Why are people religious?
realityIs
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Location: The Twilight Zone
I thing religion is just the mis-application of social ability. This is not my original idea either.
Let me explain. Most people have the ability to infer the intentions of others. This skills helps us learn language when we have to figure out what our caregivers are referring to and mean.
This very useful skill though gets misapplied. Why did the volcano blow up? Well I don't know but I will make up a story about how God was angry for some reason or other. Basically people try to use their social ability to explain the natural world.
Some Aspies I know are very religious for different reasons. They like the clearly defined rules.
In general though, people have misapplied their social ability to claim they know the intentions of the supreme being. It's the ultimate triumph for an NT. Not only can they understand other people, but God as well. Wow!
They once enough people accept it, it's used as a power tool. Follow our rules or get outcast from this group. That's basic NT sociology. Make an example of people who don't follow your rules to motivate everyone to do so. Ha ha no heaven for you sinners!
By the way, I am NT so I am saying bad things about my group. I am not insulting other people for their lack of understanding. My dad was an Aspie and very religious for defined social structure it provided him.
Isn't that part obvious? Same values as me = good; different = bad.
_________________
The red lake has been forgotten. A dust devil stuns you long enough to shroud forever those last shards of wisdom. The breeze rocking this forlorn wasteland whispers in your ears, “Não resta mais que uma sombra”.
nerdygirl
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Isn't that part obvious? Same values as me = good; different = bad.
I addressed this in my original post.
The idea of morals/values changing according to the times... So, if you are hurt, TOO BAD. None of us here on WP should ever complain about being mistreated by NTs or anyone else. Their values are obviously more upright than ours and allow them to mistreat us. No injustice done.
When morality (and justice) are defined by human societies, obviously the "stronger" wins and defines "right and wrong." So, there is NO PURPOSE to defending victims of injustice. Obviously, they are too weak and should be ignored. If we help the victims of injustice, ARE WE NOT APPEALING TO A HIGHER AUTHORITY than the strong?
lostonearth35
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People want an explanation to the inexplicable so badly they'll just make something up if they can't find a true answer. People are frightened by the thought that when we die, that's it. There's no heaven or afterlife and it's like we never existed in the first place (unless it's in the memories of people still living). Who wants to believe all we do is become maggot food, even if that's the truth?
Also people want to believe that people who did, evil horrible things will be punished while people who did good are rewarded at the end, especially since that often doesn't happen in real life. Or if they do horrible things but think if they pray and believe God will forgive them. And some people have really strange ideas about what's wrong and right. It wasn't that long ago that people would have said my parents and I would be burning in hell because all three of us are left-handed!
While justice may be culturally determined, the culture in turn is determined by people. If you don't like your culture's justice, then you can work to change it, especially if you're in a democratic country. Justice will never be perfect or complete - even if you believe in a god, you must still acknowledge that the humans of a religion are imperfect - but belief in a changeable justice allows it to be improved. Not only improved, but also adapted to new circumstances.
I agree that we should work towards having good justice in the here-and-now as best we can. Ultimately, human justice systems are at best a tarnished reflection of true justice. That's the way it is in an imperfect world.
That's true.
I wouldn't call another culture wrong, because that is a subjective claim that depends on your point of view. However, I do make factual claims about other cultures - for example, if their moral system allows slavery - and ask which sort you would rather have. You may not have the right to tell other people or cultures what to do, but you do have the right to decide what you yourself will do, as well as the right to offer suggestions and ask questions (provided you in turn consider the ideas of others).
Find a Protestant and a Catholic Bible, and check their tables of contents. There are several books that Protestants removed from their version of the Bible. That's just one of many, many examples of ways the Bible has changed.
I'd say we have a different idea of justice. The first definition I found, from one of those Google answer boxes:
1. just behavior or treatment.
"a concern for justice, peace, and genuine respect for people"
synonyms: fairness, justness, fair play, fair-mindedness, equity, evenhandedness, impartiality, objectivity, neutrality, disinterestedness, honesty, righteousness, morals, morality
Justice includes more than punishing crime. Incidentally, morality is listed as a synonym.
You could do that, but I would not wish to live in such a culture. There is a reason why so many Western scholars have recently been reexamining the roots of Western culture, and why international affairs since WW2 have taken a turn towards ending colonialism and respecting other nations' sovereignty (with a few notable exceptions...).
nerdygirl
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1. just behavior or treatment.
"a concern for justice, peace, and genuine respect for people"
synonyms: fairness, justness, fair play, fair-mindedness, equity, evenhandedness, impartiality, objectivity, neutrality, disinterestedness, honesty, righteousness, morals, morality
Justice includes more than punishing crime. Incidentally, morality is listed as a synonym.
From merriam-webster.com
Full Definition of JUSTICE
1
a : the maintenance or administration of what is just especially by the impartial adjustment of conflicting claims or the assignment of merited rewards or punishments
b : judge
c : the administration of law; especially : the establishment or determination of rights according to the rules of law or equity
2
a : the quality of being just, impartial, or fair
b (1) : the principle or ideal of just dealing or right action (2) : conformity to this principle or ideal : righteousness
c : the quality of conforming to law
3
: conformity to truth, fact, or reason : correctness
Justice and morality may be related and are not the same thing. While justice may be more than punishing a crime, it is not less. We cannot have justice without due punishment of a crime. That is why we talk about "seeking justice" on behalf of the victim when a criminal case is before the courts, along with other kinds of cases.
What about people within the same culture? What is you decide that cheating and lying are wrong, but your neighbor decides they are perfectly OK and you get hurt in the process? There's societal culture and even family culture. When does the "each person decides for himself" end?
If my neighbor were cheating and lying, and I told them they were not allowed to, I suspect they would ignore me. Telling someone they are wrong is not a good way to change behavior, and it almost never works.
In very severe cases, the rest of society may declare their actions a crime and agree to punish them. However, when any severe punishment is done unilaterally by one person, that is also a crime.
In other cases, while you may not be able to tell your neighbor what to do, you can try asking nicely, negotiating, or bargaining. Basically, things that you can do in real life with other adults.
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