Cultural Ties and Religion

[InLove]

Everybody's a comedian.

[Snoopy]

Everyone's an audience!

s.

[Snoopy]

Picking up on one of Juan’s points, one only has to look at the creation of the Church of England to see how the high and mighty control the masses in their “spiritual paths”. It was created by a monarch solely cos he wasn’t getting the male heir that he wanted from his then current wife and Rome wouldn’t let him do another swap. It makes R. L. Dee Doo Run Run Hubbard look spiritually motivated. So why are there so many followers of the CoE? Answers on a postcard to…

s.

[flowperson]

Postcard to Snoopy...Because they wanted to use birth control (condoms, which according to legend were invented by Henry) ? Thereafter the COE presumedly allowed them and the Roman Church still does not.

Flow....

[pattimax]

Originally Posted by flowperson

Postcard to Snoopy...Because they wanted to use birth control (condoms, which according to legend were invented by Henry) ? Thereafter the COE presumedly allowed them and the Roman Church still does not.

Flow....

My apologies for the slight derailment, although it isn't completely out of the ballpark...(I like doing that.)

Someone told me the reason Catholic Priests couldn't get married is to insure no heirs and they would leave all to the church.
Is this true?

If this is common knowledge... oh well...

[Muslimwoman]

Originally Posted by Postmaster

Great thread. I remember when I first had the internet, I made a friend with someone the same age living in Bahrain. We used to debate over who's religion was wrong and who's was right. He gave me some fascinating insight into his life and maybe I did too. Other then that had alot of common interests.

Did you both ever come to a conclusion?

[Muslimwoman]

Hi All

I don't have any answers as I converted but I do have a comment if I may. I have been amazed how many people, behind closed doors, tell me they have thought during adulthood of converting to a different religion but felt unable to as they just couldn't let go of the religion they were taught in childhood. When I question them it seems that it is not a question of faith but more a feeling of being a 'traitor', of letting people down.

Perhaps this comes from our religious teachers who drum it into us that "we are on the right path and if you leave it you go to hell"? When you think about it this is quite a huge threat to put in a child's mind. I know this sounds like a wierd thing to say but perhaps we should have no specific religion as children (as all children are accepted by G-d without judgement) and then we all get to choose our religion when we reach adulthood?

[flowperson]

Originally Posted by pattimax

My apologies for the slight derailment, although it isn't completely out of the ballpark...(I like doing that.)

Someone told me the reason Catholic Priests couldn't get married is to insure no heirs and they would leave all to the church.
Is this true?

If this is common knowledge... oh well...

I haven't heard that one, and I'm not Catholic so I have had no knowledgeable conversations with priests to know if it is true or not. Maybe someone else can shed light on your question.

flow....

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by flowperson

Postcard to Snoopy...Because they wanted to use birth control (condoms, which according to legend were invented by Henry) ? Thereafter the COE presumedly allowed them and the Roman Church still does not.
Flow....

If this had been explained to Sir Thomas More I'm sure he would have understood and not have to have been beheaded.

s.

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by juantoo3

Looking back historically, religion was tied pretty tightly to politics. With the exception of Judaism which held fast to its tenets in small (and large) enclaves wherever it happened to find itself. Otherwise, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism all pretty well enjoyed political patronage, as did Taoism / Confucianism, and to some extent Paganism.

e.g. Ashoka and the patronage of Buddhism across India (and hence beyond)...

"...last major emperor in the Mauryan dynasty of India. His vigorous patronage of Buddhism during his reign (c. 265–238 BC; also given as c. 273–232 BC) furthered the expansion of that religion throughout India."

Asoka -- Encyclopaedia Britannica

s.

[Impqueen]

Nowadays I think the CoE is popular (hang on a minute.... it isn't popular....anyway, moving on) ... as popular as it is, because it combines religion and nationalism (not necessarily bad nationalism). Which might also explain its decline in recent years - nationalism has become deeply unfashionable and some people seem to regard love of England as next only to rampant racism .

In Triumph of the Moon Ronald Hutton explains the growth of neo-paganism in terms of the wider culture. Reverance for nature and interest in the pagan gods (particularly the greek and roman gods) grew up with the romantic poets etc, forming the cultural basis for a nature religion. From a personal perspective my parents (father - atheist, mother - agnostic) brought me up with a love of nature and a feeling that religion is something to be sincere about (my mother deeply offended my aunt by refusing to be a godparent - 'How can I promise to help to bring up a child in a religion that isn't mine, in front of a God I don't believe in?'). These influences can be seen in my 'choice' of religion, although I don't feel like I made a choice as such, it's just what I am.

Culture is one influence that makes people what they are, and therefore has an influence on what religion feels right to them. It might be that they reject their culture and turn to an exotic religion or something like Satanism, but that's still (partially at least) a result of the culture.

That's my tuppence anyway.

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by Impqueen

Nowadays I think the CoE is popular (hang on a minute.... it isn't popular....anyway, moving on) ... as popular as it is, because it combines religion and nationalism (not necessarily bad nationalism).

"The Tory party at prayer."

s.

[wil]

Originally Posted by Muslimwoman

converting to a different religion but felt unable to as they just couldn't let go of the religion they were taught in childhood. When I question them it seems that it is not a question of faith but more a feeling of being a 'traitor', of letting people down.

I see the same thing in denominations from inside one religion. I gave up Christianity when the dogma and stories of elementary school wouldn't fit with the world around me...in the course of my exploration I returned to Christianity. However I was know able to understand the stories in a light that fit with my life. To my family and friends...and many here on CR I don't fit their mold. And they thought me blasphemous...however after years of conversation, discussion and book exchanges, my family enjoys my understanding and my church...

[pattimax]

Originally Posted by flowperson

I haven't heard that one, and I'm not Catholic so I have had no knowledgeable conversations with priests to know if it is true or not. Maybe someone else can shed light on your question.

flow....

I didn't know being Catholic was a requirement for an answer. After considering the question, I see it could be percieved as Catholic-bashing. That wasn't my intention.

[InLove]

Quick comment here--patti, I don't think our extremely understanding Catholics here would take your comment in a personal way. The tone of your post was not negative, just questioning. And I'm pretty sure flow didn't take it that way, either. From what I know of him, he's not usually averse to questioning authority of any kind, are ya my friend?

In other words, I doubt there are any worries.

I've been kind of busy elsewhere this weekend, but I'll get back to this very interesting thread soon. Thanks for the discussion, everyone.

InPeace,
InLove