What Is Your Most Controversial Religious Opinion?

[DharmaCatLamp]

Religions are way less important in people's lives than religious people think they are.

Religious people behave like atheists the vast majority of the time. Despite thinking that their religion is a central part of their life, people tend not to actually live as if their religions' tenets are reliably true... and those who do live this way come across as very bizarre.

I am inclined to agree.
My own experience of being someone born into a non-religious family but finding that spirituality was rather important to me I often got the feeling that religion was window dressing for folks. I would go to churches, mosques, temples etc on my journey and tended to find that people liked the social aspect of religion but didn't actually seem to pay it much mind. For other people religion was much more about identifying with a group than any deeper spiritual meaning. When trying to talk to people about religion their eyes would often glaze over and people born into traditions just didn't seem to find it as important as I did.

Now this is not always the case and I don't think this makes me better or somehow more holy than those people. I just couldn't help but notice that the enthusiasm I had towards learning more or practice was just not shared. It reminds me of this ultra conservative guy at my old work who was a pastor but loved guns. When I asked him about turning the other cheek he said " Oh I don't believe in that crap." which told me that his identity as a gun lover was more important than his identity as a christian in that case and that was coming from a pastor lol

 

[Twilight Hue]

I've been watching some videos with what we might call controversial opinions. Some of these are about philosophy, some of these are about Ukraine etc.

What controversial opinions do you have about religion or other religious traditions?

I suppose one controversial opinion I'll share is that pretty much any religion examined on a strictly surface level or through a literalist framework is just going to sound ridiculous. I am strongly in favor of examine religions on a deeper level and all but completely forgetting the surface level of scriptures etc.

I think if you take the Bible as an example and interpret it as literal historical events not only does it become less useful but it also becomes far more harmful. This is true of the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Quran etc. Quran being a little different because a good portion of that is aimed directly at the ummah at the time but a good portion of the stories referred to by the Quran have the same issue as stories from the Bible. Mostly because they are the same stories in a lot of cases.

For me its the broad use of religion to make money , stroke people's egos, and massage a person's overbloated sense of self importance.

 

[DharmaCatLamp]

Christianity and it's duplicates are kinda silly.

I think I am inclined to agree. During my long spiritual quest I have to admit I just never got very much out of Christianity. It's interesting and I like a lot of the art / history involved but as an actual practice I always found it rather lacking. There are not too many religions I am willing to say I don't take much from but Christianity is one of them. Though I do find people like Meister Eckhart interesting.

 

[DharmaCatLamp]

Heck where I live my whole religious practice is controversal.

I mean...have you tried arguing that pagan gods aren't demons to more then one person, argued that worshiping multiple gods is valid and such?

I just casually mentioned at dinner im a luciferian pagan witch as I thought everyone at the group home already knew not like i hide it. Im open about it and it's no secret. I mention this cuz she was talking about how everyone at the dinner table should say grace and my response was: I'm a luciferian and a pagan witch sooo...if we saying grace might be better if I pray separately from y'all. The staff member on duty laughed and said you are a pagan witch? I was like "Yes ma'am. For some reason she seemed to think the idea of someone worshipping many gods was funny and said something about that being ridiculous.

Where I live in NC everyone assumes you are a Christian. If you aint you will most likely be automatically are seen very differently and often can be treated differently.

Funny enough I have actually argued with people about multiple gods being a valid belief and practice.
I've tended to find that a lot of people who immediately find that idea ridiculous haven't actually thought about it all that much. I mean the people who laugh outright at the idea that some other belief is possible. I remember talking to certain people and making the argument back then that it didn't really make much sense for a monotheistic god who was concerned with who we worshiped to allow us to develop intricate polytheistic systems before monotheism. It was an interesting thing to debate to me lol.

 

[JustGeorge]

Where I live in NC everyone assumes you are a Christian. If you aint you will most likely be automatically are seen very differently and often can be treated differently.

My husband(who moved here from NC) was terrified when it got out at work that he wasn't Christian. He feared there would be violence against him. It took me awhile to convince him that nothing will happen here other than a few dirty looks...

I am inclined to agree.
My own experience of being someone born into a non-religious family but finding that spirituality was rather important to me I often got the feeling that religion was window dressing for folks. I would go to churches, mosques, temples etc on my journey and tended to find that people liked the social aspect of religion but didn't actually seem to pay it much mind. For other people religion was much more about identifying with a group than any deeper spiritual meaning. When trying to talk to people about religion their eyes would often glaze over and people born into traditions just didn't seem to find it as important as I did.

