How do your religious beliefs affect your actions?

[DavidFirth]

Mr Van is a Revoltifarian too.
Typically, he does my bidding anyway.

Well, you just watch yourself where he's concerned. He's got quite a fanbase.

 

[Revoltingest]

Well, you just watch yourself where he's concerned. He's got quite a fanbase.

I run the fan club!

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

How did he forget that all creation is from God and that every species has its place in the big scheme of things?

He didn't think that predation or polyamory was part of God's "big scheme of things." He thought these things were introduced into the world by sin. He certainly wasn't the first or the last Christian to think this, and his position was a lot more reasonable in the days before modern ecological science.

Since there is no such thing as "immorality" in the animal kingdom, his efforts were clearly misguided. Predation, polygamy and monogamy work themselves out quite well in nature, without intervention from humans. I believe that all is as it should be for now.

I think you're taking quite a bit as given that's actually debatable.

Misguided people do a lot of unwise things with a good motive. But research is required to ascertain what the long and short term implications are for anything we do in a fragile eco-system.

Even the word "ecosystem" wasn't coined until 1935, when Jack Miner was 70. He was developing his ideas of conservation in the days even before the extinction of the Passenger Pigeon.

A balance has to be struck and these days studies can be undertaken to evaluate what the outcome might be from any action. Classic examples of this are introduced species that are brought into a balanced system. Once the balance is upset, it can impact quite negatively on existing species and cause more harm than the problem they were trying to solve.

These days... based on work done by the people who built on Miner's work and that of his contemporaries. He didn't have the benefit of experience that happened after he worked and lived.

I can't think of anything that my religion teaches that would drastically alter my lifestyle or decisions if I were to become anything else.....they are just natural for me. Since I do not disagree with any of them, I wouldn't change a thing.

IIRC, you oppose blood transfusions. Are you saying that this isn't based on your religion?

 

[Deeje]

IIRC, you oppose blood transfusions. Are you saying that this isn't based on your religion?

Even if I wasn't a Witness, I would still not touch a blood transfusion.....so it isn't just based on my religion. You really think they are life-saving? We have proven that they are not. Do you have any idea how many people die after a blood transfusion?
They are way more dangerous than most people realize. In fact there is no routine procedure in medicine that has more morbidity and mortality attached to it than blood transfusions.

It isn't just JW's who are sounding the warning.....

Transfusions kill patients, say doctors

They are supposed to save lives, but could a blood transfusion give you a heart attack? | Daily Mail Online

 

[LukeS]

Is there anything you do where you can see that if you didn't accept your religion, you'd see it as bad or pointless, but because of your religion and its tenets, you see it as good and important?

No bacon sandwiches.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Even if I wasn't a Witness, I would still not touch a blood transfusion.....so it isn't just based on my religion. You really think they are life-saving?

Of course.

We have proven that they are not.

No, you haven't.

Do you have any idea how many people die after a blood transfusion?

Orders of magnitude fewer than those who have died from blood loss, and orders of magnitude less than would have died from the conditions that blood transfusions gave us the ability to treat.

They are way more dangerous than most people realize. In fact there is no routine procedure in medicine that has more morbidity and mortality attached to it than blood transfusions.

It isn't just JW's who are sounding the warning.....

"Blood transfusions should only be done when the benefit outweighs the risks" does not equal "blood transfusions should never be done, because the benefits never outweigh the risks."

Anyhow, just based on the fact that almost everyone who says that blood transfusions should never be done is a JW, I still feel safe in my conclusion that you probably wouldn't have this position if not for your religion.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

No bacon sandwiches.

So you don't eat bacon sandwiches now, but you would if you didn't belong to a religion that forbade pork?

 

[Deeje]

Anyhow, just based on the fact that almost everyone who says that blood transfusions should never be done is a JW, I still feel safe in my conclusion that you probably wouldn't have this position if not for your religion.

And you would be dead wrong, just like you are about the efficacy of blood transfusions. If blood is such good medicine, then why are hospitals dedicated to bloodless medicine and surgery springing up all over the world? Are they mistaken, or are you?

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

And you would be dead wrong, just like you are about the efficacy of blood transfusions.

I don't believe you, of course.

If blood is such good medicine, then why are hospitals dedicated to bloodless medicine and surgery springing up all over the world? Are they mistaken, or are you?

