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Date Posted: 17:29:55 05/01/04 Sat
Author: Risha
Subject: Re: SPIRITUALITY vs. RELIGION
In reply to: KENNETH BRAVEHAWK 's message, "SPIRITUALITY vs. RELIGION" on 04:20:44 03/30/04 Tue

Hi Ken Bravehawk! I hope you don't mind if I follow up on your post. I have been reading some of the works of Ohiyesa (also known as Charles Alexander Eastman). Here is a quote from his book 'The Soul of an Indian'...
"This lust for money, power, and conquest did not escape moral condemnation at our hands, nor did we fail to contrast this conspicuous trait of the dominant race with the spirit of the meek and lowly Jesus.
I remember the words of one of the old battle-scarred warrior. I was at the time meeting with groups of young men - Sioux, Cheyenne, Cree, Ojibwe, and others - in log cabins or little frame chapels trying to set before them in simple language the life and charecter of the man Jesus.
The old warrior got up and said, 'why, we have followed this law you speak of for untold ages! We owned nothing, because everything is from the Creator. Food was free, land as free as sunshine and rain. Who changed all this? The white man. And yet he says he is a belieiver in God! He does not seem to inherit any of the traits of his Father, nor does he follow the example set by his brother Christ!'
Another of the older men, called upon for his views, kept a long silence. Finally, he said, 'I have come to the conclusion that this Jesus was an Indian. He was opposed to material acquisition and to great possessions. He was inclined to peace. He was as unpractical as any Indian and set no price upon his labor of love. These are not the principles upon which the white man has founded his civilization. It is strange that he could not rise to these simple principles which were so commonly observed among our people.'"
He goes on to say...
"I confess I have wondered much that Christianity is not practiced by the very people who vouch for that wonderful conception of exemplary living. It appears that they are anxious to pass on their religion to all other races, but keep very little of it for themselves. I have not yet seen the meek inherit the earth, or the peacemakers receive high honor.
It is my belief, after thirty five years' experience of it, that there is no such thing as 'Christian Civilization.' I believe that Christianity and modern civilization are opposed and irreconcilable, and that the spirit of Christianity and of our ancient religion is essentially the same."

For those who have never read any of Ohiyesa's work.. I recomend it as not only a good read but it may also help you to understand this man who walked 2 ways. He lived amongst white man and learned their ways, he had first hand knowledge of their ways, but never lost sight of his own ways and his own teachings, and it was his own ways that he returned to in the end.
My personal oppinion is that Jesus was a good man, his teachings were good and honorable, but it has been twisted and turned and polatics has put in its filthy hands to distort the words of their book. Looking in a book of other peoples words is like thinking in straight lines, too logical, and there are no straight lines in nature, so we see that everything is round naturally and so by thinking in circles it always brings us back to ourselves, and it is within ourselves that we find answers, connection, balance and harmony and not in a book of words. No matter how good and wholesome these words may be, a person can not fully understand them or practice properly the teachings if they do not experience the spiritual and inner knowledge within themselves. Whithout this they just have a book of words and no connection to them.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post!
Love
Risha :O)

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