World Religions Form Green Pilgrimage Network including Amritsar

Washington, DC (PRWEB) November 15, 2011

November 15, Washington: A ban on cars on pilgrimage routes; solar panels for cathedral roofs; provision of fresh clean, water for pilgrims, and the planting of thousands of trees around sacred sites – these are just some of the initiatives which the founder members of the Green Pilgrimage Network (GPN) pledged to implement. Amritsar, only city from India or South Asia, joined the network formed during a summit from October 1- November 3, 2011, in Assisi, Italy. This was jointly organized by Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

UK?s Royal Princess Michael, the Duke of Kent, gave a certificate of joining of Amritsar city in the newly formed Green Pilgrimage Network (GPN) on behalf of ARC at the first international conference of pilgrim cities, around the world, in Assisi, Italy. S. Dalmegh Singh, Secretary Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) received this certificate on behalf of the holy city. In addition, K.S Pannu, Chairman Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), Dr. Rajwant Singh, President EcoSikh and Ravneet Pal Singh, EcoSikh India project manager were the other Sikh delegates. EcoSikh organized Sikh participation and worked with SGPC and the Punjab Government for Amritsar’s inclusion.

“Cities from China to Norway and faiths from all around the world today commit to making one of the most powerful religious experiences ? pilgrimage — a living witness to a commitment to protect our living planet,” said ARC secretary general Martin Palmer in the release.

“The idea does not belong to these founder members or even to ARC or WWF. This is an invitation to all holy places to put into practice what they preach — namely, that when we walk upon this earth, we walk upon sacred land,” he said.

Founder members of the Green Pilgrimage Network include: Amritsar, India (for Sikhs); Assisi, Italy (Roman Catholic);Etchmiadzin, Armenia (Armenian Orthodox);Haifa, Israel (Bah???);Jerusalem (for Jews, Christians and Muslims);Jinja Honcho, the Association of Shinto shrines in Japan;Kano, Nigeria (Islam?s Qadiriyyah Sufi tradition);Louguan in the People?s Republic of China (Daoists);St Albans, England (Church of England);Luss, Loch Lomond, Scotland (Church of Scotland);St Pishoy Monastery, Wadi El Natroun, Egypt (the Coptic Orthodox Church); and Trondheim, Norway (Lutheran Church of Norway).

A detailed presentation on the Golden Temple and environment initiatives by the SGPC and Amritsar city was presented by Dr. Rajwant Singh and Ravneet Pal Singh to the entire gathering. Included in the presentation were plantation drives, solar energy use and future water recycling programs. A movie on food (Langar) preparation in the Golden temple for thousands of pilgrims, its distribution and eco-friendly cleaning was also shown. Many delegates from all over the world had a first time exposure to the Sikh tradition of free food, the Langar and Sikh activism on environment preservation.

Victoria Finaly, the Communication Director of ARC said, ?The Sikh presentation was one of the best showcasing of their work, faith and practice and variety in the environment initiatives.? Delegates from many other cities expressed that there is much to be learned from Sikh initiatives on environment.

Dalmegh Singh on behalf of the President of SGPC said, ?SGPC is willing to partner to make the city of Amritsar as eco-friendly as possible. We have already devoted considerable resources towards environmental awareness and preservation.?

Dr. Rajwant Singh, said, ?Making Amritsar a green city will require close coordination between the religious sector, the civil society and the government. We are hopeful that this implementation will occur rapidly and Punjab government will step up.? Washington based EcoSikh coordinated the Sikh participation and bringing the Amritsar in the network.

During the group discussions, Ravneet Pal Singh presented various ideas like a nature walk around the pilgrimage centres, green messages from faith theology to be displayed in the sacred sites to sensitize and connect the pilgrims with nature and its preservation and a pledge form for people to commit to green action. These ideas were welcomed by the august gathering.

Mr. K S Pannu presented his views in a panel discussion on the topic of ?What cities can do to become Green Pilgrim Cities?. He elaborated his own role in implementing the certain regulations to improve the sustainability of the Amritsar city and the state of Punjab. He challenged the faiths to put their own share and not depend on Governments alone to bring the change.

Mr. Gopal Patel, manager of UK based, Hindu Bhumi Project, presented the first phase of his plans of greening of Hindu temples and Green Puja across the globe. According to him, Hindu pilgrim cities from India in the next phase.

Prayers from each faith interspersed the entire programme. A hymn by Guru Arjun Dev, ?Sabh bidh tum he jaan-te pyare? was recited by Dr. Rajwant Singh before lunch time on the first day of the conference. The attendees joined in singing the Sikh prayer at the invitation by Dr. Singh.

Muslim representative from UK inaugurated their Guide Book on Green Hajj. About 6 Million pilgrims are expected to Hajj this November and Muslims hope to spread to word to curtail the use of plastic bottles. The city of Trondheim, a pilgrim city in northern Europe presented its own plans and the mayor of the city, Mr. Geirund Lykke invited the faiths for the second conference of GPC network in 2012.

