I think the opposite, religion discourages free thought of any kind.
2007-02-12 13:59:04 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Hey GorgeousTexasChick: Damn, that's sexy, your name, I mean. Anyway, you're probably too young to remember race tracts toy companies used to produce for children. They had tracks. Actual tracks - you had to place the car inside the track and electricity would whip it around until it got dislodged. It never worked well, as any kid of the era could attest. (I'm not one, but I've heard). Anyway, in my opinion, religious people stay in the track. They never win, but they stay in the track. Does that answer your question?
2007-02-12 14:09:00 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the religion. Any religion is a belief system. If the belief system is one that emphasizes individual responsibility, values individuality and tolerance (such as "liberal" Christianity) then absoulutely yes, religion promotes freedom of thought. But, if religion is used as a means of control and oppression then--whether it goes by the name of Christianity, Communism, Nazism, or whatever--then it becomes the enemy of freedom--of thought or anything else.
All people have belief ssytems of some sort--whether tey choose to call that set of beliefs and values "religion" or not. When you accuse "religion" of limiting freedom, you are making exactly the mistake potential oppressors want you to make--blaming the institution instead of the people who are doing the oprressing.
2007-02-12 14:09:38 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Actually, out of all the religions I know, Buddhism is the only religion that doesn't discourage free thinking. I don't really like Christianity and Muslim because as a theist and a free thinker, they expect me to think that their believes are true, that their God is the one true. I don't care what you ( Christianity & Muslim ) are thinking but don't count me in because I prefer to be free.
2007-02-12 14:08:13 · answer #3 · answered by Halo 07 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋
"Doesn't this mean that if you're a Christian, no matter how heinous your life, no matter how wicked your deeds, if at the end you accept Jesus as your personal savior then you will be rewarded after death?" Accept Jesus and repent. Can you, as a non-believer, just simply accept Jesus? Kind of hard, right? Repentance involves actually feeling sorry in your heart for what you've done. It isn't as simple as asking for forgiveness. You must feel sorrow and despair in your heart for your sins. Without that, it wouldn't be repenting.
2016-05-24 03:40:33 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, Pope John Paul II spent his entire pontificate defending every human's right to freedom of conscience. His teaching was deeply grounded in Catholic doctrine, specifically Thomistic theology.
On the other hand, communism, Nazism, fascism, Marxism and other atheistic social system were the worst forms of intellectual repression to ever appear on the landscape of human history. And this atheistic experiment is not confined to WWII era atrocities - China, Cuba, North Korea and other currently atheistic communist countries murder and persecute millions of people because of their beliefs - and it's happening today.
2007-02-12 14:30:18 · answer #5 · answered by infinity 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think to a large degree you are right, but there is some that actually frees thought to venture out of itself, to find something greater that itself.
2007-02-12 15:03:32 · answer #6 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree, religion stifles the open-mind and tells you how to believe unlike spirituality where God speaks to you directly
2007-02-12 14:15:42 · answer #7 · answered by woodsonhannon53 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are welcome to think freely under conditions:
1. It must not threaten anything in the bible
2. It must not irritate anyone with a religious title
3. It must not have a negative affect on the religion's positive cash flow!
2007-02-12 15:00:09 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Religion gives you free thought with exceptions, Like Christianity, Whiich says follow god or perish.
2007-02-12 14:08:41 · answer #9 · answered by darkraven8701 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Your being too hard on the religious.
Think of this, it is your choice to believe that if you don't do what the church tells you.... you will burn in hell for all eternity.
I would say since most religious people are taught this in large groups of family and friends from early childhood they certainly have an easy choice to make!!!
After all God give you freedom of choice.....and very serious consequences if you make the wrong choice.
2007-02-12 14:08:33 · answer #10 · answered by chuck 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