Mixing religious ideas

Clorinda Donovan · Post by **Clorinda Donovan** » 16 Mar 2019, 08:57

I like the fact that the author didn't condemn any one religion in particular. I also apreciate his mention, of his fathers interpretation of Christianity. Though, he got the Islamic one wrong, as Muslims are said to believe that they can pray five times and still enter Hell. They believe that there are good Christians and Jews. Basically there are good people everywhere and even if their beliefs are different, they will still go to heaven. How can goodness go unrewarded?! After all God's mills grind slow but they grind exceeding fine.

sri varshini303041 · Post by **sri varshini303041** » 16 Mar 2019, 21:26

I think there is nothing wrong in taking the good from some religions and leaving out the bad in them. In my opinion, there is no perfect religion. Having a choice never hurts.

bigscarythingy · Post by **bigscarythingy** » 17 Mar 2019, 18:01

As a big believer in the 'truth laying in-between' maxim, I like the idea of mixing religious ideas. I think that the more diverse a person's belief system, the closer we get to one's personal truth.

Melissa VanCleave Plant · Post by **Melissa VanCleave Plant** » 17 Mar 2019, 19:09

I think each and every one of us has a mixed belief in our spirituality. For example, it took a long time for me to merge my scientific mind and my faith mind. I finally came to the conclusion that the wonderful things in science could not exist without God. The more I learn about the intricacies of the human body, of plants and animals alike, the more I see God. However, some things cannot mix with Christianity. Meditation is fine for everyone, but a true Christian cannot believe in reincarnation. Only Jesus himself was reincarnated and that is why it is so special. The rest of us will not.

Muhammad Ibn Isah · Post by **Muhammad Ibn Isah** » 18 Mar 2019, 12:16

The author's use of mixed religious ideas provides a 'compare and contrast' view of various religions concerning obvious realities, exposing the relationship between them. This i think is to arouse the interest of those religions' faithfuls and other interested readers.

Renu G · Post by **Renu G** » 19 Mar 2019, 09:53

The author picks and chooses from various religions and belief systems. This syncretism seems to help him lead a fulfilled life. I personally would not encourage it. Perhaps, he is an ideal person to engage in inter-religious dialogue for peace and harmony in the world.

Sarah Penney · Post by **Sarah Penney** » 19 Mar 2019, 10:23

I definitely didn’t mind the religious/spiritual mixing. I can see why staunch supporters of any one religion might take umbrage with it though. From their perspective it might seem a little too much like cherry-picking. As in, just choosing not to follow the more difficult/controversial of the religions he was inspired by. I thought it raised interesting points though.

Fifi_eve12 · Post by **Fifi_eve12** » 19 Mar 2019, 11:29

Though I don't know what people of other religions may think about it, I personally like the idea. It allowed all beliefs to be included and is a clever, creative idea!

Letora · Post by **Letora** » 19 Mar 2019, 14:09

I think mixing a variety of religious views was a good way of connecting with a large number of people. If you noticed, he mentioned the largely popular religions. It is also a good marketing technique, but I don't think it was purely for monetary purposes. I think he just studied the religions he knew and went from there creating his own belief system.

P Reefer · Post by **P Reefer** » 19 Mar 2019, 16:17

I am somewhat uncomfortable with the mixing as average readers and sometimes even good readers could misinterpret what is said if they engage in skim reading. I think his inclusion of Jesus Christ is somewhat disingenuous as he actively promotes Ishness and Tao philosophy as the ultimate or best.

raqstar1 · Post by **raqstar1** » 20 Mar 2019, 08:02

I think that the use of multiple religions keeps the book relatable to more audiences. Also, keeping an open mind to a variety of ideas also helps when searching for truth and increased consciousness.

Renu G · Post by **Renu G** » 21 Mar 2019, 01:40

I was a bit concerned about the author mixing religious ideas. It is called syncretism and not accepted by the Church. However, he does not do so indiscriminately. He is a learned and experienced seeker who deserves to be heard.

Taiwanty · Post by **Taiwanty** » 21 Mar 2019, 11:49

I do agree that in idea it makes it more accessible to more people. However, I think religiously devout people may have an issues with their beliefs being interwoven with others and understand it so well

promise10 · Post by **promise10** » 21 Mar 2019, 11:58

I like how diverse it is for reading purposes, it will appeal to a wider audience but i don't think it is practical to practice different believes altogether.

jahagen · Post by **jahagen** » 22 Mar 2019, 11:42

By incorporating various religions and identifying certain aspects of each that align with what he's teaching, it helps include a wider audience and allows many people to find relatable aspects in his teachings. And, like some others have said, it brings to attention that there's some truth in everything. The world is not black and white; one religion is not more correct than another.