Thursday, February 25, 2010

Religion

So, I've been reading a lot lately, because I'm in full-on learning mode. I think I need to take a class or something. It's weird not being in school, since I've been there 24 years or so...

And one of the books I've been re-skimming (since I read it a couple years ago) was Dan Barker's Losing Faith in Faith. I've lately been reflecting on religion in society, and politics, and in my life, and even in my friends' lives. It's an interesting conundrum, because religion, by its very nature, is somewhat comforting. As long as you blindly believe, pretty much, you don't have to worry about certain things: death, evil, meaning of life (sort of). So in a sense, it'd be easy to just choose some religion to become a part of: go back to Catholicism, become Wiccan, join the Episcopal church....

But rationalism just makes so much more SENSE! I remember never asking those questions that now I constantly wonder what the answer would have been had I asked...I can't even remember all those questions I had, when I was a kid. And when I think about it, my environment seemed to say, don't ask! Don't question! If you're scared of losing friends because you're thinking different thoughts or questioning things you just don't do it, you know?

Anyway, there's a question that Dan Barker put toward readers in his book, and I'm paraphrasing here:

Without the Laws of Moses, humans would be wandering around like little gods, stealing, raping, and spilling blood wherever vanity was offended? That question resonates with me - I think humans, for the most part, are basically good. We're not born evil, we're not born with "original sin," we're evolutionarily hardwired to be good to each other. So why do we need laws - of Moses, 10 Commandments, etc. But then I start thinking about all the things laws DO provide: civil rights, equality, figuring out messy situations, sometimes messily themselves. So I'm not inviting anarchy or anything...BUT...

I consider myself a good person. I give to charity. I try very hard to help people. I support causes I believe in, and love my family, and all sorts of things. And I do this NOT because I'm afraid if I don't I will go to hell, or because "god" told me to, or because if I do I will go to heaven. I do it because it's the right thing to do.

And here's something funny to end my weird musing: also from Dan Barker, which I just LOVE:

Truth does not demand belief. Scientists do not join hands every Sunday, singing, yes, gravity is real! I will have faith! I will be strong! I believe in my heart that what goes up, must come down, down, down. Amen! If they did, we would think they were pretty insecure about it.

He also had a challenge, which I'm going to dig out my Bible to complete: where do these words appear in the Bible, if they do!?

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7 comments:

Mimi said...

I'm thinking of taking a class too. On Fiction writing.

And you know I basically agree with you on religion, but I can understand why people are religious. I mean life is hard and scieince doesn't have every answer, so I can't fault anyone turning to religion for comfort, if that is what is what is going to help you. And I think there are religions where questioning is OK, you just don't hear about it because only the contoversial stuff gets talked about.

But yes I agree it isn't healthy for a religion to develop the mentality that you should only believe what they tell you to and not qhestion that. I think it has led to this "war" against science. But again I think many if not most religious people believe in science too, but they aren't complaining so the others get all the attention.

Have you completed your challenge? I've never really read the Bible, but I would be interested in the answers.

Kathleen said...

I barely have time to read the books I have to for work and the books I want to for fun! I have no idea if I'll be able to read the bible very quickly. Maybe if I skip the "begats"?

I imagine back about 700 years ago people said, science doesn't prove everything - see they can't even figure out why things fall to the ground, clearly we need religion! Maybe not - but the premise is similar. Religion is a great comfort, but just because science hasn't found an answer YET doesn't mean it won't!

But my problem is that religion would be a great comfort except I can't blindly believe in god or religion! And some form of secularism: atheism, agnosticism, humanism, whatever, makes far more sense...

Mimi said...

You could read the bible on the internet and just do a page search for the words. Or maybe someone else has answered it and then you won't have to do the work at all.

Well the church also used to make all of the laws and anything scientfic that disagreed was dismissed and the scientist jailed for being a heretic. And some people would like to go back to those days. I don't get that.

But I don't think it is my place to even try to understand how someone individually can gain comfort from religion. Like you, I don't, and find other things that make more sense. But if I want people to respect that, I have to respect them doing whatever they can to make life make more sense for them. However the deal is off if they try to infringe on my right to do things for myself. And I really think this is the type you are talking baout anyway.

Mimi said...

Ok, after I left my last comment I decided to do an internet search through the Bible myself. It may not be completely accurate but these are my results.

"Deity" appears three times, and though chastity and morality do not appear, both unchastity (6 times) and immorality (11 times) do. None of the other words showed up in the search. I don't know what that means, but there you go.

Kathleen said...

I think the challenge was meant to be more along the lines of: the things we believe weren't in the bible, so why do we believe them? Or rather, people believe. Meaning they were invented by people rather than god. But I'm not really sure.

Some religions do think questioning is good...but only to some degree. Anyway, my post is more along the lines of: wouldn't it be nice if I could just believe. How comforting that would be? How easy? But I can't...and I've tried.

Also, I'm working on a new idea that I'm going to email you; and I'm thinking of taking horseback riding lessons again. A friend of mine at the library - coworker - gave me some places. If they're not too expensive...I'm very excited about that!

Sara Bishop said...

I went through a period of not believing, then I just started going back to church. I wanted to believe, and I had an awesome priest to help, and eventually I got what I wanted out of it.

Also, horseback riding is awesome. And science is stupid. :-)

Kathleen said...

I think your period of not believing was probably more a crisis of faith, rather than actual disbelief. I just say this because going back to church and wanting to believe means that in the end, you probably already believed in god at least, and the priest helped you through the crisis. I'm not saying it well. But if it was actual disbelief, like I feel, no matter what - going back to church (which I've done) listening to religious people (which I've done, including friends and priests/ministers) reading apologetics...nothing would actually get you to believe again. Of course, I'm equating yours and my experiences and they're definitely not the same, so I might be completely wrong.
But religion (certainly the organized ones we have now, except MAYBE the unitarian/universalists) just does not make sense to me. And it has to for me to believe it. Or maybe it's the tenets that I don't believe. I'm not saying right now, flat out, that there is no god..I'm far more agnostic, because again, I WANT to believe in something. But I'm getting to the point where I think I'm wrong about it.