Should Religion Be Updated? debate modern religion today (poll)

[Joshua 0]

It's not just about the women beeing priests, but about the hole concept of religion. I really think they are updating religion as we speake because if the catholic church would have tried to keep the exact same religion ideeas from the Dark Ages there wouldn't be a church today to go to. Why? Because evolution and his ability to adapt to new put men on the top of the food chain.

let me give you just one example. The theory of evolution...As it seems Darwin was quite right and his theory contardicts (almoust) every known part of the creationist (hope this is the right spelling) theory. As you can see the catholic church has adapted and instead of trying to deny the obvious (Darwin's Theory of Evolution) it has adapted and sad that the evolution theory doesn't stop you from beliving in God and His creation since live must have a beginning. I hope yoyu understand what i am saying because this is a classic example of updating religion

155488[/snapback]

Yep, the Catholic Church has been updating itself ever since it was created with whatever forms of paganism were lying around

 

The Catholic Church tends to "adapt" something once it can't out-debate it or it keeps getting proven wrong on the subject. Until recently they taught works get you to Heaven instead of faith but after getting shown over and over again how anti-Biblical it is they finally reversed their views on it. Many of their members are still confused on the issue though.

 

Darwin wondered why an innumerable amount of needed transitional forms were missing, but was hopeful that they would show up with time. However, evidence after all this time is still lacking and the massive amount of "transitional forms" is utterly lacking. Darwin's had his theory shot full of holes time and again and all the missing links needed have either been fakes, mistakes, or have mysteriously disappeared.

 

And if the Catholic Church didn't exist there would probably be even more anabaptists then there are now

[Joannespw 0]

Might as well say that about history in general as well, how do you know George Washington or William Shakespeare ever existed?  Scientific observation doesn't do particularly well for historically related stuff.  What do you use to prove historical information accurate?

154978[/snapback]

Interesting point, and we can talk at lenght about this. But the question still is should organised religion be updated? take the catholic church for example, its still conservative on a numer of issuea where it has a huge say! If it were to moderise its beliefs, then they could change the ways thier followers acted and so forth. Just the example of forbidding the use of condoms is already enought o indicate that they need to change thier beliefs.

[Joannespw 0]

Ah yes and personnally i am not against organised religion. I think it is a useful thing to have organisations where resourses and ideas are pooled. But they have to be dynamic if they are going to be able to surive. Strange that the catholic church still has such a big following as it has not really modernised or impemented new ideas , even though on the whole it is dwindeling.

[Puck_4004 0]

I'm not really sure about this. The think is I downloaded religion when it was at version 1.7 so I was a fairly late starter when you consider it had already been out on the commercial market for nearly 2 years. However since then we've made our way fashionably along to version 6.2 which took some time. Also a few versions in between had to be imediatly updated because of various bugs i.e the right wing extremists.Back in the early days though, the whole relgion program created an uproar of excitment. I mean the idea of life after death within version 1.9 was incredible for its time. Version 2 pushed the whole religion movement along with its programing which doesn't allow sex before marriage - this has never been pushed to one side.I think version 3 opened it up to the masses, all the original espects from the earlier versions had been left in place because of there popularity within the contemporary religion users. But this program (V3) offered an new account of later events which became popular with a younger more healthy audience who were to take one the responsibilty of sustaining the highly acclaimed program. The is the Era of the Christian Rock bands and the Matyr's of the far east. An extreme time in history.These movements can be seem underpinning the modern versions 6, 6.1 and 6.2 as a stain on religion. People are becoming ever more tolerant but things like Holy wars, Matyr and Christian rock bands have just been an everlasting blight on the good home program.This is why I'm really looking to version 6.3 which is due for release in late 2007, the creator has been carefully looking at these problems and has made it perfectly clear that 6.3 is going to be bigegr and greater than ever...can't wait!!!Ta Ra

[Joshua 0]

Ah yes and personnally i am not against organised religion. I think it is a useful thing to have organisations where resourses and ideas are pooled. But they have to be dynamic if they are going to be able to surive. Strange that the catholic church still has such a big following as it has not really modernised or impemented new ideas , even though on the whole it is dwindeling.

156746[/snapback]

I think the reason we're talking about problems with the Catholic Church at all is precisely because of all the "updating" it has done. Like the Pharisees who created all the extra books on interpretations of the Old Testament and dreams and what not, the Catholics have tried to add as much as they can to make it more conveniently understood and comprehensible to them. And to go with what they want. The Bible has a specific curse for those who do this. And it even foretells of those who will do it, and where their doctrines come from:

 

1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:

5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

 

Sound like any certain institution we know of?

