Is there a place for religion in the modern world? What do you think? What would your religion look like? Think about all the religions we studied this year!
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Hola everybody! I think there is time for religion in the modern world if we make time for it. Without religion noone would be able to calm down and function.
ReplyDeleteI think my religion would be a mix of taoism and Roman Catholic. I am a very spiritual person so I need something to help me get back in touch with my-self. My religion would also reflect almost everything about Catholisisim(i don't think i spelled that correctly). I would only add my own personal spin of reincarnation. I believe that Earth is like purgatory. Untill we live our lives correctly we will keep repeating them as different people. I would not add any silly space stories about God or when you died if you were in good standing you get a planet, nothing like that. It would be very simple. A christian religion not a cult and not a joke but a chain of the Roman Catholic Church.(We would abide by the rulings of the Pope as well.)
I believe a new religion would be able to have a place in the modern world as long as there are followers devoted to practice that religion. The main importance for religion are those who believe and acknowledge the aspects as the real truth. For example, Mormonism is still today existing without Joseph Smith who introduced the religion. He had believers who supported the concept of the Book of Mormons and has become the fastest growing religion in the United States. If I created a new religion, I would also use the concept of Taoism like Cait. I envy how Taoists practice the theory of "wu-wei" and having a stress free life. I also would not include a God like the Buddhists. Everyone should find peace and harmony without questioning their religion whether there is actually a God or just a conspiracy. What matters the most is finding freedom from suffering and tension by practicing the right religion.
ReplyDeleteYes, I feel that there will always be a place for religion in the modern world. This is because science will never fully answer the questions which religion tries to answer. As science and knowledge increases, people tend to think that it is gradually ridding the world of faith and replacing it with fact. This is untrue, in my opinion. I personally feel that science is only a mere representation of the concept of the world. By naming and defining matter, we tend to think that we know exactly what it is when we really don't. We only know what we define it do be and how we claim it functions. As I've said before, a fact is merely an opinion that all humans agree on. In other words, we really do not know how or why the universe functions as it does, but by defining and explaining it using math, science, and other human-made methods, we are simply putting it into terms that we as humans understand.
ReplyDeleteReligion will always remain the area in which humans can ponder on the inexplicable concepts of life. Churches and ceremonies may fade away, but religion is always on ones mind regardless of how much we "know" using science. Forever, people will continue to wonder about life beyond what is currently "defined", and science cannot and will not ever satisfy the human mind fully.
I don't see the need for the creation of any religion beyond what has already been created. I'm not saying that there are too many religions, nor am I saying there are too few. However, what I am saying is that each person has their own way of viewing life and so I don't find it necessary to add to the amount of possibilities of conformity. Don't get me wrong; there is nothing wrong with traditional religion and I think its a great idea to assemble and have a community. However, I don't find it necessary. What I meant by "possibilities of conformity" is that people are generally expected to conform to a specific religion and obey their rules. Muslims and Mormons have very strict rules and regulations, which I find quite pointless. A religion should allow room for personal discovery and faith, instead of forcing rules and beliefs upon its followers. Furthermore, a religion should be tolerable of other religions and all people, because in my opinion, it is ignorant to assume that only a minority of the world's population are "the chosen people". Regardless of who your god is, I'm pretty sure that all humans are included in the purpose of life. I generally support the concepts of the eastern religions, with the exception of Islam, because they offer vague, yet extremely assisting concepts of life which help better humans and their morals, which is most important. The Hindu concept of toleration for all religions is an idea which I think all humans should follow without question. After all, One of the most important concepts of life is acceptance and kindness to everyone.
To be honest, I've never ever been a true believer in religion. Mr. Bauer, you said two days ago in class that you "wanted to believe that there was something 'more' after we die, because if there wasn't it would be very disheartening to live knowing that after we die there's no follow-up" and you, Mr. Bauer, basically added concrete to my theory, a theory that I've held on to for at least two years now.
ReplyDeleteMy theory is actually very simple, but first I must ask you, the reader, something that might make you believe in my theory... Why do you think that elderly people are more likely to believe in religion and follow it faithfully? Many people haven't even considered it before, so they'd probably come up with an answer like "they've always believed in religion, of course!" To some extent I can understand that reasoning, after all, the elderly people had lived through an age where the newspaper had daily UFO headliners; point being, people were naive back then!
However, I'm asking you, the reader, to try and think past the obvious; which leads us to my theory. I believe that the reason most elderly people believe in religion so faithfully is because they're nearing the ending to their story. They don't want to consider that end of their lives is the end of their existence. This fear produces faith.
In short, the main reason many people believe in religion is just as Mr. B said, they don't want to consider that the end of their lives is the "end of the book." RELIGION IS TELLING THE ELDERLY WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR!
Which leads us to my next point; why can't everyone accept religion, and does it have any influence in today's world? The answer lies in the skepticism of today's people. This skepticism was a direct product of the Scientific Revolution; an age where people had changed their method of thinking from being superstitious and using a God-like figure to explain everything, to actually observing to find the answers to the anomalies of nature. The point being that many people in our day and age would rather use logic and concrete evidence rather than faith explain things. Let's face it, religion is based more on faith than logic. This logic has prevented people from accepting religion; and makes religion almost non-existent in many people's lives.
I'm going to be honest, because of the world's "over-use" of logic, i feel that religion has almost no place in the world and I certainly do not believe that I can make a religion that can satisfy the "logic- craving" nature of people today; while still telling them what they want to hear about what happens at the end of their lives. Therefore, I believe that a philosophy like Taoism is the one thing the world needs the most. The concept that Yin and Yang need to be in perfect equilibrium with each other in order to live a happy and fulfilling life; this is directly related with the concept of "wu-wei," which is vital to living a stress free life.
