Is God too important? Why come first in Religion?

When listening to the news, terrorism, genocides, etc., do you ever get the feeling that maybe God is what's too important to religious fanatics, and NOT people?

I consider myself a Buddhist. But that is a Western creation. Being a "Buddhist". So I would have to say, in a Western way, that I am an unreformed Buddhist.

But that would also be wrong.

I study the Buddha Dharma.
I am part of the World Sangha, though some would discount that.

But, just what is the problem with world religions?

This won't sound right, it may seem counter-intuitive. But here it is....

People, in the words of most religions, don't have respect for God's children. The "children" of the "God" of the World's religions, are not held in very high esteem. Why is that? And....

What is?

God.

But, should He be?

Sounds ridiculous right?

But think about it for a minute.

Look around you. How are people treated in the world. How are people treated by people who believe in religion? Are ANY of them treating their fellow religious adherent's extremely poorly? Have they killed any of them? And do they revere God?

Take Muslim terrorists as an example. They strongly profess a belief in God. They believe so much that they will kill you over it. They will kill you over being profane over drawing images of Mohammad. Kill. They will KILL God's children. Over an action, an attitude, a comment, perhaps a look.

Really?! Seriously?

So, have any Buddhist's killed anyone? Considering their main tenet is to not kill living things? Yes, of course. And that is a good point. Because, if even a Buddhist can be a killer, when they are held to such a high degree of non violence and not harming living things, then how can the other world religions live up to their own beliefs?

I found an interesting website:
http://www.buddhabook.org/

"This book and website are devoted to exploring the Buddhist heart, mindset and culture from a native Christian perspective. Having grown up in a household of Buddhists, Catholics, Methodists, and Muslims, all of whom Steve loved, he chose to become a Christian."

It is an interesting site if you are Western, learning about Buddhism. but it is basically a Trojan Horse, professing one thing and delivering another. I disagree with many things he says, but he does make you think, and that is what's important. He points out parts of the Buddha Dharma that make about as much sense as Christianity, Judaism, or Islam. And those may be the more rational ones.

If God were standing in front of you, then of course, you should give Him His Due.

But if He's not, then why treat those in front of you as lower beings. Why not revere them? Place them ABOVE God? Perhaps not. But bring them to the forefront at the moment? Why not? Are you forgetting about God? Not, if you are revering his Children (in Western parlance, of course).

If these Muslim terrorists from the example above, were to revere God's children as they do God, then they wouldn't be killing them, would they. The problem as I see it is in the ability of some religious zealots to be able to profess God wants them to kill people, innocent or not. I do not believe that killing is never justified, on the contrary, there are times I think that is it not only needed, but necessary.

But that is in those cases of protecting society, and individuals. In protecting the innocents, not in killing the innocents, and certainly not, in the name of a God.

So, perhaps, people should come first, at least in dealing face to face with one another. Perhaps God, should be a more private thing. What was it that was said about not being showy about your faith in God? He who professes loudest in church, mosque or temple, is not to be trusted?

Its possible, that we have religion all wrong. Its much like the telephone game. Only here it is religion, and its passed along and subverted through the centuries until here we are. How many men in charge of religions have had their own politics and agendas, leading us to, where?

Here.

Ask yourself. We have religion. The world is screwed up. How much good has religion done over all? Has it healed us? Will it? Ever? Is it the answer?

No. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try. It means, we need to think, change our orientation. Try to do it right. Pay people respect. And consider, that when we pay God so much respect, and others so much less, perhaps we are on the wrong track?

So, the next time you see someone, think about it. Treat them with the respect you would God. See how it affects them. Think about what it could do, if everyone shifted their orientation.

Maybe, God would appreciate his children finally, being treated with the respect they deserve, and he will pay it back accordingly.

Tomorrow's Blog: The Elevator: Scarier than WMDs?