Tuesday, October 2, 2007

A road to travel.







In English please:

Today I have a couple of hours of free time, so I can write a bit more than usual.

When I was younger I searched for answers to the questions that burned my mind. On route to find the answers I ran into Religion: Islam, Catholicism, Judaism, and even Jehovah Witnesses.
I do not have anything against anyone practicing these religions, this is just my experience, though what I am about to write might come across as criticism or being harsh – it however is just my experience, others I am sure have had better experiences.

I first discovered Jesus, or the Roman Catholic religion at school. I attendant a Catholic School and was made to attend daily prayers and made to partake in the Christian Rituals. These were not too bad, but too a young mind like myself the concepts of ‘drinking the blood’ of Jesus wasn’t a nice thought. Going go church was uncomfortable, the hard benches, the signing of songs I didn’t know, the unbearable slowness of time, the seriousness in the atmosphere and just being there was hard on me. A usual church attendance was Wednesday morning, I clearly remember the days, it would be bright and shiny, the day was clear, it looked refreshing, the sun was not high and there was cheerfulness in the air, the crisp freshness of the morning. I would feel content and as soon as I stepped into church – I started loosing this contented feeling and slowly started feeling a bit bored, then a bit agitated and eventually frustrated – by the time I left the church , the day seem dull, gloomy and it’s seemed like clouds had appeared from nowhere. This was each Wednesday. Looking back at what took place, it was more the idea of not knowing what was going on, not knowing what I was doing there, people sort of expected us to understand they way they did, and I just didn’t. I didn’t understand the Hymns; I didn’t know what they meant. I did know that by singing them and by each word while singing, I would be loosing that much energy from within, it was like the hymn was sucking the life from me, until I fitted the environment in nicely.

Since then – I have visited my old city many a time and the church I used to attend. The building is very nice, not big, but cozy to look at. I have seen many beautiful buildings which represent churches – Cathedrals they are called and they are quite stunning. The details of the work that had been done on them, shows clearly the workers who engaged in it. The fine intricate lines or shapes of design show people who cared, people who wanted to put something there to represent how they felt about their church, and they certainly accomplished that in the many churches being built.

However in these buildings did not lay the answer I was looking for and I then went to find it elsewhere. Many I came across did find an answer there and were content with what they found, for them I am happy. I tried other religions and was not content here, each religion was saying “Our god is the only God” and “All the other non believers will perish”- just a little bit harsh I thought. Which is the correct God? I felt I did not want to be in the wrong religion when the day came of Judgment arrived, and the only thing to do was to make sure I keep on searching until I find the religion.

After attending a few Jehovah Witness meetings and I must say I was impressed, these fellows at least weren’t as serious as the others I met and they sang and danced and had a merry time. At one meeting the minister in charge introduced musical instruments and quoted a saying in the bible allowing musical instruments, I found this really good – he wasn’t making up stories, he was following something. Jehovah Witness, even today, impresses me with their attitude. In today's world, where people couldn't care less, this group, attempts to address certain problems in the society and you could say, they in touch with society , the problem with drugs and promiscuity, how can one be faithful etc and they push their message hard. They came to my home a few times, they seemed interested and caring, they worked for free it seemed and they were not trying to sell me something, they more wanted to give me something. A young mind, being part of a world where very little people paid attention to who I was, where neglect or no care was the order of the day - concerning me. Some people did care, they welcomed me to their group, without reservation, and if I met them first and the Scientologist later well who knows where things would have gotten to.

Islam as a religion is deeply imbued in my family culture. I am no expert on the subject but i do have subjective reality on it and the working on it. I have often wondered why L.Ron Hubbard does not make much mention of the religion Islam, he does mention it here and there. However one day, I'll know. The thing about Islam is practice and with Islam there is just not enough known data and codified knowledge on the subject to make it really workable. I's estimate about 60% of Moslems have to know the Q'uran verbatim or many parts thereof without knowing the meaning of what they are reciting. This is an excellent way to preserve a book for eons without alteration, Understanding is the key. In my opinion children should be taught Arabic as a language first then the reciting, then they would know what they are learning. To children doing something without meaning is not good and some might blame the kids for not wanting to learn or be modern, but those things which are important to adults are not important for kids.
Thus Islam as a survival religion is excellent if practiced according to precise laid down procedure that anyone can understand and follow. I have met many a wise Muslim and many of those who preach one thing and practice another. I found even in Islam problems that couldn't be addressed by Islam, people no matter which religion they belonged to , still had problems. Marriage problems, personal problems, and a whole list of problems that could just didn't go away with prayer alone. Some might argue and so , it's about belief, this is the same view the Christian Scientist has, but you tell that with a person who is about to get divorce and it's doesn't sound so nice. The main thing is: No matter what religion, there are problems basic to all of them, that no amount of belief will solve.