 

 

 

The Bible is not about "surviving," God is able to preserve it, many nations have tried to destroy it now by burning every one in sight, banning them, and like the aforementioned institutions, by trying to superimpose their words on the Bible, and add to it, taking out of it only what they want. Or by claiming it's all open to interpretation.

 

But the Bible as I have it heard said, is God's Word to us. It tells us what is right, what is wrong, how to get right, and how to stay right. It's God's textbook for our lives, and how to get in a right relationship with Him. He doesn't need to worry about whether we like it or not so it will be around, in fact, He has said that even though Heaven and earth will pass away, His words will not pass away.

[LeAnn Rimes My Angel 0]

No, I don't think Religion should be updated. It is bad enough to have it in society as it is. Religion should also be excluded from the Law as well.

[Joshua 0]

No, I don't think Religion should be updated. It is bad enough to have it in society as it is. Religion should also be excluded from the Law as well.

157605[/snapback]

DG, have you seen what some of the founding fathers of America have said about the Bible and Christianity in particular? George Washington, John Adams, Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, etc... Let me know if you want the quotes.

[Guevara 0]

Yes it must , because if you don't change you can do , everthing , the people round you changes , you must hang on with them.So you must.

[Joshua 0]

I guess that's the difference between religion in general and God, period. Religion changes; we change. God does not change.

[ArcaneSpirit 0]

Religion is most deffinately out of date nowadays. Christianity is still holding on to beliefs that are not welcome, appreciated and/or needed in today's society and just alienate more and more people as they go along.

 

But it's not just Christianity that is out-dated. Almost all religions are out of date and most of the younger generation has about as much belief in their own religions as that of a baseball. It just hasn't occured to them to acknowledge the fact. I have yet to meet one person you has absolute faith in their own religion anymore simply because of what goes on within their own church and the world around them. Not hard to believe that fact really, there is WAY too much prejudice and hate in the world for many to believe in much of anything.

 

Of all the organized religions around today, Christianity has to be the most hate-filled and they have no intentions of changing anytime in the foreseeable future. I'm sure a lot of "faithful" christians would argue the point, but they needn't bother, because plenty of people see it, even if they themselves do not...

I am not saying this to dump on anyones religious beliefs, but it's what I see when looking at organized religion. I used to be considered a Roman Catholic, up until I turned six. Then I just figured that the entire church was full of themselves and had their heads too far up their own as*es to really see anything for what it is and not what they want it to be... Conformity is not a trait I think highly of.

[Kubi 0]

I do belive(as a lot of people here) that religion hasn't been updated in a while. But I don't think much should be changed, if anything at all. If religion was changed, there would bound to be SOME conflicts. As in the Declaration of Indepentence, there was so much contriversy in that, because it wasn't very clear. If religion is changed, the same thing *might* happen. I do agree, though, that women should be aloud to preach in church services. I don't see why they can't in the first place. Little things like this should be changed, not a lot though.

[stephanie 0]

in my opinion religion should be updated because in this days we have other treaths and a diferent lifestyle and i think the church doesn't appeal people now. there are different issues now and they require different solutions. and our lifestyle may not be the best but it has changed and there is not many we can do, so the church should change to. the message of God is the same but i think they should find new ways to transmit it. I hate to know that women don't have an activ part on church, i'm sorry but i don't think that God would ever discriminate us!!! and also i don't understand why priest can't have children! isn't the point of humanity to reproduce and be happy? I think God does not ask for pain,he wants us to be happy and make others happy and help and respect everyone and also our home: earth with all the animals and plants and everything. and thats all.

[bulgarian-music 0]

Yes!

[Teri Luketic 0]

