| As Theologian Eugene Peterson noted,
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| | perceptions.
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| "Religion is the most dangerous energy
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| | In the Christian and Jewish religions,
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| source known to mankind. The moment a
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| | basic beliefs are based on the Bible or
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| person is convinced that God is either
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| | Talmud and their interpretation by
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| ordering or sanctioning a cause or
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| | theologians, and then pastor, priest and
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| project, anything goes. The history,
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| | rabbi and then transmitted to us. In
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| worldwide, of religion-fueled hate,
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| | Islamic culture, belief is based on the
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| killing and oppression is staggering."
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| | Qu'ran. For the Hindus, the Upanishads,
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| [The Message, NAV Press] There is plenty
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| | etc. This means that for religious
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| of evidence in our history books and our
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| | adherents our beliefs are based upon
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| newspapers for this belief. And likewise,
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| | scriptures, as interpreted by humans and
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| religious beliefs are a source of much
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| | then understood by humans. To which we
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| clutter in our lives, even if have we
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| | add our fears, hurts, doubts and
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| never belonged to any organized religion.
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| | disappointments - all of our clutter - to
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| A huge amount of emotional baggage, here
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| | the mix of our understanding. And then we
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| called clutter, comes along with
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| | hold our beliefs as the truth. It is no
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| churches, religion and God. And it is the
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| | wonder that we have so many differing
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| nature of human beings to collect
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| | churches all believing that their
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| clutter.
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| | specific religion holds the unequivocal
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| I'd like to make a distinction between
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| | truth.
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| spirituality and religion. Religion is
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| | In God Calling there is this admonition:
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| generally accepted as a specific set of
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| | "All down the ages, men have been to
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| beliefs and practices, and the body of
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| | eager to say what they thought about My
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| persons adhering to such. For the most
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| | truth, and so doing, they have grievously
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| part religion is based on beliefs and we
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| | erred. Hear Me. Talk to Me. Reflect Me.
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| human beings often have some really
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| | Do not say what you think about Me. My
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| bizarre belief systems. Elizabeth Smart's
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| | words need none of man's explanation. I
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| kidnappers believed they were doing God's
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| | can explain to each heart." [Russel, ed.
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| will and were walking freely around Salt
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| | Jove Books]
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| Lake with Elizabeth, sometimes only a few
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| | Spirituality is more dynamic than
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| blocks from her home, unrecognized for
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| | theology. It's about relationship with
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| nine months, because residents didn't
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| | ourselves, with the divine and with life.
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| believe that it could be she in that
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| | A spiritual person may or may not belong
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| locale. The Columbine killers believed,
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| | to a religion. According to the 1990
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| to put it simply, that they deserved
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| | American Religious Identification Survey,
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| attention and consequently got it through
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| | there were 14 million people in the
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| the massacre of their fellow students
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| | United States who identified themselves
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| Where do we get our beliefs? Generally,
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| | as not belonging to a specific religion
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| we get them through our interactions with
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| | in 1990. In 2001 that figure was 29
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| our family, peers, environment and
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| | million, making it the fastest growing
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| culture, including the media. Based on
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| | and the third largest category behind
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| those interactions, we make decisions,
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| | Catholics and Baptists. [Deseret News, 2
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| and those decisions form the basis of our
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| | 1/2003, B1,2] As well as a myriad of
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| beliefs. Depending on how we make
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| | other suppositions, you might surmise
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| decisions, that process can cause us
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| | from this statistic that people have a
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| problems. Most of our core beliefs are
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| | growing dissatisfaction with their
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| formed by the age of five, when we have
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| | interactions with organized religion, and
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| limited knowledge and experience. And
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| | rather than having a vehicle available to
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| although we may form additional survival
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| | deal with their dissatisfactions, their
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| strategies later, most of us have built
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| | accumulated clutter, have simply chosen
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| our foundation on a five-year-old's
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| | to leave the church.
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