The reason I believe that Taoism is a great concept to include into any religion is because it speaks out to the lives of people all over the modern world. Life in this day and age is hectic and full of chaos, and as long as the philosophy of Taoism is followed, the world will be taking a step in the right direction.
A wise man (whose name I can't remember...) once said "Everyone has to believe in something in order to live on." I think that Taoism is that something.
Sorry if this post was one of those "tl;dr" kind of posts... I kinda got into it haha. :]
Wow.. I should've said something like what you said Steven... "I don't see the need for the creation of any religion beyond what has already been created." mainly because I also don't see the need for any new religion. People are already skeptical of old, traditional religions; what will make them more accepting to a new and "less legitimate" religion?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Steven N. I just don't think that science can be everything for a society. Also there are some questions that science can not fill. I understand about how something led to something( I know vague)but what I think religion can fill for me is that something made that first something happen. Also whats the point of life if its always the same? You get up you go to school, get a education, get a job, get married(maybe), and then you die. If this just keeps happening what is our purpose though? Why keep going?The world isn't honestly getting better there are just little sprouts of good and then a huge space of bad.I think without religion or without something spiritual we can confuse the right with wrong and wrong with right. Religion doesn't have to be something that doesn't make sense it just can be something that humbles you to realize we as humans have limitations that we are not all powerful and that just because we dominate over other living things we think we have the right to do that with other people. Though I support religion I don't think that one it should be changed into something new and two disregard science. What most religions try to do is reject something that doesn't go with their beliefs. Also another thing religion does wrong is it gives people exactly what they want exactly right and its the same with science, why they cant get along is because it scares people to go beyond what they think beyond anything else. While I do think that there should be religion I don't think that it should be controlled or ruled over by someone. For example we have the Pope but how can we follow a man who does mistakes just like everyone else does? Doesn't it sound a little hypocritical? Anyway to get to the point I think religion can be dived into two parts: one where it can be Christian( but not lacking the science) and Taoism where we learn a balance between ourselves. There is no one person in charge but a community of people with inputs we we RESPECT each others opinions. My other point is if you don't believe in a god really I think that a perfect religion would really be a Taoism and Confucianism blend. Because it emphasizes that we need a balance. (I guess there more philosophies.)But I want to make a big point don't disregard science in a religion just embrace it cause there's no fighting it but remember there are things that science can't explain and their are things religion can not explain and I personally think that's what makes it good.
ReplyDeletewow! steve you have a very strong opinion and i respect your opinion but i disagree. I am a strong believer in faith and the Christian relgion. I do see where you are coming from when you said that the elders are naive but I do believe in God. There are little miracles that happen everyday and they are reminders of God. My grandpa was sick with cancer all year and I would visit him in the hospital every week and see him getting worse and worse and the last day i saw him he was in so much pain my family prayed that day and that night I just prayed to God to take him out of his misery and let him feel no pain. A few hours later the phone rang and I found out my grandpa died. I believe God has a plan for all of us wheter it be good or bad. We just have to be ready and accepting. I know many people wouldn't see this as a miracle but I do. I believe relgion is always going to be around for those who want to believe. I'm sure less and less people will go to church and less and less people will have such a strong faith as our elders but I do believe religions will always be around.
ReplyDeleteIf I could make a religion my religion would of course mostly be based on Christianity but also incorpate some taoism. The average person is so stressed out and never has time to just relax. I think we all can use some ying & yang. I don't believe in reincarnation but I'm not sure I believe in heaven and hell. I hope there's a heaven and lately I have often thought about it but I can't say I fully believe in it.
Q: Is there a place for religion in the modern world?
ReplyDeleteA: OF COURSE. There would be no practices of Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, etc. Although, "practicing" a religion (EX: going to church) does not mean that you don't have faith in a religion, and/or still practicing it. Tom Di Paola and I were talking about this and religion does not mean going to church. Religion is definitely based on faith and beliefs. Like Steven N said, science will never fully answer the questions that religion is trying to. I have a lot of faith in Christianity and I am proud to say it; I love it in fact.
Q: What would your religion look like?
A: My religion would probably be a mix of Christianity, Confucianism, and Taoism, although Confucianism and Taoism isn't really a "religion."
I say this because I believe in God 100% and I do believe that he is the creator of this whole world. Love is basically the key word in Christianity; God loves. If people would just learn to love more and be accepting, but we know it will never happen, which brings me to Confucianism.
Let's face it, humanity sucks. All of us get fed up with the people in our lives, because we want them to be the "perfect" people in our lives who will never let us fall. We create in our minds of the picture perfect kind of people who is always caring, fun, and genuine; if you don't, then I do. Confucius tried to establish how humans will act, and tried to show how to be the "perfect human." No one will ever get it right. As depressing as that sounds, it is very true. I guess it's the philosophy of writing words that describe how other people are feeling makes me want a "religion" like Confucianism. "Be human" is the core of Confucianism, or at least for Jen. To be human is very hard to define; some things are better left alone. As I said before, people get fed up with other people (ironically) and that brings me to my next point, Taoism.
Stresssssssssss, I'm stressing right now because I have to do west civ and french after I'm done with this, and Facebook isn't helping much. People get stressed, a lot of times we get over-stressed. The cause of stress is desire and want, in my opinion of course. Others will say technology, but the need to "want" technology, and the "need" to talk to people is always there. People should really learn to deal with stress, but I shouldn't be one to talk, I'm just saying it's a good idea and concept to think about. People wish (or I wish) that life could be a little softer to me sometimes, just because I'm feeling so stressed. Other people are stressed or fed up with other things though, such as being human.
