Christian & Taoism

[LunaPeace85]

Ok...I am a Christian but lately I've been reading the Tao Te Ching and I am really liking the ideas and philosophy of the Tao. Is Taoism an actually religion or just a way of life? I'm having some trouble sorting out if I should be feeding my interest in the Tao or just leave it alone. . . Any ideas??

[BlackBillBlake]

Taoism is both and neither.

In China, there is what you could call Taoist religion, ceremonies and so on. I don't know if there is an organized Taoist religion in the west, excepting among some Chinese people.
Certainly there's nothing like the Christian church.
There are many branches of Taoist practice - meditation and yoga, or 'inner alchemy', Tai-Chi (movements), the I Ching....
It's more about an attitude...a way of being....
There's many aspects of it all. I'd advise you to go on reading about it. There's no reason why you couldn't be a 'Taoist Christian', but I doubt many trad. Christians would agree.

[erowid]

I was at such a state once, yet as the nature of the way grew clearer my last ties to christianity disapeared and I acknowledged my path for what it really was. Religion is just a word as is philosophy why the two are seperate is now beyond me, they both almost always misrepresent the nature of their meaning.

[NatureFreak412]

This is an easy problem to solve, abandon organized religion, and go on the spiritual path. Even Christ said That the kingdom of Heaven is within you.

[goldmund]

Here is a really interesting book that I browsed through years ago, which claims that Lao Tzu’s was actually an eastern prophet for the coming of Christ 500 years later. Interestingly, this book was published the Seraphim Rose Press, an Orthodox Christian publishing house, not usually known for their acceptance of other belief systems. In any case, it might warrant more study. The book is based on the study and findings of a 50 year student of the Tao Teh Ching, whose master, on his death bed, told this student to go to Communist Russia and share faith with the strong underground and very mystical Orthodox Church.

http://www.stherman.com/images/Book%20Covers/0938635859-TAO.jpg

[Sebbi]

Every book on Taoism I've ever read has said right at the beginning "Taoism doesn't ask you to to give up your current beliefs or to start holding new ones".

There is a belief in Taoism that everything has it's "Tao". Everything has it's perfection or truth. So your Christian beliefs have their purpose and you would have no reason to give them up.

Taoism is a wayward pursuit - if your Christianity is hindering you then I would suggest you give them up, if it is helping you along your path then stick with it.

I hope this helps

Sebbi

[Cloudminerva]

All religions are ways of life, really..it is a way of life if it means something great to you personally. Personally, I have connected Christianity, Hinduism, Taoism, Vajrayana and Zen Buddhism, and tribal beliefs into my life. Indian philosophy as well as Taoism and Zen are some of my favorite philosophies and they all tie together. They all meet your needs depending on what you feel and how you like things to be worded for your understanding. I definitely say go for it! Taoism is a great thing to check out. If you would like to check out a great contemporary Taoist philosopher, then check out Alan Watts. Here are two good links for you and anyone interested... http://www.alanwatts.com/ and here is another link...http://deoxy.org/watts.htm.


Ben.

[WayfaringStranger]

Toaism is in no way a religion and in no way contradicts christianity. this is at the root of toaism. some take toaism and apply it to other things and this is when it can take on religious and/or pagan conotations. I am very fortunate to have met a handful of people through out my journeys who have reached a toaist/christian approch at life, people of all ages, and we seem to get along great. i still keep in touch with a few, and visit them every time i travel from north to south or south to north.

[Art Delfo]

form what Ive read allready only a few things no not agree with the christanie religon...I suggest that you study Taoisum but if should dissagree with christanity you should choose Religon over Philosohpy.After all only religon can "save you".

[BlackBillBlake]

form what Ive read allready only a few things no not agree with the christanie religon...I suggest that you study Taoisum but if should dissagree with christanity you should choose Religon over Philosohpy.After all only religon can "save you".
The idea of a rigid division between philosophy and religion is a western notion. Taoism encompasses both these categories.

[goldmund]

Since when has there been a division between philosophy and religion in the West? They just use the brand that suits them most at the time when they need it. Sure philosophies that don't agree with their doctrine are scorned, but those that fit, or can be made to fit are incoporated and used. Neoplatonism in early Christianity, Aristotle in Medieval XTNTY, Paschal, Kant, Berdayev (sp. Russian 20th C), etc.

[BlackBillBlake]

Since when has there been a division between philosophy and religion in the West? They just use the brand that suits them most at the time when they need it. Sure philosophies that don't agree with their doctrine are scorned, but those that fit, or can be made to fit are incoporated and used. Neoplatonism in early Christianity, Aristotle in Medieval XTNTY, Paschal, Kant, Berdayev (sp. Russian 20th C), etc.
But if you go to a wetern university to study philosophy, that's what you'll study - not religion. No doubt religion has sought to use the work of philosophers to establish or justify its position, but there ia also a large amount of purely secular philosophy.

[phaedros]

check out the catholic monk by the name of Thomas Merton.He put the two together and wrote some books on them.

[prismatism]

why don't you for a while "get rid of" both and see who you are without outward influence? then learn about every religion you can, and if you really need to pick one, find out which suits you best. i really don't understand why you would want to limit yourself to one category, though.

[yarrow_sun]

i copied this from the christianity forum sticky "A Christian can be anyone who believes in Jesus Christ and his teachings. However, in general organized Christianity does not allow the mixing of other religions. You cannot be a Jewish/Christian, a New Age/Christian, a Wiccan/Christian, or a Hindu/Christian, etc."

