What is the proper way to spread religion?

[Storm]

You didn't answer the question.

 

[blackout]

Destroying cultures is taking the original faith of the people, and replacing it with another.
.

But what if you just took away the original faith of a people,
and replaced it with humanism, or consumerism or technology.
Do Levis, Coca Cola & Disney not also destroy culture(s)?

Just saying... you can even "bait and switch" a people's "belief system"
through advertizing, and continual media/corporate/governmental hype.

It doesn't have to be one "proper religion" for another.

 

[Storm]

I have to say I think atheism should be considered a "religion" in this context. EDIT: not wanting to get into that debate, though, a better word would be "worldview."

 

[darkendless]

If you read my post my examples were severe punishment for not embracing Christianity.

Of course theres more than just other religions destroying cultures, but maybe they weren't able to stand the test of time. I was thinking more along the lines of deliberately enforcing Christianity in place of the original belief systems. Theres a slight difference between product advertising and beheading anyone who doesn't accept a particular belief.

Storm to answer your question: some people want to convert the whole world, atheists are no different. They pride themselves on their anti-theism just as some religious folk love to spread the word of the good book. For me its too hard, let people believe what they want to. Your merits aren't based on how many sheep you can add to your flock in the time you're given.

 

[blackout]

If you read my post my examples were severe punishment for not embracing Christianity.

Of course theres more than just other religions destroying cultures, but maybe they weren't able to stand the test of time. I was thinking more along the lines of deliberately enforcing Christianity in place of the original belief systems. Theres a slight difference between product advertising and beheading anyone who doesn't accept a particular belief.

Most definately!

For some reason I had gotten the impression you were making a "generalized" statement that only a Religion Proper could Destroy a Culture (by enforcing a new religion in it's place). Perhaps it was because of the posts that preceeded yours. I'm not sure. Comunist athiesm certainly could be added to your examples of heavy handed "belief control". (My first example probably was not as fitting.)

 

[Azakel]

Destroying cultures is taking the original faith of the people, and replacing it with another.
Examples : Norway, Sweden (thousands killed for paganism), Africa (slave trading), Roman Empire (pagans burnt to death).
Isn't the spreading of Chrstianity a pleasant business? Thousands would have been spared reaining their native culture should they have not been destroyed with the people who carried them in favour of Christianity.
Norse mythology was almost lost because the nords carried it verbally, not much was actually written. In order to convert the Norse, the pagans were told their gods were demons, how sad.

A lot more people went to Christianity on there own, and a lot less killed then people try to make thing out to be.

This can't be pinned all on Christianity, you must also then blame all the African religions. Thing like slave trading was a part of there culture amongst the tribes before Christianity.

Yeah and in the Roman Empire Christians were burned to death what's your point.

Here the thing, it's not there religion that destroys the cultures, it's the people within the religion. One group of people in the religion might want to change people by torture, while another group doesn't believe in changing people, let them come if they will. So do we blame the whole religion on being evil on the first group then?

 

[Dunemeister]

The Christian vision is this (with respect to culture):

I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. People will bring into it the glory and the honour of the nations. But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practises abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

"The city" here is the New Jerusalem, a symbolic vision of the renewed heavens and earth. In this vision, the glory of the kings and nations of the earth shall be brought into the city. Here we see the various cultures of the world, redeemed and freed of all that is unclean, will be part of this renewed humanity.

Although the results are obviously spotty, we can see glimpses of this in current Christianity, whose cultural expressions show a dizzying variety, even within just North America (to look no further). There are aspects of culture that are beautiful and worth retaining, and there are parts best left behind (those are probably the hardest to let go, however). That's certainly not to say that there haven't been errors in judgment in the process, but suffice to say that God will have his way, and in the end what is truly glorious in the nations will be brought into the city of God.

 

[tomspug]

Destroying cultures is taking the original faith of the people, and replacing it with another.

Yeah. That's right. Go ahead and pretend that atheism isn't a faith.

 

[UnTheist]

Yeah. That's right. Go ahead and pretend that atheism isn't a faith.

Go ahead and keep pretending that it is

 

[Storm]

For purposes of this thread, I think it's only reasonable to include atheism.

 

[fantome profane]

But what if you just took away the original faith of a people,
and replaced it with humanism, or consumerism or technology.
Do Levis, Coca Cola & Disney not also destroy culture(s)?

