The Religions Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained
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Table of Contents
Contents
INTRODUCTION
Unseen forces are at work
Even a rock has a spirit
Special people can visit other worlds
Why are we here?
Why do we die?
Eternity is now
Our ancestors will guide us
We should be good
Everything is connected
The gods desire blood
We can build a sacred space
We are in rhythm with the universe
We exist to serve the gods
Our rituals sustain the world
There is a hierarchy of gods and men
The good live forever in the kingdom of Osiris
The triumph of good over evil depends on humankind
Accept the way of the universe
The Five Great Vows
Virtue is not sent from heaven
A divine child is born
The oracles reveal the will of the gods
The gods are just like us
Ritual links us to our past
The gods will die
Through sacrifice we maintain the order of the universe
The divine has a female aspect
Sit up close to your guru
Brahman is my self within the heart
We learn, we live, we withdraw, we detach
It may be your duty to kill
The practice of yoga leads to spiritual liberation
We speak to the gods through daily rituals
The world is an illusion
So many faiths, so many paths
Nonviolence is the weapon of the strong
Finding the Middle Way
There can be an end to suffering
Test Buddha’s words as one would the quality of gold
Religious discipline is necessary
Renounce killing and good will follow
We cannot say what a person is
Enlightenment has many faces
Act out your beliefs
Discover your Buddha nature
I will take you as my people, and I will be your God
Beside me there is no other God
The Messiah will redeem Israel
Religious law can be applied to daily life
God is incorporeal, indivisible, and unique
God and humankind are in cosmic exile
The holy spark dwells in everyone
Judaism is a religion, not a nationality
Draw from the past, live in the present, work for the future
If you will it, it is no dream
Where was God during the Holocaust?
Women can be rabbis
Jesus is the beginning of the end
God has sent us his Son
The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church
The body may die but the soul will live on
God is three and God is one
God’s grace never fails
In the world, but not of the world
There is no salvation outside the Church
This is my body, this is my blood
God’s word needs no go-betweens
God is hidden in the heart
The body needs saving as well as the soul
Scientific advances do not disprove the Bible
We can influence God
Muhammad is God’s final messenger
The Qur’an was sent down from heaven
The Five Pillars of Islam
The imam is God’s chosen leader
God guides us with shari‘a
We can think about God, but we cannot comprehend him
Jihad is our religious duty
The world is one stage of the journey to God
God is unequaled
Arab, water pot, and angels are all ourselves
The latter days have brought forth a new prophet
Islam must shed the influence of the West
Islam can be a modern religion
We must live as saint-soldiers
All may enter our gateway to God
Messages to and from home
Ask yourself: “What would Jesus do?”
We shall know him through his messengers
Brush away the dust of sin
These gifts must be meant for us
The end of the world is nigh
The lion of Judah has arisen
All religions are equal
We have forgotten our true nature
Find a sinless world through marriage
Spirits rest between lives in Summerland
Negative thoughts are just raindrops in an ocean of bliss
What’s true for me is the truth
Chanting Hare Krishna cleanses the heart
Through qigong we access cosmic energy
DIRECTORY
GLOSSARY
INDEX
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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