Religion or no religion?
Religion is defined as a personal set or institutionalized system of belief and practice. In other words and as Aristotle defined ‘man to be a political animal,’ everyone is religious about something as may be seen from the following definition and supporting statement: “obsession: an object, practice, cause, or activity that somebody is completely devoted to or obsessed by · The danger is that you start to make fitness a religion.” Encarta Dictionaries.
Therefore my question is
(1) Is man to do away with religion?
(2) With what can man replace religion?
These questions come to mind considering the spate of troubles which persistently erupt - as recorded yesterday – on account of religion:
Egyptian Coptic Christians clash with hard-core Muslims and Security Forces leaving 24 persons dead.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/10/09/riots-erupt-in-egypt-over-c...
The fear of Boko Haram in Nigeria’s Maiduguri and Abuja is been said to be the death of night life and so forth. Boko Haram is said to not want Western education and to be biased towards an Islamic style of living enforced on all.
Some persons in reaction to these incidents have said Christianity should be practiced in the churches only and Islam in the Mosques since certain Islamist in Tunisia demanded Universities should compel all female students to wear the niqab.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15233442
So what do you think will resolve this unnecessary violence from man towards other men? Is it religion that is the problem and which should give way for something better and more stable or will the solution to these problems be found in other factors? I will appreciate your comments and contributions.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Charles Ugochukwu Okere on -
Our problem is not religion per se. Religion is made for man and not the other way round. We should be able to bring our obsession under control. Religion has been there right from the creation of man. It is man that has abused religion hence we are having all these problems associated with it. The moment man teems his inordinate desire to super-impose his religious beliefs on others, then the society would have become a better place to live in.
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Permalink Reply by Eze, Uche Eze on -
lt d problem is over obsession. If evry religious group would have respect 4 others,not regarding them as false religion, it will reduce d spate of violence all over d world.
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Permalink Reply by Munir Abdulrahman on -
All the religions in this world teach peace,but our clergies misintrepret the only books which served as guidance to both religion fellowers. No religion in this world that encourage violance.
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Permalink Reply by Irigha DM Olali on -
Mr Charles and Eze say 'obsession' is the culprit and Mr Munir says 'no religion teaches violence and that violence is a result of misinterpretation. These are all plausible and verifiable contributions.
I have an extension though: obsession perhaps is connected with the desire to eradicate evil from the society which vigorously pursued results in violence. I hope my analysis is correct: without going into the paradoxical nature of violence akin to fire - a purifier and consumer?
Thus the solution may be in establishing protocols acceptable to all and enforceable through regular legal channels if and when negotiations break down between opposing religious systems.
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Permalink Reply by Charles Ugochukwu Okere on
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I agree with you but my fear is that as long as the people who will adjudicate have their prejudice for/against religions, it may not work out as expected.
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Permalink Reply by Irigha DM Olali on
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You're right Mr Charles. Adjudication requires wisdom. Sadly not many men (especially in high positions) have wisdom. I look at the issue from this viewpoint: I believe in this manner, the other, in that manner. My standpoint then is to persist with the endpoint of my belief in view it will come to establishment without any exertions on my part in the proper time since belief is generally directed towards a source Who is Supernal and does not require the aid of men to cause His desire to manifest at any point in time.
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