Judging Other Religions (beliefs, followers, experience, Christianity, Christian)

[Feathers in Hair]

I've been thinking about this for awhile, and would like some insight on the topic, if others are willing. (Fair warning, I just noticed I used the phrase 'a few' about thirty times, but I'm about to leave for work...)

I don't want to risk getting a 'No, d'uh?' response by stating that I think any negative judgement on any religion, based on the actions of a few is wrong. (Even if it would be, for some, 'No, d'uh, Feathers thinks that!') However, I've struggled with the opposite in these last few days. Can a person be right in holding a better opinion of a religion, based on the actions of a few?

I know I've used this example a dozen times, so watch me be a rebel and do it again! Hope, Lightkeeper, and Scott were among many people here when I came to the forums that healed my opinion of Catholism and Christianity. Even now, there are more and more members that continue to increase my respect for other religions, based on their posts or their actions. What I've been struggling with is that I'm not sure it's any more ethical to do this.

My question is this: I don't doubt it would be wrong of me to form a negative opinon of a religion, based on a few jerks, but can one be any more justified in thinking better of a religion, based on the actions of a few?

[Fluffy]

Isn't it almost impossible to "restrain" a view you have about another religion though? If you meet some nasty people from a certain religion then this will colour your perceptions of it and their isnt anything you can do about it. The same goes with meeting nice people from a religion.

One thing you could do is seperate the religion from its followers. In this way you can like or dislike the followers of a religion without them having any effect on your perception of a religion. I have found that this seperation does not come naturally to people.

What you are describing is synonymous of meeting people from a certain country who are nasty to you and then deciding that this country is a bad place to live. This is a totally natural response but it is not logical either.

Now then, because I like tolerance, I would say you would be much more justified in liking a religion based on the actions of a few as opposed to disliking a religion based on the actions of a few. However, I just wouldnt think you were any more logical .

I do exactly the same as you by the way and I find I cannot stop myself. I figure it doesnt matter as long as I realise that I am jumping to conclusions and try as hard as possible to not let this affect my actions.

[Sunstone]

I wonder to what extent a person's religion really influences what they do or don't do? I used to think that it was pretty obvious that religion had a great influence on us, but nowadays I've tended to doubt that it does, especially when compared to the influence of our genetics and other (non religious) cultural factors on us. For instance, would Feathers be the same person she is today even without her religious beliefs. I would guess that Feathers would say "No", that her religious beliefs are a vital part of her, and that if she didn't have them she would be a different person. But the more I see of people, the more I wonder if that is true for anyone of us? Is religion really that much of an influence on us?

And if religion is not that much of an influence on us, then how is it possible to hold a religion in higher or lower esteem merely because of the actions of its members?

I don't have any answers for you Feathers. Just questions.

[No*s]

Feathers, maybe there's a place for both negative and positive experiences. As Fluffy has already pointed out, we can't really separate our experiences from our perceptions. Maybe both negative and positive experiences give you the hights and depths of a religion, provided those two things are in continuity with what it teaches.

Experience is, after all, often our best teacher. It just shouldn't be our sole teacher.

[Lightkeeper]

I don't think we should judge a religion one way or the other by the people who practice it. It's all about personal interpretation of the religion and the person's individual personality. I think we should come to our own conclusions about a religion by studying it. What we get out of a religion is relative to how deep we want to look into ourselves. One might say judging a religion by the people who practice is lazy. If we do this we are allow others to make our decisions for us. We need to do our own work and come to our own conclusions.

[Feathers in Hair]

Originally Posted by Lightkeeper

We need to do our own work and come to our own conclusions.

Originally Posted by Sunstone

I don't have any answers for you Feathers. Just questions.

Nooo! *frets* You mean you want me to think for myself?!

Thanks, everyone, for your intruiging insights! You've given me even more things to think about!

[Scuba Pete]

Judge as in "pass sentence"?

or

Judge as in "use discretion"?

They are entirely different concepts using the same word. While I condemn the first (ain't THAT ironic), I fully believe in the second.

[Feathers in Hair]

Judge as in "My opinion of a religion is better because NetDoc practices it and I like their viewpoint on most subjects." So... er... The favorable form?