which religions are joyless

[Wu Wei]

I must admit I have never meant a Taoist, Buddhist or Shintoist named Joy..... so it is possible they are Joyless

 

[Thief]

I read about the Carpenter having a good time with some children
and then His own disciples came around and spoiled the fun

 

[Servant_of_the_One1]

There is more than Alcohol and Illegal sex. If u think u cant have fun without alcohol drugs and illegal sex than u are in deep problem!

 

[Nietzsche]

There is a joy to be found in the reading of Scripture, the very words of God, spending time with God and beholding His glory all around, in Creation and His word.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Puritans were far more content and joyful than many of the people living today in our consumerist material-obsessed culture.

While there isn't anything inherently psychologically wrong with finding joy in your own suffering(Masochists are, after all, generally & consistently found to be some of the most psychologically normal and stable people on the planet), I would argue that a society of masochists isn't exactly viable in the long-term.

 

[Kelly of the Phoenix]

Sin is simply doing something that God does not agree with. He doesn't agree with it because it is always harmful to us or others in some way.

Wearing two different fabrics or companion gardening is harmful?

How do you know for a fact that God doesn't agree with something? And what is wrong with stealing from a garden when one's children are starving? What is harmful about that? Or harmful about white lies that keep a person's confidence up and not delving into depression?

Yes, why isn't the sin that the gardener refuses to hand out food to the needy even though they can't possibly eat it all?

Why isn't the sin in assuming we own the plants or animals we take care of anyway?

We know what Gods will is by his words i.e. the bible. Also, farmers were instructed in scripture to leave 'gleanings', which is leaving crops in the fields for the poor and hungry.....(below) An example of God saying to leave food for the poor and others~

How do we know the bible is God's Word? Did God specifically tell you that, or someone else? Also, didn't Team Jesus get in trouble for trying to glean on a Saturday?

True but how do we know what's best for us?

We can start by doing studies to see if it causes harm, both short-term and long-term. This is how we judge how safe medications are, for starters...

 

[Akivah]

The puritans were considered a very joyless religion, with heavy restrictions on alcohol, dress , music , dancing and contact between the sexes.
Muslims seem to follow a similar life style.

like the puritans they seem to want to ensure every one follows that same joylessness.

discuss.........

The religion that sprang to my mind is Scientology. Everything I know about this religion points to adherents that are fearful and in pain.

 

[viole]

I wouldn't be surprised if the Puritans were far more content and joyful than many of the people living today in our consumerist material-obsessed culture.

If you want to achieve the same objectives, I can give you my Swiss Bank account. You are free to deposit everything there that you do not need for immediate survival needs, and make yourself joyful and myself miserable.

I am ready to sacrifice myself in a totally selfless way.

Your call.

Ciao

- viole

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

There is more than Alcohol and Illegal sex. If u think u cant have fun without alcohol drugs and illegal sex than u are in deep problem!

drugs are certainly illegal, though sex and alcohol are not.

appropriate sexual relations can certainly be joyful as can alcohol in moderation.
Dancing to music in the company of friends of various sexes, need not lead to anything immoral nor to excessive drinking.
Denying such amusements and social enjoyments to others is a form of dictatorship, and is morally indefensible.

 

[YmirGF]

I'm unsure if that's more a matter with the modern Western difficulty with facing the reality of death rather than an issue of Christianity itself. My mom was Catholic and she passed away in a hospice this January, and she signed a DNR order. My sister, who lives on the other side of the country and who didn't have to deal with it in a direct way, was more upset about that than I was. I just wanted her suffering to end. I mentioned to a nurse at the hospice that what my mom was going through makes me wish that euthanasia was legal in those contexts.

Frankie, I SO know what you mean. If I could have pushed the plunger a week before she went I would have done so without hesitation. My mom was such a vibrant "go getter" that seeing just lying there tore your heart out. She never wanted to be like that even if was for a mercifully short time of about a week.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

If you want to achieve the same objectives, I can give you my Swiss Bank account. You are free to deposit everything there that you do not need for immediate survival needs, and make yourself joyful and myself miserable.

This is very kind of you, though I wish I had got in first.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Frankie, I SO know what you mean. If I could have pushed the plunger a week before she went I would have done so without hesitation. My mom was such a vibrant "go getter" that seeing just lying there tore your heart out. She never wanted to be like that even if was for a mercifully short time of about a week.

Same. Watching my mom go from being a vibrant, independent woman who worked full time and survived struggles throughout her whole life to becoming a skeletal, incontinent shadow of herself who was in pain, couldn't eat, could barely walk and whose mind was going at the end of it, tore me apart. I'm still hurting from that. I will always hurt from that. She was my hero.

 

[YmirGF]

Same. Watching my mom go from being a vibrant, independent woman who worked full time and survived struggles throughout her whole life to becoming a skeletal, incontinent shadow of herself who was in pain, couldn't eat, could barely walk and whose mind was going at the end of it, tore me apart. I'm still hurting from that. I will always hurt from that. She was my hero.

