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sobrique(Yes, the 'stuff I don't get' concept is plagiarised from ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
theferrett's journal)
It never ceases to amaze me how much fighting there is over religion. Over the last few thousand years, so many wars have been over religious differences.
The thing is though, if you take away church doctrine, there actually isn't an awful lot of differences between most of the religions.
Most believe that there's a God (or Gods, or Goddess). Those that don't (Buddhism is the only one I can think of specifically in this regard) don't specifically contradict this.
In the case of Judaism, Christianity and Islam it's the same God. Just different prophets, ceremonies and codes of conduct. This argument could be extended, a little more tenuously, towards the other religious beliefs (that I'm not quite so familiar with). Wicca for example also has a God (ess) concept. As does Voodoo (or Vodou).
Could it be that it's all the same thing? That yes, actually there is a God, and it's the same for all of these, just viewed in different ways? Does 'God' mind if you refer to Him as Her? Or perhaps call Him Allah? Or Jehovah? What's in a name really?
Could it be that the religious conflict isn't about the religion, it's about people using doctrine and dogma as tools to control the masses, and enforce their will upon the world?
Could it also be that the reason there are so many inherent contradictions in religious texts, be because they were written by different people - as metaphors, as stories, as discussions. And because people have a different understanding of the world, they see a different story as being appropriate. There's contradictions, even within a single section of the Bible, and usually a quote somewhere there that can be used in any situation. The thing is, that it's not entirely true. Most of the content could be read in much the same way as a livejournal - one person's thoughts on a subject, alongside appropriate metaphors.
It's really rather cynical, but I guess that's the way it is. A religion is, to my mind, a different way of accomplishing similar ends. To live 'well' and have faith.
Blindly following because it's "right" is a mistake.
Choose what you believe, and then pick your path through life according to that.
theferrett's journal)It never ceases to amaze me how much fighting there is over religion. Over the last few thousand years, so many wars have been over religious differences.
The thing is though, if you take away church doctrine, there actually isn't an awful lot of differences between most of the religions.
Most believe that there's a God (or Gods, or Goddess). Those that don't (Buddhism is the only one I can think of specifically in this regard) don't specifically contradict this.
In the case of Judaism, Christianity and Islam it's the same God. Just different prophets, ceremonies and codes of conduct. This argument could be extended, a little more tenuously, towards the other religious beliefs (that I'm not quite so familiar with). Wicca for example also has a God (ess) concept. As does Voodoo (or Vodou).
Could it be that it's all the same thing? That yes, actually there is a God, and it's the same for all of these, just viewed in different ways? Does 'God' mind if you refer to Him as Her? Or perhaps call Him Allah? Or Jehovah? What's in a name really?
Could it be that the religious conflict isn't about the religion, it's about people using doctrine and dogma as tools to control the masses, and enforce their will upon the world?
Could it also be that the reason there are so many inherent contradictions in religious texts, be because they were written by different people - as metaphors, as stories, as discussions. And because people have a different understanding of the world, they see a different story as being appropriate. There's contradictions, even within a single section of the Bible, and usually a quote somewhere there that can be used in any situation. The thing is, that it's not entirely true. Most of the content could be read in much the same way as a livejournal - one person's thoughts on a subject, alongside appropriate metaphors.
It's really rather cynical, but I guess that's the way it is. A religion is, to my mind, a different way of accomplishing similar ends. To live 'well' and have faith.
Blindly following because it's "right" is a mistake.
Choose what you believe, and then pick your path through life according to that.
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Date: 2004-03-19 06:49 pm (UTC)Technically, by telling us where you got it from, it's not really plagiarism ;p
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