Religion in general

Discussion in 'Philosophy and Religion' started by FreakerSoup, Nov 20, 2005.

  1. FreakerSoup

    FreakerSoup Stranger

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    It bugs me. I think it's just ridiculous that people feel that they have to adopt a worldview held by a large group of people. Like if it's not written down or organized, it doesn't count. And so many people are so drawn to religion. I'll bet if nobody was religious, we would be far more advanced and happy than we are right now.
     
  2. TrippinBTM

    TrippinBTM Ramblin' Man

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    I see nothing wrong with personal spirituality, in fact it's probably the only thing that can "save" us. But organized religion is like politics: dirty.
     
  3. Bhaskar

    Bhaskar Members

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    Not always. I'll bet if everyone was religious, by which I mean if everyone truly followed the principles of their religion themselves, rather than trying to impose those rules and principles on others, the world would be a truly happy place.
     
  4. Scarlit Rose Flowz

    Scarlit Rose Flowz Member

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    i dont think the worlds problems would disappear at all with religion. corruption is so plentiful in this world..politicians, teachers, parents, everybody and everything is full of ego and corruption and bullshit. i think george carlin was dead on when he said, the more you live, the more you see and really understand, something is SERIOUSLY fucked up with this world.

    i think religion gives people hope... but not really a sense of the mystic that truly IS all around and in everything. i think gods house is in nature, not a man made building..and i think theres much more spirituality to be found directly in nature, as opposed to some middle man wearing a funny hat preaching a buncha shit HE probably doesnt even really believe. i also think the HUGE lack of nature in this world is responsible for so much of the corruption. we ate the apple and claimed the knowledge of good and evil, and developed agriculture and civilization and it was all downhill from there(see ishmael; daniel quinn).
    it might be good in that it could possibly scare some people into being good, but in this world, its way too easy to let that mental model slip and fall down into the dog eat dog state of mind. i think its scared them into being more obedient than good. and i think god wants us to come to him with our own choice and intention, and not have love scared into us, cuz thats not really love....
     
  5. TrippinBTM

    TrippinBTM Ramblin' Man

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    Bhaskar, some people's religions have principles which include evangelizing others, as well as various bits of intolerance. Islam has their issues with women as well as with pretty much any other faith, Christianity hates gays and Jews, Hindus have the caste system (though I don't really know if that's part of the religion, originally).

    However, on the whole, I agree with you, it comes down to the whole "removing the beam from your own eye before trying to take the dust out of your neighbor's" proverb.

    Scarlit, if everyone followed their religion, truly, then ego would go away, as that is pretty much the point of the whole thing. Of course, understanding that is the first step that a lot of us seem to miss.
     
  6. Bhaskar

    Bhaskar Members

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    All of these things you mention have their basis in misunderstanding of a religion. A religion is taught by a prophet at a particular time and place, and of necessity that prophets teaching will reflect the state of society at the time. If we fail to take that into account then there is a huge problem.

    Christians hating jews or anyone else has no sanction from the religion itself, it is a mindset of the followers, but not truly sponsored by their scripture. It tells us to love thy neighbor, without any conditions of which religion or race or gender or whatever. And most importantly, to all christians god is the father. What they forget is that if God is the father then we are all brothers and sisters and must treat each other as such.

    The Hindu caste system was a perfect working social structure, classifying people according to their talent and inclinations. The structure ws destroyed by people who failed to live up to the dharma of their own caste, instead worried more about how others are following their dharma.

    I don't have much knowledge of Islamic scripture, but I will hazard a guess at a possible explanation. Islamic scriptures were delivered to an extremely misogynistic and oppressive society. Therefore, what we see as restrictions today, were in fact concessions. When a woman was not allowed to go out of the home at all, the prophets allowed them to go outside witht heir faces covered. Had they tried to force an immediate radical change and give total equality, then the masses would have revolted against them, for change only comes slowly. However, today people misunderstand that and continue to enforce the veil in their ignorance.
     
  7. Kharakov

    Kharakov ShadowSpawn

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    Of course, as long as you look at as if it is under your own power to miss or hit the step, you missed it.
     
  8. thumontico

    thumontico Member

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    We'd have colonized Mars by now if it hadn't been for Jesus (The Dark Ages)
     
  9. Bhaskar

    Bhaskar Members

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    We should first conquer our own mind. Conquering mars or the entire milky way is of no use unless you have peace of mind. And once you have peace of mind, conquering mars or the entire milky way is still of no use.
     
