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Some People Will Fall For Anything (4486 hits)

Is religion used as a tool to divide Black folks in America (or world-wide)?

Are people (our people) used as pawns to promote political agends in the name of religion?

Can we come together as a people...eventhough you believe differently than me?

Are Black people converted to religions... in a sort of numbers race.... to maintain/ establish a majority?

Are Blacks the head of any major world religion...or enjoy all the same rights as other non-Black members of the larger faith?

Does any major religion see the original man as having been made "in God's Image"?

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Major Religions of the World Ranked by Number of Adherents
(Sizes shown are approximate estimates)

Christianity: 2.1 billion

Islam: 1.5 billion

Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist: 1.1 billion

Hinduism: 900 million

Chinese traditional religion: 394 million

Buddhism: 376 million

primal-indigenous: 300 million

African Traditional & Diasporic: 100 million

Sikhism: 23 million

Juche: 19 million

Spiritism: 15 million

Judaism: 14 million

Baha'i: 7 million

Jainism: 4.2 million

Shinto: 4 million

Cao Dai: 4 million

Zoroastrianism: 2.6 million

Tenrikyo: 2 million

Neo-Paganism: 1 million

Unitarian-Universalism: 800 thousand

Rastafarianism: 600 thousand

Scientology: 500 thousand

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As always...I invite your comments and thoughts?

Posted By: Dr. Ahmad Glover
Sunday, August 17th 2008 at 4:24PM
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Religion divides people, God unites people and I never confuse the two.
Sunday, August 17th 2008 at 5:39PM
Dr. S. Maxwell Hines

Dr. Hines,

I agree there is a critical difference between God and Religion. Sadly, I sometimes see that our people confuse the two. If we worship the same Creator...can we worship in two different way and still get along?

How do we keep from becoming a member of someone else's fight to prove that their method is best? Better yet, how do we find a way to love each other...eventhough we love creation differently?
Sunday, August 17th 2008 at 6:21PM
Dr. Ahmad Glover

Dr. Glover,
I find that many Black people are unforgiving when it comes to religion. One of my friends who was COGIC became Buddhist. She lost many friends, as did I because I supported her in her decision. I feel that any way people choose to find their supreme being is great as long as they accept that my way works for me.
Sunday, August 17th 2008 at 6:38PM
Dr. S. Maxwell Hines

Irma,
I call my friend a Buddhist because that is what she calls herself. She did not tell me what sect and I haven't been occasioned to ask. I am happy that she is happy and that is all that I really care about.
Sunday, August 17th 2008 at 7:07PM
Dr. S. Maxwell Hines

Irma,

IHMO the creator made us human folks very diverse. So diverse in fact, that many of us will only believe a thing if we see, hear, touch, or taste it for ourselves. If the creator made us this diverse...why wouldn't she, he or it make our choices for faith equally as diverse? Why wouldn’t different types of folks get different type of messengers? Now add to the mix that most of the religions that we know and love today all started within a very short span of one another.

If we know nothing else…we know that there is no "one truth" in the universe (although some might argue that the earth is unique or the only one of its kind). Why must we believe that there is only one true path? Worse, why should I hate you because you are not on my path?

My grandmother use to always say..."everybody wants to go to heaven...but don't nobody want to die".
Well it seems pretty clear that there is no way to know who is right/wrong...so why hate over something you cannot prove in this life? Why not come together to fix some of the stuff that we can deal with?

And for Black folks, since the messengers we follow don’t appear to be from our ethnic group…who am I to belittle another person from my ethnic group for not following some other guys belief?

When to take a second to think rather than throw your book at someone who doesn’t agree with your views…it all seem kinda dumb. Would God want us to hate each other? If God is so great…why wouldn’t he, she, it have a plan that includes us all?

Sunday, August 17th 2008 at 7:26PM
Dr. Ahmad Glover

Dr. Hines:

THANK YOU. You summed it up so succinctly. Religion does divide, but God definitely brings together. There's nothing else I can say. You kept it short and sweet.

THANK YOU.

