Does religion create unity or conflict?

[Azure Flame]

A ninja I met once told me, "Peace is not the absense of conflict, it is the mastery of it."

edit: definitely putting that in the sig

 

[Blackmail!]

Why didn't you mention Catholicism, then?

Youd didn't answer me.

 

[krypton1te]

When we encourage the parts, we neglect the formation of the whole.

I don't see how something that divides humankind into separate belief systems can create unity.

It can create unity only in its division. If all divisions had their own unity, but still remained independent from one another, when viewed wholly, humankind still fails to meet unity.

There is no purpose in divisions because all divisions require the human position. They all ask for the participation of the same species.

To divide our species is to foreign our species within our species... thus, it is not possible to be in unity as a whole with our species.

 

[JustAMind]

It creates unity with the group who practice it. Let's call it 'believers' for this purpose Divides that group from the all other groups we can collectively call nonbelievers.

 

[garbage]

Both. Another "us vs. them." The ketchup-lovers band together and regard the mustard-lovers as enemies, and vice-a-versey.

 

[Mole]

Science is the same no matter where it is practised in the world. While religion is different depending on where you are in the world.

The religions can't be reconciled and there is no way to reconcile them, while the scientific method enables us to determine what is fact and what is not.

 

[A window to the soul]

Just wondering. I've always thought of religion as a means to unite people, and to help prevent people from acting "wrongly," but usually when I see religion applied to the masses, I see other things happening as well. Like someone using and twisting the ideals of a religion to suit their own selfish ends, or using religion to suffocate the people, or using religion (and people's faith in it) as a means to justify a BS war or the killing of many innocent people. So where do you stand, does it unite or does it create more conflict than it does good in the world?

Religion creates conflict because religion is man-made; unlike the Gospel, which is God-given. Religion is man trying to climb up the ladder of his own self-righteousness, with the hope of meeting God on the topmost rung; the Gospel is God coming down the ladder in the incarnation of Jesus Christ and meeting us sinners at the lowest rung. (Religion is what man does for God; the Gospel is what God did for man.)

 

[Alea_iacta_est]

Religion forms unity with those who practice it, but, in cases of more imperialistic religions, it creates conflict among those not within the union or community.

 

[Mole]

Religion creates conflict because religion is man-made; unlike the Gospel, which is God-given. Religion is man trying to climb up the ladder of his own self-righteousness, with the hope of meeting God on the topmost rung; the Gospel is God coming down the ladder in the incarnation of Jesus Christ and meeting us sinners at the lowest rung. (Religion is what man does for God; the Gospel is what God did for man.)

Christianity specifically teaches that Jesus is God, in fact the Second Person of the Trinity.

While Islam specifically teaches that Jesus is not God.

This is an irreconcilable conflict that cannot be resolved by evidence and inductive reason.

 

[fghw]

The purpose of religion isnt to divide nations. The conflict is just the product of multiple religions, multiple answers, none of which can be proven, none of which can exist with another.

 

[A window to the soul]

Christianity specifically teaches that Jesus is God, in fact the Second Person of the Trinity.

While Islam specifically teaches that Jesus is not God.

This is an irreconcilable conflict that cannot be resolved by evidence and inductive reason.

Yes. For a little while, Jesus was God in human form. He was truly a human being made a little lower than the angels. He came to earth as man for man, so that by the grace of God he might taste the suffering of death on a cross for every man.

 

[Tellenbach]

Stupid people create conflict and since they exist everywhere, there will be conflict everywhere.

 

[Coriolis]

To oversimplify: religion leads to conflict, while spirituality leads to unity. Spirituality is individual, and at the same time more connected to the universal whole. Religion, by creating a group, necessarily creates another "us" to be contrasted with "them", as several others have mentioned. Even if a key tenet of "us" is to help "them", the division is still there. Even the Bahai's aren't exempt. Yes, there is overlap because some people do in fact find spiritual growth through a religious group, but it is not required.

People are just nasty, greedy, violent primates that will justify their actions in whatever way is most convenient. If religion is handy, they'll use that. If not, they'll find something else. So six of one, half a dozen of the other, IMO.

This, too. A group of fervent believers is a potent weapon in the hands of a dictator, demagogue, or outright nut. A distribution of individually spiritual people? Using them would be like herding cats.

 

[five sounds]

To oversimplify: religion leads to conflict, while spirituality leads to unity. Spirituality is individual, and at the same time more connected to the universal whole. Religion, by creating a group, necessarily creates another "us" to be contrasted with "them", as several others have mentioned. Even if a key tenet of "us" is to help "them", the division is still there. Even the Bahai's aren't exempt. Yes, there is overlap because some people do in fact find spiritual growth through a religious group, but it is not required.


This, too. A group of fervent believers is a potent weapon in the hands of a dictator, demagogue, or outright nut. A distribution of individually spiritual people? Using them would be like herding cats.

+1

Well said. Spirituality being equated with religion is one of the most dangerous misconceptions, IMO. I understand that it's hard for people to make the distinction, since religion is so much easier to understand, but the difference is crucial. Your point illustrates that difference nicely.

 

[Mole]

Yes. For a little while, Jesus was God in human form. He was truly a human being made a little lower than the angels. He came to earth as man for man, so that by the grace of God he might taste the suffering of death on a cross for every man.

This is boilerplate propaganda.

It is an insult to those engaging in conversation in good faith.

And so it is a public act of bad faith.

It is an act of bad faith in the community of Typology Central.

 

[A window to the soul]

This is boilerplate propaganda.

It is an insult to those engaging in conversation in good faith.

And so it is a public act of bad faith.

It is an act of bad faith in the community of Typology Central.

When you talk to me that way, I just feel small.

I forgive you. Next time, when I share what's on my heart, if you don't understand it, I want you to be respectfully kind, or walk away.

Blessings.

 

[Mole]

When you talk to me that way, I just feel small.

I forgive you. Next time, when I share what's on my heart, if you don't understand it, I want you to be respectfully kind, or walk away.

Blessings.

Great Caesar's Ghost, I have not the slightest intention of being respectfully kind or walking away. I do though have a horror of being boring so I would never write boilerplate to you, rather I hope to amuse, to tickle your fancy.

Of course it could have been worse, instead of commanding me to be respectfully kind or walk away, you could have enjoined me, in the American way, to be sincere.

And as I am never tired of pointing out to Americans, sincere begins with sin.

And only can God save us from sin.

 

[A window to the soul]

Great Caesar's Ghost, I have not the slightest intention of being respectfully kind or walking away. I do though have a horror of being boring so I would never write boilerplate to you, rather I hope to amuse, to tickle your fancy.

Of course it could have been worse, instead of commanding me to be respectfully kind or walk away, you could have enjoined me, in the American way, to be sincere.

And as I am never tired of pointing out to Americans, sincere begins with sin.

And only can God save us from sin.

No problem. I have plenty of 'respect' and 'walking away' power; enough for the both of us.

Thank you Jesus!



p.s., OH, I almost forgot... Jesus loves you. Bye!

 

[Coriolis]

If only every fundamentalist were as willing to demonstrate respect and walk away. Blessed be.

 

[Mole]

If only every believer stopped boring us and started amusing us.

But the striking thing about sacred texts from the Bible, the Koran, the Analects of Confucius, to the Bagavad Gita, is their lack of a sense of humour.

This is perfectly understandable because these sacred texts were written in a trance and are meant to be read in a trance, where the critical mind is asleep. And as a sense of humour is part of the critical mind, naturally these sacred texts have no sense of humour.