Authoritarianism and Religion

[CynthiaCypher]

One of the things that continually amazes me about people is how even has adults many people feel a need to be guided by someone else or something else.

Most of us desire an authoritarian figure over us not merely to guide us and show us the way but to feel secure. When we look for a guru or pastor what we are basically looking for is a parental figure. I believe that this is the primary dynamic of the guru/student relationship.

When you need a guru or a holy book to tell you how to live that basically means you have no idea how to live, when you go to someone to seek answers that basically means you don't have the tools available to figure out those answers yourself.

Why do people need gurus?

Why do they need holy books?

Why do people need an authority?

Those are my questions, would like to see your answers.

 

[Riverwolf]

One of the things that continually amazes me about people is how even has adults many people feel a need to be guided by someone else or something else.

Most of us desire an authoritarian figure over us not merely to guide us and show us the way but to feel secure. When we look for a guru or pastor what we are basically looking for is a parental figure. I believe that this is the primary dynamic of the guru/student relationship.

When you need a guru or a holy book to tell you how to live that basically means you have no idea how to live, when you go to someone to seek answers that basically means you don't have the tools available to figure out those answers yourself.

Why do people need gurus?

Why do they need holy books?

Why do people need an authority?

Those are my questions, would like to see your answers.

I think many people require these because it's just a natural part of human psyche. As group animals, for tens of thousands of years we've looked to some sort of authority. This isn't going to go away anytime soon.

 

[Bob Dixon]

I think many people require these because it's just a natural part of human psyche. As group animals, for tens of thousands of years we've looked to some sort of authority. This isn't going to go away anytime soon.

This. It's engrained within us. We can't help it.
Is it good? Is it bad? Well, those are totally different questions.

 

[lunamoth]

One of the things that continually amazes me about people is how even has adults many people feel a need to be guided by someone else or something else.

Most of us desire an authoritarian figure over us not merely to guide us and show us the way but to feel secure. When we look for a guru or pastor what we are basically looking for is a parental figure. I believe that this is the primary dynamic of the guru/student relationship.

When you need a guru or a holy book to tell you how to live that basically means you have no idea how to live, when you go to someone to seek answers that basically means you don't have the tools available to figure out those answers yourself.

Why do people need gurus?

Why do they need holy books?

Why do people need an authority?

Those are my questions, would like to see your answers.

While I see and largely agree with your point, one might also ask why do we need teachers, parents, or role models?

 

[CynthiaCypher]

While I see and largely agree with your point, one might also ask why do we need teachers, parents, or role models?

Well has children we need those relationship in order to become adults. That is the task of the parent/teacher.

But why should we desire an authority figure when we become adults? We should know better.

 

[lunamoth]

Well has children we need those relationship in order to become adults. That is the task of the parent/teacher.

But why should we desire an authority figure when we become adults? We should know better.

I know I am always learning from other people with more knowledge and experience than myself.

 

[Super Universe]

One of the things that continually amazes me about people is how even has adults many people feel a need to be guided by someone else or something else.

Most of us desire an authoritarian figure over us not merely to guide us and show us the way but to feel secure. When we look for a guru or pastor what we are basically looking for is a parental figure. I believe that this is the primary dynamic of the guru/student relationship.

When you need a guru or a holy book to tell you how to live that basically means you have no idea how to live, when you go to someone to seek answers that basically means you don't have the tools available to figure out those answers yourself.

Why do people need gurus?

Why do they need holy books?

Why do people need an authority?

Those are my questions, would like to see your answers.

Yes. Yes. Yes...

I see Guru's as teachers, not so much as authoritarian figures. I think Guru's have some humility whereas other religious leaders think that they are above the rest of us and that they can actually dictate to us what God is and what He wants.

Why do people need holy books? It started as a way to pass down cultural traditions, then it became the supposed "word of God" to give it authority over the people and give power to the priests.

