How to obtain religious Harmony

[Liv]

To tackle a topic like this, particularly on Greensboring, may be a paradox in itself. I'm going to approach this subject with no sarcasm, no jokes, just a single question: How does the world obtain religious harmony?

Spurred by a huge discussion we had about someones car getting vandalized, and the assumption by it's owner that it was some religiously motivated individuals, it proves a point: From our streets locally, to the war we rage with middle eastern religions, the one thing that is dividing us more than anything right now, is our differences in religion or even the lack there of.

It involves gay people, Muslims, the poor, the rich, and the non-believer. We all struggle to fight, and to dissolve each others beliefs hoping to "save" or enlighten one another. In some cases this leads to violence, hatred, death, and other events that have shaped this world in the last few years.

So the question is, how do we get along? How do we find harmony in this world we live in. How can we accept one another for their differences, talk about our religious beliefs, or non-beliefs without offending the other party? Is it even possible?

The logical conclusion is that if we cannot find a way to conquer our differences we will find ourselves destroyed by are own inability to consider alternate ideas of belief. But can we honestly find a way of Muslim extremists, evangelical Christians, and hard-corn anarchist atheists sitting down at one table and talking without someone strapping a bomb to their chests, or for someone to get so made they get up and walk out? Probably not you say, not until they change their views, right? But if we can't change our views, we have to change ourselves; to make a point to be more accepting of other faiths, & non-faiths. To walk with your enemy rather than walk away from him.

[SouthernFriedInfidel]

How does the world obtain religious harmony?

I've been working for years to advance an attitude of "live and let live." Only it has appeared to backfire, as my efforts have led to the attraction of many different sorts of religious nuts who take exception to the idea that an atheist might actually be living happily in their midst.

Oh, I've built some interesting bridges. I count among my best friends in town a Lutheran minister, a Quaker minister, and one of the News and Record's religion reporters. These are all fine, loving people who have enriched my life without setting aside their beliefs or making an issue of our differences, and I hope I've done the same for them on my end.

But it's the nuts that really get me down. They take perfectly fine situations and inject a serious dose of poison into places they would never had known existed if I had just accepted the status quo. What "happiness" they get from doing this, I'll never know. It just makes me wonder whether it's worth it...

[A Person]

I'm not sure I like the idea of "hard-corn atheists"

For me the line is when one group wants to impose it's morality and teachings on another i.e. me. I was brought up with the idea that someones religion was their concern and was not a topic for discussion. As such I was a closet atheist, many of my Christian friends were surprised to find out I was: "I'd never have guessed", "But you're just like us" etc.

The breaking point for me was the rise of Creation 'Science' demanding time in science classrooms. I have spent 10 years at university and twenty years of professional life learning to 'read' the evidence in the earth and apply it to resource engineering projects. To hear the patently ridiculous claims made by the likes of Walt Brown peddled, not to scientists, but to children and the credulous, struck me as an egregious and unethical assault on reason, that I felt I had to say something.

I very much object to someone using their, very selective and subjective, interpretation of a collection of myths and stories from thousands of years ago, to dictate what I may be allowed to do or not to do.

Religious intolerance does seem to be on the increase and it provokes retaliation. I don't know the answer but I do think relaxing the separation of Church and state and encouraging religious segregation in schools is profoundly disturbing.

The strange thing is I was raised in England, where the Head of State is the Head of the State Religion; religious education was a compulsory part of the state education and school days started with prayers and hymns. Yet England a much higher proportion of atheists/agnostics than the US. Go figure

[Sanjuro]

This is an excellent topic Liv.

I am not in a position currently to write a well thought out essay on the matter, but certainly wanted to make a quick comment while I could.

This is something I've wondered about for a while now. I don't actually think it ever will be possible. For every religion which is unable to be flexible with its beliefs and ancient writings will ultimately come in to conflict with the ever changing real world. As nations and societies evolve and progress, and as science and discoveries gather more understanding about the universe and the world we live in, conflicts with these old holy books and the religious sects and cults who grasp to the strict doctrines within are bound to clash.

