Zig Ziglar explains how come your faith is so important. Listen to one of the best motivational speakers in the world explain his belief in Christianity.
Greg is currently working on a self help library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.
Structuring Your 24 Hour DayVictory is a powerful word that conjures images of a battle, the victory going to the winner of the battle. There are many different symbols of victory- some with ancient origins, as battles have taken place in all cultures since the beginning of creation. Some of these symbols include the conch shell, the peacock, the resurrection of Christ, the letter V, Mt Kailash, the Greek goddess Nike, and the victory banner. As symbolism and storytelling are commonly linked with teaching, religious and spiritual writings often use the word victory in reference to the divine victory over human limitations and ignorance.
The word Victory in the English language comes from Victoria, the Roman goddess of victory, and counterpart to the Greek goddess Nike, who is said to have assumed the role of the god's personal charioteer in the Titan War. Nike's wings supposedly symbolize the fleeting nature of victory.
The letter V can mean victory on its own. It was used extensively during the Second World War, and today is a generally accepted finger sign for victory all over the globe.
In spiritual terms, the word victory is used in relation to a divine victory, the victory of light over darkness, good over evil. Ancient battles were often fought when situations forced the powers of good to face the powers of darkness, as in The Mahabharata, the famous Indian Epic which is overflowing with symbolism and still very much applicable to our own era, and in fact our own selves. A famous symbol of victory from The Mahabharata is the conch shell, which was blown by the famous warriors in the battle of Kurukshetra. The conch shell has become an important part of Indian tradition, and is still used today as a part of daily spiritual practices.
"Of all the musical instruments, the conch is the most sacred and spiritual. Cosmic Gods and Goddesses hold the conch. Sri Krishna, Arjuna, and all heroes of the highest order used the conch. It is the symbol of victory. "
- Sri Chinmoy.
In Sanskrit, the word for victory is dhvaja, meaning standard, flag or sign. Originally, the victory banner was a military standard carried in ancient Indian warfare, and bore the specific insignia of its champion. For example in the Mahabharata, Sri Krishna's chariot was adorned with a banner showing the image of Hanuman, the great devotee of Lord Rama.
The victory banner is also used in Buddhism as an emblem of the Buddha's enlightenment, heralding the triumph of knowledge over ignorance. It is said to have been placed on the summit of Mt. Meru by Lord Buddha himself, symbolizing his victory over the entire universe. Again, Mount Meru is believed to be the central axis supporting the world.
In Tibetan Buddhism, Mount Kailash in the Himalayas is a symbol of victory. Milarepa, commonly known as Tibet's greatest yogi, said
"There is no place more powerful for practice, more blessed, or more marvelous than this; may all pilgrims and practitioners be welcome!"
The peacock appears in many Hindu religious myths and legends as a protector and symbol of victory. Since a potentially deadly emotion such as anger is depicted as a serpent, and the peacock is immune to the serpent's poison, the peacock symbolizes victory over poisonous tendencies in conscious people. In Christianity also, the Peacock is symbolic of victory, and also immortality, because of the periodical renewal of its splendid feathers. In Christianity, the victory of Christ over Death is said to be the most glorious victory in history, and so The Resurrection has been used to symbolize this theme.
Harita lives in the beautiful city of Christchurch, New Zealand. When she is not working as manager of The Lotus-Heart, a very popular vegetarian restaurant and haven of peace in central Christchurch, she likes to spend her time running, singing, spending time and meditating with her friends at the Sri Chinmoy Centre, and of course writing! Harita contributes to a site about the Yoga of Sri Chinmoy
How far you can go is how you want to go.
Most people simply settle down, and do not make changes in life. So, you simply work on. But after some time, you feel that the environment is changing. Almost everything around you is different now.
So, step outside, out of your comfort zone
What makes a person different is simply dependent on what one does, and what one wants to do, in life.
You can set an objective, see it in your mind, and achieve the once, impossible feat you thought about, but simply put aside. This is a true incident of self denial and self doubt. This what people always feel they are heading for, mediocrity and ultimately, nothing.
I have seen many times a frustrating situation occurs, a major portion of team members simply walk away or disperse into the distance.
You, can decide for yourself
You heard of some unique individuals doing something different from the majority? You think, that this is just "another one".
Now, think about it again, consider the things these people are doing, what is so different? And if you read about or hear about somebody who succeeded in their life, do you still desire the lifestyle you live now?
The sad thing is mediocrity. Resignation to ones current situation.
Comfort zone
You desire to stay in this state of mind, and want to be in the comfort zone, as stepping outside is dangerous.
The truth is, more danger, higher involvement, will result in higher chances of achievement. This is your form of success!
Stanley Lai is a cancer survivor who achieved in an awkward way and lived on. He now writes articles to inspire others and help them to overcome challenges in life.
