Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
Aren't you just following outdated rules for the sake of tradition, rather than stopping to rationally consider whether or not they serve any useful purpose?
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Isn't that the very definition of pretty much any organized religion though? Especially the older ones? I mean no matter what religion you choose (except for something completely universal like the Universal Life Church whose only rule is "do what's right," but you get to decide how to interpret that phrase), it's going to have rules that adherents are expected to follow which to an outsider seem to be ridiculous.
I don't want to start offering examples from specific religions lest I offend anyone so I'll take an example that applies to most old order religions -- most of them cast those who leave the faith into eternal damnation. Why? Because you chose to worship God in a different way? Because you aren't willing to accept a leap of faith that there is a god at all?
If a religion really is the "one true" religion, as all older religions claim, then why cast someone in eternal damnation for leaving the faith? It's obvious that once he or she discovers the truth that he or she will return. However, we still have these practices in most old order religions (including things like Judaism, Catholicism, Islam, etc.).
The real reason (my personal opinion rather than any religious doctrine) is that the ancient law givers understood that in order for the religion to survive, there needed to be severe consequences for leaving when something else came along to tempt us. Otherwise, the religion would splinter and possibly disappear altogether.
I read a book called God's Debris by Scott Adams (the guy who writes the Dilbert comic strip) and in it, he has this great concept which I used to bring up every time I spoke at an interfaith meeting (I am an ordained rabbi and worked as a Reform rabbi back in the States).
He suggests the idea that two people set out on two different paths with the intention of getting to a specific place. Both of them eventually make it to that place. One path was hilly while the other path was rocky. Maybe some people might find one path easier than the other, but the people who first traversed the path pass this one path down to their ancestors as the path to follow to find this particular place. Over time, the descendants of the original path walkers deify the path and say that this is the way to go.
He suggests that religion is a lot like that. While different religions choose different paths to the "truth," ultimately,they come to the same basic sets of conclusions even if the conclusions aren't exactly identical.
Anyway, as I said before, this isn't really the place to discuss religion. It should be discussed in the religion and politics forum. So, if this thread is going to move in that direction, may I suggest that one of the mods move it to the appropriate forum and those who are interested in continuing the debate can sign up to use that forum?
Eric