One man's meat it another man's poison. What makes perfect sense to one group is sheer lunacy to another. If there is one God, then why do we have so many religions? We have them because we have so many MEN! Mohammed saw an angel, Joseph Smith saw an angel. Everybody saw an angel. In both cases no one else was there, (wink, wink) so we have to take their word for it, and I KNOW these gentlemen would NEVER spin a yarn. The more science invades, the more the faithful have to close their eyes, ever tighter, because to lose the faith is unthinkable. From flying horses to golden tablets we have it all. Joseph Smith's ideas are contrary to DNA and Mohammed's visions are contrary to common sense, BUT they had an angel.
We have this confragulation (hey, I made that up) because man has a religious gene. The mind seeks to complete circles. When the circles become broken the religion resulting thereof becomes unfathomable, and THAT'S where faith comes in. Carl Marx wrote, "Religion is the opiate of man." That's RELIGION, not God!Verily, verily I say unto thee that religion is man's feeble attempt to explain the unexplainable. The atheist looks up at the stars and asks, "Why?" The believer looks up and asks, "Why not?" The foundation of it all is inspiration. The product is religion. God is spirit. Man is spirit. Mind to mind. The mind of God to the mind of man. How to tell inspiration from religion? Sometimes the inspired word is overruled by our own thoughts. Inspiration weighed in the balance of secular thought is religion. Ask yourself, if you were God would you create a universe based on torture, pain and sorrow? Would you create creatures just to set them against one another to define your will? Then, would you set up an afterlife for just some of your creatures? Just the ones who understood Simon Says? Of course you wouldn't! You get THOSE things when you get religion!
Once a man went to heaven. He met Saint Peter, and while being shown around town they came upon a magnificent marble wall. Upon approaching it Peter told the man to be quiet whenever he was near this wall. Later, when meeting a friend who had passed years before, as they caught up on old times the friend told the man to tone it down as they walked near the wall. When his first day in heaven was coming to an end the man came upon the Virgin Mary. He was very pleased at her receptiveness, and asked her many questions, but, like the others, when they neared the wall she pressed a finger to her lips, and gently led him away. When they got a suitable distance from the wall the man asked, " What is behind that wall? Is Jesus there?"
"Oh no, nothing like that. In Heaven, God wishes to give souls what they desired the most."
"Then what is behind the wall," he pressed.
Looking around to make sure no one was near she said, "The Catholics. They think they're up here by themselves."
If there is a God then it only goes to follow that he's almost GOT to be smarter than we are. He holds all the cards. He MADE the cards! That's a given. He wouldn't create to destroy. He wouldn't make life and then devise a system to end it. This is how you separate inspiration from Religion. Inspiration is simple and direct. When you try to fit inspiration into your own world view you have religion. Heeere's your wall! Jesus taught love, build, and uplift. Mohammed taught hate, destruction, and bring down. I really don't know what Joseph Smith taught because the final edit isn't out yet. I've read the Qu'ran with all the "Allah is wise, most forgiving," but where was that when a man burned in the cage? What edification proceeded from such an action? I've read the Book of Mormon. I've also read The DaVinci Code, Betty Crocker cook books, and the Karma Sutra. Now, if all of this offends some I TOLD you I was a Simple Ol' Boy From Austin, ok?
There are harsh parts of the Bible, but the Qu'ran is based on harsh. When you find harsh in the Bible most times it's historical, the actions of men, where someone did something they had to justify. Religion! In the Qu'ran "God" takes a direct hand. The inspiration of the Bible simply cannot be the same as the Qu'ran. How can a document be the validation of a previous document when it denies the very foundation thereof? There are parts of the Bible throughout the Book of Mormon and the Qu'ran, but if I borrowed that much material from another book I'd get my pants sued off!
Jesus came to clarify what the Prophets tried to say, and the Rabbis had the Ten Commandments so screwed up that His entire message was, "Mellow out!" It's very simple. When you hear that quiet voice, it reflects God. When you write it down it is called scripture. When you interpret it it is called religion! Man is man and God is God and that is that! The qualifier is easy. When you see life it is God. When you see death it is man.When you see confusion it is religion. The number seven symbolizes perfection. The number six symbolizes a little less than perfection. Something, while near, that can never be the seven. Three sixes? Very simple. MAN, MAN, MAN! Re-li-gion!
Inspiration is the first track on a thirty-two track mixing board. A guitar solo. Pure, simple, to the heart. Adding tracks may make it more palatable up to a point, but at some point the guitar becomes just a background track, and the beauty is lost. When you strip away the layers the song remains the same. Simple and direct. God speaks in a quiet voice, He never shouts us down.
When you arrive at a simple truth of inspiration it will resound in your soul, but you will never be able to explain it. It's for you, and you alone. The more you try to explain it the more it becomes more "religion" and less "inspiration." John Fogarty once wrote, "What you burn in your crazy mind," and friends and neighbors I am not exempt from that forest fire!
I once knew a mystic, heck, even used her for the foundation of my book, "Sharon." This girl mystified me. Guess that's why they call them, "Mystics." She saw visions, wrote scripture, the whole nine yards, and I was following behind her like she was Mr. Peabody. By and by I was having a beer with my mentor, Father Everette.
"Are you running with that girl who claims she' seen the Blessed Mother?"
"Yes, father. She is very deep. I'm learning a lot."
Father Ev sipped his beer, "Do you think she sees Mary?"
"I'm sure of it."
"Have you seen her, or heard her voice on these occasions?"
"Oh no, Father. I've only seen the girl pray."
Father Ev took another sip, "That's good, because that's scitzoprenia."
***Bill's opinions are his alone and are in no way reflect the opinions of God.***
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