When someone has strong faith in something, why would he even think about the word “religion”? I mean one can’t declare he’s Christian if he thinks money drives the world around. BTW, in Christianity, even “faith” is a gift from God.
[quote=“Boss Hogg”]I like the article but who says “you can’t have inflatable people”.
Sandman, you have one stashed under your bed don’t you? 
[/quote]
I can’t believe that an erudite organ such as the Sun failed to make a reference to blow-up dolls in response to that priest’s glaringly obvious straight-man line!
Buy the Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell, read it, and then you will be enlightened. I kid you not.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0385418868/qid=1052995309/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/102-1199773-2562509?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
[quote=“the wolfguy”]
Buy the Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell, read it, and then you will be enlightened. I kid you not.[/quote]
I concur.
Campbell’s writings are not to be taken lightly, neither his influence on those who read him.
I was fortunate enough to watch his six-part interview with Bill Moyers on PBS.
Voltaire has always summed it up for me.
Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk! 
You said “organ”!
My views on religion and spirituality are: Spirituality, OK. Religion - I don’t believe in any of it. How does that influence my life? It allows me to be skeptical and to constantly question and test my own beliefs.
I think that religion is more than just faith. As someone mentioned, you can have faith in many things - including yourself. To me, religions more often than not call for putting your faith in someone or something else. And its something you believe to be more powerful than you are.
It is this aspect that draws the most criticism.
Morality and religion are therefore totally distinct. You can be moral and irreligious at the same time. Religion, however, does allow a few people to control the actions of many others (through their faith in something more powerful.) in that sense, it can be a useful tool to impose morality - and the clerics get to interpret what is moral behaviour.
The problem with a lot of religions is that they do not allow for much flexibility in what is regarded as moral behaviour. where religion is separate from the state, morality does not have the force of law and people can choose to live according to their own view of morality. Where religion is the state, regimes tend to be very strict in laws governing personal behaviour.
Not all religions are like this - but I think most are. A Christian state would, I believe, be every bit as loathsome as an Islamic one.
someone touched on Iraq - I believe that you have to keep these Shiite clerics from trying to impose an Islamic state - but more importantly, I do not believe that a majority of Iraqis should be allowed to “vote in” an Islamic state. Democracy is about choosing leaders not imposing your moral values on other people. There must be some absolute limitations imposed on the power of the majority.
“The West” has achieved a better separation of state and government than most places. I think Asia has for the most part, succeeded, too (except the Muslim-influenced regimes). this I put down to the characteristics of Buddhism, which seems far more tolerant of differing views than many other religions. (I am reminded of a quote from, I think, a Mishima novel, where a Buddhist monk criticises Jesus by pointing out that Jesus said “I am the way” not a way - the way.) does this separation make “the West” superior?
Of course it does - no question about it.
I believe in individual freedom and the responsibility that comes with it. I think that whether or not you believe that religion is a good thing (i.e., that people’s moral behaviour needs to be heavily controlled) depends on whether or not you believe people are basically good or basically bad. I believe they are basically good. my catholic friends assure me that the basis of their religion is guilt.
the thing is - if you believe that people are generally bad and only religion can cure them, then you have a reason to convert (or kill) those
who don’t believe. You also are likely to believe that only your religion is the right way to make bad people good. So, that is why all these 'religious" people kill with so much fervour.
if you want a quick sentence as to why I am not religious it is this:
“People are inherently bad,” is a horrible premise upon which to base any community.
Two thought provoking essays by James Q. Wilson, professor emeritus of management and public policy at UCLA.
Second article makes a point about confucianism which I had missed - though I think its less strong than the religion point. Overall, I like the last paragraph. He says it very better than wot I did
also, I like the views of hayek on the spontaneous creation of moral order - forget the name of the paper… Rational Morality or something. Its in the book “The Fatal Conceit” which is a great piece of Socialism-bashing.
ok - Difference between religion and faith?
Any takers?
Personally religion makes me sick
I wonder if people become more religious as they get older. Seems that many religions like Hinduism actually have stages where people become ascetics and wander about during certain ages (when they are older).
Also, I think that while we can certainly criticize many religions and religious people for their actions, the true philsophy and morality underlying many of the established religions are key to structuring one’s morality.
When people are young, I think they often believe that they are invincible or do not need religion, but as they grow older and ask more questions, they realize that some great minds have already pondered over many of the questions that they are facing and have thought them out to a far greater degree thus providing a code, approach, answer to some of the difficult questions that may pop up.
Anyone?
When you get older you ponder about religion as you ponder on the reality of death. It is one thing to be certain of, we will all die.
[quote=“Boss Hogg”]ok - Difference between religion and faith?
Any takers?
Personally religion makes me sick[/quote]
Well, I gave my opinion in a previous post but i think you have found an elegant way to tell the difference. If a steadfast, unquestioning belief in something or someone makes you sick - then its probably a religion.
As for people getting more religious as they get older. i see your point but disagree. Let me modify what you said. In their old age, I think people are more cynical about religion but maybe more spiritual. I think the reason for this is that as we age we come to accept certain things without questioning them as closely as we used to. We don’t want to continually question why something is - it just is that way and always has been and we become to tired to question it any more.
That leads to sloppy thinking and of course, its sister-in-sloth, spirituality.
The only thing that prevents our keen young scientific minds from degenrating all the way back into into blunt old religious ones is the healthy dose of skepticism that we picked up on the way… older people may not question as much but they are no fools either.
Religion is a set of rules, formula’s, and beliefs to follow.
Faith is based on a relationship.
[quote=“Boss Hogg”]Religion is a set of rules, formula’s, and beliefs to follow.
Faith is based on a relationship.[/quote]
Ditto!
Faith: unreasoned belief
Religion may or may not be based on any kind of belief. (Gnostics and Matrix fans would say salvation is based on a certain kind of knowledge or wisdom. Other religions emphasize behavior or group membership over belief.)
