Most religions suggest that you should sacrifice certain things in order to make your life more meaningful and pleasing to the divine ... whether its sex, material possessions, or certain foods.
Why is this?
With it being understood that ANYTHING done foolishly and in excess can be harmful, it seems to me that the true meaning of life would be found in enjoying the things we do have, rather than focusing on what we have to live without.
Any thoughts?
2007-11-17 12:12:46 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The religion has to be just hard enough so that no one can follow it perfectly--that's where the need for God comes in.
Hello my wife hehe :o) (((((((Heretic))))))
2007-11-17 12:50:52 · answer #1 · answered by Linz VT•AM 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I don't know about pleasing to the divine since I'm not so sure there is a divine -- but think one often finds life less meaningful when everything comes easy; 'deprivation' teaches one lesson, but true personal sacrifice another...we learn that we do not need everything to survive; we learn that desire or longing only distracts us from living fully in the present moment; we learn the dynamic tension between greed and contentment. Religious 'sacrifice' typically entails submission to the tenets of faith, and there's nothing wrong with that if the choice is out of love as opposed to fear.
2007-11-17 19:54:20 · answer #2 · answered by dragonfly7149 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Excellent questions
To your first question;
We would have to look at how religions started. Daniel Dennett in "Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon" suggests that religions in early history of humanity must have some beneficial sociological effect on us. Religious ideas that enabled some tribes to survive continued to survive and some religions died out because tribes that hold such religious belief were not beneficial.
For example, Christianity and Islam with severe zeal to evangelize others, and persecute other religious beliefs brutally in a sense are positive for survival of these two religions.
Similarly religions advocating anti-contraception survived because there will be more people born with the religion. Having a greater number of people give a huge edge in wars, economy, etc.
I definitely agree with you that the meaning of life has to be derived from our own terms, not some invisible cosmological dictator.
2007-11-17 12:37:15 · answer #3 · answered by Jason 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because there are things that we desire that are harmful to us - that we want to do... we see it everyday, right?
God is not a killjoy who just wants to remove our fun, but one who knows us and knows what will be the most fulfilling and productive to a good life.
We have plenty, that is not the problem. The problem is that we want more than what we need or want things we shouldn't. I know that I do.
Of course you are right... focus on your blessings. I am an HS reading teacher and one of our story characters this week was a teen who endured terrible hardship but never complained. We discussed that when you are grateful for what you have you are content and appreciate what you have and therefore don't complain. That is a small example of an empowered life, and I believe that view of life can come with the help of God, who gives all we need and helps us see life in an attitude of abundance.
You are so wise to mention sacrifice. It is the key... how few raelize that the giving of ourselves is the most fulfilling and productive thing in the world.
2007-11-17 12:26:10 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Good grief you cut me to the heart (and too close to home). My current faith they want me to get rid of my television to please God. But I confess I love to watch movies. That is why I have a television. I compromise by telling myself I do not bring my television to church and worship it at the same time I am listening to a sermon. And what I do at home, the Lord surely knows that just because I am spending time in front of it does not mean I am worshiping it.
What your question did not bring up was what if you do have everything and yet you feel like you are missing something that means "everything" to you.
Every one I don't care who you are looking for that something missing. As human beings we will always remain babies all through life wanting and needing that something that is missing and that we at times cannot express just as babies do..
That answer I leave with you. Soon I can watch the television with something light tonight. HOOK. What intrigues me the most about movies is how so many fantasies follow religious or biblical themes. That is why I myself am hooked.
2007-11-17 12:41:28 · answer #5 · answered by Uncle Remus 54 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
"I am come that you may have life and have it more abundantly". There is much to learn and know about Jesus that average "Christians" never do. The best example of this would be to consider the parallel between Jesus and Church vs husband and wife in the God established institution of marriage. When a man proposes marriage to a woman and she answers: "yes", and they marry, she takes his name and becomes part of him as his Mrs, She is no more Jane Smith, but now has a new identity as Mrs John Doe. The Church is The Body of Jesus Christ and in like manner when God leads someone to repentance and they accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, they take His Name and are baptised into His body, which is the Church. They spiritually become part of Him and receive everlasting life. Unfortunately, most new believers are baptised invoking the titles of The Trinity and remain dead in their sins, for The Trinity, with all due respect and reverence, did not suffer, bleed and die on the cross. That was Jesus only. The Lamb of God. The Only Begotten Son of God. It is in His Name and through His blood that we may be saved. Rev 7:14 "These are they who washed their robes and made them white in the blood of The Lamb"
2016-05-24 00:49:00 · answer #6 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is a lesson in humility, respect, and suffering when sacrificing something that it a necessity. When sacrificing material possessions or non-necessities it is a lesson in will power, value, and selflessness. There are several other lessons to be learned in sacrifice, how many can you come up with?
2007-11-17 12:25:30 · answer #7 · answered by M 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They just came out with a study on this and they found that people with less LIVE happy more meaningful lives.
I am not BASHING the Rich. I am sure you can find it here one the web I think it came out yesterday.
2007-11-17 12:23:48 · answer #8 · answered by cocoamoe 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I really don't think that my religion is making me "sacrifice" anything..I don't want to kill, steal, worship idols, or be involved with a married man.. I love the joy that the Lord brings to my life and I am very HAPPY. What do I have to live without?
2007-11-17 12:23:10 · answer #9 · answered by PROBLEM 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
God prefers obedience to sacrifice and what He's asking for isn't all that much.
1. Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, mind and soul.
2. Love your neighbor as yourself.
Greater love has no man than this, that he would lay down his life for his friends. Seems to me as though we'll find greater meaning in life when we look beyond ourselves for the good of mankind and the glorification of God.
2007-11-17 12:21:04 · answer #10 · answered by child of God 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Idolatry is sin. Refer to Exodus 20:3
2007-11-17 12:17:39 · answer #11 · answered by Seeno†es™ 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