Her Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent conferring with Dalmegh Singh and Mr. Pannu along with Martin Palmer

Other plans announced by Green Pilgrimage Network leaders included measures to protect nature, teach children about conservation, protect sacred forests, reduce waste and encourage recycling, and organize nature tours for pilgrims.

The Green Pilgrimage Network released a list of various efforts pilgrims and pilgrim cities can make, such as choosing sustainable tourist agencies and travel arrangements, eating and drinking ethically, minimizing waste, and supporting work being done locally to help “green” the sacred destination.

The Sacred Land Celebration opened on 31 October with a procession of religious delegates, led by Her Royal Highness Princess Michael of Kent. She represented ARC founder the Duke of Edinburgh, who was unable to attend because of illness.

Ravneet Singh and Dr. Rajwant Singh presenting the city of Amritsar to the conference and Sikh traditional practices

Assisi, (Italy) 1st November: Inaugural conference of Green Pilgrim Network (GPN) organized by Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC) opened in Assisi, here today. ARC has brought together major faiths of the world to form a Green network of pilgrimage cities across the globe. In this inaugural conference 11 world pilgrim cities of different faiths are participating including Amritsar represented by Sikhs at Assisi.

The conference began with procession from basilica of St Francis, Assisi led by Royal Princess Michael, Duke of Kent. In addition, religious leaders of major faiths in their traditional robes and attires joined the procession. Representatives of faiths included Sikhs, Baha?is , Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Dao of China, Mongolian Buddhist, Church of Armenian, St. Albans, Anglican Church, Jews, Shinto from Japan and Muslims representing cities of their faiths in the inaugural gathering. High-school children from Assisi carried the flags containing symbols of different religions. Sikh religion was represented in the procession by S. Dalmegh Singh, Secretary Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) along with Mr. Kahan Singh Pannu, IAS, Chairman Punjab Pollution Control Board PPCB, Dr. Rajwant Singh, President EcoSikh from Washington DC and Ravneet Pal Singh, EcoSikh Project Manager from India.

The colorful and impressive procession culminated at the conference hall where prayers by leaders of different faiths were recited. Dr. Rajwant Singh recited the hymns of Aarti from the Sikh scriptures, Sri Guru Granth Sahib in the assembly, signifying the importance of nature in the universe. Amritsar, the city of Golden Temple is the only Indian city of pilgrimage to join the green network so far. SGPC has been instrumental in the matter of joining the green network spearheaded by EcoSikh.

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Founders of Religions are Sorry

Founders of religions are sorry

If founders of all the religions come to this world once again and see the people of their fold they shall feel sorry. They shall not be happy. They shall not be in a position to see even man who is following the teachings they had left for their followers. All have gone astray. None is following the principles which they had laid down and they had recorded in religious books left by them. The man has got his own difficulties. It has become very difficult for him to speak the truth. He cannot have a clean life. He has to commit so many sins, so many crimes and so many misconducts. He cannot be faithful, sincere and truthful. He or she cannot maintain full faith towards his or her life partner. At times they could be attracted towards opposite sex and there are chances of sex indulgence which is prohibited. They are not serving their parents in the manner provided in religious books. They are not bringing up their children in the right manner and there are instances where the parents are failing to give proper bringing up, proper education, proper training and proper adjustment in life. They are producing more and more children and they are not caring for their children. They are turning terrorists and rioters and there are instances where the people had been killing innocent people, which course is prohibited in all the religions. We have noted that the people are just showing that they are religious people and it is on record that people of one religion had been converting people in an other religion and if they were not agreeing, those were killed. There are instances when people of one religion had been demolishing religious places of another religion and had been constructing religious places of other religions. Such a course has not been provided in any of the religious book on this earth, but people had been doing such things and our history books are full of such instances.

No one can correct this man. He had been on wrong paths and there are chances that this man shall remain on the wrong path. They are visiting religious places, they are reciting religious books, they are holding discussions and discourses on religious matters and when they are returning to their home they are busy conducting in the same manner in which they were busy before going to the religious place. They are busy in competition and people of one religion are telling the people of other religions that their religion has got better concepts and principles of life. They are constructing beautiful religious places and they are visiting those places in large number. They are utilizing loudspeakers which means their God is hard of hearing. They are hiring people to conduct prayers for them and they are just paying them . Such hired people are conducting prayers for them or they are conducting prayers for themselves, is a question which is still unanswered.

None on this earth is a true religious person. All are artificial religious persons and that is the reason we all are on the wrong path. We have so many good principles maintained in our religious books and time has come when we should collect all such good items in one books and we shall try to adopt those good items and follow those items in our day to day life. None can follow all the items and therefore, it is difficult to become a complete religious person. But if we attain only 40 per cent marks, we shall be having some place in the room where good people are kept by God and if we do not attain this position then Hell shall be the normal place for us all. Since the Hell is already full, God is keeping those people on this earth and that is the reason more and more people are found who are committing crimes, sins and misconducts here on this earth. Our police stations are full, our courts are full and our jails are full and it must be admitted that most of the people could conceal much and if all sins, crimes and misconducts are open none shall be out of these institutions. When we all have gone astray, even God seems to have left us all alone and none is safe here on this earth. Religious could not play the role for which these religions had been established.

