Why does it matter what religion you follow if you do no harm?

[dust1n]

Thanks for replies.


And I guess I should ask.. what does it matter to god?

 

[Rainbow Mage]

It doesn't matter, and if you do good deeds, no one can judge you except Wesir himself.

 

[LuisDantas]

I have to wonder if that is possible, however. People can't help but affect each other. Religious beliefs and practices are a subset of the many ways by which they may harm each other.

 

[Tarheeler]

Thanks for replies.


And I guess I should ask.. what does it matter to god?

I can't see how it would matter, as long as one isn't using their faith to bash another.

As for mattering to God, I certainly don't know His mind.

 

[Satans_Serrated_Edge]

Each man answers ultimately only to himself and to those with the power to coerce him. As every man creates his own 'god' or gods, how they might react to any given scenario is entirely dependant on the value system of the one that created them in the first place.

 

[LuisDantas]

True enough, SSE. But should we settle for that? I think not.

 

[darkendless]

Different people consider harm differently.

To me harmful is people disrupting my peace on a saturday to preach to me in my own home.

 

[th1bill]

Answering with te truth often gets me into hot water with folks naming the name of Christ, you see, I am a Christian.I preach and I teach, all week long, but I have not a religion! The Church that Jesus, God in the flesh of a man, established is not the Christian religion that is so broadly sold on the local and national level today. The Christian that Christ will Rapture out of here has an on-going relationship with Him, not a dry bones religion.

 

[Tiapan]

Whats the difference between a false religion and a real religion or are they in fact both the same. Sort of zero=zero analogy. Since wise decisions depend on facts, how can any religion be wise?

Cheers

 

[Shia Islam]

Why does it matter what religion you follow if you do no harm? Reply to Thread

Who decides whether you do no harm...or the opposite?

"Each snowflake in an avalanche pleads not guilty."
Stanislaw J. Lec

 

[MissAlice]

Harm...I think some people have their own definition of harm.

Many cultures and humans don't consider the concept of fighting dogs, torturing animals for entertainment or killing them as a consideration to harm. Some socities actually think animals have no feelings which has always boggled me. But again I'd be hypocrite to say that Hindus who think cows holy many of us eat.

Good thing I'm a vegetarian.

My own belief in harm is a bit complex since anything could be hurtful or harmful to another person who is no control of their plight or situation.

Does that make sense?

 

[Satans_Serrated_Edge]

On the matter of harm - It seems to have been pre-judged as some sort of universal negative. If everything just stopped 'harming' everything else, the food chain would grind to a halt and all life would go extinct. Lefty-greeny idealism isn't tenable for the real world.

 

[LuisDantas]

On the matter of harm - It seems to have been pre-judged as some sort of universal negative. If everything just stopped 'harming' everything else, the food chain would grind to a halt and all life would go extinct. Lefty-greeny idealism isn't tenable for the real world.

You realize that at one time people said much the same about slavery, and woman's lib, right?

 

[Satans_Serrated_Edge]

You realize that at one time people said much the same about slavery, and woman's lib, right?

No I don't 'realize' that because you are comparing apples and oranges. The food chain does not depend on slavery or 'womans lib'. Aside from this catastrophic failure of this ideology right at its core,it continues to fail right on down the line. Even in the context of humanity only, even if we were to somehow make veganism tenable on a large scale (it isn't) and the whole of the human race stopped 'harming' all other animals, society could not function without some incarnation of force. Joe crook walks drives off with you car, but of course nobody is going to stop him, as he would be harmed if he resisted. Best just let him keep it. It's just nonsense.

 

[Caladan]

Why does it matter what religion you follow if you do no harm?

Religion as a deeply rooted social phenomena is also deeply involved with politics and domestic affairs, people will go to great lengths and sometimes great extremes in order to preserve or promote their religious/social convictions.

 

[Breathe]

And I guess I should ask.. what does it matter to god?

It doesn't, in my opinion.

