What are the differences between the church Thailand, of which Marten Visser, missionary in Thailand, is a part. And the church in the Netherlands, of which he used to be a part? Here is his personal top-5:
5. Dutch Christians are more stable.
Life is rougher in Thailand. Family and money problems are bigger and more visible than in the Netherlands. Dramas are more common, including in the lives of Christians. This is also reflected in the life of faith. The peaks in Thailand are higher, the valleys are lower. That sometimes makes you yearn for more people who consistently follow Jesus day in and day out, year in and year out, in all aspects of life. The church in Thailand often feels like a rollercoaster. I used to hate Dutch dullness. Now I call it stability and appreciate it.
4. Thai churches are smaller.
There are a number of megachurches in Thailand, but most churches are small. Two-thirds of all churches have fewer than 40 members. Partly as a result of this, there is much more of a sense of being a family together in Thai churches. You are less anonymous and more people are involved in church work. At the same time, it means that there is sometimes so little structure and framework that it is difficult for the church to function.
3. In Thailand, the Church is growing.
The church in Thailand is small but growing. Two-thirds of Christians came to faith themselves from a Buddhist background. In every church it happens regularly that people come to faith. That gives a much happier atmosphere than that of 'will the last one turn off the light?' of the Dutch Church.
2. The Thai Church accepts the authority of God's Word.
I am absolutely not convinced that Thai Christians are more obedient to God's commandments than Dutch Christians. But they have one thing going for them: they accept being judged by God's Word. Dutch Christians often presume to judge the Bible. Thai Christians, as a relatively new minority, know that the Bible often goes against their culture and that they are called to be on God's side. Dutch Christians are still not used to the idea of being a minority and therefore tend to adapt the Bible to the demands of the culture. Somehow 'but everyone does it' has become a decisive argument for Dutch Christians. Thai Christians are less hesitant to think 'then everyone is doing it wrong', even though they have little inclination to rub that into others.
1. The Dutch church does not know how to behave.
Seen from a distance, the attitude of the Dutch church towards society swings between three different points of view: that of a toddler who wants to be taken seriously; that of a bank manager who defends his company's policy while you get the feeling that he is ashamed of it; and that of an old lady who is waiting for her old age in a retirement home without any further concern for the outside world.
All three are negative attitudes. They evoke the image of a church that has lost its place and is now unable to act. The Thai church simply tells about Jesus. She trusts that God's plans are good and that God is at work. She trusts that she is on the winning side and that it is worth inviting people to belong to Christ. Faith is not problematized. That is ultimately the main difference and the reason I feel so at home in the Thai church. It would be fantastic if the Dutch stability of centuries of roots in society and the Thai faith and enthusiasm of a first-generation church could be combined.
Source: Marten Visser, missionary in Thailand, posted on cip.nl.
Kees. Be a free thinker; only then will you be “saved from all your sins”.
Although, (I) allow everyone his illusion.
Why do people need to be converted from Buddhism to Christianity? I don't see the point in it.
Let them anyway.
Agree Peter. That's why I find it despicable that those "missionaries" often set up orphanages, supposedly out of charity, but with the understanding that these are the easiest souls to win.
Martin Visser (missionary). When one bases oneself on, for example, Allah's or God's word, this usually leads to little good. By the way, what should I imagine with the word 'god'?
From a personal experience of our first trip through Thailand, just now a month ago, I want to give the following response. They are interesting differences that you notice, but are they really that important? Is there a fundamental difference? I have fallen from my Roman Catholic faith for years, but had that not happened, there is a good chance that it would have happened after a visit to Thailand. The Buddhists there are really very pious when you see how they personally deal with that faith. Respect. On the other hand, it's a Disney belief. The temples the statues of dragons and guards and money, lots of money, Also the king's place in all this. Visit the Royal palace and it actually turns out to be a place of pilgrimage, where the Thais just sit and pray between all the unbelieving foreign tourists. On sight, that is beautiful to see. But it also makes you think. We also find that piety in our places of pilgrimage, where people sincerely profess their faith. Both with great faith in their god and yet only one is right! What then is true faith? Add to that Islam, which also comes very close in southern Thailand and does not shy away from violence. Who then is right, the Christian, the Buddhist, the Islammit or the non-believer? So where is the fundamental difference? A diabolical dilemma.
Dear French,
They are all right and if you say they can't they can't all be right, then that's true.
Jeffrey. It is better to say that they FIND that they are right. That is also the nice thing about religion; everyone makes sense of the world in their own way. It becomes more problematic when one claims that one has a monopoly on wisdom.
jeff, unfortunately it's not that simple.
Anyway, you must ever make the choice between whether or not to believe.
At “do believe” you then have a free choice between about 42 beliefs,
just google “Big Religion Chart”. Beliefs are clearly compared in this.
Fortunately, when you don't believe, you have only one choice.
In this piece we talk about differences. It is also clear that there is a huge difference between believing or not when it comes to 'the mission'. Because there is a missionary going to Thailand to tell the people there that it is all wrong.
The only thing that a non-believer can do is to make the abuses of religions transparent in order to make people think. If it's not right there, it's right with us. I see very commercial Buddhism in Thailand, we know fundamentalist Islam and we know from history what the Christians have done. (for example with heretics… the Cathars, the Inquisition). So unfortunately they can't all be right.
Then maybe we should just do it with; Human rights.
Not believing is not making a choice, but just living your life naturally.
To believe is to make a choice.
@franz. Why make a choice. I come into the world as a human being, free from all beliefs. So agree with Wim, people who believe have made a choice not the unbelievers. Unfortunately, a choice that often affects other people's freedom.
How in "God's" name can you defend a profession (he will think it's a calling himself) as a missionary. Convincing other people that they live wrong, you know the only truth and often through history with the help of the sword.
I really appreciate Thailandblog, read it daily, provides good information. But a missionary is the last thing Thailand (blog) needs (sorry editors, of course you are free in article choice and as said; also a nice angle to look at the subject of Thailand from a different angle).
Fortunately, the reactions of most readers are unequivocal: you believe at home, leave others alone, there is still no religion that has made the world a better place.
If the Thais have chosen Buddhism, let them be, at least until missionaries no longer “believe” but are sure and have been proven right. But even then everyone is right.
But yes, the article was actually about the differences between the NL and the TH church. I'm well aware of that, apparently few people are interested. Mainly the word “missionary” gives me and many others goosebumps.
Thailand is ahead in the fight against AIDS/HIV. If they found something on that, it would be nice if the next step would be an injection against faith. Then the world becomes a lot more certain.
Don't make a choice, agree, .... but unfortunately it is the case that many people are still alive, for whom a choice has already been made. Buddhists in Thailand, for example, have the monks and you see very young boys as monks there. They can't really make that choice. you also see younger Islam girls with a headscarf, often less than 8 years old. Also an early choice. For myself, I've been baptized, I've been an altar boy myself, I've lost my faith for a long time, I've made a choice, but I still have to 'write myself out as RK'. And I don't, also because I never asked to be RK. Then take the circumcisions (of boys and girls!!) and you will see that it is not for everyone to 'not have to make a choice'.
Our missionary Marten doesn't have to sell all this kind of excrescence, but where does he get the motivation to start "cherrying" people there in 2012? remains a mystery to me as well. I am therefore happy with the many reactions that say; do not.
moderator: the discussion slowly drifts away from the story
Another difference: male and female visitors.
In the church in NL, where I visited last, there were more women than men.
Many gray pigeons. It may also have something to do with the general aging of the population and the difference in life expectancy between men and women.
In the church in TH, where I was last time, there were almost only older men (farang). The pastor used to have no problem with Thai women (partner of farang) in his church, but after a while he kindly asked the men to leave the ladies at home.
Reason: the Thai women get together after the service and then it started. Bidding against each other: my husband gives me so much per month, recently my farang bought me tig-baht gold, and he has now also put a house and a new car in my name. And more such expressions of charity. Often bluff and ruff.
Although the Church is intended to create peace on earth, this togetherness often led to diabolical situations in the domestic atmosphere afterwards:
“She and she have it, why don't you give it to me?, cheap Charlie!”.
Going to church therefore became something for many farang to no longer look forward to.
And hence the pastor's request not to take the ladies with you.
In another Thai Christian church I visited recently, it was a very mixed crowd: almost all Thai, men and women, also much younger people. It was a bit happier.
In my opinion all thai should just be Buddhist.
I do not understand where the churches in the Netherlands today get the pride to send missionaries.