Why do people need authority? Because they can't figure it out on their own. They need someone else to tell them how/where/and why. Being smart doesn't mean you have a good memory, it's the ability to find a truth, no matter who small it is, about how a very complex system works. Only a small percentage of humans have this ability at any given time.

 

[InvestigateTruth]

One of the things that continually amazes me about people is how even has adults many people feel a need to be guided by someone else or something else.

Most of us desire an authoritarian figure over us not merely to guide us and show us the way but to feel secure. When we look for a guru or pastor what we are basically looking for is a parental figure. I believe that this is the primary dynamic of the guru/student relationship.

When you need a guru or a holy book to tell you how to live that basically means you have no idea how to live, when you go to someone to seek answers that basically means you don't have the tools available to figure out those answers yourself.

Why do people need gurus?

Why do they need holy books?

Why do people need an authority?

Those are my questions, would like to see your answers.

Because people need an educator. They need a teacher...For obvious reasons, humanity has not been able to figure out how to live peacefully together...all these wars, first and second world wars, and all these conflicts, show humanity needs guidance. Moreover, according to evolution, there was a time, we were at a lower level of existence, and we keep evolving and make progress, hence, we need a universal infallible educator, who brings teaching in each Age, to address the problems of that Age...This was the reason as for a social perfection.
The individual perfection, is related to the belief that, human has another perspective, the so called spirit and spirituality...thus, there comes the need for a spiritual educator, which again needs to be a perfect and infallible teacher, to help people grow their spirituality, otherwise, this world tends to make everyone go toward materialism, and forget spirituality, thus the educator needs to appear, in every age to remind the message.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

I know I am always learning from other people with more knowledge and experience than myself.

But in spiritual matters?

 

[lunamoth]

But in spiritual matters?

Yes, sometimes. I have learned a lot about love from other people, both by example and exchange of ideas, and I count this squarely in the realm of spiritual matters.

 

[ChristineES]

Well has children we need those relationship in order to become adults. That is the task of the parent/teacher.

But why should we desire an authority figure when we become adults? We should know better.

We don't only learn things as children, we also learn things when we grow up, too. I never stop learning things, and I find it easiest to learn things from people who know more. Also, I went back to college when I was 35.
The same thing about religion and faith- we keep learning.

 

[waitasec]

One of the things that continually amazes me about people is how even has adults many people feel a need to be guided by someone else or something else.

Most of us desire an authoritarian figure over us not merely to guide us and show us the way but to feel secure. When we look for a guru or pastor what we are basically looking for is a parental figure. I believe that this is the primary dynamic of the guru/student relationship.

When you need a guru or a holy book to tell you how to live that basically means you have no idea how to live, when you go to someone to seek answers that basically means you don't have the tools available to figure out those answers yourself.

Why do people need gurus?

Why do they need holy books?

Why do people need an authority?

Those are my questions, would like to see your answers.

people need people....

either to follow
to lead or to lean on

why? because people are social animals

 

[George-ananda]

One of the things that continually amazes me about people is how even has adults many people feel a need to be guided by someone else or something else.

Most of us desire an authoritarian figure over us not merely to guide us and show us the way but to feel secure. When we look for a guru or pastor what we are basically looking for is a parental figure. I believe that this is the primary dynamic of the guru/student relationship.

When you need a guru or a holy book to tell you how to live that basically means you have no idea how to live, when you go to someone to seek answers that basically means you don't have the tools available to figure out those answers yourself.

Why do people need gurus?

Why do they need holy books?

Why do people need an authority?

Those are my questions, would like to see your answers.

Many need gurus (and rightly so) because gurus are advanced on the spiritual path and want to assist people out of love and can guide novices how best to move in the right direction.

It is the job of the novice to investigate and determine the aptitude, sincerity and quality of the guru.

Why do novices need gurus? Just like novices need music teachers, art teachers, math teachers.......It's very difficult to figure it all out by yourself from scratch.

