There was a time when religion played a wonderful role in helping society evolve. It taught people simple truths, such as do not kill or steal. That was a time when humans were quite ignorant, and they did not know any better.
Religion helped people live more peaceful lives, as they began to overcome some of their cruel and animal nature.
Over the years, religion stopped being a spiritual guide, and became a tool to control and manage the behavior of people. The priests began to give themselves more and more powers, and they led many societies into wars and ways of life that had nothing to do with spirituality, but were designed to serve the leaders of churches and temples. In the process, many laws were passed. and because they were passed in the name of God and religion, they remained for a very long time. Although society has changed dramatically, and is changing faster every day, some of these laws remain still.
It is time for humanity to give up religion as a guide for society. Religion has served us well in the past, but it has little to offer humanity today.
This idea has nothing to do with the basic tenets of most religion, because the best ideas have already been incorporated within society.
And giving up religion as a way to manage society does not mean that people have to stop believing. It simply says that religion must become nothing more than a spiritual guide for individuals.
We need to do this to prevent conflict between ourselves, and in order to find better ways of managing our world.
Well... I don't know about you, but society around me still needs a lot of evolving. Until people can seriously note the impact each of them causes upon society and those close to them and take responsibility, they will still need a form of guidance. Albeit church might not seem like the best option, the alternatives are not so great either. Governments pass laws to meet their criteria, families pass on traditions to keep family members according to what they seem appropriate, the business world has their own set of rules, etc. Church is not the only place that imposes their will upon others, so really until each person is able to free themselves from their own indiscretions we will always need a ruling party.
Sad really. Church is a place where you are supposed to be spiritual, to be closer to your creator, not to be worried about what XY or Z did so many eons ago and how we have to now suffer for their behalf. Add to that greed and inflated egos and you have yourself a house of love turned into a house that blames everyone and crucifies all actions whether right or wrong.
I do see what you mean Nabil, but for some that actually understand what a house of worship is for and actually use it for that purpose, it can be a house of cleansing and healing that takes their troubles away in a way nothing else could.
For others, just being out with nature, or spending quality time with family and really enjoying the moments of life that they know they will always remember can bring about the same effects. In the end it is all about how you want to seek your spirituality.
Organized religions have been corrupt STS control systems almost from the start. Even when a religion is started by an STO adept (I'd call such a person enlightened) like Jesus or Buddha, once they die the religion starts deteriorating quickly until one day it can become the the sole dictatorship of an entire continent for hundreds of years. These adepts can speak brilliant truths, but through honest mistranslation or transcribing the message becomes lost over time, never mind if you have people deliberately adding, removing, and changing parts of the writings. If a religion is started by someone who's not enlightened but had good intentions then from the start its already going to have many false teachings, the compounding effect mentioned above becomes even worse. And finally if you have a religion made by someone who seems more STS than STO then really not much work is needed to corrupt it.
Societies over all may have been more ignorant before certain time periods in certain areas (athens under pericles, the renaissance in florence, the enlightenment and industrial revolution in europe and america, the 1960's and beyond in "developed" countries) but there were always people who would have naturally pursued spiritual growth regardless of what their society promotes. Actually many native tribes in north, central and south america were relatively STO and had shamans and such. So I don't think the world ever needed organized religion, just as it never needed government, money, or war. Humanity could have evolved without any of those, in retrospect it seems unlikely, but theres no reason to assume a wanderer or other spiritual seeker 3000 years ago would feel any less revolted by organized religion than many of us do today.
Many people now still prefer to associate with an organized religion, which is fine with me, everyone has a unique path, but organized religions themselves are usually despicable organizations. One day Earth won't have organized religion, governments, money, or war anymore but who knows when, Ra says it could take up to 700 years.
The system may be broken at the highest levels…but organized religion for the most part is filled with well meaning people searching for an answer in their own way. Who are any of us to question another’s path to the Creator? Its yet another road to infinity.
Not my road to be sure, but its an equally valid path for those who are drawn to it. I think its stereotyping of the worst sort to lump all religious organizations into the pot of despicability. Many of these organizations do a lot of charity work. And are of more service in one day that you or I could accomplish in a lifetime.
Richard
(01-21-2011, 12:07 PM)Richard Wrote: [ -> ]The system may be broken at the highest levels…but organized religion for the most part is filled with well meaning people searching for an answer in their own way. Who are any of us to question another’s path to the Creator? Its yet another road to infinity.
Not my road to be sure, but its an equally valid path for those who are drawn to it. I think its stereotyping of the worst sort to lump all religious organizations into the pot of despicability. Many of these organizations do a lot of charity work. And are of more service in one day that you or I could accomplish in a lifetime.
Richard
I agree on this one here. besides, those who want to break free are going too. hell, the more exposure to religion I had the more it helped me to see.
church 4 times a week, as well as attending a christian school.
i personally dont any any problems with religion existing. personally i am a christian and go to church on most sundays. there are some very nice people there and a lot of good work is done so i dont have a problem with that at all. i think you have to take out of everything what applies to you and leave the rest behind. my union with christ is a personal thing and occurs just as much outside of church as it does in church. so personally i would not like to see churches go away i dont believe that would be a good thing for society. the church is like any other entity the more it examines itself the healthier it will be.
norral
(01-21-2011, 12:07 PM)Richard Wrote: [ -> ]The system may be broken at the highest levels…but organized religion for the most part is filled with well meaning people searching for an answer in their own way. Who are any of us to question another’s path to the Creator? Its yet another road to infinity.
Not my road to be sure, but its an equally valid path for those who are drawn to it. I think its stereotyping of the worst sort to lump all religious organizations into the pot of despicability. Many of these organizations do a lot of charity work. And are of more service in one day that you or I could accomplish in a lifetime.
Richard
Agreed.