Here is where you can find out more about success
Ahhhhh is the sound of God and can be used for meditation. Listen to this wonderful sound and try to find God in it.
Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.
Greg is currently working on a religious help library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.
Discovering Spirit And SoundMost people tend to bury their head in the sand when it comes to problems with their family, community, job, government and of course religious beliefs. They don't want to hear the truth and often they can't see the truth. I have read many religious text, books and other literature, missing some very important parts and only when I reread the information, did I find what I have missed. Sometimes I have needed to read or listen to the same information over 30 times, before it becomes somewhat clear to me.
Most religions are living in the dark ages. From what I gather, Hinduism is over 4000 years old, Judaism is around 2500 years old, Christianity is 2000 years old and Islam is about 1400 years old. People are following information today that isn't necessarily applicable to modern times but often religious leaders can twist it around, add some verbiage, make a semi-educated judgment and now we have something we can follow. It just doesn't make sense.
Why do we put so much faith in religious books like the Bible, Torah, Bhagavad-Gita and Quran, when these books cannot be proven and often have many mistakes and errors. I know people that open these books very carefully and treat them like they are made from solid gold. They are books like any others but often people live their lives from the information inside, strictly and religiously. Often never straying from their beliefs, even though they're outdated and hard to follow.
Let me get to the bottom line here, have you researched your religion and if you have, do you have any questions that can't be answered? Do you read any of the religious text and often wonder or think to yourself, this doesn't seem to make sense, because you just read something else that was contradicting the last statement.
You can handle the truth about your religion. By reading this article, it tells me that you're on the Internet, can you go to a search engine and type in Bible contradictions, Torah contradictions, or whatever your beliefs are. I was searching for errors in the Bible and came upon a couple of pretty good web sites.
Use words like contradiction, problems, errors and see what websites you come up with.
Seek the wisdom and the truth shall set you free.
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Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.
Greg is currently working on a self help library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.
Richard WisemanWhat does the word inerrancy main? Inerrancy would refer to text that is accurate and totally free of any errors or without any mistakes. Does this sound like any book that you have ever read or have knowledge of. Maybe there is a one sentence book that could fall into this category.
Most books however and even this article has mistakes. If I made a decision to base my life, my entire life and that of my children and grandchildren, I would want to make sure that it was accurate as possible.
Is the Bible, 100%, 90%, or even 50% accurate. Are these stories that were written by people many years ago and the lessons have been helpful but now need to be rewritten.
Does the Bible actually contain the will of God? Some scholars believe that certain sections of the Bible meet this criteria while others do not. How can these people judge if they are not God and how can we believe in this stuff is not true.
If the Bible was inspired by God but written by men, this could actually mean that God had complete control over writing the Bible or does this mean that the man wrote the Bible with gods inspiration. I'm inspired by God daily and often write about it, but don't seem to have enough followers to make it into the biblical Hall of Fame. I'm writing with inspired beliefs right now.
If there are errors in the Bible, how extensive or how many errors are there actually. There are actual stories that can be documented as historical facts. This doesn't mean the rest of the Bible is factual, nor does it mean it is historically inaccurate.
The Bible has some errors in it and some facts that we can prove but leaves us with the question, is this a book from the Creator of the universe or a book written by men, to make us believe, it was written by God and if so why are we still believe being in it. Why do some people read this book and other religious text daily? What motivates them to read holy Scripture regularly but doesn't seem to allow them enough time to find out if they are reading accurate information.
The biggest problem I have with the inerrancy of the Bible is the fact that most people tend to ignore certain truths and cling to their childhood beliefs about religion. If this is not the way or the truth, I would want to start looking for it, instead of following someone else's dreams or religious doctrine.
Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.
Greg is currently working on a video library filled with great movies on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion. Religious Education And Fear
William DanforthIf you're part of any organized religion and donate money on a regular basis, do you know where your money is going? Have you ever asked what they are spending the money on? Are you one of those people who feels that your pastor and church leaders know best and never even ask them, because you might feel inferior to them? Have you asked in the past and were told not to worry about it but still would like to know.
Before you give your hard earned money away, whether you're doing it out of guilt or pleasure, make sure you're supporting the right organization. You should never feel the need to donate money if you don't have it to give.
I went to a church that had funds for everything, building funds, starvation funds, church funds and even funds to fund of funds if they ran out of money. Okay I just threw that last part in their but all kidding aside, there's plenty of stuff to be done in our country, to help the starving, the poor and the needy. Why do we need to go to other countries?
I want to make a suggestion to people who can't afford to give their money away but feel guilty if they don't. In the Bible it tells you to give away 10% of your earnings to the church. The part that it doesn't tell you is what to do if you can't afford to give 10% to the church. I personally have known quite a few people who give money out of guilt and fear but will tell you that this is a requirement of their religion and its okay. God will take care of us and he always does.
