4.0.1 Religious Practices and Methods - Overview

Version 1.3 March 2013                                                              (Previous Version)

Within all religions there is a range of people whose commitment varies, but we treat with respect those who sincerely believe. 

●  For many people, the principle religious activity is the acceptance of a set of beliefs, in God(s), prophets and associated myths.  Acting on these beliefs saves us in some way.

●  On the other hand, for many people, religion is principally a practical discipline of meditation or prayer or service, like behavioural guidelines,  rather than a fixed set of beliefs.

In all major religions sincere followers can be fundamentalists, fanatics, traditional or liberal.  All major religions have over time used different methods to develop and spread: Christianity and Islam have both expanded by the sword as well as non-violent persuasion.  All religions have leaders and adherents who make mistakes and do bad or stupid things.  Some modern ‘religions’ are based on pseudoscience, lies or half truths hidden from their followers.  The most harmful religious cults will not tolerate dissent and are closed, exclusive or secretive.

All traditional religions have a common structure:

●   an explanation of our origins, an explanation of suffering, of why were are in need of help;

●   a set of rules or guidelines for behaviour, to reduce suffering or obtain redemption;

●   a process in which the believer becomes a new person, being liberated from sin or suffering; and

●   sources of inspiration, exemplary models, in the form of prophets or teachers;

and these components form a grand narrative, specifying or illustrating a set of values and purportedly providing the sense of meaning and purpose which followers obtain from religion. 

To describe and express these, all major religions have sacred texts or revelations, and sacred rituals, which often re-enact the past, to connect people to the sacred, and mystical traditions.

Religions appeal to our sense of connectedness, a universal longing, our natural, innate caring that motivates most of us to be good, and they claim to know how to do this best.

Some religions don't have a God, and those that do have a wide variety of different understandings of the nature of God  (eg a transcendent, supernatural, personal god, an impersonal, distant creator or an immanent force for good), and different reasons for believing in God, which all change over time and vary between believers, even within the same religion.

We work through the next level of detail on each of the above issues (more).  After considering this evidence, we’ve looked for a way to state our conclusions briefly, and we come to the following summary.

Is this the best way to state our conclusions in this area?  Click on feedback, or add a comment below, if you can improve the substance or the phrasing.

   more                                                                                                          Statement 21

All major religions have some guidelines covering: the Golden Rule, truthfulness, a prohibition against at least some violence, controls on sexuality, and sexist rules that oppress women.