Just saying... you can even "bait and switch" a people's "belief system"
through advertizing, and continual media/corporate/governmental hype.

It doesn't have to be one "proper religion" for another.

I think there is a valid point here, but I am not aware of any instances where people were tortured or killed for not drinking coke or wearing levi’s. There is a very real difference between people losing their culture, and having their culture taken from them.

 

[Troublemane]

I still think the proper way to spread religion is from left to right, evenly across the surface of the toast.

 

[Quagmire]

I still think the proper way to spread religion is from left to right, evenly across the surface of the toast.

That's only if your religion involves peanut butter, which mine does, so this actually works.

 

[darkendless]

Yeah. That's right. Go ahead and pretend that atheism isn't a faith.

If you actually bothered to read the rest of my posts i stated atheism is no different, well not in this instance

 

[darkendless]

A lot more people went to Christianity on there own, and a lot less killed then people try to make thing out to be.

This can't be pinned all on Christianity, you must also then blame all the African religions. Thing like slave trading was a part of there culture amongst the tribes before Christianity.

Yeah and in the Roman Empire Christians were burned to death what's your point.

Here the thing, it's not there religion that destroys the cultures, it's the people within the religion. One group of people in the religion might want to change people by torture, while another group doesn't believe in changing people, let them come if they will. So do we blame the whole religion on being evil on the first group then?

Christianity just featured in my examples, of course they're not the only ones to blame. Yes before Emperors before constantine burned Christians, i guess its fair to turn around and get em'back isn't it.
My problem with your last paragraph is how much does religion Influence the person? If someone attributes their work to a particular faith, how much of it is actually the person?

 

[Storm]

My problem with your last paragraph is how much does religion Influence the person? If someone attributes their work to a particular faith, how much of it is actually the person?

I think religion can encourage a basically good person to live with greater generosity of spirit, but that's as far as it goes.

Of course, it can also be selectively read so that a basically not-so-good person finds justification for their hateful actions.

Basically, it reflects what you bring to it, and magnifies it. The ultimate responsibility lies with the individual.

Hope that made sense....

 

[gnomon]

Yeah. That's right. Go ahead and pretend that atheism isn't a faith.

It isn't.


Neener-neener.

 

[Azakel]

Christianity just featured in my examples, of course they're not the only ones to blame. Yes before Emperors before constantine burned Christians, i guess its fair to turn around and get em'back isn't it.
My problem with your last paragraph is how much does religion Influence the person? If someone attributes their work to a particular faith, how much of it is actually the person?

Now that would depend on the person right. It could be all that it is them, or non out all. That's way one can't judge something like religion be one or two groups, all must be looked at in there own way.

 

[Azakel]

I think religion can encourage a basically good person to live with greater generosity of spirit, but that's as far as it goes.

Of course, it can also be selectively read so that a basically not-so-good person finds justification for their hateful actions.

Basically, it reflects what you bring to it, and magnifies it. The ultimate responsibility lies with the individual.

Hope that made sense....

Yeah better then mine I think. ^_^

 

[gnomon]

Destroying cultures is taking the original faith of the people, and replacing it with another.
Examples : Norway, Sweden (thousands killed for paganism), Africa (slave trading), Roman Empire (pagans burnt to death).
Isn't the spreading of Chrstianity a pleasant business? Thousands would have been spared reaining their native culture should they have not been destroyed with the people who carried them in favour of Christianity.
Norse mythology was almost lost because the nords carried it verbally, not much was actually written. In order to convert the Norse, the pagans were told their gods were demons, how sad.

The Norse mythology is a good example of religion as a prime factor in the attempt to destroy one culture. Those making the attempt didn't fully succeed but much damage was still done. What we have now of that mythology is little and fractured. I believe that many of those leading the persecution were people from the same ethnic group as well. Which just goes to show how any concept, in this case a religious one, can be used by anyone against what would be considered their own.

However, it is also fair to show how Christianity spread in other areas of Europe. Arianism was existent among Germanic tribes and the Coptic church was developing before the Roman Catholic or Orthodox Church gained dominance in their respective regions. The transition from paganism to Christianity in the British Isles and Ireland were not nearly so violent. In Ireland, they were relatively non-violent compared to what was going on between similar cultures on the mainland of Europe.

edit: I had more to say on this but my nephew demanded that I pay attention to what he was doing. Now, I have no idea what it was I was going to say. So gumdrop, snickerdoodle, chickenhead.