Is your religion perfect?

[YmirGF]

I got the idea from this thread from the following comments made by ProudMuslim.

The problem these days is that many Muslims, the ones who appear in the media, seem not to know who is their enemy and how to react. That is in addition to the spread of illiteracy, poverty and the straying away from Islamic teachings and applying traditional teachings from our end and Islamophobia propaganda from the opposing end cause misunderstanding and misinterpretation of Islam.

On the face of it I would gauge the above to be a fairly accurate analysis of Islam as we know it in the modern world.

Islam is perfect, Muslims are not.

What at first seemed like a fair comment, began to gnaw its way into my thinking and I began to wonder how reasonable the claim is. That led to me wondering if the followers of other religions felt the same way.

So the question of the poll is, "Is your religion perfect?" If you think your religion is "perfect" then perhaps you could explain why you feel that way. Do you have any compelling evidence to bolster your claim? You might also include what your definition of perfect is as well.

 

[BucephalusBB]

Atheism is no religion, but as some theists sometimes really want it to be a religion..
Yes, my faith is perfect. Because it's members do not believe in God and that is also the purpose of the "faith". Everything around that just has nothing to do with atheism.

"Islam is perfect, Muslims are not."
See, here I have a small problem though. I will not comment on the islam or muslims, only the statement given.
I feel a religion is there for the people. No religion can be perfect if the members of the religion don't get it.

 

[sandandfoam]

I answered "Yes, it is perfect because it works for me." That it works for me is my explanation for why I feel it's perfect.

 

[Alceste]

My lack of a religion is perfect, because it works for me. That wasn't an option, so I picked the same one as stephenw.

 

[BucephalusBB]

I answered "Yes, it is perfect because it works for me." That it works for me is my explanation for why I feel it's perfect.

According to you title howver, you are working on it.
So...does it work for you or are you working for it?

 

[sandandfoam]

According to you title howver, you are working on it.
So...does it work for you or are you working for it?

Oh no - are you sure you're not a lawyer
Fixed it

 

[ChristineES]

God is perfect, but the people who follow faith couldn't be since humans are not perfect. But my faith works for me.

 

[Khale]

Clearly my religion is the epitome of perfection. In fact, it is so perfect, that it has transcended the very concept of perfection and settled, warm and cozy, under the title of perfectissimo. People flock from across the lands to take comfort under my religions wings. They fall to their knees decrying their false Gods. Atheists, upon witnessing the undeniable truth of my religion, abandon their precious science with nary a tearful goodbye.

My religion has brought joy to humanity and animal . . . ity alike. Sheep cuddle with tigers, elephants and mice share pleasant conversations over freshly made tea, sharks hug injured surfers! Woes, greivances, hurts, and shames. All of these are of the past. All cease to matter in the presence of the peace provided!

No religion is perfect. Only God are perfect and even that is debateable.

 

[Father Heathen]

Define "perfection".

 

[Charity]

Define "perfection".

Charity........

 

[Caladan]

I think people who believe their religion to be perfect have minimum information or understanding of the religion.

 

[sandandfoam]

I think people who believe their religion to be perfect have minimum information or understanding of the religion.

That appears very condescending, on what do you base the statement?

 

[Father Heathen]

Charity........

*gasp*! You're not suggesting people turn away from Christ and worship you as a Goddess, are you?!

 

[Caladan]

That appears very condescending, on what do you base the statement?

Is it condescending to say that religion is man made, and has proven to carry all human flaws?
to me this is obvious.
I think to really be condescending is to say that your religion IS perfect.

 

[Smoke]

I checked "No religion is perfect."

My own personal religion -- lurking around the edges of Buddhism and Quakerism (and Shambhala, if you consider that separate from Buddhism), while trying to live mindfully and with compassion -- is definitely not perfect.

To me, the test of a religion is in the behavior of its adherents. It's no good to say that your book or your prophet or your dogma is perfect, but the adherents fail to live up to the ideals of the religion. What the adherents believe and how they behave is the religion. It seems to me, therefore, that while some religions are demonstrably better than others, no religion is or possibly can be perfect.

Some of the things that make for bad religion:

1) The belief that it's the only true religion, or the very best religion for everybody. The illusion that you (or your ancestors) have discovered the ultimate truth that everybody ought to conform to is the height of hubris.

2) Insistence on dogmatic conformity. Religious beliefs are necessarily metaphorical; to insist on dogmatic conformity is to mistake the metaphor for the reality.

3) Mistaking myth for fact -- which leads to things like the Discovery Institute and other divergences from honest inquiry. Face the world unafraid of the truth, and you might learn something. Set out to prove that your myth is true, and you'll spend your life in a dark room of the mind, devoted to nonsense.

4) Religious authority. It doesn't matter whether the authority in your religion is vested in a text, or a prophet, or a pope, or a guru, or councils, or anything else. Authority corrupts, and the prophet or the council or the curia, or those who fancy themselves the right interpreters of the text, will almost necessarily exercise tyranny over the minds and hearts of their followers.

5) Revelation. Let's say that Jesus or Muhammad or Moses or Joseph Smith or Sakyamuni or Mahavira or Mary Baker Eddy or somebody has encountered, or even embodied, the ultimate "truth." So what? You can never replicate their experience. Relying on revelation can never bring you to an encounter with that "truth" that your savior or prophet or buddha encountered. You must live your own life, do your own work, encounter your own "truth." If you think somebody else's revelation tells you all you need to know, you're kidding yourself. It's fine to study what they said, but that study will never bring you to the knowledge (Kenntnis) that they had.

 

[Smoke]

*gasp*! You're not suggesting people turn away from Christ and worship you as a Goddess, are you?!

People could do worse -- and often have.

 

[sandandfoam]

Why did you not answer my question?

Is it condescending to say that religion is man made, and has proven to carry all human flaws?

No. I may not agree but no.

I think to really be condescending is to say that your religion IS perfect.

Doesn't that depend on whether or not my opinion about what is perfect extends beyond myself?
Regarding:-

I think people who believe their religion to be perfect have minimum information or understanding of the religion.

Again, that appears very condescending, on what do you base the statement?

 

[Charity]

*gasp*! You're not suggesting people turn away from Christ and worship you as a Goddess, are you?!

Yes love, What must I do to turn you from your heathen ways and believe in me as the answers to all of your prayers.....and all the others who need to worship me as a true goddess.....:ww:
:biglaugh:

 

[Caladan]

Why did you not answer my question?

I believe I have.

Doesn't that depend on whether or not my opinion about what is perfect extends beyond myself?

You will have to elaborate.

Again, that appears very condescending, on what do you base the statement?

Back to my original answer: "Is it condescending to say that religion is man made, and has proven to carry all human flaws?"
for some reason you are not comfortable with it. to me its obvious as it shoult be for any conscious person, even if they happen to be religious. when a person applies some critical thinking also when it comes to their religion, I understand they have something more than just blind faith, or indoctrinated tradition, or cultural assimilation.
I fail to see what is condescending about the realistic notion, that people who claim their religion (or philosophy, political party, etc.) is perfect not only have a very lacking understanding of their faith, but I will add that they are dangerous people.

 

[Falvlun]

I'm really suprised that no one has answered "Yes, but with qualifications".

It seems to me that if you subscribe to an "absolute truth" sort of religion, like Christianity and Islam, you would have to think it was perfect; otherwise, why believe that one and not some other one? Or, rather, if it wasn't perfect, how can it be "absolute truth"?

The "but with qualifications" part could be something like:
--The information we currently have is perfect, but not necessarily complete.
--Our religion is perfect because that is how God wants it right now; though he may decide to change it down the road.