Why learn about other faiths?

[Vinayaka]

You are 100% correct. As a matter of fact, studies have actually shown that the more Mormons a person knows, the better their overall impression of us will be. I know more than a few Mormons myself who are absolutely the most self-righteous jerks alive. It's so unfortunate how one person can color your perspective of an entire group of people.

My neighbour former missionary house sits empty these days. Not at all sure what happened. The last guys I talked to told me they would be the last. It's not much of a house, and may be in receivership or something, or the owner decided to stop lending it, who knows. Anyways, I miss my across the fence casual chats. I learned so much about your missionary program, and the disciplines they're out through as part of it. Who's going to shovel my front walk when I turn 80?

 

[Katzpur]

Who's going to shovel my front walk when I turn 80?

Hmmm. That could be a problem!

 

[Dawnofhope]

I think you need to know some, but not a ton. You can respect someone for actions without delving into how they believe. Since faith and politics tend to be where some folks put their energy into, it can be dicey to bring it up. Certainly you could destroy what could otherwise be a great friendship.

Tolerance is within yourself anyway.

I agree.

Learning too much can lead you down the wrong direction in that. Certainly, I was far more tolerant to the Baha'i faith before I found out more about it.

I'm very aware of that of course.

What I didn't know before talking to some Hindus on RF was how fiercely anti-Abrahamic so many Hindus are and to appreciate why. That doesn't stop me liking Hindus and seeing much to be admired in many of its adherents. I including you in that category even if its not reciprocated. Nor has it stopped me from seeing the enormous positives within the spectrum of belief that has arisen from the Indian sub-continent. I can honestly say I have no ill feeling towards Hinduism or Hindus at all.

I wonder what its like experiencing antipathy towards another faith and if that can be harmful.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

So does your contempt for religion extend to contempt for those who practice it?

A bit, yeah. At the very least, I feel a sense of distance between theists and me. The more I explore religion, the harder it is to relate to religious people who take their religion seriously.

Like I said before, I feel no drive to try to convert people to Mormonism, but I feel that my own life has been made better because of my beliefs. I also think I'm probably a better person because of my beliefs. Do you think I'd actually be a better person or a happier person if I didn't believe in God?

I think that belief in God is mostly irrelevant to people’s happiness, though there are exceptions: for instance, I’ve seen religious people close to me go through serious - and IMO unhealthy - anguish trying to reconcile the death of a loved one with “God’s plan.”

I can’t understand at all why someone would think that any version of Christian faith would make them a good person. If anything, it seems to me that it should discourage believers from helping others. “Because God is watching over us, knows what we need, and can help us whenever he chooses, I need to help other people more?” It makes no sense to me.

When I pass a fire and the firefighters are already on the scene, I don’t rush in with my fire extinguisher; I just keep driving. It’s not that I’m being uncharitable; it’s that I know that the best people to deal with the problem are already on the case and there’s nothing I can do to help that they can’t do better. Why wouldn’t a believer take this attitude with anything the think God already knows about... i.e. every single problem on Earth? What are you going to do that God can’t do?

 

[Katzpur]

A bit, yeah. At the very least, I feel a sense of distance between theists and me. The more I explore religion, the harder it is to relate to religious people who take their religion seriously.

That's too bad. I believe you're missing out on a great many rewarding relationships with theists who couldn't care less whether you were a believer or not.

I can’t understand at all why someone would think that any version of Christian faith would make them a good person. If anything, it seems to me that it should discourage believers from helping others. “Because God is watching over us, knows what we need, and can help us whenever he chooses, I need to help other people more?” It makes no sense to me.

Nor does it to me. But then that's not the version of Christianity I subscribe to.

 

[Vinayaka]

I agree.



I'm very aware of that of course.

What I didn't know before talking to some Hindus on RF was how fiercely anti-Abrahamic so many Hindus are and to appreciate why. That doesn't stop me liking Hindus and seeing much to be admired in many of its adherents. I including you in that category even if its not reciprocated. Nor has it stopped me from seeing the enormous positives within the spectrum of belief that has arisen from the Indian sub-continent. I can honestly say I have no ill feeling towards Hinduism or Hindus at all.

I wonder what its like experiencing antipathy towards another faith and if that can be harmful.

I hold no animosity either, although I know you don't believe me. It's not animosity, more just distrust. Going on my previous statement about observing individuals, I've generally had reasonable discussions with you. I can't say the same for all Baha'i though. Religiously, I know I would disagree with Katzpur philosophically almost as much as I do with the Baha'i philosophy, but it's actions that speak. In looking at the distortion of numbers, for example, in my neighbouring province an unincorporated hamlet with a population of 10 people was listed as a place to contact Baha'i. So that sort of stuff, and the condescending attitude I got did a number on my personal tolerance, and I since regret entering the 'debates' at all. It wasn't conducive to healthy interfaith. Better, in retrospect, to have dropped out much much sooner.