In my opinion, people should simply be free to choose a religion or way of life that appeals to them the most. And then you may try to proclaim or share (discuss) the word of your vision with others, as long as it is an open conversation without bothering people. Besides, let's face it, how many people in Southeast Asia have consciously chosen Buddhism (or something else)? Isn't that also because as a child they were taken by their parents to a temple/church/…? Then I think it would be good to introduce people to various visions of life, for example through education, so that they can make a conscious choice.
By the way, many Thais are not that religious. Not the younger Thai I know like my girlfriend and her friends. When I ask about Buddism, they often have no answer and say that they weren't really paying attention when they went to the temple as a child. As adults they don't go that often either, usually only on outings. Then, of course, lotuses, candles and incense are bought at the larger temples. Very nice, that I always do myself. In Krungthep and some other tourist orders you sometimes have to pay for the entrance as a tourist, if possible I don't do that but buy offerings and make a donation. I consider entrance as something for the photographing tourist who comes to shoot some nice pictures without any respect.
Talk about pride. Who decides that “”all Thais should be Buddhist”. Should all Westerners also be Christians? Religious freedom seems to me to be a great good. I am not a believer, but like all other non-believers I do not have a monopoly on wisdom. The message not to believe in anything is also often presented as “the true faith”. As long as missionaries proclaim their faith, but don't force it, that seems fine to me. Churches often do good work on a small scale and they bring structure that benefits people. That Islam thinks it must spread or defend the faith with violence is a form of mission that has nothing to do with religious freedom. A good reason not to choose that. Unfortunately, roughly a billion people think otherwise.
I certainly don't want to say that the thai must all be Buddhist, but don't tell me that the so-called missionaries spread the faith here on a voluntary basis.
Just like in the old days in Africa when they bought souls with beads and mirrors, earthly things are also offered here for church membership.
My wife wanted to learn a little better English and found a free course.
When I heard that it was from the church, I already had doubts.
and yes, if she wanted to follow the course, people would come home first to talk to them about that godless farang, otherwise the party would not take place.
Beads and mirrors sir.
What irritates me so terribly about Christians and Muslims is that both schools of thought think they have a monopoly on the Truth. Doubt, a natural human emotion, is alien to both sides, or so the Bible brothers and sisters and Koran beards would have us believe. Doubt, however, is a noble quality as it indicates that we are weighing things up. With those two beliefs, everything is already as clear as a lump and there is no need to think / doubt anymore. It's all in cans and jugs. With all the misery that entails.
Why should Christianity be brought here through missions? I think there is still enough to convert in the Netherlands.
Make Thailand Christian, while there is an active/aggressive Muslim stronghold to the south? That is the same as provoking war/violence.
Buddhists are one of the few groups that do not suffer from the compulsive urge to propagate their beliefs. Unlike Christians and Muslims.
Not much good can be expected from either of them.
Dear Teun
Do you really think it matters to the southerners of Thailand?
I mean whether the rest of Thailand is Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, Animist, or whatever?
No, those southerners just continue to violently spread their faith.
And indeed, Buddhism is one of the few religions in the world that is not really intrusive.
Nevertheless, I was in Waalwijk with my wife and was treated to an intrusive figure who tried to "work" me if necessary.
Incidentally, he was a Dutch national, so to speak.
And for me, the spread of the various Christian church ideas may stop.
Dear HansNL,
If you don't mind, I'll respond instead of Teun, to whom you addressed this.
Yes, it matters a lot to the "southerners" in Thailand, they also prefer to see the Muslim extremists go rather than come, I myself am married to a Muslim woman from southern Thailand and, before it got really restless, I traveled quite a lot there, now are you not even really safe anymore in Hat Yai, a very nice city in the south, I always used it as a stopping point during my visa run to Malaysia and then continue with the local bus to the border, always a short holiday of a few days I made it.
There is almost no doctor, nurse or teacher to be found for the south, the police officers there are obliged to sit there, soldiers are sent there, all against their will.
The Thai there also want to benefit from tourism, they just want to go to school and/or hospital, without being afraid.
The Muslim extremists are not even from Thailand, if they once again an attack on a school or something like that. committed, they flee like cowardly dogs across the border with Malaysia, where they are sponsored by the well-known Muslim terrorist movements and the children are indoctrinated in the same way as in Afghanistan, for example.
The Muslims themselves in Thailand such as on Koh Lanta, Phuket and Koh PhiPhi are peaceful, cheerful people who want NOTHING to do with terror.
Regards,
Lex K.