I don't really believe God, the all powerful all-knowing and loving creator, wants us to suffer, if we just don't make enough money to survive. If you're planning on sending your child to a Christian private school and could only afford to send them to that school, using the money that you were going to tithe to the church, what will you do? Tithe the money to the church so that they can use it to feed hungry people in other countries or build a new church somewhere or help with your child's education.
Some of these decisions are made difficult by religious doctrine and these are the parts of organized religion that I have problems with. When do we use common sense, combined with a little education to seek the truth. Does your religion ask you to seek the truth but not to gather your information beyond their religious boundaries?
Only give what you can afford to give and feel good about it. If you don't feel good about giving your money away, don't do it. Take care of yourself, so that you can take care of others, if you choose to. Living a life of fear and guilt doesn't make sense.
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Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.
Greg is currently working on a religious help library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.
Guy FinleyFor years, I have been trying to figure out what a true Christian believer is, is it someone who studies the Bible on a daily basis and develops excellent habits to keep them in line. Is a good Christian someone who helps people and inspires them to become better Christians. At what point in our lives do we know that we are true Christians. What separates a true Christian from regular Christians.
The true Christian is someone who reads their Bible on a daily basis and develops good study habits. These Christians bring their Bibles to work with them and set a good example by reading the Bible during their lunch break. Often showing every one that they are the above average Christian. Most of these people can answer any questions that are asked to them simply and effortlessly.
The answers will be based on information that they have gathered from the Bible, videos, audios, other Christian related material and of course their church leaders. Often these true Christians are leaders in their church and community. Followers of Jesus Christ are often inspired to help their friends and fellow church members.
Ordinary Christians are those who go to church every once in a while and never carry their Bible to work. They can however be found drinking coffee and eating doughnuts at local donut houses. Sometimes these donut houses even carry free newspapers that provide unchristian like materials. Every once in awhile I will notice a man, wearing a trenchcoat, taking one of the newspapers home with him. He's a bad and naughty Christian.
HELLO! LISTEN UP
The truth is, that a true Christian is only someone who lives a life like Christ. It doesn't get any simpler than that. Treating people with kindness, compassion and understanding, trying to become a better person or an example for others and their children. It's not necessary to read the Bible every day or associate with Christians only.
Jesus set the example for others to follow, read about him in the Bible and use him as a good example, but not the only example. There's plenty of good examples throughout history. Spiritual leaders like, Buddha, Krishna, Mohammed and Moses are also great teachers and can provide you with other experiences and knowledge.
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Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing and personal development.
Greg is currently working on a video library filled with great movies on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world.
Harold R WallaceI found a website that was recommended to me and it had the comment, is Jesus the only way to heaven at, Gotquestions, seems like your typical Christian website that replies with biblical quotes and simple to follow information. If I was lost, they will help me find a way. There's even a button at the bottom that states, I have accepted Christ today. I guess if I was to push that button, I get to go to heaven and be with Jesus. Hard to imagine, avoiding a life of burning in hell could be as simple as pushing a button and uttering a few simple words.
I found this question and began reading their comment. The first comment is from somebody answering as a nonbeliever in Christianity. It states something like, if I'm basically a good person and live a moral life, I get to go to heaven, right, only the bad people like murderers go to hell.
Now the answer that the website gives, seems to create fear if you do not belong to Christianity and provide you with hope if you join the group.
It mentioned Satan as the ruler of the world, and he can plant these thoughts into your head if you're not a Christian. He also controls your mind and let's you believe, that it would only make sense to any rational person, they get to go to heaven if they're good.
Now this is what makes sense to me but according to this information, I am doomed to rot in hell for eternity, even if I am a pretty good person. All I have to do is accept Christ as God and I get to go to heaven. That seems pretty easy and I wonder why more people don't do it. Just push the button.
I wonder if Satan is controlling, non-Christians minds and that's why there's brutality and war throughout the world. If everyone was a Christian, would our world be better.
Here's a quote from Wikipedia The Crusades were a series of religion-driven military campaigns waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents. Crusades were fought mainly against Muslims, though campaigns were also directed against pagan Slavs, Jews, Russian and Greek Orthodox Christians, Mongols, Cathars, Hussites, Waldensians, Old Prussians, and political enemies of the popes.
These Christian Crusades killed thousands of people. To give you an idea how many people were killed, all I had to do was type the word crusades into a search engine and it took me to the Christian Crusades.
I guess that rules that out, it seems like the Christians a long time ago were pretty aggressive towards their enemies, I wonder if most Christians would refer to these people as enemies today or are they just being controlled by Satan. Do these Christians from the Crusades get to go to heaven? If people like this get to go to heaven, may be hell is a better place anyway.
Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development. Check out one of his recommended books, Mere Christianity
Here's something to think about, go to heaven
Tony RobbinsThis article was originally released in March of 2009. We seem to be at the end of a 20 month recession and most people are completely frazzled and seem to be at their wits end. It seems like everyone I talked to, whether it's at a restaurant, grocery store, gas station or work, are upset with the current economic conditions. When is it going to end?
So I'm asking you, quite frankly, are you one of the mentally constipated people? Is your mind so tired of being behind on your bills, worrying about your job and whether or not you're going to have it next week, are you one of those people who was about to retire until the stock market dropped and now you need to work a few more years.
When are things going to become better and how did they even get to this in the first place? Most of the average educated people with a pretty good heads on her shoulders can't answer this question. They have no idea why the economy does great some years and horrible during others.
I often wonder why economics isn't taught in school, something basic. I think it's because, the people who are in charge really don't want us to know what's going on and even though some of the extremely wealthy people have lost some of their money, they will probably make even more once this rebounds.
It's the people like me that I'm worried about, the average person, the person with the mortgage, car payment and utility bills that I'm talking about. These are the people that seem to be mentally constipated and tired of what's going on. These economic cycles seem to take their toll on us.
It said that God only hands out what he thinks you can handle. If this is true, I can't handle any more and I hope that he knows it. While we're waiting for things to get better, keep this in mind, this is the third major recession that I have been through in my lifetime and have survived through them, only by eating away at my life savings. Right as soon as I seem to be sitting pretty good and my bank accounts look nice, something like this comes along and like a giant vacuum starts sucking and cleaning out what I have worked so hard to save.
I, like most of us are tired and worn down, but not worn out. The stock market is starting to come back up and it looks like there's light at the end of the road. Hang in there and if you need to empty your mind and end the mental constipation, start reading a good motivational story. Something happy and positive. This could empty the reservoirs of your mental bowels and provide some relief during these tough economic times.
Another way to exercise the mental garbage is by journaling. Start writing and don't stop until it's out.
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Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development. Check out one of his recommended books, You Can Have It All
Greg is currently working on a self help library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.
Stephen CoveyWell you probably heard of the problems that some people get into when they drink a little too much and start to drive their cars. This is known as drinking and driving irresponsibly and can be hazardous to your health but more hazardous to your pocketbook. Overdosing on drugs, spending too much money shopping, gambling excessively and last but not least, spending too much time at your place of worship can be hazardous to others. Over time, our loved ones seem to suffer the most from our excesses.
I suggest most people use religion responsibly and try not to overindulge in the excesses of your spiritual practice. Like an alcoholic drinking until they feel good, only to wake up feeling bad the next morning. And then starting the process all over the next day.
Now for the big question, "Are You a Religiousoholic?" Do you spend too much time at church? Do you surround yourself exclusively with people that share your same religious beliefs?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, there's a good chance you're a religiousoholic. Like alcoholics and drug addicts, there is help for you, once you've identified your problem, we can help. We call it our 5 step program. Alcoholics Anonymous has a 12 step program for recovery but we have eliminated a couple and rearranged others in hopes for a faster recovery.
Religionolism is no laughing matter and should be handled with the utmost delicacy. Start with the first step and work your way down the list and within a short period of time you should find yourself free from the religious tyranny of your institutionalized religion.
Step 1. The biggest problem you're going to happen during your recovery will be the temptation from religious followers, wanting you to come back. Like a drug addict, saying no to drugs,it's hard, you're going to have to be strong here. Learn to say no to organized religion and yes to religious freedom.
Step 2. Instead of reading Scripture, start reading about other religions around the world. You will find some weird things and new ideas, but the bottom line here is that you'll be able to see some similarities, and silliness between the religions.
Step 3. You can still spend time praying, just spend more time praying about how grateful you are, instead of praying for something you want, start spending a little more time thanking God for the things in your lives that you already have. I have spent a lot of time praying for things I never got. When I stopped praying for the things, I thought I needed, I started getting the things I really needed.
Step 4. Start spending a little more time believing in yourself, some religions seem to give all the glory and credit to their gods and very little to the people that are actually making the sacrifices. I have also noticed that when something goes wrong, some religious followers tend to punish themselves and it just doesn't seem fair. God gets all the credit when things are good and you blame yourself when things go wrong.
Step 5. Start showing a little more compassion towards people who don't think the same as you do or believe in your religion. Love and compassion are the true acts of a religious believer. I believe you'll find that in every religious scripture... somewhere.
