I believe that many if not all religions have a holy/wise book or a legend that guides the people to be good. Good in the sense of being moral, honest, not a thief and not killing. So this holy/wise/legend book encourages the person to be good but the book and the god/prophet that has enlightened the person who wrote the book is needed because some people would not be good without a god/law that requires it of them. So all religions encourage the good in people and this encouragement of good in people can be called the Power of Good. Whether it be a god or just the innate need to be good that encouraged it.
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Belief in a holy/wise book
- Thread starter miriamk
- Start date
If I could be said to have a "holy book," it certainly doesn't play that role. Entangling religion with morality is characteristic of Christianities, and not so much of religions outside of that umbrella and its related classical monotheisms.
Would you like to provide examples of books/scriptures that fit this description?
Timothy Bryce
Active Member
I believe this to be complete garbage.
In the absence of sacred texts of some kind, I guarantee people would figure out that characteristics such as honesty, refraining from stealing and murdering people and an intrinsic sense of right and wrong would still be rationally considered. The religious/sacred text slant is completely redundant in this regard.
Unveiled Artist
Veteran Member
Usually, holy books, traditions, legends help shape how a community practices life and sees the nature and purpose of their lives. To people like myself who have no legends and holy book, the good in us or I will just say me, comes from myself, my family, the spirits. I have photo albums and census records. I have tales my family says that sound weird etc. I learn from them.
Its not in all religions and holy text or legends are not needed to find the greater good. Thats a monotheism outlook. Not all religions share thst way of conveying their expression of good.
I feel you are heavily genenuallizing the entire religious population. Can you see the error in that?
arthra
Baha'i
Baha'i Writings contain moral admonitions and laws that pertain to the individual, the family and larger society. Our upbringing and education are essential to upraising the condition of humanity. In this day the recognition of the oneness of humanity is really the cornerstone to building the foundations for a future world without prejudice, racism, class and promoting peace.
"Every soul of the friends of God must concentrate his mind on this, that he may manifest the mercy of God and the bounty of the Forgiving One. He must do good to every soul whom he encounters, and render benefit to him, becoming the cause of improving the morals and correcting the thoughts so that the light of guidance may shine forth and the bounty of His Holiness the Merciful One may encompass. Love is light in whatsoever house it may shine and enmity is darkness in whatsoever abode it dwell."
~ Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - , p. 216
"Every soul of the friends of God must concentrate his mind on this, that he may manifest the mercy of God and the bounty of the Forgiving One. He must do good to every soul whom he encounters, and render benefit to him, becoming the cause of improving the morals and correcting the thoughts so that the light of guidance may shine forth and the bounty of His Holiness the Merciful One may encompass. Love is light in whatsoever house it may shine and enmity is darkness in whatsoever abode it dwell."
~ Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - , p. 216
Both hypothetically and in practice books tend to be of little religious value and worse than useless as moral guides.
The only true exception that comes to mind is the Tao Te Ching, which is well enough crafted to avoid easy answers and encourage wisdom rather than rule-following.
The only true exception that comes to mind is the Tao Te Ching, which is well enough crafted to avoid easy answers and encourage wisdom rather than rule-following.
Ingledsva
HEATHEN ALASKAN
A holy book is not needed for people to be, or do, "good."
And every religion out there, - has people that do evil.
*
Jedster
Well-Known Member
True.
I have met several people who say they would happily kill certain people if not for the ten commandments.
GoodbyeDave
Well-Known Member
Two of the most extensive discussions of morality (which basically agree with each other) come, not from self-styled prophets, but from philosophers: Greek and Chinese. Thinkers like Confucius and Aristotle taught that the good is what contributes to a happy life on earth within the community into which you were born. Our gods do not tell us what to do, although they make it plain that they deplore evil actions, so we have no sacred books.
Sacred texts do not necessarily encourage good behaviour: think of the massacres, ethnic cleansings, and lynchings described in the Old Testament, or the Quranic exhortation to "holy wars".
Sacred texts do not necessarily encourage good behaviour: think of the massacres, ethnic cleansings, and lynchings described in the Old Testament, or the Quranic exhortation to "holy wars".
Aupmanyav
Be your own guru
That is 'dharma' in Hinduism. One can defy Gods but cannot defy 'dharma'. That is why, IMHO, Bali, Kumbhakarna, Bhishma and Karna are remembered lovingly in Hinduism though they were in opposition to Gods.
Not really. Most, in fact, don't have any holy/wise book at all.
In these religions/cultures, "goodness" is largely defined and enforced by unspoken consensus of the populations.
They think the ten commandments take priority over civil laws against murder?
Some people they be funny like clowns.