Purpose of Religion

[air]

What is the purpose of religion? Whatever be the religion - Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism - the purpose of any religion is to help people realize God, but unfortunately instead of helping people realize God, religions, these days, are trying to popularize their own faith. At the end, it creates a confused humanity. Human beings have started thinking that there are many Gods in the skies, and just like there are earth and planets up there, there’s also a heaven!

The Bible says, “The kingdom of God is within you”. The Vedas of the Hindus says “aham brahmasmi” - God is within you. Every religion talks about God being within. But people have started taking religious statements literally and look at images as real Gods rather than just as images of Gods!

Every God, created by a religion, has been created to help people build faith, hope, belief, and eventually to believe in God. Then the individual starts seeking answers and postgraduates from being religious to being spiritual. When one is spiritual, through his own soul, one starts realizing the truth within himself and in his own heart. Therefore, one must realize that the purpose any religion is one, which is the purpose of realizing God, to start a journey towards God. Once we follow a religion and we start believing in God, we must then contemplate, introspect and find answers. Those answers will ultimately help us on the path of “God Realization” and Liberation or Enlightenment.

AiR

[sparklekaz]

Hi Air,

I believe that the purpose of religion was as a spring board, a starting point, upon which people could begin to discover their own spiritual connection to God. The problem as you've pointed out, is that instead of using it as a foundation upon which to build, it's become a bone of contention and conflict. To me religion is a very private and personal thing. How someone chooses to believe, or not believe, is something that should be left entirely up to them.

I have never understood why individuals get so worked up about it. But I suppose if you look back in time, historically religion has often been the banner beneath people have gone to war. An excuse for conquest, to take land and resources away from others. I believe that to take away the right and freedom to worship and believe as they see fit, is nothing more than barbaric dictatorship, regardless of how it's dressed up. To kill and maim in the name of religion is hypocrisy of the worst kind. But, I think it's important to remember that many good and charitable works have been done in the name of religion also. Religion offers a sense of belonging and community spirit. It's like a two headed dragon, one good and one bad. The way in which it is used is predominately dependendent on the nature of man.

In the far distance future, I can see religion being phased out because of it's potential to be used to create terror and mayhem. But then again, I think change is healthy, and maybe spiritual beliefs should be kept a private thing, and not put in the public domain. Spiritual belief and behaviour more focused on personal responsibility and growth. Traditionally, most Christian beliefs are based on a outward deity and following ritualistic rules. I see religion's purpose as bringing out the most honourable and loving aspects of human nature. That sometimes it does the opposite, to me says more about the individual, rather then the religion itself. It's a deep and complex issue Air. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on it.

Love and light
Kaz

[gruntal]

"It is suggested" that the Masters created religion for the benefit of mankind but that the scheme did not work out as intended. It also must be pointed out the Fraternities predated religion; so religion was at some level an afterthought - if not perversion - of the fraternal concept. I have no way to prove or verify this but then nothing in the field of spirituality is objective to begin with.

"It is suggested" mankind is a creature of extremes and liable to do things in excess of what is necessary or even prudent. And that the way to mankind's thoughts and emotions could only be taught thru concrete lessons. If that is so then it follows that everything we use as religious teachings are just scaffolding to be dismantled when the structure is completed. Alas we don't seem to want to graduate and enter the real world. Or Cosmos depending on how you look at it.

I suppose the analogy could indicate that since schooling was in fact a prerequisite for being a professional then religion should lead to the spiritual man. But I also think that perverts the original intent: awareness should be built on a solid foundation of morality and not necessarily dogma.

And yes there is a difference. If nothing else the eons of man's evolution are proving that - much to the dismay of those that think following the right train of thought will save them - there is no substitute for finding and deciding the answers for yourself. The reason being nothing is permanent and what we think is the unbridled truth in any point of time does not not remain so. It is ever evolving to better perfection. It is up to each successive generation - or incarnation - to discover this for themselves.

[aceofcups]

The word religion comes from the word Religio - which means to bind back,,, not a binding as a constriction,,,, but as  a loving connectedness to the spiriual Oneness and Spiritual Unity which is classified by some under the heading or name god.

I personally agree overall with Gruntal about the creation of religions ( with both an esoteric and exoteric religious teachings) from Highly Awakened being for the hopeful evolution of Humanity at different times and places within history and given to different groups of being for there growth..   But the original esoteric which were sometimes metaphoric spiritual teaching were then left in the hands of humanity and with priests of all religions and such and with it came corruption for control, superstition and distorted teaching from the original intent and spiritual meanings ( some unconsciously, some consciously).

But I think religions and there teaching if looked at from a Spiritual point of view has many teaching which can be useful if the dross, blind beliefs and illusions are left behind. That is a difficult for many, but many still find solace in traditional religions and I honor that.

Personally, I honor the Esoteric aspects in all religions myself... I love this poem by Rumi and its sentiments.


The One Song by Rumi translated by Coleman Barks

Every war and every conflict between human beings
has happened because of some disagreement about names.

It is such an unnecessary foolishness,
because just beyond the arguing
there is a long table of companionship
set and waiting for us to sit down.

What is praised is One, so the praise is one too,
many jugs being poured into a huge basin.
All religions, all this singing, one song.
The differences are just illusion and vanity.
Sunlight looks a little different on this wall
than it does on that wall
and a lot different on this other one,
but it is still one light.

We have borrowed these clothes,
these time-and-space personalities,
from a light, and when we praise,
we are pouring them back in.

[sparklekaz]

Beautiful poem Ace.. I've not seen it before. It encapsulates something that is whole and perfect, that we've taken apart and distorted. Thank you for sharing it.

Love and light
Kaz

[alvinw333]

I noticed in most Religions it a testamony of there saviour, let me explain, maybe a Sat Guru appers and gathers follower to find the way to heaven, then dies, by old age our other ways. Someone gathers the words and what he done and puts it all together and bang a religion born, and the priest craft changes some things to sute there point of view, not knowing it takes a live Sat Guru to enitate ther followers and give them personal exercises to do advance them and to make contact with the Holy Spirit . The living Sat Guru had the power from God to initate, to link one to the Holy Spirits returning wave, which goes back to its sorse, God.But the priest craft did not know this, so the put in there religion, just believe in so in so and youl find the kingdom of heaven and so on . Most all the past religions ddon't have a live Master, and if they did people would think oh that's just a new age religion, psy no atteation to it. When these past Masters were around they didn't have a religion, most of them just said they were the Way the Light and something else, I forgot. Any way a religion does help one in it beliefs to make one improve it csrector and models, but dues it Liberate one. Now this is my understanding , not saying its true or false

[alvinw333]

Carector and morals, and belief in God, I ment to put in ,but spelled it wrong. Like you were saying, most of the religions state from there teacher or Master, that the kingdom of heaven is within, or God is within, but don't teach how to go within. But some spiritual paths do, to realy find out by experience