It gets better, however slowly, pet. *hugs*

 

[Rick O'Shez]

Same. Watching my mom go from being a vibrant, independent woman who worked full time and survived struggles throughout her whole life to becoming a skeletal, incontinent shadow of herself who was in pain, couldn't eat, could barely walk and whose mind was going at the end of it, tore me apart. I'm still hurting from that. I will always hurt from that. She was my hero.

It's very tough. My mum has late-stage dementia, she is bed-bound in a care home. She stopped recognising me about a year ago, and now doesn't really recognise herself either. Nothing I can do but visit and check she is at least physically comfortable - the staff at the home do seem pretty good fortunately.

 

[JoStories]

We know what Gods will is by his words i.e. the bible. Also, farmers were instructed in scripture to leave 'gleanings', which is leaving crops in the fields for the poor and hungry.....(below) An example of God saying to leave food for the poor and others~

Leviticus 23:22
And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.

You state that you say God's will is known by the Bible but that is your belief and not fact. The Bible has no way of being truly proven as God's words as men wrote it and there is too many contradictions and errors to believe that it is really what God would want. Posting verses for me is meaningless as I do not believe in the veracity of the Bible.

 

[JoStories]

EXCERPT>>>>><<<<<<<<<EXCERPT

Hi Jo. The bible is not easy to read for many reasons. I had forgotten how difficult it was until I began reading in its entirety another difficult document , ie the Koran and related writings. Sin to the christian mind is simply an immoral act or one that goes against the teachings of Jesus or God. Being religious means we try or should try to live by those teachings. Engaging in some sinful acts can be serious or more serious than committing an capital offense of mans law. Also knowing what is sinful and what isn't gives Christians moral guidelines, and an 'reality anchor' (my words for a way to compare or decide what is right and wrong). Most serious sinful behavior has counterparts in the rule of western law. Examples of serious sins; Committing adultery, murder, stealing, and giving false witness, slander and others.

The problem I have with your views is that you are bound by a set of rules that leave you hopping from one foot to the other to try to assuage a God you believe in but cannot prove with 100% certainty. As a Buddhist, we have laws which we can follow if we want to. Following these laws is a personal choice but doing so helps to set us on the path to enlightenment. There is no punishment for not following the laws or even making big mistakes. These mistakes or bad choices are life lessons that teach us, or that is the hope. Very different and less bound by rules than your faith

 

[JoStories]

Buddhism is terribly joyless! We are obsessed with suffering and we spend all day staring into the void, we have no sense of humour at all..

That might be true for you but certainly not for me. I find joy in many things, not the least of which is nature, spirituality, my family and friends, etc.

 

[JoStories]

The law found in the Bible for us to follow is there for our own wellbeing... If a person steals due to starvation I don't think God will judge them harshly

How do you know that? The Bible is very clear that stealing is a big no no. Thou shalt not steal. Putting conditions on that means that one can put conditions on any of your commandments.

 

[JoStories]

I'm unsure if that's more a matter with the modern Western difficulty with facing the reality of death rather than an issue of Christianity itself. My mom was Catholic and she passed away in a hospice this January, and she signed a DNR order. My sister, who lives on the other side of the country and who didn't have to deal with it in a direct way, was more upset about that than I was. I just wanted her suffering to end. I mentioned to a nurse at the hospice that what my mom was going through makes me wish that euthanasia was legal in those contexts.

You could be right. I just know from experience that the people most likely to NOT let go are Christians and it makes me sad to see. Elders well over 80 or 90 suffering like you have no clue and the family thinks they will get better. I mean, come on folks. We are finite creatures. Like it or not, we die. And I agree that euthanasia should be legal but that will never happen as long as this country is largely Christian.

 

[JoStories]

You have a very sad perspective on Jesus adherence. If I held those opinions, I would run away from 'Christianity', as well. or the Bible, in general

My 'sad perspective' was built on my childhood where my forward thinking parents exposed me to every single faith they could find. Then my studies in theology which led to a PhD also taught me that the Bible is just a book written by men. Yes, it contains many lovely things, such as the Sermon on the Mount which I love. But then you are weighed down by Paulian dogma which is misogynist and largely has nothing to do with what Christ taught. Instead, as a Native American, I embraced a spiritual path that works for me and is largely Buddhist. I also was exposed to Judaism, Quakerism, my own heritage in NA lore, Christianity, Atheism, and more.

 

[JoStories]

It's very tough. My mum has late-stage dementia, she is bed-bound in a care home. She stopped recognising me about a year ago, and now doesn't really recognise herself either. Nothing I can do but visit and check she is at least physically comfortable - the staff at the home do seem pretty good fortunately.

I'm so sorry. My mother also has dementia although her's is in the early stages. It is the hardest thing to watch someone you love simply disappear into an ether that has no meaning to even the person.