Sometimes we get a little carried away in our beliefs and tend to beat up other people who don't share them with us. If you're part of a religion who discriminates, shows intolerance, bigotry or prejudice to other nonbelievers, maybe this isn't the religion you think it should be.
Dalai Lama - "All major religious traditions carry basically the same message, that is love, compassion and forgiveness, the important thing is they should be part of our daily lives."
Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development. If we could communicate better and understand different religious philosophy and cultures.
Just how big of a deal is Money Organized Religion. Your money is used for various things and some of them, you might not really want to spend the money on. Something to think about.
If you want to read something funny and get your daily laugh in, you need to read this, it's funny Using Religion Responsibility. It's based on overindulgence.
Daniel PinchbeckIf you have a friend or know someone that is an atheist or a nonbeliever in God, I would suggest that you e-mail this article to them. When I say the word God, I don't mean the Christian, Jewish, Hindu or Muslim God or gods. I would be referring to a universal spirit or entity and maybe this entity could be in each and every one of us. Not some supreme commander who rules the universe with a sword and sacks of gold.
I want you to ask yourself one question, can you sensibly explain how the universe was created? If you can, I would love to hear from you. Does it make sense to you that, plants grow effortlessly in the soil, some with very little water and nutrients? When a child is born, how does it know how to eat and the same question could be applied to animals, fish and birds?
Does it really make sense that we evolved from nothing?
Where did we come from and where do you think we are going?
How do our bodies know when to breath? What is it that regulates our heartbeat? How is it possible for us to think about raising our arm and our legs don't raise instead? How come a poor woman can create a child with very little effort and science has great difficulties performing this task? Not to mention it's very expensive.
Where did the original molecules come from?, that created the next molecules and how were they assembled so precisely to even make a single cell animal? I'm not talking about a complicated insect or even a rodent and couldn't even fathom how a man and women were formed through this process.
How does the mind eat, breathe, talk, drink, move its arms and legs, all during the process of watching the television show, with very little conscious thought?
I've always found it hard to believe that there isn't something out there, even though it's mysterious and unexplainable. To an atheist this might sound far-fetched and stupid but can you answer these questions. I don't want to beat you up, but have you ever thought about them. Do you even want to know the answers?
Atheism without knowledge isn't any different than organized religion following books put together by men, that often are outdated and contradictory.
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Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing and personal development.
Would you still be reading this article, if you had no desire, for better life. Find out more by visiting changing life skills.
50 Psychology ClassicsIt's probably hard to find facts if your mind is already made up. If you're trying to find information on anything, more than likely you will find exactly what you're looking for, if you look hard enough. With all the information out there, available in books, media, and of course the Internet, would we really know the honest to God truth if we ran into one.
Not something that man made up and forced our ancestors to believe in.
If you're studying on faith alone and trying to prove or disprove something, you will succeed. If you're reading the Bible and looking for answers to problems in your life, eventually you will find the answers. All you need is to believe in your God and he will show you the way. Has he truly shown you the way or are you basing your religious beliefs on faith alone.
I have studied the Bible for many years and came to the conclusion that, I was often blinded by the way I view the information and couldn't get the facts most of the time. I always enjoyed reading Proverbs and the story of Job, both of these books in the Bible inspired me to become a better person.
By studying the Bible without faith and looking for information based on facts, it wasn't long before I realized this book could be and I say could be a group of stories that man over the centuries combined into one book during the Council of Nicaea in 325A.D and became religious doctrine for Christians.
In order to study anything effectively, you need to keep an open mind, this might require you to reprogram your thinking. You have been taught for years that only your religion is correct and all other religions are wrong. You can't think like this and gather information effectively.
Studying on faith alone could close your mind and keep you on the path of spiritual resistance. You know you're on this path if only the things you believe in make sense. Nothing nobody else says can make much sense if you're studying on faith alone.
What would it hurt to read a life changing spiritual book on another religion or form of spirituality? If you can't read another religious book, because you're religious organization tells you to only read their spiritual books to gather information, you're following a path of spiritual resistance.
If you're really going to study on faith alone then I suggest studying with intention to learn instead of follow.
Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development. Check out one of his recommended reading, Stories from the Old Testament
Greg is currently working on a religious and spiritual answers library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.
Mary Baker EddyMost of us are taught that Greek mythology and gods like Zeus, Hades and Aphrodite are make-believe or fables in history. I don't know of many people today who believe and Mount Olympus or the god Zeus but I do know and run into people on a daily basis who believe in Jesus, God, Jehovah, Krishna and other gods who seem to be different than the older gods like Zeus. Somehow these gods are more realistic to modern-day believers.
As time seemed to pass, the god Zeus fell by the wayside and became part of history. The Jewish God Jehovah, Christian God Jesus and the Islamic God Allah have seemed to gain more power and a stronger following during modern times. How is it that some religious fables of the past have disappeared, while others are gaining more power.