Okay, one thing I have to say is this: I don't think the question should have been made a poll. Religion is a pretty broad topic consisting of ALOT of different types and then their branches. Some are more up to the times in the way and reason they think than others, so it's pretty difficult to say that it hasn't. I probably answered the question wrong in the vote, I should have said yes and made my point of view one of this. Sure, it should be updated, ALL THE TIME! The quesiton might have been put this way though, do you think YOUR religion is up to date? Then again, I've got a few things popping in my mind that are comingn out funny I think.Sure there are things that are outdated. . .at least in my religion. As Seventh-Day Adventists, there are many things I think need to be put into the concept of what's going on now. I still believe that we shouldn't do meat, though not necessarily just because Ellen White said that while you're sticking with not eating what the Lord said in the Bible, how about none at all. There's a lot of diseases going around in the animals, I have no desire to go out and grub on a rack of anything. There are other things that I think are a little stupid, but they're things that you're not going to get condemned for unless it's some letter of the Ellen law abiding grandparent getting up there in their years.Women are allowed to be just about anything on the church leadership, including the pastors. In fact, it's not a wrong thing for there to be a woman President of a Conference or even of the whole thing itself! (Although, I can honestly say that I don't know for sure that we have one particular person for the whole world of Adventism. . .though I think there is.)One thing that could be updated is the belief on the theater. Back in Ellen Whilte's day, the theater was that of the plays and all, not that of the movies. Sure there are things we shouldn't see, but not all of the movies are bad. That's what ratings and reviews are for.We have some of our churches that allow trapsets and electric guitars, and we sing all kinds of Christ oriented songs, and then we have the alternatives that consist of just the piano and organ, or even just one of those. My church doesn't do much of the electric guitars and drums, though we use bongos and accoustic guitars some, the grand piano and an organ with pretty up to date songs, as well as the hyms. Most of this though is because we have a wide variety of people to appease. It's the academy's church, but a nice population attending the church are the elderly.Like I said, there are things that could always change, but at least in my religion, we're pretty on track I think.

Edited October 8, 2006 by Teri Luketic (see edit history)

[sinthetix 0]

Religion is pretty dry cut. It is what it is. To make adaptations would make something new, making the old ways obsolete. If you have any actual value in your faith whatever it may be, you should follow the real ways of that faith. To change it simply because let us say for example that; women have equal rights in most of the world currently as men do, would be a misinterpretation of your beliefs.What exactly do you believe? Ah, the better question, what do you -think- you believe? If you believe in God in a Christian sense then going to church and all this other stuff is complete lunacy. The Lord said that all you need is to seek an audience with him and it will be done. If you want to cut time out of your life to go fellowship with others of your same faith, by all means please have at it. People need to understand that fellowship is a human thing. The need to be around others. To share feelings, ideas, ect.I'm not going to draw a line out for every faith but I'm sure anyone could see where this is going. Religion is a man-made thing in all reality. I'm not going to get into a science debate or anything of the such - BUT - You either really believe what you believe or you do not. What is there to update? I've watched and watched people of all religions torment themselves constantly with what is right and what is wrong and so on and so forth. It does not get you anywhere. Oh.. It gets you into Heaven, or where ever you believe you go or whatever? Well let me put another side to this. Did anyone stop to think that possibly the Bible(Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth) is a book written thousands of years ago by humans like ourselves? Did anyone stop to consider objectively the points of most religions? I'll go into just one right now for you. Doesn't it seem the least bit strange to anyone that mainstream religions like Christianity believe in somewhat of a reward system? Do good go to heaven, do bad go to hell. Isn't that what your parents did to you when you were a child? It's simple positive reinforcement. Parents do it to children, teachers do it to children, your boss at work does it. So while you snack down on your treat that you may or may not get however many years your life has left in it; Someone, Somewhere, Some time ago was laughing hysterically at the ignorance of his fellow man. Religion to some degree is a method of controlling the masses. Most religions set down good morales that people should have anyway; Without the threat of going to hell mind you.So we don't have any misconceptions about Hell; for those of you who are unaware or perhaps blinded by your "Updated" *grins @ updated* Religion.. Hell is seperation from God. Your maker. If you believe otherwise; like burning in flames for eternity, then you believe more in a painting then you do your actual God. I'm not exactly sure but during the midievil times there was a painting made describing the nine or ten levels of hell or something to that effect describing all these atrocity-like things that would happen to you if you went there. Also there were many writings about hell during that period. These works were of fiction and imagination.One last thing I would like to point out before I go - Many religions, especially around the period of midievil times used to lie to their followers. They would use the most advanced technologies to make their places of worship seem to do 'God' like induced things to keep their followers coming back to pray and participate aswell as give up their gold. Greeks, Romans, Egyptians... Is it that far fetched that Christianity would do the same to you or any other religion for that matter?Welcome to the Real Matrix Folks. Religion and Business control the modern governments of the world, and they in turn control you.I know it might come up somewhere down the line... What do I believe? I believe nothing faith wise. I know that when I die, I am merely dead. Nothing special, no craptacular stairs, no halo, no flames and burning, and no not even a simple phase to an energy form. I am dead leave it at that. And no it's not out of fear, being caught without all the information of what I -might- believe if I did believe in anything, nor is it a simple boycott to make a point to get friends. I simply believe in living my life. BUT, doing the best I can, like everyone else does.