Let me elaborate, I know many people who wish that they were someone else, or they could "fix" their bodies. Shut up. The whole idea of being beautiful, and "perfect" is destroying people and their lives; it's vanity we prize.
I would just like a religion that deals with love and peace, yet with lessons not to becoming the perfect human, but to just be human. Also to not to be stressed over materials and people that most likely won't mean anything to you when this life is over.
Love, humane, serenity.
There is always time and place for religion in the world no matter how modernized we become, we just have to make sure that we also improve upon our religion as we modernize but not too much because then it would be viewed by the modern world as more of a cult or a theocracy. One problem with the modern world is that we often lose focus of the greater things in religion such as peace, faith, and keeping the traditions and we replace these with criticism, faithlessness, modernization. My religion would allow its people to believe and practice what is right while feeling free and unbound. In today's world people feel as if they're captive within their own religion thats why my religion would have little rules but still the basic ones of good and bad, but no rules that require you to change or alter your entire lifestyle because i want you to feel at peace and free while you build a relationship with YOUR god. I would want you to worship what you believe god is(as long as it isn't something too absurd or wrong). Another problem with todays modern world is that we ALL think we're right and that everyone else is wrong when it comes to religion and we try to correct people on their beliefs but back to the topic, I believe religion has a place in the modern world as long as we make a place and make time for it because religion is always welcomed in my heart.
ReplyDeleteIt is true that people may use religion for console rather than morals. I don't find that right though. That isn't what I feel religion is meant for. It's like living your life with no regard for religion and suddenly praying for salvation when you're nearing death. It's like when Mr. Bauer said that we tend to only call upon Jesus in times of need and completely reject him ordinarily. Religion's purpose isn't necessarily just to "cheer people up" when they're down and gloomy unless that person themselves makes it that way. I think Steven is right when he says that people use religion for the sole purpose of salvation and assistance but I feel that those people aren't truly utilizing what religion's purpose is. People who go to church most of the times have NO regard whatsoever for what is going on which is why I don't find church necessary. If you are not going to take church as a time to reflect, THEN DON'T GO TO CHURCH. Whenever I do go to church, I look around and notice how almost everyone is whispering to the person next to them or doing something else while entirely disregarding the mass itself. It angers me.
ReplyDeleteTrue religion is within every person and is a matter of personal discovery and realization. If someone sits in front of a crowd preaching what they feel is right, it's not going to touch anybody unless they allow it to themselves. This is because each human has different opinions and a large religion of specific beliefs cannot apply to everyone.
We are born into a world where religions are put in front of our face and we are expected to pick one; or in most cases we don't even willingly choose it, our relatives do. But do they truly believe it or did they just inherit their beliefs from their parents? I'm sure they know took it into account, but if they don't find their own stand on faith then they should. We need to think for ourselves. If every person thought for themselves, we would would have far more religions than we do today. But of course, that's not the case and we all just believe what our elders tell us to. I think we need to use religion as a PERSONAL MORAL BUILDER to help spur harmony and peace in this hectic world rather than use religion as an AFTER-LIFE GUARANTEE.
People who follow religion without truly taking the simple effort of just considering their lives and morals need to reevaluate themselves.
SCIENCE IS NOT CONFLICTING WITH RELIGION NOR SHOULD IT. Science is great and is our interpretation of the universe as I said in my previous post. However, science does not answer whether a religion is "real" or not. It's purpose is to define and discovery the universe. We as humans are just ignorant beings deceived into thinking that we are somewhat intelligent due to the fact that we share a common tongue which we can converse with and discuss life using science and math, which we assume we know everything to when the truth is we don't know it all and we need to realize how to live this life in a way that will benefit the world. That's where religion comes in.
Honestly, I agree completely with Steve P, expect about the elderly thing. I don't think there is a place for religion in the modern world, because we are such an evolved community that we only look for scientific answers. Many elderly people are into the whole religion business, because they didn’t have the technology like we do, so they needed something to believe in. I personally don't believe in God, because I see all the crime in world and I think if there was a god out there wouldn't he try to at least stop the violence? And yeah you might argue that God gave us free will, but he is just basically letting the human race go up in flames with the natural disasters, the wars and all other violence. Also another reason why I don't believe in God is, because all the bad things happen to the good people and I don't understand why. I'm not saying bad things should happen only to the bad people, but it should be a fair trade. You could also say that life is testing you to become stronger, but there's a point when you just want to stop trying and start questioning life. I do, however believe there's a higher being out there someone whose controlling our every actions and I also agree with Caitlin when she say that we're living in purgatory, because our actions now decide who we're going to be when we grow older and that decides whether we go to heaven or hell, if those places exist. If I were to create my own religion, it wouldn’t really be considered a religion, because the main "philosophy" would be to have hope, that something good will happen to you and the bad energy would stay away. Jimi Hendrix once said, that "When the power of love overcomes the love of power... The world will know peace." And I think if everyone live by that philosophy we would be living in a better world.
ReplyDeleteI truly believe that we don't necessarily need religion in the modern world, because just like what Justin mentioned, we have TOO much stress in our society and religion can add on to that. I'm not saying that I'm not a believer in faith, but do you know how much more of a peaceful world it could be without people arguing what is real or not, or what really happened in the past? Millions have died trying to defend their faith, and they're are still many debates today. It's a good thing to have different religions in the world today, because people with different ideas actually make the world go around.