Blessings...
Sunday, August 17th 2008 at 8:23PM
Dee Gray

Good night...as always...thx for your comments!
Sunday, August 17th 2008 at 8:34PM
Dr. Ahmad Glover

Irma,
I don't know what sect means to you but it must mean something negative. All groups have sects. Whether they are considered positive or negative is in the mind of the writer of history. I did not mean anything negative. I can only say what I mean. I cannot control what anyone infers from it. I support people in whatever positive decisions they have made for THEIR lives. I don't feel the need to have to understand everything about their decision in order to support them and their right to make that decision.
Sunday, August 17th 2008 at 8:43PM
Dr. S. Maxwell Hines

I, personally, dislike having conversations with unbelievers after a certain point because it almost seems like I'm expected to defend my beliefs.

If you don't want to believe, don't believe, but for goodness sake, don't slam me (subtly or boldly) for it. I don't try to make anyone believe as I do, and I feel like constantly asserting that all believers are living a pipe dream with their fairy god father is rude and disrespectful.

I'm not saying that the original blog does that but there are a few comments that absolutely give that impression.

Blessings...
Sunday, August 17th 2008 at 9:21PM
Dee Gray

I don't think you should be trying to defend your beliefs, Dee. You have a right to yours, just as others have a right to theirs. What no one has a right to do is to be purposefully disrespectful to anyone. I will continue to read yours as well as those which differ from yours and hope to come out a better person on the other end.
Sunday, August 17th 2008 at 9:30PM
Dr. S. Maxwell Hines

Dee,

I am a believer too! But I believe that Gods plan is bigger than one faith...one messanger...ethnic group. I hope you've seen from my post that I try to make folks think...not change for lose their faith.
Sunday, August 17th 2008 at 9:42PM
Dr. Ahmad Glover

At one point in history, all Christianity was considered a sect of Judaism. Every time a group spins off from accepted doctrine, they are considered a sect by the writers of the original group's history. When enough people believe in the sect, it eventually becomes a group of its own. Why else are some Christians Catholics, Lutherans, Foot-washing Baptists, etc.? I have no problem saying that I belong to a sect. I don't find it as problematic as you seem to.
Sunday, August 17th 2008 at 9:46PM
Dr. S. Maxwell Hines

I agree with your comment to Dee, Dr. Glover. It is right on point.
Sunday, August 17th 2008 at 9:48PM
Dr. S. Maxwell Hines

I agree with you, Dr. Hines. I was just venting. And you, too, Dr. Glover.
Sunday, August 17th 2008 at 10:28PM
Dee Gray

It's amazing how people constantly ask the same questions over and over. I don't believe in organized religion. It was created by man and anything created by man is flawed, period. One thing I find interesting is when people try to put religion on the same level as GOD. As if one is dependent on the other. They are not. Religion has very little to do with GOD and everything to do with power.

The devil is truly at work. I read these blogs about religion and GOD and the responses and I'm disheartened. The focus is never really on GOD where it should be. The focus is always on man and that some how gets equated with GOD. They question man and GOD at the same time as if the two were on the same level. It baffles me. Luckily I recognize that it is nothing but the devil trying to plant seeds of doubt in anyway it can.

There is no point in debating GOD. You either believe in HIM and HIS word and follow it or you don't. You either go to Heaven or Hell. The choice is yours. But remember, you don't have to believe in or fear Hell to burn eternally in it's fires.
Monday, August 18th 2008 at 12:12PM
Ebone Evans

I guess it it best to just ignore the question/ statement that is there about something like do you call your own religion out of "respect" a Sect? And to have the name of the religion and see how many of said faith agree with this or not.I did not say any thing about the protestants are a spin of from the Catholics who were trying to buy them self into heaven. I am taking about you and if your religion is called respectfully a 'sect' or not by any other member but you?

I have this bad habit of holding a person not a religion responsiable for what they say when talking to me. I always show this respect to others by considering them as human beings with thinking powers of their own to make me understand them as also not just a Bible/Bible quote, as this I see as to limiting in being able to declare one is their own person with their own identity.

I can just as easly be ignored as challanged on who I am. Because, I AM!!I did say that I call my Buddhism a philosopy for living, or a practice. I also said that I do not use religion and equality in the same sentence. I have this habit of saying "I"I have not once said a person belongs to a sect. so why am I being accused of having a problem with sect. I said I have a problem with 'discrimination". I have a problem with White people telling me that "they have black friends" Am I supose to congralate a person for making their own choices? It is silly and when I hear this, my reply is always, "some of my worst enemy are Black people!"but this is me. I still say that I will never back a cause I have no idea of what the coause is that I am backing. Again, this is me.