 

[Quintessence]

Others have already brought up all the relevant points I had to make on this issue. Humans are social animals that are constantly learning from each other throughout their lifetimes. It's just how we are. In addition, we inevitably depend on non-human externalities for knowledge and understanding. Human lives are meaningless (and cannot exist) without an environmental context, and that environmental context includes both humans and non-humans. Both humans and non-humans inevitably serve figures of reference or authorities. It just is what it is.

It is different to ask why some specific human uses some specific source as a point of inspiration or authority. There are, for example, relevant differences between religious traditions that get inspiration from a book written by humans and those that do not, but regardless, any religion draws it's "authority" from somewhere.

 

[arthra]

All of us pass through stages and sometimes reach an impasse where we look for answers...When we are in the company of people who aspire to spiritual qualities and perfections it has an effect of us and like a upward spiral will further our quest...

 

[CynthiaCypher]

Why not just go directly to the source? If you need spiritual guidance why bother with a holy book or a priest or guru?

Why not just go directly to God and ask Her for guidance?

 

[Quintessence]

Why not just go directly to the source? If you need spiritual guidance why bother with a holy book or a priest or guru?

Why not just go directly to God and ask Her for guidance?

For one, some revealed religions place a taboo on this sort of thing and will label it as "bad occult stuff" that you shouldn't touch with a ten foot pole. Alternatively, claims will be made that the average person will misinterpret divine messages for whatever reason (such as lack of theological training) and do more harm than good. As someone who follows a mystery religion that routinely works with gods directly, I'm tempted to dismiss these sorts of protests as nonsense, but they do have their wisdom. Western culture doesn't encourage direct interaction with the gods, so many people don't even know how to do it; they don't have the skill. To learn the skill, they then often need a guide to teach them and there are clear drawbacks to wandering in the wilderness without a good guide.

In particular, how you interpret communing with the gods will be directly shaped by your theological background. A person who has no knowledge of Norse lore is not, for example, going to interpret their religious experience with "god" as coming from Odin. Although there are benefits to flying blind, so to speak, there are also clear drawbacks. If you want to work with a specific, pre-existing theological/cultural paradigm, you need a guide to help you interpret things from the perspective of that worldview. Otherwise, your ignorance will bar certain experiences from you, because you simply won't have the eyes to see.

Does that make sense to you?

 

[arthra]

Why not just go directly to the source? If you need spiritual guidance why bother with a holy book or a priest or guru?

Why not just go directly to God and ask Her for guidance?

Just as I could climb a mountain by myself it will save time and suggest where the best trails are if I consult a map... True there is always some Divne inspiration but the example of Those who have gone before helps and guides us.. These Persons who have had a more direct connection to the Divine offer guidance and support.

 

[idav]

One of the things that continually amazes me about people is how even has adults many people feel a need to be guided by someone else or something else.

Most of us desire an authoritarian figure over us not merely to guide us and show us the way but to feel secure. When we look for a guru or pastor what we are basically looking for is a parental figure. I believe that this is the primary dynamic of the guru/student relationship.

When you need a guru or a holy book to tell you how to live that basically means you have no idea how to live, when you go to someone to seek answers that basically means you don't have the tools available to figure out those answers yourself.

Why do people need gurus?

Why do they need holy books?

Why do people need an authority?

Those are my questions, would like to see your answers.

We aren't all smart or clever or naturally gifted. Many of us have to look to others before us to get to what we know now. There is nothing wrong with finding the truth somewhere. Problem is we are also easily amused and duped by charlitans, swindlers, illusionists and con artists. The best we can hope for is seeing the truth through the lies.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

We aren't all smart or clever or naturally gifted. Many of us have to look to others before us to get to what we know now. There is nothing wrong with finding the truth somewhere. Problem is we are also easily amused and duped by charlitans, swindlers, illusionists and con artists. The best we can hope for is seeing the truth through the lies.

Then why not just skip the middle men?