Is the purification process right in religion ?
494630
Your mother is involved in a cult of personality.  I wonder how old you are.  You need to get away from this "man"\nbefore he turns his "purification" on you.  Please tell someone who can help you, like a real church person, or the authorities.
1072552
shaving the pubic area,and removing armpit hair,trimming the nails..were things the prophet Muhammad said we should do\nso yes,it is part of the religion
562877
The "church" as an institution I think has really used spirituality to hype the political agenda of it's rulers (witness the Inquisition). But the confirmation of rules that really help a society work (don't steal, murder, cop another person's spouse or property) I think would be something that a "God" would be all in favor of.  I think that there are God ordained humans whose life's work is to remind those of a lesser spiritual bent that "to treat others as you would be treated" is the ideal.  These people SHOULD be "the church" but like you say there are those who for milllineums have used the claim that they have a "direct line to God" to control whole populations.  I figure if there IS a God, and He created me, why wouldn't He care what happens to me and if I am living a worthwhile life or not. I'm not sure about a heaven or hell type of judgement, but once again, if there IS a God/Creator then I figure he cares if I am a hurter or a helper and when I go back to Him He will care about an accounting that I have for my actions while I passed through his Creation.
1008557
Jesus freed us from the old Jewish dietary laws.  He specifically said, "It's not what comes into a man's mouth that makes him unclean, but what comes out."\n\nAnd in the book of Acts, God says, "Do not call unclean what the Lord has made clean."
1102981
I do not know if Christianity does this differently, but, in Judaism, we bury objects with God's name on them.  If it's respectful enough for humans, it's probably good enough for Bibles.
1045960
Yes. Religion is an organized system of belief in the divine.  In the context of religion, faith is the belief in such a system.
920739
Since you seem so eager to gather other peoples opinions today, and I'm all too eager to express my own... here goes:\n\n\nDeath is beautiful. It is a transition from confused living matter to unthinking dead matter...  a break down of mechanics that enforce pattern and a return to the natural chaos of the Universe.  What once was a personality becomes as nothingness, and dissipates much as the corpse does with time. In most cases this is destruction without resolution, which isn't exactly wrong.... but I can only imagine that it isn't as satisfying to give over all control of one's destruction so late... Better to resolve each aspect of the psyche beforehand and free one's self from the world in advance of death that it spells only the completion of dissolution. \n\n\nNo pointless rituals.\nThe dead are gone and no longer to be considered.\nMy body can be thrown to the pigeons when I'm gone for all I care.
241888
Just one thing to say....it is good to swim in the waters of religion, but to drown in them is suicide. Nothing wrong in different beliefs, but rigidity is suicide.
1150778
It's not exactly a moral issue.  I don't think God's punishing us for our sins or something.  If the scientists are correct, and we assume that global warming is occurring, *and* it is due to pollution, etc., then I think it's our duty to protect the environment to help decrease the amount of toxins we constantly spew into the air and water.
1003340
Taking "GOD" out of everything!!