इन्द्रं मित्रं वरुणमग्निमाहुरथो दिव्यः स सुपर्णो गरुत्मान |
एकं सद विप्रा बहुधा वदन्त्यग्निं यमं मातरिश्वानमाहुः ||

The Supreme Truth is one, but the Wise say it in many ways. Some call it Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni, Divya Suparna and others call it Yama and Matarishvan. (Rig.1-164-46) (translation taken from Vedism website)​

To be honest, I don't care if someone worships God or gods or none, as long as one is a good person and doesn't attempt to enforce his or her view on me or others, why should I care what they believe?

 

[Noaidi]

To be honest, I don't care if someone worships God or gods or none, as long as one is a good person and doesn't attempt to enforce his or her view on me or others, why should I care what they believe?

I agree. The problem is when people of one religion start telling followers of other religions / no religion that they are destined for eternal damnation if they don't adhere to their religion (sorry - that was a clumsy sentence). Using scare tactics on others is unacceptable (especially on children).

 

[LuisDantas]

No I don't 'realize' that because you are comparing apples and oranges.

Am I? Really? Why do you think so?

The abolition of slavery was a deep cultural change, that many people sincerely believed to be completely insustanable at the time. Ditto for the idea of married mothers working outside home.

Comparatively, stopping eating meat is a minor, easy thing to do. Assuming that is what you mean, of course.

The food chain does not depend on slavery or 'womans lib'.

For the moment, perhaps so. It is not something that can't change at all.

Aside from this catastrophic failure of this ideology right at its core,it continues to fail right on down the line.

Which ideology are you talking about?

Even in the context of humanity only, even if we were to somehow make veganism tenable on a large scale (it isn't)

Why, of course it is. And it may well turn out to be virtually necessary.

and the whole of the human race stopped 'harming' all other animals, society could not function without some incarnation of force.

Of authority, certainly. Force, however, I very much fail to see why it would be needed except perhaps as a bad memory of sorts.

Joe crook walks drives off with you car, but of course nobody is going to stop him, as he would be harmed if he resisted. Best just let him keep it. It's just nonsense.

In those terms, it is indeed.

 

[Breathe]

I agree. The problem is when people of one religion start telling followers of other religions / no religion that they are destined for eternal damnation if they don't adhere to their religion (sorry - that was a clumsy sentence).

I know what you mean. My opinion is it's theologically clumsy, and it encourages thoughts of being "chosen ones", "preferred by God" or "holders of the Truth".

When you think you've got the ONLY true religion and everyone else will suffer because they don't adhere to the same religion as you, people are often going to try to encourage people to follow their religion, since they don't want them to be tortured by their loving and merciful areyoucra) God (believing in an eternal hell for those who don't subscribe to your theological point of view and a merciful God, that's an oxymoron and a half ) - and it leads to the demonisation of those who refuse to subscribe to your religion, which allows you to consider those who don't adhere to it as less than you, or perhaps evil. It's easier to massacre people whom her or she regard as sub-human hell-bound heretics.

Using scare tactics on others is unacceptable (especially on children).

Yeah, talking about hell is terrible to impressionable minds. I don't think hell-talk is as useful in day and age, or is that just me? Having people try to coerce me into their faith for fear of me being tortured just made me have less interest in that religion.

 

[Satans_Serrated_Edge]

Am I? Really? Why do you think so?

The abolition of slavery was a deep cultural change, that many people sincerely believed to be completely insustanable at the time. Ditto for the idea of married mothers working outside home.

Comparatively, stopping eating meat is a minor, easy thing to do. Assuming that is what you mean, of course.

Apples and oranges because you are comparing arbitrary matters of human social policy to millions of years of biological evolution. The universe doesn't care about human rights.

Why do you think humanity is so special? Animal life exists by destroying and consuming other life. The whole idea that nature is 'too harsh' and needs to be fixed is quite egocentric on our part don't you think? Harm is a necessity for life to exist on a base biological level.

My whole point on this line of dialogue, I suppose, is to question this invisible moral force so many take for granted. Morality is the opinion of those with the power to enforce it. Might , for all intents and purposes, has always been right. The victors always write the history, and force is inevitably the catalyst to invoke the will of those with power.

Given this, to demonize 'harm' is quite naive Why shouldn't we eat meat?