Message from Archangel Michael
September 2004 * LM-9-2004

"MOVING BEYOND RELIGION INTO SPIRITUALITY"
Transmitted Through Ronna Herman

Beloved masters, the winds of change are blowing strongly within
your inner and outer worlds, and you often feel you are being
tumbled about by the winds of fate. You are being bombarded with so
much new information that your body and brain are in overload.
Everything is changing so rapidly in your world that you can no
longer depend on what was considered to be the "norm," and there is
such a plethora of new information that it is difficult to know what
to believe. Old concepts are being updated and the philosophies of
the Eastern and Western worlds are blending as higher expanded
truths are being presented for your learning as humanity strives to
become spiritual adults and masters of their destiny.

There are many paths to en-LIGHTEN-ment and many variations and
levels of the truth; however, the universal laws and Creator truth
are immutable. There are essential truths in every religion, and if
you strip away the dogma, man-made superstitions and limitations,
you will find they all contain more similarities than differences.
Instead of criticizing or condemning the beliefs of others, would it
not be better to seek a common ground of understanding? The majority
of humanity does not have a clue about the origins or major beliefs
of other religions, and yet there is condemnation of all beliefs
that are not one's own. The core cause of all the wars of the past
and the wars that are presently raging around the world are based on
conflicting religious beliefs. How sad and how futile. There can be
no winners; everyone loses in the rage and fury for supremacy that
is rampant on Earth.

I have asked my messenger to research and give you a condensed
synopsis of some of the similarities and the differences between the
Eastern and the Western world views, as well as a condensed overview
of the major religions of the world, past and present. It is
important that you understand the customs and beliefs of your
brothers and sisters around the world if you are to move forward on
the path of reunification and harmony. Humanity is gradually moving
beyond the narrow concept of isolationism and secular "religion"
into the expanded and cohesive truth of spirituality whereby you
turn inward and connect to your own Divine Source for Creator truth
and universal laws to guide you, instead of turning to someone you
think is more knowledgeable and powerful than you. In the past,
humanity has been mostly of a "herd-state" mentality, and it has
been a common practice to follow the man-made religious laws as
defined by others: dogmatic beliefs or superstitions which were/are
often steeped in fear.




Herein we will list some of the similarities and also some of the
differences: SIMILARITIES: CONCEPT OF GOD: Eastern view: Belief in a
Supreme Deity, maker of all souls and all things and in lesser
deities. Western view: Belief in a Supreme Deity, maker of all souls
and all things, including angelic beings and the heavenly host. ON
SALVATION AND GOD'S WILL: Eastern view: Salvation is through strict
obedience to God's will and the descent of His grace through
spiritual enlightenment. Western view: Salvation is through strict
obedience to God's will, usually through a messiah, prophet,
minister or priest.

ON GOOD CONDUCT: Eastern view: Moral living is essential to
spiritual progress, for unrighteous thoughts, words and deeds keep
you from spiritual liberation. Western view: Religion is based on
ethical and moral conduct as outlined in the ten commandments; the
opposite leads you away from God.

ON THE NATURE OF REALITY: Eastern view: There is more to reality
than we can experience with the five senses. The soul is immortal,
deathless and eternal, and will ultimately be liberated from the
cycle of rebirth. Western view: There is a reality beyond what we
experience on Earth. The soul is immortal, deathless and eternal,
living forever in God's presence or separated from Him in an eternal
hell.

DIFFERENCES: REGARDING CREATION: Eastern view: The universe exists
in endless cycles of creation, preservation and destruction. There
is no absolute end to the world. We are a part of God and God is
within us. Unity is stressed. Western view: The world was created by
God and at some point in the future it will be destroyed. He is
distinct from it and rules from above. A dualistic nature of the
world and humanity is stressed.

THE TRUE GOD: Eastern view: There is but one true and absolute God.
All souls are destined to receive God's grace through experience on
many paths according to their understanding, temperament and
maturity. God is pure love and Consciousness. Western view: There is
but one true God and one true religion. Those who accept it will
enjoy God's grace; all others, unless they repent and come to "your"
God, will suffer eternally in hell. God is loving as well as
wrathful.

ON KNOWING GOD: Eastern view: Personal, inner and often mystical
experience of God is the foundation of Eastern religions. Man can
and ultimately must come to know God during earthly life.
Individually oriented and introspective. Western view: It is
presumptuous for man to seek personal knowledge of God. The basis of
religion is not experience but belief, faith and a virtuous life.
Socially oriented and extroverted.