ReplyDeleteEven though our modern world is filled with religions, I think we all just need a moral code to follow. If everyone was more peaceful towards each other, and followed proper etiquette, then a lot of today's problems would be solved.
If I were to "come up" with a religion, it would be a mixture of Christianity and Taoism, like what Victoria said, but it can also be a mixture of other religions just so religious wars can stop. I don't know how that could be possible, but I guess it would be more of a moral religion than a religion based on a God and what you have to do in order to achieve greatness in the after life.
Victoria... geez.. I'm sorry I made you remember that and i do see how you consider that a miracle. I respect that you're able to look back at that experience and feel at ease. haha. i admire that :]
ReplyDeleteMeagan, I actually agree with you (and since you agree with Justin i guess I agree with him too xD) that religion would add on stress, and how if you were to make a religion it would be more of a "moral religion"
ReplyDeleteSo Steven... I guess I'm one of the elderly? Actually, I don't believe because I fear death... and my faith was established before I got OLD. I do have a free choice to follow Jesus and the example he set for all people to follow. I believe that to follow Jesus is a noble cause regardless of whether there is an afterlife or not. I do have both a simple faith and a logical faith. I believe that humanity is so radically set apart from the rest of creation that it can not be a simple mistake of evolution. Does something come from nothing? I believe that spiritual energy does exist and love is the by-product of that form of energy. Can you prove love? No, but we all "know" it exists. Without love, a spirit that can't be proven to exist, our world and lives would be empty. The entire direction of evolution has been to allow humanity to exist, just the slightest change in the earth's orbit would end it. The complexity of the human brain has the capacity to understand and practice empathy, something that is so selfless that it defies many laws of Godless evolution.
ReplyDeleteWould you really want a world void of spiritual values? If the material world is the root of our existence, why do so many rich people commit suicide? Why are so many rich people unhappy? Why have so many people turned to drugs?
I toatlly agree with Justin *HUGS* he has such a good point about how religion fits into the modern world. Steve P. religion is not just telling old people what they want to hear! lol I think that even though they may be old they are wise they were just brought up on the concept of Jesus and God and all that GOOD stuff. I believe that they are correct. There is not always going to be an explaination for everything. How did people come about, how did plants and such start to grow, how did outer space get created. And for these ?'s we look to the bible where everything is pretty much explained. no offence <3
ReplyDeleteThank you Mr. Bauer you proved my point exactly!!!!!!! I consider my-self a locial faithful Catholic.
ReplyDeleteSteven N, I totally agree with you. Science SHOULD NOT, and NEVER SHOULD be associated with religion.
ReplyDeleteThey are two totally different things. Science can prove a lot, but science and math can't prove all.
I guess I'll pick up where Steven N left off.
Religion is a matter of faith, and I don't think you can prove faith, no matter how many calculations you do, or how much evidence you will find. This is cliche and it's almost stupid to say, but I'll do it anyway; it is all in the heart and mind.
There are some things that can not be proven, but people try to break and mend their minds thinking they can, but truth is, you really can't. I don't think we were "designed" that way, or maybe I just don't like to think that we are.
Why would you waste your whole life thinking about how it all started, when you should actually be living it, be thankful that you are still alive today. God bless us for our minds and for people who try to think outside the box but there is a limit to human knowledge.
If any scientist can prove to me scientifically, that anything from the Christianity faith is false, then I will kiss the ground they walk on...but I would probably cut off my own ear before I have to hear anything you have to say about my faith and religion.
Amen.
Tom said...
ReplyDeleteI disagree with the last three posts and I believe that there is a place for religion in the modern world. No, I am not blind and I know there are people that disregard going to church, but obviously there is a large faith community in this world thus there is in fact a place for religion in the modern world. Even though I believe Kyle or John said How many people really want to go to church? I've come to realize that you do not need to go to church every week to have faith. I don't believe in a God thats going to condemn you for that and for a matter of fact i've come to realize that God is not our puppet master in that he controls things on this world. Right now in my faith I'm disregarding the events of the old testement not primarily because i dont believe in them, more because if they even aren't true, it really doesn't shake my faith. At the end of the day, I just truly believe in Jesus' message especially regarding peace and love because we all know the world would be a better place if everyone followed it and that I've always felt a prescense with God. But this is all what my present faith or belief is, minus the skeptical side that I have against religion and afterlife that will probably change again. To get back on topic, what Kyle said about not having the time to go to church, I don't agree with that cause what else are you doing Sunday morning or any day during the rest of the week when masses are available? But that is besides my point because a person can still have faith even if they do not go to church. If I had to create my own religion I would try to make it more rational and less primitive than the religions we learned about this year. In it I would like to stress the concept of meditating but not in the sense of sitting in a tranquil environment in a certain position but more like reflecting on the world and other aspects of life, which can be argued more as deep thinking and questioning. Also, because I think Jesus was great I would put in the concept of loving anyone even your neighbors and being peaceful. Jimi Hendrix said, "when the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." That quote really sums up what I think and it may almost be impossible for everyone in the world to understand it. A thought i once had was that maybe Jesus will come back to world when everyone has truly followed and went through with his message. My religion would not have any sacraments and really would be forward with its message that at the end of the day we all need someone to talk to and that is God
Moreover, competition itself also plays a role in the fading hand of religion as nations develop and also become aware of circumstances and the reality today, such as our resources, economy, standard of living, medicine, industry, business, and above all the universal scientific organizations that are responsible for our progress today. Also,this is responsible for the continuing decline on religious texts as more discoveries in turn lead to more questioning as seen in historical development and as a result a shift of the generations' gradual belief as the old fade in response to the 'new'. Contemporary and ironic proof can be found within the very continent that was responsible for the religious persecution and imposition for centuries, Europe, which, today, is now completely secularized as a society that was the origin of the catholic faith, which can be contributed toward the inevitable process of industrialism and realization, since it was in fact the starting point of the modern world in industrial leadership and with a solid secular doctrine even in government, unlike the U.S.A.'s "God Bless America." Unfortunately, the progress of the U.S.A. and other third-world nations will also develop into a rational and scientific soceity as the industrial cycle's result found within Europe today, and possibly may be realized under the new contemporary age of religious extremism, which in turn, may reinforce rational evolution as in Europe, and possibly represent the ulimate Kholberg Stage of morality based on fact(science) and experience (war) rather than faith.
