someone once told me that there are three things you are not supposed to bring up in a politically correct situation. what the heck is a politically correct situation? work? first meeting someone? ?? i don't know... anyway i know there's so much to talk about for all of those and i can already tell this may be a long post, but i was interested in the different major religions of the world and felt like taking a look at some of them:
first; religion, defn (mine): religion like any other instituition is run by people and people are not perfect, thus the inner workings are fallable. i think religion seeks to find a fulfilment, a meaning to life, and a hope for after life.and why in the heck do people seek to find a religion?: are they bored? do they want to feel good about themself somehow? are they guilted into it? tradition? community? good place to bring up kids?
all the points i made above in some way lead you in a direction towards morals. and how can we say justifiably that a certain thing is right or wrong? when you talk about religion you can't but mention an afterlife. and one of peoples hopes is that they will have a good one, if there is one. but how do we get a good afterlife? do we have to have good morals? do we have to do so many things good in the present life to get a good afterlife? and who would decide? those are major fundamental questions of almost any religion.
here are some of the major religions of the world and a few quick notes:
- Islam, defn: submission to the will of Allah
creed: there is one God and Muhammad is his prophet
prayer: 5 times daily
giving: 1/40 to needy
fasting: during holy month
pilgrimage
Koran is word of Allah through Muhammad some of the bible and prophets in it are good, but much of it is believed to have been corrupted by christians
- Judaism
one God reviled to Moses
Messiah is yet to come
- Buddhism
suffering is a major fundamental point
do not kill, commit adultery, lie, drink or take drugs...
teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, aka, Budda ~ 560 BC
- Animism belief in spirital beings (greek mythology, native religions, etc)
- Hinduism, there are many different sects all having different beliefs
reincarnation
salvation by: works/rituals, knowledge of reality and self, devotion
- Christian
One God/Jesus/Holy Spirt
sin seperates man from God
salvation through Jesus
man can have a personal relationship with God
- other terms:
poly - many
mono - one
panth - god and universe are one
agnostic - unsure about god
atheist - no belief in god
- other religions:
confucianism
taoism
pagan
jahovah witnesses
mormon
christian science
new age
bahi
- other terms/thoughts:
relativism/absolutism
fate/plan/chance/randomness
