Creativity of Belief: The question of belief is not what but why do we beleive as we do?

grahamg said:
The breakdown of a marriage was therefore a source of great concern. Not particularly because it meant the relationship between a certain couple had broken down, but because it threatened social stability, and the potential breakdown of social order and hierarchy. The separation of a man and wife was to be avoided at all costs. Couples experiencing marital difficulties were expected to work through them and learn to live with, and love, one another as a husband and wife should."
Click to expand...
The laws mankind have developed right or wrong stem from experiences. History is full of reasons for laws to be enacted & repealed. While not a law but guidance [ you shall not kill ] sounds good but has basis for guidance. One of those [do as I say don't do as I do].
 
Knight said:
The laws mankind have developed right or wrong stem from experiences. History is full of reasons for laws to be enacted & repealed. While not a law but guidance [ you shall not kill ] sounds good but has basis for guidance. One of those [do as I say don't do as I do].
Click to expand...
I can't claim my theory is 100% accurate, logical and foolproof, so you may be right, and "religion had nothing to do with the development of modern societies, who might get born etc.", (I guess some more research is required to see what those with the intellectual abilities necessary to examine such a question have to say).

Changing the subject, (or responding to your quote from the bible but taking a different tack), I've rarely met anyone who in the course of their duties serving their country has done what you quoted, but your imagine if anyone has done this in warfare etc., where their own lives, and lives of their comrades were at stake, I'd guess it has a highly significant psychological impact upon them, whether they admit it or not.
 
From the response of

Creativity of Belief: The question of belief is not what but why do we believe as we do?​

Beliefs are made at an early age, some beliefs come from family, others come from experience. Does it matter what I believe or what you believe or anybody else for that matter? What matters is respect and the freedom to discern. I followed the religious train wreck of my dad and all the while watched him cower away from his responsibilities as a dad and a family man. As a narcissist the love he had for himself was sufficient and the family was simply a source of broken support.

The way people think about God and religion has changed in 50 years. It is true people don't think about God or religion the way they used to. For what is worth, I feel outdated. Whatever I might think about God or religion is irrelevant to anyone else, so what's the use in standing for something if no one is interested.

I am fascinated about God and spirituality as they have close to human behavior. Why are there so many ideas and concepts of God? There are perhaps as many ideas about God and religion as there are people in this world. I don't get it, is everyone is basically the same, why so many opinions? God is known or denied by many, yet no one believes exactly the same.
 
Refrain from taking life.
Refrain from taking what is not given.
Refrain from the misuse of the senses.
Refrain from wrong speech.
Refrain from intoxicants that cloud the mind.

Those rules have nothing to do with religion or god. They were part of the Buddha's philosophy some 500 years before Christ was born. They're known as The Five Precepts of Buddhism.
 
Irwin said:
Refrain from taking life.
Refrain from taking what is not given.
Refrain from the misuse of the senses.
Refrain from wrong speech.
Refrain from intoxicants that cloud the mind.

Those rules have nothing to do with religion or god. They were part of the Buddha's philosophy some 500 years before Christ was born. They're known as The Five Precepts of Buddhism.
Click to expand...
I have heard that there is no concept of God in Buddhism, but I fail to see the logic in your statement that the rules listed made only connected to a religion, (you've contradicted yourself surely?).

Btw I caught the end of a BBC radio show called "The Moral Maze" a couple of hours ago, where a similar discussion to this one was taking place, (an expert called Palmer maybe agreeing with my viewpoint, though as I say I only caught a bit of the show, if I can I'll come back with link so we can all check it out if we wish). :)
 
Why do we believe as we do?
Because most of us realize there is
something going on that's bigger than ourselves,
more intelligent, more knowledgable, more wise, more powerful
and so we search, we study, we ponder

Why are all the answers being kept a mystery?
Why the big secret? Why not let us know everything.
I believe that question is answered in the
New Testament of the Bible. That's why it's still around.
It doesn't give you all the answers but it tells you why not
 
Receiving my early education in a Catholic Convent in France, I have great knowledge of the Bible.

I love much of the wisdom written there, especially, Psalms and Proverbs.

However, as I grew, and realised how holy books like the Bible and the Koran etc were formulated - I know they are first and foremost historical documents.
 
mellowyellow said:
I tend to push away all logical arguments about God and the big bang theory etc and like the romantic idea of meeting up with loved ones who have passed on when we die. Although logically it’s unlikely, I’m sticking to it with crossed fingers. :)
Click to expand...
The problem with that is that you might bump into people whom you absolutely detest. No, I'm happy to believe that when you're dead, you're dead and only survive in the memories of the living.
 
I don't like reading the Bible, I don't like Christian music, particularly Praise music, I don't like preachers, priests or clergy whose image is greater than God.
When I hear a sermon I listen for flaws and faulty information. Yet I am perfectly fine in my beliefs and I have no desire to think otherwise because whatever this is works for me.

A note for everyone to consider; your beliefs are your own, and may change from time to time but they are still yours to believe in. No one, to my knowledge, has the power to change your mind or force you to think differently without your consent. I don't know if all roads lead to a desired destination in the afterlife, nor does anyone else who has not died and returned to life.

My advice is believe or not believe as you will. I do not support the Christian view of recruiting non-believers to prevent them from eternal hell and damnation. I consider this a ploy to increase church population and revenue to conduct church business and future growth. The more money a church has, the more services the church can provide to local and foreign missions. And thus the circle continues, more people, more money, more services and so on..

People who attend church services must be getting something out of them, the same with reading the Bible and prayer. Whatever or however you choose to worship or not, do it because it is meaningful to you and fulfills your need for growth.
 
Irwin said:
Refrain from taking life.
Refrain from taking what is not given.
Refrain from the misuse of the senses.
Refrain from wrong speech.
Refrain from intoxicants that cloud the mind.

Those rules have nothing to do with religion or god. They were part of the Buddha's philosophy some 500 years before Christ was born. They're known as The Five Precepts of Buddhism.
Click to expand...
Approx 1600 years before Christ, Moses was given the ten commandments.
They contain those precepts and then some
 
Knight said:
We, my wife & I have prospered. Not willing to say how much financially, but well enough to be able to live above middle class in retirement. But financially isn't the only measure of prospering. 3 great sons all self sufficient & contributing to society.

If God plans to prosper you and according to you, you accept the plan why are there millions of homeless that believe yet aren't prospering? Or those born handicapped that will never prosper? Exactly who fits the criteria to enjoy the plan to prosper if there are millions perhaps billions world wide that have faith in a creator yet aren't prospering?

The bible has some pretty scary stuff in it. Like the wrath of a creator that killed all mankind except Noah. Then there is a nice part about how animals are good & bad yet got a spot on the ark. Don't know how this was accomplished. Recent studies estimate the total number of living and extinct kinds of land animals and flying creatures to be about 1,500. With our “worst-case” scenario approach to calculating the number of animals on the Ark, this would mean that Noah cared for approximately 7,000 animals. All those for
Jan 29, 2012 — It may have only rained 40 days and 40 nights, but Scripture tells us they remained on board the Ark for over a year! It says Noah was 600 years ...
https://sevensinthebible.com › 2012/01/29 › genesis-8-...
Click to expand...
Ugh. Just ugh.

Matthew 19:24
I tell you it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

prosper, the Hebrew meaning:
to be quiet or at ease
to be happy; to prosper in safety

prosper, 1400 Greek meaning
to help on the road

For those that believe prosperity is wealth-no matter how little wealth or how much wealth-you have my sympathy. While I do not subscribe to the Bible as the know all answers to everything, there are some things in it that make sense to me.

Those millions and millions that have faith but are not prosperous, according to @Knight. Who @Knight made YOU the judge of what is prosperous and what is not? You have missed the point. Prosperity is of the SOUL, it has nothing to do with earthly wealth and comfort.

The poor, the homeless, the downtrodden, the disabled, the felons, the repentant, the handicapped prosper greater than you will ever know or understand. My two disabled sons ARE NOT SELF sufficient and never will be. But I can assure you that they contribute more to society than any able bodied human being ever will.

Please do not confuse the Old Testament with the New Testament, as you have done. There is one God, and many religions. God is of the Old Testament. Jesus Christ is the New Testament.
 
Lots of people are down on organized religion, and I don't blame them.

I will say this, however: The teachings of Jesus are hard to beat. The Old Testament contains lots of weird and/or contradictory messages, but the Gospels are consistent and the lessons are good ones, even if very few of us live by them.
 
I should note that I'm not saying a person named "Jesus of Nazareth" ever existed, or that He is/was the Son of God, or was resurrected. I'm just saying that however the four Gospels were assembled, they contain invaluable lessons for how to live in a proper and meaningful way.
 
Pepper said:
Does the body spasm after death?
The body of a person who dies goes into a state of rigor mortis within two to four hours. During this time, the chemical changes within the body cause the limbs and muscles to stiffen for up to four days. A cadaveric spasm, also called instant rigor, occurs post mortem in rare cases.
How to Distinguish Rigor Mortis From a Cadaveric Spasm
https://sciencing.com › Science › Biology › Human Body
Click to expand...
That has nothing to do with my post
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top