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Things I Still Believe

Libs

By Libs
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Libs Mentor

Libs

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I no longer attend the LDS Church, but there are things the church teaches that I still believe are true. Sometimes, when I am reading or contemplating something spiritual - something I believe, like "God gave us free will", it will occur to me that it is, also, a Mormon belief. I rather like making the connection. :)

Lately, I have been trying to see the connections, rather than the divisions, between the various belief systems/religions, and that has been such an uplifting pursuit, that I thought I might share just a little of it.

A few ideas/concepts that most religions share:

Creator God(s) who are Good/Pure/Holy

Worship of this Creator

We came from this Creator

We are trying to go back or reconnect with the Creator/God

Good and evil have consequences

We can communicate with the Creator (prayer/meditation, etc)

We like to sing/chant about this Creator

Afterlife of some kind

Can you think of other things that connect the worldwide spiritual/religious communities?

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Calm Grand Master

Calm

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Go watch a really good movie, such as Radio.

You will find yourself and millions of others from various walks of life, suddenly connected.

Perhaps in discussion afterwards, but if a movie catches you up in it, it seems to me you lose awareness of others and thus are less connected while participating, not more.
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HeatherAnn Proficient

HeatherAnn

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LOVE!

Love for God (GOoD) - love & priority for truth, light & what is best for us & others in any given situation, now & in the future.

We each have some capacity to reason... & we each find motivation (inspiration/spirit). Ideally, we harmonize both to love best.

When we love, we hope & strive for what we think is best through trial & error (active faith).

Live, learn... & little by little - love better & better!

Edited by HeatherAnn
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jadams_4242 Contributor

jadams_4242

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The undeniable gift of free agency is the most important aspect and basis of this church; if you beleive in free agency you have the power and spirit to decipher the understandings of all the doctrines of this great restoration...:}

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Senator Veteran

Senator

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Perhaps in discussion afterwards, but if a movie catches you up in it, it seems to me you lose awareness of others and thus are less connected while participating, not more.

No, not necessarily. With really moving films, the report is often, "there wasn't a dry eye in the room". People are often very aware other peoples reactions in that setting. I know I often look around and notice people shedding a tear. Sometimes there's a spontaneous erruption of appause. That's a shared reaction indicating that the message was mutually received. Connected!

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Libs Mentor

Libs

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Faith, Hope and Charity =). We all believe in those... and they do some of the best things in the world =D. It is a great thing to share =).

Have a good Christmas season =D.

-TAO

Faith, hope and charity, yes, good ones, TAO! I think those are definitely things that connect us...that the worldwide spiritual communities share.

You have a wonderful Christmas season, as well. :)

The need for the restoration!

I think that is more unique to the LDS Church (and, perhaps, a few others). I do believe in restoration, but more on an individual level.

LOVE!

Love for God (GOoD) - love & priority for truth, light & what is best for us & others in any given situation, now & in the future.

We each have some capacity to reason... & we each find motivation (inspiration/spirit). Ideally, we harmonize both to love best.

When we love, we hope & strive for what we think is best through trial & error (active faith).

Live, learn... & little by little - love better & better!

I LOVE this one....YES!! :D

Love is most deftiniely a connector!

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Libs Mentor

Libs

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Go watch a really good movie, such as Radio.

You will find yourself and millions of others from various walks of life, suddenly connected.

In the faith tradition I have embraced, the "movie" is life, itself...and we are all performing/dancing in this drama together. Definitely connected, whether we are aware of it or not.

I know what you mean about a good movie and how it can connect us, though.. (it can focus our awareness on some point of the human condition, which can be a very powerful thing)..

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Sky Mentor

Sky

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That Jesus Christ is the Son of God and is divine is something that ought to unite Latter-day Saints with other Christians. But all too often, we only hear about the things that divide us.

Also, “do unto others as you would have done unto you” is a concept that I think most people profess to believe, whether or not they are a Christian.

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wenglund Grand Master

wenglund

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From what I have learned, there is a near universal belief among religions in a spirit dimension of existence that is distinct from but interconnected with the physical/temporal dimensions, a force for good which may give us a satisfying sense of purpose and meaning to life and a comforting hope for rightful justice in the end, all of which transcends humanity,

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

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Libs Mentor

Libs

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That Jesus Christ is the Son of God and is divine is something that ought to unite Latter-day Saints with other Christians. But all too often, we only hear about the things that divide us.

