how do we get past all religious rivalries/theological disagreements to discover true faith in a Higher Power?

Question

how do we move past who calls God by the right name and start working together so that we can thrive as a species and make the world better than we found it?

Answer 1

Religion tends to breed intolerance. Even those religions that boast about their tolerance only really have it until they figure that you can't be converted. Then it turns from "love thy enemies" to "don't throw pearls before swine".

Because there are no gods, religions have to use emotional manipulation to get converts. They don't really have facts to convince people with, just old books full of claims by old zealots. Therefore, in order to convince people that their god (for which there is no evidence) is better than that other god (for which there is an equal lack of evidence), religion tries to tempt with rewards of Heaven while threatening with torture of Hell. They also strongly try to indoctinate children and shield them from alternate worldviews.

There are also more subtle ways to using this emotional manipulation. For example, Islam has prayers five times a day to keep converts always thinking about Allah who they are told is "all seeing" and "all knowing" like an invisible parent. Christianity tells its members that people are basically crap and everything they do falls short of their "perfect" God who will punish them for being crap. They are good at getting people to feel guilty for just being human. At the same time, they tout the great "sacrifice" that Jesus supposedly did for which they are not worthy. These are very effective tactics, because humans have been emotional animals for far long than rational ones.

However, the net result is that the natural in-group / out-group mentality is heightened by religion. People are trained to follow their leaders and bond together and be leary of anybody who sings a different tune. They are discouraged from thought that differs with the current religious tenets. While this helps perpetuate religions, it really does nothing to bring people together as a group.

The only way to get everybody to start working together is to first get rid of our old superstitions, and this is only really done through education. It won't get rid of all disagreement, but it will remove one of the major stumbling blocks to peace.

Answer 2

We each have to practice what we preach,every religion tells us to work on the logs in our own eyes. Sweep our side of the street and to love our neighbor.
The problem is people have stopped getting high from a higher power, they get high from being smugly superior to others and being judge mental. Then there are those who are judge mental of judgmental people just like me.
I think the what we need has already been invented the separation of church and state. The united states probably has more churches then anywhere else in the world we are free to worship. The problem is in the church. When preachers start preaching God instead of judgmental hate the people who are judgmental of judgmental people will want what they have.
THe people who want to remove the spirit outright are just pissed there not God. and the reault of there world will be souless and we will become machines in a machine.

Answer 3

I do not know if I presently can list 'all' stuff; but One item that has to be high priority on hte list, is to accept that there is a higher power than self presently. The Jews and Christians already have that concept in writing; Gen. 3:5-6, i.e. man is as a god.
May you receive there today to God's glory a large surprise!!!

Answer 4

I get what you're saying and it would solve many problems with conflicts in religion and philosophy, that's for sure, But I think it's too much to ask for those who have faith in their particular religion/belief system, the very core of their faith is that it's the "right" one.

That is why science, agnosticism/atheism and secularism, is really the coming together of people's and agreeing on certain established beliefs--based in evidence, that's the plus.

Answer 5

Turn to Jesus, that's how.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

....16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 18 "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him."

John 15:12 "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.

Answer 6

We would have to ignore the various doctrines within religions that claim to be the one true faith, and find common ground. This means everyone would have to realize each of our religions have flaws. It is not easy to convince people of this without upsetting them or making them act defensively. I have heard the Unitarian Universalists are doing exactly this.

Answer 7

How you get past all that is to realize everybody's arguing and killing each other over a bunch of allegorical and political writings penned by people who had no real scientific knowledge and attributed natural processes to a deity.Once you get there,you'll be alright.

Answer 8

A power is something that you can tap into.
It has no mentality.
It only acts as it's laws permit.
God however is a persona.
A Being who thinks, feels, is as you.
May I suggest the Bible and personal prayer to ask God to show you the way. Do it with the intent He is hearing you and will respond to your honest requests.

Answer 9

If we could all believe that our God (by whatever name people wish to call him) created us all equal & to live in peace. It's ok to have different thoughts and ideas. But everyone has to respect the way one chooses to live. We are not here to judge one another. That is the lords job. Everyone will have to face judement when they die. And as far as religon breeding intolerence it does'nt but ignorance does!

Answer 10

For now we do what God asks of us until He takes action. Those who He deems fit to serve Him will undergo a celestial education so that they are all "on the same page".