So Many Religions.....So Little Time

Everyone knows their personal religious theory is best -- the one and only true path to enlightenment, salvation, whatever, right? And, according to some, anyone who espouses a different religious view is an infidel, heretic, apostate, who deserves nothing less than a painful death to set an example for the rest of the fearful masses.

But wait, you claim, my religion isn't like that!

Oh yeah? Well, prove it!

What makes your religion different? What sets you apart from the "non-believers"?

Don't preach to me, just explain it in laymen's terms.

After further reflection, I think you'll find that Religion in ALL it's forms IS a Conspiracy. In fact, it's the oldest conspiracy of all.

Don't you think it's a little rude to tell folk not to preach to you, when you've come straight out with a sermon against faith?

Wanting to share and discuss different views of faith is good, but starting a thread just to tell people of faith to reflect more,... untill they agree with you....???

An unknowingly wise man once described organized religion to me as a piece of paper (religion/God) that has been balled up and placed between people (churches/denominations) on a table.

The first person is asked to describe his side side of the ball of paper, and then the second person is asked to describe his side of the ball of paper. While each person's description varied from one another, both were accurately describing what they saw their "religion" as.

One religion is not better than another IMO, we are just seeking two different paths (views of the ball of paper) to get to the same place.

JDub

Originally posted by suzy ryan
Don't you think it's a little rude to tell folk not to preach to you, when you've come straight out with a sermon against faith?

Faith?.....What is faith?.....Please explain Faith.

Faith in.....(what).....science, religion, self, humanity, determinism, god?

Which Faith brings you comfort? Do you suffer from lack of Faith?

Originally posted by suzy ryan
Don't you think it's a little rude to tell folk not to preach to you, when you've come straight out with a sermon against faith?

Wanting to share and discuss different views of faith is good, but starting a thread just to tell people of faith to reflect more,... untill they agree with you....???

He hadn't really said much against faith. It read more like, I'm fed up with being told I'm a bad person or going to hell or doing the wrong thing or incapable of morality and virtue because I don't have faith in your particular diety. That and, sick and tired of listening to the hypocrit's of religion.

This is basically how I feel as well. And it's a common theme for those of religous belief's. Most, if not all look down upon those of different religous belief's and think even worse of those who hold no belief in a diety of some form.

Us people without faith in some diety aren't bad people. We still do all the good as preached in the bible or other religous text. Yes, there are a few bad apples, but this is also true of religion as well. It would seem abit hypocritical to label all atheist's as immoral heathen's (as most religions do, particularly Christianity), and yet these same people have no trouble covering up the immoral sexual act's conducted by their own priest's.

I don't see how the person who wrote this post explained any conspiracy of spiritual/religious beliefs. People have different understanding's and that's a conspiracy? The problem with this argument is that its an idea that can be applied to any ideas in the world. If you ask people how they view communism/socialism, democracy, secularism and see how countries apply it to themselves there is always some differences in perspectives and appliance and there is always the official view, that is what we call human diversity. It wouldn't be human if everyone had the same idea about it. Nevertheless there are some rich and diverse religious practices around the world with any religion. There is a whole lot of mixing that goes on, sometimes even when a religion is against it. Also everyone believes their way of life and thinking is superior, and even though all beliefs are not as dogmatic about it, will sometimes stop certain thoughts from becoming the mainstream. I see this as another post attempting to apply something to religion/spiritualism that could be applied to other things.

ok so i'd also like to know why people think their religion is the right path. kinda like pitchin an idea at a conference. so, who wants to play...

Originally posted by NeoQuest
I don't see how the person who wrote this post explained any conspiracy of spiritual/religious beliefs.

NeoQuest, you are correct. I didn't make the connection between Religion and Conspiracy with my first post. I'll try and elaborate a bit.

A Conspiracy can be defined in general terms as "a group of conspirators.....joining or acting together, as if by sinister design". For that and other definitions and synonyms, look it up on www.thefreedictionary.com...

In that light, I would suggest that organized Religion in all it's forms is an attempt by various willful co-Conspirators to act together and impose their will upon the masses.

Reduced to it's most basic form, Religion is really just a power-play of one human-being over another. The one who "leads" the Religion gets to interpret God's (or whoever's) will and dictate the "divine" rules to the penitent masses -- who are often penalized for non-compliance.

Religion, as a conspiracy, transfers power from one group to another. This is evident in the compulsory behavior required of many religions: prayer, tithes, self-sacrifice and other forms of will-worship. Only through these acts of obedient contrition is one proven "worthy" to be "holy" in the eyes of his Religion. And, in the process of complying with Religious dogma, the believer sacrifices his own will at the alter of those who defined the Religion in the first place. All the while, the Conspirators gain more and more power as their Religious influence spreads.

As the old saying goes, power corrupts -- and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Never content with the status quo, the Conspirators constantly seek to expand their sphere of influence and convert the non-believers over to the "true" path, conspiring with one another to deny and defraud the sensibilities of their fellow man.

I could go on and on -- perhaps I already have. But, you raised a good question which I thought deserved an answer.

In my personal beliefs, all religious theories (even athiesm) are simply different paths to enlightenment and truth. Therefore I don't really believe any of them are wrong. So I don't see why they can't intermarry and what not.