Hate all Religions? What do you actually know?

[MookJong]

There are many thread on this board relating to religion and it's ills but these are nearly always related to Christianity / Islam or their derivatives, there is never any talk of Eastern religions such as Buddhism, Shinto, Taoism or Confucianism. Why so?

What really annoys me is the fact that a lot of people write religions off completely and say that it is causes war and separation, when in fact this is not true, and it shows just know little they know abut some of the major religions of the world.

I do not follow Christianity, Judaism or Islam in any way and think that the majority of people who do are misguided. However looking into Eastern religions I find profound wisdom and life lessons that cannot be put to the side lines. There is universal truth in Eastern religions that is on par with modern psychology and I can vouch for it power.

Taoism, Buddhism and Shinto have opened my mind, and as far as I am concerned the core elements of these religions do not conflict with modern science.

So next time you want to attack religion, feel free but remember not all religions are about an omnipresent bearded man in the sky who performs miracles, some are far more esoteric and based on life lessons and reality.

Unless you have looked into a religion you are not in a position to criticize it, please inform yourself before deciding to disguard a religion all together, you never know what you might find.

 

[Tefal]

because Buddhism, Shinto, Taoism or Confucianism, generally keep to them selves, and away from use where as Jew's Christians and Muslims are here, and generally more vocal with their views.

the other thing that peves people is things such as

Taoism, Buddhism and Shinto have opened my mind,

I find profound wisdom and life lessons that cannot be put to the side lines. There is universal truth in Eastern religions that is on par with modern psychology and I can vouch for it power.

Stuff like that and the general holier than thou attitude of many people.

 

[MookJong]

the other thing that peves people is things such as *********** Stuff like that and the general holier than thou attitude of many people.

I know exactly what your saying and agree with you , there are a lot of people out there who have jumped on eastern religions to boost their ego because there is a perceived "cool factor" within them that is not present in the main stream religions.

I deplaw this kind of behavior because Eastern religion, especially Buddhism is about distancing yourself completely from your ego and it is clear these religions have been hijacked by the "self help" and "new age" crowd who are simply out to make money.

This is certainly not the way that I have gained respect for these religions and their ideas.

 

[2StepSteve]

It is wrong to tell anyone that their religion or their beliefs are wrong or incorrect. We should be left to believe in and practice whatever we feel is right, without others shoving their beliefs down our throat. Each to their own, I say.

I do though think religion has caused a lot of wars.. there has been many times in our history where conflict has come about due to a difference in religious views, sadly. I think its still happening, unless i'm totally misreading the news and current affairs...

 

[Van Hellseek]

remember not all religions are about an omnipresent bearded man in the sky who performs miracles, some are far more esoteric and based on life lessons and reality.

That statement completely undermines the concept of 'Kami' (in Shinto).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinto#Kami

Don't forget that the word 'Shinto' itself means "way of the gods".

What you seem to be saying, is that the concept a singular omnipresent god is ridiculous, whereas with Shinto, the concept of an infinite number of gods which exist in all things is perfectly plausible.

I agree with what I think you are basically trying to get at though - Not all religions are concerened with brainwashing/controlling people etc. But 'Kami worship' is at the core of Shinto, and the idea of Kami is no more or less plausible than, well... any idea in any other religion to be perfectly honest.

 

[Stan_Lite]

My first thoughts were pretty much the same as Tefal. You pretty much answered your own question in your own post.

It is not necessary to have knowledge of a religion to see the smug, superior look on a devotee's face as he/she expounds the virtue of their chosen belief and their obvious attitude that everybody who thinks differently is wrong and inferior.
I'm talking from life experience here, I've met people from many religions and every single one is utterly convinced that they are following the correct path and everyone else is condemned to eternal damnation for being wrong.

In many cases it's not the religion people dislike, it's the people who practice it. Those who say religion doesn't cause wars are absolutely right. People start wars - they may do it in the name of their religion but, at the end of the day, it wasn't the religion that started it, it was a person using religion as an excuse to start it - I can think of no bigger blasphemy than to assume you have the right to kill people in the name of your God(s).

 

[Raikiri]

I can think of no bigger blasphemy than to assume you have the right to kill people in the name of your God(s).

Unless you follow the old testament, in which case not even your mum is safe

 

[Angilion]

In many cases it's not the religion people dislike, it's the people who practice it. Those who say religion doesn't cause wars are absolutely right. People start wars - they may do it in the name of their religion but, at the end of the day, it wasn't the religion that started it, it was a person using religion as an excuse to start it - I can think of no bigger blasphemy than to assume you have the right to kill people in the name of your God(s).

I don't think "blasphemy" is the right word if the religion itself states that you should kill people in the name of that religion's god(s), which is hardly uncommon in religions. Judaism, Christianity and Islam, to give particularly important examples (the last two because of their power and the first because the other two are derived from it).

Religion is fine as long as it's powerless and/or followed only be saintly people. The latter doesn't happen in reality. There are some wonderful theists, but they don't wield power within the religion (and usually wouldn't want to). Religion works all too well as a powerful tool for control and power over people, for use as a weapon wielded with divine and therefore unchallengeable authority, and there are always people who will use it that way.

If anyone wants a source of information about religions that strives to be unbiased, I recommend http://www.religioustolerance.org

 

[Sankari]

because Buddhism, Shinto, Taoism or Confucianism, generally keep to them selves, and away from use where as Jew's Christians and Muslims are here, and generally more vocal with their views.

There's also the fact that the vast majority of people have absolutely no idea what Taoism and Buddhism actually teach, so they have little basis for criticising it.

Of course, there will always be those who say "I hate all religions" without caring to examine them. But that's life; there's always a few idiots in the room.

