crankyoldman (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
crankyoldman) wrote2008-03-13 04:27 pm
crankyoldman) wrote2008-03-13 04:27 pm
Entry tags:
Request! A Post on Organized Religion
As per request by tijuana_pirate from that meme thing.
I've got nothing wrong with organized religion, just religious institutions. Of which I believe there is a vast difference. Organization can be simply a handful of people hanging out at each other's houses. An institution in inevitably corruptible and hard to maintain a level of humanism. In fact, institutions are the bodies in any arena which I have the most problems with in areas besides religion. Am I just trying to be cool and anti-establishment? Not really. But the level of personal responsibility is something that oftentimes diminishes in an institution, and especially in the case of religion, I believe that it is a matter of personal responsibility.
You really can't honest believe something if your only incentive to believe is that you've got some authority figure telling you to. They might be able to point you to the path, but it's your job to take it.
Maybe I have too much faith in people but the only religious people I've ever trusted have been the type that make their beliefs their own responsibility. This doesn't exclude wanting to inspire people to their mode of thinking or talking with them, but it does exclude them being wholly responsible for someone else's faith. Which I don't think any human being has the right to do. Institutions discourage autonomy outside of their structure, and I don't know, maybe I'm just hippie enough for that to bother me on a fundamental level. I don't include advisers because for them to truly be labeled as such means they were asked for their expertise. Mentoring and the like should not be a matter of control, and if it is, then it's warped into something else. Nothing gets my goat more than abused authority.
In short: I don't care if you get together in prayer circles and even hand me fliers about my damnation, but the instant people within your group feel the need to govern my life, I have issues. I don't care if you're a prophet, my connection to or disconnection from god is my own. I'll extend the same courtesy.
~Cendri
tijuana_pirate from that meme thing.I've got nothing wrong with organized religion, just religious institutions. Of which I believe there is a vast difference. Organization can be simply a handful of people hanging out at each other's houses. An institution in inevitably corruptible and hard to maintain a level of humanism. In fact, institutions are the bodies in any arena which I have the most problems with in areas besides religion. Am I just trying to be cool and anti-establishment? Not really. But the level of personal responsibility is something that oftentimes diminishes in an institution, and especially in the case of religion, I believe that it is a matter of personal responsibility.
You really can't honest believe something if your only incentive to believe is that you've got some authority figure telling you to. They might be able to point you to the path, but it's your job to take it.
Maybe I have too much faith in people but the only religious people I've ever trusted have been the type that make their beliefs their own responsibility. This doesn't exclude wanting to inspire people to their mode of thinking or talking with them, but it does exclude them being wholly responsible for someone else's faith. Which I don't think any human being has the right to do. Institutions discourage autonomy outside of their structure, and I don't know, maybe I'm just hippie enough for that to bother me on a fundamental level. I don't include advisers because for them to truly be labeled as such means they were asked for their expertise. Mentoring and the like should not be a matter of control, and if it is, then it's warped into something else. Nothing gets my goat more than abused authority.
In short: I don't care if you get together in prayer circles and even hand me fliers about my damnation, but the instant people within your group feel the need to govern my life, I have issues. I don't care if you're a prophet, my connection to or disconnection from god is my own. I'll extend the same courtesy.
~Cendri
no subject
That's pretty much how I feel. It's why I always feel incredibly squicky if someone gets a little too close to my personal religious bubble (or pseudo-religious bubble, I suppose).
I sometimes wonder what religion would be like if it wasn't attached to some institution. What would Christianity be like if there weren't churches? What would peope be like if they were each individually forced to find their own spirituality? Or does life prevent you from being that introspective? Is the institution there because we need to be told - need it to be out of our hands because that makes it easier?
Hee. Sorry, tangent.
Maybe one day I'll run off and join some hippie commune in Sweden that worships Freyja. Because that would be so cool. ;)
-T. pirate
no subject
I don’t know I’m probably from the most institutionalized religion in the area so it’s always weird to read about the ‘evils’ of institutionalized religion because it’s so uncommon here. Must people I know go to church for social reason and follow their own belief code which may or may not coincide with the church their attending. Makes me wish I was more traveled.
no subject
It seems to go to hell when things get to a national level. The closer that government and religion get, the more problems occur (crusades, hell, the English Reformation just to name some examples).
Or maybe you're just from an area where personal responsibility is encouraged anyway, and just translates to religion. I just know that some ridiculous stupid things happen with Fundementalists out in my area.
Travel is good, I've been quite a few places. ^^
~Cendri
no subject
AND ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE A NORMAL RELATIONSHIP WITH PEOPLE IN YOUR FAMILY AGAIN WITHOUT THEM LOOKING DOWN ON YOU. THANK YOU CULT.
The only thing I can say is that at least they didn't shiv me in an alley for wanting out. At least it's just passive-aggressive.
I absolutely love the guilt-trip letters from the bishop. You have a responsibility to go to church, you should be grateful for knowing the truth, I want to schedule an appointment to counsel you, etc, etc.
And then times that by 10,000, because that's how many people are Mormon here, and who would feel extremely holy and blessed if they could reconvert me.
And all this without me even telling anyone I've deconverted!
Sorry, I guess I just wanted to let that out. I'm sure you can sympathize.
no subject
Yeah, well. It happens. Here have a Carey Grant icon.
<3
~Cendri