Home Blog Page 2

Are all religions the same?

Dave Seamore
-
1
Are all religions the same?

Walking home with a well-educated friend, I was surprised to hear him say ‘All religions are the same’.

I was walking home to catch the train with a friend who was a well-qualified lawyer.  He’d just finished working on a case which had asked him to take into account the background of the defendant. He said he doesn’t take into account someone’s own religious view as it has nothing to do with the nature of the crime.

As far as he was concerned, his job was the correct implementation of the law. This was to be based on the evidence supplied by his defendant.

I replied that what he’d done may have seemed right to him. My friend continued that in his mind, all religions are the same. I didn’t take the conversation any further.

Are all liquids the same?

But are all religions the same? Are they all nonsense – made up by primitive people trying to make sense of life? Are they all just ways to God? Are all of them true, none of them true – or is one of them true?

Saying all religions are the same, is a bit like saying all liquids are the same, or all sport is the same. With a limited understanding then – yes all religions are the same. There are some similarities. All sports tend to have rules, often a team, involve a ball and generally have a winner. All liquids ‘flow’ but if I asked you to put milk in your car and fuel on your breakfast cereal then you’d quickly notice the difference!

Doogle is not going to go into one religion versus another but rather say why there is a way to find God and have a purpose-driven life. We all approach life with our own experiences and point of view which can help or hinder us.

I became a Christian – not because of my background or experience, otherwise I would have been an atheist. Rather, a battle to find out the truth in a world which can make it hard. However, it’s not that difficult to come to the same answer and I hope Doogle.com is able to help remove the barriers to finding out the truth.

The businessman and the beggar

Dave Seamore
-
0
The businessman and the beggar

Did you know a wealthy businessman on his way to work can pass a beggar in the street begging – and they’re both addicts?

Does it sound a bit far-fetched? Surly the businessman is doing well, unlike the beggar.

The difference is that one is obvious, whilst the other is far more subtle. Both are trying to make their lives better; one via a substance and the other with achievement. There may be some merit in the man going to work but his outcomes should also benefit others (both via the work and also his earnings). The key being; all addictions create an illusion.

I spent many years, even decades thinking I enjoyed every drink. The more I earned the more I drank. It seemed a parody to the illustration of the beggar and the businessman. I seemed to have the best of both worlds.

Learning to live

What if I told you the man in the suit going to work – was me! I also was ‘the man on the street’. My hardworking nature meant I ended up with a beautiful house, wife, children, luxury cars, spare houses (or ‘investments’ as I’d call them) – and also drinking.

I was set free by reading books such as Allen Carr’s’ Easy Way to control alcohol’ or Annie Grace’s ‘This Naked Mind’ – but I’d also read ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’. There were too many similarities between books on getting rid of addictions and achieving your goal. They both got you questioning why you did what you did and both required you to have a mentality that you wanted to change.

It was only when I started questioning my own mindset that I questioned ‘why I did what I did’ and if my work or alcohol actually benefited my life. I also discovered that ‘alcoholism’ is 100% about a mindset. The drink is nothing more than a poison with flavour. If you can change your mind then alcoholism doesn’t exist and the illusion is broken.

What you believe becomes your truth

Really? You don’t get ‘nicotine-ism’, ‘heroin-ism’ or ‘money-ism’. I went from drinking 30+ units a day to zero (admittedly over a few years, losing a few phones and nearly my wife and job). But my point is – it all started in the mind and what you believe comes truth.

The story of 2 wolves

Doogle
-
1
The story of 2 wolves

This story tells of 2 wolves. It is helpful to see how feeding your emotions also change your character.

I was told this story by an old lady. I visited her when I knew she was very ill. I also knew 2 things about her:

  • She’d had a hard life. Her daughter had died in a car crash when she was in her early twenties and for the past 10 years, she’d cared for her husband who’d had Alzheimer’s disease before he died.
  • She also had a sister who was notorious for being a ‘drama queen’. Her sister was also now very frail but had been moved to care-home after care-home as everyone had found her too demanding.

I asked her about her life and how she’d coped with life’s hardships and how she’d managed to be such a positive influence for so many people. I also enquired about her sister although I’d not had the inclination to visit her.

She told me this story.

The story of two wolves

There once were two wolves. They lived outside in the forest but came to a remote house when they needed to be fed. Both were hungry. However, one wolf was angry. It would bite if you went near and would scratch at the door. It would pace around the house, snaring, jumping at the windows to see inside. When it saw someone, it would jump up and bare its teeth and howl for food.

The other wolf would sit – waiting patiently a short distance from the front door. It sat outside and waited even in the cold.

This story illustrates your inner emotions. The first wolf is angry, greedy, selfish, demanding, and satisfied by its stomach. The second wolf is patient, peaceful, and unassuming. You would only get to know this wolf if you wanted to.