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Why don’t we destroy all current religions and create a new One World Religion with the help of the spirits?

Question by Guy: Why don’t we destroy all current religions and create a new One World Religion with the help of the spirits?
Why don’t we destroy all current religions on Earth and wait for the God(s) and spirits that really exist to come and help us to create a One World Religion that would start again fresh?
That would stop religious wars and conflict between religion and science

Best answer:

Answer by V8
IT WILL HAPPEN GIVE IT DUE TIME.

Give your answer to this question below!

Letter- Religions Could not Correct the Conduct of the People in the World

Religions could not correct the conduct of the people in the world.

Sir,

If we have a look on the people who are in jails we shall find that people belonging to all the religions are available there and if we arrange them offence-wise, we shall find that all the people belonging to different religions are committing crimes, sins and misconducts and there is no religion people of which are not committing crimes. So we can that people in this world are religious people and they look religious, but whatever the religions had taught them, they are not following those principles in life and while dealing with others. The main guidelines of all the religions are the same, but since we have been divided, there is no chance of collecting all the people in one group. The people shall remain divided and more and more problems shall be there in the world and ultimately, there are chances that people shall be divided just on the basis of religions and they shall be establishing their separate countries. People will not be adopting the principles of their religions and they shall be forming just separate groups and this division shall continue because all efforts to unite the man have failed.

( Dalip Singh Wasan )Advocate,

101-C-Vikas Colony, Patiala-India-147003.

Article from articlesbase.com

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Religions In India

Though limited in its physical space, India has always had a vast area opened for all those who have wanted to take refuge to its lands. The welcoming attitude of this nation has given it the unique characteristic of being a country with people following several religions and faiths. The pellucid air of the nation becomes sacred with the pious sounds of Azaan from the mosques, conchs from the temples, big bell from the church and Gurbani from the Gurudwara.

The main religions followed in the country are Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and Sikhism. The dominant majority of the Indians, which is around 82 percent of the entire population of India, follow the Hindu faith and thus you can find most of the festivals celebrated here, like Diwali, Dussehra, Janmashtmi, Shivratri, Ram Navami, Ganesh Chaturthi, all find their roots deeply connected with the Hindu mythology. Other religions, except Hinduism, are a result of invasions,conquests, travelers and missionaries. Jainism, Buddhism, Judaism and Zoroastrianism are the other religions that gradually emerged and strengthened their roots in India.

People following Hinduism worship three main Gods who form a trinity, Lord Brahma who is the creator, Lord Vishnu who is the savior and Lord Shiva or Shankar, the destroyer. Hindus believe in Karma, incarnations, salvation and idol worship. The revered books are four Vedas-Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sam Veda and Atharva Veda. Other Holy books that include divine teachings are Ramayana, Mahabharat and the Puranas. The four major holy places for Hindus are Badrinath, Puri, Rameshwaram and Dwarka, as the places find mention in the mythological books. Some trees, plants like basil and animals, especially cows and snakes, are highly worshiped.

Only around 12 percent of the population in India follow Islam. Islam has its roots in Saudi Arabia and the religion spread to India and to other places as a result of Muslim Invasions from Turkey, Yemen and Afghanistan since the 11th Century. Through violence of the sword, many people were converted into Islam, which enhanced their presence in the country. Muslims mainly belong to two sects-the Shias and the Sunnis, having different beliefs and principles. Some Muslims are Sheiks, who call themselves the generations of the first muslims while others call themselves Syeds, who believe they are of Prophet Mohammed’s daughter’s clan.

The holy book of Islam is Quran and their language is called Urdu. They worship the holy Quran in a mosque, but women are not allowed to enter here. They offer their prayers from home. The main Muslim festivals celebrated in India are Id-i-Milad, Bakri-Id, Shab-i-Barat and Muharram. Their prayer is called Namaaz and their thirty day fasting ritual is known as Ramzaan.

Christianity is a religion which is followed in every country of the world. Around 2.5 percent of the Indian population follow Christianity. The religion originated two thousand years ago in Bethlehem or Palestine. Christians worship Jesus Christ in Churches and they follow their holy book, Bible. The main festivals they celebrate are Christmas, Easter, Good Friday and Lent. These festivals are more commonly celebrated in the states of Goa and Kerala, where Christian population is in abundance.

Sikhism is followed by 2 percent of the Indian population. The Sikhs are easily identified by their turbans, colorful attire and humble nature. The religion was established by Guru Nanak Dev Ji and it flourished under the leadership of the ten gurus that followed the lineage. The Sikhism teachings say that there shouldn’t be any discrimination between people on the basis of caste, creed, race, sex or religion. They follow the teachings of their holy book, Guru Granth Sahib and worship it in the Gurudwara. The main Sikh festivals are Baisakhi, Lohri and Gurupurab.

