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Faith provides meaning and purpose for millions of believers, inspires people to tend to each other and build communities, gives them a sense of union with a transcendent force, and provides numerous health benefits, Sheiman says. Moreover, the galvanizing force behind many achievements in Western civilization has been faith, Sheiman argues, while conceding that he limits his analysis, for the most part, to modern Western religion.
"More than any other institution, religion deserves our appreciation and respect because it has persistently encouraged people to care deeply - for the self, for neighbors, for humanity, and for the natural world - and to strive for the highest ideals humans are able to envision," Sheiman writes.
There are those who dismiss organized religion as corrupt and stultifying, accusing it of stifling advancements and civilization. That may be true of the worst of organized religions, but it's only one small part of the picture, nor does it apply across the board to all religions.
We humans need organized religion for a variety of reasons - not individuals, particularly, but as a whole, and in large groups, we need the structure and the reminders religion, and n particular, organized religion, provides. Most individuals would do well enough without organized religion in their day-to-day lives. Most people hardly think about religion at all, unless reminded. Religion, for the most part, is so integrate and so integral to the lives of most people that they don't need to think about it. Many of the cross-religious traits are also cultural and so ingrained many people consider them instinctive.
Rick Warren, In his "Purpose Driven Life", says "you have to have a purpose in life bigger than yourself, and that not everything is all about you." And he's right about that even if I disagree with his methods of gaining that purpose. It doesn't matter much what that larger purpose is - rescuing dogs, feeding the hungry, growing the most fragrant roses, finding an even older fossil, discovering a new fuel - it just has to be more than yourself. People who get caught thinking everything is all about themselves become angry when they don't get what they feel they deserve, jealous of everyone else no matter how minor the advantage is, greedy even for things they don't really want simply because someone else has them, and are easily manipulated through fear tactics. It's an unhappy life full of complaining about others and trying to force others to behave in ways they think will make them happy, except it only leads to more rules and the desire for more restrictions and ever greater dissatisfaction. When people think beyond themselves, to some outside or greater goal, they can more easily slough off minor annoyances and they are more focused and happier. We no longer need organized religion to provide us with a greater goal - the here and now provides plenty for us to do.
What organized religion does is provide a structure within which people can explore a variety of greater goals, where people can connect with new ideas and be exposed to a range of possibilities. Organized religion provides people with experienced guides and mentors, people who can spot you as you reach for distant and difficult goals. Organized religion brings like-minded people together to accomplish goals that are best done in groups, things an individual couldn't do all on their own. It provides companionship and words for pursuing their goals that either means something else secularly or doesn't exist in the secular world.
At its worst and best, organized religion is a social organization.
At its worst, organized religion pairs up with government to oppress their own adherents and destroy those outside their increasingly demanding and rigid beliefs. It's abusive, violent, and often short-llived, although the embers of it never seems to die out and it can flare in the most unlikely places. All it needs to grow again is fear.
At its best, organized religion gently percolates throughout a society, protecting it from oppression, tyranny, and abuse and inspiring it to be better.
To quote Greg Epstein, a Humanist chaplain at Harvard: "When our goal is erasing religion, rather than embracing human beings, we all lose." I agree with him. When we drive any and all religions out of public places, we create an envirnmonet that fosters the worst in religion. Hidden from our attention, religions can go badly wrong. All it takes is one charismatic person to subvert a religion that is shoved out of the sight of public scrutiny. When we all - agnostics and atheists as well as those adhering to other religions - push religion and talk of religion and the examination of religions out of sight, we shield those religions from public criticism and the power of peer pressure. Not only that, but we then prevent ourselves from debating morality and ethics and we find ourselves trying to accommodate the most bizarre religious strictures - imposing them through legislation on those who don't adhere to that religion.
Examples abound - the societies that aren't strictly Jewish or Muslim that forbid all their citizens from even mentioning "pig", going so far as to legally prosecute non-Jews or non-Muslims for discussing ham sandwiches or sharing pork roast recipes, as portions of Great Britain has done. Or here in America, where we actually allow pharmacists to override a doctor's legitimately given prescriptions because of religious beliefs instead of sound medical care!
By denying religion a place in society, we do us all a great disfavor. I'd rather see each and every religion, off-shoot, or cult publicized and out in the open so we can scrutinize them and hold htem to their own highest standards - and if their standards are perverse or damaging, we'll see it and can act before it grows and rots our society. We need to be a lot more agreeable about allowing religions to be visible. We can't disagree with them, or debate their merits and qualities, or comparison shop, or supervise them if we refuse to accept their existence, or if we get angry and abusive each time someone mentions any kind of religion.
As a Numenist, I've always believed in the "live and let live" philosophy, and I see the direct benefits open religions offer not just their adherents, but all of society. This is why I am pleased that Numenism is an open religion and I'd like to see other religions allowed to be open, too.
I would not like to see any one religion take over an event to the exclusion of all others, but I do think religion of all kinds needs to be present and not be shunned or derided. I don't think any religion should be elevated above others or shown preferential treatment, but they should all be allowed to exist openly. There's nothing wrong with religious songs or religious holy days. It's just as easy to wish someone a "Merry Christmas" as it is to wish someone else a "Joyous Yule" or a generic "Happy Holidays" - and just as pleasant and agreable. It makes people happy to have their religions acknowledged. They don't expect us to cater to their beliefs (well, they don't if they aren't feeling pressured to hide or deny their religion), and they don't expect to cater to our beliefs, either, but I bet we'd be happier if none of us had to worry about having to hide our beliefs.
