• Editor’s note: “Spiritual leaders answer on…” is a weekly column inviting Kaua‘i’s religious and spiritual leaders to share their doctrines’ perspectives on a suggested subject. Every Friday a topic is printed inviting a response. Submissions are edited for content
• Editor’s note: “Spiritual leaders answer on…” is a weekly column inviting Kaua‘i’s religious and spiritual leaders to share their doctrines’ perspectives on a suggested subject. Every Friday a topic is printed inviting a response. Submissions are edited for content and length. Thoughts or suggestions for future topics are always welcome. Due to generous submissions, next week the topic religion will continue. The topic at the end of the column is for the following week.
Lama Tashi Dundrup
Kaua‘i Dharma Center
Religion is a system or method to escape the pain and suffering in the human condition and attain rebirth in a celestial spirit realm as a god or goddess. These practices are mostly based on blind faith in a supreme god or goddess and dogmatic scriptures written and interpreted by men. They believe this rebirth in heaven is permanent and that karma, cause and effect, has nothing to do with their beliefs or the next life. Most religions do not agree with each other. This causes separation, which can lead to fighting, quarreling and war. Finally, most humans who practice religion think their tradition is the only true religion and that their god is the only true god. They have no idea or realization of their own inner pure open and clear nature and that that (this state of mind) is the absolutely true state of what they call heaven.
Pastor Wayne Patton
Anahola Baptist Church
The biblical description of religion is found in James 1:26-27: “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: To look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
James says do not merely listen to God’s word, and so deceive ourselves, but do what it says. He illustrates this exhortation with three points of application.
The first area is our tongues. We should diligently practice what the Bible says about the tongue. The acronym, THINK, is a good basis for deciding what to say and when to say it. T: Is it true? H: Is it helpful? I: Is it inspiring? Is it necessary? K: Is it kind?
The second area is our benevolence. We should be known by our deeds of charity, kindness and compassion. As individuals we should reach out and help someone who needs it in our daily lives.
The third area is our purity. We need to keep our character from being corrupted by this world in the various areas of our life.
After all, this is a perfect description of Jesus — always using words with wisdom, always caring for the poor, sick and needy; and always keeping Himself pure in a polluted world.
Religion is doing what God says.
Topic for two weeks from today
• Will you speak to us on neighbors?
• Spiritual leaders are invited to e-mail responses of three to five paragraphs to pwoolway@kauaipubco.com.
• Deadline each week is 5 p.m. Tuesday.
