Where do you see religion headed? What religions will survive? Can some religions be revamped and saved?

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InterfaithForums.com-Where your ideas and beliefs count.

Religion will continue to diminish in relevance as believers of all faiths advance spirtually into their total awareness of being One with God.

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Only Love Prevails,
Don

I agree with Don, but I see something prior to religion being diminished. I think that we first have to accept many different paths as a path. I don't think that any religion will servive, but integrate in eachother and "reflect" rather than "form" who we truly are.

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May your awareness be perfection

Inasmuch as I accept (rather than believe) that man continues to evolve, I rather think that everything connected with man will also continue to evolve. If nothing else, there is the clear implication, even for the religious, that "made in the image of God" must mean something other than the physical and neurological, which change over time.

Therefore, any prediction about the future of religion is quite impossible, since it is impossible to know what kind of evolutionary changes we might undergo (including, as I pointed out in another post, the possible loss of consciousness altogether, if it proves detrimental to species survival).

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evangelicalhumanist: Greek "eu"=good and "angelos"=messenger. Spreading the good news of Humanism.

I think that - as more and more people realise that religion is *generally* a self-imposed straightjacket which they can well do without, then a self-realised spiritual attitude to life and living will gradually become the norm for the majority of the population.

This will be almost entirely due to the internet and the amount of information available to all who have a connection to it - and to their spiritual side.


Peace, Love, & Light

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"An object is perceived, or not perceived, according as the mind is, or is not, tinged with the colour of the object. "
Patanjali - Sutra 4:17

I tend to believe that most religions that we see around today will survive, but they will continue to evolve as they have in the past. However, I do tend to think that there'll be a continuing decline in religious attendance especially here in the States as we have seen in Europe. IOW, most will likely still believe in a deity, but an increasing number will feel that organized religion is not compulsory.

One trend we are now seeing is that the younger generation are not only willing to challenge traditional church/synagog teachings and liturgies, but they also tend to feel more compulsed to be more action oriented. Churches and synagogs that go in that direction will probably benefit the most according to what we're now seeing. And, imo, I tend to think that this is a move in a generally positive direction.

Shalom,
Vern

"IOW" metis...??? - what's that?


are you a radio amateur?

Peace, Love, & Light

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"An object is perceived, or not perceived, according as the mind is, or is not, tinged with the colour of the object. "
Patanjali - Sutra 4:17

"In Other Words". I'm not a "radio amateur", but I'm pretty much an amateur everywhere else.

Shalom,
Vern

Religion within society IMO will continue to devolve as it must in the process of becoming more secularized and a tool of the "Great Beast." This is normal for the exoteric level. There will always be these religious institutions since they serve the need of purpose, fellowship, and consolation also normal for the exoteric level.

But the essence of religion serves the purpose of evolution so the devolution of religion within society, though normal, is counter to it regardless of feeling good. The transcendent and esoteric forms of religion based on experiential self knowledge will become more hidden, underneath society, and imaginary New Age escapism based on creating ones own reality will become more prevalent.

The result of these trends I believe will be the greater possibility for the true seeker of "meaning" to find a real path. On the other hand there will be far more temptation to drift either into secularism or la la land. I can only hope that the following old expression is true. If not, then I must feel sorry for those young healthy kernels of life that through no fault of their own, will be either secularized or wonderfulled into oblivion.

"When the student is ready, the teacher appears."

I have two theories

1) everyone will drop from organized religion to realize that they can become their own.

2) all religions may group together not in a combination of shared faiths or agreeable belief systems but to aid and benefit humankind through sharing every part of themselves to those that are Truly needy.

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"There is one thing that organized religion is not qualified to teach and that is an individual's purpose."-GOD