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The Future of Religion In Our Changing World

The Future of Religion In Our Changing World

img_7629The intent of this page is not to be controversial or to make any claims as to what is fundamentally right or wrong. Rather, it is to merely raise the question about the future of religion in the context of the New Age movement beginning in the 1970’s and the rise of Spiritualism; the seeming move towards a One World Religion as exemplified by recent actions of Pope Francis; the leadership style of the Dalai Lama; the New Thought movement, and the idea of the rise (real or imagined) of a New World Order.

While quite heady to get one’s arms around, much less to comprehend, perhaps it is worth pausing to raise one’s own awareness and consider one’s belief system in the context of our changing world.

The Future of Religion: An Interview with Ninian Smart by Scott London

One of the most intriguing aspects the new religious scene in America is the pervasive mingling and mixing of different faiths and traditions. Never before in history have so many religious values and rituals coexisted within a single society. Much has been written about the cross-pollination of race, ethnicity and cultural values, but what happens when religions meet? Will the syncretism of the global village lead to some sort of universal religion, as some predict, or will it produce a vibrant mosaic of many different faiths? – Ninian Smart

One of the less controversial of countless videos on the topic of the One World Religion and New World Order.

https://youtu.be/AvBKut9iBcg

H.H. DALAI LAMA • Is there only one true religion?

Pope Francis has captivated the world with his kindness and progressive ideals. What specific actions has he taken that make him so popular?

Pope Francis – joins the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran church, and signs a joint declaration stating that the two traditions have more uniting them than dividing them.

 

The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010-2050 – Excerpt:

The religious profile of the world is rapidly changing, driven primarily by differences in fertility rates and the size of youth populations among the world’s major religions, as well as by people switching faiths. Over the next four decades, Christians will remain the largest religious group, but Islam will grow faster than any other major religion. If current trends continue, by 2050 …

  • The number of Muslims will nearly equal the number of Christians around the world.
  • Atheists, agnostics and other people who do not affiliate with any religion – though increasing in countries such as the United States and France – will make up a declining share of the world’s total population.
  • The global Buddhist population will be about the same size it was in 2010, while the Hindu and Jewish populations will be larger than they are today.
  • In Europe, Muslims will make up 10% of the overall population.
  • India will retain a Hindu majority but also will have the largest Muslim population of any country in the world, surpassing Indonesia.
  • In the United States, Christians will decline from more than three-quarters of the population in 2010 to two-thirds in 2050, and Judaism will no longer be the largest non-Christian religion. Muslims will be more numerous in the U.S. than people who identify as Jewish on the basis of religion.
  • Four out of every 10 Christians in the world will live in sub-Saharan Africa.

(Click to enlarge)

https://mensfellowship.net/new-thought-2/

 


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The Future of Religion In Our Changing World

Dale Carnegie How to Stop Worrying and Start Living

4 years ago Tom Beal lost his Dad with the same name to cancer at 56 years old. This is just a brief discussion regarding some lessons learned by studying Dale Carnegie and his book How To Stop Worrying and Start Living, and the topic of living in day tight compartments, plus the 2 types of worry. Tom also shares a new epiphany that came to him last night, that he feels will assist many people lead a more happy, purposeful, and fulfilling life, full of joy, adventure, and passion.

dale_carnegieHow to Stop Worrying and Start Living is a self-help book by Dale Carnegie. It was first printed in Great Britain in 1948. Carnegie says in the preface to How to Stop Worrying and Start Living that he wrote it because he “was one of the unhappiest lads in New York”. He said that he made himself sick with worry because he hated his position in life, which he attributes to wanting to figure out how to stop worrying.

The book’s goal is to lead the reader to a more enjoyable and fulfilling life, helping them to become more aware of, not only themselves, but others around them. Carnegie tries to address the everyday nuances of living, in order to get the reader to focus on the more important aspects of life.

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An animated video short in plain language. A tad irreverent, but makes some good points.

Of Glory and Humility

Of Glory and Humility

When one conjure up images of General George Patton (portrayed by George C. Scott) in the epic movie, Patton, one can easily think of glory, but what about humility? Much has been written about Patton and his complex nature. Among other virtues, some say he was a man with an iron will combined with humility, at times veiled thinly behind his bluster.

Perhaps it is easier to think of Nelson Mandel as a man with an iron will combined with the virtue of humility. It is written that despite Nelson Mandela’s profound impact on South Africa, democracy and the struggle for equality around the world, he remains a famously humble man. Mandela says it was necessary to transform himself into a modest man in order to change society. During an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, this former South African president shares the importance of humility with Oprah.