Dear Lex
Indeed, the Muslim extremists often enter Thailand from Malaysia.
And, according to various reports, there are also quite a few Arab figures roaming around in southern Thailand and Malaysia.
But…….
It is of course true that such figures can only carry out their “work” with the support, direct or indirect, of the local population.
By immediate I mean effective help in finding targets, carrying out attacks and more of that kind.
By indirect I mean that people look the other way, they do not cooperate with investigations and, above all, the perpetrators are not betrayed.
It is the case everywhere in the world that a terrorist movement can only exist with help, in whatever form, from the local population.
I dare to say, supported by a friend of mine, a Buddhist who fled Malaysia, that the government of Malaysia supports the perpetrators of violence for their own reasons (land grab).
And as for the Muslims elsewhere in Thailand, not yet faced with the moral dilemma of having to make choices, of course they are not (yet) motivated by violence.
However, what happens if terrorists unexpectedly start operating in those areas?
And make no mistake, that is indeed the fear of the Thai government.
Having said this, I do indeed wonder whether Thailand really needs Christianity in its range of shapes and sizes.'
What is the added value of Christianity in Thailand.
There is, unfortunately, enough political division, division between ethnic groups, and it seems to me that a further division in religions is not really necessary.
And history has shown that the impact of Christianity on a country is almost always disastrous for a country's existing social and religious cohesion.
The same applies to Islam, by the way.
Dear HansNL,
On the 2nd paragraph of your response (starts with "but" and ends with "not being betrayed by perpetrators"), do you really think that if the population there, the police or the army will actively help to track down perpetrators and prevention of attacks, that those people cannot expect reprisals?
The terrorists really don't need help finding targets, generally they are quite recognizable targets, such as school buildings, hospital or uniformed officers,
The border between Thailand and Malaysia cannot be controlled, so you can go back and forth unhindered.
I dare to say that the people in southern Thailand are in a constant state of fear, if they help the government, their own lives and that of their families are no longer certain.
You state that the terrorists cannot do their "work" without indirect or direct support from the population, does this apply to all terrorist attacks that have been committed or will be committed all over the world, such as the Olympic Games in Munich, 1 obvious example, but there are hundreds of them.
Your statement that terrorism, worldwide, can only exist with the help of the local population, I personally find short-sighted.
About the “land grab” story, that is a very complicated story, Malaysia claims that Thailand has annexed it, a group of Muslims want more autonomy, a group of Buddhists want to remain part of Thailand, that will simmer for quite some time, at the expense of the largest group of the population that simply wants peace and security.
The government is indeed doing everything it can, within their power of course, to prevent terrorism from spreading, see, among other things, the control of the access road to Phuket.
Regards,
Lex K.
Good Morning,
People, faith is in your heart and in your head.
And that comes out of you, in your actions.
This can be different for everyone.
In need everyone calls for their mother, god, maria, mohammed or whoever.
It is allowed to be critical, but let everyone do that to their own and not to someone else.
Carlo
Unfortunately, faith is forced upon you at birth.
Later you realize that religion is one of the worst causes of violence.
My belief is that everything that comes into the world is destined to give life to something else .
Too bad Thailandblog is going to pay attention to this because this is going to be an endless discussion.
Love one another and multiply is a phrase I like, a little further it says you shall not commit unchastity.
Bringing some life into the brewery seems like something without a priest at my bar.
The question remains whether Buddhism is a religion or a way of life, after many wanderings through Asia I still haven't figured it out. The fact is that Buddhism is tolerant of Christianity, which is often not the case the other way around.
How many religions are there in this world? Hundreds and all think they have the true god! So you see that this is a purely human invention in order not to be able to accept that after death there is nothing left! And the death toll as a result of the countless wars between all those believers is enormous! Buddhism is more tolerant, but it is not a real religion!
Too bad that Christians or anyone else find it necessary, or rather “see the opportunity” to send missionaries.
When will the remaining believers (of whatever faith) finally find out that faith is something you do in private and with which you leave others alone in any case.
I've been living here in Thailand for years now, never met a Buddhist who thought it necessary or made the slightest attempt to convince this "infidel" of his right. Believing, by definition, is “not knowing for sure”. And should we, with missionary Martin Visser, experience it as something positive that apparently Thai Christians are even more convinced than Dutch Christians that others are wrong.
