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Hey Scholars. Last year during our planning session you came to the unanimous decision that you wanted our last teach-in of 2009 to be on the subject of "religion." What is it about religion that you wish to study and discuss? Our blog is OPEN to Seminar members only, so feel free to write, knowing that this space is school-sponsored, and not open to the general public. (If you have a friend who wishes to join the conversation she or he must first join the Seminar.)
I think a large issue about religion would be the debate whether it is beneficial to our world.
ReplyDeletePeople have started disputes, fights, and wars about religion as well as have enjoyed coffee meetings over religion with the mutual agreement to agree to disagree and share an openness for differences.
Backing up even more so, is it necessary or more so problematic for people to have faith in general?
another interesting question is why is that such a large portion of the population has some sort of religion? People living across the globe, even hundreds of years ago, when communication was difficult, had one religion or another. Why is that?
ReplyDeleteReligion used to exist as a way to explain the natural occurrences that people used to not be able to explain, i.e. storms, love, war, etc. Any idea that was too large to fathom, they related it to religion, which is how we get several gods in many ancient societies.
ReplyDeleteI believe that faith is much more problematic for the world. As Richard Dawkins, a staunch Atheist, once brilliantly said: "I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world."
I believe that religion is a way for people to escape, hide from the world, rather than facing things.
However, I believe there is a difference between having faith, and being "religious." Having faith can apply to so many things--I personally have faith that no matter what happens, one way or another, it will get worked out; my faith has no connection to a god or religion. I believe that to have faith is to believe in the good of this earth, yourself, and those around you.
"Spiritual people enlighten me, religious people frighten me."
Lauren-Sounds to me like you've made Cheap Trick your religion ;-)
ReplyDeleteAnd all that you're saying about faith in your last paragraph, I think that's what people want religion for. I believe religion gives people the courage to try to do what they believe is right.
Furthermore, religion, to my understanding, still offers explaination of phenomena.
But then again, I'm satisfied with not understanding the world and I'm satisfied with not understanding your point of view. All I seek satisfaction in is understanding myself and how I can participate.
In terms of the Seminar-
I feel like I need a ton more information before I can engage in a mutually constructive dialogue.
I'm pretty behind in my podcasts, but I try to listen to Speaking of Faith with Krista Tippit; any fans or otherwise? But I need to do some reading!?!!! What do you guys recommend?
My preliminary question: How did religion become religion? What seperates it from philosphy? And how does science play into this?
I would like to know why religions are so divided over so many different issues? Why do people of different religions fight over issues that they have different opinions on?
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ReplyDeleteEDIT EDIT EDIT. I first posted this, then added something. Here it is in full. Sorry any confusion.
ReplyDeleteI personally, consider myself to be a very spiritual person, but I wouldn't use the word religious.
I totally agree with what's been said concerning the reason for religion, myth, spiritualism, i think its a mix of trying to explain the unexplainable (the unexplainable, that is, to the people of the religion at the given time-frame), as well as to touch into the indescribable sense of community, connection, weither thats humanism, your feelings of closeness to god, the oneness of the universe, the uncountable feeling of truth that some people feel from reading scripture, i think that all of these things are different ways of describing, experiencing, and communicating this universal feeling.
However, explaining things isn't everything. The Ancient Greeks and Ancient Romans used their polytheistic beliefs to explain natural occurrences from thunder to floods to love and war. Yet you don't hear people going around proclaiming their undying devotion to Zeus. However, these stories have become part of their culture, and also part of the global village's community culture. Yet their stories also explain love, which science is still unable to explain (at least, not in enough details that satisfy me ;) ). But their stories also explained death, perhaps one of the not only most natural but also most undying fears and reasons for religion.
However, the national religion of Japan is both Buddhism as well as Shinto. Shinto is, in short, a polytheistic, almost pagan religion that is taken quit seriously in Japan, with people giving offerings to various deities, gods and demigods. They also participate in many of the same ceremonies and celebrations that were made in ancient Japan. This is not only part of their culture, but it is embraced by the people of Japan. Many of their gods and deities are "used" to explain parts of life, from the creation of their homeland islands to the existence of the sun to thunder and lightening. Yet, the people of Japan also accept the scientific explanations of these occurrences as well (gasp! science and religion working TOGETHER!). Thus, there must be something more to these stories and gods and beliefs than that of "explaining" aspects of life (although that certainly can be not only useful and comforting, but also necessary for personal survival at times).
In addition, regardless of if these myths, stories, even current-day religions are taken as personal truths or 2,000 year old fairy tales, they still all have lessons that can be taught. From admitting that everyone (even ourselves) have an Achilles' heel, to the necessity of working together with the people around you to survive and thrive, to living in peace with nature and nurturing that peace within ourselves. These stories are important. They are telling of our cultures, our communities, who we truly are, as individuals as well as as collectives, and as one, huge, singular collective. Most of all we can learn, from our selves, from our own stories, from others and their stories. Regardless of if you believe in Jesus, Buddha, Allah, Vishnu, God, Spinoza's God, or simply and atheist or agnostic, if we all just tried to incorporate and live according to the quotes attributed to these personas, regardless of their true originator (because SOMEONE had to say them, right?), I think that this world would be a much better place.
The human need to understand is part of the human condition, as is the need to believe. This is where Religion & Spirituality come in. For some people its fact. For others it's bullshit. To some, however, they are able to be AWARE that their religion/spirituality/belief IS just that, a BELIEF. And that's totally, fine, so long as you don't go around killing or condemning people because they don't AGREE with you. This inherit need to learn and believe is part of our culture, our very beings. Its in our stories and our texts and our minds and our souls (for those of you who reject the concept of a soul, please insert the word "personality"). Regardless of personal opinion, thought, belief, idea, position, etc, we all must be "the bigger person" and step up, swallow our pride, bigotry, ignorance and hate to work together WITH our beliefs and with OTHERS beliefs if we are to all survive as one. The situation has changed. It's not like the romans can go and kill 1000 pagans and then force christianity upon the rest of them. The next time the holocaust or the next big religious tension breaks, it will not be a war. There will be NO conflict. There will be NO resistance. The next time religion becomes #1 most important in a global conflict, the global community will cease to exist. Instantly. We must provide and encourage global acceptance and peace or else the lack of global toleration will wipe out the global community of which we and our brothers and sisters around the world are a part of.
Religion & Spirituality have been around since the creation of community, and they won't be going away any time soon, so we must learn to take what we have in this global community and work together to create acceptance, understanding, peace, and love amounts all.
Peace
Love
Be Well
Namaste
~ Forrest
Wow, Forrest.
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