These two video clips serve to only scratch the surface of the topic: Of Glory and Humility.

https://youtu.be/W2BSGjg4bwU

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Shared below is an excerpt of Patton’s writings which reveal his knowing about the true nature of glory in the context of victory. His words are poignant and expressed with humility.

“For over a thousand years Roman conquerors returning from the wars enjoyed the honor of triumph, a tumultuous parade. In the procession came trumpeteers, musicians and strange animals from conquered territories, together with carts laden with treasure and captured armaments. The conquerors rode in a triumphal chariot, the dazed prisoners walking in chains before him. Sometimes his children robed in white stood with him in the chariot or rode the trace horses. A slave stood behind the conqueror holding a golden crown and whispering in his ear a warning: that all glory is fleeting.” – George S. Patton

 

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The Future of Religion In Our Changing World

Of Glory and Humility

When one conjures up images of General George Patton (portrayed by George C. Scott) in the epic movie, Patton, one can easily think of glory, but what about humility? Much has been written about Patton and his complex nature. Among other virtues, some say he was a man with an iron will combined with humility, at times veiled thinly behind his bluster.

Perhaps it is easier to think of Nelson Mandel as a man with an iron will combined with the virtue of humility. It is written that despite Nelson Mandela’s profound impact on South Africa, democracy and the struggle for equality around the world, he remains a famously humble man. Mandela says it was necessary to transform himself into a modest man in order to change society. During an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, this former South African president shares the importance of humility with Oprah.

These two video clips serve to only scratch the surface of the topic: Of Glory and Humility.

 

***

Shared below is an excerpt of Patton’s writings which reveal his knowing about the true nature of glory in the context of victory. His words are poignant and expressed with humility.

“For over a thousand years Roman conquerors returning from the wars enjoyed the honor of triumph, a tumultuous parade. In the procession came trumpeteers, musicians and strange animals from conquered territories, together with carts laden with treasure and captured armaments. The conquerors rode in a triumphal chariot, the dazed prisoners walking in chains before him. Sometimes his children robed in white stood with him in the chariot or rode the trace horses. A slave stood behind the conqueror holding a golden crown and whispering in his ear a warning: that all glory is fleeting.” – George S. Patton

 

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More videos worth considering:

Forgiveness

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence


What Is Emotional Intelligence? – Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify and manage your own emotions and the emotions of others. It is generally said to include 3 skills:

1. Emotional awareness, including the ability to identify your own emotions and those of others;

2. The ability to harness emotions and apply them to tasks like thinking and problems solving;

3. The ability to manage emotions, including the ability to regulate your own emotions, and the ability to cheer up or calm down another person.

Emotional Intelligence               

The UC Davis Executive Leadership Program is a transformative, interactive seminar series that will expand your ability to confidently guide and direct your organization. Gain practical techniques, effective strategies and essential personal insight to become a passionate, inspiring leader. In this video, instructor Mitchel Adler, Psy.D., CGP, discusses emotional intelligence and how good leaders use it to their advantage.

 


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The Future of Religion In Our Changing World

Emotional Intelligence


What Is Emotional Intelligence? – Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify and manage your own emotions and the emotions of others. It is generally said to include 3 skills:

1. Emotional awareness, including the ability to identify your own emotions and those of others;

2. The ability to harness emotions and apply them to tasks like thinking and problems solving;

3. The ability to manage emotions, including the ability to regulate your own emotions, and the ability to cheer up or calm down another person.

Emotional Intelligence                          

The UC Davis Executive Leadership Program is a transformative, interactive seminar series that will expand your ability to confidently guide and direct your organization. Gain practical techniques, effective strategies and essential personal insight to become a passionate, inspiring leader. In this video, instructor Mitchel Adler, Psy.D., CGP, discusses emotional intelligence and how good leaders use it to their advantage.


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The Future of Religion In Our Changing World

Intuition – The Still Small Voice Within

Screen Shot 2016-01-17 at 3.28.02 PMThe subconscious mind can make roughly 10-million observations in any one setting, whereas, the conscious mind can only keep track of about 100. This means that 99.999% of the observations you make you are not consciously aware of.

Intuition can be described in several ways such as the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning. Some use the term intuition in the same context as instinct, but if looked at closely, instinct refers more to the fixed pattern of behavior in response to a certain stimuli.

