Can the following of a belief .however noble, ever solve our problems?

Question

As in a religion or ideal.
Can we ever get together and solve our problems as long as we are divided through belief?

Answer 1

No we as a world and population have to look beyond our beliefs, only then will people be able to work together and solve our problems.

Answer 2

Socrates pointed out that all philosophical beliefs have exceptions. For instance: "Do more good than harm," sounds good, but if three people in the hospital are all dying, one needs a heart, the next a liver, the next a kidney, does that mean it's ok to kill someone on the street to take all his organs? Three people would be saved, but only one killed.

In my experience it seems that if someone doesn't subscribe to a certain belief, they are only looking at the exceptions. And all to often, fanatics believe that the end justifies the means, they do some evil which is "justified" in their minds, and create more glaring exceptions in the minds of others. This creates a snowball efect of hate and violence. I suppose the ideal solution would be to let the exceptions of your belief system be handled by a person with a different belief, like an overlapping system. But who would be wise enough to know what that is?

Answer 3

If we arn't divided by belief then as humans we would create something else to divide us. It is part of the nature of mankind.

Discord is part of humanity. All the good intentions are not going to get us all arm in arm singing Kumbi Ya. It hasn't happened yet. Believe me was part of the 60's generation I was sure I could rescue the planet, I flashed the peace sign and say....make love not war. Peace dude. And see .......we didn't change the world.
I do believe we can each make a difference in the world, but there are things that are beyond idealism.

I been there, thought that. Won't happen on this planet.
Peace and harmony is an illusion.

People who marry each other can't even live in peace, how would the grandest of ideals change the entire population of the earth?

This isn't fatalism, it is something called reality.

Peace

Answer 4

There is only one God – this is the concept upon which all the major monotheist religions are established. The unifying and lasting power of this concept has been unmatched through out the human history. This is true that people fight with each other fiercely upon religious grounds but it would not be right to say that religious diversity is the root cause of this.

This is also the fact that when people try to reach what is the best in them through their beliefs their innate tendency to choose variously become most obvious. If there were not religions even then people would not have stopped clashing with each other. It seems as if we are bound to differ and contradict with each other under all circumstances anyhow.

Answer 5

I think the problem is with one's concept of ethics, morals or practise behind the belief system or ideal. Take for instance the Natzis as opposed to The Salvation Army. One destroys life, and imposes its own ideals on to the person (Natzis). The other takes care of peoples needs, their suffering, and asks for nothing in return. Those who are Christan will know that Jesus said, that if one cannot believe in him, at least believe in the things that he did. These things were to heal and uplift people, not put them down. My philosophy is that the world is not perfect and neither are we. But we can all try as individuals, and surely that will have an effect in time.

Answer 6

As I read through some of the replies to this (and my answer is no) it reminded me of something I wrote way back in the 1970's. Until people learn to 'Do as they would be done by' live & let live' the world won't change.

GOING GOING!
Going along ambling away
Freedom of choices escaping today.
Self opinions should not be thrown
Down the throats of those full-grown.
Take away a strange dogs bone
To getting bitten you'll be prone.
Human beings you will find
Know their own way in path and mind.
Imprison Freedom then it won't be long
For all to lose the hearts spirit for song.
Going, going are life's free spirits
Going but not gone refusing limits.

Answer 7

No...it never has and so it never will.

It is in our genetical makeup to be part of a group that believes that they know best.

It can only get more difficult as the world population becomes even more mobile across the globe.

People will continue to thrust the values of their own religions into the faces of those who follow another, thus increasing the risk of confrontation.

People will continue to thrust the values of their own upbringing into the faces of those who were brought up in a different way., thus increasing the risk of confrontation.

My own upbringing and religious beliefs stem from the historical growth of England passed down to me from generation to generation, I share England with people of many religious denominations and nationalities and strive to accept that what is different to me.

Yet I am guilty of the opinion that I do want to maintain the values of my upbringing and will one day be forced to protect them.

I only hope that I am wrong.

Answer 8

Even if everyone followed the same religion there would have been wars. There are peace lovers from all religions and war mongers from all religions. Bullshit and Robertson have more in common with Albanian terrorists, former SS troops from the Islamic divisions and with the journalists of Ha-Tzofe and Ha-Modia (Israeli "religious" newspapers), then with Patric Buchanan or Hugo Chavez, though the later two are Cristians "like Bullshit and Robertson".

Answer 9

Following Sir Peter Scott`s Dictum
"Shoot Nothing but Photographs,
Leave nothing but a Footprint."

Answer 10

I was once a religious person.. but now I am not ,I leaned over the years religions can be dangerous..there's only one thing I took from religion..treat others as though you want to be treated..but I don't need a religion to tell me that..