Topic: Opening one's mind to the differences in religion.
ED. COPY OF TAPE OF TRANCE CIRCLE MEETING No.597 Held 28thth June, 2005.

Differences in Religions

Spirit (Ling): Greetings.

We would speak tonight partly on the English language and how it is associated with religion.

Now first, most of us say, “I’m a Buddhist’, “I’m a Christian”, “Spiritualist”, “Atheist” even, any religion you care to name, and that’s it! That’s what I am, that’s what I believe in, and your god is not my God! This is the general attitude.

Now no religion can survive forever under those circumstances. It has to grow. The believers in their Catholicism must open their minds and learn to seek other avenues. Don’t say, “Oh he’s a black man, I don’t believe in his religion”, or even under the Christian umbrella, “He’s Presbyterian, he’s quite wrong! Instead seek further… “What is it, that is in their religion”? Don’t condemn. Keep an open mind.

And why we mentioned English earlier is because it is an example of what this open-mindedness can do. English is an old language. It is spoken in many parts of the world by many races, and many colours, both in the Northern Hemisphere and in the Southern Hemisphere. It is a growing language. You will find words, perhaps in some cases only one or two, from many languages of the world, European and Asian, and that is why that particular language is living, thriving, and continuing.

Now if one thinks on religion, we will take Christianity as being one that you people would understand more. It is approximately two thousand years since the great teacher Jesus, the Nazarene, came and taught. He taught simple people and spoke in a simple manner, so that they would understand.

Much of what he spoke about, is as applicable today as it was then but, there was no written word, not until many years later, and other minds came into it, and things changed… until finally it became settled into what they called Christianity and there it has been, for approximately one thousand five hundred years. There were small branches, different aspects, but basically it hasn’t changed. They haven’t thought of Gautama, another great teacher, Mahomet, another great teacher – each had something to offer.

Each one of us should try and find out a little of each religion, and perhaps cast it aside as not being at all applicable, to your thoughts. Whether you are right doesn’t matter, you have freedom of choice, but at least you have opened your mind. It is like the English people have done in accepting and taking in to their language, or in this case with religion, take the best out of every known religion.

It does not matter if a man, (or a little group of people on some island), have perhaps many gods, perhaps forty or fifty gods, or little bits of stones, they have a God… and if you had the opportunity to read about them if there is any written word, or talk to these people, you may find that a considerable amount of it, could be accepted by yourself, and your religion.

It is in this way, in the seeking, that you educate yourselves and you develop a religion, a philosophy of life, that is much wider and much more knowledgeable, than if you say, “I am a Muslim and no one else knows anything as good as what I’ve got!” You cannot really say that until you have delved into each one.

I don’t mean that you have to spend years; because some of them are so complex that it would probably take years to understand, but to have a basic knowledge and to read the simple versions of some of its books. You may be surprised, because after all they are all aiming at the one thing, to reach God, and there is only one God. If only mankind can learn to accept that, that there is one God, and that there are many little doors to that God… and after all when each of you go through that door, you come to the one place, the knowledge of God.

So why not, when you are on earth, do your best to understand, other paths of seeking. You people as Europeans, and living in the country you do, are rather fortunate, because you have libraries. Many of these libraries would have books that would help you, simple ones. They may make you think. Read some of the knowledge of some of these wonderful teachers that there have been.

But not only them; in everyday life over thousands of years, there have been wonderful men and women who are not known as teachers, wonderful individuals who have had, perhaps only a little enlightenment, but their words are worth reading or knowing about, and quite often they are there on paper too, accessible to the likes of you and many others.

So we would ask, that in your discussing of your own beliefs with other people try and influence them to perhaps accept yours, Spiritualism, because you know that there is life after death, but it is not the only way. Suggest that they seek and learn and add to your belief, because it is there for everyone, and as we have said before, the more you learn now, the easier it is when you come here, and you are perhaps given the opportunity to mix with these people of different religions, because after all you are brothers and sisters, in the sight of God.

Is there anything that possibly we could answer for you, and help you with in this aspect of thinking?

Sitter: Yes please Ling. You mentioned that no matter which door we go through to get to you, when we pass through those doors, we get to the one place, to a knowledge of God. I had the idea that you folk even on your side didn’t have a full knowledge of God.

Spirit: We are still finding our way my friend, the same as you are. We didn’t wish you to get the impression that on death you instantly know everything, that doesn’t happen. But the more you learn now, when you do pass through your door called death, you are more likely to accept the Muslim you meet, and the Buddhist, etc. because you know a little bit about their thinking, and therefore you become more united, more a brotherhood, more able to help each other, on that path to God.

Does that help you?

Sitter: Yes I think so, it’s not so much a knowledge of God, it’s a knowledge of brotherhood as you say, and accepting different ways of thinking.

Spirit: Yes, that you are not necessarily always right is what it amounts to, and that is hard for most of us to accept. We get set in our ways, but we must keep our minds open, and in doing that, we develop.

Well God bless you my friends. It is a long path we all travel, but it’s an interesting one.

May God bless you and look after you in the coming week.

Sitter: Thank you very much Ling for coming to us and for your teachings.

Sitters: Goodnight.

The source of this material is Ken Hanson of Waiheke Island, New Zealand, whose Cockney wife is the Medium.
Ken passed to the Higher Life in August, 2009.

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