1. Introduction
2. How I can be
bothered with old-fashioned religion...
3. Aren't all religions basically the same?
4. Where then
does one start, if he sincerely seeks to find the Truth?
5. But isn't the Bible the traditional Holy
Book of the West?
6. If the God
that the Bible tells us of is not like the churches...
7. Where is this
God?
8. Is this
"Great Spirit of Love" the only spirit that
exists?
9.Other Gods
10. Any
religious practice is wrong?
11. Is it
necessary to suffer in order to please God?
12. How can I
save myself?
13. What can I
do?
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IN SEARCH OF THE TRUTH!
--Answers to Many of Life's Most
Meaningful Questions! "What is life all about?--What
am I here for?
Is there a purpose, a plan for me?--And if so, what is
it?"
By D Berg
***
Many
religions teach that it is necessary for us to suffer in
order to truly please and draw close to God.--Is this
true?
No!--As we mentioned earlier, God is Love, and He loves
you very much and wants you to be happy! This is why He's
placed you here in this beautiful World in the first
place! He intended for you to enjoy living, and has given
you the ability, the senses and the environment to do so.
He created you to enjoy the life He's given you, and to
love and enjoy Him forever!
But sad to say, a lot of people do not realise that God
wants them to be happy. Their concept of religion is like
that of the young boy who, while walking home from a
religious service that he attended with his strict and
ultra-religious grandfather, stopped and spoke to a
neighbour's mule. As he stroked the mule's nose he said,
"You must be an awfully religious creature, you have
such a long, sad face!"
To many, godliness and saintliness are supposed to
consist of a denial of all human happiness and general
enjoyment of any kind. Some go so far as to believe and
teach that any kind of physical pleasure must be sinful
or wicked!--And they think that godliness consists of
such suffering, pain, self-torture, self-denial and
self-crucifixion that you must be in utter misery and
agony in order to get close to God! This, thank God, is
not the case according to the Bible!
Nevertheless, some poor folks are so obsessed with a
fetish for self-denial and self-torture that they
actually sit on nails, put skewers through their cheeks,
walk barefooted on hot coals, whip themselves and even
have themselves nailed to crosses!--
Purposely suffering all kinds of
physical torture because they think that the more they
suffer, the more "religious," "holy"
or close to God they will become!
It's true that there are times when we may need to
sacrifice or suffer, but according to God's Word in the
Bible, we do not have to do it on purpose, as some kind
of means to gain personal merit or favour with God! If we
suffer, it's usually because God allows it for some
reason, but it's usually a result of our sacrificing and
giving of ourselves in order to help others.--Not because
we necessarily ask for it or want it or think we are
gaining any merit or righteousness by it.
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