While both intuition and instinct can be sparked in the same instant by the same event, instinct is tied more closely to a fight, flight or freeze responses; whereas, intuition is tied more closely to deep listening to the still small voice within, those 10-million observations coupled with one’s past experiences, and involves some level of judgement. In a fleeting instant when a feeling is triggered instinct may cause the body to react instantaneously. Conversely, intuition may say stop, make another choice. –

Said another way, we use the words instinct and intuition interchangeably. And while they do exist on the same spectrum, there’s still a crucial difference between the two ideas. Instinct comes from the word instinctus, or, “impulse,” meaning it’s a biological tendency. It’s the transient reaction that happens in our bodies, apropos of right now. Intuition comes from the word intuitio, or, “consideration,” meaning it’s an accumulated belief. It’s the ongoing collection of experiences, apropos of everything up until now. –

So this raises good question: How does one connect in with those 10-million observations… what many call the still small voice within..?

What is your still small voice saying to you? Are you listening?

Ikigai – What Do You Wake Up In the Morning For?

The Century of the Self

https://mensfellowship.net/what-do-you-want-to-be-when-you-grow-up/


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The Future of Religion In Our Changing World

Joseph Campbell – On Becoming an Adult

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Photo by Christopher Howell – YogaHike

What are our modern day rites of passage? Have we lost this part of our culture? What are the consequences if we have?

Wikipedia – A rite of passage is a ritual event that marks a person’s transition from one status to another. Rites of passage explore and describe various notable milestones in an individual’s life, for any marked transitional stage, when one’s social status is altered.

ABAranda-2The concept of rites of passage as a general theory of socialization was first formally articulated by Arnold van Gennep in his book The Rites of Passage to denote rituals marking the transitional phase between childhood and full inclusion into a tribe or social group.[1] Van Gennep’s work exercised a deep impact on anthropological thought.[2] Milestones include transitions from pubertyjuniormiddle and high schoolcoming of agemarriagefamily and deathInitiation ceremonies such as baptismakikaupanayanaconfirmation and Bar or Bat Mitzvah are consideredGetImgVlt1.aspx important rites of passage for people of their respective religions. Rites of passage show anthropologists what social hierarchies, values and beliefs are important in specific cultures.

 

 

Tribe Ritual

 


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The Future of Religion In Our Changing World

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran – On Giving

Then said a rich man, “Speak to us of Giving.”
And he answered: You give but little when you give of your possessions.
It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.
For what are your possessions but things you keep and guard for fear you may need them tomorrow?
And tomorrow, what shall tomorrow bring to the overprudent dog burying bones in the trackless sand as he follows the pilgrims to the holy city?
And what is fear of need but need itself?
Is not dread of thirst when your well is full, thirst that is unquenchable?
There are those who give little of the much which they have – and they give it for recognition and their hidden desire makes their gifts unwholesome.
And there are those who have little and give it all.

These are the believers in life and the bounty of life, and their coffer is never empty.
There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward.
And there are those who give with pain, and that pain is their baptism.
And there are those who give and know not pain in giving, nor do they seek joy, nor give with mindfulness of virtue;
They give as in yonder valley the myrtle breathes its fragrance into space.
Through the hands of such as these God speaks, and from behind their eyes He smiles upon the earth.
It is well to give when asked, but it is better to give unasked, through understanding;
And to the open-handed the search for one who shall receive is joy greater than giving
And is there aught you would withhold?
All you have shall some day be given;
Therefore give now, that the season of giving may be yours and not your inheritors’.
You often say, “I would give, but only to the deserving.”
The trees in your orchard say not so, nor the flocks in your pasture.
They give that they may live, for to withhold is to perish.
Surely he who is worthy to receive his days and his nights is worthy of all else from you.
And he who has deserved to drink from the ocean of life deserves to fill his cup from your little stream.
And what desert greater shall there be than that which lies in the courage and the confidence, nay the charity, of receiving?
And who are you that men should rend their bosom and unveil their pride, that you may see their worth naked and their pride unabashed?
See first that you yourself deserve to be a giver, and an instrument of giving.
For in truth it is life that gives unto life – while you, who deem yourself a giver, are but a witness.
And you receivers – and you are all receivers – assume no weight of gratitude, lest you lay a yoke upon yourself and upon him who gives.
Rather rise together with the giver on his gifts as on wings;
For to be overmindful of your debt, is to doubt his generosity who has the free-hearted earth for mother, and God for father.

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