I think we are seeing a lot of conflict now because we (In the US that is ) seem to be heading to a point where we are understanding that as the world's economic and military superpower, we need to catch up with the rest of the modern world socially. However we have fanaticals who threaten not only our progress as a society but our ability to lead by example in scientific endeavors and breakthroughs. On the other end, it has created a sense of "manifest destiny" which, if left unchecked, is going to flush what little of our prominence is left in the worlds eyes. This is apparent in the fact we have let this nonsense permeate the govt and the govt's decisions abroad in recent years.

The real crux is, I'm not sure how to have a religion without it naturally going to the extreme and creating conflict. Seems the infantile way we used to explain booms in the sky is a far, far outdated and harmful path to take in the world today. Personal spirituality seems to be the way to go, but the problem naturally is the same. Can something that feeds the ego like religion and spirituality ever be self contained by the practitioner, to the point where no one else is forced or coerced into THEIR way of seeing things, (or they condemn someone who doesn't)? I don't think so. But that's only my opinion.

[SouthernFriedInfidel]

The real crux is, I'm not sure how to have a religion without it naturally going to the extreme and creating conflict.

Interesting question here: Why are some people so enamored of "the extreme" that they gravitate to it so readily?

[Billy The Blogging Poet]

The answer is in-fact simple but sadly not easy. The only way harmony can be achieved is when everyone sees God the way I see God.

Okay, you know that ain't right but that is exactly the problem. There's nothing wrong in believing in God-- any god. There's nothing wrong in not believing in a god. Belief is simply something people have. Our beliefs are not the problem. Belief does not equal sin-- never has, never will.

The problem is in-fact inherent in EVERY religion that has ever existed: Every religion, no matter how tolerant perpetuates the idea that other ways are wrong. If religious leaders were to teach us to be open to other ideas they would be teaching themselves right out of their jobs. After all, without religious controls you've no need for religion. Religion is a self-fulfilling prophecy, its motive not to save men but to save religion. As long as religion continues to exist this fighting between the various religious and non religious groups will continue.

Every religion, even the most tolerant and liberal religions in the world are still guilty of this same crime.

One can say we are all children of God and make the claim that no man is better than any other but religion speaks out of both sides of its mouth urging us to give-in to religion and religious dogma while telling us those who don't believe are condemned.

The only condemned men are condemned not for eternity but for their time on Earth. God doesn't condemn, religious men and women condemn.

Religion isn't made of God-- any god-- religion is the idea of mankind and as long as religion-- any religion-- continues to exist the world and humanity will never know harmony.

Believe in God if you want to. Or don't. But when you believe in religion you can no longer remain open minded and tolerant. Religion and the men who perpetuate religions simply won't allow real tolerance and harmony to exist-- it's simply not good for business.

[SouthernFriedInfidel]

Okay, you know that ain't right but that is exactly the problem. There's nothing wrong in believing in God-- any god. There's nothing wrong in not believing in a god. Belief is simply something people have. Our beliefs are not the problem.

Exactly. What society SHOULD be concerned about primarily is actions. How you decide what actions to take is not controllable, and it's not something that in the end matters. What you do is the most important point of social interaction.

Belief does not equal sin-- never has, never will.

Ah, if only most people would understand this. But you have to remember that far too many Christians are all too aware that the Bible says otherwise, in both the Old Testament and New... and if the Bible says something, you don't stand a chance if you disagree.

[A Person]

Religion and the men who perpetuate religions simply won't allow real tolerance and harmony to exist-- it's simply not good for business.

While I believe and have said that by their nature Churches are vulnerable to corruption, I do feel this is too extreme as it implies that their motive is solely financial. While there are some who are that corrupt and cynical, it's by no means true for all. The great majority of Church leaders are honest, well meaning people, teaching the truth about salvation as they see it. It's just that when your beliefs give you absolute knowledge about morals, salvation and the Truth - how could a caring person not force others to obey?
God has apparently given people free will, it's earthbound Churches that want to restrict it.