What is the meaning of your religion?

Question

I am truely interested. I know a little about the christian religion and basicly what they believe in, but would like to know about the Jewish, Muslim, Budist, and all of the other religions out there.
1. Who do you regard as God or the Almighty one or?
2. What are the basic rules for your religion?
3. What happens when you die?
4. Does your religion believe in a hell?
5. What makes your religion better than the others?

Again, I am seriously looking for differences in the religions or better yet similarities in the religions. Please no smart *** answers like "because my god is the best and the bible says so". I don't want to hear that and think that you have more of a brain than that, so please tell me in generalized terms, you don't have to re-write the bible or whatever book you regard as holy, I just want the basics.
Thanks

Answer 1

I was raised Christian, and still believe in the teachings of Jesus, and I don't find that incompatible with my current study of Buddhist philosophy. So, this might be unique. :)

1. God or the Universal Energy is an unknowable, inscrutable presence. It does not have a personality, it is not a He, it is an energy, by which we are all connected.

2. Treating others the way you would wish to be treated, the alleviation of suffering for all living things, internal and external morality. (Check out the Buddhist Eightfold Path. It's a good summary.)

3. I believe in reincarnation until the soul has been perfected, at which point, we rejoin the Universal Energy. Which you can call Nirvana or Heaven, same difference.

4. Not really. Earthly suffering is quite enough.

5. Nothing, except the fact that it makes sense to me, and makes me happy.

Answer 2

I'm a christian, which you said you knew about, but I'm going to answer your question for my spiritial groath, and hopefully for yours.

1. The only God there is and will ever be. The Alpha and the Omega. The One who was, the One who is, and the One who will be.
2. Don't sin. Simple enough. I think you know what sins are.
3. We go to our eternal home in heaven. Where a warm welcome is waiting.
4. Yes. We believe that Saten is trying to drag us in Hell, but our God is powerfull and can easily defeat Satin.
5. The fact that there is no such thing as religion. That this is the true one. I speak no lies.

Please, except Jesus into your heart. He'll fill that void in your life. E-mail me if you have any more questions.

Answer 3

1. God is described in a sura of the Qu'ran as: "...God, the One and Only; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him."
2. Five pillars of Islam:
Shahadah-"I testify that there is none worthy of worship except God and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of God."
Salat- the requirement to pray five times a day
Zakat- is giving charity to the poor and needy by able Muslims, based on the wealth that one has accumulated.
Sawm- fasting, is made obligatory act during the month of Ramadan.
Hajj-Every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so is obliged to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his or her lifetime.
3. You go to a better life.
4. ofcourse.
5. The Quran is perfect only as revealed in the original Arabic. It also shows true scientific facts. Islam is about peace and wants everyone to cooperate with each other peacfully.
Peace :)

Answer 4

Pagan, with strong Wiccan influence.

1. Who do you regard as God or the Almighty one or?

I believe there is a Higher Power that transcends gender and consciousness as we know it - I usually refer to it as "The Higher Power", "Deity", or "Universal Energy". I feel that it is an energy that permeates the universe and everything in it, as opposed to a sentient, omniscient, omnipotent Being that is sitting somewhere watching us all. The similarities between various world pantheons in the types of Gods and Goddesses (Love, War, Fertility, Home, Death, etc.) leads me to believe that the various Gods and Goddesses of the various religions are all aspects of the same Higher Power, "broken down" by man into something that we can relate to, and to help deal with whatever needs dealing with at that point. I usually view the Deity as aspects of masculine and feminine energy, the God and the Goddess.

2. What are the basic rules for your religion?

Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill: "An it harm none, do as ye will"

Basically to me this means that you need to think about your actions and their effects on the world around you. I also believe that what energy you send out - for good or ill - comes back to you threefold. So doing something "bad" or negative to someone else will come back to me.

When I choose to do something, I need to be sure that I have thought about the repercussions and be prepared to deal with the consequences of my actions. This gives me a measure of control in my life and in the circumstances I find myself in, and also means I can't "blame" someone or something else for my actions (i.e. "The devil made me do it").

3. What happens when you die?

I think that the energy that makes me "me" (my spirit or soul, if you will) returns to the energy of the Universe, like a drop of rain returning to the ocean. I don't believe that it retains coherence or consciousness, but rather that it disperses, to be re-used when other beings are born. I think that also helps explain why several people can feel they were the same person in a "past life" - they all received some of the energy of that person.

4. Does your religion believe in a hell?

No. What we do in life is returned to us in life, I don't believe there is an "eternal damnation" as a result of our actions because we made some Deity "angry".

5. What makes your religion better than the others?

I wouldn't say it's "better" than the others - just that it's "better for ME" than the others that I have followed.

Answer 5

1. God
2. The 10 Commandments and a few more rules shown in the bible
3. You go to heaven or hell depending on how you lived your life
4. Yes
5. I am not sure if it is better it is just better for me!

I am a Christian

Answer 6

Philippians 3:9-11

And that I may [actually] be found and known as in Him, not having any [self-achieved] righteousness that can be called my own, based on my obedience to the Law's demands (ritualistic uprightness and supposed right standing with God thus acquired), but possessing that [genuine righteousness] which comes through faith in Christ (the Anointed One), the [truly] right standing with God, which comes from God by [saving] faith.

[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope]

That if possible I may attain to the [spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body].

Answer 7

Religion—sometimes used interchangeably with faith or belief system—is commonly defined as belief concerning the supernatural, sacred, or divine, and the moral codes, practices and institutions associated with such belief. In its broadest sense some have defined it as the sum total of answers given to explain humankind's relationship with the universe. In the course of the development of religion, it has taken a huge number of forms in various cultures and individuals. ...