ON HELL AND EVIL: Eastern view: God is love and all souls are a
facet of God. Each soul is guided as it experiences karma
interactions into dharma (enlightenment and alignment with universal
laws). Hell is the lower astral planes, not a physical place, nor is
it eternal. Karmic suffering is a state of mind during life or
between lives. There is no intrinsic evil. All is good. All is God.
Only the veil over our intuitive-intellectual mind keeps us from
realizing our personal relationship with God. Western view: On
judgment day the physical body of every soul who ever lived is
brought to life. Pure souls are granted entrance into heaven, while
sinners are sent to everlasting hell. There is genuine evil in the
world, a living force which opposes God's will. Satan and his demons
embody this evil, as well as in man if he develops evil tendencies
and does not follow God's commandments.

HEREIN IS A BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF THE MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONS: HINDUISM:
Hinduism is the world's oldest religion; it predates recorded
history, and has no human founder. Its major scriptures are called
The Vedas. There are nearly one billion followers, mostly in India.
Hinduism is a vast and profound religion whose followers believe in
one, all-pervasive Supreme Being who is both Creator and
unmanifested reality. They believe that all souls are evolving
toward union with God and will ultimately gain spiritual knowledge
and liberation from the cycle of rebirth. They believe in karma, the
laws of cause and effect by which each individual creates his own
destiny by his thoughts, words and deeds.

BUDDHISM: Buddhism began about 2,500 years ago in India and was
founded by Gautama Siddhartha, the Buddha, "Enlightened One." The
Buddha's essential teachings are contained in the Four Noble Truths.
There are over 300 million believers throughout China, Japan, Sri
Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Indochina, Korea and Tibet. There are three
main sects, Theravada, Tibetan and Mahayana. Zen Buddhism, well-
known in the West, is a Japanese Mahayana school. Their goal in life
is nirvana (salvation). They believe in the "Middle Path," living
moderately, avoiding extremes of luxury and asceticism. They believe
in love and compassion for all creatures that live, and that man's
true nature is Divine and eternal. They believe in karma, dharma,
reincarnation and the passage on Earth as an opportunity to end the
cycle of birth and death.

TAOISM: Taoism began about 2,500 years ago in China and was founded
by Lao-Tzu, whom Confucius described as a dragon riding the wind and
clouds. The Tao-te-Ching, or "Book of Reason and Virtue," is among
the shortest of all scriptures, containing only 5,000 words. There
are approximately 50 million believers, mostly in China and other
parts of Asia. The Tao or the Way, has never been put down in words,
rather it is left for the seeker to discover within. The primary
goal of Taoism may be described as the mystical intuition of the
Tao, which is the Way, the primal meaning, the undivided unity and
the ultimate reality. He who has realized the Tao has uncovered the
layers of consciousness and sees the inner truth of all things.
Taoists believe in the oneness of all creation, in the spirituality
of the material realms and in the brotherhood of all men.

CONFUCIANISM: Confucianism began about 2,500 years ago in China by
the supreme sage, K'ung-fu-tsu (Confucius) and Second Sage Meng-tzu
(Mencius). Its major scriptures are The Analects, Doctrine of the
Mean, Great Learning and Mencius. There are over 350 million
adherents, mostly in China, Japan, Burma and Thailand. Confucianism
is, and has been for over 25 centuries, the dominant philosophical
system in China and the guiding light in almost every aspect of
Chinese life. Confucius urged individuals to strive for perfect
virtue, righteousness, and improvement of character. He taught that
man grows spiritually by living truthfully, serving selflessly, and
aligning himself with the Eternal way through humility, simplicity,
serenity and effortless action. They believe God is the sovereign
One, the omnipotent, immortal and personal Creator, a being beyond
all time and space. They believe in the oneness of all creation, in
the spirituality of the material realms and in the brotherhood of
all men.