Jesus said Matthew 7:8 "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. This applies to modern day education also, seek the truth and you will find it, ask for the answers and soon you will receive them. This doesn't necessarily mean that you should only study the Hebrew Bible. Immerse yourself in religious text from other religions and soon you just might start to question your own.
Think about this for a moment, there are things in the Bible that can't be proven to be true or scientifically factual. As a matter of fact there are things in most religious text that this statement applies to. Biblical scholars have spent centuries trying to back up the information in the Bible, like those from other religions.
Often their conclusions lead these scholars to form their own interpretations of text that is easy to read and understand but they seem to change it to fit their needs. They seem to use other parts of the Bible to make some sense out of those that don't make any. Now here's the problem I have with modern-day religious beliefs, are they like Greek mythology or are they actually true.
Can statements be proven, like how the world was created, the great flood, the end of times, Jesus as the Messiah, Mohammed writing factual information on future events, or is this stuff going to be religious fables in the future like the old mythology. Only to be stories we will be telling our children and students in school to show them how ignorant people can really be in the future.
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Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing and personal development.
Greg is currently working on a christian video library filled with great movies on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world.
Phineas QuimbyLarge organizations do it, world governments and religions also do it. I'm not talking about sex, I'm talking about imposing their wills and doctrine on their followers. The control others have on our lives can be extremely stressful and full of guilt if we choose to believe that these people are right.
It never has made sense to me that God could let all the horrible things in the world continue to go on, even though he is a loving and compassionate parental figure. Religions and governments seem to be the biggest culprits here, they impose their will and doctrine on others less fortunate. When I say less fortunate, what I'm referring to is the people that don't get to make the rules and are known as the followers.
If the United States government chooses to go to war with another country, it can print money on paper and scraps of metal while convincing the rest of the world and United States citizens that this means something and has value attached to it. They can then use this money to finance what they would like to acquire or accomplish, even if it doesn't benefit others.
A good example of this would be sending your child to war to fight for something you believe in, at that time, but 10, 20 or even 30 years in the future you could find yourself changing your mind. This would become even more devastating if your child was killed in the war. Believing in someone else's cause might not benefit mankind and that's what we need to focus on. Improving the lives of people on the entire planet.
When you impose your will on other people, you eliminate free thinking. Freedom of thinking has added more good to the world than bad with great inventions, literature, people, philosophy, medical treatment and of course the list goes on and on. Some of these great thinkers had to change their thinking and sometimes is required going against their religion or government. Galileo was one of these people.
Think about it the next time you impose your will or your beliefs onto someone else without stating the fact that this was just your opinion and maybe you would like them to think about. But stating something in a way that suggests you're right and someone else is wrong will not benefit you or them in the long run.
Believing you're right, and someone else is wrong, seems to create limited beliefs. Closed minds lead to followers and we have plenty of followers in the world. We could use a few good leaders.
Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development. Check out one of his recommended books, Thinking Grow Rich.
R Kent HughesI was reading through an article the other day about the Wiccan religion and they were very upset about a comment that the Christian website owner had made. I would like you to read the response from the Christians first.
"I was watching a police show on television some time ago, and saw a sting operation in which undercover police officers bought drugs from dealers on the street. Invariably, some of the dealers would ask, "You a cop?" The officer would say "no," and the deal was made. Satan often goes undercover. The Bible tells us that he can even masquerade as an angel of light. Just because a certain religion professes no belief in Satan, does not mean its adherents are not falling for his lies. It just means that they're unaware that they are. You said God would be disgusted by our judgmentalism. God has told us in His Word (The Bible) to watch for false prophets and false apostles. God has told us to contend for the faith. He has told us to evangelize. In other words, God has told us to do just what we are doing."
Here's something I would like you to think about if you consider yourself a Christian, read this very carefully.
"God has told us in his Word the Bible to watch for false prophets and false apostles." I would like you to read this statement a couple of times and see if you agree with it. How can you possibly tell who the false prophets are? Do you think that because you are a Christian and believe in Jesus or God, that you will know the difference between a evil profit and a godly one?
I often write articles and have written quite a few of them about religion and Christianity. Seems to be the one that I know the most about, so it gets the most attention from me. If I was to make a statement like the Bible has contradictions in it, would you consider me an evil profit. Someone working for the Devil. I don't think so, because it doesn't make sense, how could you turn a truth full statement into evil prophesies.
If I was to introduce you to a hundred people, could you tell me by looking at them or talking to them, which ones are evil and which ones are good. Most Christians would probably respond to that with, God knows and that's good enough for me. Everyone else who talks bad about Christianity will be considered evil or searching for the truth. They just haven't found Jesus yet, is that right, is that what you believe.
