hello! I'd like to share a dream a friend of mine shared with me. Firstly, my name is Jo and I love interpreting dreams! Ok here goes...
He was on top of a hill near a barn and down at the bottom of the hill were many tents, each tent representing a religious order. He walked backwards down the hill and asked: "where are the jews?" and then the jews all waved and said hey. Kinda like they were just over there, along with everyone else:christians, muslims, etc.
My interpretation was that his being on top of the hill shows his transcendence of cult or religious dogmatic rule over his mind/soul. I think every religion is based on truth but in time has become currupted by people who simply dont get it being in power.
Some background on me: I was raised catholic went to catholic schools from preschool thru highschool. Studied bible as much as catholics study it (any prodestants get that joke?) and also studied many other religions and ideas.
So growing up catholic i always knew something wasn't right. What i was being told just didn't match up to my experience. I am definately a seeker who follows a multi-disciplinary/multi-faith path. What I like to do is find the commonalities of all religions and ideas and assume those common points are most likely the true things. All of the tangents and specific rules on issues are usually the things crafted by people who were in power at the time, but simply didn't understand what it was all about.
So far as my judgement day i have no fear at all. I've had many near death experiences in my life and to be honest, i can't wait until i really die. Of corse i love living but just like retirement i look forward to death. I've encountered psychopomps before and sometimes i feel like in my life here i act as one to many people. But not like i'm guiding them in the afterlife, more like i'm guiding them in their current life getting them ready for the afterlife transition. hmm, i wonder if there's a word for that as psychopomp is specific to post-death guides.
So ya, i think all religions and philosophies share many things and its those things that are shared that ring true. I once heard on NPR radio that in ancient india when the ppl would speak of god and other crazy stuff they said that god didn't exist in anything anyone said but in the silence that occurred after they were done and everyone was taking it all in. Its like direct experience of god, infinity, and meeting all the neat and crazy dieties from all the world's religions is half the fun. I've seen too many people "believe" the bible yet they can't recite a verse. Or if you read them a verse they would only see the 1st dimension of it and not understand the deeper meaning.
In the end no human crated religion or philosophy will be able to accurately represent life and death. I think musicians have gotten it the closest. Now is where i quote 20 songs, half of them beatles.