I think you're overstating the popularity of bloodless surgery, but to the extent that it's a thing: blood is a precious resource that shouldn't be wasted. There are also often blood shortages. If the blood required for a procedure can be minimized, it allows that blood to be used for other procedures that otherwise might not have happened.

 

[corynski]

I have no religious beliefs, and have proven to myself that religious beliefs and practices do not necessarily make a moral person. Prisons are filled with Christians, not atheists. Religious beliefs can suggest moral behavior to consciousness, but appear to have limited power to enforce, or manifest, such behavior..... And perhaps there remains, if you believe we have 'free will', the ultimate power of individual choice, the power to always change one's mind. But humans have existed in a hunting and gathering environment for hundreds of thousands of years, always a small group of 'us', surrounded by 'them', where survival could frequently depend upon making an immoral 'choice', say for example, stealing another group's weapons, or food. How does one resolve the morality versus expediency conflict? We see how the Bible has done it. Was it moral for God to throw down hailstones to kill those he wished to remove, after creating them to begin with? Would you want to kill someone because they were worshipping the moon?

 

[Quintessence]

This is something of a chicken-and-egg question for me. That is, it cannot be said if beliefs follow from actions or actions follow from beliefs. It is probably both and neither. What can be said is that I regard religion as way of life and there's little meaningful separation between the path, the person, and the journey. Were I asked "how does your religion affect your beliefs and actions" the answer would have to be "always." If the answer is not "always" then I would be guilty of false religion - religion that does not correspond to who I am or my way of life and is therefore not truly my religion.

 

[Akivah]

So how about you? How do your religious beliefs manifest in your life? Is there anything you do where you can see that if you didn't accept your religion, you'd see it as bad or pointless, but because of your religion and its tenets, you see it as good and important?

My religious beliefs inform several of my actions in life. For example, I am proactive when it comes to improving the environment around me. If I see something that I can do, then I'll do it. I've seen people walk around a problem, but I will go straight to it and fix it. Running through my head is "If not me, then who? If not now, then when?", a thought from Judaism. Improving the world is a tenet of Judaism.

 

[Deeje]

I don't believe you, of course.

You are free to believe whatever you like.

I think you're overstating the popularity of bloodless surgery, but to the extent that it's a thing: blood is a precious resource that shouldn't be wasted. There are also often blood shortages. If the blood required for a procedure can be minimized, it allows that blood to be used for other procedures that otherwise might not have happened.

Since the problems associated with blood transfusions make morbidity and mortality more likely, no matter why it is administered, the need for bloodless medicine has become more and more apparent as doctors see the benefits of using non-blood alternative measures. Most people are unaware that they have a safer choice. We are glad to have been instrumental in this development. Many patients are now benefitting from non-blood management of their conditions, not just JW's.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

My religious beliefs inform several of my actions in life. For example, I am proactive when it comes to improving the environment around me. If I see something that I can do, then I'll do it. I've seen people walk around a problem, but I will go straight to it and fix it.

So if you weren't Jewish, you wouldn't try to improve the environment around you?

Running through my head is "If not me, then who? If not now, then when?", a thought from Judaism. Improving the world is a tenet of Judaism.

Interesting. I have similar thoughts going through my head as an atheist.

I would have also thought that a believing Jew would have a ready-made answer to "if not me, then who": "G-d, if it's His will."

 

[columbus]

I've seen people walk around a problem, but I will go straight to it and fix it. Running through my head is "If not me, then who? If not now, then when?", a thought from Judaism.

I find just the opposite.
If I believed in an omnimax being who made everything as it is and would ultimately provide Cosmic Justice, I wouldn't have any reason to interfere in anything.
As it is, I don't believe in such a god. So I think that if we are going to be cared for and cared about we must do it ourselves. So I try to live the way I want the world to be.
Tom

 

[Fool]

I visited the Jack Miner Bird Sanctuary for the first time this weekend.

For those who aren't aware of who Jack Miner is, he's considered by many to be "the Father of Conservationism." He was one of the first conservationists to use bird banding to figure out migration patterns, and based on what he learned, he successfully lobbied the American and Canadian governments to enact legislation to protect migratory birds, and was instrumental in getting a six-nation migratory bird treaty signed.

But his conservationism was accompanied by - or more accurately, inspired by - his strong religious faith. While he saw his conservationism as his way of fulfilling a religious requirement to be a "steward" over God's creation, he also famously stamped his bands with Bible verses in an effort to evangelize.

