Perhaps the most glaring and significant problem with religion today is the spectacular failure to distinguish between religion involving genuine, spiritual belief in God and the practice of arbitrary, often self-serving worship effected with robotic ceremony. The two processes are as significantly different as the religious organizations themselves profess to be. The question as to whether spiritual completeness is achieved only by expressing faith in an official manner under the banner of one approved dogma is valid . Does one right religion exist today?
In practice, large orthodox religious organizations have seemingly presumed a God-given right to dominate religion and prescribe spiritually correct dogma, yet vehemently proscribe and deny singular alternative beliefs. Smaller faith groups and unique groups of worshipers are challenged and denied religious importance as blasphemous sinners and cults.
Even with modern social enlightenment, affiliate churches, even those choosing alternative thought, including separation from a main congregation specifically to preserve once-important values of that very congregation, may be rejected for lack of social-religious conformity to edicts of the righteous.
Individuals shunted outside of mainstream society on religious grounds were also often alienated in community life, and scorned. Any direct challenge to the power wielded by churches and the express distaste for alternative worship not only necessitated forceful social alienation of the guilty, but guilt by association and the prediction that all such practitioners of such imperfect worship were, at best, destined for hell as non-believers, heathens, and heretics.
Elevation of specific doctrine to a self-proclaimed state of perfection and assuming the ultimate approval of God while simultaneously denigrating and minimizing alternative beliefs remains a questionable but common root cause of religious dissent.
Does any system of doctrine have the right to belittle or condemn other faiths? Thou shalt not judge immediately comes to mind. The concept of tolerance is brought to question. The concept of personal opinion arises. Let us not exclude the oft-ignored detail that mankind arrogantly even presumes to know the mind of God in loudly proclaiming both the protection and perfection of their specific beliefs and practices.
In fact, logic dictates the ultimate enigmatic religious question should first
Below are the top articles rated and ranked by Helium members on:
Just as "there is a great deal of evidence by way of written record and artifact to show that no matter how far one may
Perhaps the most glaring and significant problem with religion today is the spectacular failure to distinguish between
by Dambrath
Currently there are around two thousand major world religions in the world today, many of which have conflicting ideals
by James Harvey
Is there only one right religion? In today's world, some might find that question offensive, even controversial. To
Is there one right religion? This question would have to be answered in two seperate formats. One for those who do not believe
View All Articles on:
Is there one right religion?
Add your voice
Know something about Is there one right religion??
We want to hear your view.
Write now!
Featured Partner
Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting
The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting is an innovator in international nonprofit journalism. It goes beyond the hea...more
hide