Does religion encourage individuality and independent thought?

Question

Do you think good can come from more individuality and independent thought?

Answer 1

No it doesn't encourage it exactly but the strange thing is that radicals have built religion.
Take xianity as an example (and I'm an atheist so I'm only repeating the rumours I've heard); Jesus was a radical, Paul, the head of the First Sales Team, was a radical; Constantine, the one who 'united' the areas under Rome's domination, was a radical, all the blokes (and women?) who formed splinter groups off the trunk of the Holy Roman Catholic Crutch starting with Luther, were radicals as are all the thousands of blokes who started off their own ministries (aka businesses) in the US like Hinn, Phelps, Falwell, Robertson, et al. All were and or are radicals ... but "does religion encourage individuality and independent thought?"

Short answer? No!
None encourage open inquiry because all xian religions are houses of cards held up by slave masters, parasites and leeches using unsubstantiated smoke and sentimental mirrors that rely totally on a book that insists it is the word of ‘god’ because it says in the book that insists it is the world of ‘god’ that it is the word of ‘god’ because … and so on, ad infinitum.

Answer 2

In my opinion, it would depend on the "religion" in question. For example, I was raised as a Baptist and felt that it did not encourage, but only discouraged, individuality and independent thought. I now refer to those kinds of people as "sheeple." I do think good can, and does, come from individual expression, creative and independent thought. How can it not?

Answer 3

Religion encourages a specific mode of thought, oriented towards their beliefs. Individuality and independent thought do bring a lot of good to this world.

Answer 4

NOT AT ALL - religion encourages community, NOT individual OR independent thought.

Answer 5

Religion does NOT encourage either of those two things.. it encourages becoming part of a group where they tell you the rules to live your life by.. and discourage independent thought.

YES, good can come from individuality and independent thought. That is why we need to teach our kids how to think for themselves at an early age.

Answer 6

Yes - you need to come to terms with God. It requires free will, and making some very hard decisions if you are going to live your faith. If you are looking for a label to pin on yourself to make yourself feel good, it probably neither encourages or discourages individuality or independent thought.

I was an atheist for 25 years before reverting to Catholicism. It was more challenging and took a lot more thought to become religious than to become atheist. Not to say atheism was an easy choice! But extreme shifts are difficult, and I have had a lot more years being atheist than Christian.

Answer 7

Not generally speaking, though as a Pagan I can say for the most part, Pagans tend to be more creative spiritually and open to possibility spiritually - that breeds (IMHO, of course) individuality and independent thought - though it may well be akin to herding cats to get ten Pagans to agree to much of *anything* beyond the basics, the key is that we DO tend to agree on the *basics* and let's face it, anything's possible - and MUCH good can come of THAT.
At least I am holding out hope that that's the case...

Answer 8

Good question. As a committed Christian, I can tell you from experience that I do think independently, and consider myself free to express myself. I choose my beliefs based on my personal experience, preference and circle of influence, just like anyone else.

Just because I share my view with like minded people does not mean that I do not think independently.

Answer 9

It depends, sometimes it encourages it sometimes it stifles it.

It depends on a number of factors.

Namely the religion and group in question, the time period, the location, and most importantly the individual.

Answer 10

In some ways yes and in some ways no. By being religious you create an identity that celebrates your individuality.