Jainism is considered by many, to have its roots in India. The religion originated in around 500 BC, founded by the 24th Jain Tirthankar or prophet, Lord Mahavira. Jains worship the prophets of the religion as Gods and follow their teachings that includes following of non-violence or Ahimsa to attain salvation. The religion is divided into two sects-the Digambars and the Shwetambars. The digambar remain nude and consider the sky to be their only covering while shwetambars wear white clothes as a mark of purity. The main Jain pilgrimage spots in India include Mount Abu in Rajasthan, Mount Gimar in Gujarat and Mount Shatunjaya near Palitana.

Buddhism is another religion that originated in India as a system of moral teachings and guidelines of conduct. Like Jainism, it was also created in around 500 BC when Siddhartha achieved enlightenment in Gaya and became Gautam Buddha. The teachings of Gautam Budhha mainly included the four noble truths and the eight-fold path of conduct, which comprises of right understanding, thought, speech, endeavor, action, mode of living, concentration and mindfulness. Buddhism is widely followed in north and north-eastern parts of India like Ladakh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh. The main Buddhist scriptures are Vinaya Pitaka, Sutta Pitaka and Abhidamma Pitaka. The place of worship is known as a monastery or Gompa. Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, Sanchi and Ajanta.

Zoroastrianism is a religion that was founded in Persia in around 6th Century BC and its followers are known as Parsis. Many Parsis fled to the coastal regions of Maharashtra, especially Mumbai, to escape violence in their country. They worship Lord Ahura Mazda and their holy scripture is known as Zend-e-Avesta. The basic teachings of Zoroastrianism includes the logic behind man’s existence, his duties and his final destination. Their main place of pilgrimage is Udwada in Gujarat.The main Parsi rituals include Navjoti, when a child is welcomed to the world of Zoroastrianism and No Ruz or the New Year.

So many variations can be observed in the beliefs, customs, rituals, moral conducts and ways of worship in these religions. Some raise their joined palm in a crescent shape, some join their hands and bow down while others move the prayer wheel, but the hopes, the faiths and the wishes are quite the same. The multiplicity of hues on a same canvas, make it more vibrant and meaningful than a plain white sheet. This is what India is all about, vibrant with variations, bonded with affection!

For more information about culture and religions of India, visit www.cultural-heritage-india.com

Article from articlesbase.com

GOD IS NOT ONE, Best-Selling Author Stephen Prothero, Compares the Eight Rival Religions That Run the World?And Why Their Differences Matter

GOD IS NOT ONE, Best-Selling Author Stephen Prothero, Compares the Eight Rival Religions That Run the World—And Why Their Differences Matter














Cover: GOD IS NOT ONE: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World — And Why Their Differences Matter by Stephen Prothero


San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) April 13, 2010

In GOD IS NOT ONE, available from HarperOne Publishers April 20, religion scholar and author, Stephen Prothero supplies readers with much-needed literacy about each of the world’s great religions—opening our eyes to the religious clashes that threaten us worldwide, and creating a new context for the study of religion in the 21st century.

“At least since the first petals of the counterculture bloomed across Europe and the United States in the 1960s, it has been fashionable to affirm that all religions are beautiful and all are true….This is a lovely sentiment but it is dangerous, disrespectful, and untrue.” – Stephen Prothero, from the Introduction

According to many popular religion writers like Karen Armstrong, Huston Smith, and Wayne Dyer, all religions are “different paths to the same God.”

Not true, says bestselling author and religion scholar Stephen Prothero. In his new book God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World—And Why Their Differences Matter (HarperOne; May 2010; Hardcover; $ 26.99; ISBN 9780061571275), Prothero shows how the world’s religions ask very different questions, tackle very different problems, and aim at very different goals. And he explains why this matters both personally and politically.

Beginning with Islam—which of all the great religions has the greatest contemporary impact—he then moves on (in order of influence) to Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Yoruba Religion, Judaism, and Daoism. He highlights the unique contributions each tradition has made to our collective conversation about the things that matter most. And along the way, he explains how each attempts to overcome a different roadblock to human happiness. For example:


    Islam: the problem is pride / the solution is submission
    Christianity: the problem is sin / the solution is salvation
    Confucianism: the problem is chaos / the solution is social order
    Buddhism: the problem is suffering / the solution is awakening
    Judaism: the problem is exile / the solution is to return to God

To claim that all religions are the same is foolish. And to suggest that these traditions don’t matter is not just foolish, but dangerous. Throughout history and across the globe, religion matters. It has, after all, toppled the Bamiyan statues of the Buddha in Afghanistan and the Twin Towers in New York City. It has stirred up civil war in Sri Lanka and Darfur. It has moved elections in the United States. And it has resisted coalition troops in Iraq.

In God Is Not One, Stephen Prothero supplies readers with much-needed literacy about each of the world’s great religions—opening our eyes to the religious clashes that threaten us worldwide, and creating a new context for the study of religion in the 21st century.

