good question. Some social scientists whose names I cannot remember, I am embarrassed to say, put forward the theory that belief progresses from, animal based religion, to ancestor worship, to abstract god worship to scientific belief. Obviously lots of people believe in both god and science today thus proving that they were a little bit wrong and making generalisations.
When I was in Tibet though I saw a completely different idea of belief. A Tibetan who showed me around the Jokang Temple explained about how people undertake pilgrimage for reasons of faith, to recover from an illness or earn merit.
Watching all the people prostrating outside the temple it looked as if this wasn't a matter of belief for them but knowledge. They didn't believe in the gods etc, they knew about them. I know this is playing with words a bit but the best way that I can think of to describe it is that when a lot of these people get ill they know that prayer will work for them, that traditional medicine (of which I know nothing I admit) will work, in the same way that we pray about getting better but pop along to the doctor as well.
Watching them was a deeply moving experience which convinced me they experience faith on a completely different level that I can hardly start to understand.
As for the Pope, he is in a unique position to do a lot of good in the world but what needs to be said and done goes contrary to the words of a book written a very long time ago for a very different society. If religion is there to serve the people then something is wrong, if religion is there to simply control people then he right on track.
Too many people are injured or dying because people think that if we don't obey the words of the book then they will suffer eternal torment when they die. That is without the huge number of people injured or dying because they cannot agree which edition of the book is the correct one.
having a baby and facing the question of Christenings has made me look at my faith again and while I am not sure if I believe in God I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that I don't believe in a lot of aspects of religion. The aspects of community, shared values, the need for ceremony and a feeling of belonging are all vitally important but the basis of those shared values is looking a bit questionable at the moment. Maybe it is a question of a few hard liners making too much noise and outshouting the sensible thinking, moderate voices, I don't know.
Writing about it helps make it clearer in my head but brings me no closer to making a decision. thank you for helping to clarify my thoughts a bit :-)
Its a difficult and very personal thing to think about, I wouldn't feel rght giving you any advice. I wish you luck in getting it sorted though, whichever way you eventually come down.
animal based religion, to ancestor worship, to abstract god worship to scientific belief. Obviously lots of people believe in both god and science today thus proving that they were a little bit wrong and making generalisations.
When I was in Tibet though I saw a completely different idea of belief. A Tibetan who showed me around the Jokang Temple explained about how people undertake pilgrimage for reasons of faith, to recover from an illness or earn merit.
Watching all the people prostrating outside the temple it looked as if this wasn't a matter of belief for them but knowledge. They didn't believe in the gods etc, they knew about them. I know this is playing with words a bit but the best way that I can think of to describe it is that when a lot of these people get ill they know that prayer will work for them, that traditional medicine (of which I know nothing I admit) will work, in the same way that we pray about getting better but pop along to the doctor as well.
Watching them was a deeply moving experience which convinced me they experience faith on a completely different level that I can hardly start to understand.
As for the Pope, he is in a unique position to do a lot of good in the world but what needs to be said and done goes contrary to the words of a book written a very long time ago for a very different society. If religion is there to serve the people then something is wrong, if religion is there to simply control people then he right on track.
Too many people are injured or dying because people think that if we don't obey the words of the book then they will suffer eternal torment when they die. That is without the huge number of people injured or dying because they cannot agree which edition of the book is the correct one.
having a baby and facing the question of Christenings has made me look at my faith again and while I am not sure if I believe in God I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that I don't believe in a lot of aspects of religion. The aspects of community, shared values, the need for ceremony and a feeling of belonging are all vitally important but the basis of those shared values is looking a bit questionable at the moment. Maybe it is a question of a few hard liners making too much noise and outshouting the sensible thinking, moderate voices, I don't know.
Writing about it helps make it clearer in my head but brings me no closer to making a decision. thank you for helping to clarify my thoughts a bit :-)
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment