Saturday, February 20, 2010

Untouchable

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About the concept “religion belongs to a sacred realm and should therefore be un-touchable”.
In my opinion, religion belongs to the spiritual realm of individuals. Everyone has their own personal belief. They could do what they like with their beliefs, provided these beliefs do not affect other people.

In my opinion, religions are organisational structures created by human to systemise, unify and manage their different beliefs. Again, believers could do what they like with these organisational structures, provided they do not affect other people.

While I could accept the equating of "spirituality" to "sacredness", I have different view on the concept "religions are un-touchable".

In my opinion if beliefs, ideas, teaching, organisational systems, operational methods, etc. of a group A have negative impacts on the existence and welfare of a group B then group B has the right to react appropriately against these negative impacts above.

If group A bases on their own theory (that is no real evidence) to regard group B as "evil", "amoral" and "inferior" than themselves and at the same time does not accept group B's right to express similar observations against them then it is a very unjust and nonsense thing. It is double standard, which means group A want to apply a rule against group B but does not wish to have the same rule applied to themselves. In my opinion, terms such as "fictitious", "baseless", deluded" and "immoral" that group B uses to describe group A are only proportionate and corresponding to those terms "evil", "amoral" and "inferior" that group A gives group B.

That is on the theoretical side of things. In real life, Christianity also brings so much harm compared with the few good things it gives humanity.

In human history, Christianity has been responsible for numerous bloody wars and terrifying massacres in the pretext of propagating and protecting their religion.

In everyday life, Christians' extreme views also have harmful repercussions s to individual freedom, personal bio-psychological welfare as well as numerous physical lives.

For example, Catholic believers depend on the Vatican Church to judge what is morally wrong or right in their daily lives. Marriage with non-believers, divorce, using condoms, sexual pleasure, homosexuality, abortion (even after being raped), euthanasia, stem cell research, gender equality, etc. are all considered as sinful, diseased, possessed or immoral. These people are forever worried about excommunication, being abandoned at the Judgment Day, being burned forever after death, being ostracised by their own families and communities, etc.

In cognitive and intellectual regard, the concept "faith" in Christianity (typified by "blessed are those who believe without seeing") hinders and reverses the progress of science and humanity.

In my opinion, when doctrines and the application of a religion have real adverse affects on the life of people and the society then this religion no longer belongs to "personal" realm nor is allowed to enjoy the privilege of "being untouchable".

In the case of a religion with so many harmful effects and widespread falsehood so many times in so many areas in human history like Christianity, I believe we should pay more attention to it.
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