|
Post by dirtypillows on Sept 3, 2018 9:52:37 GMT
I could never, would never say that religion makes a person a "better human being" because that automatically places the atheist as inferior in some way and that's too much of a generalization, and it's rude. (not that you were being rude in your OP!) What I would say that religion does that is almost always a good thing is that - 1) it instills a sense of awe and wonder and humility within the person, and it fosters a belief of the existence of some higher power, and I think anybody would benefit from that 2) for the person with faith, it is probably going to be of monumental importance in helping see the individual through the really rough times I think religion has helped people especially when they are down, but is this like calling to God to help when he\it is only needed and therefore has conditionings place on something. It is not entirely genuine. I feel too many people neglect the fact that they are the higher power and the entire Universe is God and everything contained within. Everything I see as our own creation and that does make us God. I'm not a religious person, so maybe I'm not the most qualified to address this topic. I do really like your statement about how we are our own higher power (at least that's what I think you are saying), which is really a lovely and powerful concept. Then, on the other hand, I also like the idea of believing in something bigger than oneself and something you can't detect with your five senses. That idea is exciting to me, though THAT idea is not necessarily a religious one, per se. The closest I think I ever get to any kind of religious faith is synchronicity. Whenever I experience and acknowledge synchronicity, it is, for me, the universe's way of telling me that whatever I'm doing or thinking or feeling at that moment is exactly right for me. And that I'm on the right path. In fact, there is nothing that can make me feel more "right" than when synchronicity manifests itself. Example: back in 2003 or 2004, I was without stable employment, I was walking outside, it was cold out, I was thinking about looking for work, I was remembering how I had done substitute teaching after I got my college degree and how that wasn't too bad a gig and I was wondering whether I might try it again, I turned a corner, I approached this big elementary school, I looked up and read the school's marquee, and it read in big block letters "SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS WANTED. CALL ###-####" And that was that. Very cool. For me, that's a religious experience. (I highly suspect there are people who wouldn't agree with me about this, and that's fine.) Stuff like this happens to me quite a bit - of course, to varying degrees of intensity and/or consequence. But I'll take it, and I'll take it with reverence and deep appreciation and with joy and with spirit. The only other thing in my life that I hold in such awesome regard are my dreams, which I think are the keepers of truth.
|
|
|
Post by captainbryce on Sept 3, 2018 13:59:01 GMT
captainbryce Thanks for clearing your misunderstanding in the last post. A person who is otherwise lethargic can be inspired to be better and more active human being under influence of co-religionists. Let's take Sikhs for example. They do not do good things with the view to make you a Sikh. During the ISIS crisis, many Sikhs went to various areas of danger to serve the orphans, old people and helpless people while endangering their own lives. Not one of them tried to convince the people they helped that they should become Sikhs. Teachings of Sikhism is to help others irrespective of race, ethnicity or religion. You can say a secular person can do the same. Of course I agree as I am a non-religious person myself. But at end of the day at least some people showed extraordinary bravery and humanitarianism for others because they were working due to their religious values. Yoga can make a person more calm and take away anger. Slowly and steadily many people can start living more content life and become less jealous of others due to teachings of Yoga and other religion inspired views. Ultimately, happiness of self may transform in general improvement in behaviour. I have known examples of people who were extremely childish, anger prone and selfish who have become a changed person under influence of religion. This is not to say that a person can't become better without coming under influence of religion. I don’t think religion “teaches” anyone anything at all. I think people decide (on their own) to change their lives either for the better or the worst because they recognize a need for change. I think religion is a means by which they conform to the change that they have already decided to make, and then becomes the excuse/reason they use for why the change occurred. But in reality, it was them the whole time. It was their decision and their own actions that caused the change, not whatever religion they decided to embrace. No divine intervention, supernatural forces, or magic enacted such a change. And the fact that people can and do make such changes without religion to me proves that religion has no impact at all. It may influence how the change is made (and at what rate), but it’s not causing the change itself. It’s all happening in the person’s own mind.
|
|
|
Post by captainbryce on Sept 3, 2018 14:02:00 GMT
Religion sets a constant standard of personal behavior, independent of what society says is acceptable or unacceptable at any given moment in time. The standard may not always be adhered to, but at least its always there. Exactly. but liberals tend to think morality is subjective instead of sticking to God's morality which does not change.
but it's not surprising as you can see that in general as time passes, as the worlds morality standards decline, the world sides with liberals. but... the world tends to oppose God more often than not and that's evident in major moral areas like abortion etc. just on the abortion issue alone is enough to tell you which side is opposed to God and which one is in favor of God, in general.
p.s. when I say God I am always referring to The Holy Trinity (Father/Son(Jesus Christ)/Holy Spirit).
Morality is subjective, and there’s really no evidence that the world’s morality standard has declined at all. By western secular, there is a large volume of evidence that morality has improved in our own society. But we cannot use that standard to judge other societies because morality is subjective between societies.
|
|
|
Post by Aj_June on Sept 3, 2018 14:03:01 GMT
captainbryce Thanks for clearing your misunderstanding in the last post. A person who is otherwise lethargic can be inspired to be better and more active human being under influence of co-religionists. Let's take Sikhs for example. They do not do good things with the view to make you a Sikh. During the ISIS crisis, many Sikhs went to various areas of danger to serve the orphans, old people and helpless people while endangering their own lives. Not one of them tried to convince the people they helped that they should become Sikhs. Teachings of Sikhism is to help others irrespective of race, ethnicity or religion. You can say a secular person can do the same. Of course I agree as I am a non-religious person myself. But at end of the day at least some people showed extraordinary bravery and humanitarianism for others because they were working due to their religious values. Yoga can make a person more calm and take away anger. Slowly and steadily many people can start living more content life and become less jealous of others due to teachings of Yoga and other religion inspired views. Ultimately, happiness of self may transform in general improvement in behaviour. I have known examples of people who were extremely childish, anger prone and selfish who have become a changed person under influence of religion. This is not to say that a person can't become better without coming under influence of religion. I don’t think religion “teaches” anyone anything at all. I think people decide (on their own) to change their lives either for the better or the worst because they recognize a need for change. I think religion is a means by which they conform to the change that they have already decided to make, and then becomes the excuse/reason they use for why the change occurred. But in reality, it was them the whole time. It was their decision and their own actions that caused the change, not whatever religion they decided to embrace. No divine intervention, supernatural forces, or magic enacted such a change. And the fact that people can and do make such changes without religion to me proves that religion has no impact at all. It may influence how the change is made (and at what rate), but it’s not causing the change itself. It’s all happening in the person’s own mind. Of course it is people who formulate religions encode what their followers should do. But for many people who are born after a religion is formed and choose to follow a religion, religion or the person's interpretation of religion is what guides them. I am not sure why divine intervention is needed for a religion to guide a human being. It's messages are enough. And regarding religion "doesn't teach anything". Well that's just a deep philosophical view you hold. For common people, Buddha teaches things. His teachings become teachings of Buddhism. Same with krishna's teachings. And so on... This little thread of mine concerns ordinary religious people. Most of whom do believe their religions teach them many things and many act or pretend to act on basis of teachings of their religions.
And as for your statement that people make their own decisions- sure. But then the religious teachings guide them in making those decisions (in case of religious people). This thread is basically for religious people and asks them to list how in different ways has their religion (religious culture/teachings/practises) inspired their morality/actions/behaviour.
|
|