Also, “do unto others as you would have done unto you” is a concept that I think most people profess to believe, whether or not they are a Christian.

I hear ya about the divisions. That's one of the reasons I wanted to start this thread. I thought it would be a nice change.

Do unto others is a good one! :)

From what I have learned, there is a near universal belief among religions in a spirit dimension of existence that is distinct from but interconnected with the physical/temporal dimensions, a force for good which may give us a satisfying sense of purpose and meaning to life and a comforting hope for rightful justice in the end, all of which transcends humanity,

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

Yes, I think the belief in other dimensions is pretty universal, and also the belief in some kind of justice or karma; that everything will, ultimately, work out in a way that is fair and balanced.

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The Nehor Grand Master

The Nehor

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A few ideas/concepts that most religions share:

Creator God(s) who are Good/Pure/Holy

Worship of this Creator

We came from this Creator

We are trying to go back or reconnect with the Creator/God

Good and evil have consequences

We can communicate with the Creator (prayer/meditation, etc)

We like to sing/chant about this Creator

Afterlife of some kind

Can you think of other things that connect the worldwide spiritual/religious communities?

I don't know that most religions share these aspects. I think most Western religions (Christianity, Judaism, Islam) and their various branches do.

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Libs Mentor

Libs

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Nehor, can you think of any that do not?

I am pretty familiar with all of the eastern religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, etc) and they embrace most of those concepts, although not exactly as the Christian/Jewish traditions, but in their own way.

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bu11fr0g Community Regular

bu11fr0g

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Most of the folk religions, i.e. the native religions of Africa, the Americas, Asia, the mythologies of Egypt, the Norse, the Greeks, the Romans, the Babylonians, ...

There are kind gods, but also malevolent gods, and man sprang up from a variety of sources, often not the head god.

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The Nehor Grand Master

The Nehor

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Posted (edited)

Nehor, can you think of any that do not?

I am pretty familiar with all of the eastern religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, etc) and they embrace most of those concepts, although not exactly as the Christian/Jewish traditions, but in their own way.

I would say Hinduism's creation doesn't match. The Buddha argued that there is no rational need for a creator God. The most popular Tao creation story starts with an egg (that some have said was the Big Bang hatching) and while there is a creator giant in most accounts he is dead now. They don't have a rigid creator needed for about half of the statements in the OP.

Paganism is even farther away.

Edited by The Nehor
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Libs Mentor

Libs

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I would say Hinduism's creation doesn't match. The Buddha argued that there is no rational need for a creator God. The most popular Tao creation story starts with an egg (that some have said was the Big Bang hatching) and while there is a creator giant in most accounts he is dead now. They don't have a rigid creator needed for about half of the statements in the OP.

Paganism is even farther away.

Hinduism has many creation stories, but bottom line is that most believe God has always existed and that creation is nothing more than a great delusion...God's dreams, so to speak, given life through that central, intelligent energy. I don't think Christianity's creation story is really that different, in essence.

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Bill “Papa” Lee Grand Master

Bill “Papa” Lee

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I no longer attend the LDS Church, but there are things the church teaches that I still believe are true. Sometimes, when I am reading or contemplating something spiritual - something I believe, like "God gave us free will", it will occur to me that it is, also, a Mormon belief. I rather like making the connection. :)

Lately, I have been trying to see the connections, rather than the divisions, between the various belief systems/religions, and that has been such an uplifting pursuit, that I thought I might share just a little of it.

A few ideas/concepts that most religions share:

Creator God(s) who are Good/Pure/Holy

Worship of this Creator

We came from this Creator

We are trying to go back or reconnect with the Creator/God

Good and evil have consequences

We can communicate with the Creator (prayer/meditation, etc)

We like to sing/chant about this Creator

Afterlife of some kind

Can you think of other things that connect the worldwide spiritual/religious communities?

I believe a lot of us will smack ourselves on the head and say…”well of course it all makes sense now”. :crazy:

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Libs Mentor

Libs

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I believe a lot of us will smack ourselves on the head and say…”well of course it all makes sense now”. :crazy:

lol...I think, definitely! :D

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Libs Mentor

Libs

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I'm curious if in seeing these connections Libs, it brings you closer to considering how and/or if you would consider returning to the church?

I have decided I cannot return. I have gone in another direction. But, seeing the connections and re-embracing those good feelings I once had about many aspects of the church gives me peace and closure.

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