Co-existence. That's a good goal, eh?
"More than any other institution, religion deserves our appreciation and respect because it has persistently encouraged people to care deeply - for the self, for neighbors, for humanity, and for the natural world - and to strive for the highest ideals humans are able to envision," Sheiman writes.
There are those who dismiss organized religion as corrupt and stultifying, accusing it of stifling advancements and civilization. That may be true of the worst of organized religions, but it's only one small part of the picture, nor does it apply across the board to all religions.
We humans need organized religion for a variety of reasons - not individuals, particularly, but as a whole, and in large groups, we need the structure and the reminders religion, and n particular, organized religion, provides. Most individuals would do well enough without organized religion in their day-to-day lives. Most people hardly think about religion at all, unless reminded. Religion, for the most part, is so integrate and so integral to the lives of most people that they don't need to think about it. Many of the cross-religious traits are also cultural and so ingrained many people consider them instinctive.
Rick Warren, In his "Purpose Driven Life", says "you have to have a purpose in life bigger than yourself, and that not everything is all about you." And he's right about that even if I disagree with his methods of gaining that purpose. It doesn't matter much what that larger purpose is - rescuing dogs, feeding the hungry, growing the most fragrant roses, finding an even older fossil, discovering a new fuel - it just has to be more than yourself. People who get caught thinking everything is all about themselves become angry when they don't get what they feel they deserve, jealous of everyone else no matter how minor the advantage is, greedy even for things they don't really want simply because someone else has them, and are easily manipulated through fear tactics. It's an unhappy life full of complaining about others and trying to force others to behave in ways they think will make them happy, except it only leads to more rules and the desire for more restrictions and ever greater dissatisfaction. When people think beyond themselves, to some outside or greater goal, they can more easily slough off minor annoyances and they are more focused and happier. We no longer need organized religion to provide us with a greater goal - the here and now provides plenty for us to do.
What organized religion does is provide a structure within which people can explore a variety of greater goals, where people can connect with new ideas and be exposed to a range of possibilities. Organized religion provides people with experienced guides and mentors, people who can spot you as you reach for distant and difficult goals. Organized religion brings like-minded people together to accomplish goals that are best done in groups, things an individual couldn't do all on their own. It provides companionship and words for pursuing their goals that either means something else secularly or doesn't exist in the secular world.
At its worst and best, organized religion is a social organization.
At its worst, organized religion pairs up with government to oppress their own adherents and destroy those outside their increasingly demanding and rigid beliefs. It's abusive, violent, and often short-llived, although the embers of it never seems to die out and it can flare in the most unlikely places. All it needs to grow again is fear.
At its best, organized religion gently percolates throughout a society, protecting it from oppression, tyranny, and abuse and inspiring it to be better.
To quote Greg Epstein, a Humanist chaplain at Harvard: "When our goal is erasing religion, rather than embracing human beings, we all lose." I agree with him. When we drive any and all religions out of public places, we create an envirnmonet that fosters the worst in religion. Hidden from our attention, religions can go badly wrong. All it takes is one charismatic person to subvert a religion that is shoved out of the sight of public scrutiny. When we all - agnostics and atheists as well as those adhering to other religions - push religion and talk of religion and the examination of religions out of sight, we shield those religions from public criticism and the power of peer pressure. Not only that, but we then prevent ourselves from debating morality and ethics and we find ourselves trying to accommodate the most bizarre religious strictures - imposing them through legislation on those who don't adhere to that religion.
Examples abound - the societies that aren't strictly Jewish or Muslim that forbid all their citizens from even mentioning "pig", going so far as to legally prosecute non-Jews or non-Muslims for discussing ham sandwiches or sharing pork roast recipes, as portions of Great Britain has done. Or here in America, where we actually allow pharmacists to override a doctor's legitimately given prescriptions because of religious beliefs instead of sound medical care!
By denying religion a place in society, we do us all a great disfavor. I'd rather see each and every religion, off-shoot, or cult publicized and out in the open so we can scrutinize them and hold htem to their own highest standards - and if their standards are perverse or damaging, we'll see it and can act before it grows and rots our society. We need to be a lot more agreeable about allowing religions to be visible. We can't disagree with them, or debate their merits and qualities, or comparison shop, or supervise them if we refuse to accept their existence, or if we get angry and abusive each time someone mentions any kind of religion.
As a Numenist, I've always believed in the "live and let live" philosophy, and I see the direct benefits open religions offer not just their adherents, but all of society. This is why I am pleased that Numenism is an open religion and I'd like to see other religions allowed to be open, too.
I would not like to see any one religion take over an event to the exclusion of all others, but I do think religion of all kinds needs to be present and not be shunned or derided. I don't think any religion should be elevated above others or shown preferential treatment, but they should all be allowed to exist openly. There's nothing wrong with religious songs or religious holy days. It's just as easy to wish someone a "Merry Christmas" as it is to wish someone else a "Joyous Yule" or a generic "Happy Holidays" - and just as pleasant and agreable. It makes people happy to have their religions acknowledged. They don't expect us to cater to their beliefs (well, they don't if they aren't feeling pressured to hide or deny their religion), and they don't expect to cater to our beliefs, either, but I bet we'd be happier if none of us had to worry about having to hide our beliefs.
Co-existence. That's a good goal, eh?
From:
no subject
No it hasn't. Where on earth did you get this from? It's complete nonsense.