LINK Here's what happens when religious teachings become immoral
Teaching children to rely on faith— Religions often treat faith or even religious certitude as a virtue. In fact, in Protestant Christianity it is the ultimate virtue, the one that sends people to heaven or hell. Believe and be saved, says the Christian New Testament, and one of the tenets of the Reformation was sola fide—by faith alone. Defenders of Christianity may marshal logic or evidence to support belief, but when backed into a corner, many default to I just know—and they teach children to do the same.
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To a believer, their religion can never BE immoral because immorality is defined as not practicing and believing that religion. Anything done in the service of the religion IS moral, by their definition.
Of course this is a definition of morality that flies in the face of what morality actually is -- the formal and informal societal consensus of what does or does not sustainably support the sort of society most of its members want to live in. It is the agreed rules that allow us to coexist and cooperate effectively. It is not immutable and handed down from on high. It evolves to meet current needs and understandings. It isn't enforced by a celestial strongman, but by society itself.
mordant
Level 8
Aug 9, 2018
1
“Thank God, He saved me and my child, but he allowed others to be injured or killed!” What sort of skewed logic is that ? Glad she told him she was atheist......wonder how he squared that in his religious brain......God actually spared the unbeliever!!
Marionville
Level 10
Aug 9, 2018
2
This should be addressed to the Blitzer interview below.
"Religions often treat faith or even religious certitude as a virtue."
Not merely religions, but society as a whole seems to accept, if not promote, religious faith. Even Wolf Blitzer needed to be reminded that surviving a tornado is not the result of faith in a higher power!
p-nullifidian
Level 8
Aug 9, 2018
2
I am sooooo tired of the "liberal, Secular, God Hating USA Media" promoting religion. It blows holes in the non stop christian chant about being picked on.
I heard a good story about an interview following Hurricane Katrina where the reporter asked how this was affecting area churches and the reply was that they don't go to churches anymore, they get their chicken from Popeye's.
I think religion is for later in life. If your early years are spent with science and a sprinkling of mythology, you will do fine, and it’s when you hit 40 that you start to wonder about meaning and death, and that’s when religion maybe makes a comeback. If you then decide to become a Christian, it’s not under any kind of social pressure.
Denker
Level 7
Aug 9, 2018
2
I think your thinking is back to front. Most children are born into the faith of their parents and give no thought to their religion except to accept it unquestioningly. It is only when they get older and see the evidence science provides that they can see the contradictions and inconsistencies in the bible. This is borne out here on this site by the number of people who tell of their turning from religion to reason in adulthood. I don’t know of many who do the reverse.
@Marionville it’s true that that is what does happen, but it’s not what should happen. If children were kept away from religion, then a few of them would find their way to some sort of belief later in life, but it would be a minority, as determined by whatever underlying urge the human race has towards religion. I think we would see some new religions, that would be more in accordance with science.
@Denker I think you're way off base my friend. The religious depend on the gullible acceptance by young children in order to continue their delusion.
New religion??? The definition of religion is the belief in or of a god. There isn't and never will be 'A Belief In A God' that comes even close to being in accordance with science.
@zblaze not necessarily ‘a belief in a god’, Buddhism is a religion without god. It’s also not that unusual for people in India and other parts of the east to seriously engage with their beliefs late in life... I think it’s very debatable whether the religious impulse - not necessarily a god, for many years mankind lived with shamans and animist beliefs - is not in some way part of the species. I do think monotheism has evolved thanks to a relatively small population segment, so I’m hoping science will help us evolve our thinking past that.
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