Now this is not always the case and I don't think this makes me better or somehow more holy than those people. I just couldn't help but notice that the enthusiasm I had towards learning more or practice was just not shared. It reminds me of this ultra conservative guy at my old work who was a pastor but loved guns. When I asked him about turning the other cheek he said " Oh I don't believe in that crap." which told me that his identity as a gun lover was more important than his identity as a christian in that case and that was coming from a pastor lol

Sometimes I think those who choose their religion(or that choose to go deeper into their birth religion) are at an advantage opposed to those born into it. The choosers really have to sit and think, and application is usually part of that process, where someone born into it often takes it for granted and doesn't necessarily study any deeper. (Not to say they can't; some do indeed study into their birth religion, but I don't think its terribly common.)

 

[ppp]

I've been watching some videos with what we might call controversial opinions. Some of these are about philosophy, some of these are about Ukraine etc.

What controversial opinions do you have about religion or other religious traditions?

I suppose one controversial opinion I'll share is that pretty much any religion examined on a strictly surface level or through a literalist framework is just going to sound ridiculous. I am strongly in favor of examine religions on a deeper level and all but completely forgetting the surface level of scriptures etc.

I think if you take the Bible as an example and interpret it as literal historical events not only does it become less useful but it also becomes far more harmful. This is true of the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Quran etc. Quran being a little different because a good portion of that is aimed directly at the ummah at the time but a good portion of the stories referred to by the Quran have the same issue as stories from the Bible. Mostly because they are the same stories in a lot of cases.

No one really believes that their god is omnipotent.

 

[VoidCat]

My husband(who moved here from NC) was terrified when it got out at work that he wasn't Christian. He feared there would be violence against him. It took me awhile to convince him that nothing will happen here other than a few dirty looks

I've had the same fears myself

 

[firedragon]

I've been watching some videos with what we might call controversial opinions. Some of these are about philosophy, some of these are about Ukraine etc.

What controversial opinions do you have about religion or other religious traditions?

I suppose one controversial opinion I'll share is that pretty much any religion examined on a strictly surface level or through a literalist framework is just going to sound ridiculous. I am strongly in favor of examine religions on a deeper level and all but completely forgetting the surface level of scriptures etc.

I think if you take the Bible as an example and interpret it as literal historical events not only does it become less useful but it also becomes far more harmful. This is true of the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Quran etc. Quran being a little different because a good portion of that is aimed directly at the ummah at the time but a good portion of the stories referred to by the Quran have the same issue as stories from the Bible. Mostly because they are the same stories in a lot of cases.

One should not make such a big case unless these books cited are studied a bit deep. You write nicely, but in my opinion, its a bit too much of a sweeping statement.

 

[Kfox]

I've been watching some videos with what we might call controversial opinions. Some of these are about philosophy, some of these are about Ukraine etc.

What controversial opinions do you have about religion or other religious traditions?

I suppose one controversial opinion I'll share is that pretty much any religion examined on a strictly surface level or through a literalist framework is just going to sound ridiculous. I am strongly in favor of examine religions on a deeper level and all but completely forgetting the surface level of scriptures etc.

I think if you take the Bible as an example and interpret it as literal historical events not only does it become less useful but it also becomes far more harmful. This is true of the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Quran etc. Quran being a little different because a good portion of that is aimed directly at the ummah at the time but a good portion of the stories referred to by the Quran have the same issue as stories from the Bible. Mostly because they are the same stories in a lot of cases.

I feel it would be a disrespect to my ancestors if I were to embrace the religion of their oppressors.

 

[VoidCat]

I've had the same fears myself

@JustGeorge
There's this pagan temple for wiccans. I can't remember what it's called but it's in NC. They had to close down and relocate cuz some Christians decided recently to trash it. They aren't very open about the exact address on the page there's contact info and you have to message them a bit online then meet them in person a few times before they give you an address

 

[Aštra’el]

Heck where I live my whole religious practice is controversal.

I mean...have you tried arguing that pagan gods aren't demons to more then one person, argued that worshiping multiple gods is valid and such?

