Should there be broad-based religious teachings?

Mr. Ed

Mr. Ed

Be what you is not what you what you ain’t
Location
Central NY
It seems nowadays outside religious practices and teaching have already impacted much of the world population. The bible states to go out and teach the nations, I have trouble with spreading the good news to people who are completely content with life as they know it to be. Not for the sake of education but the notion of changing heritage and beliefs so they may be as I am.

Are we so vain that we must transform well-adjusted native inhabitants to our likeness so they may be happy living as we live? The irony of it all though is we discriminate against foreigners in their own land, because they are not like us. Soon there is tension between the home team and the visiting team, we bring in sophisticated firepower and the uneven balance is restored to our liking.
 

I find it ironic that religion, due to its discussion causing fights, is usually not supposed to be discussed in forums and in polite company. That seems quite the opposite of the message taught by at least some of the religions involved.

Just my personal opinion...what, to me, seems to be at least a part of this friction is people confusing fact and faith. One can argue facts by showing proof. One cannot argue faith because it is belief in unseen things, and proof is not required nor offered. There is nothing wrong with either facts or faith, but confusing the two does seem cause more than its share of problems.

I honestly don't understand human nature well enough to know why it seems so necessary to force others to conform to our belief system and ways of living.

Tony
 
I don’t personally think most of the friction is based on faith vs facts. In my perception it looks like even if people have faith, they don’t have faith from the correct resources. Faith is as personal as love. It’s not all the same nor should it be and if you have no faith whatsoever, that’s ok too. We are allowed to think & feel however we think & feel. It’s ALL ok.
That’s the beauty of being unique.
 
Keesha said:
I don’t personally think most of the friction is based on faith vs facts. In my perception it looks like even if people have faith, they don’t have faith from the correct resources. Faith is as personal as love. It’s not all the same nor should it be and if you have no faith whatsoever, that’s ok too. We are allowed to think & feel however we think & feel. It’s ALL ok.
That’s the beauty of being unique.
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I agree with most of what you said.

Please note that I said in my post: Just my personal opinion...what, to me, seems to be at least a part of this friction is people confusing fact and faith.

I didn't say "most of the friction is based on faith vs facts", as you stated in your post, and here I am stating what I said again and this time expanding a bit on it.

The reason I see at least a part (not all) of the friction involving confusion of faith and facts is that, in talking to people of specific faiths in my personal experience, they will often state beliefs as facts. Once that happens, things become "testy" because then there is often an angry, or at least strongly defensive, response if another person questions those stated "facts".

A person's beliefs ARE held "near and dear", and they often serve as a kind of anchor around which one's life can be built. I have seen the positive effects of this as people with a very strong faith seem able to deal with some of life's more severe ups and downs sometimes better than one without any kind of faith such as myself. This isn't always true, but I have seen it on a number of occasions.

To question what somebody holds near and dear is often asking for trouble, and that can be easily avoided by simply not getting involved in such discussion. Personally, I believe that a strong faith is a positive thing in one's life. For some reason, I just don't seem to be able to cultivate that in my own life though.

As for "shoulds", to me these things are much too personal for anyone to "should" on somebody else.

Tony
 
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I think one's religious beliefs, not matter how strongly heart felt, are one's opinions; and as such, are as valid as anyone else's. It doesn't matter how intensely one believes, or has faith, that one can coerce that same belief in others. I also think that the religious seek to have their personal opinions/beliefs supersede others' beliefs, because other faiths pose threats to their validity. If I believe X and you believe Y, then you are challenging my belief in X. I am an atheist, and it is my wish that all beliefs are accepted as personal opinions, each no better than the other.
 
Skyking said:
OP, IMO you are pushing your own brand of religion and stirring the pot with your statement. Let it be. Peace out!
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I'm really confused: I can't see how he's "pushing [his] own brand of religion" since he never mentions what his religion even is. Really not meaning to "stir the pot" here, honestly confused and wouldn't mind clarification if you'd be so kind; thanks. :unsure:
 
tbeltrans said:
Just my personal opinion...what, to me, seems to be at least a part of this friction is people confusing fact and faith. One can argue facts by showing proof. One cannot argue faith because it is belief in unseen things, and proof is not required nor offered. There is nothing wrong with either facts or faith, but confusing the two does seem cause more than its share of problems.
Tony
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It might just be your personal opinion but you have hit the metaphoric nail on the head. The Catholic Church does have much to answer for, I was brought up in the Catholic faith, a doctrine that once denounced critics as heretics, but with dramatic falling numbers the Catholic attitudes have significantly softened. So much so, that Pope Francis actually said that Martin Luther was right. He was referring to Luther's comment that the Catholic church must change. If I had said that back in the 1950's, my Catholic school would have, undoubtedly, expelled me.
 