This brings me back to the Scientologist. I walked in the Church when it was very small, the church I went to was a house re-modeled into a church. It had an air to it that was different from anywhere else I had been. The place seemed calmed. I met a few people and they greeted me, I moved around and met more people, whoever I met, seemed to like me being there. It was a strange but re-assuring feeling. I had not really met people from the “outside world” – and the outside world was people; any persons who were not in my family, neighborhood or school, these were the only people I knew.
I was withdrawn and didn’t get out much, actually didn’t get out at all and here I was venturing into the city to the Scientology organization.

Each time I went into a Scientology organization, I would feel better, each time I sat there I felt good. Just being there, not doing courses or even talking to someone, just the place itself made my interior world a whole lot calmer, now this is what I liked.

Only later did I discover Scientology is a religion, in fact Scientology as a religion was not promoted much. It was not really viewed as a religion as it was being formed. It created a new concept for religion, something which went together with the world of religion: All–denominational, meaning accepting or allowing people from any religion to be part of this religion, this was something new, from the idea of “our religion will save you” to “you can be part of our religion, while your religion saves you”

It took me awhile to get over these concepts and was mistrusting to the extreme, after all my idea of religion was based on, long drawn out sermons, hard wooden benches and hymns I couldn’t understand, it also represented a world where “Our religions” as people pushed it, turned more into a hatred of anything other than “our religion” behind closed doors, but out in the open, the neighbors of a different religion upbringing are smiled at taking hypocrisy to a new level.

At last I saw that the Scientology religion is a religion, I didn’t have to justify it anymore to people and say, you deal with the spirit and therefore it’s a religion, it just is; whether you think so, like it so, or believe so or not.

I have found the answers to the questions that burned my mind, I had discovered an answer to each and every one of them, and the answers were complete in most cases or sufficient to bring understanding. Scientology is an answer, it is not the only answer but it is the only workable answer as mentioned by L.Ron Hubbard somewhere (not quoted).

If L.Ron Hubbard taught me one thing it would be to respect the religious beliefs of others. I often thought why?

I have come to realize that if it wasn’t for these other religions or just religion as a whole we really would not be here.

Think about it.





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“Here comes the Orator! with his Flood of Words, and his Drop of Reason.” B.F 1735

How fast is thought? Let me see - If say TREE; how fast did you see it?

© Ricky Saunders 2007

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According to research at an English university, it doesn't matter in what order the letters
in a word are, the only important thing is that the first and last letter is at the right place.
The rest can be a total mess and you can still read it without problem.
This is because we do not read every letter by it self but the word as a whole.


In gobbledygook please:


Tdoay I hvae a colpue of horus of fere tmie, so I can wtire a bit more than usual.

Wehn I was ynuoegr I sehcraed for anrewss to the qeutsnois taht buenrd my mnid. On rotue to find the ansewrs I ran itno Religino: Chtacilosim, Juiadsm, Ialsm and eevn Johevah Wntissees.
I do not hvae anytihng aagsnit anoyne pcarticing tsehe rileginos, tihs is just my eepxrinece, tguohh waht I am auobt to wtire mhgit cmoe aorcss as ctirsicim or bieng hsrah - it hwoever is just my exirepcnee, othres I am srue hvae had bteetr eepxirecnes.
I fsrit dcsivoreed Juses, or the Ramon Chtaloic rgileion at scoohl. I anettadnt a Ctailohc Sohcol and was mdae to anettd daliy parreys and mdae to praatke in the Crhitsain Rutilas. These wree not too bad, but too a yonug mind lkie msylef the cocnepts of 'dknirnig the boold' of Juses wsan't a ncie thhguot. Going go cuhrch was ucnmotrofalbe, the hrad bneehcs, the sgining of songs I didn't konw, the ubnaebarle slnwoses of time, the seoirunsses in the aomthpsree and jsut bieng tehre was hrad on me. A uausl ccruhh attedncnae was Weenddsay moinrng, I caellry rememebr the dyas, it wuold be birhgt and snihy, the day was caelr, it lekood rrfeenihsg, the sun was not hgih and trehe was ceherfnluses in the air, the csirp frhsesens of the mronnig. I wuold feel cetnont and as soon as I spetepd itno ccruhh - I sratetd lsooing tihs cnotetned feenilg and slwoly strated feleing a bit berod, tehn a bit aigetatd and evnelautly furartsetd - by the tmie I left the cuhcrh , the day seem dull, glmooy and it's smeeed like cluods had appaered form nhworee. This was each Wdenedsay. Lkoonig bcak at waht took pcale, it was mroe the ieda of not konniwg what was gniog on, not koniwng waht I was dniog there, pelpoe srot of expetced us to urednatsnd tehy way tehy did, and I jsut ddin't. I ddin't undesrnatd the Hysnm; I ddin't know what tehy mnaet. I did know taht by sinigng tehm and by ecah wrod wihle sgninig, I wluod be loosnig taht much eenrgy form wihtin, it was lkie the hymn was skcuing the lfie form me, until I fiettd the erivnnonemt in necily.

