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May 4, 2007 2:19:40 AM
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First let me start by discussing a few concepts which get used very irresponsibly all over the place. Most people have no idea what they are talking about when they use words like "God", "religion", "universe", "spirit", "prophet", etc... The words are commonly used, but what people think they mean varies greatly.
The main issue is that most people believe in a "God" as a being that exists in the universe as a separate being and it guides everything from wherever he is located within the universe. In the past, people believed in many such Gods and today people narrowed them all down to a single God and they call that "monotheism".
All "religion"s, in their original, pure form, try to explain that there is no such an omnipotent being located within what we call the "universe" that controls all existence. They try to relay the message that "God" is a single, whole oneness. The fact that we perceive "many creations" is an illusion of which the science has just recently got a glimpse. As a matter of fact, religion tells us "God" is beyond what we perceive as the universe and the creations within it and any "worldly" description we are able to attribute to it.
The easiest way to explain the wholeness and oneness of God together with the very many creations we experience everyday is to use dreams. When you dream, you see very many things and places and people. Yet you are a single being. Where would you say your body is with respect to your dream worlds? Where are the characters of these dreams worlds with respect to you within the dream and your body "beyond" the dream?
"Religion" is the system that governs the "universe" as we know it. In the "universe", there is no place for magic, random events, luck, coincidence and miracles. Every occurrence has a reason and an explanation even if we may not be capable of figuring out what they are. Science is an attempt to explain the rules of this system although it is very primitive and lacking. The rules of religions explain these rules as well from the point of view of "prophet"s who are people capable of perceiving "reality" in a way that is closer to its essence such that they can reveal the rules of the system. They show(ed) us how to live our lives such that we may benefit the most from the system which we are a part of.
The words for "God" and "religion" are actually very meaningful and carefully selected words in the Quran/Arabic: The letters of Allah spell out "the", "not", "none". These roughly translate to "that which exists", "that which takes away (without)" and "nothing". 1 + (-1) = 0. The word for religion, "deen", literally means "life". For example, Medina (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medina) means "the place where people live".. so the name of the city "Medina" also means "city".
In conclusion, "God" as most people come to know and accept does not exist. "God" is not an omnipotent being, sitting somewhere in space, commanding and controlling all creation... Although it is a very primitive description, the universe is a dream in "God"s mind, which exists as a single entity and as a whole. "Religion" is not a set of meaningless, dogmatic set of instructions.. It is the "manual" for existence and it is meant to guide us in living our lives in a way that will be the most beneficial for us.
Sadly, people who do not understand these concepts as they should be understood and the people who are ready to do anything to manipulate and control others are more than happy to twist, bend and modify the truth to fit their agendas. All that leaves behind is confusion and "life from hell" for all of us.
by eternomi
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