ReplyDeleteDespite the reality, there will always be those who stay true to religion and possibly remain intact as it addresses the process of modernization, but most will most probably die off, due to an apathetic audience. However, this may in turn reflect a shift toward an individualized religion where the individual perceives their own interpretation of faith and intuitive commune, refelcting the ironic revival of the persecuted 'spirtualist' faction after the religious wars. Thus, living, appreciation, happiness, community service, and self-consolement on their own aspect of "heaven" can be found within today's society of defining religion on a sole personal authority, thus completely modernized in terms of toleration, but radical to the present hierarchy in most religious factions, which internally struggle to change. Thus, I believe the religion I would create would have to be solely my own, since everyone is entitled to their own opinion and interpretation due to extensive knowledge at hand and with a society of self-expression. Also,each opinion would make it unrealistic for a religion to be possible to thrive today as a new society of a mixture of cultures and doctrines parallel to modern fact, due to inevitable criticisms, and thus leaves me with this conclusion:The best religion to create is one that we solely express and live up to with self-sufficiency and self-reasoning, in order to guarantee a personalized foundation of faith and preclude bias regards towards other 'factions,' since factions won't be present, but the opinion of your own standing point.
-John Sanchez
From Justin
ReplyDeleteJustin said...
Q: Is there a place for religion in the modern world?
A: OF COURSE. There would be no practices of Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, etc. Although, "practicing" a religion (EX: going to church) does not mean that you don't have faith in a religion, and/or still practicing it. Tom Di Paola and I were talking about this and religion does not mean going to church. Religion is definitely based on faith and beliefs. Like Steven N said, science will never fully answer the questions that religion is trying to. I have a lot of faith in Christianity and I am proud to say it; I love it in fact.
Q: What would your religion look like?
A: My religion would probably be a mix of Christianity, Confucianism, and Taoism, although Confucianism and Taoism isn't really a "religion."
I say this because I believe in God 100% and I do believe that he is the creator of this whole world. Love is basically the key word in Christianity; God loves. If people would just learn to love more and be accepting, but we know it will never happen, which brings me to Confucianism.
Let's face it, humanity sucks. All of us get fed up with the people in our lives, because we want them to be the "perfect" people in our lives who will never let us fall. We create in our minds of the picture perfect kind of people who is always caring, fun, and genuine; if you don't, then I do. Confucius tried to establish how humans will act, and tried to show how to be the "perfect human." No one will ever get it right. As depressing as that sounds, it is very true. I guess it's the philosophy of writing words that describe how other people are feeling makes me want a "religion" like Confucianism. "Be human" is the core of Confucianism, or at least for Jen. To be human is very hard to define; some things are better left alone. As I said before, people get fed up with other people (ironically) and that brings me to my next point, Taoism.
Stresssssssssss, I'm stressing right now because I have to do west civ and french after I'm done with this, and Facebook isn't helping much. People get stressed, a lot of times we get over-stressed. The cause of stress is desire and want, in my opinion of course. Others will say technology, but the need to "want" technology, and the "need" to talk to people is always there. People should really learn to deal with stress, but I shouldn't be one to talk, I'm just saying it's a good idea and concept to think about. People wish (or I wish) that life could be a little softer to me sometimes, just because I'm feeling so stressed. Other people are stressed or fed up with other things though, such as being human.
Let me elaborate, I know many people who wish that they were someone else, or they could "fix" their bodies. Shut up. The whole idea of being beautiful, and "perfect" is destroying people and their lives; it's vanity we prize.
I would just like a religion that deals with love and peace, yet with lessons not to becoming the perfect human, but to just be human. Also to not to be stressed over materials and people that most likely won't mean anything to you when this life is over.
Love, humane, serenity.
Justin, I basically agree with everything you said, but when you said "If any scientist can prove to me scientifically, that anything from the Christianity faith is false..." that's what threw me off. You're right but here's the thing, it's not about whether its right or wrong because the ideals stay the same.
ReplyDeleteLets just say modern day scientists just realized something terribly drastic, such as Jesus being a fake. I would not stop being a Christian. Why? Because the lesson I've learned from the religion itself are what really matters. Someone try and stare me in the face and say that Jesus' concepts were harmful to humanity. They weren't. Religion is about improving humanity and bettering mankind to work for peace. No one can type some numbers into their calculators and find the answer to HOW we should lives our lives, and this is what religion provides.
Science- helps us discover our universe physically
Religion- helps us live our lives properly and with courage
Do I believe in God? Yes, but not as a man sitting on a throne somewhere in the clouds. I believe in God as the most powerful thing which without, humanity would seize to exist. What is God?
