Wouldn't things be better if people viewed their faiths as religious philosophies, instead of religious truths? That way, they could still love and follow all of the things that are good about their religions, but can honestly look at the things that have harmful effects (such as homophobia and branding people of other faiths as "evil" and "misled") and simply disregard those things, adopting instead to simply realize that other religions are simply different philosophies on how to live life for a different group of people? Wouldn't that go a long way towards fostering a true spirit of benevolence towards your fellow man?
If people looked at their religions as philosophies, wouldn't they do more to actually help others, instead of just paying lipservice with quotes like "I'll pray for you" or "God will see you through it" and "trust in God"?
I think all religions have some good in them, but they have bad as well. Wouldn't it be better to rid the religion of the bad?
2007-09-20 13:23:49 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Daniel, I have no religion, and I do look at faiths as philosophies. I base my decisions on the laws of the land and my own personal morals. I gathered those morals from life experience and studying the beliefs, religions, and philosophies of those that came before me. Yes, I do practice what I preach, and I ask because I there is a need.
Now, if you would, please feel free to answer the question, I'd hate to have to assume that you really have no answer and simply resorted to attacking my personal credibility in defense of your beliefs.
2007-09-20 13:43:11 · update #1
That's something that's been bothering me lately. My opinions are often different than those of my church. I've publicly stood against homophobia for years, but my church seems content to let things stand as they are and remain anti-gay. It bothers me. So does the stance of my church on a number of other important issues. I'm wanting to distance myself from viewpoints that I feel promote intolerance, but I do love my church deeply and want to be supportive. It leaves me unsure of what to do next. In the meantime, I continue to speak out on issues that I feel are important to me. The older I get, the more I'm convinced that no single religion, not even mine, contains 100% of the truth. That's a major admission, because I'm supposed to believe that mine does, in fact, contain the complete and total truth. But after studying other religions and viewpoints, I'm starting to see that there is both validity and error within my own belief system, and also in many others.
2007-09-20 13:39:35 · answer #1 · answered by solarius 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Definitely. Fundamentalism is the root of all religious wars. They always presume they know more about your religion than you do.
Fundamentalism is the practice of asserting the absolute truth of your own beliefs and practices to the deliberate exclusion of the possibility of truth in the beliefs and practices of others. Based on this common definition, one can conclude that Fundamentalism is nothing but bigotry and religious intolerance. Fundamentalism, of whatever shape or form, is a deadly poison in human relations.
2007-09-20 14:27:23 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
I agree with you completely. Religion can be useful as a philosophy but terrible when treated as an absolute truth. It clouds reason and causes major problems when people from different faiths try to work as a team. In fact, it makes it damn near impossible to do so.
2007-09-20 13:57:22 · answer #3 · answered by Linz ♥ VT 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Very, very well said. You make it sound so simple.
One of my favorite quotes is from the movie "Dogma" ... when discussing faith, Chris Rock's character says that Jesus felt "mankind got it all wrong by taking a good idea and building a belief structure on it."
I just can't see how much of modern Christianity (especially the large Evangelical movement) is a reflection at all of Jesus's teachings. Its never been our job to rally AGAINST anyone -- whether they are gay, atheist, pro-choice -- but to love everyone equally, regardless of their faults. After all, that's how Christians believe Jesus feels about us.
2007-09-20 13:40:22 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
Yes the world is about to be a better place when the world teacher comes to unite all of the worlds religions in order to bring about a one world spirituality and that no one is starving in a world of plenty.
2007-09-20 13:36:29 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
you have got it right.there are good and bad in the different faiths,but so many follow them like sheep instead of using there common sense to take the good and discard the rest.they are convinced that God directed every word instead of man and his bias and fallibility
2007-09-20 13:40:30 · answer #6 · answered by woodsonhannon53 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
the world would be better if everone wasnt forcing their beliefs on others and starting wars.
2007-09-20 14:00:43 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
YES, AS TO BE THE PHILOSOPHY OF CIVILISATION PEOPLES OF WISDOM'S.
2007-09-21 01:19:57 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Do you take your own advice or prefer that everyone else does instead?
2007-09-20 13:33:38 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