Our inherent failure to understand foreign religious concepts

[Samael_Khan]

I have noticed that us humans tend to judge and understand alien religions based on the worldview of our own religion and culture rather than on the other religions and cultures own concepts.

Two examples are the concept of God and truth. Monotheists tend to believe that worshipping one god means that you believe that that is the only true god, and I have met a few who fail to understand that polytheists who worship only one god in their pantheon also view other gods as valid. Many monotheists cannot comprehend the idea of a fluid god, like the egyptians gods, or that all Hindu gods can be seen in multiple different ways depending on your belief as a Hindu. Many religious individuals in the world think that to follow a religion means that you think it is the only true one, whereas a person in another religion can have the understanding that each person follows their own unique spiritual path and none is absolutely true or false. Unitarians and muslims cannot fathom the idea of God being a trinity and even many trinitarians fail to understand this concept themselves.

Does anyone here find it difficult to fathom concepts in other religions?

Do you perhaps find that you often repeat your beliefs over and over again but it feels like you are speaking to a wall?

Do you feel that other religious people misrepresent your religious concepts out of ignorance?

It seems to me that our religious and cultural conditioning blocks us from comprehending or even entertaining alien concepts. Do you find this to be true?

 

[Dawnofhope]

I have noticed that us humans tend to judge and understand alien religions based on the worldview of our own religion and culture rather than on the other religions and cultures own concepts.

Two examples are the concept of God and truth. Monotheists tend to believe that worshipping one god means that you believe that that is the only true god, and I have met a few who fail to understand that polytheists who worship only one god in their pantheon also view other gods as valid. Many monotheists cannot comprehend the idea of a fluid god, like the egyptians gods, or that all Hindu gods can be seen in multiple different ways depending on your belief as a Hindu. Many religious individuals in the world think that to follow a religion means that you think it is the only true one, whereas a person in another religion can have the understanding that each person follows their own unique spiritual path and none is absolutely true or false. Unitarians and muslims cannot fathom the idea of God being a trinity and even many trinitarians fail to understand this concept themselves.

Does anyone here find it difficult to fathom concepts in other religions?

Do you perhaps find that you often repeat your beliefs over and over again but it feels like you are speaking to a wall?

Do you feel that other religious people misrepresent your religious concepts out of ignorance?

It seems to me that our religious and cultural conditioning blocks us from comprehending or even entertaining alien concepts. Do you find this to be true?

It is one of the challenges of our time to step outside our worldview, and appreciate another's. The example of the Abrahamic Faiths and Hinduism is a good one.

Having grown up and lived in Western culture for most of my life, its certainly is a paradigm shift appreciating the religious worldview of some Hindus. Learning to be a good listener helps to give others the space to express themselves and an opportunity for me to learn and ask questions. I don't always do that of course.

I live in a place where people generally avoid in depth discussion about religion but being part of my city's interfaith council for the last few years has been a good experience.

 

[Samael_Khan]

It is one of the challenges of our time to step outside our worldview, and appreciate another's. The example of the Abrahamic Faiths and Hinduism is a good one.

Having grown up and lived in Western culture for most of my life, its certainly is a paradigm shift appreciating the religious worldview of some Hindus. Learning to be a good listener helps to give others the space to express themselves and an opportunity for me to learn and ask questions. I don't always do that of course.

I live in a place where people generally avoid in depth discussion about religion but being part of my city's interfaith council for the last few years has been a good experience.

Being a good listener is key. And the foundation of that is having an open mind.

The paradign shift needed to see the worldview of hinduism is huge. Especially letting go of the idea of being right or aiming to find absolute truth and rather just focusing kn your own experience and being accepting of other peoples journeys.

 

[Dawnofhope]

Buddhism appears to be more relatable for a Western mindset, more universal. It's a religion that has adapted well to different cultures and accepting of different religions.

Hinduism is often just as averse to Abrahamic faiths as some Christians are to Hinduism. Having centuries of being colonised by the Muslims, then the Christians, is hard to shake.

 

[SalixIncendium]

It seems to me that our religious and cultural conditioning blocks us from comprehending or even entertaining alien concepts. Do you find this to be true?