About the Author

Stephen Prothero is the New York Times bestselling author of Religious Literacy and a professor of religion at Boston University. His work has been featured on the cover of Time magazine, Oprah, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, National Public Radio, and other top national media outlets. He writes and reviews for The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Boston Globe, Washington Post, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Salon, and other publications.

Stephen Prothero will promote God Is Not One in the following cities:

New York, NY – April 19 – 20

Boston, MA – April 27 and ongoing

Chicago, IL – April 29 & 30

Manchester, VT – May 7

Atlanta, GA – May 11 & 12

Raleigh, NC – May 13

New York, NY – May 27 & 28

Praise for God Is Not One:

“Provocative, thoughtful, fiercely intelligent, and, for both believing and nonbelieving, formal and informal students of religion, a must-read.” — Booklist

“Prothero sets up a helpful model for examining each religion on its own terms…a useful introduction to eight of the world’s great religions.” — Publishers Weekly

“Stephen Prothero has done it again. This is a powerfully-written, paradigm-shifting book. We live in the most religiously diverse country in the world and the most religiously devout nation in the West at a time of global religious crisis. How religious differences can be a bridge of cooperation rather than a bomb of destruction is one of the most important challenges of our era, and on that question Stephen Prothero is as good a guide as you will find.” — Eboo Patel,

Founder and Executive Director, Interfaith Youth Core, and author of Acts of Faith

“This book could well be the most highly readable, accurate, and up-to-date introduction to the world’s major religions. It does so by avoiding either polemics or the naive equating of them all as merely different paths to the same summit. Prothero faces the real differences among them squarely, but demonstrates how these differences can enrich, not prevent, dialogue and cooperation.” — Harvey Cox, author of The Future of Faith

“So all religions lead to God? That is certainly the foundation for a widespread and well-meaning modern assumption. But as Prothero shows us in this erudite and very wide-ranging study, the world’s different faiths differ enormously in their essentials as well as their incidental manifestations, and any serious consideration of the role of religion must begin by recognizing that fact. God Is Not One is an elegant and thoughtful study that challenges much of what we think we know about the great religions.” — Philip Jenkins, author of Jesus Wars

“An urgently needed and very nicely done corrective to politically correct nonsense.”

— Rodney Stark, author of Discovering God: The Origins of the Great Religions and the Evolution of Faith

“With intelligence, wit, wisdom, and humor, Prothero has written an important and informative book, which happens to also be a very entertaining read! Through discussion of the world’s great religions, the book makes a convincing argument about religious difference, a hopeful antidote both to the idea that religions are mutually exclusive and to the schmaltzy claim that ‘all religions are one.’ In God is Not One, Prothero gives us a way to religious literacy. Everyone will benefit from reading this book.” — Pamela Eisenbaum, author of Paul Was Not a Christian

“By giving us the best compact guide to world religions in years, Prothero has done an estimable public service in addressing religious illiteracy. With his usual combination of wit, insight, and breezy prose, he shows us that comparative religion can be both important and fun. His core point—that religions are diverse and plural, not necessarily mystical expressions of the same inner truth—is bracing and relevant. God Is Not One is the ideal jumping-off point for anyone who wants a single book that captures the core ideals and values of the leading religious traditions.” — Noah Feldman, Bemis Professor of Law, Harvard Law School,

and author of The Fall and Rise of the Islamic State

“Enough of lazy paddling of a false and dangerous idea that all religions are the same! They are the same and they are different, they are clashing and complementary, overlapping and incongruous. To live together well in a globalized world, we need to know each other’s faiths, learn to debate in a civil way about their truth claims, and above come to respect each other even when we disagree on what matters to us the most. A very much needed book!” — Miroslav Volf, Professor, Yale University, and author of Exclusion and Embrace

GOD IS NOT ONE: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World—And Why Their Differences Matter

By Stephen Prothero

HarperOne, an Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers

May 2010 | $ 26.99 | Hardcover | ISBN: 9780061571275

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MajorReligions.com Announces Launch of New Book — Major Religions of the World — Revisited



Denver, CO (PRWEB) November 13, 2008

Robert Fawcett, the author has been writing about religion since the last ten years during which his initial writings took the form of a short and succinct essay that recorded his learning about the Anglican Communion and provided a snapshot of this world wide community. Robert is mindful of the fact that some common questions that keep cropping up are about the origins of the Church, the divide between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Catholic Church and its reasons as well as its fallout. He explores all these in his collection of essays that has been aptly titled, “The Church, The Holy Catholic Church, How It came to be ….and other curiosities.”

The latest book release, Major Religions of the World Revisited deals with the ‘Other Curiosities’ so to speak and provides a brief capsule on the other religions like Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Christianity and Judaism. Being a Businessman turned Religious writer, Robert Fawcett’s perspective is that of the common man who seeks to analyze death, the transient nature of life on this earth and to identify the difference between the religions practiced by him and by those in other parts of the world.

Postulating on the attractive aspects of his recently released book Robert Fawcett says, “The reader does not have to read several books on this subject. It is a synopsis of each religion, and the reader can further research the subject at will.”