Religion should absolutely be taught in schools. It's had an immense effect on society and the world, both positive–mostly in the realm of art and architecture–and negative when one considers all the wars that have been waged in the name of religion and all the suffering that has resulted from people trying to force their religious beliefs on others.
 
horseless carriage said:
It might just be your personal opinion but you have hit the metaphoric nail on the head. The Catholic Church does have much to answer for, I was brought up in the Catholic faith, a doctrine that once denounced critics as heretics, but with dramatic falling numbers the Catholic attitudes have significantly softened. So much so, that Pope Francis actually said that Martin Luther was right. He was referring to Luther's comment that the Catholic church must change. If I had said that back in the 1950's, my Catholic school would have, undoubtedly, expelled me.
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I was also brought up a Catholic and went to Catholic school for all but one year of 1st through the 8th grade. Only several years ago, one of my brothers looked into DNA and our family tree, and found out that we are really Jewish by birth, back at least 5 generations. It was apparently typical for Jewish people running from Hitler, to come here to New York and marry Catholics to hide. There are apparently millions of us across the country and many don't yet know of their heritage.

My brother is quite actively practicing as a Jew, while I don't practice any particular faith. He married a Jewish woman and was able to provide enough proof that their marriage was recognized in Israel by whatever group of people there does that kind of thing. So I guess that means we really ARE Jewish. Imagine that, not knowing your true heritage until much, much later in life and that much of what we were told about family was little more than "spin".

Tony
 
tbeltrans said:
I was also brought up a Catholic and went to Catholic school for all but one year of 1st through the 8th grade. Only several years ago, one of my brothers looked into DNA and our family tree, and found out that we are really Jewish by birth, back at least 5 generations. It was apparently typical for Jewish people running from Hitler, to come here to New York and marry Catholics to hide. There are apparently millions of us across the country and many don't yet know of their heritage.

My brother is quite actively practicing as a Jew, while I don't practice any particular faith. He married a Jewish woman and was able to provide enough proof that their marriage was recognized in Israel by whatever group of people there does that kind of thing. So I guess that means we really ARE Jewish. Imagine that, not knowing your true heritage until much, much later in life and that much of what we were told about family was little more than "spin".

Tony
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L'Chaim! (y)

My grandparents fled Lithuania in the '30s. Some of my relatives undoubtedly died in the Holocaust but I don't have any information on that. My grandfather on my mother's side died of alcoholism. I sometimes wonder if he couldn't handle the fact that some of the family couldn't get out while he did.
 
Irwin said:
L'Chaim! (y)

My grandparents fled Lithuania in the '30s. Some of my relatives undoubtedly died in the Holocaust but I don't have any information on that. My grandfather on my mother's side died of alcoholism. I sometimes wonder if he couldn't handle the fact that some of the family couldn't get out while he did.
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Survivor's Guilt.
 
tbeltrans said:
I was also brought up a Catholic and went to Catholic school for all but one year of 1st through the 8th grade. Only several years ago, one of my brothers looked into DNA and our family tree, and found out that we are really Jewish by birth, back at least 5 generations. It was apparently typical for Jewish people running from Hitler, to come here to New York and marry Catholics to hide. There are apparently millions of us across the country and many don't yet know of their heritage.

My brother is quite actively practicing as a Jew, while I don't practice any particular faith. He married a Jewish woman and was able to provide enough proof that their marriage was recognized in Israel by whatever group of people there does that kind of thing. So I guess that means we really ARE Jewish. Imagine that, not knowing your true heritage until much, much later in life and that much of what we were told about family was little more than "spin".

Tony
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Schneider is a German word for tailor, but it's also an Eastern European name, which leads me to understand that the name: Taylor, derives from the artisan who makes clothes, called a tailor, is most probably both Jewish and eastern European. Taylor is my surname, how often I have wondered if there's a Jewish connection.
 
Irwin said:
L'Chaim! (y)

My grandparents fled Lithuania in the '30s. Some of my relatives undoubtedly died in the Holocaust but I don't have any information on that. My grandfather on my mother's side died of alcoholism. I sometimes wonder if he couldn't handle the fact that some of the family couldn't get out while he did.
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When I found out the truth, I finally understood why we didn't have any of the relatives/extended family that everybody else seemed to have when growing up. I also understand why, to this day, my mother denies that we are Jewish.

Tony
 
tbeltrans said:
I was also brought up a Catholic and went to Catholic school for all but one year of 1st through the 8th grade. Only several years ago, one of my brothers looked into DNA and our family tree, and found out that we are really Jewish by birth, back at least 5 generations. It was apparently typical for Jewish people running from Hitler, to come here to New York and marry Catholics to hide. There are apparently millions of us across the country and many don't yet know of their heritage.

My brother is quite actively practicing as a Jew, while I don't practice any particular faith. He married a Jewish woman and was able to provide enough proof that their marriage was recognized in Israel by whatever group of people there does that kind of thing. So I guess that means we really ARE Jewish. Imagine that, not knowing your true heritage until much, much later in life and that much of what we were told about family was little more than "spin".

Tony
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We have a similar story, except only my brother’s son became Jewish again.
 
Irwin said:
Religion should absolutely be taught in schools. It's had an immense effect on society and the world, both positive–mostly in the realm of art and architecture–and negative when one considers all the wars that have been waged in the name of religion and all the suffering that has resulted from people trying to force their religious beliefs on others.
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I feel exactly the opposite and don’t think religion should be taught in school. Which religion? With today’s mixed culture, I think it would cause more problems than solutions.
 

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