Religious similarities and differences

Have you ever noticed that there are always recurrent patterns thorughout sacred texts throughout the world? I request that you explain some of your beliefs concerning as to why this is, with maybe some examples from different texts. The main thing I want to know is what you have noticed and what you believe the reason for this is.

One Earth

In the story of the Tower of Babel in the Bible, God purposely creates language barriers between the peoples of the world so that they can be divided. However, looking at some major stories, especially the story of Noah and the Ark, one can notice that this same story, with different characters of course, appears in several religions throughout the world. Events such as this which appear in two or more different texts must have at least of grain of historical accuracy. If one observes carefully the basis or foundation of many world religion, one will find that the basic beliefs behind such religions are fundamentally the same, but have sometimes been lost in translation. If we all value the same moral principles, just in different practices, why does our society have such strong religious barriers barring us from openly and freely discussing practice of worship with people of other faiths? I think that more people should be educated in the recurrent universal patterns in religious texts so that maybe, one day, we can become one, unprejudiced, united, friendly world community. It's a strecth, but there may be a miniscule chance that it could happen.
66% Voted for by gap, nanrek.
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- Applehead
  September 18, 2006
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  Wouldn't it be great
  Publicly various religions are becoming more tolerent of each other. I believe it possible that in the future people may come together with all good and bad, past and present ethics and combine our ideas to create harmony.
- gap
  September 20, 2006
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  :D
  Wouldn't that be great? Think of all the possibilities we could accomplish as one united world community. Great technological, scientific, and medical advances could be made in much shorter time periods as well as progression in almost every aspect of daily lives. There's even a possibility of world peace, which seems like a Miss America cliche now because of its seeming impossibility, but I bleieve that it's entirely possible if we open our eyes, hearts, and minds. Thannk you so much for your thoughts and time. :D
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Historical events

These of course -if accurate- may appear in several texts, but that has nothing to do with similarities in teaching doctrine. You may have noticed that many of the flood stories have skewed the moral message or omitted it all together, while only the Bibles interpretation gives a legitimate reason for the flood. No they are not fundamentally the same, once you look deeper into the meaning of these stories and also the multi-layered and inter-woven messages within the Bible, you may see the complex pattern hidden within that text alone. After reading the Quaran and the Mormon book and finding no such spiritual messages, I keep returning to the Bible for accuracy and comfort.

Voted for by frndofyaweh.

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gap
September 20, 2006
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Hello
Ah yes, you are correct, however, in the Babylonian epic The Epic of Gilgamesh there is also a given moral reason for a flood in which one man, his family, and pairs of all the different types of animals are saved by a large boat and end up in the mountains like Noah. It may not be a religious text, but it does have the same pattern. Also, in Hinduism ,I belive, I might be worng, but I think there is a story, not only of a purging flood but also of an incident in which the people of the world are scattered and given different beliefs and languages in order to disunite them like the Story of the Tower of Babel. I don't think that I meant to say similar teaching doctrines, but that the same events are recorded in these many different texts, so there obviously is a historical foundation for stories like the Flood and Babel. If the story of the Tower of Babel is true, do you think you could entertain the idea of one world religion before Babel? One religion that was not recorded but serves as a fundamental guiding force in the morals of the many religions of the world. If possible, I beleive that if the people of the world were to educate each other or themselves, as you have so honorably done, in the different religions and possibly be more open, like you obviously are, which is incredibly commendable, then maybe one day far in the future our religious differences may possibly merge into one, all-encompassing world belief which may possibly bring peace and acceptance. Just a thought. Thank you for your thoughts and time.
frndofyaweh
September 24, 2006
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No cannot support that one religion
because based on spiritual power the one faith, if there is a true one, would be careful to become indelible, or endearing. Being absolutely sure to survive all ages or attempts to bury it. This being a logical assessment of which faith has that endearing quality, leads you unerringly to the one that is forever aware of itself. Which faith in the world is not only the oldest one, but also the most persistant? Which faith today, is also claiming to be a living one, due to the fact that a living God must be alive in order to endure our human attempts to thwart it? Which faith in the world today, has an arch enemy that is equally as old and just as persistant to survive all eras in history? ----- And of course, the true faith, if you wish to believe in one, will most certainly be mimicked by other new faiths. Is it not an interesting fact; That Islams Muhammad, studied in Jerusaleum under Hebrew priests and scholars, before he returned to his homeland and began his public ministry? While there, He was sure to be influenced by the underlying Christian movement at some point, being a curious gentlemen that he was. The islamic teaching is very similar to the Christian teachings. Then we can talk about Joseph Smith and the Mormons, another more recent religion, that also mimics the oldest one. The Oldest Faith is the Hebrew faith, but Christians are a part of that older faith and impossible to follow one without the other, from a Christian standpoint. ----- Oldest claim? That would be wicken or satanism, but neither one can show positive proof. Neither can the ancient Hebrews, because by this faiths very definition, it could not be written, but was passed by memorization of texts for many centuries. ----- How do we know that those memorizing, kept the verses and stories correct? Because the stars in Heaven say so and so do the scars on the Earth and hemispheres that surround it. Because when studied in depth, one cannot help but see the timeless quality that permeates from the Words of a truly living text. ----- What religious text can remain unchanged and yet, still manage to be the answer for any situation in any time of history? This text would have to be much deeper than its apparent words alone. It would have to be Living Words, that could evolve without changing. That is what compells those who believe the Bible, to be so persistant in their beliefs. That is why they call it The Living Word. Jesus Himself said, "I Am the Living Word..."