Should Faith/Religion Have Such a High Value In Our Society?

[lambsy_uk]

I'm not here to trample all over people's faith/beliefs but to ask if/why such beliefs should hold such high value in our society?

So where am I comming from? Well we can freely question almost anything in our society/lives; morals, political beliefs, actions and reactions, motivations, interactions, foreign policy, education, welfare, how we raise our children, law and order and so on..........

However we are positively discouraged from questioning people's faith/beliefs/religion! We are also actively encouraged to accommodate and allow for people's religious beliefs, and this is the bit that really irks me! Why is it that if something is done in the name of a religious belief/practice then we are expected to accept it with little fuss where if any other excuse were used we'd be up in arms?

We endure arguments of whether animal rights should take precedence over religion, whether saving the life of a child should take precedence over their parent's beliefs, should freedom of expression take precedence over religious sensitivities?

For me you may as well base stuff on the football team you support;

"I can't comply with the company dress code because I'm a United fan and therefore I must be allowed to wear a United shirt at work."

As far as I'm concerned this is no more ridiculous than anything done/not done in the name of religious beliefs!

So why do religious beliefs hold such high status and is it right that they do?

[cee-dee]

Sometimes people "see" what they want to see, sometimes they "saw" what they thought they saw.

Older hands on here might remember our old friend IKWIS = (I Know What I Saw).

[tommy.irene]

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@tommy.irene wrote:

http://www.themirrorpost.com/2014/07/1500-year-old-bible-claims-jesus-christ.html

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Now we have more to add to the Bible..

[bankhaunter]

There are many stories where people claim they were abducted by aliens, those stories are believed by nearly everybody as being outlandish and not true.

If they were collected and published, would they be accepted as true in a thousand years time for no other reason than they were in an old book?

[tommy.irene]

An old book .. just like the Bible..  I like the bit were the snake talked to Eve.. I havent heard of a talking snake  since..

[ronnybabes]

TOMMY ... I have, it's called  "Parcel Tongue"

Surely you've read the Harry Potter books, or seen the films.

read... and believe.     lol

In a couple of thousand years everyone might.

[tommy.irene]

A very religious man lived right next door to an atheist. The religious man prayed every single day and night, spending much time at church, while the atheist never even thought of such acts. However, the atheist's had a good life. An excellent, well-payed job, and a beautiful wife, lovely, healthy, children, whereas the religious man's job was stressful and his wages were low, his wife was getting fatter every day ,and his kids were obnoxious, and non loving. So one day, while deep into his regular prayer, he looked towards heaven and asked, "Oh God, I honour you every day, I ask your advice for every problem and confess to you my every sin. Yet my neighbour, who doesn't even believe in you and certainly never prays, seems blessed with every happiness, while I go poor and suffer many an indignity. Why is this?" A great voice bellowed out from above, "BECAUSE HE DOESN'T BOTHER ME ALL THE TIME!"

[saasher2012]

LOL

[bankhaunter]

Like it.

Often wondered if God dreads Sundays with all those prayers coming in at the same time from church services.

[**bustysinclaire**]

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@bankhaunter wrote:

Like it.

Often wondered if God dreads Sundays with all those prayers coming in at the same time from church services.

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lol,

I know as none of you accept that God exists then you are just having a light hearted joke around.......(I think)   lol.

But on a serious note, why would a God so allmighty and one who wants people to come to him in prayer be phased by something like that.

There are of course prayers that he won't acknowledge and prayers that are most acceptable. The ones that are sincerely in connection with seeking him out and acknowledging him and his principals will always be listened to, regardless of what day it is.

[tommy.irene]

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@**bustysinclaire** wrote:

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@bankhaunter wrote:

Like it.

Often wondered if God dreads Sundays with all those prayers coming in at the same time from church services.

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lol,

I know as none of you accept that God exists then you are just having a light hearted joke around.......(I think)   lol.

But on a serious note, why would a God so allmighty and one who wants people to come to him in prayer be phased by something like that.

There are of course prayers that he won't acknowledge and prayers that are most acceptable. The ones that are sincerely in connection with seeking him out and acknowledging him and his principals will always be listened to, regardless of what day it is.

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Now which God is this ..as we have the Muslim one ,the India one ,, the China one and many others..

[astrologica]

Busty.....do you think He is listening to all those people, Muslim and Christian, who are praying for the release of Alan Hennings? If he is, then why isn't He doing anything to help?

[lambsy_uk]

When people pray, why do they have to pray to 'Someone' or 'Something'?

[lambsy_uk]

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@astrologica wrote:
Busty.....do you think He is listening to all those people, Muslim and Christian, who are praying for the release of Alan Hennings? If he is, then why isn't He doing anything to help?

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Perhaps ISIS are praying too!

[saasher2012]

I think we all pray or praise in our own way,it doesn't have to be a god, gods.

[lambsy_uk]

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@saasher2012 wrote:
I think we all pray or praise in our own way,it doesn't have to be a god, gods.

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Absolutely, I may pray that my football team wins, that my girls get into their chosen school, that the weather is good for our holidays etc., etc. But I don't set time aside for this nor have any focus for the prayer; it's just something I may say to myself or say out loud.

"Oh I hope this weather can last another few weeks."

I have moments of contemplation when perhaps I've heard how something bad has fallen upon someone and I say to myself that I'm thankful and appreciative of the wellbeing myself and family enjoy, but I'm not giving thanks to anyone or anything, just acknowledging that I am thankful.

Karma guides me to an extent although I feel no need to give it that name. Actions and reactions. If I act in an appropriate manner this will influence those around me and those I encounter and lower the liklihood of bad things happening to me while improving the liklihood of good.

Also I treat others as I'd like them to treat me because I can't expect others to be nice if I'm not nice myself.

Cause and effect, action and reaction, not seeking the blessing of some deity!

Liviing life as a decent member of society should be a matter of course not a matter of pleasig some god!

[saasher2012]

Well said! I think we all try to do that but as we are human we slip sometimes, but that doesn't make us bad & also it doesn't make us fear retribution from above. We do it because we know it's right.

[lambsy_uk]

To me there's something rather odd, insincere or unsound about doing something because of the influence of an outside deity rather than because you yourself feel it's right!

[saasher2012]

Hmmmm! I can see that, does that mean that if you are not good you don't go to heaven & reap the rewards of you're actions, erm! Is that not emotional Blackmail?

[cee-dee]

In the beginning................ it was all to do with attempting to control the easily led/convinced populace.

[lambsy_uk]

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@saasher2012 wrote:
Hmmmm! I can see that, does that mean that if you are not good you don't go to heaven & reap the rewards of you're actions, erm! Is that not emotional Blackmail?

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That's how many preachers preached and I'm sure some still do today.

Hell and damnation and the wrath of god, and such-like............... Preached to god-fearing people!