Why can't people like Martin Visser enjoy their hobby with like-minded people without the need to show others the light and force their truth on them.
It is a pity that possibly better educated and more independent thinking people in the West are so critical of religion and see whether it still fits in their culture.
It is so nice that the "new" believers in Thailand still accept "God's word" as "truth", it does not testify to the incredible arrogance that believers still radiate and with which they want to adapt the world to their ideas.
Why is it that the bank manager from Martin Visser's story is so ashamed. ? Have all those better-knowing, moralizing and forbidding beliefs ever brought anything good to the world, anything other than strife, war, inequality and discrimination from all that deviates and tries to walk free?
Interesting angle to make the connection with Thailand with such an article
In response to all of the above. I think the prophet John has already written that there can be no faith without doubt.
Furthermore, the text “go forth and multiply” is the greatest source of misery. We are heading towards 7 billion people on this globe. In my opinion, that is 3,5 billion more than is good for this poor planet.
BramSiam.
I think John wrote, a faith without good works is a dead faith
The 2 main commandments of the book of the bible are; love God above all and your neighbor as you
yourself. If the last commandment were to be carried out a little more, this planet could easily
carrying 7 billion people.
My good old respectable mother taught it a long time ago: Never argue about Religion and Politics. So dear people let everyone be in his or her worth and stop this nonsensical discussion. After all, we are talking about Thailand and not about religion or beliefs in whatever.
lex k describes what we should really be afraid of. fundamentalism, how this manifests itself in southern thailand. Marten V isser should read this piece carefully and see what 'mission' can lead to. Proclaim your message with violence. He tries to sell people, who are looking for something of happiness, his 'safe haven', in a soft way. Islam still has the method, as used by the Christians around 1500 in South America. This is not going to end well. Protecting Thailand from all outside influence, in the religious field, I think is a better objective, has a high priority. Better if you put your energy into soft missions. Unfortunately, non-believers cannot go for it, as I explain in an earlier response. Something has to happen there.
To actively propagate a belief worldwide should be considered a crime against humanity - and against humanity - and should in fact be recognized as such. Catholics who went on to holocaust fellow Christians (so-called Protestants) - that is now a thing of the past - and Muslims who are so fanatical that they commit suicide attacks - that is unfortunately current - these are next to (last but not least) the holocaust on the Jews - well the most significant examples of intolerance and bigotry. The opposite is the tolerance of the Buddhist. You should certainly stay away from his philosophy of life – it is not a belief in God. I was shocked when I first heard that Christian missionaries existed to even be active in Thailand. How dare they! Stay away from the Thai! Keep your world view annex your faith to yourself, as the Buddhists and (in another approach also the Jews do; the Jews consider themselves God's chosen people, which does not make them very apostolic).
Out of charity the Christians have massacred entire non-Christian tribes; what right does a Christian still have to speak? Could I maybe embrace a little less of that kind of charity? Can I perhaps object to the fact that such a murderous belief is being forced upon the Buddhist Thai? That with all kinds of blah blah that no logician can get out of his throat. Can I maybe use my mind? From that -that mind-turning off comes fanaticism. If you believe, don't you believe that God gave me my mind? Well, with that mind and the science that results from it (for example, Darwin's) that's what I'm going to do with. Especially in my social life. Reasonableness is the basis of humanity, not fanaticism and apostolic faith.
Dear Willem
I read your article with great attention, and actually I (almost) completely agree with you.
The emphasis you put on Christianity is very one-sided.
Islam is much, much more “proselytizing”
The violent has disappeared from the proselytizing ideology of the Christians.
But certainly not from Islam.
As for Judaism, this religion is and was burdened by the two religions that emerged from the Torah, with the well-known consequences.
However, one thing is certain, since 2000 years, and probably long before that, Judaism has not suffered from proselytizing.
On the contrary, try becoming Jewish.
And of course I now expect hordes to fall over me and begin to ravage Israel.
But read carefully what I wrote.
Incidentally, I still think, as far as one serves God, the relationship with God is a personal matter.
At that moment when someone else starts interfering with it, you should think hard.
As a professional atheist, I find forcing all kinds of religion upon another to be highly objectionable. Don't Christians learn from history? Haven't they caused enough misery in the world already? (Ireland, Child Abuse, Africa to name a few) To have missionaries run a children's home is totally bad in my opinion. Indoctrination in young children, Shame!!!!
