Thursday, October 19, 2006

The Hero with a Thousand Faces

A review of religious differences shows that, if you believe in the literal truth of a religion, it is important to choose the right religion. Choose the wrong religion and you will offend God by what you believe, eat, wear or do. How then, do you choose? Does religion choose you? If so, why is it that God almost always speaks to Christians as a Christian God, Muslims as a Muslim God and Hindus as a Hindu God?

It is an awareness of the variety of belief between and even within religions that has caused many people to rethink religion. This awareness of variety of belief has probably been more influential than the arguments of atheism. This variety of belief leads some people to a position where they believe in a God who is understood, worshipped and interpreted in different ways. The scriptures are not literal truth. The universe was created by God, not in seven days, but created by God nonetheless.

God has many names and people mark their belief in many ways. People follow certain rules of religion not because they are God given, but because they are cultural symbols of belief. A Jew shows his belief in God by not eating pork. A Hindu shows his belief in God by not eating beef. The rules they follow can be an inconvenience but by being an inconvenience they act as a constant reminder of their faith. The rules themselves are almost irrelevant but they become a form of active prayer or worship, a moving meditation. As I eat, I believe and am aware of God. As I marry, I believe and am aware of God.

In modern reformed religions, slavery does not need to be accepted simply because it existed at the time a holy book was written. Violence against other people simply because of their lack of faith can be abandoned. Symbols of faith can be modified to fit a modern, kinder society than the one from which a religion emerged.

What is often looked for in reformed religions, are points of agreement between religions. When all cultural elements are stripped away, what elements are left? Is there a core religion that exists across all societies? Is there a set of core beliefs and rules which are built upon according to local custom? Below the allegories and metaphors is there a universal religion which consists of a faith that is faith without evidence, but not faith against evidence.

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