EVEN IF ONE SAYS GOD IS FAKE, think about the amount of chaos the world would be in without it. So what exactly proves God as fake? Does God have to be sitting somewhere in space in order to prove that they is real? NOOOO! EVEN IF GOD IS SIMPLY AN ABSTRACT THOUGHT, it is still the most powerful abstract thought which influences all of humanity in one way or another, whether it be in the idea of God, or Brahman or whatever. GOD has kept humans from nuking each other to death.
I honestly think there will always be place for religion because most people need something to believe in to get through life. Knowing that when you die absolutely nothing happens is such a nauseating concept to me, I can just start feeling sick when I really think about it. I need to know that something will definitely happen after death and I think that’s where my faith comes in. I realize I do use religion and my faith for the main purpose of security but I think in time my faith will grow stronger. My religion would resemble Buddhism a lot more because when we studied Buddhism I actually understood what was going on because I agreed with almost everything Buddha believed in. Buddhism believes in Reincarnation, so believing that something will happen after death definitely reassures me. My religion would also be really similar to Buddhism because of how blunt it is. That religion doesn’t sugarcoat anything and just tells people that yes, people suffer, people desire therefore suffer, and that people are happy, but eventually something will happen that’ll make that happiness stop. But then I’d add a little bit of Christianity in it because instead of believing in Nirvana, I’d rather believe in Heaven. Although Nirvana is like Buddhism’s version of heaven, I see it to be different. Books explain Nirvana to be a place where suffering stops and you’re brought to absolute peace, although in Christian text Heaven is essentially the same thing, when I think of Nirvana I think of, nothing. Buddhists believe they’ll keep being reborn, reach Enlightment and enter Nirvana; Nirvana seems to me like your journey of having any other types of life is done, a person apparently has no spirit in Buddhism so what happens in Nirvana, seems like nothing happens. My vision of heaven is a world of peace and no stress. I have a pretty childish view of Heaven in my head, and I would like to think that when I die I can go to heaven and something similar to that vision will come true, which is why I try to be religious. So all in all, my religion would have a little bit of Buddhism’s realistic views and Christianity’s views of the afterlife.
ReplyDeleteLMAO. Steven I love you.
ReplyDeleteI agree, but I guess I am just sensitive about my faith.
I agree that God does keep order, even if He is not here, in the sense of human eyes.
Science does help us discover our universe physically, but I think religion helps us more than just our lives properly and with courage.
Sure the Ten Commandments is basically the set rules of how God wants us to be, but do you honestly think someone will follow every single rule? hell nooooo! we sin every day.
But, back to my point, religion does give me courage, and God is also there when I feel alone and discorded.
I honestly pray when I am scared, and feel like I need guidance and help in my life.
Religion helps us live our lives properly and with courage, but I also think that it is more than just an idea, or a principle, it's something indescribable that everyone should hold on to dearly.
I agree with what John Sanchez said. Religion needs to be more individualistic and less group-focused. Not everyone has the same concepts. Whatever helps yourself improve morals and live a good life is really what matters. You shouldn't just sit in church and hope to score extra points with the "big guy" once your time has come, like Steven said. We need to improve our own morals, and in turn we can all improve the overall population.
ReplyDeleteYOU'RE MISSING THE POINT!!! I'm not saying that It's only made for the old people! It's just that the concept of heaven makes it much easier to people to accept death. Not trying to offend anyone. Also, I'm not saying that religion is ONLY about heaven; religion is also filled to the brim with good morals and a good guideline for living.
ReplyDeleteAnd no Mr B, I do not consider you old; sorry if I offended you! And the concept of love, you say? Well i can point you to an article that would explain the whole concept of love, it makes sense; after all, we ARE animals, (you'll see what i mean)
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1704672,00.html
Page 3 of the article probably has the best and most convincing information
In short, it basically says that "love" is the sole impetus for human reproduction. Animals feel essentially the same sensation humans do; this sensation isn't exclusively for humans. This sensation known as "love" makes it easy and meaningful for animals to reproduce; which is the sole purpose for living, it's an innate instinct to reproduce. "Then what about the love a parent feels for their child?" That is also "love" by our definition, but it is controlled by very different hormones; that's the reason this maternal spirit within us is different from the reproductive "love." Just like a word can have multiple meanings, "love" can have two definitions in the form of two relationships. parent-child and mate-mate.
I will try to directly answer your questions, Mr. B.
"(1) Would you really want a world void of spiritual values? (2) If the material world is the root of our existence, why do so many rich people commit suicide? (3) Why are so many rich people unhappy? (4) Why have so many people turned to drugs?"
Question 1: I feel this is a rhetorical question, because I wouldn't know what a "world void of spiritual values" would turn out. However, if I had a choice I would choose the world I know and love, full of spiritual values; not only because of the fact that it is the only world i know, but also because it is very probable that the world would be a much more dangerous place to live in. Many people throughout the world are held within ethical boundaries because their religion has constrained/ suppressed their innate human nature (greed, lust, gluttony, selfishness.)
Question 2: One word: society. I believe that the reason many rich people commit suicide is because of the fact that so much pressure is put on them. Our society teaches us that money and power are the best things that could be attained in this world; so when someone has money (power comes hand-in-hand with money) people are naturally envious of that person. It's society that's taught us that money is everything, it's society that's molded us into the person we are today, and it is society that can dissemble us. The way I see it, It's not the people who kill themselves, it's society that's killed them.
