How your original religious beliefs have been influenced and altered by Clergymen over centuries?

[InvestigateTruth]

Most Religions have a sort of Clergymen or Leaders. For example in Christianity they had Priests and Pope's. In Islam, they had Friday Prayer Imams and Mullahs.
Likewise in other Religions such as Zoroasterism, Buddhism or Hinduism sects, there has been Religions leaders, with different names.

Most of the Founder or Founders of your Faith brought certain teachings thousands of years ago.

It has been often argued among different sects and denominations of a Particular Faith, that Our sect is the true sect, and is that same original teachings that Our Founder gave us.

The question is, in your view was your faith influenced and changed from its origin, by the Leaders of your faith, throughout centuries? If so, to what extent?

 

[Sirona]

I am glad that I am not a member of a religion that does threat their members with shunning for freely speaking their mind. It's easy to enforce "unity" by practising shunning.

ICSA Articles 1 - Enemies Within - Conflict and Control in the Baha i Community

Cultic Studies Journal, 2001, Volume 18, Part 1, pages 140-171 Enemies Within: Conflict and Control in the Baha’i Community Karen Bacquet Abstract The Baha’i Faith, best-known for its liberal social teachings and tolerance towards other religions, has an authoritarian governing structure that has

articles1.icsahome.com

Attempted schisms in the Baháʼí Faith - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

BTW, Jehovah's Witnesses are another group that practises shunning, too.

 

[InvestigateTruth]

I am glad that I am not a member of a religion that does threat their members with shunning for freely speaking their mind. It's easy to enforce "unity" by practising shunning.

ICSA Articles 1 - Enemies Within - Conflict and Control in the Baha i Community

Cultic Studies Journal, 2001, Volume 18, Part 1, pages 140-171 Enemies Within: Conflict and Control in the Baha’i Community Karen Bacquet Abstract The Baha’i Faith, best-known for its liberal social teachings and tolerance towards other religions, has an authoritarian governing structure that has

articles1.icsahome.com

Attempted schisms in the Baháʼí Faith - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

BTW, Jehovah's Witnesses are another group that practises shunning, too.

I think I understand. People do not like restrictions. They even like to be able to drink at work, or drink and drive. But every place has their own rules and regulations.
In Bahai Faith there is no shunning for free speech. Being a Bahai for 40 years, I have never seen that. There is shunning for other reasons though.

 

[SalixIncendium]

The question is, in your view was your faith influenced and changed from its origin, by the Leaders of your faith, throughout centuries?

I'm guessing by "faith" you mean religion. If so, no.

Many have offered commentaries on the original scripture, and there are many schools of philosophy within Hinduism, but the original teachings, to my understanding, remain largely intact.

 

[danieldemol]

Most Religions have a sort of Clergymen or Leaders. For example in Christianity they had Priests and Pope's. In Islam, they had Friday Prayer Imams and Mullahs.
Likewise in other Religions such as Zoroasterism, Buddhism or Hinduism sects, there has been Religions leaders, with different names.

Most of the Founder or Founders of your Faith brought certain teachings thousands of years ago.

It has been often argued among different sects and denominations of a Particular Faith, that Our sect is the true sect, and is that same original teachings that Our Founder gave us.

The question is, in your view was your faith influenced and changed from its origin, by the Leaders of your faith, throughout centuries? If so, to what extent?

Since I believe the alleged Prophets are just glorified clergy and I can see the contradictions in their writings I would say to quite a large extent.
In my opinion.

 

[danieldemol]

I think I understand. People do not like restrictions. They even like to be able to drink at work, or drink and drive. But every place has their own rules and regulations.
In Bahai Faith there is no shunning for free speech. Being a Bahai for 40 years, I have never seen that. There is shunning for other reasons though.

I believe this is not perfectly true, if you say you are a Baha'i and doubt the Baha'i covenant openly you are expressing speech and will be shunned for it according to my understanding.

In my opinion.

 

[CG Didymus]

I think I understand. People do not like restrictions. They even like to be able to drink at work, or drink and drive. But every place has their own rules and regulations.
In Bahai Faith there is no shunning for free speech. Being a Bahai for 40 years, I have never seen that. There is shunning for other reasons though.

Did you read the article? It was free speech in the case of a "Modest Proposal" that was published in the Dialogue magazine.

 

[CG Didymus]

Most Religions have a sort of Clergymen or Leaders. For example in Christianity they had Priests and Pope's. In Islam, they had Friday Prayer Imams and Mullahs.
Likewise in other Religions such as Zoroasterism, Buddhism or Hinduism sects, there has been Religions leaders, with different names.

Most of the Founder or Founders of your Faith brought certain teachings thousands of years ago.

It has been often argued among different sects and denominations of a Particular Faith, that Our sect is the true sect, and is that same original teachings that Our Founder gave us.

The question is, in your view was your faith influenced and changed from its origin, by the Leaders of your faith, throughout centuries? If so, to what extent?

Yes, it was. The "original" teachings that were approved and canonized by Church leaders and what became the New Testament were changed and added on to. But then some Protestants, like the Fundamentalists, went back to those "original" teachings found in the NT. But how "original" and how true were they? We're still dependent on gospels that were not necessarily written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. And then we are going by the teachings of Paul, a man who didn't believe and follow Jesus until after he was gone.

Can we trust those "original" teachings? And were the Church leaders correct in choosing those particular epistles and gospels? And some of the stuff in the NT needs some interpretation, so who are we going to trust about that? For the Baha'is it's easy. Baha'is believe the Baha'i interpretation.