Is A Religion Equivalent to the Actions and Beliefs of its Followers? (moral, choice)

[Sunstone]

Can a religion be reduced to the actions and beliefs of its followers, as some people claim?

For instance, if a Muslim anywhere in the world bombs a marketplace, does that mean Islam is in favor of bombing marketplaces?

Again, if a Christian anywhere in the world shoots an abortion doctor, does that mean Christianity is in favor of shooting abortion doctors?

How does one decide what sort of actions and beliefs are inspired by a religion and what sort of actions and beliefs are not inspired by a religion? Can a religion be reduced to the actions and beliefs of its followers?

[yossarian22]

Yes.
Just look at how an insurance company does business.

[Dislekseyuh]

You need to take everyone on an individual basis, unless some the said group, whatever has some really rocks solid foundation and beliefs, such as the KKK.

[Sunstone]

Originally Posted by yossarian22

Yes.
Just look at how an insurance company does business.

Could you elaborate, please?

[Popeyesays]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

Can a religion be reduced to the actions and beliefs of its followers, as some people claim?

For instance, if a Muslim anywhere in the world bombs a marketplace, does that mean Islam is in favor of bombing marketplaces?

Again, if a Christian anywhere in the world shoots an abortion doctor, does that mean Christianity is in favor of shooting abortion doctors?

How does one decide what sort of actions and beliefs are inspired by a religion and what sort of actions and beliefs are not inspired by a religion? Can a religion be reduced to the actions and beliefs of its followers?

To contend that it is is to commit a fallacy of composition--a logical fallacy. Logical fallacies rarely lead to rational decisions. To use a fallacy to guide some one to a poor choice purposefully is morally corrupt.

Regards,
Scott

[kai]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

Can a religion be reduced to the actions and beliefs of its followers, as some people claim?

For instance, if a Muslim anywhere in the world bombs a marketplace, does that mean Islam is in favor of bombing marketplaces?
not market places in particular bur does it have provision for such acts in its principles of martyrdom
Again, if a Christian anywhere in the world shoots an abortion doctor, does that mean Christianity is in favor of shooting abortion doctors?
is there provision or any interpretation for murder in scripture

How does one decide what sort of actions and beliefs are inspired by a religion and what sort of actions and beliefs are not inspired by a religion? Can a religion be reduced to the actions and beliefs of its followers?

you decide what acts are purported to be inspired by that religion and enquire if there is sanction in its scripture or religious law, the more it happens and the more the perpetrators are claiming such religious sanction the more you must question and , the question must be where is this sanction coming from.
and all religions are ultimately judged by the actions of its followers

[yossarian22]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

Could you elaborate, please?

Ever wonder why you pay $900 for car insurance while another guy pays only $560?
Your insurance company groups you and everybody else they insure. They look at your group and say, 'Ah, the group you are in has a 23% higher chance of being in an accident' So they raise your rates.
Now the formulas they use are nowhere near this simple, but it still functions on a similar basis. More advanced systems can predict large groups with extraordinary accuracy. Why do you think teenagers are assumed to be poorer drivers than people in their 40s? Because they are. Now some insurance companies also include religion, most include race, and all include age in their system but I am digressing.

We can judge any group by the sum of their actions.
Edit: Tapped enter by accident
We can also judge their ideology.

A single action is not significant.
They actions of a few thousand may be. I could write down how and why, but I doubt anybody is interested.

[MidnightBlue]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

Can a religion be reduced to the actions and beliefs of its followers, as some people claim?

You already know my answer, don't you?

The only quibble I might have is the word "reduced." A religion equals the actions and beliefs of its adherents and nothing else.

Originally Posted by Sunstone

For instance, if a Muslim anywhere in the world bombs a marketplace, does that mean Islam is in favor of bombing marketplaces?

Again, if a Christian anywhere in the world shoots an abortion doctor, does that mean Christianity is in favor of shooting abortion doctors?

Of course not.

Originally Posted by Sunstone

How does one decide what sort of actions and beliefs are inspired by a religion and what sort of actions and beliefs are not inspired by a religion? Can a religion be reduced to the actions and beliefs of its followers?

Look for patterns of belief and behavior. For instance, not all Christians are Trinitarians, but it's fair to say that Trinitarianism is a Christian doctrine. Not all Christians believe in just war, but it's fair to say that just war is a Christian belief. Maybe not all Muslims believe in violent jihad, but it's fair to say that violent jihad is a Muslim belief and practice. Not all Christians are homophobes, but since almost all Christians belong to churches that discriminate against homosexuals, it's fair to say that almost all Christians are able to reconcile themselves to homophobia. Not all Christians and Muslims are sexists, but most Muslims and the majority of Christians are willing to accept, on religious grounds, that women should be relegated to a subservient role in religion and often in society as a whole. It's not unfair to notice that Christians used religious texts to justify slavery for more than eighteen centuries, and or that Muslim countries were the last countries in the world to abolish slavery under the law, that the countries were slavery is still a major problem are Muslim countries, and that there are still Muslim scholars who defend slavery. It's not unfair to remember that both Muslims and Christians have persecuted "infidels" whenever and wherever the law and the government have allowed them to do so. It's not unfair to notice that the rejection of modern science occurs mostly among fundamentalist members of the Abrahamic religions. It's not unfair to notice that many "moderate" Muslims would be considered extremists if they were Christians.

Originally Posted by Popeyesays

To contend that it is is to commit a fallacy of composition--a logical fallacy.

Can you explain what objective reality any religion has apart from the beliefs and actions of its adherents?

There is no "true" Christianity or "true" Islam that is beautiful and pristine and blameless. There are only the Christianity and the Islam that we see on the ground. Although I can understand why believers are eager to embrace the myth of the Platonic Ideal when it comes to their religions, such Ide