What is religion? What is the motivation behind it?
Whilst I have no cause to question the teachings of the bible/Koran it is a good book and to further examine that “The good is NOT the book the good is IN the book”.
I have had cause to question the motivation behind a majority of its interpreted teachings.
And where this motivation originates from?
It is important to realize that the teachings from these books are interpretations of those books by whoever is reading them/preaching from them.
Now I have not schooled up on this subject as any literature that I may read from one side or the other will by its very nature be biased to that particular point of view so therefore I am relying on my own instinctive perception or what I think about things based on my own life experiences.
So to clarify my position here I am not questioning the current motivation of the teachings of the bible I am questioning the ORIGINAL MOTIVATION of all bible type books that are taught to the general populations of the world.
When you look at the figures (approx) 2000 years after the beginnings of Christianity with the death of Jesus Christians are most certainly the minority group however that minority group controls/governs a great deal of the worlds population religion it seems is firmly embedded in our society today as a result of some very astute scholars many centuries ago. (I picked Christianity because it’s the most common minority group)(Sorry)
My thinking is that (back then as now) People need something to believe in they need a threat to there existence (the devil/Satan) and they need a savior (Jesus/Mohammad)
Western, eastern and Middle Eastern cultures all have these similar attributes in their respective “religions” and eternal life is of course the reward for a lifetime of dedication. And most of these religions are cross referenced in some way (however subtle) each book of rules mentions the other faith and say that their way is the only way but all teach moral values that our/their society is based upon.
How wonderful that in return for absolute faithfulness you are rewarded after you die.
And there it is the reward; after you die you will have eternal life!
After you die that’s the key of course as you can argue till your blue in the face about this many do but its something that simply cannot be proven one way or the other.
I feel that when you die you live on in your children (genetically) and in the memories of the people that you have met through out your life. And there is the point of it all how we already have eternal life with or without the teachings of any religion of any kind.
However how do you control the masses?
Give them something to believe in and reward them for good behavior but make sure you never have to make good your promises. (Sounds like politics)
OK so that said, all religions have their figure heads all were great men in human history and have changed the way we all think with there interpreted teachings.
And they all offer something that we already have, but don’t always realize it.
That being eternal life.
So I think it’s a control thing to motivate the uncertain and unpredictable elements in the population all to think a certain way ie: love thy neighbor etc.anyway this is getting to long winded for me this is my 2 cents for the day
