-
Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:- Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
- Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
- Access to private conversations with other members.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!
ideals of religions
- Thread starter syo
- Start date
syo
Well-Known Member
I thought that, but it seems not all.
metis
aged ecumenical anthropologist
The "big-five religions" do, and many of the smaller ones as well, so I'm not sure which you're referring to. But a word of caution, namely that we have seen all too often secular groups that will use religion as a "tool" to try and gain support and legitimacy, thus converting the more gullible into their cause.
SabahTheLoner
Master of the Art of Couch Potato Cuddles
Global peace is not the same as global love.
SabahTheLoner
Master of the Art of Couch Potato Cuddles
My religion teaches respect for other people. Love is not required for respect.
In your religion what is the next best thing to that?
Akivah
Well-Known Member
I don't think that loving your neighbor is a tenet of Scientology.
Tumah
Veteran Member
Being able to sit with only some distractions and studying Torah.
I suppose it can be a lot of things, depends on the religion and the only way to really find out is to spend time studying each one of them. A mighty job.
For me the most important thing is not that a religion teaches love towards other. Words are easy and they don't cost anything. A religion can advertise itself in a very nice peace and loving way to attract people, but that doesn't mean they practice what they preach.
In the bible book of James we read in 2:14 that faith without works is dead, and that is very true.
There was one time in my life when merely out of cultural interest I studied the main religions and I came across very nice teachings from most of them, but I saw very little of those teachings in action and that put me off.
The best way to find out the value of a group of people is by observing how they act. No one is perfect so we can't expect perfection from others, but we have the right to expect a certain level of let's say, quality, in the people.
If most members of a group do the opposite of what they talk about then I know where I stand and I want nothing to do with them. That goes for religion and everything else.
The OP was about what the religions teach, in your case the Torah. Which from my readings include 'Rabbi Akiva says that loving another as you love yourself is “a cardinal principle in the Torah.” And the great sage Hillel even declared, “This is the entire Torah; all the rest is commentary.”'
Liu
Well-Known Member
Why are some people posting here whose religions do seem to teach this ideal?
Anyway, my religion doesn't - however, it's a difficult question which other kind of global goal we'd have.
That's because the focus of the LHP is on individual progress. What sense would there be in striving for world peace if you don't work on finding peace in yourself? Therefore, our ideal would be a world which supports us in our personal quests.
EDIT: Actually, one could even argue that in a completely peaceful world at least certain lessons for personal development would be much more difficult to attain. From that point of view, the current state of affairs is actually not too bad at all.
Oh, and then there are those among us who instead have the goal of global destruction, i.e. end of the world.
Anyway, my religion doesn't - however, it's a difficult question which other kind of global goal we'd have.
That's because the focus of the LHP is on individual progress. What sense would there be in striving for world peace if you don't work on finding peace in yourself? Therefore, our ideal would be a world which supports us in our personal quests.
EDIT: Actually, one could even argue that in a completely peaceful world at least certain lessons for personal development would be much more difficult to attain. From that point of view, the current state of affairs is actually not too bad at all.
Oh, and then there are those among us who instead have the goal of global destruction, i.e. end of the world.
Last edited:
Tumah
Veteran Member
Well, that's not what the OP says, but in any case, in Jewish Law the word used here for "your friend" always means either another Jew or G-d, not the whole world.
Rabbi Akiva did say that, but ben Azai disagrees with him and quotes a different verse as being a greater principle.
Hillel doesn't actually quote the verse, he states the principle in the negative (the silver rule, not the golden). Rashi explains:
What is hateful to you, do not do to your friend: 'Your Friend and the Friend of your father, do not forsake (Prov. 27:10)' This (friend) is the Holy One blessed be He, do not transgress His words (ie. commandments), because it is hateful for you when your friend transgresses your words. Another explanation: literally your friend (for example
stealing, robbing, adultery and most of the commandments.
The remainder: The rest of the words of the Torah.
Is explanation: Is the thing to know what is hated. Go learn and know it.
stealing, robbing, adultery and most of the commandments.The remainder: The rest of the words of the Torah.
Is explanation: Is the thing to know what is hated. Go learn and know it.
Rashi's first explanation is that this statement is true either because the whole Torah was commanded by G-d, so we should listen to Him as we would want him to listen to us. His second explanation is that Hillel was just speaking about the majority of the Torah, since most Laws deal with interpersonal relations between Jews.
So I didn't bring this verse because the interpretation of this verse or idea doesn't include everyone in the world which seems me to be what the OP intended in this thread which I think is based on his other thread.