There was only enough food for one wolf – so which one will you feed?

Learn your emotions

If it helps, then a simple list of the good emotions is shown below, with the bad emotions beneath them. It’s also worth noting that anger can easily be used to justify the good emotions – for example getting angry that you did something wrong again.

This anger also feeds the bad wolf. It’s important to feed the good wolf so that you’re not wanting to do the wrong thing again. Getting angry won’t help!

Feed the Wolf – good or bad emotions

The list above is not meant to be definitive. Make a list which is relevant to you. This list orignially had some other positive values such as: Acceptance, Integrity, Courage but they were more relevant to the people attending the workshop.

The Story of C.S. Lewis: The most reluctant convert

Doogle
-
0
The Story of C.S. Lewis: The most reluctant convert

Watch a movie that might change your mind

C.S. Lewis is perhaps best known for his children’s stories. But stories can be a great way to convey the truth. C.S. Lewis struggled with many of the issues that still confront us today.

Watch C.S. Lewis battle with discovering the truth – despite his own objections.

But he was not going to settle for fluffy answers. His profound journey from vigorous debunker of Christianity to become, as he said, “the most reluctant convert in all England.” makes this a truly unmissable movie.

Follow C.S Lewis’ story of grief, loss and redemption on the screen, told in his own words

To view on Amazon click here.

The Chosen

Doogle
-
0
The Chosen

Watch a TV Channel – dedicated to showing the life of Jesus.

Settle in for a great night’s TV. A charismatic fisherman drowning in debt, a troubled woman wrestling with real demons. A gifted publican ostracized by his family and his people. A religious leader struggling with his beliefs. See Jesus through the eyes of those that met him.

To view click here.

The Chosen: Watch the life of Jesus in this fantastic free online series.

Overview of The Chosen

This three-part series starts with Jesus meeting his disciples all from different backgrounds. Jesus meets with Mary Magdalene and resorts her worth in society, meets the fishermen as well as various others, including the infamous tax collector Matthew.

The second series sees Jesus moving around the area, attracting a great following. We see his various miracles but also his controversial teachings of a new life, starting with him. His miracles, power over nature, as well as the ability to forgive sins, start to get him in trouble with the local religious leaders.

The third series sees Jesus attracting a much larger following, but now with opposition from the Romans and the religious leaders who would seek his final death. However, this shows that man’s plans are nothing compared to God’s and the fulfilment of his promise – to send a saviour into the world who will lead all men and women to him

[Doogle question: Could this be done in Virtual Reality?]

Tell me why I don’t like Mondays . . .

Doogle
-
0
Tell me why I don’t like Mondays . . .

“Tell me why I don’t like Mondays” sang Bob Geldof in the Boomtown Rats and continued “…what reason do you need to die?”

Well, most people have no reason, most people choose to live a life as long and happy as possible.

But what would you do if:
• You knew when you were going to die?
• You knew where it would happen?
• You knew how it would happen?

The most obvious response would be to make sure you were nowhere near that place at that time.

Jesus knew where, when and how he was going to die but still went through with it. Why did he do this? Because it was love which held him to the cross – and not nails.
Most people never have a reason to die – however, Jesus wasn’t like most people. In fact, he was unique. He was the only person who never did anything wrong which is why he could pay the price for the wrong things we have all done in our lives. That’s not saying your current life is ‘bad’ but we would want you to have a very full, exciting and purposeful life.

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse

Doogle
-
0
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse

This is more than just a 30-minute animation movie. Watch as three animals and a boy shares some core values for life.

This is available on various channels. BBC iPlayer currently has it available. This simple animation illustrates how we are better together, even though we may have some different values. However, life will throw storms at us all.

What is the bravest thing you’ve ever said? asked the boy.
‘Help,’ said the horse.
‘Asking for help isn’t giving up,’ said the horse. ‘It’s refusing to give up.

Sit down, relax and watch the 30-minute animation on iPlayer here or Apple TV here.

Priceless or Worthless?

Doogle
-
0
Priceless or Worthless?

Quick question: What’s the difference between ignorance and indifference? Answer: I don’t know and I don’t care

If you don’t know about something – then you also won’t care.

What’s the difference between something which is priceless and something that is worthless?

Answer: The picture above is Van Gogh’s Almond Blossom. The original painting sold for $117.2 million in 2022 whilst the image in front of you cost nothing – it’s only on your screen.

So when we say that Jesus died for you, you may have a few responses:

– I don’t know and I don’t care

– It was worthless. Many people have died for all kinds of reasons. What was so different about Jesus?

The reason his death is priceless is that Jesus was the only person who never did anything wrong. He knew he was going to die but still gave his own life out of choice when he died on the cross for you.