You are certainly onto something here. I'm not sure it blocks one from entertaining other religious concepts, but it certainly does create a barrier for comprehension of them. Refusing to entertain other religious concepts once presented, in my opinion, equates to willful ignorance.

Do you feel that other religious people misrepresent your religious concepts out of ignorance?

Not only other religious people, but non-religious people as well, especially Westerners that stepped away from a religion or that grew up influenced by a certain religion.

I've created a few threads here in the last few months regarding this problem, where non-religious people dismiss religion as a whole based on a very limited perspective of only one monotheistic religion. As a result of these threads, I've realized that many here who are critical of religion in general are ignorant to more than religious paradigm.

It is, of course, not the fault of others that dismiss religions or religious concepts as a result of ignorance of other religions, but one would hope that once this error is brought to to their attention, that the broach the subject with an open mind and expand their knowledge of these "foreign religious concepts."

 

[Estro Felino]

I don't understand this concept: why do people care what other people believe?

There is an obsession with this worldly, ephemeral life.
As a consequence, people want to change others, so they want others to believe what they themselves believe.

It's abnormal.
I couldn't care less what others believe. And on the contrary, I want my beliefs to be as original and as unique as possible, because that makes me feel unique and original.
Christianity is not obsessed with numbers: Christianity is about restless self-criticism.
Christians ask themselves 24/7: am I a good Christian? am I a worthy Christian?
This worldly, absolutely insignificant life made of materialism doesn't matter. The afterlife matters.

There are other religions that are obsessed with others. So they do anything to convert them. It's a given.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I have noticed that us humans tend to judge and understand alien religions based on the worldview of our own religion and culture rather than on the other religions and cultures own concepts.

Two examples are the concept of God and truth. Monotheists tend to believe that worshipping one god means that you believe that that is the only true god, and I have met a few who fail to understand that polytheists who worship only one god in their pantheon also view other gods as valid. Many monotheists cannot comprehend the idea of a fluid god, like the egyptians gods, or that all Hindu gods can be seen in multiple different ways depending on your belief as a Hindu. Many religious individuals in the world think that to follow a religion means that you think it is the only true one, whereas a person in another religion can have the understanding that each person follows their own unique spiritual path and none is absolutely true or false. Unitarians and muslims cannot fathom the idea of God being a trinity and even many trinitarians fail to understand this concept themselves.

Does anyone here find it difficult to fathom concepts in other religions?

Do you perhaps find that you often repeat your beliefs over and over again but it feels like you are speaking to a wall?

Do you feel that other religious people misrepresent your religious concepts out of ignorance?

It seems to me that our religious and cultural conditioning blocks us from comprehending or even entertaining alien concepts. Do you find this to be true?

I find it incomprehensible on how a sane and intelligent person could ever believe in absolutely crazy things like talking donkeys, talking snakes, magic fruit, Angels flying around, God looking at you from above, the list goes on and on , and the really strange part is I used to fully believe in all that stuff with fervor and even I don't understand what I was doing and thinking back then, but I do know convincing yourself into a firm belief no matter how ridiculous and crazy it is, can be an extremely difficult and hard prison to get out of.

Mostly because you just don't want to, you can't, and are so convinced that that's the way things actually were and are it becomes a literal mental sealed trap door encased in a thick layer of hardened concrete that you absolutely cannot get out of no matter what, unless something jars you out of that mentality and literally slaps you in the face to the point you actually wake up from the insanity.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I find it incomprehensible on how a sane and intelligent person...

For the record, I never claimed to be any of these things.

 

[Samael_Khan]

Buddhism appears to be more relatable for a Western mindset, more universal. It's a religion that has adapted well to different cultures and accepting of different religions.

Hinduism is often just as averse to Abrahamic faiths as some Christians are to Hinduism. Having centuries of being colonised by the Muslims, then the Christians, is hard to shake.

It seems that the philosophical side of Buddhism is relatable to the west, but I hardly see the religious side of it practiced by westerners. I agree, it has adapted well though.