His religious beliefs also informed his somewhat selective attitude toward conservationism: he advocated protecting what he saw as "moral" bird species, like monogamous geese, but advocated the eradication of species he considered "immoral", such as species that engaged in non-monogamous mating or that were predators of other birds. Even while working to protect geese, robins, and sparrows, he advocated - and participated in - culls of crows and hawks.

... so while he undoubtedly deserves praise for the conservation work he did do, and while he planted the seed that ended up with the protection of threatened species of hawks and other raptors, it's acknowledged that he did a lot in the name of religion that is considered questionable today, and that he probably wouldn't have done if it weren't for his religious beliefs.

Jack Miner - Wikipedia

So how about you? How do your religious beliefs manifest in your life? Is there anything you do where you can see that if you didn't accept your religion, you'd see it as bad or pointless, but because of your religion and its tenets, you see it as good and important?

most folks don't act upon disbelief; whether its religious, or otherwise. they tend to act from belief and then test it against reality. if the belief fails then the belief is modified, or discarded. a belief is necessary from which to start any journey; otherwise there is no result or destination to achieve.

people who thought the earth was flat wouldn't become explorers; unless suicidal.

 

[Vancouversailor]

Typically Christians, mainly the bible thumping, holier than though types, believe that God has determined that humans are the ultimate species, the king of the castle so to speak, and therefore have a right and duty to control and where desired take advantage of other species.
Look where that has got us, a world that is being destroyed by man made global warming and with little prospect of the world being inhabitable 100 years from now, including by humans.
So what do people in the most powerful nation on earth, do, they elect a complete class A certifiable moron as their president, who doesn't believe there is any man made global warming, and cancels the US support to the recent Paris agreement on climate control.
And that in a nation that claims to be based on Christian principles.
What a bunch of BS!
And not to forget, the fact that they elected Trump indicates that over 50 percent of Americans are morons, something many people in the world have suspected for a long time.

 

[arthra]

How do your religious beliefs manifest in your life? Is there anything you do where you can see that if you didn't accept your religion, you'd see it as bad or pointless, but because of your religion and its tenets, you see it as good and important?

Baha'is are non-partisan.. this means we do not register to vote as partisan..supporting one party over another. We vote in elections for whomever but as non-partisans. We are free to participate in commissions if appointed so I served on the Human Relations Commission in my city for four years.

Baha'is are urged to consort with the members of other religions... so I participate in an Interfaith Council in my city. If an issue arises in our community of concern to the Council we usually get involved and support it.

We have youth activities in our area and my sons and I support the youth activities by cooking food for lunches or providing transport, etc.

Baha'is believe there should be a representative world government so we usually contribute to UNICEF and/or participate in other activities related to world peace or Charter of Compassion activities.

So the above are few of the things we do based on the teachings and principles of our Faith.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Baha'is are non-partisan.. this means we do not register to vote as partisan..supporting one party over another. We vote in elections for whomever but as non-partisans. We are free to participate in commissions if appointed so I served on the Human Relations Commission in my city for four years.

Baha'is are urged to consort with the members of other religions... so I participate in an Interfaith Council in my city. If an issue arises in our community of concern to the Council we usually get involved and support it.

We have youth activities in our area and my sons and I support the youth activities by cooking food for lunches or providing transport, etc.

Baha'is believe there should be a representative world government so we usually contribute to UNICEF and/or participate in other activities related to world peace or Charter of Compassion activities.

So the above are few of the things we do based on the teachings and principles of our Faith.

So if you weren't Baha'i, you'd:

- join a political party?
- not consort with other religions (or at least not as much)?
- not support youth activities (or at least not as much)?
- not contribute to UNICEF (or at least not as much)?

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I get the sense that I'm getting two sorts of responses:

- people whose religion is a community for the sort of person they would have been anyway, where their religion and their fellow adherents support the things the person would have done or believed regardless, and

- people who, because they accepted the core tenets of their religion, took positions and did things that were implications of those tenets, but that they wouldn't have done if not for their religion.

My thread was focused more on the second category of religious person, but it seems to me that the sample of people who responded in this thread (which wasn't selected in a statistically valid way and wouldn't qualify as a representative sample of all religious people, I know) skew more toward the first category.

Do others here see it that way?