Snice tehn - I have vsiietd my old ctiy many a tmie and the ccruhh I uesd to aettnd. The bulidnig is very ncie, not big, but czoy to look at. I hvae seen mnay baetuufil budlinigs wcihh rerpenest ccruhehs - Caehtrdlas tehy are claeld and tehy are qtiue sutnnnig. The deatlis of the work taht had been dnoe on tehm, sohws caellry the wkrores who egagned in it. The fnie itnrcitae lines or shaeps of degisn sohw ppoele who cerad, poeple who wetnad to put semohtnig tehre to rrpeesent how tehy felt aobut thier cruhch, and they ceiatrnly aoccmsilphed that in the mnay ccruhehs bnieg biult.

Hewoevr in tsehe biulidgns did not lay the asnewr I was looking for and I then wnet to find it eslhweere. Mnay I cmae acsors did fnid an awsner tehre and wree cetnont wtih waht they fnuod, for tehm I am hppay. I teird ohter rgileinos and was not conetnt hree, ecah rleoigin was saiyng "Our god is the olny God" and "All the other non beileevrs wlil peirsh"- jsut a ltilte bit hasrh I tohhgut. Wcihh is the crocert God? I felt I did not want to be in the worng rleigion wehn the day cmae of Juemgdnt arrvied, and the only thing to do was to mkae sure I keep on saecrnihg uitnl I fnid the rlegioin.

Atfer atnetnidg a few Jvoheah Wtisens meenitgs and I msut say I was imprseesd, tehse follews at lesat weren't as sireuos as the otehrs I met and tehy snag and daecnd and had a mrrey tmie. At one mteeing the mnietsir in crahge iortnudecd mcisual itsnurtnems and qouetd a saniyg in the blbie aollwnig mucisal irtsnmutnes, I fnuod tihs rllaey good - he wasn't mkaing up stiroes, he was flloiwong stemoihng. Johevah Wintess, even tadoy, ipmserses me wtih tehir attiutde. In the wrold, havnig a lcak of thceolongy, this gruop, aettmtps to addsers creiatn porlbems in the socteiy and you colud say, they in tuoch wtih soteicy, the dgurs, prsimotiucy and lnraenig and they push thier mssegae hrad. Tehy cmae to my hmoe a few times, they smeeed intsereted and cirang, tehy wroekd for fere it semeed and they wree not triyng to slel me semotnihg, tehy mroe wtnaed to gvie me smoehtnig. If I wsan't egnegad in waht I am dniog tadoy -eicSntology and if tehre wsan't any oehtr thcelongoy aronud, I'd say I'd psoslbiy be a Wientss mlesyf. A ynuog mnid, benig prat of a wlrod wrehe vrey ltilte plpoee paid attetnoin to who I was, whree nelgect or no crae was the oedrr of the day as to me, some plpoee did care, tehy wlemoced me to thier gorup, wtihuot rsereavoitn, and if I met tehm fsrit and the Sneicolotigst letar.

Ilsam as a rleioign is deelpy ieubmd in my falimy cutlrue. I am no erepxt on the subejct but i do hvae sjbucevite rlaetiy on it and the wronikg on it. I hvae oetfn woneredd why L.Ron Hurabbd does not mkae mcuh mentoin of the reigilon Isalm, he deos mitneon it here and there. Hwoveer one day, I'll konw. The tnihg auobt Ialsm is partccie and wtih Isalm trehe is jsut not eonugh konwn dtaa and cdoieifd kwongdele on the sejbuct to mkae it raelly wkrolbae. I's esmittae auobt 60% of Mlsomes hvae to know the Q'uarn verabtim or mnay prats terehof whtiuot kwoning the minaeng of waht tehy are rticenig. Tihs is an elecxlnet way to pserreve a book for enos wiuohtt aetltaroin, Undsrenatnidg is the key. In my oipnoin chlirden sluohd be taguht Aribac as a lugnaage fsrit then the rticenig, then tehy wolud know waht they are lerainng. To ciherdln dniog smoihteng whtiuot minaeng is not good and smoe mihgt bmale the kdis for not wanitng to lraen or be mdoren, but those thgnis whcih are imopratnt to atluds are not imtropant for kdis.
Thus Ialsm as a svruival rileoign is execllnet if ptcarecid aoccridng to prsicee laid dwon pcorrudee that annoye can uredntsnad and flloow. I hvae met many a wise Muilsm and mnay of tsohe who pcaerh one thing and ptcarcie atonehr. I fonud eevn in Isalm plbormes taht cdluon't be arddsseed by Ialsm, people no mettar whcih rgileion tehy belnoged to , sitll had plborems. Mraairge porlbems, presanol prboelms, and a wlohe list of prelboms taht cluod jsut didn't go aawy wtih preyar alone. Smoe mihgt aruge and so , it's auobt beilef, tihs is the smae veiw the Cirhstain Sctneisit has, but you tlel taht wtih a perosn who is about to get diovcre and it's deosn't snuod so nice. The main tnihg is: No mtaetr waht rgileion, three are porlbmes baisc to all of tehm, that no anuomt of beilef will svloe.



