Why do we need rules to follow a religion?

[nnmartin]

Surely a book of rules goes against the core purpose of religion.

Rules stating specific things we must do or not do otherwise we cannot be considered the right type of person.

Obvious standards of morality should go without saying but surely philosophical understanding and spiritual awareness are the key issues.

Who needs rules to find God anyway?

 

[Me Myself]

Surely a book of rules goes against the core purpose of religion.

Rules stating specific things we must do or not do otherwise we cannot be considered the right type of person.

Obvious standards of morality should go without saying but surely philosophical understanding and spiritual awareness are the key issues.

Who needs rules to find God anyway?

An incredibly wide array of people.

I prefer "pointers" or "guides" than rules, but regardless, I do understand the need. If we were already in his bliss, we wouldn´t seek religion, if we are not in his bliss, then we gotta know how to be right? there is where rules/guides/pointers come to place.

 

[Breathe]

IMHO religion is not just philosophy and spirituality, but ethics, history and culture as well. Religion is an attempt to guide us on the path of how to act as better people. However, many use it too heavily and rely on it as a crutch, and need it for every single thing in life.

What kind of rules do you have in mind?

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Surely a book of rules goes against the core purpose of religion.

Surely you don't believe yourself qualified to dictate "the core purpose of religion."

Who needs rules to find God anyway?

You get to determine what you need. But these books distill and refine a great deal. There is too often a shallow arrogance lurking behind a willingness to casually dismiss them.

 

[heretic]

Surely a book of rules goes against the core purpose of religion.

Rules stating specific things we must do or not do otherwise we cannot be considered the right type of person.

Obvious standards of morality should go without saying but surely philosophical understanding and spiritual awareness are the key issues.

Who needs rules to find God anyway?

some religions have multiple purposes , one to define diety and the relationship with him , the other is to define a suitable life style , marals ,and social relations between people.

morality is not about God only , it's about society too , rules should be set to keep a level of harmony and freedom in human societies

finding God both requires faith and morality , morality increase our awareness about God's characteristics

 

[tariqkhwaja]

Assalamualaikum.

It is so sad that we spend hours, days, years, following rules and regulations to achieve various wordly objectives. To get a PhD or to plant trees or to achieve any product or service in live we must follow guidelines and spend days and nights perservering to meet our objectives.

Then when it comes to religion why do we ask such questions? Why should finding God not be a strife and a most difficult one for that matter? Some of us spend hours listening to our boss at the office. Then why should religion be so easy to discover? Why should it not have exams?

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

A large part of religion is based on power and authority. With those things come rules.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

it is rules and dogma that define a religion.
Faith require no such bounds.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Assalamualaikum.

It is so sad that we spend hours, days, years, following rules and regulations to achieve various wordly objectives. To get a PhD or to plant trees or to achieve any product or service in live we must follow guidelines and spend days and nights perservering to meet our objectives.

Then when it comes to religion why do we ask such questions? Why should finding God not be a strife and a most difficult one for that matter? Some of us spend hours listening to our boss at the office. Then why should religion be so easy to discover? Why should it not have exams?

An interesting - and I think valuable - post.

Theology is too easily trivialized. Great philosophers go unread, scholarship is casually dismissed, and people pick, fabricate, or pan religion with a near juvenile arrogance. We seem to have more and more at our fingertips and become more and more shallow as a result. It's sometimes silly, sometimes infuriating, and always say.

 

[Cassiopia]

Surely a book of rules goes against the core purpose of religion.

Oh, and what is the purpose of religion?

Obvious standards of morality should go without saying

If you have been reading much on this and other messageboards it should be clear that standards of morality are not always obvious and almost never "go without saying".

but surely philosophical understanding and spiritual awareness are the key issues.

Of what? The book maybe? The rules and dogma of our religion maybe?

Who needs rules to find God anyway?

Hmm, in my own opinion and based on my own spiritual beliefs and practices I don't think you need rules to find God. However I can only speak for myself. Clearly a large percentage of the worlds population have found God at least in part through study of the rules of their religion.

 

[ChristineES]

Surely a book of rules goes against the core purpose of religion.

Rules stating specific things we must do or not do otherwise we cannot be considered the right type of person.

Obvious standards of morality should go without saying but surely philosophical understanding and spiritual awareness are the key issues.

Who needs rules to find God anyway?

I started another debate awhile back similar to this one. I decided that "rules" was the wrong word to use. A friend in the debate suggested the word "ritual" and I decided that was a better word. I suppose we really don't need rules or ritual to believe in God and I also believe that a person can believe in God without religion. But most people seem to like having some kind of guidelines for their faith, I think it gives them comfort or security.

 

[BruceDLimber]

Surely a book of rules goes against the core purpose of religion.

Hardly, given how useful such clarifications can be!

I don't know what YOU think the core purpose is, but to me, they make eminent sense!!

Peace,

Bruce

 

[pwfaith]

I think everyone needs "rules". As a parent of 5 children I see why every day that rules are necessary in life. They are no different in my faith. Romans 3:19-25a - Paul is saying that the reason God gave us the law was to show us our problem, not to live it perfectly. Many times people think they are "good enough" b/c they compare themselves to other people. Compared to other PEOPLE they probably are pretty "good". BUT when compared to GOD, no one is "good enough". It says "for ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". B/c when we compare ourselves to God, we will ALWAYS "fall short". God gave us the law to show our need, not as a ritual to follow. It is humbling, imo and it helps us live a better life and live life to the fullest.

 

[Muffled]

Surely a book of rules goes against the core purpose of religion.

Rules stating specific things we must do or not do otherwise we cannot be considered the right type of person.

Obvious standards of morality should go without saying but surely philosophical understanding and spiritual awareness are the key issues.

Who needs rules to find God anyway?

It depends on what a person is capable of doing. If a person knows how to do what is right all the time, he doesn't need rules. For most people the rules are necessary. If a person has God available all the time as a guide (Jesus as Savior) there is no need for rules (the law).

This was not the origin of rules in Judaism. The Jews were a saved people (from slavery) by the guidance and power of God through Moses but Moses was only one person. Since people were not able to have God guide them personally, God gave them rules to guide them. It wasn't a very good substitute.

There is no such thing. People who sin don't think their sin is less obvious than the person who abstains. Granted there are some social mores that present themselves as obvious but those came into being by the original laws.

Philosophy tends to be less than perfect and in the case of nihiist philosophy quite absurd. Spiritualiism is not necessarily a good guide in itself since there are evil spirits.

 

[Me Myself]

It depends on what a person is capable of doing. If a person knows how to do what is right all the time, he doesn't need rules. For most people the rules are necessary. If a person has God available all the time as a guide (Jesus as Savior) there is no need for rules (the law).
[/COLOR]

Jesus left a handful of rules if you believe in the bible.

to the least: Love God with all your heart, and love each other the way I loved you

If someone slaps you in one cheek, give him the other one, etc...

 

[bigbadgirl]

Not all religions have rules. It's wrong to say that they all do.