Discussion questions for Religion Course

Question 1

What have been the roles of women in a religion or religions discussed in this class? How is this changing? (we have discussed the following religions Hinduism and Jainism, Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, Shinto, Judaism, Christianity and Islam).

Question 2

This is something we touched on earlier, but I think it is important to understand the arbitrary basis of many religious ethical traditions. It has been said that there are no ethics in religious traditions wherein God decides what is right.  At first glance this statement seems like nonsense and pure slander, however at a deeper level, there is some truth here. Any ethical framework that merely concerns itself with trying to find out what a God desires without considering the consequences of actions upon other human beings is not truly doing ethics, but subserviently carrying out orders, that may or may not be good for humans. Unwittingly, those who take this, "just take orders" approach are not only a danger to others but are also putting their own happiness and satisfaction at risk as well. If a Hindu is only concerned with the wishes of their favorite deity and they are convinced that an avatar of Brahman, for example, Shiva, wanted them to kill their Muslim neighbor, the Muslim would certainly be in grave danger. If this mindset and specific perception were pervasive, human happiness and satisfaction, indeed humanity's very existence would be utterly dependent on whatever deities reign supreme in people's minds, whether real or not.

 

Do you agree?  If so why, if not, why not?

Question 3

I like that Wiccan dictum and it very much seems like we are on the same page.  Since we just studied Islam, I want to explore this just a tad further.  Virtually every Muslim (most Jews and Christians as well) accepts a priori (prior to experience) that Allah (God) is compassionate, merciful and good, there are no safeguards protecting them or other Muslims from committing acts that are, humanely speaking, unspeakably unreasonable and destructive. Any and every directive from God, regardless of how wrong it may seem to us humans, can always be justified by thinking, "God knows best." As J.L. Mackie puts it,

 

The divine command view can also lead people to accept, as moral, requirements that have no discoverable connection - indeed, no connection at all - with human purposes or well-being, or with the well-being of any sentient creatures.  That is, it can foster a tyrannical, irrational morality (Mackie, 256).

 

The God determines what is right view is truly dangerous.  Many otherwise good people are willing to do anything for God because they are utterly convinced that God is to be submitted to and obeyed, not questioned or confronted.  Consider some passages from the Qur'an. "It is not fitting for a Believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Apostle to have any option about the decision; if anyone disobeys Allah and His Apostle, he is indeed on a clearly wrong path" (Q33:36). The Qur'an implores elsewhere, "O you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam [submission]" (3:102).  Additionally, it urges believers to not ask questions that may lead to the loss of faith (Q 5:101-2) and to "Never be then of those who doubt" its heavenly origin (Q 6:114). It is difficult not seeing recitations like these as political power plays, quenching any dissent, or detractors. 

One of my favorite essays on this topic is called "Cataract" by Mark Vuletic.  It's only about one page of reading.  Here is is: http://infidels.org/library/modern/mark_vuletic/cataract.html 

 

Why do you think so many of us are Dr. M in the parable?  

Question 4

Isn't religion typically a hindrance to science?  It seems like it's the minority of religious traditions that always incorporate the latest science into their traditions, no?  I was thinking of Galileo who was put on trial and condemned as a heretic by the Roman Catholic Church because he popularized the Copernican view that the sun was the center of our universe (heliocentric), instead of the earth (geocentric).  I guess what I am suggesting, is that religion has been known to resist science when it appears to go against faith.  So my question is, is there a difference in the way newer religions interact with science?  My example suggests that at least some older religious traditions were a hindrance to scientific discovery, no?