About www.majorreligions.com:

Robert Fawcett is a businessman turned author. After writing essays and papers on the subject of religion, he was encouraged to turn this study on the major religions into this book. The recent release is not intended to add the million scholarly books on the subject of comparative religion, instead it serves to give a peek into the mind of this rancher turned Businessman turned religious author who is willing to take readers on an inner journey on a path oft traveled by each one of us at some time or the other.

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Religions Keep Us Away From God

Religions keep us away from God

Dalip Singh Wasan, Advocate

There might have been a time when some people established religions to show this man the path which would lead him towards God. The man could not reach God, but on the other hand this man had been divided into different religions, had started fighting in name of religion and it is on record that this man is now a divided lot and they have got no unity amongst themselves. They are Hindus, they are Muslims, they are Sikhs, they are Christians or the like and if we start counting sub religions, then we shall have to consume so many note books for this purpose. The man started to reach God through these religions and through these sub religions and he is still showing that he is on the path. But centuries have passed and this man is still not near to God.

In all the religious books, we have been told that God is one and one only, but only this concept contained in all the religious books could not be adopted by this man. If he admits this concept, that is an artificial admission. In reality, this man is divided only in name of God and that is the reason all the religions have given God different names and they are not accepting that one God is equal to the other God. They are divided in names of religions and in names of Gods and they are preparing for a next world war in which religions shall fight and they shall try to finish religions.

The people of the world have reached a stage where they shall have to pray before God that He should send another person on this earth who should abolish all the religions on this earth and should establish one and only one religion so that the divisions which had been made in this world should be abolished and this man could be united as one force on this earth. And till these divisions on the basis of religions are there, this man would never unite and till he unites, there shall be no peace and till peace is not there, this man shall consume most of his time, resources, energy for preparation of war heads and those energies shall never be utilized for the welfare of this man. If we have a deep look on the present circumstances, we shall come to the conclusion that one set of people are turning terrorists, as other set of people are turning rioters and another set of people are preparing themselves for attacking the terrorists and the rioters with the forces of arms in their hands. It seems that this man is living last days of his life on this earth and we shall be destroying everything on this earth and we shall compel this earth to give birth to the man once again and that man shall have to start from the very beginning.

It seems that even the people and scholars who are trained in religions and who claim that they know everything contained in their religious books, they must come forward and must tell the people true meaning of religion and they must tell the people that all the religious books and all the religions are telling us the same things and therefore, there is only one and only one religion on this earth and that is humanity. No man should be allowed to say that he belongs to a particular religion. In all the records maintained, this man should be declared as a human being and he should stop calling himself as a Hindu, as a Christian, as Sikh, as a Muslim or the like. The scholars should sit and prepare one religious books for all the people which should be so simple that everyone could understand the contents and they should not need people who should sit and collect them for explaining the texts. The religious book should be translated in all the languages so that the contents could be understood by all and not concentrated to a few. The religion must play right role and that is possible. The people who had been telling us the contents of religious books had been misleading us and today they have brought us at a very dangerous place where we are ready to die and kill people of other religions. This is bad and time is there when we should see our mistakes and we must correct our mistakes without any further loss of time.

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Article from articlesbase.com

Related World Religion Articles

Question All religions basically teach followers to do good deeds. Why should a person only follow Islam? Can he not follow any of the religions?

ALL RELIGIONS TEACH MEN TO BE RIGHTEOUS, THEN WHY FOLLOW ONLY ISLAM?


Question

All religions basically teach followers to do good deeds. Why should a person only follow Islam? Can he not follow any of the religions?

Answer


1
.   Major difference between Islam and most other religions

All religions basically exhort mankind to be righteous and eschew evil. But Islam goes beyond that. It guides us towards practical ways of achieving righteousness and eliminating evil from our individual and collective lives. Islam takes into account human nature and the complexities of human society. Islam is guidance from the Creator Himself. Therefore, Islam is also called the Deen-ul-Fitrah (the natural religion of Man).


2
.   Example – Islam commands us to shun robbery and also prescribes method of eleminating robbery

Islam prescribes method of eliminating robbery
All major religions teach that theft is an evil act. Islam teaches the same. So what is the difference between Islam and the other religions? The difference lies in the fact that Islam, besides teaching that robbing is evil, shows a practical way of creating a social structure in which people will not rob.

Islam prescribes Zakaat
Islam prescribes a system of Zakaat (obligatory annual charity). Islamic law prescribes that every person who has a saving that exceeds the nisaab level i.e. more than 85 grams of gold, should give 2.5% of that saving every lunar year in charity. If every rich person in the world gave Zakaat sincerely, poverty will be eradicated from this world. Not a single human being would die of hunger.

Chopping off the hands as punishment for robbery
Islam prescribes chopping off the hands of the convicted robber. The Glorious Qur’an says in Surah Maidah:
“As to the thief, male or female, cut off his or her hands:a punishment by way
of example, from Allah, for their crime: and Allah is Exalted in power, full of wisdom.”
[ Al-Qur’an 5:38]
The non-Muslim may say, “Chopping off the hands in this 20th century. Islam is a barbaric and ruthless religion!”