Is Hindu aversion to Abrahamic faiths inherent to the religion itself or is it just a reaction by locals to colonialism?

 

[Samael_Khan]

You are certainly onto something here. I'm not sure it blocks one from entertaining other religious concepts, but it certainly does create a barrier for comprehension of them. Refusing to entertain other religious concepts once presented, in my opinion, equates to willful ignorance.


Not only other religious people, but non-religious people as well, especially Westerners that stepped away from a religion or that grew up influenced by a certain religion.

I've created a few threads here in the last few months regarding this problem, where non-religious people dismiss religion as a whole based on a very limited perspective of only one monotheistic religion. As a result of these threads, I've realized that many here who are critical of religion in general are ignorant to more than religious paradigm.

It is, of course, not the fault of others that dismiss religions or religious concepts as a result of ignorance of other religions, but one would hope that once this error is brought to to their attention, that the broach the subject with an open mind and expand their knowledge of these "foreign religious concepts."

Yes, the inability to comprehend is what I am referring to. And it seems that no matter how hard certain people try they innevitably misrepresent other religions because of their own religious viewpoint. For instance the idea of what a god is. People in my surroundings only comprehend a god as an actual individual. They cant comprehend the concept of god beyond that.

I totally agree with you with regards to non religious criticism of religion. Their disagreement tends to be with dogmatic monotheism, specifically Christianity and Islam, are what seems to be their go to when discounting religion.

I think that certain people are so dogmatic in their anti religious stance that they are too far gone to change, especially if they have a western centric mindset of things.

 

[Samael_Khan]

I don't understand this concept: why do people care what other people believe?

There is an obsession with this worldly, ephemeral life.
As a consequence, people want to change others, so they want others to believe what they themselves believe.

It's abnormal.
I couldn't care less what others believe. And on the contrary, I want my beliefs to be as original and as unique as possible, because that makes me feel unique and original.
Christianity is not obsessed with numbers: Christianity is about restless self-criticism.
Christians ask themselves 24/7: am I a good Christian? am I a worthy Christian?
This worldly, absolutely insignificant life made of materialism doesn't matter. The afterlife matters.

There are other religions that are obsessed with others. So they do anything to convert them. It's a given.

People care about what others believe for understandable reasons, such as trying get people out of harmful religious groups.

I think the side of it that you are referring to is the biproduct of exclusivist religions. No matter how benevolent, their exclusivism, their superiority complex and demonising of other beliefs results in them wanting to replicate, which is conversion, like a cancer. It furthers their group narcissism.

Unfortunately in this era, it is pretty normal, hence why Christianity and Islam are so big.

This is often at the expense of them ignoring the social and self criticism teachings of Jesus or Muhammed. Because a superiority complex and self criticism in the same belief system creates internal strife and they are imbalanced in either way, often towards the former.

 

[Audie]

I have noticed that us humans tend to judge and understand alien religions based on the worldview of our own religion and culture rather than on the other religions and cultures own concepts.

Two examples are the concept of God and truth. Monotheists tend to believe that worshipping one god means that you believe that that is the only true god, and I have met a few who fail to understand that polytheists who worship only one god in their pantheon also view other gods as valid. Many monotheists cannot comprehend the idea of a fluid god, like the egyptians gods, or that all Hindu gods can be seen in multiple different ways depending on your belief as a Hindu. Many religious individuals in the world think that to follow a religion means that you think it is the only true one, whereas a person in another religion can have the understanding that each person follows their own unique spiritual path and none is absolutely true or false. Unitarians and muslims cannot fathom the idea of God being a trinity and even many trinitarians fail to understand this concept themselves.

Does anyone here find it difficult to fathom concepts in other religions?

Do you perhaps find that you often repeat your beliefs over and over again but it feels like you are speaking to a wall?

Do you feel that other religious people misrepresent your religious concepts out of ignorance?

It seems to me that our religious and cultural conditioning blocks us from comprehending or even entertaining alien concepts. Do you find this to be true?

Of course. Others' cultures are not easy to
understand.
Religion or any other ideology just makes it harder.