How to actually read the Bible

Dave Seamore
-
0
How to actually read the Bible

The Bible is the world’s best-selling book. But do you know how to actually read it?

For people who’ve not read the bible before you should first be aware; it’s quite a big book.  A whole Bible may be very thick which could put you off before you’ve opened it.

Fortunately, the bible doesn’t need to be from the start to finish, that’s possibly the worst way to read it if you’ve not read it before.

The Bible and Star Wars

The Bible is a bit like Star Wars. Star Wars is a battle between good and evil but when Star Wars first came out it began at chapter 4 called ‘A New Hope’. This is a bit like the Bible. The ‘New Hope’ begins with the 4 books called Mathew, Mark, Luke and John which are about the life of Jesus and how he fulfilled the prophecies before him.

The Bible is a bit like Star Wars

Which version of the bible should you read?

All bibles say exactly the same thing so they’re not ‘versions’ as such so they don’t disagree. There are many versions of the bible and in different languages. So to start by reading one in your own language, it will be a lot easier.

Then they are written for different types of people. The Children’s Bible – for example, or maybe for ‘cool young people’ there’s The Message written in modern English. It honestly doesn’t matter as long as it’s easy for you to understand what’s written. The Evidence Bible as great as it gives insight into various chapters. Other common versions of the bible are New International Version or The Good News Bible

If you want to get ‘geeky’ you can read very early transcripts of the Bible at Codex Sinaiticus here.

Some versions may have some additional books (such as the book of Esther or Enoch) but they don’t change a thing. They actually just give further insight into some areas which may be of interest.

Who should read the Bible?

You don’t need to be a Christian to read The Bible but it helps. In fact, even if you have no interest whatsoever in becoming a Christian then it’s especially for you! If you want to understand someone else’s point of view then study what people actually believe rather than what people say other people believe. It avoids a lot of unnecessary confusion.

How to read the Bible?

Especially if you’re a Christian then it’s a good idea to pray before reading the Bible. The Bible is one of God’s many ways to talk to you. Some people will prefer meditation on one verse, or to go for a walk after reading the Bible to let it sink in and spend time with God.

Other than that – it’s a bit like learning an instrument or riding a bike. The key is ‘little and often’. If you don’t like reading – then don’t make it hard for yourself. The radio, YouTube or maybe a TV Channel like The Chosen is a great way to start.

The books of the Bible explained

We’ve taken this section out of this post to create a new one. You can get a quick overview of the various books of the bible with a quick explanation of them here.

The books of The Bible explained

Dave Seamore
-
0
The books of The Bible explained

The Christian Bible is the world’s best-selling book. This guide gives a quick crash course.

This brief guide briefly lists the books of the Bible and what’s in them. Reading the Bible can seem daunting at first, so Doogle.com has given a simple guide here.

This article is waiting for input from another author who is away at the time of writing. Below is just a simple ‘placeholder’ for what to expect.

Name of the BookDescriptionHow this book points to Jesus
GenesisHow God made the Earth (separating mass and energy, a bit like E=-mc2). The world came into existence at a known time and Adam was the only human born without natural parents. Adam and Eve sinned causing the world to fall into chaos and mankind was cut off from God.Mankind was separated from God caused by Adam. Jesus was the only other person born without human parents and restored the relationship with God.
PsalmsVarious small poems which are lovely for reflecting on life’s best and worst times.Psalms 2, 22 and 110 refer to the coming chosen one of God.
IsaiahHow a man would come but suffer even though he was innocent. He would take on himself the punishment for everyone who has ever lived. He would die but after this, he would have restored the relationship with God.Jesus lived a sinless life and died a cruel and horrible death. By his own choice, he remained silent throughout. His resurrection restored the relationship with God.
[Various]Quite a lot of books such as Jonah (3 days in the deep) and Hosea (who had to marry a prostitute). David and Goliath, Daniel and Esther etc.
Some books only make sense once you’ve read other books (a bit like the Star Wars spin-off series).		Many references to someone who would come, die and rise again, who would defeat sin and evil etc.
New Testament
Matthew, Mark, Luke and JohnThese are the ‘Gospels’ which tell directly about the life of Jesus Christ from eyewitness accounts.These 4 books are written about Jesus directly.
ActsLife for the early followers of Jesus. The removal of religious boundaries and the persecution of early Christians.Acts really follows on from Luke. However, this shows that people changed radically and were prepared to live and die* for Jesus.
[Various]Books often written by Paul who was a religious fanatic whos life changed completely after meeting Jesus in a vision.
Books of the Bible explained

*In Acts Chapter 7, Stephen gives a ‘crash course’ to the Bible. It’s before he is killed so he may have been trying to stall things.

123Page 2 of 3

© Doogle.com - all rights reserved