“My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.”
~ The Dalai Lama
So last night, someone posted a supposed quote by the recently deceased Paul Walker …
It’s the kind of quote that really ticked me off, to the extent that I started writing before sitting so I could calm the mind … (and practice kindness LOL) ….
Here’s the quote …
“I’m a Christian now .. I go surfing and snow boarding and I’m always around nature. I look at everything and think: Who couldn’t believe there’s a God? Is all this a mistake? It just blows me away.”
~ Paul Walker (maybe)
Did it take becoming Christian for him to make this realization? Did he even say this … ??
Well if he did say it, and it’s not just the internet using his death to one- up Christianity …. here it goes …
Christians do not have ownership on “god” and December worship.
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My Jewish friends, celebrating Hanukkah this month, believe in God.
The Jewish festival of Hanukkah celebrates a re-dedication of a temple. Antiochus, ruler of the Greeks, forbid Jewish followers from worship, and a 7 year war began, from 167 – 160BC. A rural Jewish priest – Mattathias the Hasmonean – sparked a revolt against the Empire by refusing to worship the Greek gods. Upon their victory, according to their tradition of lighting candles in worship, the victorious Maccabees could only find a small jug of oil that had remained uncontaminated by virtue of a seal. And although it only contained enough oil to sustain the Menorah for one day, it miraculously lasted for eight days.
Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar.
Spencer dated a Jewish gal for a while. He said one of the nicest persons anyone could be. And he had to ask himself, will she really go to hell for not taking Christ as her savior ??
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Muslims believe in God, Alla.
Judaism, Islam and Christianity are collectively known as “Abrahamic religions” because they trace their history to the covenant God made with Abraham in the Hebrew Bible. Three brothers had a squabble … and so began the division on faith.
http://www.religionfacts.com/islam/comparison_charts/islam_judaism_christianity.htm
One of the two most important Islamic festivals, Eid al-Adha begins on the 10 day of Dhu’l-Hijja, the last month of the Islamic calendar. Lasting for three days, it occurs at the conclusion of the annual Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca.
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Mormons believe in God.
I dated a Mormon once. And it’s probably the first time that I really came to question my religion. There are many beautiful things in the Mormon teachings, but in the end, I didn’t like people telling me that unless I accepted their truth, I’ll be damned.
December 23 is a big day in the Mormon faith … Prophet Joseph Smith was born on this day, in Sharon Vermont in 1805.
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Afro-Americans will celebrate Kwanzaa, a week long celebration, with seven guiding principles, beginning on December 26. Maulana Karenga created Kwanzaa in 1966 as the first specifically African-American holiday. Karenga said his goal was to “give Blacks an alternative to the existing holiday and give Blacks an opportunity to celebrate themselves and their history, rather than simply imitate the practice of the dominant society.”
The 7 principles include unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.
And yes, most African Americans I know believe in God, or maybe Jah. One love, one heart …
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Hindus believe in many Gods. They recognize some 120 thousand expressions of “God”: A multitude of gods and goddesses that symbolize the one abstract Supreme Being or Brahman. The most fundamental of Hindu deities are the Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
According to Belief.net: “For Hindus from India, Christmas is a familiar festival: It’s a national holiday and non-Christians celebrate it as a festive occasion with holiday parties. You can hardly go to a hotel during the holiday season without hearing Christmas carols.”
Hindus believe Christ is one of few who “awoke” to his true self, the Christ in all of us.
Officially though, as in most ancient religions, many of the Hindu holidays are based on the cycle of nature. They mark the change of seasons, celebrate the harvest, and encourage fertility of the land. Others are dedicated to a particular deity.
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When Buddha was asked about God, he’s been quoted as saying “There are things I choose to discuss, and those I don’t … I teach suffering, and the end to suffering, of life on earth. That is all.”
Buddha says, only when one personally knows that a certain teaching is skillful, blameless, praiseworthy, and conducive to happiness, and that it is praised by the wise, should one then accept it as true and practice it. Kalama Sutta is just that; the Buddha’s charter of free inquiry (or critical thinking) instead of following blindly.
On December 8th, Buddhists (including myself) will celebrate Bodhi Day, the day of Buddha’s enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. I’ve started decorating my Christmas tree on this day. Seems very appropriate
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So I don’t have a problem with people saying “Happy Holidays” in December … !!
To quote John Lennon:
“I believe in God, but not as one thing, not as an old man in the sky.
I believe that what people call God is something in all of us.
I believe that what Jesus and Mohammed and Buddha and all the rest said was right.
It’s just that the translations have gone wrong.”
But … On December 24 & 25th, I’ll be wishing half of you a Merry Christmas
And as much as I googled Paul Walker’s faith, here’s what he truly had to say …
“If one day the speed kills me, do not cry, because I was smiling”. 🙂
