Four questions religion must answer

[B. de Corbin]

I found this interesting article.



The author picks out 4 questions which he feels are the basics of what every religion must answer. If you take a peek at the article, you will see how the author looks at the questions from the point of view of various religions.

Without getting into a debate about the validity of these questions, I thought we could try to answer them, personally, from our own point of view.

Here they are:
1. How do you describe the human condition?
2. Do you see yourself in need of salvation and how is that achieved?
3. What is your vision of goodness?
4. How do you understand the transcendent?

[Louisvillian]

Re: Four questions religion must answer

1. How do you describe the human condition?

Free, capable of deciding for ourselves what we are and what things mean. Good, bad, whatever else is all in our hands.

2. Do you see yourself in need of salvation and how is that achieved?

Not "salvation" per se and not in need. Breaking from the cycle of reincarnation and joining with the gods is, I guess, a nice plus. But it's more of a long-term, multi-lifetime goal.

3. What is your vision of goodness?

Not being a dickbag. Help people when you can.

4. How do you understand the transcendent?

Many gods, immanent throughout the universe and also transcending it. They are both separate in personage, and unified in spirit.

[InspiringRaine]

Re: Four questions religion must answer

1. I describe the human condition as a naturally greedy and self destructive. We constantly go and go and go, wanting more and more. Throught it, we eventually destroy ourselfs, in some form or fashion.

2. I do not see myself in need of the same Salvation which people usually think. I believe the goal is to learn to live peacefully and in a more harmonious way with our home, amd we reincarnate to learn this lesson.

3. My vision of 'Goodness' is somebody who can balance both the good and bad. One can never be truely good just as one can never be truely bad.

4. I understand the transcendant as multiple planes with many beings in it. Each going through a different stage of their learning, within a different plane. Gods to me, are the same people, but with power to help the different planes run smoother for all the other individuals who are still within different stages of their learning process.

These are really simplified answers, but ones I just kind of came to conclude on my own.

[thalassa]

Re: Four questions religion must answer

1. How do you describe the human condition?

As caught between our animal nature and our desire to be something more.


2. Do you see yourself in need of salvation and how is that achieved?

No. The need for salvation assumes that one needs saving from something, usually sin. Sin is an act that is a direct offense against God. I don't believe in sin, and therefore I don't believe that I need to be saved from it.

3. What is your vision of goodness?

Living together softly

4. How do you understand the transcendent?

As the imminent Universe

[Denarius]

Re: Four questions religion must answer

The human condition: A sexually transmitted disease.

Salvation: Pulling yourself up by your bootstraps, as needed.

Goodness: Something that fulfills it's function adequately.

How to understand the transcendent: Philosophy and LSD, not necessarily in that order.

[Eryx_UK]

Re: Four questions religion must answer

1. How do you describe the human condition?

Free will to decide our own fates, for better or for worse.

2. Do you see yourself in need of salvation and how is that achieved?

I do not need salvation of any kind.

3. What is your vision of goodness?

Helping others, friend and stranger alike. Don't be a dick.

4. How do you understand the transcendent?

Gods, the universe and everything.

[volcaniclastic]

Re: Four questions religion must answer

1. How do you describe the human condition?
- I can't speak for the human condition as a whole. For me, though - I would say something similar to Thal: trapped between animal instinct and desire, and the desire for knowledge.

2. Do you see yourself in need of salvation and how is that achieved?
- Yes, but not from extraneous sources. There is no sin. I do, however, need to be saved from my own psyche. The ultimate religion would allow salvation from myself.

3. What is your vision of goodness?
- Maintain innocence of heart and spirit. Failing that, nothing can be wholly good.

4. How do you understand the transcendent?
- As a whole universe, or multiple universes, spanning the collective of time and space, and all the atoms and molecules and pieces of matter and divine spirits are trapped inside of it.

[ThorsSon]

Re: Four questions religion must answer

1. How do you describe the human condition?
- As the product of our own particular branch of evolution.

2. Do you see yourself in need of salvation and how is that achieved?
- I do not.

3. What is your vision of goodness?
- Goodness is, loosely, as Louisvillian said, "not being a dickbag, helping people when you can." More to the point, goodness is acting in the good of the community.

4. How do you understand the transcendent?
- I don't.

[mtt.davi]

Re: Four questions religion must answer

1. How do you describe the human condition?

-Fragile. Many in desperate need of "wake up calls" to bolster how FRAGILE life really is.

2. Do you see yourself in need of salvation and how is that achieved?

-Yes. I have done many ill deeds. Nothing that is unforgivable, but not a reflection of who I really am, and can be. A role model is a clear choice in my future.

3. What is your vision of goodness?

-When I see others smiling. When I go through a day in the life, and see smiles all around. That is goodness. Also helping/making these smiles become more apparent b//c America is full of selfish people. I could go on for days on this one. This one question. I curse daily which is something I try to keep under control....with all the "dick" talk from previous posters....is this not a negative reflection on the question itself? I mean...I am a NEWB after all, but a 27 year old newb adult at that.

4. How do you understand the transcendent?

-I am new to this forum and will not lie by saying I did not type define:transcendent into the google search engine. That which you speak of is what I hope to learn in the coming years of what will hopefully become my new faith.

