Thursday, October 15, 2015

Relationships, not Religion.

Religion: an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods. Religion, being man-made, is the cause behind many misinterpretations of what it means to live in Peace. The commitment to a particular belief system over the commitment to develop, reestablish and/or repair relationships is one of the primary reasons there is so much conflict in the world today. History is a perfect example of how one group mistreat (and even kill others) all in the name of religion. 

When one (any one) is treated as an equal and respected as a fellow human being, despite any/all external differences, is when a relationship is either formed or healed. It's from this point true positive change takes form. It's from this point age, gender, class, sexuality, ethnicity, political preference, level of education, fame, fortune, or lack thereof, is seen as meaningless considering none of these "labels" define you or anyone else for that matter. Please understand, the belief in something does not 
make it factual. Many come to this realization when faced with a crisis or tragic situation or better yet, their own mortality. 

The fact that we are ALL one and the same does not depend on whether or not it's believed to be true. That is what brings Peace, not how many bible verses are memorized, how many times a day a prayer is prayed, how many hours are set aside for studying a particular book or practice, the decision to live a celibate life, the decision to identify with a group of people and or their belief system, etc., (the list goes on and on.) Those are all a preferences of one (or several) for another or others and ought not continue to be confused with reality. Peace




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