 

[Twilight Hue]

For the record, I never claimed to be any of these things.

Don't deny it! We know in there, somewhere lives a sane and intelligent mind!

 

[Audie]

Yes, the inability to comprehend is what I am referring to. And it seems that no matter how hard certain people try they innevitably misrepresent other religions because of their own religious viewpoint. For instance the idea of what a god is. People in my surroundings only comprehend a god as an actual individual. They cant comprehend the concept of god beyond that.

I totally agree with you with regards to non religious criticism of religion. Their disagreement tends to be with dogmatic monotheism, specifically Christianity and Islam, are what seems to be their go to when discounting religion.

I think that certain people are so dogmatic in their anti religious stance that they are too far gone to change, especially if they have a western centric mindset of things.

Certain people ( half of Americans, say)
are so far gone that to change their understanding
of evolution is impossible.

" Anti theists" are rare.

And disbelief in god is anything but dogmatic.

 

[Estro Felino]

People care about what others believe for understandable reasons, such as trying get people out of harmful religious groups.

It's wrong.
Who cares what others believe in, with all due respect.
There is free will. They can decide to leave the religion alone.

I think the side of it that you are referring to is the biproduct of exclusivist religions. No matter how benevolent, their exclusivism, their superiority complex and demonising of other beliefs results in them wanting to replicate, which is conversion, like a cancer. It furthers their group narcissism.

What do you mean by exclusivist religion?

 

[Samael_Khan]

I find it incomprehensible on how a sane and intelligent person could ever believe in absolutely crazy things like talking donkeys, talking snakes, magic fruit, Angels flying around, God looking at you from above, the list goes on and on , and the really strange part is I used to fully believe in all that stuff with fervor and even I don't understand what I was doing and thinking back then, but I do know convincing yourself into a firm belief no matter how ridiculous and crazy it is, can be an extremely difficult and hard prison to get out of.

Mostly because you just don't want to, you can't, and are so convinced that that's the way things actually were and are it becomes a literal mental sealed trap door encased in a thick layer of hardened concrete that you absolutely cannot get out of no matter what, unless something jars you out of that mentality and literally slaps you in the face to the point you actually wake up from the insanity.

Well when one is conditioned from young to believe in such things as if it is true, and there are social consequences for disagreeing, being skeptical of your home belief is difficult.

And when you are in a vulnerable mental state you are more open to indoctrination.

I do think that there is enough mystery in things to warrant belief in them. But i think it would make more sense to believe in a talking donkey if it comes from first hand experience than what someone else wrote.

Maybe the reality that humans are rational and sane is another myth that reality will force us to get rid of...

 

[Samael_Khan]

Certain people ( half of Americans, say)
are so far gone that to change their understanding
of evolution is impossible.

" Anti theists" are rare.

And disbelief in god is anything but dogmatic.

I agree with you for the most part.

Disbelief in god isn't dogmatic. But there is a certain strain of atheism that is intolerant of religion to the point of irrarionality. It is very veryrare though.

 

[Samael_Khan]

It's wrong.
Who cares what others believe in, with all due respect.
There is free will. They can decide to leave the religion alone.

What do you mean by exclusivist religion?

I disagree with you here. When it comes to dangerous cults that prey on individuals we must definitely care about the religion, especially when they commit crimes.

By exclusivist religion I mean a religion that says their group are the only ones who have access to the ultimate truth and/or each member is especially chosen by God/s.

 

[Estro Felino]

I disagree with you here. When it comes to dangerous cults that prey on individuals we must definitely care about the religion, especially when they commit crimes.

In that case, transparency forbids the so called secret sects or similar from doing bad things.
I agree with it.

By exclusivist religion I mean a religion that says their group are the only ones who have access to the ultimate truth and/or each member is especially chosen by God/s.

I agree with it. Exclusivism creates superiority complex and so on. One must be humble, I guess.

 

[Audie]

I agree with you for the most part.

Disbelief in god isn't dogmatic. But there is a certain strain of atheism that is intolerant of religion to the point of irrarionality. It is very veryrare though.

What did i say thats to disagree with?