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The religion evolution

Segev Moran

Well-Known Member
Hi All,

I Love watching debates on YouTube...

I Find it interesting and intriguing hearing peoples POV...
I mean debates about religion and atheism BTW...

When it comes to creationist debaters, I find the ones who "adopt" the evolution and science as something that is not contradicting religion as more open minded and usually they make stronger arguments about the religion...
but it always comes down to it that one of the argument is that the religion is evolving..
That the books are just a reference for us to learn from and understand from...

What i'm failing to understand is how can religion that is based on scriptures can evolve?

Isn't it a black or white concept?
Either GOD created the world or it didn't...
There is no middle ground based on the scriptures...
I Mean... if GOD created man, Adam and Eve...
He either created them, or not...
I think that saying .."no .. he didn't literally created them.. he created the evolution process..."
is kind of cheating...

If the bible is the words of GOD.. then when god said he created the world and man and all there is.. it supposed to mean that it is that it is (;))...
GOD created everything as told by his scriptures...

If science discovered the Big bang... that obviously is contradicting the creation of the universe as told by the scriptures... isn't saying that GOD actually created the big bang (the "No one tells in the bible how he made the world.. just that he did" claim) is a way of saying GOD is actually what we don't understand yet?

If in a few years science will discover what happened before the big band...

The claim will be.. yes.. but GOD created the things that were before the big band...

Same goes for evolution...

God created man.. no one said how he did it (Although he is supposedly made of earth)...
and here comes the claim that GOD actually created the evolution process...

So i would love hearing your thought about the subject...
Should religion evolve? or is fair to say that religion should always be strict to the origins and be as described by the scriptures?
 

Laika

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Hi All,

I Love watching debates on YouTube...

I Find it interesting and intriguing hearing peoples POV...
I mean debates about religion and atheism BTW...

When it comes to creationist debaters, I find the ones who "adopt" the evolution and science as something that is not contradicting religion as more open minded and usually they make stronger arguments about the religion...
but it always comes down to it that one of the argument is that the religion is evolving..
That the books are just a reference for us to learn from and understand from...

What i'm failing to understand is how can religion that is based on scriptures can evolve?

Isn't it a black or white concept?
Either GOD created the world or it didn't...
There is no middle ground based on the scriptures...
I Mean... if GOD created man, Adam and Eve...
He either created them, or not...
I think that saying .."no .. he didn't literally created them.. he created the evolution process..."
is kind of cheating...

If the bible is the words of GOD.. then when god said he created the world and man and all there is.. it supposed to mean that it is that it is (;))...
GOD created everything as told by his scriptures...

If science discovered the Big bang... that obviously is contradicting the creation of the universe as told by the scriptures... isn't saying that GOD actually created the big bang (the "No one tells in the bible how he made the world.. just that he did" claim) is a way of saying GOD is actually what we don't understand yet?

If in a few years science will discover what happened before the big band...

The claim will be.. yes.. but GOD created the things that were before the big band...

Same goes for evolution...

God created man.. no one said how he did it (Although he is supposedly made of earth)...
and here comes the claim that GOD actually created the evolution process...

So i would love hearing your thought about the subject...
Should religion evolve? or is fair to say that religion should always be strict to the origins and be as described by the scriptures?

I think you are right to point to a contradiction and tensions between literalism and evolving understandings of religion. At the most basic (I think) it is to do with the scope of interpretation of what religion is and whether it is the individual themselves can interpret the scripture or whether a religious authority depends on that scripture for legitimacy meaning it is more fixed in its interpretation.

Even literalists would recognise "some" scope for interpretation in so far as the text and its meaning may be corrupted as it is passed down from generation to generation.
 

A Vestigial Mote

Well-Known Member
Religion is a very personal thing - and it, necessarily, means something different to every single person - even to those of the same belief system (though you could scarce get them to admit to, or even understand this). And so, of course religion "evolves". It changes with every person added to the fold - and changes more drastically every time there is a "changing of the guard". Hence the reason you have contemporary, rock-style music being played in mini-concert-style at modern Christian churches - something that would have most likely been condemned as "sin" in generations past.

All of which points to a very interesting question - based on what is done now, does it mean that the generations past were "doing it wrong"? My answer is yes - but only because I think we are ALL doing it wrong, and have been for all of our history. Not that I have any idea what "right" is, mind you. Haven't the foggiest. But "wrong"? Yeah - we're all wrong.
 

George-ananda

Advaita Vedanta, Theosophy, Spiritualism
Premium Member
Yes, I think religion should evolve. In fact, just in my lifetime, I have seen the decline of traditional Abrahamic religions and the rise of more eastern ways of religious thought and atheism. This is evolution caused by increased education and exposure giving more people the power to think for themselves. The old Abrahamic religions don't do as well with the problems posed by modern questioning. This is evolution.
 

