religion is made for man...

[3bob]

It has been said that religion is made for mankind... yet we often see where this concept is completely turned around to where mankind is made for religion, namely in the sense of and analogy of people often being poured into very complex molds to strictly conform to a religion. (including schools that don't call themselves a religion)   One can come across this feeling after picking up and studying the written doctrines of most any religion or school where it soon becomes apparent that they could spend dozens or even hundreds of lifetimes in years to try and understand and fulfill all the required information, rules and regulations related to those various religions or schools and yet still not fully succeed in fitting into said molds!   So and because of such a scenario what do you think people should do? 

Edited April 9, 2017 by 3bob

[silent thunder]

I hear you. 

 

And more often I am encountering, or noticing this same dogmatic and almost absent minded/foundational acceptance of certain information as absolute truth, in our scientific and scholastic institutions as well, not just in religious thinking.  In the end, all of these institutions and their fruit and products are sourced in human perception and so carry the innate qualities and fallacies, projections reflected in them.

 

All too often the most current understandings of science are presented, touted and accepted as 'the absolute, fully known and permanent truth'... only to find out in a dozen years, or a hundred down the line, that while it was the best understanding we had at the time, it is far from permanent, absolute truth.

 

Reflects to me the value of living in questions and allowing answers to be fluid and unforced.

[Brian]

Tiger got to eat,

Bird got to fly...

[Stosh]

Man gotta relige ?

[Marblehead]

Religion is made "by" man.  Spirituality exists "for" man.

 

.

[3bob]

I'd also say spirituality can make religion in line with it.

[Marblehead]

I'd also say spirituality can make religion in line with it.

 

I won't deny the possibility.  Some religions come closer to this than do others.

[Brian]

Man gotta relige ?

It's from "Cat's Cradle" -- the Calypso goes:

 

Tiger got to eat,

Bird got to fly,

Man got to sit and wonder

"Why, why, why?"

 

Tiger got to sleep,

Bird got to land,

Man got to tell himself

He understand.

 

 

We want to believe we understand -- or believe that some expert understands -- it checks some deep-seated box. For me, personally, not knowing things feels right but I have learned this is not typical (I have ​learned that I am abnormal in many dimensions...)

[3bob]

I feel that there is a certain faith that is not to be discounted along these lines, and I'm not talking about programed or blind type faith.

 

opps, added a not

Edited April 10, 2017 by 3bob

[Marblehead]

I feel that there is a certain faith that is not to be discounted along these lines, and I'm talking about programed or blind type faith.

 

Be careful with that "blind faith" concept.  It is linked to that concept of having such an open mind that your brains fall out.

[Michael Sternbach]

I hear you. 

 

And more often I am encountering, or noticing this same dogmatic and almost absent minded/foundational acceptance of certain information as absolute truth, in our scientific and scholastic institutions as well, not just in religious thinking.  In the end, all of these institutions and their fruit and products are sourced in human perception and so carry the innate qualities and fallacies, projections reflected in them.

 

All too often the most current understandings of science are presented, touted and accepted as 'the absolute, fully known and permanent truth'... only to find out in a dozen years, or a hundred down the line, that while it was the best understanding we had at the time, it is far from permanent, absolute truth.

 

Reflects to me the value of living in questions and allowing answers to be fluid and unforced.

While I strongly agree with this - in fact it is reminiscent of one of the principles my granddad was teaching as an ETH professor and philosopher of science - I would emphasize that science by design is required to find proof for its assumptions and remain open to falsifying and revising the latter in light of new insights.

 

Of course, what happens in practice is sometimes a different story - but there is at least that basic adaptability built into science, something unseen within religious systems.

[Brian]

A sad but telling commentary on modern "science" -- only about 1% of articles published in scientific journals actually apply the scientific method.

Edited April 10, 2017 by Brian

[3bob]

Be careful with that "blind faith" concept.  It is linked to that concept of having such an open mind that your brains fall out.