That about sums it up. the organized christianity that i have experienced will not accept ANYTHING outside of or in addition to their rigid belief system and (again, only those i have experience with) even consideration of something as innocuous as yoga is "satan worship" and evil.

I was brought up christian and am now studying taoism. I am very comfortable with this, but the christians I know would consider me to be in serious trouble.
whatever.

You can be and believe what you want to. Define it for yourself. Or not.

[BlackBillBlake]

Here's a thought - we've had 'the Tao of Physics', 'the Tao of Love and Sex' , even 'the Tao of Pooh' - why not 'the Tao of Christianity'?

[sundew]

I think that like in other areas of life, it's good to know about different paths and traditions and the history and philosophies of each one.
But with the appreciation that all paths can be potentially fruitful, you can sometimes get more by picking up on the one that really connects with you and makes sense.

If you are constantly skirting around the edges and skimming through so many different systems, there's the danger that you'll have an intellectual understanding of all of them, but a deep understanding of none.

Once you're fluent at a deep core-level (more than just intellect) with one path, you then can relate very well to other paths without negating them at all.

Like with musicians, I like seeing it when some older punk or country musician is sitting and talking to someone else of a totally, totally different genre in an interview etc.. Despite generational gaps, the totally different styles of music and energy, it's great how at ease two people who are comfortable with their art can feel, when talking with each other.

[G.NiN.]

i'm christian also, but i love reading about any other religion and luckily in my country noone says anything if i don't go by christian laws (probably because most people don't belive any single thing that exists or doesn't :))
anyway i think taoism is a great religion (if you can call it so) and any person (who isn't discusted by religion in general) will surely like it.
for me taoism is: beautiful, true, charming, innocent. so i can't see a reason to stop reading about it :)

[Fallout55]

Yeah its a religion, but it jsut dosnt have to go around tellign every one, or go around saying why its better. It just is and becasue it concedes it wins.

[Birmingham]

a successful taoist follows nothing religiously. if tao followed anything religiously it would have a weakness.

[Xac]

I have thought about this, and all though for myself i find the Idea of a separate deity a hinderance to my development i don't see why you cant be Christian and Taoist.

There are two ways to flip the coin, the first doesn't works so well because Yahweh is a Jealous God, but you could look at Yahweh (along with Jesus of course) as a physical manifestation of the Tao. The other side works a lot better because the Tao feels no Jealousy, You could look at the Tao as Yahweh's framework for the cosmos.

The interesting thing about Christianity and Taoism, is that i couldn't work out what the Christians meant about 'the holy ghost' until i read into Taoism.

[thecoffeecake]

In the Tao Te Ching it says that the Tao is older than god. So does this imply that there is a god, but he or she is below the tao?

[YrahcazSivad]

I think it would be important to note that in the New Testament that Christ called himself "The Way". The Tao is also called "The Way". I think that is a very valid connection. Also, I think that organized religion (and people's perception thereof, especially concerning fundamentalist christianity) creates a false dichotomy. Religion shouldn't be either/or situation, but rather the individual should be able to synthesize the teachings of all religions in order to come to a greater and more profound realization of themselves and the world around them. With that being said, there is no conflict between the teachings of Christ (Christ himself, not the Church) and the Tao. They can exist harmoniously.

[BlackBillBlake]

It is certain that Jesus embodied all the Taoist virtues which are extolled in the I Ching to a very high degree.

Also, there are other parallels. For example Jesus says at one point to his disciples 'you have seen me and so you have seen the Father'. In other words, he's saying he embodies the Father, in exactly the same way that the IChing says the sage embodies Tao - ' the people look towards him and are transformed'.

[Nikalaus]

This is an easy problem to solve, abandon organized religion, and go on the spiritual path. Even Christ said That the kingdom of Heaven is within you.AAAAAAAAAAMEN!

[Nikalaus]

I have thought about this, and all though for myself i find the Idea of a separate deity a hinderance to my development i don't see why you cant be Christian and Taoist.

There are two ways to flip the coin, the first doesn't works so well because Yahweh is a Jealous God, but you could look at Yahweh (along with Jesus of course) as a physical manifestation of the Tao. The other side works a lot better because the Tao feels no Jealousy, You could look at the Tao as Yahweh's framework for the cosmos.

The interesting thing about Christianity and Taoism, is that i couldn't work out what the Christians meant about 'the holy ghost' until i read into Taoism.I didn't understand gospels at all until I got into Meta-Physics and Vedic Knowledge/Wisdom :O !!!

[Astrolog]

check Anthony de Mello books. He exactly hits the point.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_de_Mello_%28Jesuit%29
more on:
http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_de_Mello
he is my master! He like king Salomon connected East with West.
Shame for kardyna³ Ratzinger that he criticised him :(

[zombiewolf]

There is only one book describing Tao. It is called "Tao te ching". But who will translate?
Even Chinese scolars have difficulty.Translated to English? Good luck!
Most other writings concerning Tao (other than Chang Tsu) have been poisoned by confucist devils, intent on empowering the state, and manufacturing consent for the class system the chinese people are only beginning to realise is bullshit!

Please read as many translations of the "Tao te ching" as possible, but don't just pick the one you like....

Always take the middle way.http://www.hipforums.com/forums/images/smilies/humm.gif

[HippyLandscaper]

it's funny that non religous people allow every one to believe what they want, while your strongly religous people shove their religions down your throat. Many christians are very close minded, and won't even discuss ideas that don't come straight from the bible, which we all know is just the writings of man. Most religions I have looked at teach the same things: Be kind to one another, respect the land, don't muder, ect., yet we all have giant battles and kill millions in the name of our lords. "Holy wars" we call them.

"At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want." - Lao Tzu