1159840
As an undergrad student that focused on neurophysiology, I decided that science will probably never fully understand the brain- because we are using the very organ we are studying to attempt to gain enlightenment. I say this in reference to this question so thoughtfully posed before us because we are even more skewed on this subject because we as imperfect mere mortals are attempting to comprehend the full meaning of a perfect God. \n\nFirst it must be determined what "perfect" means? Should perfect be defined as always being "good"? I don't think that infallibility means always doing what is "happy." In our justice system, is imprisoning bad people bad? If we say that it's not bad, than how can a flood that wiped out the bad and corrupt be considered evil- could it not be justified as being considered good? Some things just "Are" no matter how bumming they may seem to us. God has choices just as we do, there are many ways up the mountain- none of them are wrong or right- easier and harder maybe- but not wrong or right. I couldn't begin to comprehend what it would be like to be the "original Father" and have to wipe out your creation because they were so consumed with sin. It couldn't have been an easy decision to make and carry out. Even in the old testament- Sodom and Gomorrah- he gave ample opportunity for people to cast out "evil" and kept lowering the needed number of good people before he punished his children. It’s not a fair comparison to put God up against Hitler or Stalin…they killed because of characteristics that aren’t sinful and their purpose for killing was sinful.\n\nSomething else that should be taken into consideration when thinking of perfection, all knowing, and the creation of Satan…take the Far Eastern philosophy of balance- yin and yang for instance. If, for perfection to exist, there must be balance- then wouldn’t there have to be an evil to balance out the good? As depressing a concept as it is, for us to know good we must also know evil. Parents teach us right from wrong by applauding our good behavior and punishing/ correcting our bad behavior- why should this lesson not also be taught by a spiritual parent?  It’s from the very contrasts that we become capable of reasoning. To truly have free will, we must be given all options- not just those that are “happy” or “right.”\n\nAs far as “omnipotent” is concerned, that- like everything else- is subject to interpretation. I agree that if you already know the beginning, middle and end of something- there would be no purpose for the experiment that is humanity. Maybe it is instead knowing all the choices and resulting consequences that could happen with each decision we make but allowing us to make them with our own reasoning. By giving us free will, the Supreme Being has allowed us to write the story instead of it being dictated for us. Maybe humanity is like an ant farm- you decide if and when you put in food, water, and something to make an anthill out of- you know that the healthy will eat and drink to survive and create shelter – but instead of doing it for them, you watch to see the how they do it. Humanity, and not just the women, reserves the right to change our minds with each decision we make- maybe God likes surprises .\n\nYou are not an evil person for questioning faith and religion- don’t let anyone make you feel that way. To question is to grow- both mentally and spiritually. My advice to everyone is to not judge others by their beliefs because those can be most easily misunderstood- instead form opinions of them by their actions for and against humanity. A person doesn’t have to be a Christian to love thy neighbor- they just have to be a person that puts the greater good above their own wants. But especially to those who are Christians, strive to remember Compassion, Understanding and Tolerance- they aren’t just lessons to be taught
326605
Nope. Home recovering from surgery. I just wanted to say, I really liked your take on spirituality! So many people turn away from God (or whatever you prefer to call it) when what they should be questioning are the religions created by man. God does not equal religion. When it comes to teachings, take what rings true to you! I'd love to see more people understand the difference!
509430
I think that they are done for both (although that doesn't make it right).  many people complete the rituals for the wrong reasons.  Among other reasons, people believe the ritual will save them, or will make them look good in the eyes of man.  There are some, myself for example, who would like to please God.  I was baptized because i love Jesus.  I know that baptism doesn't save me, but Jesus wants all believers to follow in believers baptism before they are united with a church, so I was baptized. Romans 6:3-4 declares, “Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
821261
yes before the time of Jesus the Jews would purify themselves before they would inter a holy place, the temple of Solomon for example. outside these holy places they would have huge tubs where the Jews would "Bathe" (I guess is a good way to put it) and after a woman would give birth she was ordered by Jewish law to purify herself in the same manner.
485945
Yes, but eastern philosophies are abound in contradictions and paradoxes, they love them infact.\n\nThis is the same thing as doing a good deed because you want to be seen as good.  It is just false.  As long as you hold onto the concept of wanting to be 'rid of desire' you will never be rid of desire.  This is an established 'doctrine' in buddhism and taoism, and nothing new i'm afraid.\n\nHaving a desire to be rid of desires can be used up until you have no more desires left, then you can rid yourself of this last one by dissolving the concept of self, and doing only what is natural, what tao would do.\n\nThey say you have to unlearn to become enlightened, but you can't do this without being learned first!  That's the bit they usually miss out.\n\nThey had more time on their hands than you :)
667875
Yes, it is.  My religion does not preach this, and it's one of the reasons that I chose to believe what I do.  Actions have consequences.  People should be made to deal with them, even if it's just a guilty conscience.
807026
YES. Before prayer we make abulution (Wudu)- a specific ritual cleansing. After sexual relations we also do a ritual cleansing.  If we get urine or feces on our clothes (for instance if we don't wash) then we have to go perform ablution again. Invalidation of ablution includes defecation, urination, passing wind. We then become ritually impure and must make Wudu again.When we go to the bathroom (doing #1 or #2) we are also to cleanse ourselves. Wiping with tissue first and then using water to wash with. Sorry to be so graphic but you did ask.   \nBTW - we are Muslims.\n\nHope this enlightens you.