 

opps, earlier I meant to write, I'm not talking programmed or blind type faith - although one could also approach meanings the other way.

[Brian]

opps, earlier I meant to write, I'm not talking programmed or blind type faith - although one could also approach meanings the other way.

I wondered about that!

[dust]

So and because of such a scenario what do you think people should do? 

 

Just say "Fuck 'em."

[MooNiNite]

Religion is made by man. But that doesn't make it any less useful. 

[Gerard]

Hi friend,

 

I would say instead: Religion made by men.

 

You should check this out (and anyone else interested for that matter):

 

Beyond traditions (http://anaditeaching.com/category/articles/#/28)

 

I wouldn't go that far as the author is implying that all traditions are imperfect BUT this:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_pluralism

 

They are all correct BUT suited according to the individual's make-up.

 

Or better, transcend religion all together, accept the validity of them all, and follow your own path based on an effective practical method that suits best your needs.

 

Best!

[3bob]

Hey Gerard,  Did you notice how Anadi speaks as if he is the greatest expert that has ever lived when it comes to knowing all about dozens or even hundreds of various paths or faiths?  - Which btw. would only be possible if he has lived dozens or even hundreds of lives while retaining complete, direct and detailed knowledge of those paths with all of their pros and cons as he describes them?  (along with the fact that such could only be known for sure by a person deeply into those paths which implys him having been a Lama, Guru, Master, Sage or Saint in dozens or even hundreds of paths?!)

 

hmm...

Edited April 14, 2017 by 3bob

[Stosh]

Hey Gerard,  Did you notice how Anadi speaks as if he is an the greatest expert that has ever lived when it comes to knowing all about dozens or even hundreds of various paths or faiths?  - Which btw. would only be possible if he has lived dozens or even hundreds of lives while retaining complete, direct and detailed knowledge of those paths with all of their pros and cons as he describes them?  (along with the fact that such could only be known for sure by a person deeply into those paths which implys him having been a Lama, Guru, Master, Sage or Saint in dozens or even hundreds of paths?!)

 

hmm...

Can you pick one and show him to be assertively incorrect? rather than .. inferring , he could be wrong.Of course he could be wrong.  I have no idea if he actually  Is wrong, that requires a more worthy opponent than I can be.

[3bob]

it would be a futile exercise to try and prove or force (a definition of) wrongness per conceptual details as he is more or less doing...anyway the wrongness of such a venture as you call it is proved in or by obvious principle which I'll leave open for further input...

 

(edited with a word or two)

Edited April 14, 2017 by 3bob

[vonkrankenhaus]

Religion is made for controlling humanity.

 

Otherwise, each person has of themselves the innate responsibility and freedom of their own development.

 

Which can make them harder to organize into building more means by which to control them.

 

Religion is part of "civilization", which is a form of animal husbandry focused on the industrial development of a diminished and controlled humanity as farm animals.

 

And - "science" of today is also a "religion".

 

 

 

 

- VonKrankenhaus

[Marblehead]

Religion is made for controlling humanity.

 

Otherwise, each person has of themselves the innate responsibility and freedom of their own development.

 

Which can make them harder to organize into building more means by which to control them.

 

Religion is part of "civilization", which is a form of animal husbandry focused on the industrial development of a diminished and controlled humanity as farm animals.

 

And - "science" of today is also a "religion".

 

- VonKrankenhaus

I see we agree on certain concepts now and again.

 

We should never confuse religion with spirituality.

[cold]

Amen to that!

Spirituality exists free of religion, and vice a versa.

[3bob]

then again I think moderation about religion like everything else can and does have a time and place.  Another way to think about such issues is with the analogy that spirituality can be like the non-manifest and religion like the manifest if or when aligned.  Thus I don't see any virtue in unbending fanatical pro or anti stances concerning religion. 

Edited April 15, 2017 by 3bob

[Michael Sternbach]

Spiritual experiences are the origin of every religion - watered down, misread, etc as they may have later become.