"Practice" religion?

[purplepurpose]

Brain, if your so bothered by believers. Try to reason with proud killers, thiefs.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Brain, if your so bothered by believers. Try to reason with proud killers, thiefs.

I know, right?  Personally, I'm only bothered by believers who come to my door armed with pamphlets.

Boru

[Brian37]

Practice has more than one meaning Brian.

Yes, most words do.

But with putting it in context of religion, really all that is is an psychological argument to justify why one is good and falsely attaches our ability to be good to mythology, instead of accepting that compassion and empathy are in our evolution. 

You can find in every religion in the world, motifs of kindness and empathy. That says to me it isn't a religion doing it, but is a product of our evolution. If any one religion were a solution to human ills, it could be taken to a patent office and be the subject of a Nobel Peace Prize.

"Practice" in regards to using it in context of religion, is merely a dodge to justify what one personally follows.

If one can accept others who do not hold the same label are capable of empathy and compassion, then that should tell them, humans, not the label, are doing it.

[Cod]

Practice has more than one meaning Brian.

Yes, most words do.

But with putting it in context of religion, really all that is is an psychological argument to justify why one is good and falsely attaches our ability to be good to mythology, instead of accepting that compassion and empathy are in our evolution. 

You can find in every religion in the world, motifs of kindness and empathy. That says to me it isn't a religion doing it, but is a product of our evolution. If any one religion were a solution to human ills, it could be taken to a patent office and be the subject of a Nobel Peace Prize.

"Practice" in regards to using it in context of religion, is merely a dodge to justify what one personally follows.

If one can accept others who do not hold the same label are capable of empathy and compassion, then that should tell them, humans, not the label, are doing it.

I would agree if the word practice was reserved for 'The ability to be good' unfortunately it isn't. You can practice all manner of harmful behaviours so I don't really see where you're coming from.

[Brian37]

Brain, if your so bothered by believers. Try to reason with proud killers, thiefs.

"Bothered" by what?

Most humans are good. I am not bothered by my species ability to be good. I simply disagree with where they think that ability is coming from. Yea, bad use of logic bothers me sure. 

It takes no practice to be non violent. You don't need a old book, or holy person telling you not to do what should be obvious. Getting violent with others causes problems, not only for them, but yourself as well. My species isn't perfect and yes, we have always had conflicts. I am simply pointing out that "practice" is a horrible word to put in the same sentence as religion. "Follow" is a much better word IMO.

Why should someone be "proud" of clinging to old claims for that matter? How credible would you find me if I came up to you and said, "I am proud of literally believing Thor is the cause of lightening"?  I am sure you wouldn't have me arrested or killed, but even if you didn't express it, you'd be right thinking in your head, "Really dude? You are proud of believing such an absurd claim."?

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Let me try another approach:

John is a lawyer.  He spent a lot of time and trouble learning the law.  He graduated from a very tough school for lawyers.  He has, over the years, built up a successful law practice.  During his career, he has kept abreast of changes in the law, so he is better able to serve his clients' needs.  We can say, without fear of contradiction, that John 'practices' law.

Jim is a priest.  He spent a lot of time and trouble learning about his religion.  He graduated from a very tough seminary.  He has, over the years, built up a sizeable congregation.  During his career, he has kept abreast of changes in the doctrines of his religion, so he is better able to serve his congregants' needs.  We can say, without fear of contradiction, that Jim 'practices' religion.

Boru

[Bucky Ball]

Practice makes perfect.

"Practicing a profession" does not mean "trying to do it well".

I never claimed all musicians, doctors, sports stars, lawyers always get it right.

I am merely arguing usage of the word in the context of religion. 

Certainly there are crappy doctors, crappy lawyers, crappy sports stars. You can practice music and still suck at it sure.

But with religion, you are only following, not practicing.

I think Buddhist monks and all kinds of other religious people have a standard, and they attempt to move closer to the standard. 
They practice religion in the same sense that professionals practice, AS WELL as attempting to live up to an ideal they have in their own heads. 
Are baseball pitchers "following" when they try to get better ?

