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Faith

71 Comments

White robes,
Or Black robes,
Caps of crafts
Diamond crusted staffs
Beautiful mosques
Cathedrals grand
Golden temples
Shiny stands
This is Religion
Really?
This is vanity
Human insanity
The one truly matters
Lives in your heart
Want to please him
Better start
From inside
Deep within
Voice begins
It tells the truth
It will not fail
Inside, faith prevails!!

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71 thoughts on “Faith”

    1. Thank you so much Rukhe Lala, it is good to have you around, I wrote this when I was reading about terrible things humanity have done to conquer/destroy a place because of its religious significance. The loss of life alone makes your shout, why o why?

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  4. my sentiments exactly, in today’s world, any one who lives in real world knows there is but one God and that God is beyond form and human grasp, God lives in every human being’s soul not temple, mosque or churches.

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  7. So insightful! It reminds me of a quote by Rabindranath Tagore – “Faith is a bird that sings when the dawn is still dark.”

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  9. Here here to that AB. Totally agree. Have you heard of Francis Schaeffer? I’ve just recently started getting into his work. Absolutely amazing. His books and videos.
    🙂

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  10. Perfect pairing of words and photo!
    I struggle with religion (too many reasons to go into here…mainly because of the terrible things that are done in the name of religion or God), but I try to maintain a relationship with God.
    I can’t imagine life without faith in my heart.
    Thank you for this post, AB!
    HUGS!!! 🙂

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  11. Well put. I’m not very religious and I’m not sure what I believe these days, but I know the glamour and pomp are not part of it. Nobody needs that to have faith and behave in a decent, loving way.

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  13. Thank YOU!!! I have avoided churches for years seeing the lies, deceits, the brainwashing. Turning ever inward, I found Truth, that Truth founded in God. I go no where else, I listen to no one else, but only this Voice, found within. Ever since a little girl, I asked questions that got me into trouble. Even then I saw things that made NO sense to me about religion. The god that is preached about, spoken about, prayed to, is not the God I know and Love. God does not have conditions, God does not look with more favor on those who give money, God does not discriminate. Sorry. This is a hot topic for me. I respect ALL religions, all faiths, and I will not try to talk anyone away from what they believe. My message is simple …. GOD is LOVE and not rules. I again apologize for this LONG comment. I’m weary of this world and what they have made God out to be. Love, Amy

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    1. Amy, thank you so much for sharing your inner peace and feeling for the Divine with us. It is beautiful and please stop apologising. Thank you so much 🙂

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  21. Yes, we are forever trying to remind people that their external expression of living their beliefs needs to be integrated with their inner life. Clergy – be they priest, rabbi, imam – need to be constantly reminded to not be overly fascinated with eternals. I include myself in that challenge. You have put it to us in a beautiful, almost lyrical way, they slides deeper than any legalism or petty cynicism. Thank you.

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    1. Simon thank you so much for your supporting wonderful thoughts. Externalities appear all too important for religions which are based on faith and belief (inherently inner feeling)!

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  26. It makes me feel better to know that I am not alone in my disappointment with organized religion. The bloodshed and other inhumane acts that people have committed toward one another in the name of religion are appalling to me. In my own religion (Catholic), I cannot overlook the scandals of Catholic priests molesting young children. What is awful is that some of these so-called religious leaders get away with a slap on the wrist and do not do any jail time for their crimes. I also dislike the televangelists in my country who plead for money to help the poor while they broadcast their sermons from their million-dollar churches and live in fancy mansions and drive in expensive cars. Their hypocrisy does not seem to bother them until they get caught doing something immoral and/or illegal.

    I thought religion was supposed to provide wisdom and guidance to people and help them live better lives. Sadly, it seems that many organized religions have strayed away from this noble purpose. I can understand why people would want to bypass organized religion and find and develop a relationship with God (or other higher power) on their own. This is what ended up happening to me.

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    1. You are certainly not alone 🙂 religion and organisation is a toxic mix as history tells time and time again! Religious thought and belief is supposed to personal and free and then it is enslaved by clergy for their own benefits who introduce million rules to make practicing a belief virtually impossible!

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  27. Well said! 🙂 I agree with you. Organized religion cannot escape human corruption, and inevitably corrupt religious leaders take over and transform beautiful teachings and ideals into tools for manipulation and control over other people. To me, elaborate religious rituals and places of worship cannot make up for the personal freedom and enlightenment lost when people blindly submit to religious rules designed to bind their minds and souls.

    What I have noticed is that some people cope with the restraints of organized religion by becoming “Sunday believers” who pay lip service to their respective religions but don’t actually act in accordance with all of the rules of their religion. I have to admit that I did this for the sake of my nieces and nephew. Most of the time I do not attend church regularly, but I had to go to my brother’s church a few times for the baptisms of two of my nieces and my nephew. I definitely want to stay away from church after I attended a baptism lecture that was supposed to prepare people for the actual baptism ceremony. What should have been a short lecture lasting about 30-60 minutes became a nearly 2-hour mental torture session conducted by one of the most coldhearted women I have ever met. After telling her long story of finding God, she made most of the people in the room feel guilty that they had not received all of the sacraments of the Catholic church and did not read the Bible every day. Both before and after taking everyone on a guilt trip, she also tried to get everyone to enroll in various church activities. By the end of the lecture, I and most of her captive audience were in a hurry to get out of there. I am so glad that my brother does not plan to have any more children so that I don’t have to attend any more baptisms. This awful experience reinforced for me that in order to truly live well we have to think and do so many things for ourselves, including finding faith in a higher power.

    However, at least here in America I have noticed that religion does not have as much of an influence on people as it once did. Many people here seem to place their faith in government to take care of them, or they care more about technology and material things. And then there’s celebrity worship. 😦

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      1. I think I understand what you mean. Religion is such a powerful way to control people it is hard for the powerful (and corrupt) people to let it go.

        I think we are evolving but into what? Maybe what I am seeing is not a movement away from religion but a movement to control the people who are not controlled by religion. Distract people with pleasures and “give them bread and circuses” as the saying goes so they will be content and not question or challenge the powers that be while the powers that be take away their freedom and choice.

        I feel so paranoid right now. I want to be optimistic, but I am not sure where we are headed now. 😦

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      2. I did not mean to be so gloomy and pessimistic last week. There is something going on in my life right now that is somewhat serious. It does not involve my health or my dad’s health or money problems. It is something else. I do not want to talk about it here. I think I have figured out a way to work around the problem, but I am not sure if my solution will work long-term. I am hoping for the best.

        Thank you so much for being interested in my ideas and my sometimes really long stories. 🙂

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      3. It is ok arlene, we can not always be happy, may you feel elated sometime soon and remain so for the foreseeable future. Amen!

        It is a pleasure to read and understand your circumstances, thank you so much for sharing 🙂

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      4. Yes, I know we cannot always be happy. However, based on my own experiences, I have noticed that most of the sad events and troubles in my life are usually temporary, and then happiness will return again. I am hoping that this problem is temporary too and that I will be able to get through it by being patient and trying to find a constructive way to deal with it.

        The problems with the rest of the world are a different story. I sometimes feel overwhelmed when I think about all of them at the same time, and I feel powerless to do much about them.

        Thank you for your prayerful hope that my happiness will return soon and for taking the time to read my miniature tale of woe. I appreciate your support and understanding. 🙂

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