I found this response to the Wiccan believer to be one that I run into often. It seems unfair to others who aren't Christians and one-sided. Most organized religions have answers for everything, the problem is that some of the times these answers don't make any sense at all. If you're going to follow this part of the Bible word for word, shouldn't you follow all of the Bible word for word.
Leviticus 14:9 On the seventh day he must shave off all his hair; he must shave his head, his beard, his eyebrows and the rest of his hair. He must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water, and he will be clean.
Leviticus 19:27 " 'Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.
This will make Christians easier to spot, a bald head with long beards.
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Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.
Greg is currently working on a Religion help library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.
Leo TolstoyThere is a popular saying from Mark Twain about Christianity. Mark Twain - "If Christ Were Here Now, There Is One Thing He Would Not Be, a Christian."
Giving this some thought and looking around at the people that view themselves as Christians got me to thinking. Do you think, if Mark Twain were alive today, he would have the same view towards Christians and Christianity as a whole? I wonder if Christ's vision of a better world or society is what's going on today. I read somewhere, where this over 33,000 different types of Christian religions, is this what Jesus had in mind over 2000 years ago.
I don't think Mark Twain was referring to Jesus as being a bad person and Christians not wanting to associate with him. I believe it's the other way around, Jesus was an exceptional person and believed in living a life as an example towards others with kindness, forgiveness and love.
Sometimes Christians get a little carried away when they start talking about loving their neighbors like they would themselves or asking for forgiveness while choosing not to forgive others. It's hard to imagine what Jesus would actually think of modern day Christians or even what he would think about Christianity over a hundred years ago.
I wonder what Jesus would have thought a thousand years ago about Christians. Mark Twain brings up a very good point, if Christ was here today, would he be happy. If you're living a life as a Christian and following in the footsteps of Jesus, you should be proud of yourself. If not, maybe you should start thinking about changing your ways.
If you are following the path of Christ, are you following a path that has been changed and manipulated to benefit organized religion and the advancement of Christianity, or are you following the true path of Jesus. Something to think about if you're planning on spending the rest of your life in the Christian religion.
Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing, marketing, and personal development. Check out one of his latest articles, What Is The Secret Of Life
Greg is currently working on a self help video library filled with great movies on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.
Paulo CoelhoI was reading a book on advertising when the author mentioned, "All Advertising Is about Hope."
This got me thinking about other people's dreams and aspirations, most of this is wrapped around them hoping to accomplish something or do something. I never gave it much thought but hope is one of the most important things in our lives. Some people go around hoping that they will keep their job, when the economy is in bad shape. Others go around hoping for forgiveness for their sins or other bad deeds they have done in the past.
What is it you're hoping for? There's got to be something. Are you hoping to become a multimillionaire or even the world's first trillionaire. Are your dreams big or small? Are you the kind of person who is happy living a simple life with very little possessions like a Buddhist monk or are you one who is seeking the lifestyle of the King.
Hope supplies us with the will to continue through hopeless obstacles during our lifetime.
Most people seeking hope are looking for a way out of something or a way toward a better life. These people often fall easy prey to large religious organizations, as they take them under their wing and slowly start to brainwash them. They seek the weak minded, helpless, poor and trusting people and build their organizations using them. I once believed in Christianity, but it no longer offers me true hope, the more I study Christianity and other organized religions, I noticed certain similarities based on inspiration.
I hope I live the good life, so I can go to heaven, the promised land, our ultimate enlightenment.
I hope I am living the true will according to God, Buddha, Krishna or other supreme beings.
I hope that the Bible is wrong about the 144,000 people from the 12 tribes.
I hope I'm living a life that is pleasing to the Lord.
If you're part of an organized religion, ask your religious leaders, any questions that you have about your religion. If they can't answer these questions, try to find them on your own. Books, videos, and the Internet are great sources for information. If you're living your life for the sole purpose of going to heaven one day, you could be disappointed, when that day arrives.
Ask a couple of questions and I hope you will get honest answers to them.
Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development. Check out one of his recommended books, Read This Book
Greg is currently creating articles on religion filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.
Eckhart TolleI wonder how God would feel, if it came down to earth and walked around for a couple weeks, visiting other countries and walking in and out of peoples homes, and they never even knew he was there. What would God really think about the programs we watch on television, how we treat our children and parents, what our conversations consist of and who we really choose to love.
If God came to your home and was just another fly on the wall, you never even knew he was there, would he be proud, would you be okay with the way your living or would he be disappointed. Are you one of those people who goes to church once a week and puts the bare minimum in required, just so you can tell your friends or show your family what a wonderful person you are. But behind the scenes, you're lying, stealing, cheating or doing something else that God wouldn't be proud of.
Is the fear of going to hell enough to keep us in line for the rest of our lives? You know most people live their lives in fear of something and religion seems to be at the top of their list. If they do something morally wrong, like stealing, they start to live in a world of guilt and wonder why they did it. Is it the fear or guilt that starts to eat away at these people. If I do five good deeds, maybe it will wipe out the bad one, you might have to do more good deeds if it's a really big bad one.
Do you live your life like God is watching you all the time? Are you one of those people who does everything right, because you are afraid that the almighty omnipotent all-knowing God is watching everybody, always. In your heart and soul, are you doing everything you can, every single thing possible, that you could think of, to be a good person. Does guilt play a big part in your life? Consciously or unconsciously.
If God was to find you doing something wrong, would you try and explain your way out of it, even though you're talking to God and he knows everything about you. Or would you start apologizing, like you do with everyone you know, I'm sorry god please, please, forgive me for my sins.
What kind of person are you really? Ask yourself this question honestly and if you believe that you can do better with your life, why not put the effort in, for real, really put the effort in and try to become a better version of yourself. Your children, parents and friends are counting on you.
Some Men Aren't Treated Fairly in Christianity
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Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.
Greg is currently working on a self help library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.
Louise HayMost of us are raised from children into adulthood, to believe in someone else's religion. Most of us never even got the chance to choose a religion or spiritual beliefs to follow on our own. I came up with a simple list of five things that you should know about your religion, or you shouldn't be allowed to practice it.
1. Where did your religion or spiritual beliefs originate from? You should find out who started your religion and why they started it. Some of the worlds major religions were started by intelligent people. Do you think it's possible that your religion was created by an intelligent person, instead of a supreme being or multiple gods. Someone's just trying to trick you into believing.
2. How did you get involved in your religion or spiritual beliefs? Was it part of your upbringing, did your parents suggest this religion to you, how long has your family been involved in your current religious beliefs. Was your great, great, great, great, great grandfather or grandmother part of this religion or spiritual belief. How far back does it go in your family?
3. Do you believe in your religious doctrine or scripture? Is there any parts of your religious scriptures, writings or communication from other fellow believers that doesn't sit right with you? Does every part of your religion makes sense and can it be explained sensibly to someone outside of your religion?
4. Do you practice what you believe on a daily basis? If you're supposed to read your scriptures or pray daily, do you? If your religion teaches love and compassion, how do you treat people less fortunate than yourselves? Are you one of those people who can justify your wrong doings, to yourself and others, to give them the illusion, that you are a religious or spiritual person.
5. Do you know where you are going after you die? Are you going to someplace wonderful and extraordinary, like heaven? If you had to earn enough credits or points, do you think you have acquired enough, to enter the next level of existence? If you're bad, are you going to a bad place, with all the other bad people?
Try to always keep one thing in mind do you use, religion and responsibly.
These are just some of the answers, that I sincerely believe most people should know about their religion or beliefs. You should be able to answer at least one of these questions if asked by a nonbeliever.
Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.
Greg is currently working on a spiritual religious articles filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.
Can One Book Change Your LifeWhen I was a young man, my parents told me about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Every Christmas, there would be presents underneath the tree from Santa Claus and on Easter I would get a basket full of candy and eggs. However, when I was 11 years old, my parents broke the devastating news to me, there was no Santa Claus or Easter Bunny.
As you can imagine, I cried for hours over the frustration and disappointment. For one, I thought that I wasn't going to get any more Christmas gifts, but my parents provided me with the needed psychological relief and told me that they were going to provide Christmas gifts for me, until I died. Even though I was upset, I was relieved and confused.
If my parents lied about this, could they have possibly lied about something else, anything else. Have you ever thought about this and is there a situation in your life today that could be an old habit that never got corrected. Some theme that your parents told you when you were a child that was a lie and they never told you the truth. Maybe they never told you the truth because they don't even know themselves that it's a lie.
Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny were obviously disappointments to me and most people that I've talked to about their experiences, with their parents and even their children. Why do we do this as parents to our children, even though we didn't like it when it was done to us. Hard to explain why we can't break certain habits and certain traditions.
I love Christmas and the joy of giving. Even though I am no longer a Christian, I enjoy going over to my relatives homes and spending Christmas or Christmas Eve with them. Now for the bad news, if you were raised to believe in Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism or any other large religious organization. Let me ask you this, do you think that it could be like Santa Claus, do you think the religion you believe in so strongly could be a story that has gotten out of control over the centuries.
I've spent a life time rethinking today's religions and can't find very many facts to prove any one religion is superior over another. Do your own research and find your own answers. Enlightenment could be as simple as gathering the right information.
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Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development. Check out one of his recommended books, You Can Have It All
Greg is currently working on a self help library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.
