Religion and Ethics (Jesus, moral, Epistles, beliefs, soul)

[Halcyon]

What do you think about religions dictating how people should live their lives?

Most, if not all, religions, large and small include some form of ethical rules or guidelines.
A common one is the prohibition or guideline against its members drinking alcohol. Is this really the best thing a religion should be doing though?
If a person never touches alcohol, they'll never feel any of the negative effects, which while on the surface may seem like a good thing, it also means the person will never actually understand why, perhaps, they shouldn't drink. They never have the experience that would allow them to form their own judgement and create their own sense of what is good and bad for them.
The same goes for vegetarianism, if someone is encouraged (or even forced) into vegetarianism from a young age they'll probably never face the moral dilemma that comes with eating meat, which means their beliefs on that matter don't arise from within themselves, but come from others.

Obviously there are hundreds of ways in which the various world religions guide or form their followers sense of ethics, but do they do this at the expense of personal understanding and growth?

Would the sign of a truly great religion be that it's teachings instill a sense of ethics into its followers without the need to actually control their behaviour with rules and prohibitions?

[Scuba Pete]

It's amazing to me, that Jesus came to fulfill the law so that we would no longer be bound by it. Still, people are intent on creating rules for Christianity.

It is for Freedom you have been set free...

[ChristineES]

If a person joins a religion, then he or she is going to know what kind of guidelines that the religion will have beforehand. But all these guidelines can't be forced- even if you follow a certain religion, you may not follow all the guidelines of this said faith. Even Paul said as much in his epistles.
I don't drink myself, but I don't think drinking is wrong in moderation and can be beneficial health wise. Jesus Himself drank wine and was called a drunkard by the Pharisees.

[Kungfuzed]

Unfortunately, religion doesn't keep up with the times. Some of them are just plain stuck in ancient history because they don't allow for any new doctrine or revelation. So they cling to the old commandments, or learn to reinterperet the scriptures to mean something else, or just ignore some verses in favor of others. Of course, there are other religions that allow for free thought and use more than just ancient unchangable text to determine their morality.

[Seyorni]

The Eastern religions are more like psychotherapeutic modalities than "religions" in the Western sense. They are not about "shalts" and "shalt nots."

[Halcyon]

Originally Posted by ChristineES

If a person joins a religion, then he or she is going to know what kind of guidelines that the religion will have beforehand.

But what of people born into a faith?

Originally Posted by ChristineES

But all these guidelines can't be forced- even if you follow a certain religion, you may not follow all the guidelines of this said faith. Even Paul said as much in his epistles.

In theory sure, but in practice there tends to be quite a lot of peer pressure to follow the rules. I remember when Djamila spoke about having the occasional glass of wine, and how she'd get looks from other Muslims and feel guilty.

[ChristineES]

But what of people born into a faith?

No one is actually born into a faith. Their parents choose the religion they follow until they decide which belief system (or non belief system) they want to follow.

In theory sure, but in practice there tends to be quite a lot of peer pressure to follow the rules. I remember when Djamila spoke about having the occasional glass of wine, and how she'd get looks from other Muslims and feel guilty.

I can't deny that. When I was younger, I felt guilty listening to Rock and Soul music because some pastors were saying that it was sinful. (I no longer feel that rock and soul music may be a sin).
Peer pressure is something we all have to deal with. It isn't easy, either, because even if one doesn't think it is wrong, someone else they know will and will judge that person. And sometimes quite harshly. There is really no easy answers for that.

[Halcyon]

Originally Posted by Seyorni

The Eastern religions are more like psychotherapeutic modalities than "religions" in the Western sense. They are not about "shalts" and "shalt nots."

I don't know about that, look at some Theravadan Buddhist monastic precepts;

Do not eat after midday.
Do not engage in singing, dancing, music or any other kind of entertainment.
Do not use garlands, perfumes or other adornments.
Do not sit on a luxurious seat in sleep in a luxurious bed.
Do not accept or hold money.

[Dunemeister]

Parents teach their children ethics. Or at least they ought to. Religions also teach ethics, or at least they ought to. I don't understand how teaching ethics can be a bad thing unless the ethics are bad. For example, teaching people that they must kill people and eat their hearts in order to gain strength from the gods is bad to teach.

Teaching ethics does not hinder people's growth in any sense whatsoever. It fosters it. My wife, for example, was born into a Christian family. She hasn't had anything like a "born again" experience. She simply grew up assuming (and still assumes) the truth of the Christian religion and a certain code of ethics based on an evangelical understanding of the Christian religion. I, on the other hand, grew up without any sort of faith at all. I converted later in life, at around age 22. At that time, I started learning ethics as a way of life. Before that, I had "ethics" of a sort, but they were fairly self-serving, incoherent, and self-congratulatory. My wife an I met when I was 33, so by that time, I'd had 11 years to learn Christian ethics. But since the moment I've met her, my wife has demonstrated a deeper understanding of ethics than I could ever hope to have achieved. She not only knows what's right and what's wrong, she knows why. Her life is characterized by a depth and wisdom I continually admire. She has appropriated Christian virtues to an astounding degree. It may be possible for a religious upbringing to hinder a person's growth, but it's hard to see that in my wife's case.

In my own case, religious instruction started much later. I have noticed nothing but improvement since the day I converted. I don't follow Christian ethics because I fear judgment because Christian theology takes that option away for believers. I follow Christian ethics because they're beautiful and contribute to life's flourishing. I haven't asked her, but I'm confident my wife would say the same.

I get the feeling that some people believe that it's better not to be taught ethics at all. It's as if some people think that ethics that come "from within" are superior to those that are taught "from without." But I don't understand why one would think that. Don't we usually think that someone who makes up the rules for themselves a tyrant? or a miscreant? or a psychopath? or simply arrogant?