Religions

Inspired by the never ending news about attacks in Iraq, I decided to look up Shia and Sunni, and find out what are the differences, and what caused them.

And I read more about Islam, apparently the Muslims also believe in Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus (though they believe Jesus is a prophet, instead of God). Also I learned that 3 out of the first 4 Caliphs (head of the government in Muslim world) following Muhammad was assassinated, by fellow Muslims. Given that the Muslims, Christians, and Jews all believe in the same God, I wonder what happens when the judgment day comes and God would say about the history. All the killings between Muslims and Christians, Muslims and Muslims, Protestants and Catholics, Christians and Jews, are all done in God's name, the same God, in addition to the fact that all the teachings in Christianity and Islam condemn killing, especially killing between the "brothers" (same believers).

While I am on this topic, it reminds me of a previous episode on South Park when it mocks the Mormons by making fun of the story in which Joseph Smith, who believed to possess the golden plate from God that no one else have seen, translates it by putting it in a hat. When asked to translate it again (to verify the truthfulness), he gave a totally different "translation", claiming that God gave him another set. Yet this is something all the Mormons believe to be the root of their religion.

Obviously this story is hard to believe for the outsiders. But I think this is what "believe" or "faith" is. Maybe others will think the same of Christians? Faith is to believe in something that cannot be proved, if one believes because of the facts laid out clearly, or proved by logic, it will be "knowledge" instead of "faith". Being a Christian myself, there are a lot of scriptures in the Bible I don't fully understand, yet I believe them to be true and come from God. Afterall, to "not believe" in God is also a "belief" itself. Why do you believe in evolution instead of creation? Even if scientific evidence points to the fact that humans evolved from monkey, monkey from fish, fish from bacteria, bacteria from a single cell, it still takes a step of faith to believe whether the cell is generated randomly by nature, or by design from a higher power.

In the end, it all boils down to the matter of choice.