Religious Beliefs

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• QIs cremation allowed in Buddhism?

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  A Everplans answered

  Cremation is allowed in Buddhism. If a body will be cremated, monks may be present at the crematorium and lead chanting. If no monks are present, family members may lead chanting. Cremated remains may be collected by the family the following day, and may be kept by the family, enshrined in a columbarium or urn garden, or scattered at sea.
• QWhat is transcendence?

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  A Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered

  Now more than ever, we're understanding the biology behind this sense of transcendence beyond our typical reality. For example, we're now able to explain how out-of-body experiences happen, at least physically. The primary senses of sight, smell, hearing, and touch have great blood supply, but the part of the temporal lobe that integrates these senses together is in a watershed area that suffers from inadequate oxygen when your blood pressure drops too low. When this happens, the sensory input becomes disconnected and many people who have had near-death experiences report "leaving" their bodies. Transcendent experiences are also associated with things like hallucinogenic drugs and even orgasms - when you experience feelings that nothing else matters. Thankfully humans have healthier ways of achieving these states of disconnect (think "meditation"). As we search for meaning in life, we're moved by these experiences that reveal the big picture.

• QCan I choose not to vaccinate my child on religious grounds?

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  A Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered

  As of now, 48 states allow parents to excuse their children from vaccination requirements on religious grounds, and 19 of those states also allow exemptions for parents with secular philosophical concerns. About 3 percent of U.S. children are excused from immunization by parents; in some areas, the rate is as high as 15 to 20 percent.
• QWhat is the real purpose of prayer?

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  A Lisa Oz , Health Education, answered

  We use prayer as an opportunity to make requests, register complaints, and express our frustration over the fact that God is not running things the way we'd like. It's not that we can't talk to him about those things. God listens no matter what the topic of conversation, but keeping it at that level is not transformative.

  We need to learn to have faith in divine providence. This involves developing an attitude of appreciation for what is, even when it's not what we want. Once we trust that God knows what he's doing, our prayers become more of an intimate sharing than a shopping list. We see that the real purpose of prayer is to change our hearts, not to change God's mind. (What kind of God would actually be swayed by the forty-seventh time we asked for a raise - but not the forty-sixth?) The goal of cultivating faith is to finally give up thinking we know what's best, and let our solitary prayer be "Thy will be done."

• QHow is parenting an opportunity for spiritual growth?

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  A Irwin Isaacs , Psychology, answered on behalf of TherapyLiveCare

  The creation of the Universe is an ongoing process.  When you become a parent you establish a partnership with the Creator of all things and all people.  As you accept the responsibility to participate in the transformation of a new and helpless life into a functional adult member of society, you can not help but grow in your own spirtual awareness of who you are and why you are here.

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