 

[Dawnofhope]

Don't you think, though, that this kind of mentality is already present in people for whom knowledge breeds contempt? I can't imagine that someone who had a genuine interest in becoming better educated about other people's beliefs would end up turning hateful. Somehow, I think those people are really just looking for reasons to justify their contempt from the outset.

I agree.

The Bible is an integral part of our faith. For some reason, people seem to think that we reject it in favor of The Book of Mormon, which is not the case at all. I, too, love the story of the Good Samaritan. If only people would stop to consider one another's humanity before writing them off.

Cool. I had a slightly different and skewed impression talking to another of your co-religionist here recently so thank you for clearing that up. So basically we both believe in the Jesus in the bible?

I'm not into writing people off or their religions and nor are you. There are of course those with a clear agenda to do just that.

P.S. No, there's not a "new correct title," just a new emphasis on what has been the correct title for the last 180 years. We're supposed to call our church The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and we're supposed to refer to ourselves as Latter-day Saints. Such a mouthful!

Its is a mouthful lol but then I don't want to be disrespectful. Thanks for clearing that up as well.

I recall seeing an item in the news.

LDS Church issues statement clarifying church's name, style

 

[Katzpur]

Cool. I had a slightly different and skewed impression talking to another of your co-religionist here recently so thank you for clearing that up. So basically we both believe in the Jesus in the bible?

Yes we do. Are you telling me that another practicing LDS person told you we don't believe in the Bible, rely on it heavily, or study it? Or am I misunderstanding you?

Here's what our leadership has said about the Bible: The Miracle of the Holy Bible. We even offer to send people a free Bible (the KJV), no strings attached. Of course, we're always happy to send them a copy of The Book of Mormon, too, but that's not part of this offer. And in our adult Sunday School classes, we study the Bible for two out of every four years.

 

[wandering peacefully]

One of the strengths of religious forum is the diversity of Faiths represented. That presents an excellent opportunity to learn about the faiths of others. This opportunity doesn’t readily present itself to the same degree where I live as religion has become a risky topic of conversation and so best avoided. This year I joined my cities Interfaith council so that’s been helpful.

But why learn about the religion of another in the first place? What is your motivation and what is mine? It’s a personal question really. For me I like to see the bigger picture of ‘world history’ with civilisations that have come and been, and ideologies and beliefs that inspired the masses. It helps me better understand the world as it is today and others in an increasingly multicultural world. It also brings coherence to my own faith and worldview I can not deny.

Obviously there’s other agendas too. We can learn about another faiths so we can make our own beliefs look good and demean others. Many of us know that illusory satisfaction in our worldview as we build our straw man as to what we imagine another’s faith is about. Ego trips are part of the human condition and whose really immune?

Anyway thoughts and reflections? Thanks for listening and discussing if your interested.

Different religions tell us something about the way people think and live in cultures other than our own and it's very interesting psychologically wise as well.

It allows one to see they indeed don't have the one "True" answer. Because there are thousands of different answers. They can't all be true now can they? Well, yes they can because they are a reflection of the humans who created them within their culture and location . No two beliefs are alike because no two humans are alike.

The truth all religions do have in common is the belief that they know something they cannot possibly know.

It is always good to know things about ones fellow human beings including what they believe and how they live. Religious texts are a way of learning that. I'm particularlly into Buddha's words. And many Native American myths and beliefs.

 

[sayak83]

One of the strengths of religious forum is the diversity of Faiths represented. That presents an excellent opportunity to learn about the faiths of others. This opportunity doesn’t readily present itself to the same degree where I live as religion has become a risky topic of conversation and so best avoided. This year I joined my cities Interfaith council so that’s been helpful.

But why learn about the religion of another in the first place? What is your motivation and what is mine? It’s a personal question really. For me I like to see the bigger picture of ‘world history’ with civilisations that have come and been, and ideologies and beliefs that inspired the masses. It helps me better understand the world as it is today and others in an increasingly multicultural world. It also brings coherence to my own faith and worldview I can not deny.

Obviously there’s other agendas too. We can learn about another faiths so we can make our own beliefs look good and demean others. Many of us know that illusory satisfaction in our worldview as we build our straw man as to what we imagine another’s faith is about. Ego trips are part of the human condition and whose really immune?

Anyway thoughts and reflections? Thanks for listening and discussing if your interested.

Ignorance about beliefs of others leads to a lot of divisive hate mongering. I do not wish to be a part of that. That is my reason.

 

[Vinayaka]

Ignorance about beliefs of others leads to a lot of divisive hate mongering. I do not wish to be a part of that. That is my reason.

It can go both ways. Sometimes knowledge, for some, can lead to hate-mongering. I separate hate from what someone believes. We're all human. How many times have you seen people judge another without having any clue about that person, as a person?

 

[MonkeyFire]

Learn? Only knowledge, and always.