[B. de Corbin]

Re: Four questions religion must answer

1. How do you describe the human condition?
Much like Thalassa's answer - We are animals, trying to be something else. This is where most of our problems come from.

2. Do you see yourself in need of salvation and how is that achieved?
Not much use for "salvation," but if I interpret this loosely as "how is it best to live?" then I'd say salvation comes from knowledge. Real knowledge, not the stuff people make up and believe.

3. What is your vision of goodness?
Good comes from leading a"right" life. What a "right" life is varies from person to person...

4. How do you understand the transcendent?
Every thing that is, beginning with me (not being egotistical here - in order to transcend (to go beyond), you have to begin somewhere. It makes sense to begin seeing the transcendental by seeing beyond one's self.

[nbdy]

Re: Four questions religion must answer

1. How do you describe the human condition?

recursive, self-reflective, regenerative energy apparatus

2. Do you see yourself in need of salvation and how is that achieved?

Saved from what? Ignorance maybe? So, then, salvation is knowledge, but not just any old knowledge, real knowledge, but not just any old real knowledge, really real knowledge, ad infinitum. Truth is as evolutionary as everything else, imo. The best I hope for is balance, peace, and gentle lessons.

3. What is your vision of goodness?

I don't really have a vision of goodness, and I don't strive to be "good." It becomes difficult, however, to do things most would consider "evil" when you see individuality as illusion.

4. How do you understand the transcendent?

Extended perception

[Maria de Luna]

Re: Four questions religion must answer

1. How do you describe the human condition?

A struggle between an animalistic nature, and seeing themselves as above it.

2. Do you see yourself in need of salvation and how is that achieved?

No, I am not in need of salvation. The only need for salvation is a psychological need to be greater than that which one was born to be. A desire to rise above ones nature. I suppose salvation would be peace? in which case balance between ones inner nature and ones desire to be more than just their nature would be "salvation."

3. What is your vision of goodness?

Doing because it is beneficial, not just to yourself, but to all. The expression of care, for more than only ones self, but not at the exclusion of self.

4. How do you understand the transcendent?

I don't. I can only understand what I know and have seen. I cannot define it for others and I cannot deny it from myself. It simply is, and it becomes known in pieces in it's own time. (don't like the word "it" as I'm using it here... but what can ya do?)

[Astralwolf37]

Re: Four questions religion must answer

Great post for discussion!

1. How do you describe the human condition?
Largely living in excess, which is what I see as the cause of our suffering. We're a species that doesn't know when to draw the line. We take something great, or even marginally poor, and push it beyond the line of sanity. And the real catch is that we can't even agree on what that line is. Seems we're born to make mistakes, but challenge is also the crucible of evolution, so it's not all bad.

2. Do you see yourself in need of salvation and how is that achieved?
The second you learn to take responsibility for your actions, salvation become irrelevant. And as I said before, trials create growth, so what am I being saved from? The giant classroom that is life? No, I don't need to be "saved."

3. What is your vision of goodness?
Throwing down the illusion that we are all separated from each other. What you do to others, you also do to yourself. What goes around, comes around...you know the drill. We all want the same basic things, even if the details differ: food, shelter, acceptance, self-actualization...if you can remember that, that is goodness.

4. How do you understand the transcendent?
As a universal life force (sometimes called the All on my path), accessible through metaphors of fables, gods and myth. It's ever present and in everything. It's what binds us and makes us come up with myths of gods so we can relate to something so grand and beyond human comprehension. To call the metaphorical gods and honor the natural cycles is to celebrate life and the daily gift that the All has given us.

[Gargoyle]

Re: Four questions religion must answer

1. How do you describe the human condition?

Darwin's theory of evolution was/is more than right. I feel that we are, in some way, still a bunch of monkeys fighting over territory, goods and power and still throwing metaphorical fecies at eachother in the form of blame, guilt, hatred and fear.

2. Do you see yourself in need of salvation and how is that achieved?

No, I don't see myself in need of salvation. And even if there would be bulletproof evidence of afterlife judgement on our actions in life, I would still live the way I wanted to so that I would be judged for who I am, not whom I pretend to be my entire life.

3. What is your vision of goodness?

Sadly, my "vision of goodness" is defeated every day by the arrogance and brutality that mankind can show.

4. How do you understand the transcendent?

Understanding.
More in the way of empathy than of knowledge.

[Chevalier]

Re: Four questions religion must answer

1. How do you describe the human condition?

A bunch of neurons and other assorted cells trying to outsmart evolution.

2. Do you see yourself in need of salvation and how is that achieved?

Salvation is not quite the right word. I do believe I have done things that are fundamentally wrong and I should try to do enough good to make up for it.

3. What is your vision of goodness?

Goodness is making the world better, living a life where my friends, family and community are all improved by knowing and interacting with me.

4. How do you understand the transcendent?

I don't understand but I hope stories of the summerlands are vaguely true.

Whatever is beyond either
A: doesn't care so I am "good" purely to entertain myself
B: Wants me to be good / positive / helpful and will approve of who I have been
or
C: Actually does want me to hate and hurt people in which case it can go f*ck itself.