What are the prime motives of religious people?

[Valjean]

Let the chaos begin then.

It's happened many times. it can happen here. Human nature hasn't changed.

 

[LuisDantas]

What I find interesting is how often confusion and obscuration about the motivations is not only accepted, but actively pursued.

 

[osgart]

What I find interesting is how often confusion and obscuration about the motivations is not only accepted, but actively pursued.

An agenda other than getting at the truth?
and what it might mean for non religious people?

 

[ChristineM]

Self preservation.

 

[Nakosis]

List:

The eternal hope of everlasting life.
The need for common good among all people.
Avoiding damnation.
The pursuit of justice.
The expression of what truly matters.
Love uncommon.
The need to belong.
Gotta make a living somehow.
Political power.
To learn wisdom.
The cause and effect of the heart and soul.
To repent.
To destroy evil.
A pursuit of a state of bliss.
Peace.
Judgment on those who are not like themselves.
To extend mercy to all.
To define morality for everybody.
To live in harmony with God for real.
They see no other truth that speaks to them.
Issues of personal nature.
Speaking for themselves.
Speaking for others.
On and on!

My prime motivation was to know the truth. I found religion to more often create the truth than reveal it.

 

[LuisDantas]

An agenda other than getting at the truth?

That is what I think at the moment, yes.

It is probably no coincidence that many people find it unadvisable to openly discuss their own beliefs. It is not always or even often in the best interest of the demographic success of religions to be clear on their goals and roles.

and what it might mean for non religious people?

I don't think that there is a clear distinction between religious and non-religious people.

In any case, one consequence for all people is that confusion and obfuscation are very real hurdles, and it is worth putting some effort at overcoming them.

 

[nPeace]

List:

The eternal hope of everlasting life.
The need for common good among all people.
Avoiding damnation.
The pursuit of justice.
The expression of what truly matters.
Love uncommon.
The need to belong.
Gotta make a living somehow.
Political power.
To learn wisdom.
The cause and effect of the heart and soul.
To repent.
To destroy evil.
A pursuit of a state of bliss.
Peace.
Judgment on those who are not like themselves.
To extend mercy to all.
To define morality for everybody.
To live in harmony with God for real.
They see no other truth that speaks to them.
Issues of personal nature.
Speaking for themselves.
Speaking for others.
On and on!

Oh! You have one in the list that actually works for me. Surprise, surprise.
To live in harmony with God for real.

 

[osgart]

Oh! You have one in the list that actually works for me. Surprise, surprise.
To live in harmony with God for real.

I would love for there to be a God, but i certainly dont see how that is possible.

 

[nPeace]

I would love for there to be a God, but i certainly dont see how that is possible.

Key word - HARMONY.
Maybe music is alive, and has intelligence, and it decided to play, and then all the energy started to dance, as as the energy danced, matter began to be formed... and now we are here in the beautifully organized cosmos - owing our existence to... strings.
Thanks to string theory.

Nope.

 

[osgart]

Key word - HARMONY.
Maybe music is alive, and has intelligence, and it decided to play, and then all the energy started to dance, as as the energy danced, matter began to be formed... and now we are here in the beautifully organized cosmos - owing our existence to... strings.
Thanks to string theory.

Nope.

I cant disprove that

 

[nPeace]

I cant disprove that

If only we knew huh?
Yet, to me, it just seems to be staring us in the face, looking in astonishment, and asking,
20 True wisdom cries aloud in the street. It keeps raising its voice in the public squares. 21 At the corner of the busy streets it calls out. At the entrances of the city gates it says: 22 “How long will you inexperienced ones love inexperience? How long will you ridiculers take pleasure in ridicule? And how long will you foolish ones hate knowledge?
Proverbs 1:20-22; Psalm 111:10

 

[osgart]

If only we knew huh?
Yet, to me, it just seems to be staring us in the face, looking in astonishment, and asking,
20 True wisdom cries aloud in the street. It keeps raising its voice in the public squares. 21 At the corner of the busy streets it calls out. At the entrances of the city gates it says: 22 “How long will you inexperienced ones love inexperience? How long will you ridiculers take pleasure in ridicule? And how long will you foolish ones hate knowledge?
Proverbs 1:20-22; Psalm 111:10

Just taking that proverb alone as it stands, i would say that has powerful truth to it. A truth that is a spiritual aspect of the nature of life.

 

[nPeace]

Just taking that proverb alone as it stands, i would say that has powerful truth to it. A truth that is a spiritual aspect of the nature of life.

What do you mean?

 

[osgart]

What do you mean?

Knowledge and wisdom the proverb speaks of. That in our very being there is a lack of knowledge and wisdom of life if we ignore it, and if we just take hold of it, knowledge and wisdom, we would find peace in the truth of knowledge.

 

[nPeace]

Knowledge and wisdom the proverb speaks of. That in our very being there is a lack of knowledge and wisdom of life if we ignore it, and if we just take hold of it, knowledge and wisdom, we would find peace in the truth of knowledge.

Yes. I seem to like the sound of this better. ...we would find peace in the knowledge of truth. I don't mean ultimate truth, of course.

 

[osgart]

Yes. I seem to like the sound of this better. ...we would find peace in the knowledge of truth. I don't mean ultimate truth, of course.

But all these words in The Bible talk of knowledge, wisdom and truth. These three things are not defined by how secular people define them today. There is a spiritual connotation to those word usages.

 

[nPeace]

But all these words in The Bible talk of knowledge, wisdom and truth. These three things are not defined by how secular people define them today. There is a spiritual connotation to those word usages.

Elaborate please.

 

[osgart]

Elaborate please.

The Bible has a quote somewhere, knowledge of the holy is understanding.

The truth that The Bible speaks of is about this holiness. Its all about qualities of being, character of being that is upright and just by nature; holiness.

 

[nPeace]

The Bible has a quote somewhere, knowledge of the holy is understanding.

The truth that The Bible speaks of is about this holiness. Its all about qualities of being, character of being that is upright and just by nature; holiness.

Oh okay. So exactly - right back where we started - Harmony... with God. Right?

 

[osgart]

Oh okay. So exactly - right back where we started - Harmony... with God. Right?

If God is holiness, where would we find God in this world? Where is that knowledge calling out in the streets?

I honestly can only grasp the concept of holiness as being compassion, and every good quality of being.