  10. Colours

    Colours Senior Member

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    i had a feeling last night that human conception of religion is just like any other function of the brain. Like our sense humor, our ability to love, the things we like, our spirituality is just another function of our brain. Now i just have to prove it...
    This obviously isnt a new concept, it jsut became all too clear to me last night, and I felt i should share :D
     
  11. Bhaskar

    Bhaskar Members

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    Yes, spirituality is a function ofthe brain, but its goal is beyond the body/mind complex.
     
  12. Colours

    Colours Senior Member

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  13. pop_terror

    pop_terror Member

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    I agree Bhaskar. We are trying to conquer too much else without even knowing who we are to conquer anything.

    That's not new, Colours. There have been scientific experiments showing you could stimulate certain areas of the brain to create religions experiences. That doesn't mean that there aren't real causes for religious experiences, either, though.

    I think organized religion is bad. To me it's wrong to say you know the path to God and that if everyone follows your path society will be ideal and have a religion. Because once you've got yourself a religion there are your followers and "everybody else". So you've also got yourself a fight.
     
  14. Varuna

    Varuna Senior Member

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    I think religion is, generally, a good thing. Because of its abstract nature, however, it is all too easy to come to some grossly erroneous but very common misunderstandings about why it is what it is.

    Usually, the most common mistakes people make about any religion are simply ones of misidentification. Name any religion and there will be those who identify it by the worst examples of its practice (Ignorance, Intolerance, Persecution) instead of its best practices (Enlightenment, Charity, Community). Imagine if that same standard were applied to you personally. Even if you were to end all wars, cure all diseases, win a MacArthur Grant, a Nobel Prize, an Oscar, a wing in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and an international, transcultural holiday celebrating your birth, you might still be known as the masturbating stoner . . . or worse.

    In a strange way, it is a great act of faith to feel disappointment in the common imperfections of religious understanding and practice. You are expressing a belief that religion is supposed to be perfect, right? The belief in a very specific perfection is significant and can be a great source of inspiration, but to condemn a whole tradition because of the less-than-perfect practices of those who failed to understand it is kind of like hating movies because you sat through Ice Castles, or White Chicks, or Pink Flamingos, or Gigli, or Swept Away, or . . .

    Additionally, there are those who mistake their organization (Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, etc.) and/or their scripture (The Bible, The Qu'ran, The Bhagavad Gita, etc.) for the divine reality it is intended to communicate or represent. It's kind of like mistaking an instrument for the music played on it.

    You know, the analogy is simple, you really should listen to something other than Air Supply, Yoko Ono and G.G. Allin before you conclude that Rock and Roll sucks.

    Of course, you are free to believe whatever makes sense to you. But you should try to find the sense in things before you give up and decide there is none.

    Peace and Love
     
  15. TrippinBTM

    TrippinBTM Ramblin' Man

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    Good post varuna :)
     
  16. MollyBloom

    MollyBloom Member

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    I agree.


    Why am I "religious" and not just "spiritual"? Because being spiritual is such an individualized journey, while being a part of a community of faith allows you to engage and live and learn and suffer with a community of like-minded believers.

    The trick is finding "like-minded" believers that you can stand to be with.:p I church-shopped. It took me 22 years to become a member.
     
  17. FreakerSoup

    FreakerSoup Stranger

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    See, that's what I don't like, 'cause every single person you will ever meet knows just as much about god as you do.
     
  18. pop_terror

    pop_terror Member

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    I'm not saying that a religion is supposed to be perfect at all. I'm saying that a religion can't be perfect because it is a contradiction in terms. I believe God is everything, like a lot of people here. Why divide God?

    Religion just doesn't make any sense to me. And by religion I mostly mean the labeling aspect. Which to me is all religion truly is. Spirituality doesn't require any labels, just as God doesn't. God isn't just a Christian, or a Jew, or a Muslim... I would assume that the point of spirituality is to seek God. How can you understand God and not emulate God? Is God wrong?

    We are mankind. Why Christians, Jews, Catholics, Buddhists, Muslims etc.? Knowing that these labels are unnecessary in order to find God and also have the tendency to create violence? Most religions also profess love, and it strikes me as hypocritical to say you are seeking love and to simultaneously deliberately set yourself up against your fellow man. What's wrong with just being a man? Some people just don't have the spiritual strength to say "I am a man who believes in God" and leave it at that. I don't think any more is needed.
     
  19. krin

    krin Member

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    religion is a deep connection to our evolutionary past
    god is the supreme Predator
    we are the Prey
    it is he we must fear,but also sacrifice our weakness

    its a strange intimacy,instinctive
    the feeling of giving ones own self up for this more powerful being

    i hope someone else can see what im talking about
     
  20. MamaTheLama

    MamaTheLama Too much coffee

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    Religion gives me a headache.
    It makes sane people act like idiots.
     

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