I just casually mentioned at dinner im a luciferian pagan witch as I thought everyone at the group home already knew not like i hide it. Im open about it and it's no secret. I mention this cuz she was talking about how everyone at the dinner table should say grace and my response was: I'm a luciferian and a pagan witch sooo...if we saying grace might be better if I pray separately from y'all. The staff member on duty laughed and said you are a pagan witch? I was like "Yes ma'am. For some reason she seemed to think the idea of someone worshipping many gods was funny and said something about that being ridiculous.

Where I live in NC everyone assumes you are a Christian. If you aint you will most likely be automatically seen very differently and often can be treated differently.

Sometimes the most “satanic” course of action is to adapt and mimic people’s customs to blend in and exploit their perceptions of you. Far more can be accomplished in this way, than by drawing their ire with overhonest, recklessly outspoken, and untamed personal expression.

Just something to consider. People are more easily swayed when you have their trust, love and respect.

 

[Sedim Haba]

ALL of my religious opinions are controversial. Which is why I shall keep them all to myself from now on.

 

[Heyo]

I don't really have any controversial opinions. What comes closest is the "motto" of my philosophy: "I don't know what a god is - and neither do you." But as I said, it doesn't seem to be controversial. Almost everybody accepts it and rarely anyone wants to debate it.

Update: Even though I have expressed my opinion occasionally since I'm a member, only now is a debate ongoing. Seems it's controversial after all.

 

[robocop (actually)]

I've been watching some videos with what we might call controversial opinions. Some of these are about philosophy, some of these are about Ukraine etc.

What controversial opinions do you have about religion or other religious traditions?

I suppose one controversial opinion I'll share is that pretty much any religion examined on a strictly surface level or through a literalist framework is just going to sound ridiculous. I am strongly in favor of examine religions on a deeper level and all but completely forgetting the surface level of scriptures etc.

I think if you take the Bible as an example and interpret it as literal historical events not only does it become less useful but it also becomes far more harmful. This is true of the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Quran etc. Quran being a little different because a good portion of that is aimed directly at the ummah at the time but a good portion of the stories referred to by the Quran have the same issue as stories from the Bible. Mostly because they are the same stories in a lot of cases.

Not an opinion for us, but the most controversial aspect of our religion is that we believe Joseph Smith prayed to know which Church to join and was visited by God and Jesus Christ who told him none of the churches were true and that he would help set up the true church.

 

[Viker]

Don't know which one. Pretty much my entire religious belief system.

Perhaps the belief that I will join the gods of yore after all of this or that witchcraft is a genuine thing that has effect.

 

[Viker]

@JustGeorge
There's this pagan temple for wiccans. I can't remember what it's called but it's in NC. They had to close down and relocate cuz some Christians decided recently to trash it. They aren't very open about the exact address on the page there's contact info and you have to message them a bit online then meet them in person a few times before they give you an address

My big sister is Wiccan and lives in NC. Her coven has had issues in the past with locals. Some relocated and they seem more underground. Of course, mine is sort of underground but mainly by choice not fear of local persecution.

 

[DKH]

I've been watching some videos with what we might call controversial opinions. Some of these are about philosophy, some of these are about Ukraine etc.

What controversial opinions do you have about religion or other religious traditions?

I suppose one controversial opinion I'll share is that pretty much any religion examined on a strictly surface level or through a literalist framework is just going to sound ridiculous. I am strongly in favor of examine religions on a deeper level and all but completely forgetting the surface level of scriptures etc.

I think if you take the Bible as an example and interpret it as literal historical events not only does it become less useful but it also becomes far more harmful. This is true of the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Quran etc. Quran being a little different because a good portion of that is aimed directly at the ummah at the time but a good portion of the stories referred to by the Quran have the same issue as stories from the Bible. Mostly because they are the same stories in a lot of cases.

That the true gospel and who is to be worshipped isn't being preached by any organized religion.

 

[Muffled]

I had a post supporting my view of Jesus being God, go over 150 pages. It also comes up often in other posts. However that is not my most controversial belief. I believe that would be believing that the Qu'ran is the word of God and is in agreement with the Bible.

 

[Muffled]

... That most expressions of religion counteract their own purpose. Instead of serving humanity, they want humanity to serve them.

I believe humanity tends towards evil. Why would we wish that as a replacement for God who is good?

 

[Muffled]

It appears that there is only One God wins hands down.

Regards Tony

I believe that is a non-controversy in monotheistic religions.

How many people other than Bahai's will agree that the B man is a manifestation of God?