t think it’s a bad thing to be reminded that we’re supposed to be good people, as I am sure we all slip up from time to time. I know I do…
Some faiths are quite different than others. Wicca, for example, reveres the Goddess and, typically, a Horned God. Christian denominations, though each interpreting the Bible in a slightly different manner than the other, revere God as the one and only God, and Jesus as being the son of God. In Judaism, Jesus is not seen as the son of God, but as a man. In Islam, Jesus is a messenger from God and a precursor to the prophet Mohammed.
This, of course, is simplifying complex issues and teachings, but unfortunately it would take a much longer newsletter than I can write to go into all the details, and it would probably take a smarter person than I am to express or even comprehend everything.
I think that the different faiths all have something crucial in common, namely a reverence to a higher being, the sense that someone more powerful, with a vastly superior wisdom than ours has created this world, and all beings who live upon it. It gives us a sense that there is a meaning to our lives, a purpose, and this provides people with hope. It helps us strive for something better, and can help in trying to be better as a person.
This faith in a higher being is sometimes criticized as being silly, or even as a delusion. Others question me at times on how I can know which faith is correct, because so many different faiths claim to be the one and only truth, or even that only those who follow a certain faith will go to Heaven/an afterlife, and that all the others won’t. The fact is I don’t have the answer to that. I don’t know which path is correct and which path isn’t. I’m not even sure if there is such a thing as one completely correct faith, because history (and the holy texts, where they apply) can be interpreted in so many different ways. And personally, I don’t think it matters.
I think that everyone should be free to believe in what they see as right. When we revere a higher power, I think we all revere the same Being, just in different ways, and perhaps using a different name for this power. I won’t judge anyone for having different beliefs than I do. I could be completely wrong and, in any case, faith is something personal to each individual.
Faith can help a person through dark times, guide them through challenges, and help make the world a better place. Some people don’t believe in a higher being, and thrive as a person without any faith in such, and that is fine, too.
I think the problems start when intolerance comes into the equation, often through a lack of understanding between religious faiths, or when people from one faith try to convince people of another faith that they are wrong. This is never going to work, as history has proven. It causes grief all around. It doesn’t help in reassuring those opposed to any religion that faith can be beneficial, either.
Which brings me back to those important values - to be good and kind to others, to help those in need, to not judge others, to show respect to other human beings and to the world that we live in. Mercy. To be humble and patient, and to be honest, honourable and fair. If we all held these values close, regardless of faith (or lack thereof), I think the world would be a better place. It could happen, but will it…?
kittiara
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For this week's editor's picks, I have chosen a variety of items offering a variety of different insights. I hope that you will enjoy them as much as I did.
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Wholesome bluegrass is the base of this Wiccan starter. For kids of all ages.
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The Spiritual Newsletter Team welcomes any and all questions, suggestions, feedback and thoughts, so please don't hesitate to contact us! 
faithjourney - Great newsletter on reading. I'd live in a library if I could. Like you, I grew up with books (same as you, only my brother was much older and we were in a busy neighborhood until my teen years) and my grandfather telling me stories. I just love a good story, whether it's real or made up. Thanks for spreading the joy of the written word to us this week!
Thanks so very much for your kind words! They made me smile, thank you. I am glad you enjoyed the newsletter
~~~
windac - I thoroughly enjoyed this issue Kittiara! I too, am an avid reader, sometimes going through as many as two or three books a week. It's the way I like to end my day and spend my time when being chauffered long distances. Again, great issue!
Thank you very much for your kind words! I love settling down with a book as a pleasant end to the day as well, or to curl up with one on a cold, rainy day.
~~~
Kaya - Loved the newsletter! Anytime I see something encouraging reading it makes me giddy. My grandbaby is 17 months and we read all day long. She has her favorites and there is nothing she loves more than snuggling up with 'granny' and reading her books. Hooray for reading!
Thank you so very much, for your compliments and, more importantly, for sharing your love of reading with your grandchild! As you could tell from my newsletter, I have always been very thankful to my family for introducing me to the written world. I am certain that your grandchild will feel the same way .
~~~
chacko - Your newsletter was nice and calm;very insightful as well.I am sure that it will help me to clean of the dirts that might have accumulated around my habit of reading, justifying myself with the busy nature of my work.Thank you very much for the inspirational or rather 'reminder' nature of your writing. Have a wonderful time writing wonderful thoughts!!!
deepu
Thank you very much for your kind words. I truly appreciate them! I hope that you have found a renewed joy in reading. Work is important, but so is some quiet time for yourself. . Thanks again!
~~~
larryp - Kittiara
I too am an avid reader and enjoy reading both fiction and non-fiction. Although I write mostly poetry, it seems that I actually read less poetry than I do other books. I am currently reading a book that has taken me a while to read. It is one I will lay down for a few days and pick back up again. Most books I read quite quickly. I love to sit outside in the shade on a nice day in a lawn chair and read a good book. I read for relaxation and to learn. Most of the things I read are non-fiction, but sometimes I throw in a good novel. Nice topic for the newsletter.
~~Larry
Thank you very much for your feedback, Larry! I am very similar to you, when it comes to poetry. Poetry is what I write most of the time, but when it comes to reading I usually tend to pick up a good novel. Like you, I enjoy non-fiction and regularly pick up a biography, and at other times I love being taken on a journey into a fictional world. I'm glad you enjoyed the newsletter and shared your thoughts .
~~~
Incurable Romantic - Kitti,
There is a great deal of truth in what you say about reading, and the inspirations it can bring to a person's life. You probably have figured that you're not the only person who had books as their main companions starting early in life. And you'd be right.
Paul Harvey told "the rest of the story" a few weeks ago. A young boy, about 5, was at a fireworks show with his mother. She noticed that he would jump each time one exploded, but that he wasn't watching them. Poor as they were, his parents found the money for an eye exam, and then for a pair of very thick glasses. Prohibited from any activity that even remotely could risk breaking them, the boy turned to books and became an avid reader. How much did that help him make something of his life? That young boy grew up to become President of the United States. President Harry S. Truman.
You're in very good company, Kit. Never stop reading, OR writing.
Thank you so very much. I felt deeply touched by this. Though I could never aspire to such a high position in life, I will always enjoy my reading and, indeed, my writing. Now, if only I could get past that stubborn writer's block... I will keep trying though, I promise you that. Thanks so very much again!
~~~
Wishing you a week filled with joy and inspiration,
The Spiritual Newsletter Team:
Sophurky  , larryp, kittiara
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Spiritual: October 15, 2008 Issue [#2663]
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