Nd, ggod night and good by for the last time and for ever on this blog. Love to all of you and keep on talking to/with each other.
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA

Thank you yet once again Dr. Glover for bringing up something else long over due for discussion in our Black Christian/religious(?) community. In religion, we are individuals; but, in this subject we do to each other what we condemn the White race of doing ot us. Discrimination,prejudice, bias and they do not even know us!!!!!!they can not judge us...only God can judge us.....sound fimiliar my people?????.....
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA

Dr. Hines, do you call your religion a sect at any time in the past, present or any plans to do so in the future? This way you can solve your statement about negative or not as to what I meant using the word "sect". I wll even go so far as to ask you if you have ever or ever plan to belong to a religious sect? If so please tell me th name of "your own" Christian religion that you call a sect. please, as I am sure that every Christian who see the name will disagree with you on this.....Fact or fiction or reasoning, Dr. Hines? This is not a challenge except for the 'absolute truth"!As an extremely educated person I am sure that you know there is a difference in 'subjective' and 'objective' don't you? I seek objective proofs, Knowledge over personal labels any day.
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA

I have said enough so I now go in peace until another blog.

Thanks
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA

Now as a Black person, there is no way that I can respect a Black educator who supports a "cause" while having no idea even the NAME of the cause they claim to support. No, as this rational is unacceptable in my life, I must reject this opinion I had before this excuse, offer as an I am not prejuduce...I will just say SECT as it is the only insult/degradation I have on hand at this time!!!!!Please give a thinking person a break....
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA

I see it gets even better. example sect shows disrespect, religion shows what? I hope that you did understand MY saying to ME this is like what the White person says.I just wanted to try and bring attention to h ow easy it is to offend, insult, without meaning to do so when peope are lumped. I have suffered because O.J. Simpson is Black not because he is a Christian. Children are hurt in school over Pray- it is an automatic Christain prayer. Just as the statement made about your Buddhist friend. would you say the same about a Christian friend?Does any of this occure to you that this "speak"is a form of discrimination?
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA

Dr. Glover, I do not uses the word "religion" and "equality" in the same sentence and more. I have been able to do this every since I got over my fear of going to hell just because I was born in what is called a body/the power to make my self happy and to follow the 'golden rule' all at the same time...Now if it does not make at least 'common sense to me' I can not use it in my PERSONAL life as a guide for my behavior towards not one of my fellow persons who has a body as I myself have to live life in!!!End of story, at least until some one comes on the blog to control my thinking this way as-anti-Christ/anti-American and so on and so forth.....

I repeat, I do not fear going to HELL!!!!!!
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA

Dr. Hines, it is so bad that we so often tend to lump all in one lable. for example, I am a Nichiren Daishonin Buddhist.I am refering to your saying your friend is a Buddhist. And, for me this is like a White person saying "I have Black friends"!! There are some 140 different pracitces of Buddhism in just America alone.

I lost a lot of friends when I became a Buddhist. Why, they drew the conclusion that I had gone from my religious statues of the Virgin Mary to a Buddhist idol.They were wrong and wrong!!!!!!! And, I wonder why this kine of preceptions Dr. Hines? I was the same p person that they had know, except it was before I found out how the POPE used the Bible to prove the Africans as non human....

President JFK made N.D. Buddhism a legal religion in America.A religion that has for over 2,000 years of it's existance saw women as EQUAL. I do not call it a religion and the main reason is it enclude all peoplesin the Buddhism I practice for the past 22years. It require one to accpet that no one knows it all so never limit you own potentials...Balance in all things like not causing global warming due to greed...Life and death are a balance, as is good and bad,Ying-Yang... No, I call this a Buddhist philosophy for bringing happiness and peace and education to all of mankind asa wayof making you environment more positive-equal.

If anyone choses to not associate with me, then it is their loss as it is not every day that you experience UNDITIONAL love/respect from others.
Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM
ROBINSON IRMA