Whose Religion Is It, Anyway?

[Sunstone]

Who gets to decide what's right doctrine and what's wrong doctrine in your religion? Is it justified that they should be the ones to decide? Ideally, who should decide what's right doctrine and what's wrong doctrine?

 

[James the Persian]

Who gets to decide what's right doctrine and what's wrong doctrine in your religion? Is it justified that they should be the ones to decide? Ideally, who should decide what's right doctrine and what's wrong doctrine?

For us, it's the Church as a whole, in concensus. This has stood us extremely well through history and is, I think, the ideal.

James

 

[Green Gaia]

Well, we don't really have any doctrine, but anything that is decided is done so by vote of the congregation.

 

[Mike182]

it's the team of pastors that deal in the doctrines of my church, and although open to suggestions and ideas from teh congregation, it is their decision.

i associate a lot more with my pagan side, however, and there are no doctrines other than the personal moral doctrines i place upon myself.

 

[MaddLlama]

Me. That's the nice thing about starting from the ground up.

 

[Booko]

Who gets to decide what's right doctrine and what's wrong doctrine in your religion? Is it justified that they should be the ones to decide? Ideally, who should decide what's right doctrine and what's wrong doctrine?

The Universal House of Justice, which is a 9-member elected body, located in Haifa. They can't change what in the Writings of Baha'u'llah, but they do decide how to apply what's there when questions arise.

The organizational structure of the Baha'i Faith was laid out by the Founder, Baha'u'llah, which makes it kinda hard to argue with. (Though a few have tried over the years.) It's managed to keep us from sectarian divisions for over a century and a half, so it must be working pretty well.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

It's mine. All of it.

muwhahahahahahaha

 

[arthra]

To supplement what Booko posted above..

For Baha'is our doctrines are pretty much already explained by the Central Figures of our Faith...but how to implement laws and ordinances is an issue for our Universal House of Justice which is elected every five years. I think though that how doctrines are handled in religion can vary... some are more authoritarian than others... IS having a central authority always a bad thing?

Today many people self style their own religion which is a more contemporary phenomenon and indeed even religious people who are following a particular path adapt principles to their own lives and this will vary from person to person.

So there has to me in my opinion a healthy balance between authority and indendent spiritual growth.

- Art

 

[BruceDLimber]

Who gets to decide what's right doctrine and what's wrong doctrine in your religion? Is it justified that they should be the ones to decide? Ideally, who should decide what's right doctrine and what's wrong doctrine?

Hi!

Ideally, God should decide!

In the Baha'i Faith we have a fixed set of scriptures amounting to fully 200 volumes, and these set/define our doctrines and teachings.

And they, in turn, establish our elected administrative bodies. Our world-level elected body, the Universal House of Justice, (and only this body) is empowered by our scriptures (and hence, God) to make any additional rules as needed, and may later amend or revoke its own decisions; our scriptures also explicitly guarantee the correctness of its decisions. It may never alter our scriptures, though, which are fixed for the duration.

Works very well for us!

Best,

Bruce

 

[OneStraw Revolutionary]

The council members of the Old Belief Society determine what is taught, it seems. Each member has a certain amount of say, based on their "honor price". The more done for the Society, the more leeway they get in council meetings.

I think this is a pretty ideal mechanism for this faith, as it reflects the historical significance of honor, and historical is a good half of what is aimed for in this religious reconstruction.

 

[!Fluffy!]

It's mine. All of it.

muwhahahahahahaha

So as you can see in my case, it would be AE.
(Who is surrounded by many acolytes and Holy Candles, I have heard).
:bow:

What about you Sun? Which of the girls on which trampoline gets to tell you how to think?

 

[kateyes]

Guess that would be pretty much up to me with a little help from God.

 

[ALifetimeToWaitFor....]

My doctrine is found in the truth that is blossuming all around me. Mallebility is the name the game, change always changing.