I Dare You To Criticize Your Own Religion or Weltanschauung

[CynthiaCypher]

One of the thing I love doing is disparaging Jesus and my own religion. In my tradition laughing at our beliefs and criticizing them to the point where it almost seems blasphemy is something deemed good. In fact Meister Eckhart taught that we should criticize our own beliefs. You should look at your beliefs through the eyes of the other.

So do can any of you offer a criticism of the things you believe? Can a theist offer a criticism of theism and an atheist offer a criticism of atheism? Can Muslim criticize Islam and can Buddhist offer a critique of Buddha?

I think it can be a fun and enlightening exercise

 

[Storm]

It could, if you weren't so antagonistic.

 

[Gjallarhorn]

Buddha was sexist, Carroll overuses pseudo-scientific terminology, Nietzsche was a hypocrite, Heraclitus was a downer, Dukes/Snell whines too much about politics, and I am a lazy bum with a huge ego.

Better?

 

[Revoltingest]

I know of nothing in the material world to be true.
Neither I do I even know much to be factual.

The above is a trick. Do you know what it is?

 

[CynthiaCypher]

It could, if you weren't so antagonistic.

Would you rather have me be not so antagnostistic?

 

[The Sum of Awe]

My religion is so pooped that it can only be explained by Existentialists.

 

[Hope]

I don't like the concept of hell and I'd make the whole free will/sovereignty of God issue a little bit clearer.

I'd also like God to be a little more visible/audible/tactile at times.

 

[Bob Dixon]

One of the thing I love doing is disparaging Jesus and my own religion. In my tradition laughing at our beliefs and criticizing them to the point where it almost seems blasphemy is something deemed good. In fact Meister Eckhart taught that we should criticize our own beliefs. You should look at your beliefs through the eyes of the other.

So do can any of you offer a criticism of the things you believe? Can a theist offer a criticism of theism and an atheist offer a criticism of atheism? Can Muslim criticize Islam and can Buddhist offer a critique of Buddha?

I think it can be a fun and enlightening exercise

So... are you implying that Jesus is a part of your own religion, here? You confuse me, Cynthia. Not in a terribly bad way, but...

Anyway, sure, I'll try to participate. I can see how this disparagement could be good, to an extent.

There's no real evidence for any divinity, never mind the lack of evidence we have for Jesus' own historical existence. And if he DID exist, then what he taught remains up for debate. He certainly seems to talk about himself quite a bit. Fairly antithetical to the image of who the Messiah is supposed to be!

Plus, is monism even reconcilable with his teachings? Is monism even provable? Is anything even provable?

This is a bunch of nonsense, I'm nowhere near the truth, and everybody recognises that fact except for me.

 

[Nooj]

Posting to appreciate the German.

 

[Vultar]

My religion has no way to prove it....
It can't even be bothered to have a deity....
It doesn't have you worship anything, so there is nothing to praise...
It doesn't want money, so I can't make myself rich from it...
It blows light bulbs and messes with my TV reception...
etc. etc....

That was fun.... Thank You CC...

 

[Riverwolf]

I just discard concepts that are worthy of such criticism.

 

[F0uad]

If you think that religion is never Criticized then your living in denial with all respect the Major religions are Criticized 24/7. Muslims Criticize there religion, Christians, Atheist there way of thinking and list goes on.

Hence people convert to one and other..

 

[CynthiaCypher]

I just discard concepts that are worthy of such criticism.

[youtube]Jne9t8sHpUc[/youtube]
Alanis Morissette - Ironic (Video) - YouTube

 

[Riverwolf]

[youtube]Jne9t8sHpUc[/youtube]
Alanis Morissette - Ironic (Video) - YouTube

Could you summarize? I've got other videos playing in the background, and I don't much like watching four minutes of a video in order to receive a message that could be summarized in one or two sentences.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

Could you summarize? I've got other videos playing in the background, and I don't much like watching four minutes of a video in order to receive a message that could be summarized in one or two sentences.

I always found it ironic that Alanis sang a song about irony yet none of the examples she gives in that song can truly qualify has ironic. Ironic isn't it. Just like a person who says they discard concepts worthy of criticism without realizing that that concept might be worthy of criticism in and of itself.

 

[Riverwolf]

I always found it ironic that Alanis sang a song about irony yet none of the examples she gives in that song can truly qualify has ironic. Ironic isn't it. Just like a person who says they discard concepts worthy of criticism without realizing that that concept might be worthy of criticism in and of itself.

You could have achieved the same thing with a simple statement of "Ironic." (But give my grammar-cop senses a bit; that might not be irony at all!)

It might be worthy of criticism in certain religions, but in Hinduism... well, it's said that the number of denominations of Hinduism corresponds to the number of Hindus. :yes:

 

[CynthiaCypher]

You could have achieved the same thing with a simple statement of "Ironic." (But give my grammar-cop senses a bit; that might not be irony at all!)

It might be worthy of criticism in certain religions, but in Hinduism... well, it's said that the number of denominations of Hinduism corresponds to the number of Hindus. :yes:

Every concept, every idea and every thought we have creates it own denial and therefore every concept, idea or thought is worthy of criticism. Including this one. But we just don't simply discard do we?

 

[Riverwolf]

Every concept, every idea and every thought we have creates it own denial and therefore every concept, idea or thought is worthy of criticism. Including this one. But we just don't simply discard do we?

I thought it was rational to discard such things. Wise men teach not to believe in God until one has actually met God.

...but what do you mean when you say that every thought creates denial? I don't fully understand what you mean.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

I thought it was rational to discard such things. Wise men teach not to believe in God until one has actually met God.

...but what do you mean when you say that every thought creates denial? I don't fully understand what you mean.

When you cast light on an object does the light simply reveal the object or does it also reveal the object and creates a shadow of the object? We all want to believe there is just one truth but that's not the case. There is what we believe to be the truth and then there is the shadow of that truth.

 

[Riverwolf]

When you cast light on an object does the light simply reveal the object or does it also reveal the object and creates a shadow of the object? We all want to believe there is just one truth

I don't.

but that's not the case. There is what we believe to be the truth and then there is the shadow of that truth.

Ah, I see. So, every good idea has an inherent negative aspect. I gather that's what you're saying?