Results achieved when Islamic Shariah Implemented
America is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries in the world. Unfortunately it also has one of the highest rates of crime, theft, and robbery. Suppose the Islamic shariah is implemented in America i.e. every rich person gives Zakaat ( 2.5% of his savings in charity above 85 grams of gold every lunar year), and every convicted robber has his or her hands chopped off as a punishment. Will the rate of theft and robbery in America increase, remain same or decrease? Naturally it will decrease. Moreover the existence of such a stringent law would discourage many a potential robber.

I agree that the amount of theft that takes place in the world today is so tremendous that if you chop off the hands of all the thieves, there will be tens of thousands of people whose hands will be chopped off. The point here is that the moment you implement this law the rate of theft will decline immediately. The potential robber would give it a serious thought before jeopardizing his limbs. The mere thought of the punishment itself will discourage majority of the robbers. There will barely be a few who would rob. Hence only a few person’s hands would be chopped off but millions would live peacefully without fear of being robbed.

Islamic Shariah is therefore practical, and achieves results.


3.
Example: Islam prohibits the molestation and rape of women. It enjoins hijaab and prescribes capital punishment for a convicted rapist.

Islam prescribes method of eliminating molestation and rape
All the major religions declare the molestation and rape of women as grave sins. Islam teaches the same. What then is the difference between Islam and the other religions? The difference lies in the fact that Islam does not merely preach respect for women, or abhor molestation and rape as serious crimes, but also gives clear guidance as to how society can eliminate such crimes.
Hijaab for men
Islam has a system of hijaab. The Glorious Qur’an first mentions hijaab for the men and then for the women. Hijaab for the men is mentioned in the following verse:

“Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do.”
[Al-Qur’an 24:30]

The moment a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he should lower his gaze.

Hijaab for women
Hijaab for women is mentioned in the following verse:

“And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons….”

[Al-Qur’an 24:31]

The extent of hijaab for a woman is that her complete body should be covered. The only part that can be seen, are the face and the hands up to the wrists. If they wish to cover, they can even cover these parts of the body. However some Islamic scholars insist that even the face should be covered.

Hijaab prevents molestation
The reason why Allah has prescribed Hijaab for the women is given in the Qur’an in the folowing verse of Surah Al-Ahzab:

“O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women,that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad): that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, most Merciful.”

[Al-Qur’an 33:59]

The Qur’an says that Hijaab has been prescribed for the women so that they are recognized as modest women this would prevent them from being molested.

Example of twin sisters
Suppose two sisters who are twins and who are equally beautiful, walk down a street. One of them is wearing the Islamic Hijaab i.e. the complete body is covered except for the face and the hands up to the wrists, and the other twin is wearing a mini skirt or shorts. Around the corner there is a hooligan who is waiting for an opportunity to tease a girl. Who will he tease? The girl wearing the Islamic Hijaab or the girl wearing the mini skirt or shorts? Dresses that expose more than they conceal, are an indirect temptation to the opposite sex for teasing, molestation and rape. The Qur’an rightly says that the hijaab prevents women from being molested.
Capital punishment for rapist
The Islamic shariah prescribes capital punishment for a convicted rapist. The non-Muslim may be horrified at such a stringent punishment in this age. Many accuse Islam of being ruthless and barbaric. I have asked a common question to hundreds of non-Muslim men. Suppose God-forbid, some one rapes your wife, your mother or your sister and you are made the judge. The rapist is brought in front of you. What punishment would you give him? All of them said, “we would put him to death.” Some went to the extent of saying, “we would torture him to death”, If your wife or your mother is raped you want the rapist to be put to death. But if someone else’s wife or mother is raped, capital punishment is a barbaric law. Why the double standards?
U.S.A. has one of the highest rate of Rape
The United States of America is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries of the world. An F.B.I report in the year 1990 says that 1,02,555 cases of rape were reported. It further says that only 16% of the cases of rapes are reported. Thus, in order to know the actual number of rapes that took place in 1990, the reported figure should be multiplied by 6.25. We get a total of 6,40,968 rape cases that took place in the year 1990. If the total is divided by 365 the number of days in a year, we get an average of 1,756 rape incidents everyday.

Later another report said that an average of 1900 cases of rape are committed in U.S.A every day. According to National Crime Victimization Survey Bureau of Justice Statistics (U. S. Dept. of Justice) in 1996 alone 3,07,000 cases of rape were reported. Only 31% of the actual cases of rape were reported. Thus, 3,07,000 X 3.226 = 9,90,322 rapes took place in 1996. That is, an average of 2,713 cases of rape took place everyday in America in 1996. Every 32 seconds one rape is taking place in America. Maybe American rapists got bolder. The FBI report of 1990 continues and says that out of the rape cases that were reported only 10% of the rapist were arrested, that is only 1.6% of the actual rapes committed. Out of those arrested, 50% were let free before the trial. This would mean that only 0.8% of the rapists faced a trial. In other words if a person commits 125 rapes the chances that he will get a punishment for rape is only once. Many would consider this a good gamble. And the report says that of those people who faced trial 50% received sentences of less than a year’s imprisonment though the American law says rape carries a seven year sentence of imprisonment. For a rapist, the judge is lenient to first time offenders. Imagine a person commits 125 rapes and the chances of being convicted is only once, and 50% of the time the judge will grant leniency and give a sentence of less than a year!