ISLAM: Islam began about 1,400 years ago in present-day Saudi
Arabia. It was founded by the Prophet Mohammed and its major
scripture is The Koran. There are over one billion followers, mostly
in the Middle East, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Africa, China
and Eastern Europe. There are two main divisions of Islam. The
Sunnis are followers of the political successors of Mohammed. The
Shiites are of Mohammed's family successors, all martyred at an
early age. Islam means "submission," surrender to the will of God,
called Allah. Those who submit are called Muslims. Islam is based
upon the Five Doctrines and observance of the Five Pillars. The
virtues of truthfulness, temperance and humility before God are
foremost for Islam, and the practice of fasting, pilgrimage, prayer
and charity to the Muslim community are most necessary to please
Allah. They believe that the soul of man is immortal, embodied only
once on Earth, then entering heaven or hell upon death according to
its conduct and faith on Earth. The primary goal of Islam is to
enjoy eternal life, both physical and spiritual, in a heavenly
paradise with Allah.

JUDAISM: Judaism began about 3,700 years ago in Egypt-Canaan, now
Israel. It was founded by Abraham, who started the lineage, and
Moses, who emancipated the enslaved Jewish tribes from Egypt. Its
major scripture is The Torah (the first five books of the Old
Testament and the Talmud). There are about 12 million believers
world-wide, over half in the United States. Jews are divided into
Orthodox, Conservative and Reform sects, with other regional and
ethnic divisions. The religion of the Jews is inseparable from their
history as a people. By far the most profound characteristic of
Judaism is its strict monotheism. The Jews hold an unshakeable
belief in one God and one God only from whom all creation flows.
Much stress is placed on the hallowing of daily existence, worship
in synagogue, prayer and reading the scriptures. They believe
obeying God's laws brings rewards in the future life when the
Messiah will come to overthrow evil and reward the righteous in
God's kingdom on Earth. The soul thereafter will enjoy God's
presence and love. They believe that man has two impulses: good and
evil. He can either follow God's law or rebel and be influenced by
Satan, who caused God's Creation to go astray. One must strive to
follow justice, charity, ethics and honesty, being true to the one
true God, Yahweh.

CHRISTIANITY: Christianity began a little over 2,000 years ago in
what is now Israel. Its major scripture is The Bible, Old and New
Testament and was founded by Jesus (Yeshua) of Nazareth. There are
estimated to be about 1.5 billion Christians. Christianity consists
of three main sects: Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and
Protestant. Among Protestants there are over 20,000 denominations.
Most Christian faith revolves around the basic principals of the
Apostles' Creed, but with important exceptions to its various
beliefs. Christianity has an unswerving conviction that it is the
only true religion, the only path to salvation. They believe man's
plight is caused by disobedience to God's will. Man needs redemption
from the forces of evil which would enslave and destroy him: fear,
selfishness, desire and the supernatural forces of the Devil, sin
and death against which he is powerless. Stress is placed on
acceptance of Jesus as God and Savior, on good conduct, compassion,
service to mankind, faith and preparation for the Final Judgment.
Only "good" Christians will be saved and accepted in heaven. The
goal of Christianity is eternal life with God in heaven, a perfect
existence in which God's glory and bliss are shared.

For your higher understanding, we have touched on some of the major
religions and beliefs of the world. Next month we will give you a
brief overview of some of the less well-known but still important
religions: Janism, Sikhism, Shintoism, Zoroastrianism, shamanism,
and spiritualism.

Beloveds, can you not see that there is a strong pattern, a
compatible philosophy that is the basis for all religious beliefs:
the belief in a Supreme Being, a desire to personally know the
Creator, a belief in the intrinsic goodness of humankind, and the
priceless value of love, harmony, charity and faith. Are the
differences so important that wars must rage and separation of
family, cultures, and nations must prevail? Unity consciousness is
the foundation of spiritual teachings of the present and future, not
the separatist views of the past. The current religions of the world
are based on the spiritual teachings of a particular time, beliefs
and energy of the past. It is time to let go of the negative,
restrictive, dis-empowering, fear-based teachings of the past, as
humanity prepares to move into the realms of higher learning and
self-mastery. Why not glean the beauty and positive aspects of each
religion as you strive to embrace and live your own higher truth?
The Creator and our Father/Mother God does not care what religion
you are, or what you call your beliefs. You are known by your
radiance and by the Love/Light you give forth. Our greatest desire
is for you to understand and experience the ecstasy of the harmony
and Oneness that are available to you in the higher realms of Light.
We are ever near to guide and protect you. I AM Archangel Michael.

Transmitted through Ronna Herman
* Please copy and share freely, however, I ask that you not alter,
excerpt or delete any of this message without my permission. I claim
the universal copyright for this article in the name of Archangel
Michael. Ronna Herman