Jonathan R asked:


I saw this painting in Florence. It was at the Uffizi museum. But I remember seeing a baby Jesus grabbing Mary’s breast and 2 men looking at Jesus.

zclifton2 asked:


From the beginning of time, humans have murdered each other. Why do otherwise intellegent and principled people continue to believe that murder is justifiable and effective? Murder may solve an immediate need for revenge, a response to an immediate fear, reward, compensation or justifiable punishment, but the fact is that Capital Punishment is not effective as a deterent. Chistian’s have a special responsiblity to not kill others, to not murder others because Jesus was himself murdered in a legal manner of the day and it was unjust and ineffective. I just don’t get it! How can the same person proclaim to believe in Jesus and support capital punishment? What happened to forgiveness? Jesus preached forgiveness. How can it be ignored by Christians?

Jacob Benson asked:


Is Religion Induced Anxiety Good For You?

The fact is that no anxiety, whether religion induced or not, is good for you.

Anxiety has some serious long term side effects that should be taken into consideration, and a healthy, stress free lifestyle should be priority #1.

The state of the world after 9/11 has left us fearful, depressed, and stressed.

An event that shocked the world, and brought many people closer together, and unfortunately, tore others apart.

Throughout the ages, many acts have been committed in the name of religion, and unfortunately, for those people who are nearby when these acts happen, religion induced anxiety is inevitable.

Like any form of anxiety, Religion induced anxiety can be repressed, or cleared completely, by preparation, and a focused lifestyle.

Things like Yoga, meditation, reading calming material, and avoiding negative emotions such as anger, jealousy, hate, and sadness, can have a positive long term effect if you are ever put into a situation that is brought about by Religion induced anxiety.

The most important thing to keep in mind though, is that these ‘acts’ that occur, are not a major part of life, the more you focus on them, the worse they seem, and the worse they seem, the more anxiety you feel.

This is why meditation is such a key ingredient to living anxiety free, be it Religion induced or not.

By increasing your stress tolerance levels, you are able to avoid feeling anxious in any event, you become the unmovable mountain, the eye of the storm, the calm before the wind.

One such program that you can use to help with increasing your stress tolerance is Holosync. Holosync works on frequencies, and, without going into much detail, works by taking you into a conscious meditative state.

While it is one of the best programs out there, nothing beats taking yourself out to a quiet, peaceful place, either in the mountains, in the rain forest, or beach, and just sitting quietly by yourself, and letting your thoughts go.

The bottom line is, Religion induced anxiety, is no different to any of the other forms of anxiety, and while there is medication that you can take when an anxiety attack occurs, it is best if you can follow preventative measures, to ensure that it doesn’t occur. The only way to truly do this is to lead a stress free, anxiety free lifestyle, by increasing your stress tolerance, practicing meditation, and allowing yourself to feel free.

Paul M. Jerard Jr. asked:


When you teach Hatha Yoga, you are asked many questions. Although public awareness of Yoga, and its teachings, has increased, many people are just discovering some of the benefits within the many styles of Yoga. Therefore, you have to be prepared for the unexpected questions that arise about the mysteries of Yoga.
Once in a while, the question of religion does come up. Many times, Yoga teachers are asked if they are a Hindu, Sikh, or Buddhist. To the public’s amazement, many Yoga teachers come from all of the major religions in the world. There is no single religion that all Yoga teachers participate in.
How can this be? Some Gurus preach that Yoga should be founded within a particular religion. Some Yoga teachers read the Rig Veda, Bhagavad Gita, and speak Sanskrit words, so they must be covertly teaching Hinduism, or some other religion, right? Wrong – some Yoga teachers do teach religion in their classes, and some do not.
If your Yoga teacher has the Vedas, Torah, New Testament, Holy Quran, and the Gnostic Gospels, in his or her library, what does that mean? It means that your Yoga teacher likes to read, study, and does not have a closed mind. That is all it means, unless your Yoga teacher preaches religion as part of his or her practice.
If a Yoga teacher does preach religion within Yoga classes, this should be easy enough to see and hear. In Yoga studios that reside in the Americas and Europe, this may not be what most Hatha Yoga students are seeking. Each student has the right to leave, but the public should be made aware that a Yoga studio is conducting religious classes.
Many of these potential Yoga students are not seeking religious conversion, religious instruction, and live in a culture with a strict separation of religion from government. This means that religion in the West is often compartmentalized.
For example: If a concerned doctor recommends Yoga to a patient with back problems – the patient is not being referred to a Yoga studio for religious instruction.
Therefore, if you teach a form of religious Yoga in the West, be honest about it. Most students, from western cultures, are in Hatha Yoga classes for the physical and mental aspects.
If you want to teach Yoga as spiritual health, get the proper training first, and give the public “fair warning.” Teaching good virtues is one thing, but teaching religion to your Yoga students is quite another. This is the “line in the sand” that some Yoga teachers should never forget.
The answers to spiritual enlightenment are within all religions, but it is up to Yoga students to pursue their own religion and find the answers to their spiritual health. There is no single “man made path” to spiritual health, enlightenment, or union. This is a myth that, as a species, we never seem to learn.
Throughout our history, Holy wars are always justified by both sides. Of course, the other side is always less human, less understanding, evil, and ignorant of the true path. “The world would be a better pace without the unbelievers;” is always a good battle cry.
Religion is too volatile a subject to discuss within a multi-cultural Hatha Yoga class. Therefore, if you are going to mix any religion with Yoga practice, it should be taught within a sectarian atmosphere.
© Copyright 2006 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

BellyDancer asked:


If the US requires there to be a “separation of church and state” and scientology is now a religion, why is the beliefs associated with it allowed to be taught in public schools, but beliefs of other religions is not allowed to be mentioned whatsoever in public school? Is this not favoring one religion over another, thus, in a sense, forcing a religion on a person indirectly?

Roy E. Klienwachter asked:


Fear of the new or the unknown, is the crippling force that is holding humanity back from moving to its next period of evolution. It is self evident that 84% of the world’s population is not ready for the move.

Only 16% of the world has an alternative view from religion – they are the free thinkers who have chosen to think outside the box. It is this 16% who do not live in fear within religion that will move humanity out of the box it now finds itself in. Religion does not tolerate outside views, and it is religion that has kept humanity chained to the fear of leaving it – “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.” Humanity has a need to believe in something, and religion capitalized on the fear of the unknown to keep its supporting members.

The world has made huge advances in technology, but has remained stale mated when it comes to knowing itself, its purpose, were it came from, and where it’s going. It also seems inconceivable that mankind has been her now for 100′ s of thousands or even millions of years and in on the last 100 years has discovered the electric light bulb, automobiles and cel phones. Humanity has clearly demonstrated that it does not advance very fast. Where did all these recent discoveries come from? Has the technology been given to us, and are we being guided?

Religion has held us back, because it worked for the Churches. Evolution would automatically turn people away from the churches, because the church does not grow by its very nature. Religion disempowered its people so that they would remain loyal and committed. There is little else in the human experience that people will defend more fiercely even when its evil is exposed. The need to believe is much greater than what one can reason. Wise and powerful people use religion to get what they want and it would not serve them to promote change in doctrine.

Once a person has been disempowered the only thing they have left to hang on to is fear. Fear is the cement that binds and holds one in place, there is no possible escape. For a measure of personal security for its followers, and a promise of eternal damnation; the world’s religions have held back the world’s population in a place in time that is going nowhere. One cannot think outside the box, while they are inside the box. One can deny that they are in the box as their thoughts and actions always give them away – they always return to the box and support their old beliefs. Words can be manipulated and often do not reflect one’s actions. You may be able to speak in a different language, but until you are able to think in that language, you cannot experience it fully.

Many people do not like what I write about, because it causes them to re-evaluate their beliefs, and they don’t like to be challenged. But I do not challenge any belief – all beliefs are valid and appropriate they simply demonstrate what a person is thinking in the moment. What I do is bring to the table an opportunity for change, for something better, and I support empowerment and personal responsibility for one’s own power. No one should ever be condemned for what they believe. If what you believe is bringing you everything that you desire, you would be foolish to change. However, humans are explorers by nature, and if your belief system is holding you back, then you are being held captive by your own thoughts.

