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Vitality Of Religion As Part Of a Culture
"How does religion in any form affect our culture, and that of those around us? What role do symbols and rituals play?"
In many places around the world, religion creates a cultural structure, and from there personal beliefs evolve it into what it is. I believe, that when these personal beliefs are brought together by many people, a common way of life is formed. Thus bringing light to the significance of religion, in any form, to how people live their lives. Culture and religion can be affected by technological, economic, racial, political and environmental factors; however the common ideals and morals of the group, both formed and strengthened by religion are what solidify a culture. Symbols and Rituals keep these ideas alive, and bring pride to people. They offer belonging and importance, and stand as a mark of what a religion or culture stands for. Often times a religious symbol can almost define a culture, such as in the worship of a symbolic statue or deity, and from there rituals are formed. |
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Religion is interesting whan you think about history. For example, chemistry came from mummification, which took place since the Egyptians believed in their pharoah as a god that needed a proper burial. Honestly, I don't think anyone has enough knowledge to answer the question as to what religious symbols and rituals affect except for how one feels toward himself/herself, technological advances, and violence. For example, if many people thought of you as a god or a king and you believed it, I'm sure you would be much happier than otherwise. Sometimes, religion causes people act as if they are better than someone else or that they are closer to reaching something significant in their life (I really hate this). The violence aspect is kind of obvious when you see religious wars taking place over beliefs that clash against each other (Iraq). Then there's me, a person drained of most religious influences instead of a combination of all cultures. I want to keep happiness and belief as a part of religion, but I don't like the violence. As a result, I believe that all beliefs are possible unless proven otherwise, that logic helps unite peaceful people, and that with individuality, one can choose to be logical or illogical (there isn't really a such thing as "right", "wrong", or "normal").
Perhaps many of you have read over my religious posts and say to yourself "why does that fool always talk about individuality?" Of course, I could care less about religion if people didn't fight over it, but since that's not the case, that's why I talk about individuality. You look back at all those cool technological advances like chemistry, math, astronomy, etc. but imagine if everyone shared one faith or were completely tolerant of each other's faith instead of the intolerance that still exists in our world today. We might have had flying cars or something cool by now. |
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Master_of_the_Faster, ironic as it seem, intolerance for others is in a way essential. If you were asking everyone to tolerate each other, then you in a way are not tolerating them (kind of a weird paradoxical thing, huh?). But even so, that wouldn't make you wrong. Also, toleration for all isn't right either. For example in the Civil rights movement, minorities obviously shouldn't have had to tolerate the racism. By not tolerating racism, more general equality is given, but then again the racists are now a minority and aren't tolerated (Again, not a bad thing). But then when it comes to more complicated things like abortion, which side should be chosen? Because remember, allowing abortion doesn't mean tolerating everyones rights, it gives rights to one minority and takes away from the key beliefs of others. I might have gone a bit off tangent... but hopefully some of the things I said are somewhat insightful haha.
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As my opinion, it is somewhat apparent that religion has become a thing of the past. We are constantly moving away from religion as an answer to our issues. Unlike the era of liminality of religion where they took religion as the single way of life, the vitality that brings meaning to our very existence, we are in the duration of evolution, to take responsible to stand up without our "kind celestial being". However, religion do exist strongly too in our contemporary society. India and Israel for example is on the verge of civil war due to the dispersive religious beliefs accumulated there. It also exist strongly as a political factor. Unfortunately, my memory is a bit blank right now, but I recall that prime minister of Canada, Stephen Harper has made a speech that God told him to do these sorts of things, justifying his actions with religion. Also, the past Provincial election in Ontario , Canada, the Conservative party used "funding for religious Schools" as a claim to get elected which in turn failed BADLY. To sum it up, I believe that religion may not entirely or be a part of culture, but we certainly love to take advantage of it and harness it in our own egotistical decisions. |
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Religions are parts of cultures. Each culture has its own religion and through those religions, we can somehow understand a part of culture from what its belief was built up. And that's why religions' conflicts don't happen everywhere but just in some certain areas.
Since there are nothing right, wrong, normal, or abnormal, religions can't be judged as right or wrong either. Religions, in fact, stand important roles in our life. Or let just use the word "faith" instead. We choose what we believe is better. I guess at first, religions started from what people couldn't explain. Like when people didn't know where wind was from, they explained it as a god, hence, sometimes they said the god of wind destroyed their place because he got angry. And that evolve in a more serious part of life that somewhat become religions. In many cases, religions help people survive, and in other cases, religions' conflicts cause wars (Ireland, Middle East countries). Without religions, many people cannot live. They cannot sustain from the awful events happening everyday, they cannot put aside a sorrow such as somebody's death. The important thing is whether we can combine faith with a logical mind or with an unconscious passionated hearts. well, we probably should call uselessacount 's idea of tolerating is the law of the conservation of toleration. :razz: |
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philosophers had already started upon the concept " did god create humans or humans created god?" This question still remains today, but what I find significant is that how we can justify the existence, our very life with an unstable gamble of which came first, god or human. About religion roots coming from culture, how do you describe assimilation? Does being multicultural mean that we have conflicts 24/7? |
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let say Mr.A is in a desert, dying. Mr.B is lying next to Mr.A. Mr.A thinks about gods, that gods will help him and no matter what happens, he will still survive. Mr.B, with quite a logical mind, thinks that he cannot live without food and water and it's obvious that he is unable to find any ocular resources. Who do you think is more likely to live?
Anyway, I have seen several people cannot stop talking about gods. ----- Not every religions have conflicts with each others to cause wars. Religions with certain way of human manipulating will help people live better. ;) |
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By believeing that they will be rewarded when they do the right thing in the face of a desire to do something else, or that other people will get punished for doing bad things to them, it makes it much easier for them to get through their life. If you are special, and have your own special and unique meaning and purpose, and everyone who wrongs you, when you are too weak to stop them, will get eternal punishment, suddenly life is a lot easier to cope with. Quote:
It's the "Cultural Mosaic" versus "Cultural Melting Pot" and ooh, there's the thread title...brb making new thread *grin* |
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genuinely wish to know and understand. Quote:
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For this assertion is not agreed in many religions, conflicts occur. ;) Quote:
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But it is a sickness when people are radical about their religions and have meaningless wars. Especially when people blame the others' religions, judge the others' lives. Delirium is a type of radical worships lead people to not knowing what they are doing. |
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Forgive me then, I do not wish to bring upon the liminality of religion from my point of view.
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I suppose it can be seen as delirious from an outsider's perspective - however - when you think about it, people who truly beleive in God or a divine being would truly think for sure that they exist - therefore to them they are not delirious.
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But even to people looking in from outside, if my belief is calm, rational, and predicated on valid logic and reasoning, even if that belief also entails a leap of faith, faith is perfectly able to be rational.
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Very valid point.
However, who are you to determine that your beleif is calm, rational and predicted on valid logic and reasoning? Who are we to determine what valid logic and reasoning really is? How can we see the ambigious ploys mankind has manifested? Perhaps what we think is logical may yet be irrational in the eyes of "the divine being"? |
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Okay, then how can you ever believe anything about anything in all of the world?
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I repeat myself; it is this very desire, the desire to develop values and personal beliefs, that not only leads us to find leadership within a higher power, but to realize ourselves as a group thus forming culture? |
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