The alchemist: You neither know the Bible nor the power of God.
PS. I do not give a flying fig for what you think of me! But do you know what you YES you will be saved by this very God you seem to belittle. numbat

The alchemist,
Essentially religion is a set of daily or regular practises or ritualistic laws followed in an attempt to supposedly appease God or spirits. It has evolved often from a misrepresentation of the original concept, or as a form of discipline.

Examples: bowing in prayer five times a day, circumcision, using prayer mats or beads, making the sign of the cross when entering a sanctuary, covering ones head when at prayer, praying with clasped hands, believing holy communion will cleanse the soul [conscience] of sins, eating fish on friday, eating unleavened bread, restricting activity on the Sabbath, eating kosher, displaying charms for good fortune, wind chimes to ward off evil spirits, etc. If you have travelled among religious people you will already know their superstitious rituals which is done supposedly to appease.

The teachings of Christ cut across ritual and religious laws which is mere show and superstition. It is not so much that religion is wrong but that it is superficial to reality. The essential thing is the reality; which is manifest from the spirit in character, attitudes and relationships.

No man can say he loves God and despise his brother. The love of God is manifest in the love and care we manifest even to our enemy. It is not a form of sublimation of ones feelings, it is the pure attitude of living forgiving lives.

To develop this attitude a genuine desire is required. Desire is the reality of prayer. "Lord God grant me the peace and assurance to show your genuine concern for A... who persecutes me for being one who desires to emulate you".

Your question, "where did you get your beliefs from, if religion is wrong.

Philo,, belief in God came before humans formed God Clubs to divide up humanity, us and them, the good and the bad ,the God Clubs founding members claimed God belonged to them, some of them said God had spoke to them so they wrote out a set of rules members had to obey , you obey those rules because your memory is loaded with information installed by the commanders of your freedoms, you are unable to think outside the perimiter. Values set in concrete during your indoctrination are responsible for your beliefs, so you will not accept the ideas of anyone else, you never question your conditioned mindset, you were brainwashed,
There is only one creator/God who loves us all , have you ever wondered why the last words of a dying christ were "forgive them father they know not what they do" he was speaking about every Tom Dick and Harry on this planet, you ,me and everyone else, think about that when you put down other people who question the amount of evil oozing out of the foundations of most God Clubs, I call them God Clubs for your benefit, but my instinct tells me Gods name is being used to make murder, rape and looting respectable.
People who pray are cowards, begging God for this, for that, if they stood up for themselves on the two feet God gave them, God would be happy.

Returning to the original topic, The Economist newspaper's Charlemagne column this week discusses Islam in Europe.

QUOTE
In the teeth of traditional teaching, European Muslims are creating a distinctive form of Islam. They are driven by their experience as minorities; by a desire to overcome ethnic differences; and by the trauma of emigration. The first encourages Muslims to co-operate with non-Muslims; the second encourages them to look beyond their traditions; the third forces them to come to terms with change and modernity. Sayed Ghaemmagami, mufti of the Shias in Germany, argues that the situation of Muslims in Europe is unique. “The existence of an Islamic diaspora”, he says, “is totally different from the past and requires new thinking about relations with non-Islamic peoples.” The Koran calls for peaceful relations between Muslims and others, so Muslims should engage with their new countries and not set up parallel structures. “We must participate in all activities of life, as students, as businessmen, as social workers,” says Ahmed al-Rawi, president of the Federation of Islamic Organisations in Europe...

... it is hard to believe that an Islam that is more open to democracy, sexual equality, and modernity would have no effect in the Middle East. And, uncertain and gradual as its gestation may be, that seems to be the Islam that European Muslims are trying to create.
END QUOTE

http://economist.com/World/europe/displayStory.cfm?story_id=6800741

Typical religious answer Philo, avoid it. I asked where you got your beliefs from, not to write what we all know about religion. Where you got your beliefs, the sources. How you gauge those sources to be correct, what evidence do you have to support those sources, if not from religious books.

Numbat, you must be running out of straws to grasp at. I have no thoughts about you one way or the other. To me monotheists are just irresponsible breakers of universal laws, unable to take responsibility for their lives and actions, so put it on a myth and hope they don't have to explain their actions to anyone. Thats why there is so much suppression and violence involved with these deluded expressions. Trying to uphold and enforce the unsustainable, always leads to suppression and violence.

No one is yet to provide any evidence that monotheistic laws, beliefs and actions have been of any benefit to this planet, just the opposite is placed before us. Since monotheistic inception, the planet has gone down hill to the point where life on earth is being challenged. Theres only one thing thats doing this, monotheistic beliefs. If you separated all those monotheists that haven't done some evil in the name of god (thoughts, action), there wouldn't be any left. Actually thats not a bad thing.

Mike M, thats just a typical ploy by the religious, once they have calmed things, they will again begin their underhanded attempts to influence and gain control. You can see the Christian's doing it here now. They say one thing then push for their controls

MIke quoted:

[.. it is hard to believe that an Islam that is more open to democracy, sexual equality, and modernity would have no effect in the Middle East. And, uncertain and gradual as its gestation may be, that seems to be the Islam that European Muslims are trying to create.]

If "Christian" leaders began making pronouncements that

-'sex b4 marraige and extra marital sex is all ok' (to 'adapt' to contemporary attitudes)

-People having sexual gratification from their own gender.

-Its ok for mature men to have sexual relations with young boys

-Its ok for humans to have sex with animals

All this would definitely fit the 'attitudes of many' in this age, but there is only one problem....

It would certainly NOT be 'Christianity'.

Mike, you point to a 'flexible' Islam in Europe, yet appear to be oblivious to the 'long term goal' and the 'Medinan/Meccan' phases in the growth of Islam.

An Islam which sees itself as 'co-operating with, living under' pagan/idolatrous/people of the book, is something, for sure....

... but its not Islam

Unless.... all that is in the context of the ultimate goal of living under Sharia.