In our class discussion it was stated that the gospel writers knew they
were writing fiction and their writing was based on interpretations, but also
their readers knew this too. However, so many people truly believe in it today.
I wonder if they bother to look deeper into their religion to discover the
truth instead of just accepting what someone of authority says? Is fear and institutionalization
so strong that people do not even bother to question it? Will they just not
admit that all the information in the gospels may not be true? Do they just let
it be and not bother to say if it is false or true? From my personal
experience, it seems as if most strict churches and even families do not
allow their members to ask why. The problem they have with their members asking
why is that they do not have an answer besides the basic, "it's God's
will" or something of the sort. If the church does not have answers, then
what do the members make of their life or their purpose on earth? People go to
the church for guidance so they cannot just say “I do not know." They have
to look powerful. They look powerful by having answers. I think there are many
stories out there rather current or from the past that are told so we can have
answers to questions such as where do we come from and why do we exist or
simpler ones like why this event happened. I personally believe that there has
to be scrutiny when we read or hear information because if not we can become
simple minded and believe in false ideologies. In this situation we can take interpretations
as literal.
I am sorry if my post offends anyone. The purpose of this post is to share
ideas and ask questions in order to gain a greater understanding.
I appreciate the opportunity to reply to this post, since most people would simply not ask. I think it's extremely important for everyone to discuss at least once in their life if they ever want to take an intellectually honest approach to religion.
ReplyDeleteBut let's take a look at what you are saying here. While your post appears to be implying that taking a deeper look into religion always means de-conversion, I think you do have a point in that people are afraid to look deeper. But let's slow down for a few minutes - it's demonstrably false that analyzing a religion further results in de-conversion - much the opposite in many cases. While the Gospels do contain puzzling text - admittedly so - it really only puzzles *us* in our modern era because we lose the most important interpretive tool the ancient Palestinians had available - context. We may not understand what Jesus meant *to the letter* when he says (paraphrasing) "judge not lest ye be judged" but we can get a good sense of what he meant.
Now - you bring up the point that his followers wrote fiction surrounding JC's teachings. But the problem with calling it all fiction is that his followers were so taken with his teachings that they wrote the fiction in the first place. They must have been extremely fascinated by what this man had to say to claim he was born of a virgin and fulfils ancient prophecy. Consequently, I think it would be dishonest to suggest that how they describe Jesus' teachings is fabrication (since they treated the man with such great respect).
Now - on the topic of how the churches have a reputation of shrugging tough questions off - for the most part that is just a stereotype or they actually are afraid to answer the questions. Frankly, if you do search hard enough, there are answers and they tend to be much more profound than the question itself.
DeleteFor example: From a secular point of view, the binding of Isaac is appalling and objectively wrong in the most fundamental of ways. But that is naive in that it doesn't look any further than how the situation appears. But the question of why Abram went through with this and why God would ask such a thing still remain. Well, upon examination of a few verses earlier, we find that God promises Abram's son a great lineage of many kingdoms and bells and whistles and whatnot. But here's the catch: Abram had a son before he had Isaac because his wife could not conceive.
Later on, this other child and his mother are exiled from the group and left to their own devices. Now the whole point of this is that God is testing Abram in many ways simultaneously: whether his faith is strong, and whether he is prepared to give up his most cherished son as he so easily gave up his illegitimate son (which seems like a far more acceptable answer to the question: why would God command such a thing?)
That was quite a wall of text, but the point remains: There is much more to scripture than just how it appears. When somebody says "I don't know" in a defensive way, don't assume that there is no "know" to know. Of course we have to scrutinize the text, we have to know what is really going on here or else our faith is based on exactly as you say: daring not to ask the questions at all.
Well said, Al. And I especially agree with you that to ask questions is not necessarily to reject faith; we pay it the highest compliment to interrogate it seriously, and very often strengthen it in the process.
DeleteI agree with what you are saying, and people should absolutely question something if they aren't comfortable with the explanation they are given. The strange part is that a lot of people don't feel the need to question. I know my grandparents are very strict about the fact that you must "believe without seeing" and to me that seems like a slightly ignorant view. If you really want to believe what's wrong with understanding what you believe in? It could change your view, but it could also strengthen it.
ReplyDeleteI don't necessarily think it's evil to be incurious, if you honestly think the way of life you have chosen works for you and those around you (and is flexible enough to evolve when it stops working). On the other hand, if you sign up for a college course on religion, you ought to be prepared to get what you pay for!
DeleteI for one don't ask much questions because true, i believe its God's will and also i will not question little things when greater things have happened to me and my family that were considered impossible both to the normal person and even science. I believe in my faith and put my trust in God whom i have never seen but read in his word. I sometimes want to question the existence of God during hard times but then i think I don't question when wonderful and extraordinary things happen.
ReplyDeleteI feel like questioning the existence of God is going to be less productive than having Faith and Hope that there is a God
It is possible that your feeling may turn out to be true. On the other hand, it may not, and the only way to test the hypothesis is to engage the matter intellectually. As I said above in response to Emily, this is what you signed up for. Questioning the meaning of God is not something an intelligent person does out of fear or weakness; it is rather a gesture of the highest respect to use the intellect you believe to have been given by that God for this most serious purpose.
DeleteOn top of the Church not having answers for questions, I think that our society doesn't necessarily teach or condone us to ask questions, either. We're kind of taught that things are the way they are, and not to ask questions. I think even with that, the church kind of tells us to live on faith that one is following God's will, and with that logic, I think asking questions becomes an act that could come across as heretic.
ReplyDeleteSome churches do this; many do not.
ReplyDelete