Question 3: I think that many rich people are unhappy because of the fact that they are unable to have meaningful relationships with people. Companionship is one of the few things humans both need and desire. This loneliness makes a person believe that they are inferior to others, and when they turn to their spouse or companion for support only to realize that they are unable to help them. Rich people tend to be superficial and shallow, not allowing themselves to become attached to others, this ultimately leads to their own demise, which is actually very sad.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 4: I believe I answered this question sufficiently in my answer to question 2. People who take drugs feel that society has alienated them so much that their only happiness can come from drugs. Although this isn't the best way to cope with this problem it is understandable as to why they do drugs.
Sorry if you took my previous post the wrong way Mr. B. I didn't intend it to sound the way it might have sounded.
I believe I have answered your questions sufficiently.
God is real and God helps everyone one of us. Just like Mr. Bauer said, love is real but can scientists actually prove its existence? Not really.
ReplyDeleteOf course, some one like you, Steven P, may argue that its a human process, and hormones, and this and that, and blah-blah-blah. Just hold on a second though. Is that all it is? Proving something in the human lingo is basically stating words to define other words, which are defined by other words. Can we go beyond that please? It just depends on a person's level of satisfaction with the answer given.
It's like when a kid's young and they whine "Where are we going?" in the car with their moms. Then the mom responds "To your uncle's house." The kid then responds "Why?" Mom says "Because we're visiting."
"Why?"
"Because it's his birthday."
"Why?"
etc...
This is basically what science does. It gets humans to the point where they stop saying "Why?" and just accept it. For example, why is Planck's constant 6.63x10^-34? Isn't that random within itself? We can go on and on without explanations that require more explanations.
The human language fails to truly state or explain the real meanings of life. I think that religion helps us find the true meaning of life within ourselves, because we can't tell each other it. Every person needs to find it on their own and it is far from being interpretable by physical language. It takes oneself, as I previously said. Science is humanity's best attempt at explaining the functions of life.
I worded Question 1 badly, allow me to clarify
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1: I feel this is a rhetorical question, because I wouldn't know what a "world void of spiritual values" would turn out to be. However, if I had a choice I would choose the world I know and love, full of spiritual values; not only because of the fact that it is the only world i know, but also because it is very probable that the world would be a much more dangerous place to live in if it didn't have spiritual values. Many people throughout the world are held within ethical boundaries because their religion has constrained/ suppressed their innate human nature (greed, lust, gluttony, selfishness.)
On a side-note, yeaa... i worded my first post pretty bad. I meant that because you, Mr. Bauer, had said something that I expected most RELIGIOUS people to say (not just old people) it strengthened my original hypothesis. That is all. I regret that I chose those words to articulate what I was thinking, I hope this clarifies my thoughts.
I agree with you 100% Steven N.
ReplyDeleteLet's just put that life is full of questions that will never be answered, but that's the mystery of life, isn't it?
Oh and about the whole love thing...
"Do everything in love." 1 Corinthians 16:14.
although, like Mr. Bauer and what you said, love most likely can't/won't be proven, and some people chose to believe in it or not, but I think everyone should do everything in love. People just need to believe.
Spread love like violence.
Steven, although you're point is completely valid, you are also contradicting yourself, probably without even knowing it. It is human nature to seek answers to questions that have mystified them. Whichever way they CHOOSE to answer their question is solely their decision. One person might say their faith is their answer, one person might say that science has proven so-and-so, and one person might say something completely absurd. You even said it yourself, science is the art of getting someone to stop asking "Why?" and reach a conclusion; however, some people might choose to say that their faith is their answer; and who are we to change what they think?
ReplyDeleteI said what I said because I genuinely believed in my words; however, I also said that my thoughts were only a "theory." If I, the creator of this theory, acknowledge that it is only a theory then that means I acknowledged that it is not perfect. That in and of itself is the mark of a true scientist.
Please don't misunderstand what I've said. I'm not proposing an antithesis to your statement, Steven. In fact, to some extent I AGREE with your statement; however, I am still entitled to the right of free thought.
personally, i think religion causes major conflict in our world today. for example situations in the middle east are focused around religion. for some i think life would be a lot easier without religion. however, for others i think religion is a necessity. if i were to create my own religion it would be a blend of multiple religions. like in hinduism, people would be able to worship their own image of the god as long as it was still the same god. i think this would make it a lot easier for people to grasp the concept of having an "almighty being". i would also borrow some strands of taoism like caitlin. many people feel as if they do not have time for religion today, but if they slowed down for once and removed themselves from their everyday chaos, they might find peace and tranquillity. also, my religion would also have a tremendous amount of respect for our elderly. today in america, we ship our grandparents off to nursing homes and almost forget they even exist! if we were to actually talk to them and learn from their wisdom i think we would have a better understanding of life. for example, in western civ we talked about talking to veterans about their experiences in war and what it was like. we cannot fully understand something that we haven't lived through. i think my generation takes a lot of things for granted but if we talked to our elders we would be a lot more thankful for what we have. My religion would not be based on material goods and money like scientology. Hopefully my followers would somewhat resemble christians by donating small sums of money at church.
ReplyDeleteI think there is place for religion in the modern world , but like cait said we would have to slow down a little and make time for it. If i had a my own modern religion, to understand a supreme being a person would have to find spiritual peace with themselves and with nature first. After they found peace with themselves they would have to be in peace with their community and the people around them.After one has achieved peace with nature themselves and the people around them could they come in contact or even understand the truth of a supreme being.
