I agree with everything you say, SD ! But, it is easy to miss out on the ( very real ) fact that not everyone is as endowed, evolved, blessed, enabled ... as you are. To tell the truth, most people are not. These are the vast multitudes of people who " need religion to love someone, to treat someone equally or to have compassion." That is, to subsume their animal nature.
If I may offer an analogy, different people need a coat cut according to their own size. Otherwise, we are never far from " the tyranny of the masters !" I only wish that every individual be free of the " herd " mentality, so that they are able to question and examine, and choose for themselves. It is the " hard " structure prevalent in organised religions, the popes and the priests and the mullahs, that should be dismantled or " softened." Religions, then, would be just right, if there were no herding and commandeering of the flock, if they encouraged questioning and examining and allow exercise of free choice and will. Ideally, there ought to be as many religions as individuals on this earth ! Just a point of view. On Apr 20, 9:16 am, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > Did you ever consider that religion simply fills a void within your > incomplete self? Recognizing self and all it's potential overcomes, > as you say, the frailties of the mind. Being faithful to a faith > based belief in a deity that oversees everything in your life is > merely abandonment of personal responsibility to the self, the who and > what you are all about. Every culture experiences the same mortal > life with all its hardships, diseases and woes regardless of religious > belief. > Anthropocentrism seems the main problem affecting the world and it's > inability to become stable. We have become a disconnected entity, > separated from our cosmic origin. This disconnect leaves us void of > the vision necessary for growth beyond the mundane. > God is a concept derived from ancient philosophies as a means of > creating tangible relevance to the unknown origins of life. As > philosophers groped with ideas they failed to reach reasonable truths > and therefore others injected there own ideas rendering the entire > concept as infinitely enigmatic. As science advanced to replace myths > major shifts in deity belief also took place which ultimately led to > the use of religious concepts as a way of controlling the mass > populace. I think God (the name we use) is the essence of all living > things and all things perceived to be as in everything you see and > everything you touch, the energy of life itself. > Religion implies absolute truth and therefore each religious group > must persecute those who fall outside of that truth, ergo, religious > wars and atrocities. Religion has yet to accomplish anything more > than duping people and stripping them of their ability to function > upon their own reason. > Two people of differing cultures can get along really well but when > you throw in differing religions they are more apt to want to kill > each other. > I don't need religion to love someone, to treat someone equally or to > have compassion. > > On Apr 19, 11:42 am, Rosey <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > I decided to start a new post as I originally intended it to be a > > response to the Purpose of Life post but felt it took another > > direction. > > > First off, tip of the hat to everyone in here. I discovered this > > group by chance. Second, purpose to life? Ah, the frailties of the > > mind, I have been walking backwards as I've grown weak in faith. I am > > muslim, I don't think anyone here is immature enough to negatively > > comment on such a label, but I do have one thing to say: When I was > > more faithful to my religion and consistent with prayers I felt a > > sense of completion and calmness. I could even say that I at one > > point I felt that I reached a temporary self actualization. It's not > > the religion, but more or less the idea of maintaining spirituality > > that keeps one fulfilled. Through my recent skepticisms and > > analyzations of religion as a whole I have been more distraught than > > I've ever been. Is it an oddysey? Why does one who has steered far > > from ideological beliefs that a supreme entity exists feel lost and > > agonizingly stressed? Wouldn't one be better off just accepting and > > following religion knowing that they are abiding by its rules > > accordingly? Isn't that comfort? > > > Sincerely, > > Lost- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Minds-Eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