BTW, Confucianism is not a religion.

 

[Van Hellseek]

There's also the fact that the vast majority of people have absolutely no idea what Taoism and Buddhism actually teach, so they have little basis for criticising it.

Did you leave Shinto out of that statement intentionally?

 

[Sankari]

Did you leave Shinto out of that statement intentionally?

No, it was purely unintentional.

 

[Tom0]

What a hypocritical post, the way i see it, who cares what people think on religion, aslong as you're happy belieiving in what you want and not harming anyone whats the problem. To say its wrong being open or closed minded is complete tosh, aslong as they are content believing it isnt that what religion is about?

 

[Stan_Lite]

I don't think "blasphemy" is the right word if the religion itself states that you should kill people in the name of that religion's god(s), which is hardly uncommon in religions. Judaism, Christianity and Islam, to give particularly important examples (the last two because of their power and the first because the other two are derived from it).

If one of a religion's tenets is to commit murder (presumably upon non-believers/heretics/blasphemers), surely that is even more reason for people to mistrust/dislike mainstream religions.

 

[Sankari]

I don't think "blasphemy" is the right word if the religion itself states that you should kill people in the name of that religion's god(s), which is hardly uncommon in religions. Judaism, Christianity and Islam, to give particularly important examples (the last two because of their power and the first because the other two are derived from it).

Which part of Christianity states that Christians must kill people in the name of the Christian god? Do you have a chapter & verse reference from the Bible for that?

 

[doofer]

I personally hate ALL religions as they are just a means to control and get rich by stealing from the gullible and all they can ever return is false hope (No actual proof of anything) and stories for people's beliefs. The Ultimate Con Men!.

I can see how they pulled it off 200 Years ago, but now in the days of Science and Technology, with the huge advancements in Mankind's understanding of things, it beggars belief how anyone can give any credibility to the things they spout in the names of their religions.

 

[RDM]

I don't hate any religions.

I do however have problems with a religion when it starts to try and impact anyone other than it's own followers.

 

[vincent1989]

I don't hate any religions.

I do however have problems with a religion when it starts to try and impact anyone other than it's own followers.

that's silly, how would it get followers in the first place without trying to impact on other peoples lives?

also @ raikiri:
the old testament was all about mosaic law, a law that was fulfilled and replace by christs teaching and the new testament, the old testament is more 'history' now than law, which is where i think a lot of eople get confused

I can see how they pulled it off 200 Years ago, but now in the days of Science and Technology, with the huge advancements in Mankind's understanding of things, it beggars belief how anyone can give any credibility to the things they spout in the names of their religions.

to be perfectly honest i find relgions immutabilty preferable to the ever changing 'science' that people seem to follow in this day and age, the simple fact that science can change its mind at almost every turn and a single discovery can flip the whole thing on its head means that in 20 years time or whatever they may be laughing about people who 'believed' in the big bang theory, who knows. i dislike the dishonesty of science, for example there is a certain diagram which depicts the growth of embreyos in the womb, those of a human and a fish iirc, which were deiberatly altered to look more similar, a long time ago this was revealed as fruad, yet it's still taught and still printed in the science books as science fact, there are a few other desrepencies which i wont go in to.

 

[Dolph]

I personally hate ALL religions as they are just a means to control and get rich by stealing from the gullible and all they can ever return is false hope (No actual proof of anything) and stories for people's beliefs. The Ultimate Con Men!.

You do know science doesn't provide actual proof either. It provides a means for predicting and linking observations via the simplest mechanism by which the observed relationship could occur.

What's your take on religious or spiritual beliefs with no central structure or controlling group?

I can see how they pulled it off 200 Years ago, but now in the days of Science and Technology, with the huge advancements in Mankind's understanding of things, it beggars belief how anyone can give any credibility to the things they spout in the names of their religions.

Throwing faith to the scientific method to be something it's not isn't really an answer though, which is what people who generally make statements regarding science and religion expect people to do. As soon as you take science from describing the way things could work to describing the way things do work, you're putting faith in the assumptions that underpin the method for predictive purposes, and putting faith in the idea that every single problem is one that can be handled by the scientific method.

Turning science into another religion isn't really the best solution, which is how more and more people are treating it.

 

[doofer]

What's your take on religious or spiritual beliefs with no central structure or controlling group?

If you mean Self-Belief then that's fine by me, everyone is entitled to their own views, as long as it affects no one else they can do what they like, once they try and coerce someone else into that belief they would fall into the 'control' category as far as I am concerned.

Turning science into another religion isn't really the best solution, which is how more and more people are treating it.

It's a personal choice, like I originally said 'I personally hate..' I choose through my own free will to believe Scientific (I won't say fact..) Theories over Religious Theories as to me they hold more water and I'm free to make up my own mind, fortunately I've not been brain washed from childhood to take sides

 

[RDM]

that's silly, how would it get followers in the first place without trying to impact on other peoples lives?

The impact I mean is the forcing of your religious beliefs on to me via the imposition of religiously motivated laws or via threats of violence if we do not follow said strictures. The imposition of religious beliefs due to censorship would be another. You don't like the Jerry Springer Opera? Fine, don't watch it, don't try and get it banned so no one can watch it.

to be perfectly honest i find relgions immutabilty preferable to the ever changing 'science' that people seem to follow in this day and age, the simple fact that science can change its mind at almost every turn and a single discovery can flip the whole thing on its head means that in 20 years time or whatever they may be laughing about people who 'believed' in the big bang theory, who knows.

While I certainly don't follow science as a religion, I do find it's very mutability to be one of it's plus points. It is prepared to say "I got it wrong".