Discussion Board

If you think you know, please tell us.

I think it is mindfulness.

Do you agree?

Mindfulness is also quite important in regard to McDougalling.

Do you agree?

My definition of religion is:

RELIGION: a type of worldview, the type that relies on mysticism (usually faith, revelation, and clerical authority) to develop and systematize ideas about the basic nature of the world and man's place in it.

So, the genus is worldview and the differentia -- the characteristic that distinguishes it from the other type of worldview, philosophy -- is its claim to knowledge through mysticism.

Here are my definitions of related terms: http://reasonversusmysticism.blogspot.c ... ssary.html

I am unable to view your blog, Burgess, but thanks for posting your thoughts. Burgess, are you a religious person?

I think your post is related to the roots of religions and that many religious people would be unwilling to accept your label. I do not consider myself a "mystic" in terms of the way that word is commonly used.

Some look at the cosmos and believe this is all just an accident and that all living things are the same--just globs of matter and energy. I do not think that such beliefs contribute to mindfulness...but I could be wrong.

Some look at creation and also look at their holy books (for me, the Bible) and then look up to the Creator with faith in Him. I do not think this necessarily means one is a mystic but I do think this tends to produce greater awareness/mindfulness.

In regard to mindfulness and McDougalling, I think a man may love his wife and, therefore, want to be a good husband. He may become mindful of his diet because he thinks he should be healthy and try to live a long life to be a good husband. Perhaps there is no "religion" in that but I use this example to show that religion is not the only determinant of mindfulness and certainly not the only determinant of McDougalling success. However, it seems to me that mindfulness is essential for McDougalling success!

What do you think?

A belief in a power greater than ones self.

I have never expressed this before, so don't expect a polished statement!
As there are so many religions in the world, this is a daunting task!
In India alone there are apparently over 300,000 religions.
Of the major 9 religions, one needs to study hard, and ignore clear differences, to find points that they have in common.
On the whole, most religions are a means of escaping from the reality of a rather unpleasant life for most people.
The biggest problem that I find with many religions is the rejection of life on earth combined with a hope for something better after death. This sort of belief is frequently combined with a denial of many of the good things related to physical life. Respect for other humans is not very high on the agenda of some religions. Most religions (or rather their followers) do not seem to condemn slavery, exploitation or cruelty and women have been suppressed by most religions for most of their history.
Each being, including humans, need certain basic conditions, food, water, fresh air , exercise etc. Surely one needs no religious beliefs to accept this. Perhaps this simple idea should be incorporated in all religious beliefs.
The Theosophical Society, founded in 1975, seems to have done most to find ideas in common with various religions. Most of their followers are vegetarian, mainly through respect for all life.
This is a link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theosophy

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Mike and welcome to our forums! I appreciate your mindfulness!

I have actually personally cared for many people who did not need any of the above things you mentioned. They stopped breathing and their hearts stopped beating.

So when many of us think about our faith, we consider that the time spent on earth is minute compared to eternity (or even human history). We may (as you have suggested) neglect taking care of some of these physical needs of others as we should. I agree! The world needs more compassion!

However, we will all reach a point where we will no longer have these physical needs. The different faiths offer different ways of mindfully integrating our concerns about the temporal and the eternal. McDougalling may even be part of a person's response of faith to the these physical needs....

We now know that in our galaxy, the Milky Way, we have about 100 billion stars (suns) and that galaxy is only one of 100 billion other galaxies. With science we will probably learn more, perhaps even that ourUniverse is one of 100 billion universes!
No religion that I have every studied seems to have reached these sublime limits yet.
Hinduism perhaps gets closest.

Since 100 billion stars is far beyond my capacity to comprehend, more universes would not make any real difference to my little mind either.

For me, considering the cosmos does two things, First, it gives me a sense of humility. How could I ever think I am great compared to the cosmos? Second it give me a sense of awe in regard to the Creator.

King David:

"1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. 3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, 5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat." (Psalm 19, NIV)

Now you may not believe in the Creator but we can certainly share our appreciation for the cosmos and our mindfulness...and our McDougalling!

Pink Rose
I wonder if these quotes from Advaita Vedanta are of any interest to you?

"Prior to taking this form, you were formless; spontaneously the form came, and when the form came there was a natural longing to return to the formless state. When you want to return to the formless, desireless state, then only you come here, to seek what you are. The consciousness has to know the consciousness. When it realizes itself, then only do you return to normal."

"My true state, which is whole, undifferentiated, is beyond birth and death. I am never bound by my body and mind. I am limitless."

"You Are That Which Is, Was, and Shall Be, devoid of body or mind or personality when unmanifested and capable, via Full Realization, of being free of body identification and a corrupted 'mind' and personas while manifested. You are invited to see how all desire and longing and fear can be transcended when you no longer embrace the limited identity of a physical body or the corrupted “mind” or any fictional personality."

[In response to one who claimed that he "has had the same body" for "his entire life"] "Trillions of cells have 'come and gone,' so with the exception of a few organs, a chain of bodies that you took to be you has 'come and gone.' It must be asked, 'Among all of those different body forms, which one of those 'me's' would any person claim to be 'the real me'? What 'me' would a 'mind' assume to be 'the one, real me'?" What a distortion to talk of a 'me'."

i never post here...but I live my life with "What goes around comes around" and I leave it at that. I am Jewish and grew up in NY in a very hippocritical way so I have had no organized religion since the 50-60's or so. I believe there is a higher power and he provided us all the beauty in this country and nature and that's the way I am!

Just for fun, as others include their photos- here are some of mine and links to facebook.
At 76 I'm not very clever at putting things on to computer, but others have put these on to my facebook group-
enjoy!
humans are important to humans, although I'd prefer them to be free from alcohol!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=3 ... 2&v=photos

What is your interest in them, Mike?

Thanks for the little intro, Mike! Sorry I am being protected from FB here. I invite you to post more about yourself on the newbies' board.

What do all "religions" have in common?

They're all equally false?

I remember reading an article a long time ago on diferent religions. The article was "for" and not against Christianity. It was basically trying to anwer the question of, "Out of all the religions in the world, why is Christianity right? Why Christianity and not Hinduism or Buddism?"

If I remember correctly, they worded it like this. Either one religion is right or all are wrong. There is the law of contradiction. for example, it cant be raining and not raining in the same place at the same time in the same spot. Either it is raining or it is not raining. And in the same way, religions have many views. If these views do not line up, then one is right or all are wrong. A person can't go to heaven according to one religion and by another be sentenced to hell. They contradict. So either, the person is going to heaven or they are going to hell, but they can't do both. So, which religion is correct? Or, are both wrong?

This is the point where the article shares its information on why it believes the Bible, Christianity, to be correct. I dont exactly remember their assertion of why Christianity is correct, but i felt like sharing the part of "either one is right or all are wrong" based on the law of contradiction to follow the topic of this thread.

So, given religions have things in common, whatever they may be, their differences also tell a story. Which one is right, or are all wrong? (Once again, based on the law of contradiction.)

I believe Christianity is right. Others are entitled to their opinions, so really no need to argue unless you are a apologetic person. But, as the Bible states, God gave people free will. Choose wisely. Every choice has a consequence, you always hear people saying, whether good or bad.