-The purpose of this note is to discuss the objectivity of Faith and the subjectivity of Religion.
The reason for these writings is to bring light to the persecution of faithful people because of their particular religion rather than their striving for God and truth.
If you are the type of religious person who holds on more strong to that religion than anything else then this note is not for you. That is to say, if you follow the rules that you have been told to fallow regarding religion without fully understanding why and as a result end up shoving rules and beliefs down others throats with no explanation and somehow acquiring the belief that all those who do not fallow that particular religion are pretty much screwed, please do not read this (your stubborn mind won't hear what is trying to be said)...
However, if you are the type of religious person who holds more strong to God than anything else and rightly uses their religion as a guide for their Faith, than you might find what is going to be said agreeable...
Now don't get me wrong. I am a proud and dedicated Catholic and I love that particular religion of mine. I find it to be a great help in my personal walk with God (my Faith). The tools it presents are very helpful. But that's just it. It is a guide for my Faith. It is A frame for THE picture, it is MY walking stick for my walk with Christ. It is secondary to my Faith and in that way it is subjective.
I grew up a strong Catholic. Learning all the "rules"(morals), all the teachings, all the stories and all that fun stuff. I now understand those “rules” to be “truth”. But what I was also raised to believe is that Catholicism was the only and best way to get to Christ and everyone else who differed was wrong. So for eighteen years of my life I followed the rules, went to church and recited my prayers. But that was just it. They were just rules for me to stubbornly fallow blindly. If you blindly fallow something without understanding it through and through, eventually, you WILL crack. When I was eighteen I had the blessing of getting out of the "American Bubble" or "The Box" as some people would call it. I went half way across the world away from the distractions of my life and the people in my life for several months. There, i had the opportunity to pray and think a lot. During this time I put everything I had been raised to believe aside until I was empty. Then I would think for myself. I would come to an understanding of truths through this. Whether they were morals (rules), beliefs, concepts of life, or virtues, I would come to an understanding in most all of them without using my "Religion" as a reference. Those morals I used to fallow as "rules" are no longer rules. They are an understanding of what is right and what is wrong. All those empty words and teachings about Love and Humility that I used to sit through are no longer just words. They are an understanding of how to live.
I did (and am still trying for) this all by taking the time out to think of these aspects and how they make sense. I literally found the truth in everything. My beliefs were no longer what I have been forced to believe growing up, they were MY beliefs and the truths I had come to know. Some things took me a few minutes, some things took me a few months and some things I have yet to find the truth in. But if I thought about it enough, and if I talked to God about it enough, I eventually came to a complete understanding on everything. That is when i learned what "Prayer" is. It is not sitting down a reciting a poem. It is sitting down and talking to God as if he were your best friend sitting next to you.
I had established my Faith.
Faith is objective. There is only one true way of life and morality. There is only one truth and many truths in that truth. There is no subjectivity to what “is”. There is one necessity to growing deeper in your faith. That is prayer (sitting and talking to God). If you do that enough, you will come to an understanding of those truths involving life and morality no matter what the differences are in them between religions. If you continuously strive for your Faith, you will come to the same and only true conclusions.... regardless of what tools you use to help you along the way. I personally love the concept of the Eucharist. I find the use of that tool extremely helpful in my Faith. But some people would say that if someone doesn't believe in the Eucharist, they can never be as close to God in life (if they don't believe, they are wrong). So someone may read the Bible every day because that tool helps them with their faith, but I don't. Does that mean i can never be as "good" or "holy" as that person? Just because I don't find reading the Bible to be helpful in my Faith and instead i use other tools? .... Regardless of what specific religion you fallow, if you are working on your Faith right (searching for those truths and living them), that is ALL that matters.
One cannot exist without the other. Religion cannot exist without Faith. And yet, we flawed beings manage it. We cling to the guides more than we cling to the reason for the guides... God. Religion has separated us from each other and in turn, from God. Most "religious" people fallow the teachings of their religion and the rules that company it without a "life's point of view" understanding of it all. They cannot see or understand the truth involved with them. As a result, we end up persecuting those with a different layout of religion. We are all so focused on religion that most people forget the reason for it, God. Now we have all these stubborn, "shove it down your throats" religious people that when asked for a reason and why, all they have to say is "because God says so" or "because the church teaches it" with no real convincing reason (They may have their Religion, but they have no faith to base it off of). As a result of that they give the concept of believing in God a bad name and turn people off to trying with their Faith.
Now we have prejudices between denominations and lack of denominations. Its like going to the art show and criticizing the frames not being of a particular color or design. We forget to look at the one objectively absolute picture it is holding. As long as the frame fits and holds that same picture, there is nothing wrong. Its like looking over at someone else on their walk with God and persecuting him for using a blue walking stick instead of the red cane you are using... when that person could very well be further in his walk with God than you are.
There was a man that said he practices Buddhism because it brings him closer to Christ. If he is moving closer to Christ then he is moving closer to establishing truth in all aspects. So what he uses to help him in that journey to Christ (Buddhism) does not matter on an objective scale.
The differences in the tools that people use between different religions do not matter. The differences between the rules and moral issues between religions are important. There is only one right answer. That can be found and understood, regardless of what religion you may fallow. It would be foolish for someone to have a belief on a moral issue without knowing why (just because their religion says so). Well, you may be wrong. There is a reason concepts of morality differ between religions. They cant all be right. There is only one truth.
I refuse to believe that our loving God would think ANYTHING of the technicalities of our “religions” as long as our Faith (truth) is being practiced and followed, as long as our relationship with him is tried for, ect…..
Faith is objective (There is only one true way of life and morality and understanding). Religion (how we help ourselves obtain that Faith)(our walking stick) is subjective.
To all those who are dedicated to their religion and using it as a guide and a help for their "all more important" Faith, I admire you. For the rest of you 98% of "religious" people..... get some God... I promise you, everything will make more sense and you will be a whole lot happier.
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