Tihs bnirgs me back to the Sicenotgolsit. I wklaed in the Cruhch when it was vrey slaml, the cuhcrh I went to was a hosue re-edomled itno a ccruhh. It had an air to it taht was dfiefernt from ahwynree esle I had been. The palce seeemd cemlad. I met a few poeple and tehy geeretd me, I mevod aornud and met mroe poelpe, wveoher I met, smeeed to lkie me benig tehre. It was a snartge but r-eassnirug fleenig. I had not rllaey met poeple form the "oudiste wlrod" - and the ostudie wrold was poelpe; any posrens who wree not in my fmaliy, nhgieroboohd or shcool, thsee were the olny poelpe I kenw.
I was wdhtirwan and ddin't get out mcuh, atclauly ddin't get out at all and hree I was vutnering into the city to the Sneicotgoly onagrtazioin.

Each tmie I wnet into a Sceintlogoy onagrazition, I wolud feel beettr, each tmie I sat trehe I felt good. Jsut benig tehre, not dniog coesrus or eevn taiklng to somenoe, jsut the pcale itslef mdae my itnoirer wolrd a wlohe lot cmlaer, now tihs is what I lkied.

Olny letar did I dsicoevr Scneiotgoly is a regiloin, in fcat Seicntgoloy as a rgileoin was not pmortoed much. It was not rllaey vweied as a rilegoin as it was benig foemrd. It certaed a new cecnopt for reiligon, semotnihg wcihh wnet tegotehr with the wlrod of rgileino: Allod-mianoitanl, mnaenig aeccpitng or alwolnig ppoele form any rilegion to be prat of tihs reiligon, this was soemhtnig new, form the ieda of "our rleoigin will svae you" to "you can be prat of our reilgion, wihle yuor reigilon svaes you"

It took me awhlie to get oevr thsee contpecs and was mtsitsurnig to the ertxmee, aetfr all my ieda of rgileoin was bsaed on, long darwn out sreomns, hrad wedoon bnehces and hmyns I cuoldn't urednatsnd, it aslo rpeserenetd a wrold wrehe "Our reliignos" as poelpe pehsud it, tnrued more itno a hrtaed of antynihg otehr tahn "our rleoigin" bihend csoled droos, but out in the oepn, the ngierobhs of a dfiferent rleigion upnirbnigg are smield at tkanig hopycsiry to a new level.

At lsat I saw taht the Sictneolgoy rgileoin is a rleiigon, I ddin't have to jtsufiy it aynrome to poelpe and say, you deal wtih the spriit and therefroe it's a reiloign, it jsut is; wehhter you think so, lkie it so, or beileve so or not.

I hvae fonud the aewsnrs to the quseitnos taht bruend my mnid, I had disvocered an awsner to each and erevy one of tehm, and the asnewrs were cpmoltee in msot cesas or suciffeint to brnig undtsreanding. Seiclotngoy is an asnewr, it is not the olny anewsr but it is the olny wakroble asnewr as mneitnoed by L.Ron Hubbrad soemhwree (ont quetod).

If L.Ron Hbburad tuahgt me one tihng it wluod be to rseepct the rileigous beilefs of oehtrs. I oetfn tohhgut why?
I hvae cmoe to rlaezie taht if it wsan't for thsee oehtr regilnois or jsut rilegoin as a whloe we rllaey wluod not be hree.

Tnihk auobt it.



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"Hree cemos the Otaror! wtih his Folod of Wdros, and his Dorp of Rsaeon." B.F 1375

How fsat is thhguot? Let me see - If say TREE; how fsat did you see?

© Rciky Suadnres 2007

2 comments:

Lovely26Leigh47 said...

Hi I thought that you should know that i am a Jehovah's Witness. I wanted to thank you for not slaughtering his name unlike so many others. It is very tiring to hear so many people say that we are a cult, because we are far from it. I thought that you would be interested to know that the Bible has touched on scientific matters before humans even know what science was. The Bible states that the Earth was a sphere in Isaiha 40:22 and that the Earth hangs on nothing in Job26:7

Ray Wills said...

Thank you Leigh.