ReplyDeleteI believe that a new religion can exist in the modern world. With so many ideas and "spiritual encounters" people get nowadays the only thing left to do is to find ways to spread your belief around and gain supporters. One can get brutally criticized for creating a new religion and might even be recognized as a cult. But religion has always been based around faith and that's what different followers of different religions thrive on. Either life after earth, salvation, liberation of wrong doings etc. Yes people will criticize you but hasn't every religion been ridiculed? There will always be at least one person who will believe you and just with that one person you can expand drastically. If I could create a religion it would have to be a mixture of Christianity, Islam, Taoism, and Buddhism. I like in Christianity that I can be comfortable in my everyday life that a stronger entity is everywhere watching over us and can be another person who you can talk to. In Islam, I like that all the followers can be devoted to take a yearly pilgrimage for their devotion to the religion example: the Hajj. In Taoism, wu-wei is basically important considering our world today with everyone rushing to get to "A" to "B." In Buddhism, trying to reach nirvana and liberation from bad temptations is key to a better future. At the end of the day, as long as a religion can affect people's lives positively than negatively, then there isn't a problem.
ReplyDeleteOkay, Mr. Scientist :P, I never denied your "theory". I don't think I'm contradicting myself because my post basically set out to say that there is different levels of satisfaction. You essentially restated what I said, just in different words. That's basically exactly what I'm talking about. People use different explanations to generally explain the same thing. It basically results in an utter a mush of various "big words" which attempt to tell me what life is about. I wasn't disagreeing with you and sorry if I made it seem that way.
ReplyDeleteI love science, and there's nothing wrong with it. Science is where we try and define the undefined and also better-define the already defined, like I said above.
Mike, you got a good point. I was focusing a lot on the good aspects of what God has caused, but I totally disregarded the violence religion is causing in some parts of the world. That is the type of religion which I disagree with, like I said in my first post:
"Furthermore, a religion should be tolerable of other religions and all people, because in my opinion, it is ignorant to assume that only a minority of the world's population are "the chosen people". Regardless of who your god is, I'm pretty sure that all humans are included in the purpose of life."
Maybe I misread your post, but the way I read it that's what was conveyed. Ugh... these late nights must be taking a toll.
ReplyDeletehmm... Mike i liked how you said "if i were to create my own religion it would be a blend of multiple religions. like in hinduism, people would be able to worship their own image of the god as long as it was still the same god. i think this would make it a lot easier for people to grasp the concept of having an 'almighty being' "
I never even considered this aspect of hinduism when I was making my post... If i remembered it i might've included it
Modernization has revolved around every aspect of life. Society has achieved increased literacy and education, enhanced technologies, self-sustaining economies, greater national unity, and broader participation in politics and government. These ongoing changes affect religion everywhere. As the focus on national interests grows, the traditional authority of religious institutions slowly fade away. But I believe there can still be a place for religion.
ReplyDeleteFor some people, religion is a way for them to believe and gain hope. Without it, those people will loose faith and become hopeless. Religion acquires a deep conviction of the validity of religious beliefs and practices. Even though modernization is affecting our faith, we can still find a way to apply it. Enhanced technology and education allow people to access sacred texts and religious teachings. No matter how much society modernizes, our religion should remain the same. It just depends on how committed one is to their religion.
I completely agree with Justin. If I were to create my own religion, it would definitively include Taoism and Christianity. I'm sure everyone of us agrees that we are all stressed. Taoism places special emphasis on balancing and nurturing all aspects of the universe. The primary virtue of Taoism is wu-wei, or "actionless activity". By applying wu-wei in our lives, we can avoid the yang tendency to act, embrace yin passive, the weak, and the more effective. To practice wu-wei is to be so perfectly in harmony with nature that its energy infuses and empowers one. Students, for example, are more stressed at school than at home because of all the work they are bombarded with. This results into stress. But why can't we just stop and take a break? We can't. Students are obliged to finish their work or else they won't receive a good education. If we practice more "nonaction", I think society would feel less stressed and more liberated. Christianity would be included in my "make-believe" religion because, well, I'm a committed Christian and believe in God the most. I think that anyone who would create their own religion would include something they truly have faith in.
Oh and Victoria: I'm sorry to hear about your grandfather ): But I'm sure he's resting happily in peace up in heaven :)
As for Mr. Bauer's questions: Today, materialism is so pervasive that it is easy to regard it as acceptable, even desirable. People have begun to embrace materialism, the perspective that private ownership of goods and wealth is a good in itself. I think the rich and famous aren't happy for what they have because having enough, is too much. Owning material things other people desire result into jealously and hatred. To end their suffering, most rich people turn to their only source of comfort: drugs. It's just too overwhelming for them. Fame and fortune sure can make someone happy, but having too much of it is like an overdose of pills that can kill you instantly.
To be blatantly honest with you, I don’t think that there is much room for religion in the modern world. Unfortunately, the amount of people that worship religion has went down drastically. It seems like people are starting to lose all of their faith and devote more time towards themselves and entertainment. I truthfully don’t know what my religion would look like if I had one. I do know that my religion would completely focus on relaxation and tranquility. There would be no amount of stress associated with my religion. I probably wouldn’t have a God, because I think that it would be too stressful to worship and devote all of my time to a single being. I would want my followers to be as relaxed and comfortable as possible, because stress is what causes violence and wars to occur. It also wouldn’t have an afterlife, because I wouldn’t want my people to stress out their whole lives just to live according to standards that would allow them into heaven. It would probably have some sort of cycle of life like that of samsara. Anyway, my religion would be excellent because it promotes a easygoing harmonious way of life.
ReplyDeleteGreat Discussion Class!
ReplyDelete