Omnism.... Or Baha'i?

I've finally found a name for what I believe in. I think...

A few posts ago I talked about the fact that even though I still identify as Christian, I don't necessarily believe that Christianity is the only way. For the longest, my Facebook religious preference said "All religions hold some validity."

In my search to find how to put my beliefs into exact words, I came across this simple, beautiful word that sounds like something I would've just pulled out of the air if I'd tried to name it myself: Omnism. Of course! The definition of omnism varies a little, depending on who you talk to, since it's not really an organized religion itself. For some, it means belief "in a single transcendent purpose or cause uniting all things or people". Others (like me) believe that all religions contain varying elements of a common truth, or place omnism in opposition to dogmatism, in that omnists are open to potential truths from all religions.

Great, I've got it. I know what to call my belief system now.

Or so I thought.

I'm perusing the Facebook Omnism group and see a comment from someone saying that they think all religions are really worshiping the same God. That kind of correlates to my other thought on religion: ever religion and culture, no matter what name or how many gods they worship, are all actually referring to the same deity. However, someone responded saying this belief was not actually omnism, but rather ideology of the Baha'i faith.

According to Baha'i teaching, there is really only one religion and One Divine Being, regardless of the man-made designation. From bahai.org:

The Bahá'í belief in one God means that the universe and all creatures and forces within it have been created by a single supernatural Being. This Being, Whom we call God, has absolute control over His creation (omnipotence) as well as perfect and complete knowledge of it (omniscience). Although we may have different concepts of God's nature, although we may pray to Him in different languages and call Him by different names--Allah or Yahweh, God or Brahma--nevertheless, we are speaking about the same unique Being. 

I'm still studying both of these schools of thought, so I make no claims of knowing exactly how, or if, they correspond. But if omnism is believing that all religions hold some truth, that would include Baha'i, would it not? I probably won't ever find something that is an exact match to what I believe, but these are probably as close as I'll get.

Anyway, if you're interested, here are a few links with resources concerning Omnism & Baha'i.
http://www.bahai.org/
http://old.ecauldron.net/omnism.php
http://omnism.com/om/home.htm
http://www.bahai.us/
http://www.religioustolerance.org/var_rel.htm

courtesy of religioustolerance.org

Randomness: I visited a new church Sunday...

Well not exactly new. I attended school there up until 5th grade. I just haven't been back in forever.

Service was pretty good. A lot different from the more...uuuuuh rambunctious spirited service I'm used to, replete with a full concert, multiple offerings and amped up preachers. This service was quieter, but didn't feel dead.

A few minutes after I got in, the pastor did altar call & said he felt an unusual spirit of heaviness. He began talking about carrying the weight of the world and how God wants to relieve us of our burdens and whatnot... I sat there and cried from that point until the end of service. I didn't go to the altar though. I probably should have. The things he was saying... I felt like he was talking directly to me, but something stopped me from going and letting someone pray with me. After all, I didn't know these people. Who's to say that their prayers are any more effective than mine?

So yeah, that was that. It was refreshing to go to a service that didn't leave me feeling beaten across the head for not singing or having to cringe as someone was coerced into joining the church when their expression clearly said that's not what they wanted. Did feel a little odd being at a predominantly white church, but the atmosphere and the people were welcoming enough that it wasn't really an issue. I may have to visit again some day.

"Christian with a side of..."

For quite a while now I've been pondering this post but wasn't sure whether I should share it or keep my thoughts to myself. I've been bolstered by the fact that I'm starting to read more and more people who are somewhat on the same wavelength. Maybe people are starting to open up some when it comes to religion. I am.

I was raised in a Christian home and from an early age I've known the Bible. I pretty much accepted what I was taught as being it. When I became a teenager, I began to question some things but was discouraged from voicing those questions because it was"wrong" to do so. Now I'm coming to accept the fact that my beliefs do not completely line up with traditional Christian thinking.

Sky Cake

One of the funniest commentaries on religion by an Athiest I've ever heard:

"My Religion is Better than Your Religion!"

This is the image in my head when I hear/read religious "debate."

I'm a little late, but Happy Easter to my Christian readers and happy Sunday to the rest. This morning while I should have been getting ready for church, I was on Twitter and the back & forth was ridiculous! I do not understand why people want to turn a religious holiday into a debate about who has the better religion and why other people are dumb for choosing to believe something different.

I know it's human nature to want to feel superior to others, to think that we are smarter and make better decisions. But can anyone tell me what satisfaction one gets from belittling someone else's beliefs? If my choice of who/what/how to worship does not directly and adversely affect you, why take it upon yourself to criticize what I do?

Even when trying to change people's minds in the name of converting them, condemning what they believe rarely produces positive results. Think about it. Many of us adhere to whatever religious upbringing we had. Those who choose to follow a different path probably did so through much thought, meditation, found something they could connect with or were majorly influenced by someone/something. Do you really think insulting that is going to "show them the light" and make them change? Trust me, coming at people like that will turn them off quicker than anything.

So if anyone can explain this to me, please do. What do you get from condemning my beliefs? Is it just a thing to make you feel good about yourself, or is it a genuine yet misguided attempt at "helping" others? Let a sista know!

I'm not giving up anything for Lent.

And that's okay.

That plus the drinking, fornicating, profanity, anger issues, etc. probably makes me a "bad Christian." But I just don't get the point of it.

Am I supposed to be closer to God if I give up drinking coke? Will I be spiritually stronger if I give up Twitter? Why can't I give up work for Lent?

I understand fasting, denying yourself in order to attain a type of oneness with the Almighty, but I don't think it makes a difference if I'm still doing all the other things that are supposedly wrong. And if I'm giving up "bad" things, does it matter that I did it when I go right back to it? For instance, if I gave up sex it would be kinda pointless, because I'm gonna go get some the day after Easter. And since, according to the Bible, I'm not supposed to be doing that anyway, I dunno if that sacrifice (and OMG that would definitely be a sacrifice) even counts. It's all for naught. And if I'm just giving up something because it's tradition, what good does that do me? I'd rather feel an unction from the spirit to do something of this nature than to feel like I have to do it because everyone else around me is.

*shrugs* But I'm not right anyway, so what do I know?

Just pray for me :)

"On Atheists"

For about a week or so I've had a post drafted on this subject, trying to get together exactly what I wanted to say. Then today I'm looking through my blogroll & find that Z over at Purple Lace Gloves has already said everything I wanted to say (and in a much nicer, clearer, and more succinct way). Since I have nothing to add to what she has stated, all I will say is check it out here.