[Brian37]

Let me try another approach:

John is a lawyer.  He spent a lot of time and trouble learning the law.  He graduated from a very tough school for lawyers.  He has, over the years, built up a successful law practice.  During his career, he has kept abreast of changes in the law, so he is better able to serve his clients' needs.  We can say, without fear of contradiction, that John 'practices' law.

Jim is a priest.  He spent a lot of time and trouble learning about his religion.  He graduated from a very tough seminary.  He has, over the years, built up a sizeable congregation.  During his career, he has kept abreast of changes in the doctrines of his religion, so he is better able to serve his congregants' needs.  We can say, without fear of contradiction, that Jim 'practices' religion.

Boru

No, John practices law. Jim follows a religion.

Law, at least in the west is intended to protect pluralism equally. Jim follows a religion because he think he got it right.

Sure you can get degrees in theology, but to me that is like being an expert in Star Wars or Harry Potter.

"Follow" a religion is an honest word. "Practice"  a religion, is merely a dodge to justify your own personal bias when it comes to thinking your label is the origin of human behaviors.

Certainly someone can spend tons of time absorbing a religion, but that is still following. 

John can practice law being a Jew or a Christian, and Mustafa can also practice law in America and practice law. But a priest or Rabbi or Cleric are following a religion.  

The word "Practice" as used by holy people or followers, isn't an honest admission that they merely like what they believe. Follow is an honest word.

---

I never claimed all musicians, doctors, sports stars, lawyers always get it right.

I am merely arguing usage of the word in the context of religion. 

Certainly there are crappy doctors, crappy lawyers, crappy sports stars. You can practice music and still suck at it sure.

But with religion, you are only following, not practicing.

I think Buddhist monks and all kinds of other religious people have a standard, and they attempt to move closer to the standard. 
They practice religion in the same sense that professionals practice, AS WELL as attempting to live up to an ideal they have in their own heads. 
Are baseball pitchers "following" when they try to get better ?

Buddhism doesn't get a pass from me either. 

"Getting closer to that standard" 

Unfortunately that striving for a "higher standard" is the very thing that causes division in our species when it comes to religion. 

If one can accept there are good people in every religion, that says to me that the "standard" isn't in a label, not even in Buddhism. Asia's entire history all the way back to antiquity has also never been 100% violence free. 

Humans are doing it, both good and bad, labels have no magic powers. Asia also has prisons too.

[tackattack]

By practicing religion, we are following Christ's teachings and sometimes it takes a lot of work.

All musicians, doctors, sports stars, lawyers, Christians don't always always get it right.

Certainly there are crappy doctors, crappy lawyers, crappy sports stars, Christians. You can practice Religion and still suck at it sure.

But with religion, just like music, we keep practicing. The struggle is real sometimes.

[Brian37]

By practicing religion, we are following Christ's teachings and sometimes it takes a lot of work.

All musicians, doctors, sports stars, lawyers, Christians don't always always get it right.

Certainly there are crappy doctors, crappy lawyers, crappy sports stars, Christians. You can practice Religion and still suck at it sure.

But with religion, just like music, we keep practicing. The struggle is real sometimes.

No, you like the idea of your "goodness" stemming from the mythology someone sold you.

Our species ability to be non violent and have empathy for others, isn't rooted in an old book that claims babies can be born without a second set of DNA and have super powers. 

Do you need to "practice" the teachings of the Ancient Egyptian mythology? Can you seriously try to argue that those who believed in Ra and Osiris and Horus didn't have their holy people "practicing" their rituals and getting others to buy it as the credible source of our species morality?

They were a successful society for over 3,000 years. Yet, somehow, you don't "practice" their rituals. I am sure you rightfully would say the ancient Egyptians simply bought and sold bad claims and falsely thought their God/s were the source of their morality.

The ancient Egyptians FOLLOWED because humans didn't know any better back then. It takes no "practice" to follow. It may take time to absorb sure, but that is simply following.