Mystery...

For the past couple of days the Today Show has been exploring mysterious religions. I've been very intrigued by it, to say the least.

Monday they covered they Mormon (The Church of Jesus Christ, The Latter-Day Saints) religion. I knew most of the principles of the religion. I had friends in high school who were Mormon. They believe in a secondary book, The Book of Mormon, given to a young man more than a hundred years ago. The book claims that Jesus visited America, and it relays the message He gave in his travels here. They are now strying and have been foe more than a century from the term Mormon. They say it was a derogatory term, used to separate them. They believe in a code of conduct that they feel is healthier. Such as no alcohol, no caffeine, no dating until age 16, and the required missionary work for all members. They trying to change the image of marriage according to the church. Most people associate polygamy with Mormons. The church oficailly banned polygamy more than a century ago. Those who still practice, according to the church, are not following the church tennets and are breaking the law.

Tuesday they covered Kabbalah. This I found to be confusing some what. They claim that Kabbalah is not a religion, but a faith. Kabbalah can be traced back to before Christ. It is a form of Jewish Mysticism. They believe that Kabbalah in addition to any religion enhances the believers understanding of God and faith. The celebrity pull to Kabbalah they say was not an intention more like a reaction to the truth of Kabbalah. I still havent gotten the full understanding of this because there are so many secrets and so many rituals never before seen in the open. I'll try and find out some more.

Today it was all about Scientology. A religion created in the late 60's by L. Ron Hubbard. they dont beleve in psychology/psychiatry & no drugs. They say they believe in God, but that humans can get to a higher level and therefore be closer to God. It's called "thetan"( please excuse the spelling it's pronounced "thay-tan") level. Its the closet a human can get to God. They also believe that all of your failures and successes are all a product of the mind games we as humans who dont seek the highest level find ourselves. We have the ability to change ourselves and the world around us all by the thoughts we have.

Me, personally, I need to be near a cross! That's my belief. I'm not one who decifers between the many denominations. I am a Christian, follower of Christ. I believe in the Bible. I believe in the Trinity. I believe in the power of prayer. I believe in baptism by water. I just don't know, or maybe I dont have the understanding to know which denomination is correct. I just know that it boils down to your relationship with God on an individual level. He will judge you as an individual, not as a member of a specific church. Now I'm not the most religious person, I'm not in church every weekend. But I do make time everyday to Thank the Man upstairs, for life& breath.