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Current time: November 14, 2024, 4:55 pm
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Is Allegorical Religion better than Fundamentalism?
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 RE: Is Allegorical Religion better than Fundamentalism?
March 27, 2022 at 7:33 pm
(This post was last modified: March 27, 2022 at 7:33 pm by Disagreeable.)
It's definitely better. Its only downside is that it often cherry-picks the texts and mental-gymnasticizes in absurd ways. And it often protects fundamentalism. But that's only bad because fundamentalism is bad.
Fundamentalism itself is the real threat. Being fundamentalist about even the worst of holy techs is extremism. And extremism is dangerous. Schopenhauer Wrote:The intellect has become free, and in this state it does not even know or understand any other interest than that of truth. Epicurus Wrote:The greatest reward of righteousness is peace of mind. Epicurus Wrote:Don't fear god,
I think christopher hitchens used to point out that there's no problem with fundamentalism aside from the contents of what is seen to be fundamental. There's no sense in giving a shit religion a pass as though all religions just had to be shit. It's worse than that. They don't have to be.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
 (March 27, 2022 at 8:07 pm)The Grand Nudger Wrote: I think christopher hitchens used to point out that there's no problem with fundamentalism aside from the contents of what is seen to be fundamental. There's no sense in giving a shit religion a pass as though all religions just had to be shit. It's worse than that. They don't have to be. Really? Can a religion not be shit and remain a religion?
That's up the the creativity of it's creators. The whole utility of allegorical religion is a rehabilitation with time towards that same end.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
(March 27, 2022 at 8:18 pm)The Grand Nudger Wrote: That's up the the creativity of it's creators. The whole utility of allegorical religion is a rehabilitation with time towards that same end. no, it’s up to who benefits from sustaining and increasing the influence of the religion. Those people who seeks such benefits would not be seeking it for the good of mankind. RE: Is Allegorical Religion better than Fundamentalism?
March 27, 2022 at 8:41 pm
(This post was last modified: March 27, 2022 at 8:43 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
They're included in the set, ofc. I don't mean the original authors or orators of an initial story. Religion is a collective effort. It's certainly true that history is full of examples where a religious institution isn't maintaining a narrative for the benefit of mankind. It's arguable that any religious narratives have ever been created for the benefit of mankind, strictly speaking, in the first place. So let's use that as our point of reference. Let's say you followed a religion that wasn't constructed or maintained for the benefit of mankind - but you wanted it to be? That's where you might try to employ an allegorical understanding.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
 (March 27, 2022 at 8:09 pm)Anomalocaris Wrote:(March 27, 2022 at 8:07 pm)The Grand Nudger Wrote: I think christopher hitchens used to point out that there's no problem with fundamentalism aside from the contents of what is seen to be fundamental. There's no sense in giving a shit religion a pass as though all religions just had to be shit. It's worse than that. They don't have to be. I think it could. In principle. What if there was a religion that consisted of only a simple and truthful doctrine? Take your pick as to what that doctrine might be. Buddhism's Four Noble Truths... something like that... but with no doctrine of reincarnation. I think that what makes religions problematic is that they are founded on falsehoods, engage in interpersonally destructive practices, and fail to question the truth of their own claims. On paper, it seems possible to remove these aspects from a given religion while still letting it retain something we might call religious in nature but yet not have the problems you listed above. Modern Quakerism (the liberal strains anyway) might come close to matching that ideal.
A religion of absolutely everything you agree with, and nothing you don't.
In fairness..the crop of garbage religions has been that religion for alot of people.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
 (March 26, 2022 at 12:59 pm)Anomalocaris Wrote:(March 26, 2022 at 10:17 am)HappySkeptic Wrote: There is nothing wrong with the concept of allegorical religion. We all have stories that define our place in the universe, our values, and our purpose. Is it possible the bible holds many truths, but also fails in other areas without destroying the basic message? Many believe it should be read from a spiritual perspective and not a literal one. |
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