Segev Moran

Well-Known Member
Religion is a very personal thing - and it, necessarily, means something different to every single person - even to those of the same belief system (though you could scarce get them to admit to, or even understand this). And so, of course religion "evolves". It changes with every person added to the fold - and changes more drastically every time there is a "changing of the guard". Hence the reason you have contemporary, rock-style music being played in mini-concert-style at modern Christian churches - something that would have most likely been condemned as "sin" in generations past.

All of which points to a very interesting question - based on what is done now, does it mean that the generations past were "doing it wrong"? My answer is yes - but only because I think we are ALL doing it wrong, and have been for all of our history. Not that I have any idea what "right" is, mind you. Haven't the foggiest. But "wrong"? Yeah - we're all wrong.

I Was gonna answer one thing but than got to the second part of your post :)....

Your practically an atheist...

I'm an atheist.. and yes.. that's the whole point of being an atheist.. Religious people are wrong! they are doing it wrong! they should not submit their thoughts.. their curiosity of understanding to "GOD".... They should ask the hard questions.. they should use their logic and ask themselves "what is wrong and what is right to me, to my community, to my fellow beings".. not "to my GOD"....
 

Segev Moran

Well-Known Member
just in my lifetime, I have seen the decline of traditional Abrahamic religions and the rise of more eastern ways of religious thought and atheism.
Why do you refer to atheism as an evolved religion???
And also.. so does that mean that Abrahams GOD is a wrong GOD?
 

George-ananda

Advaita Vedanta, Theosophy, Spiritualism
Premium Member
Why do you refer to atheism as an evolved religion???
I didn't call it a 'religion' but part of the evolutionary process where people question the traditional religions and start thinking for themselves.
And also.. so does that mean that Abrahams GOD is a wrong GOD?
I wouldn't say 'wrong' but I would say some of the traditional ideas associated with this God need to evolve. For example, the traditional thinking about this God is too anthropomorphized but that may have been the best way for people to understand in less educated times.
 

Segev Moran

Well-Known Member
I didn't call it a 'religion' but part of the evolutionary process where people question the traditional religions and start thinking for themselves.

I wouldn't say 'wrong' but I would say some of the traditional ideas associated with this God need to evolve. For example, the traditional thinking about this God is too anthropomorphized but that may have been the best way for people to understand in less educated times.

What about the ten commandments?
Should they also be modernized?
Or are they an exception?

And i really hope atheism will be the next step in humans evolution...
I think that if GOD in its religious definition will cease to exist... humanity will be much more evolved both socially and scientifically..
 

George-ananda

Advaita Vedanta, Theosophy, Spiritualism
Premium Member
What about the ten commandments?
Should they also be modernized?
Or are they an exception?
Everything can be modernized, so why not.
And i really hope atheism will be the next step in humans evolution...
Not me. I see more eastern and pantheistic understandings to be the next positive step.
I think that if GOD in its religious definition will cease to exist... humanity will be much more evolved both socially and scientifically..
I think ultimately science will need to take a post-materialist approach and see that consciousness is the fundamental constituent of existence.
 

Segev Moran

Well-Known Member
Everything can be modernized, so why not.
Well, for starters.. the ten commandments are the core of 3 major religions!
If you change them, the words of GOD itself.. you're actually saying religion's core is not good.
Not me. I see more eastern and pantheistic understandings to be the next positive step.
why eastern?
I think ultimately science will need to take a post-materialist approach and see that consciousness is the fundamental constituent of existence.
wow... so no consciousness no life?
what about trees?
what about viruses?
what about unconscious animals?
do they not exist?
 

George-ananda

Advaita Vedanta, Theosophy, Spiritualism
Premium Member
Well, for starters.. the ten commandments are the core of 3 major religions!
If you change them, the words of GOD itself.. you're actually saying religion's core is not good.
That's too simplistic a way of looking at it.
why eastern?
Because after much study I have come to believe that the great sages of India have delved deepest into the nature of reality than has any other of man's wisdom traditions.
wow... so no consciousness no life?
what about trees?
what about viruses?
what about unconscious animals?
do they not exist?
No, no, no. I am not sure how familiar you are with Advaita beliefs that originated in the east/India.

Advaita: Consciousness/God/Brahman is primary and matter/energy is a derivative of consciousness.

Western: Matter/energy is primary and consciousness is a creation of matter.
 

Segev Moran

Well-Known Member
That's too simplistic a way of looking at it.

Because after much study I have come to believe that the great sages of India have delved deepest into the nature of reality than has any other of man's wisdom traditions.

No, no, no. I am not sure how familiar you are with Advaita beliefs that originated in the east/India.

Advaita: Consciousness/God/Brahman is primary and matter/energy is a derivative of consciousness.

Western: Matter/energy is primary and consciousness is a creation of matter.
Are you referring to say that unless i'm aware of something it does not exist for me?
 

George-ananda

Advaita Vedanta, Theosophy, Spiritualism
Premium Member
Are you referring to say that unless i'm aware of something it does not exist for me?
No, not that. I am saying that Consciousness/God/Brahman is the foundation and that the universe is the play/drama of God/Brahman. Matter can not produce consciousness; it must pre-exist matter.
 
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