Namaste
Peace and Love
2007-03-21 02:50:05 · 13 answers · asked by digilook 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
As with everything, so that you may know what they are. Just like if you belong to a certain country club, people can tell things about you. Doctors, lawyers, police, christian, cashier, jewish, mason, barber, democrat, republican, singer, actor, muslim, parent, etc... All of these are labels that identify you to something & a certain characteristic.
2007-03-21 02:59:55 · answer #1 · answered by ricks 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think years ago it used to be much more helpful than it is today just for the purpose of understanding what a person believed. If someone said they were a Baptist you pretty well knew where they stood theologically. For some reason to day it seems that most denomination's and do not want people to know where they stand theologically and so they label themselves with the labels that are very generic. They will call themselves community churches or nondenominational just so that people will not know what they believe and will come and try them out. It is kind of deceptive to my way of thinking. There are other factors as well that are not depicted by the name. For example a Presbyterian church could be regular or charismatic or ecumenical or liberal and the name in no way would let you know. To me when someone label themselves to day in really doesn't tell me very much about them at all the way it used to. So I'm not sure that I see a lot of value in the names today.
2007-03-21 10:02:07 · answer #2 · answered by oldguy63 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is a great question.
There is a name for my church - United Church of Religious Science. Yep - it's a label. However - we are quite open at the top - and the label is changing. We will now be called Centers for Spiritual Living.
My best guess for the need of a label is so people who have common needs regarding the way they get close to God - can come together. And you have to stick your label out on the internet and in the newspaper and in the media in general so they know where to come and get their needs filled when traveling from city to city or whatever.
Other than that - I don't see any reason - really.
At our church we have banners of all the major religious symbols hanging in our sanctuary. We like to say that we are Jewish and MORE, Buddhist and MORE, Christian and MORE - etc. So - I don't think I'm too attached to a label - and I don't think it's very important.
Namaste and Happy Wednesday to you!!
2007-03-21 09:59:12 · answer #3 · answered by liddabet 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't think it is important, but humans, in general, seem to need labels to figure out who they are and what they believe others are. We do it all the time with sports teams, nationalities, religions, political parties, color of skin, etc. etc.
People can always find a way to label others and then use that label as an excuse to hate that person.
2007-03-21 10:06:16 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am a Mormon and many say we label others but we do not. In 90% we are labeled and most dont know a thing about our religion.
But it is good to know others beliefs and not label them for your own spiritual growth.
Like our church believes that we are the true church of god.
Many are affended by that but will not take the time and or prayer to find out why we believe that.
If there was a true church isn't it worth checking out and seeing?
I will not label others but I do read all religion and doctrine to confirm where i stand.
2007-03-21 10:01:15 · answer #5 · answered by SEAN M 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't believe labels are important, I think you should just believe what you want.
2007-03-21 09:54:46 · answer #6 · answered by sllikylloh 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
AMEN!! I wish that realization would hit all of mankind at once, POOF! We would be one, but alas, I fear such epiphanies are left to heavenly bodies ~ not the earthly ones. Some of us can evolve on earth to understand, we are all part of the same divine family, it doesn't matter what you have faith in - as long as you have faith.
Namaste to you also, such a simple but divine question.
AHH, the divinity of simplicity.:o] Have a nice day:o]
2007-03-21 10:04:55 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is difficult to delineate each of my understandings. (It takes a lot of time.) To the degree to which I can affirm that I accept a certain set of beliefs, it works like shorthand, to speed up the process of communication.
2007-03-21 09:54:50 · answer #8 · answered by hasse_john 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is important so that you can find a community of similar-minded people to worship with.
Namaste to you too.
2007-03-21 09:55:54 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's part of the human condition to crave an identity.
2007-03-21 09:53:22 · answer #10 · answered by Jesus 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