Teleological argument - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Teleological - what a word!
Teleological argument - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hinduism

I am always impressed by the lack of fear, guilt, and hate in hinduism as compared to other religions.

Why Some People Feel Better Eating Meat

Why do so many vegetarians who go back to meat eating claim that they feel better? Meat has vitamins and minerals. Vegetarians who don't eat well, which includes taking a daily vitamin and mineral supplement, are not going to experience optimal health.

I have been a vegetarian for 40 years, and definitely do not advocate that anyone eat meat for any reason, so my mentioning this fact about the nutrient content of meat is to encourage vegetarians to eat better and take a daily supplement.

Avoiding the cruelty of modern factory farming of animals is a very good idea. The physical and psychic trauma that the animals endure in the modern mechanized processes is hellish beyond belief, and certainly not the prosaic ideal of the happy farm. When a society supports this kind of treatment of animals, it looses an important element of innocence. This is karma in a nutshell.

So even if you don't see the connection between your own decision to eat a vegetarian diet and the world at large, do it for your own peace of mind.

Logic and Philosophy vs. Sentimentality and Dogma

Jesus is considered by scholars such as Weber to be an example of a charismatic religious leader. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have always been interested in feeling what Jesus and the saints felt, as opposed to just understanding what they said. It was always common sense to me that to give up earthly pleasure one would have to feel some higher pleasure. It has never been enough for me to merely understand the philosophy of religion; I have always yearned to feel the presence of God.

I remember as a child in Sunday school having the Gospels read to me. My constant thought was what it must have been like to have been a disciple in the presence of Christ as he taught. That communication was more than just words on a page. There were the non-verbal cues, the connotations of the language, and the very presence of the Master who is making a direct plea and appeal to more than just logic. There was the strength of example.

My guru once said about religion, that it is simple for the simple, and complicated for the crooked. This makes particular sense to me in light of what modern Christian theology has twisted the simple message of Jesus into.

In the gospels, a Jewish boy approaches Jesus and asks if he will be going to heaven. Jesus' response was to ask him if he was following the commandments faithfully. Strength comes from being a true follower to faithfully keep the commandments. If Christian's are just the same as sinners, with the only difference being that they know better, then shame, shame, shame! One may be a sinner to start with, but if one is "saved," that must mean having the strength, through Christ, to stop such nonsense. If not, it means duplicity, insincerity, and ultimately, suffering, not salvation.

Of course, Jesus, and God know who is sincerely trying, and perhaps falling down anyway. And such persons may be saved, due to their sincere effort to follow rightly. But woe to them who make a show of religion only to sin. "God is not mocked (Galatians 6:7)."