The Case for World Religions

Not long ago, Syed made to me the following statement:

"I don't understand. You are willing to go such lengths to check, double check and then some, the claims made by science based on evidence ( which is great and science is open to all) but you don't seem to have a problem with the notion of talking snakes and a single couple whose next generations had to indulge in such extreme incest that we should all be retards by now."

I think that this is very good question; however, let's look at it from a broader perspective. To be fair, I think that there is a lot of skepticism towards world religions in general as many people feel that world religions are irrelevant for their lives and personal spirituality. While it is certainly commendable to be respectful of other people's beliefs, it's entirely another thing when you take the time to get to know more about their beliefs and "fairy tales."

But of what possible good are fairy tales? Well, most fairy tales are usually allegories that have important valuable lessons we can learn and apply to our own lives today.

Here are three examples:

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Of course, these are only adaptations; therefore, find the translated originals and study them carefully. You should find that they really do contain an underlying interpretation that isn't as obvious when only reading the story on the surface.

Having said that, this is why I think that there are many good and practical things we can learn from studying world religions. Of course, it's also a very good way to stretch your mind because world religions also contain multiple paradoxes which are actually puzzles left behind for you to solve.

Personally, I think that's something positive and pretty cool too.

By the way, talking dragons (not snakes) isn't exactly unique to Christianity; in fact, did you know that there are civilizations which existed continents and lightyears apart who reported getting a vision from an entity in the form of a dragon who promised them great wealth, power, and wisdom if they would worship him as the chief god and not long afterwards, they became very prosperous and successful?

Of course, this brings us to a much harder question; is there a verification method for world religions, much like we use the scientific method for science?

All this could be just one big myth--but how does one know that for a fact? True, it does seem that people who believe in talking dragons have little to no sense at all, yet some of the most successful civilizations in the past made talking dragons the centerpiece of their philosophy and religion. In the midst of the civilization's exploration and cultivation of society, they turned to the dragon for assistance, guidance, and direction as the dragon, for them, was the centerpiece of their philosophy and religion.

So just because somebody believes in talking dragons, this doesn't mean that they have little to no sense. Obviously, if a civilization is going to have any level of prosperity at all or growth, then they need to work. They also need to improve themselves, train themselves, and increase in wisdom by reading, writing, and using arithmetic (among other things). You won't be able to do that though if you sit in a temple meditating all day long.

And so?

Live a life of balance in both the inner and the outer worlds.

: )