Firmly rooted to Agnosticism, I often ponder the meaning of a "proper" spiritual existence. I ask myself how one should act, what to say, think, and most importantly how to feel. What does being a Christian mean for a particular individual? How closely does religion tie in to my personal beliefs and ethical morals? Do I apply this religious knowledge on my everyday life, or is it actually another domain in my vast accumulation of principles altogether? These are questions I ask myself often to evaluate my true feelings and changing attitude towards religion.
I enjoyed the first tape immensely. I consider myself a student of life in general, although not ardently religious, often times wondering if there is a God or supreme being, I find myself wondering about the existence of such a being. Early Protestantism seemed quite informal. As mentioned in the tape a group of Christians would congregate a particular local to meet with each other, this lead to a sense of congregation.
Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglican Ch...
Religion Stencil
Freedom From Religion FoundationI believe this was an excellent forum and context to exchange ideas and philosophies about each individual's interpretation of what religion, or more specifically, what their particular beliefs mean to them.
Mainstream religion, with regard to the videos interpretation, pays more attention to the inner spiritual life; A gathering of a community of people and the guidance of a book, the bible, written by men. This is contrasted with fundamentalism, or the fundamentalist doctrine, which seems to me to be a literal interpretation of the written word. This does not seem to be problematic if the instructions are benevolent in nature. Strict interpretation, over the centuries has, however, lead to great dissention, death, and destruction over the millennia.
So why is religion important to many? It may be, simply, because they believe it...