Any life affirming religion would empower its members to transcend what it teaches, to become greater than the master, to exceed the limitations of its doctrine. The student must always become the teacher and the teacher the student if it has any value for the future. But this is not possible in religion by its very nature as an end unto itself.

The anthropomorphic old guy with a beard and gray hair who lives in a place called Heaven exists only in your mind and it is what you were taught and because you are afraid to believe otherwise, you have accepted it, by freedom of choice. The world at large believes and created that truth and is made captive by it. God does not live in your body or anywhere else. You are the creator, you are the power to whom you pray to, and you are the centre of the universe. Your world is created by you, for you and because of you. You are the embodiment of all you consider God to be – you are God, and all things are.

Now take that concept and think about it, use it to re-evaluate and reaffirm your present beliefs or use it as a stepping stone to move to the next step. Accept it or reject it because it works or does not work for you, not because you are afraid of it. If unconditional love and unconditional freedom are concepts that you want to experience in your life, then does this new idea work for you – does it pave the way for you to work outside the box? Does it elevate you to a new place of awareness and enlightenment or does it bring you back to where you already are?

A gun in your hand pointed at your head cannot hurt you until you pull the trigger. It is not the gun that kills; it is your thought at the moment you take action on the thought. An idea is just an ideal until it is acted upon. You have nothing to fear from exploring an idea. Some ideas will work for you while others won’t. The thought of holding a gun to your head, is an opportunity for you to evaluate your life and make changes one way or the other. The fact that you got into this position tells you that your current thoughts aren’t working for you. It is an opportunity for you to try something radically different.

Man does not fear being powerless, he experiences it. What man fears the most is the knowledge of his own personal power, of whom he is and what he is capable of. Man uses religion to disempower himself so that he does not have to take responsibility for what he creates and he doesn’t even do it consciously. He creates religions and circumstances that do it for him subconsciously. It is what we have been taught since birth – can we believe anything else?

Try this whenever you are questioned by others or even yourself. When the question comes up about you believing in God or a higher power, answer this way – I believe in me and my power to create all that I desire and experience. I am the creator of all that I experience in this lifetime – there is no one else. I am that higher power and the embodiment of all that I know God to be. Feel the empowerment in those words or the fear that comes from saying the words. You will know immediately what motivates you.

It is not my intention, and never will be, to change the world. I believe it is perfect just the way it is. It is a giant buffet of opportunities that you may choose from. It is your perception of the world that you have control over.

It is the 600 free channels on your TV plus the pay-per-view that you are now experiencing. It is about a life experienced by freedom of choice and not fear. Even in your darkest hour, you will always have a choice because you create your experience through a thought made manifest, and a life lived in fear or freedom.

Mike asked:


The US Constitution’s first ammendment is freedom of religion and speech. That mean’s one religion should not be forced on the masses.

Interesting that churches are preaching political matters in sermons to have their views forced on the masses. Also interesting that the only words allowed from the audience in these churches are “Amen,” “Hallelujah,” and “That’s Right Brother.” Does this sound like freedom of religion and speech?

These religiously brainwashed people refuse to even be curious about adopting 143 million orphaned children who want to be valued as much as white newborns are valued.

Mommy in 3 weeks asked:


My boyfriend is Methodist, I am pagan. We havent really discussed religion. I am also pregnant, due in June. I dont quite know how we will raise our child religiously, anyone have any ideas?
addition – we both have agreed that our religion is our religion, we dont push it on each other, I have NO intention of converting to something I dont truely believe in, and neither does he.
addition- we did not rush into anything, we have been together two years, While we were not planning to have children right now, this baby is a blessing. We are both excited and blessed with the love we share.

Stewie Griffin asked:


I’m doing a report on how Jesus was a mentor and how he taught his disciples valuable lessons. Does anyone know of any good examples of when Jesus taught a good lesson? If you know where in the Bible it comes from, I’d appreciate it.

thunder_baby04 asked:


I am writing a Report on Catholicism. Part of the report is to compare and contrast my religion of choice with another religion.

What I want to know is what religion is going to effectively compare and contrast with Catholicism? Any ideas are welcome!

(Thanks!)