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Seeking a Higher Good

In: Religion Topics

Submitted By wgkivett
Words 1176
Pages 5
Wesley Kivett
World Religions
December 11, 2011,
Darin Metz Seeking the Highest Good Breaking down the religions of this world has been a task of mankind for centuries. Theologians and Philosophers have studied the very core of many world religions trying to find the similarities between the religions. Debates and many of hours have been put into this research trying to find out who is right and who is wrong. When we look at three of the leading religions of the world, Taoism, Confucianism, and Christianity there are similarities and differences between them, but the meaning in which they are taught are very different. Since the beginning of time mankind has always been seeking for a greater understanding of life and what our purpose is here on earth. Many have written books on how to find the meaning of life and how to focus on your purpose, or could we say, seeking a higher good. As we look at these three religions it is difficult to even begin to see how three religions that are so far apart can find common ground. Taking each one of them individually and trying to pinpoint their relationships can be very challenging. Lao-Tsu (570-490 B.C.) wrote the following on the highest good in his Tao Te Ching: "The highest good is like water. Water gives life to the ten thousand things and does not strive. It flows in places men reject and so is like the Tao. In dwelling, be close to the land. In meditation, go deep in the heart. In dealing with others, be gentle and kind. In speech, be true. In ruling, be just. In business, be competent. In action, watch the timing. No fight; no blame." (Ching) Tao is defined as “the way” and is often compared to a body of water. Water is one of the strongest elements of the earth, it has been known to wash away building structures and wipe away cities because of floods. Water is the main source for all living creatures and supplies oxygen for some living creatures as well. As I look closely at this poem it intrigues my thinking of how water will travel to places that man may or may not go and is able to do more as it flows through rivers and streams. The power of the water is a force that man cannot fight against; it is easier to move a rock pile than to be able to stand when the water rushes into you on the shore. Ching was demonstrating the likeness of Tao with the element of water and how it goes places that man rejects. Taoist philosophers believed that all mankind’s accomplishments and monuments would be destroyed by the Tao, and it was useless to fight against the Tao but one should blend with it and let it guide you. The highest good is not to seek to do good, but to allow yourself to become it. The ordinary person seeks to do good things and finds that they cannot continue to do them. In the worldviews of Taoism and Confucianism it was all about living a good moral life, there was no spiritual side to mankind, but it was your good works that made you who you were. Confucianism was never intended to be a religion; the main focus was on human society. Confucianism is concerned with day to day rules of conduct and developing a system of ethics, a theory of government, and a set of social and personal goals that would influence the Chinese people. Christianity is not as popular in the Chinese Nation as Taoism and Confucianism, but on the outside there seems to be some similarities in seeking the highest good. Where Taoism and Confucianism looks to nature and moral living, Christianity sees man as coming into this world as evil, having an Adam like nature and must be cleansed by the death on the cross of Jesus Christ. The sacrifice of God’s only son will bring salvation to the soul of man, not his works or how goodly he lives, but only by the forgiveness of sin. Confucianism believed in order to achieve a superior human being, one that has achieve goodness, was with good government, poor government with bad laws would equal evil people. Taoism was quite the opposite; they believed little government would cause people to do good. When man has to rely on good works to achieve the highest good, man will fail every time, because only by Christ one can achieve the highest good. What is the relationship between these three religions when it comes “right being to right doing?” To understand what is meant by right being and right doing, it was best explained by Dr. Ron Oberstein. He made this statement, “It has been written that humans spend 95% of their time defending their point of view!! That means we put so much emphasis on our BEING RIGHT…. And not necessarily DOING RIGHT. Being right could just possibly be the one downfall for each human being. Being right means justification, putting oneself first, and making it known that one is right. Doing right is quite different. Doing right has nothing to do with being right. Doing right has to do with ethics, integrity, and caring!! Doing right is not done for the glory, for the credit, or for the ego. Doing right is following a mission, a purpose, a reason for being…and it is done selflessly.” (Oberstein) This brings the relationship of these three religions to the surface that all mankind should do right by having good ethics and integrity in all our transactions and we should care for one another. It does not matter if everyone does not see eye to eye on everything, but it is how we conduct ourselves on a daily basis that sets us apart from one another. If mankind would stop being so selfish and begin to care for our society and other people, then we all could live in harmony with one another When we seek to heal the world of misery, it is imperative that we are free of it ourselves. We cannot fight negativity with negativity. For darkness cannot be countered with darkness; it can only be erased through light. Being right is not doing right, but doing right can give a better outlook on life and the possibilities that are yet to come in this life. In this world man will continue and try to understand the differences and the similarities of religions. There is one simple truth in all of this, man will never know all there is to know about religion, it changes every day because religion is manmade and not spiritually divine.

References
Hopfe, E. M., & Woodward, M. R. (2009). Religions of the world. (11 ed.). Vango Books
Ching, Tao Te. "The Highest Good." . N.p., 11 Dec 2011. Web. 11 Dec 2011. .
Oberstein, Dr. Ron. "Being Right or Doing Right." Being Healthy Naturally. N.p., 2005. Web. 11 Dec 2011. .

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