Marcel, I can still remember that at stations there were billboards on which the phrase was printed in thick, bold letters: “Swearing is learned”.
A graffiti sprayer had sprayed on it with large letters: "Pray too".
Ah, what a wise cry!
Beautiful, a graffiti sprayer with humor and a sense of reality! A person after my heart!
I love it too!
As far as I'm concerned, religion is a personal matter that you shouldn't bother others with. 'Mission', trying to 'convert' – it should be forbidden…………..
Like all discussions about faith, this one can go on forever, but a fun one to follow.
I fully support the injection against religion that we need to find.
Have them do some research on that.
And then enter it in the package that babies already receive anyway
The anti-religious reactions are strong in the majority. This says a lot about the Dutch in particular. About 80 to 90% of humanity believes in some religion. That has been the case for many centuries. The chance that one of the 2.000 religions in the world is right also seems small to me. Nevertheless, the need for religion is a universal human quality. In that sense, the statement (which is indeed clever) is not correct that prayer is learned. It seems it's in our genes. People tend to pray to propitiate powers they do not understand.
I've read the article a few times and still don't understand it. Why does Marten Visser post this? Is he theologian, on behalf of which Christian church, because as everyone knows there are hundreds of different ones, let alone the many American ones. A reference to the Christian Information platform makes it clear that Cip is part of the Boekhout publishing house.
Boekhout Publishers is a small independent Christian publisher of theological books and music publications.
Boekhout Publishers has set itself the goal of placing all published works on the market without profit and at a low price. The books should have a clear message calling to live to the glory of God, our heavenly Father.
The publishing house has become known for the publication of the Spurgeon series, of which a copy must appear every quarter, and the yellow music and text bundle.
Every year we make beautiful evangelistic treatises for Easter and Christmas for various evangelistic posts.
Boekhout Publishers is also active in the fruit and vegetable sector with various publications. Click here (www.agf.nl) “
Note. A nice combination between missionary urge and flower and fruit trade.
There is nothing wrong with that in itself, but some of his statements in his article do not make sense. Like many of the readers somewhere, those smart looking young men dressed in black have seen young Thais, mostly women, on the street or in a park, come up, have a chat and hand over a brochure. Wim van Beveren has already written where this leads.
A few notes on the statements:
5. Dutch Christians are more stable.
Life is rougher in Thailand. Family and money problems are bigger and more visible than in the Netherlands. What does that look like? I think the rest of point 5 is rubbish.
4. Thai churches are smaller.
If most churches are too small to function, stop.
3. In Thailand, the Church is growing.
What does that show? At point 4 you indicate that the churches can no longer function.
2. The Thai Church accepts the authority of God's Word.
Very often this blog is written about Thai culture. Don't believe that someone who lives in a completely different culture can reorient, relive or whatever it is called, can make a 360 degree turn. Think of the history of the missionaries and missionaries in Africa, among others, where in a short time the converts turned around and killed them all (Mau Mau).
1. The Dutch church does not know how to behave.
Wrongly worded. Think of it like a football club. If no one wants to join anymore, you have to cancel it.
I looked up Marten Visser's site and found an article there with the subject "Ouweneel deliberately lied". You don't know what you're reading.
What I always can't understand is that people who have studied in this day and age, be it theology, math or whatever, haven't come to the conclusion that it wasn't god who created the world etc., but man created god. created, with all the fuss that came with it.
Illuminating piece of background. Thanks for info. Final conclusion “man created god” 100% agree.
We can of course hope that Mr. Martin Visser also reads the reactions to his article and comes to repentance and comes to understand that “no one is waiting for his “mission”. Also/certainly not in Thailand.
As a Dutchman, he might be able to put his energy into finally closing the remnants of these club(s), at least in NL, and to concentrate on the fruit and vegetable sector together with publisher Boekhout.
A difference between a church in the Netherlands and in Thailand:
I noticed that in a church in Thailand it is allowed to laugh (provided that a large part is Thai).
I'll read through the comments. I think there's a lot of old sores here and there.
Every religion talks about brotherhood, but it is really divisive.
I continue to respect any belief but disapprove if asked.
There is life after death, you are part of a whole. Whether you will experience it is still the question and sometimes a wish.
My favorite grand master said:
Your belief in God is merely an escape from your monotonous, stupid and cruel life.
Jiddu Krishnamurti
Religion is the frozen thought of man out of which they build temples.