What's happened to religion?

Had an email from a friend yesterday talking about a recent Dawkin's program on religion, morality and sexuality. His point was that 'religious peoples' behaviour when it came to the so called sexual 'taboos' was exactly the same as the non religious. The only difference being that 'religious' folks lied about it and felt guilty! Whilst I could see where they were coming from, it made me feel very sad to see how easily the flaws in all the major religions, where politics, power and control are often more of the driver than a simple love of God and life, so easily puts people off the idea of religion itself...that very simple  relationship between a person and that amazing intelligence which both created and maintains life, including our own!

The Human Deal

Had a get together last night with some good friends. We were discussing what is the basic deal for humans on earth - good question!  What are some of the issues that face us all, whoever we are and wherever we are born?

Some of the ones we talked around were these:-

1. We all find ourselves alive on the planet in a time which is teeming with possibilities but also full of problems.
2. We are all born  knowing nothing ... like an empty computer!
3. We start to fill up with information ...and this can either lead to a life which is refining itself or getting more crude, more course...the choice being up to us ( given personal circumstances do make this easier or harder)
4. Somewhere along the line, we decide if  life, in our view,  is a one time shot, or is this life part of a spiritual journey - and this  makes a huge difference to how we live our life and think about absolutely everything!

5. As people, no-one is an island unto themselves and to think so, is to cut ourselves off from the sense that we mix and merge with the influences of other people, different energies and influences all the time  .... and this is a fundamental part of what we are and who we become.
It was a great evening and felt really refreshing to be spending time together casting our mind over some of these really profound questions ! 
Love to hear some thoughts from other bloggers!

Collaboration, not Competition, We, not I

        
Saw another inspired TV program the other evening  (Yes,  TV?? Strange but true!!)  The hub of what was being discussed was again about finding new templates for a more humane tomorrow.... two phrases really caught me 

"Collaboration  rather than Competition"
"We, rather than I"

Those mind shifts could really make a difference!