Outrageous Religious Beliefs

[Adiuvo]

@Joey;

Most religions have multiple doctrines that fall under the banner of their initial label. For example, Catholicism falls under Christianity, but you would never say it's the same as a Baptist variant even though they're both technically Christian. Due to that you really can't blame the entire label for the actions of a specific sect, since they're entirely different. It'd be clearer if they were referred to differently, but they aren't due to ease. Muslims with the Sunnis and the Shiites are another example of this, and within those branches there are even more sects. It may not seem to be much of a difference for a casual observer but to a person who participates in religious services the distinction is pretty large. I've even been to a few churches where they slam other branches of their host religion (specifically in this instance Catholics hating Protestants, go figure) despite them both believing in the same book.

As for legislation, I don't like that either. I'm not for separation of church and state to the point where I get antsy if a religious group endorses a particular candidate or if there are religious symbols on public property (this was an issue a few years back with a few war statues), but I hate it when religion falls into the law. Your example is just as despicable to me as it is to you. As for Christians as a whole insisting on inserting their beliefs in law, since Christianity isn't a hive mind with only a single variant that's not really a fair criticism.

 

[Trigun]

I don't see many Christians who are as radical as you make them seem. They do exist, but so do people in every group, including atheists.

You haven't met many of them have you eh?

I've met too many like that in my life

 

[Adiuvo]

I'm sure you've met more than you think you have. Most aren't publicizing their religion to every person they meet.

There's always a vocal minority.

 

[Slasher]

I haven't really read much of the discussion going on, so forgive my interjection - but I invite any of you to look into Max Weber's 'Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism'.

Weber essentially argued that protestant influence and ideology led to the eventual formation of capitalism itself. Weber makes a point of mentioning how the overwhelming majority of business leaders and those in positions of power, both past and present, are/were Protestant. Through religious doctrine, capitalism was formed, and subsequently those who were religious were put into positions of power, further perpetuating their religious beliefs into the foundation of capitalism. The emergence of capitalism, however, also brought forth its very own capitalist ideology. Through the pursuit of surplus capital, among other things, contemporary society has undergone a transition of rationalization. Meaning, the transition from 'irrational' emotional-based reasoning (often religiously influenced), to a now rational-based way of thinking.

And in so, these ideologies manifesting themselves into our collective conscience alters the way we react to and see things. One such example of this rationalization of society overtaking emotionally-driven sentiments is a profoundly personal account, one that can be seen as a student missing his bus as a result of a bus driver neglecting to stop for the student despite clear signs that the student is hastily making his way towards the bus stop. The bus driver, apparently, has succumbed to the rationalization that his institution has imposed on him. In the pursuit of surplus capital, the institution demands efficiency through strict deadlines and other bureaucratic conduct, which may perhaps explain why the bus driver neglected to stop for the student. Irrational behaviour would therefore constitute an emotional response to the situation, which might have resulted in the bus driver doing ‘the right thing’ and stopping so that the student could enter the bus. Capitalism, therefore, inherently promotes rational behaviour at the expense of compassion for others.

Weber believed that society would continue to undergo a process of rationalization, humankind stripped of all compassion and individuality in the pursuit of surplus capital.

It's important, I believe, to keep yourself in balance with being able to exhibit both rational-based thinking, as well as 'irrational'-based emotionally charged thinking. Otherwise, we will succumb to this rationalizing process.


From this stream of thought, we can derive one interesting concept:
Has religion caused its own demise through the protestant formation of capitalism?