 

[sayak83]

It can go both ways. Sometimes knowledge, for some, can lead to hate-mongering. I separate hate from what someone believes. We're all human. How many times have you seen people judge another without having any clue about that person, as a person?

People who use knowledge to sow hate and division based on carefully massaged half-truths are professional sophists. Folks who believe what these sophists are saying are falling victims since they do not know better. Knowing of both kind (other beliefs and the people who have them) helps against such propaganda.

 

[Dawnofhope]

Im very very empathic; so, when I talk to different religious people and go to different houses of worship, I get a very serene feeling that I can stay there foreever. Some would call it god (actually, many people do use the same word for human feelings), but regardless, that provokes my interest in knowing other faiths.

That sounds really healthy that you feel so connected and empathetic towards others that you feel compelled to learn more about their beliefs.

I do feel boundaries between myself and other religions highly important. Some empathetic people really find it necessary to sheild ourselves from other people aura for lack of better non-mystical word. Places, people, and objects hold a high energy to which its history, culture, and story affects me. So, I do like going to Churches but at the same time, I get a little feeing inside -this isnt right-
.

I can understand knowing some of your life history why you wouldn't feel so comfortable in a church.

Having clear boundaries can be very important for interfaith discussions. I tend not to think that way, and that can lead to misunderstandings.

So, that prevents me from learning more about religions in a personal context. Id be oversteping my boundaries. Some people here thought I wanted to be Hindu just because I visited their temple. Others thought I wanted to be Pagan and Christian because religion just rubs off on me.

I thought you were a Catholic the first time we spoke lol.

But I learn it because of interest and keep a wall between myself unless I am going into that religion. So its not extremely important to me. Too much emotions and energy involved it makes me exausted. Online helps a lot

Being online can enable quite a safe barrier for certain.

 

[lukethethird]

It wasn't until I learned of other faiths that I realized mine was of the true faith, and that's when I became a better person.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

That's too bad. I believe you're missing out on a great many rewarding relationships with theists who couldn't care less whether you were a believer or not.

I’m sure I am. The problem is that *I* care.

Nobody is perfectly rational, but when someone embraces their failure of critical thinking - whether it’s strong religiosity, anti-vax views, being really into homeopathy, “9-11 truther”-ism, etc. - I just can’t relate to the way they process and interpret the world.

 

[iam1me]

I got my BA in Religious Studies from a public university, where I primarily studied other, non-Christian religions. There are numerous benefits to studying other faiths. In the first place, studying other people's view points will challenge your own perspectives - providing opportunity for growth. Even if you don't change your position, you may gain a deeper understanding of why you believe what you believe.

In the second place, studying other people's beliefs allows you to better understand those people, the problems they face, their values, traditions, etc. This is important if you need to interact with others - as is common in our global economy.

This is also important in religions like Christianity where we would like to share our faith and teachings with others - you need to be able to understand your audience in order to properly reach out to them.

And, in my opinion, it's just really interesting to see both the diversity and commonality between religions and cultures.

 

[Dawnofhope]

At the same time, it's good to pay attention to the vocabulary that person uses, as it is a direct reflection of their cultural identity. The tricky part is that different cultures (or subcultures) don't use terms the same way, so asking lots of questions and active listening is key.

This resonated for me a lot. The art of listening rather than making assumptions. What's that saying? Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Asking questions and making sure we understand before giving our opinions.

I agree that we can learn a great deal but picking up the way language is used and I find there are often subtle nuances. All easier said than done of course.

 

[Katzpur]

I’m sure I am. The problem is that *I* care.

Nobody is perfectly rational, but when someone embraces their failure of critical thinking - whether it’s strong religiosity, anti-vax views, being really into homeopathy, “9-11 truther”-ism, etc. - I just can’t relate to the way they process and interpret the world.

I just can't figure out why you do. Why is it so important that we all have the same worldview?

 

[Dawnofhope]

I'm not sure if "hate" is the right word, but if we go with @adrian009 's "contempt" instead, that would be a fair description of what happened with me.

I went into things hoping and expecting that theists had good reasons for their beliefs even if they weren't apparent to me. I even started a blog where I tried to visit different religious groups the way that travel writers visit other countries: my plan was to find the commonalities that they shared with me, and where we differed, find unique gems that could be celebrated.

Instead, what happened was that as I talked to theists and explored their faiths, I found the experience draining and isolating. When I looked under the surface, I found nothing of substance in any belief system that I examined... and the believers didn't seem to care about their lack of substance.

Meanwhile, believers use their unjustified beliefs to justify all sorts of harm and ignorance.

I went into this with good intentions, but at this point, I'm just trying to avoid complete contempt for religion.

That sounds like a really dark place to be as so many of us have spiritual beliefs. It’s not atheism that’s darkness but viewing another’s worldview with contempt. I view ISIS and any extremist with contempt. But most Muslims, Christians and people of other worldviews including atheism I like and respect.

I wonder if it’s better to avoid talking about religion completely if those discussions may lead to complete contempt?