Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it.
Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many.
Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books.
Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.
Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations.
But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.
- Buddha.
Last night I was at a Seder dinner. Its passover at the moment (one of the strange years where easter and passover are not at the same time).
This Seder was at a Jewish persons house and was attended my Christians, Muslims and Jews. It was fascinating.
We went through the passover story, which is in all 3 bibles (or sacred texts or whatever you want to call them) and ad some amazing conversations. I cant remember enough to be able to go into detail, the problem with really good conversations is that someone says something and you think ‘thats amazing, I hadnt thought of it like that, I need to think about that more” but then 2 mins later the same thing happens with something else and you lose the first one.
The only one that sticks in my head at the moment is that the Torah explains when Moses sees the burning bush and says he had to turn side on to see more clearly. We were talking about how useful that concept could be in life if we look at disputes or something and actually change our position to see more clearly.
I was also amazed at how similar so much stuff is across the three religions. The compassion, the love of God, the view that you have to stand up for what is right in the world. I apologise now if my spelling of these words are wrong, but for food to be kosher it means that it is also halal. So everyoene could eat the food that was served. The ideas presented in the dinner were great, things about removing all ego.
Well, I dont know what else to say really, but it was really cool. Im keen to participate in more of that kind of thing and learn more. Everyone there was so tolerant of each other, there is the basic understanding that our religions have the same roots – they all come from Abraham. There was respect that we are all people of faith and we are all spiritual people, so hurting or insulting someone was just not an option. It was fantastic.
I was at this other thing last week where the guy lecturing said that he didnt care if people ignored the rest of the bile, as long as they read the gospel. I didnt like it then, but I like it less now. If the bible is a way that we can see, learn and experience something of God, then that applies to the whole bible. And if we are going to understand the new testament properly, we need to understand the old testament too, because that is what is referenced and that is the culture and context that the new testament is set. That is (was) Jesus’ religion.
