DON'T YOU THINK THAT WE HAVE FAILED RELIGION?  CHECK THE FOLLOWING TWO PAGES TAKEN FROM THE WORLD'S FOUR GREATEST RELIGIONS AND PONDER OVER THEIR MEANING!  SEE IF YOU CAN MEASURE UP TO IT!!

  THE OPERATIVE WORD IS:  FOLLOW WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN, DON'T BE A HYPOCRITE!!

• "Truth is one, the wise call it by various names."(THE RIGA VEDA)

• "What you desire for yourself,you should desire for others.  What you do not like others to do to you, you should not do to others."(MAHABHARATA SHANTIPARVA, 258 )

• "That mode of living which is founded upon a total harmlessness towards all creatures or (in case of actual necessity) upon a minimum of such harm, is the highest morality".(MAHABHARATA, SHANTIPARVA, 262.5-6)

• " In whatever way they (the human beings) love me (God), in the same way they find My love. Various are the ways for them, but in the end they all come to Me freely".

• "Be self-controlled, sincere, truthful, loving, and full of the desire to serve.  Realize the truth of the scriptures learn to be detached and to take joy in renunciation.  Do not get angry or harm any living creature, but be compassionate and gentle; show good will to all. Cultivate vigor, patience, will, purity; avoid malice and pride. Then you will achieve your divine destiny. Other qualities make a person more inhuman: hypocrisy, arrogance, conceit, anger, cruelty, ignorance. The divine qualities lead to freedom; the demonic to bondage.  But do not grieve for you were born with divine attributes.  The demonic do things they should avoid and avoid the things they should do.  They have no sense of uprightness, purity, or truth, lust, anger and greed.  Renounce these three.  Those who escape from these three gates of darkness seek what is best and attain life's supreme goal.  Others disregard the teachings of the scriptures.  Driven by selfish desire, they miss the goal of life, miss even happiness and success.  Therefore let the scriptures be your guide in what to do and what not to do.  Understand their teachings; then act in accordance with them."

• "To know when to act and when to refrain from action, what is right and what is wrong, what brings security and what brings insecurity, what brings freedom and what brings bondage: these are the signs of a harmonious intellect. The ignorant mind confuses right and wrong actions, and cannot distinguish what is to be done from what should not be done. The demonic mind is shrouded in darkness, utterly reversing right and wrong wherever it turns. He who is free from selfish attachments, who has mastered themselves and their passions, attains the supreme perfection of freedom from action. Unerring in their discrimination, sovereign of their senses and passions, free from the clamor of likes and dislikes, they lead a simple, self-reliant life based on meditation, controlling their speech, body and mind.  Free from self-will, aggressiveness, arrogance, anger, and the lust to possess people or things, they are at peace with themselves and others and enter into the unitive state.  United with all life, ever joyful, beyond the reach of desire and sorrow, they have equal regard for every living creature."

TAKEN FROM BHAGAVAD GITA.

• "There is no compulsion in religion. Truth stands out clearly from  falsehood; whoever rejects evil and believes in God has grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold that never breaks.  And God is All-Hearing and All-Knowing." (QUR'AN 2:256)

• "O mankind!  We created you from a single soul, male and female, and made you into peoples and tribes, so that you may come to know one another. Truly, the most honored of you in God's sight is the greatest of you in piety.  God is All-Knowing, All-Aware."(QUR'AN 49:13)

• " Whosoever kills a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as if he had killed all mankind, and whosoever saves the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind..." (QUR'AN 2:256)

• "God forbids you not, with regards to those who fight you not for [your] faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them; for God loves those who are just." (QUR'AN, 60:8)

• " O you who believe: Be steadfast witness for Allah in equity and let not hatred of any people seduce you that you deal not justly.  Be just; that is nearer to piety."(QUR'AN 5:8)

• "O you who believe, do not let one set of people make fun of another set . Do not defame one another.  Do not insult by using nicknames.  Do not backbite or speak ill of one another." (QUR'AN 49 :11-12)

THE PROPHET (pbuh) HAS SAID:

• 'He is not a believer who eats his fill when his neighbor beside him is hungry; and he does not believe whose neighbors are not safe from his injurious conduct.'

• 'The most complete in faith are the humble believers who like people and whom people like.  Anyone who does not like people and whom people do not like is not one of us.'

• 'There is no faith for a person who is not trustworthy.  By Him in whose hand my soul is! You will never enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love each other, and you will not love each other until your hearts are clear from rancor.' Shall I tell you of a thing if you do it you would love each other?' They (the followers) said 'yes'.  The Prophet (pbuh)) said : 'Spread peace amongst you.'

• ' Whosoever of you sees an evil action, let him change it with his hands; and if he is not able to do so, then with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart- and that is the weakest of faith.'

• 'Whoever does not mercy our youngsters, and does not respect our elders, and does not bid good and forbid evil, he is not one of us'

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