Results achieved when Islamic Shariah Implemented
Suppose the Islamic shariah is implemented in America. Whenever a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he lowers his gaze. Every woman wears the Islamic Hijaab, that is the complete body is covered except the face and the hands upto the wrists. After this if any man commits rape, he gets capital punishment. The question is, will the rate of rape in America increase, will it remain the same or will it decrease? Naturally it will decrease. Islamic Shariah gets results.


4.
Islam has Practical Solutions for the Problems of Mankind

Islam is the best way of life because its teachings are not doctrinaire rhetoric but practical solutions for the problems of mankind. Islam achieves results both at the individual and collective levels. Islam is the best way of life because it is a practical, universal religion not confined to any ethnic group or nationality.

Islamabad Pakistan

www.mohsinfarhad.webs.com

Article from articlesbase.com

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Pave the Way Foundation Issues Call to Action for All World Religions

(PRWEB) June 6, 2005

New York, NY (PRWEB) June 6, 2005 Â? Pave the Way Foundation commends the 58 Pakistani clerics who recently condemned violence in the name of Islam. Their statement is an important step in bringing an end to the chain of violent events that now endanger every human being on the planet. The organization now call upon all world religions to forward their own message condemning those who falsely invoke GodÂ?s name to convince others to commit murder and suicide.

This month, in Lahore, Pakistan, fifty-eight clerics issued a fatwa (decree) declaring that those who believe that suicide attacks are meant to earn blessings would be considered out of Islam. Mufti Mohammad Khan Qadri, Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal MNA, Maulana Abdul Malik and other prominent clerics were present on the occasion. The edict says that Islam forbids suicide attacks on Muslims and that those committing such acts at places of worship and public congregations cease to be Muslims. The decree said that killing innocent people was haram (forbidden) in Islam.

Â?The worldÂ?s major conflicts are based in religious extremism,Â? said Gary Krupp, Founder and President of Pave the Way Foundation. Â?ItÂ?s time that the worldÂ?s religions take responsibility for these extremists. Governments cannot respond to religious zealots, only the religions can denounce their misguided interpretations. Only the worldÂ?s religions, in a united voice, can stop the evil people who victimize others by promoting violence by using the name of God.Â?

Pave the Way Foundation calls upon the leaders and all members of the worldÂ?s religions to stand with these brave clerics of Pakistan. The organization calls upon them to make the following statements, true to all the worldÂ?s religions:


Our religion does not condone murder.

Our religion does not condone suicide.

We must take responsibility to help our fellow man.

History is replete with stories of Â?religiousÂ? people harming and killing others in the name of god. These stories have sullied the good name of religion. Yet, history has neglected to report on the true perpetrators, evil individuals who have usurped the name of religion in order to wage war against other individuals and groups.

Pave the Way Foundation is the one organization worldwide dedicated to inter-religious action, by eliminating the obstacles between the faiths through gestures of good will. The group organized and conducted an audience with Pope John Paul II containing the largest number of Jewish persons to ever meet with a pope. Pave the Way arranged to have the works of Maimonides (a 13th-Century Jewish philosopher) loaned from the Vatican to the Israel Museum, the first time in history these writings will be on Israeli soil. It is arranging a mission of peace loving Muslim leaders to travel to Israel to show the world that Muslims do not hate Jews and Israelis and Israelis and Jews do not hate Muslims.

The Pakistani clerics have planted a seed. This growing trend of Muslims, who wish to defend their religion against those who defile its name by acts clearly forbidden in the Holy QurÂ?an, must be encouraged. www.Freemuslims.org is another group, which should be encouraged. The religions must be bonded in their common message and should stand shoulder to shoulder in supporting these benevolent statements.

Â?Destructive extremists exist in all of our religions,Â? said Krupp, Â?When their deeds cause harm to others, the religions must bond together loudly and in unison, with their common message, to condemn these acts. The religions have created these monsters of extremism and must be collectively assume the responsibility of dealing with them.Â?

About Pave the Way Foundation

Pave the Way has a simple yet monumental goal — to enable all world religions to achieve their goals by embracing their similarities and savoring their differences. In today’s world, some try to achieve their goals through violence, in the name of religion. To silently allow this to happen defames every faith. Our vision is that the unified voice of the world’s great religious leaders condemning violence and promoting trust will pave the way to peace.

Contact:

Gary Krupp

350 Fifth Avenue, Suite 3805

New York, NY 10118

(212) 629-0046

http://www.pavethewayfoundation.org

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