RELIGIOUS THOUGHT AND THE SIGNIFICANCE TO RELIGIONS 1

Pearlithea Joubert
Religious Thought an the Signi!i"an"e to Religions
Histor# o! Christian Thought
Pro!$ L#ons
%&'(&)*
RELIGIOUS THOUGHT AND THE SIGNIFICANCE TO RELIGIONS 2
Religious Thought an the Signi!i"an"e to Religions
Thought is a "riti"al instru+ent ,hen it "o+es to religious -ra"ti"e$ Religion is a -ersonal
"hoi"e ,hi"h re.uires a lot o! thought$ One has to e/a+ine his or her o,n "on0i"tions an
e/-erien"es ,hi"h is a thought -ro"ess$ In thought one a".uires a -ri0ate area to ,hi"h onl# Go
has insight$ In religious "o++unities there is the in"ien"e o! "o++on thoughts ,hi"h hol the
"o++unit# together$ 1elie! s#ste+s are stru"ture in our +ins an bring us "loser together as a
"o++unit#$ Christianit# an Juais+ ,ill be is"usse an their religious thought ,ill be
"o+-are$
Ho,e0er2 so+eti+es ,ithin a "o++unit# "ertain thoughts "an hiner the "o++unal
belie!$ During the Catholi" Re!or+ation2 3artin Luther an his "olleagues hel the belie! that
religion shoul be i"tate b# o"trine rather than b# traitions$ This greatl# a!!e"te the
Catholi" Chur"h ,hi"h ha2 u- until that -oint2 hel the -o-e as the -ri+ar# sour"e o! religious
guian"e$ Although 3artin Luther4s thoughts on the -uri!i"ation o! the "hur"h ,ere not ne, to
his ti+e he ,as able to bring together a "o++unit# o! -eo-le ,ho share his thoughts$ These
thoughts o! the ne, !oune "o++unit# ,ere able to ha0e an i+-a"t in the alrea# establishe
religious "o++unit#$
The International Co0enant on Ci0il an Politi"al Rights 5ICCPR6 states2 7E0er#one shall
ha0e the right to !reeo+ o! thought2 "ons"ien"e an religion$8 The ICCPR is a treat# that has
been ao-te b# the Unite Nations as a sour"e o! e!ining basi" hu+an rights$ Freeo+ o!
thought "an be e.uale to !ree ,ill ,hi"h is grante b# Go$ Our thoughts ire"t our a"tions an
thus are trul# i+-ortant ,hen +a9ing e"isions$ Thought "ertainl# i+-a"ts belie!$ Thin9ing is a
-ro"ess b# ,hi"h ,e "an se-arate oursel0es !ro+ other ani+als$ Our thought -ro"ess "an
RELIGIOUS THOUGHT AND THE SIGNIFICANCE TO RELIGIONS 3
strengthen our religious belie!s$ Although so+e hol that the thought -ro"ess "an i+inish our
relian"e o! religion$
A stu# hel at the Uni0ersit# o! 1ritish Colu+bia !oun that anal#ti"al thin9ing
e"reases the strength o! -eo-le4s religious belie!$ The stu#4s !inings ,ere -ublishe in TI3E
+aga:ine an re-orte that -eo-le ,ho thought -roble+s out +ore anal#ti"all# hel lo,er
instan"es o! religious belie!$ The !inings i+-lie that intuiti0e thin9ers are +ore li9el# to be
religious be"ause religion is not so+ething #ou "o+e to a "on"lusion about$ One "an4t reason all
o! the +ira"les that are -ossible through Go$
First o! all2 be!ore Christianit# "an be is"usse it is i+-ortant to re0ie, the i+-ortant
as-e"ts o! Juais+$ One resonating the+e that see+s to sheath Juais+ ,oul be its geologi"al
strain an ho, so"ial barriers both ,ithin the holo"aust an out o! ,ere 0iolate$ O! "ourse2 the
holo"aust has i+-a"te +an# +ore than an# other atte+-t o! e/ter+ination o! -eo-le in the
histor# o! the -lanet; +ostl# be"ause o! ho, re"ent it is in "o+-arison to other ,ars$ Ho,e0er2
this is a religious "ourse2 but ,hat it see+s li9e is that it is i+-ortant to igest is ho, the Je,ish
-eo-le are +ore ethni"all#2 not ra"iall#2 e!ine b# their belie!s an nu"lear !a+il# traitions
than an# other "ultural +oti! that the# +a# share either geologi"all#2 !oo<,ise2 +usi"2 et"$ In
other ,ors e0en i! #ou are se"ular an ,ere born into a Je,ish !a+il# #ou are still a Je, e0en in
the e#es o! the +ost Orthoo/ Je,ish belie0ers$
Ra+ba+4s )' -rin"i-le o! !aith is a !una+ental tool to learn that generali:es the +ost
i+-ortant o! religious belie!s in Juais+$ Juais+ is +ore "on"erne ,ith a"tion then belie!$
1elie0ing in the abstra"t is "ertainl# -ra"ti"e but is +ore "on"erne ,ith the relationshi-
bet,een Go an the ,orl2 Go an his -eo-le an the relationshi- bet,een +an an his see
an the "reation that is brought into the ,orl ,ith it$
RELIGIOUS THOUGHT AND THE SIGNIFICANCE TO RELIGIONS 4
As !or Christianit#2 ,e 9no, it is base on the belie! that tea"hes that there is onl# one
Go in all e/isten"e2 ,hi"h is Go that +ae an "reate the uni0erse2 the Earth2 an "reate
Aa+ an E0e$ It is a share ieolog# that Go "reate +an in His i+age$ Ho,e0er this belie!
oes not +ean that Go has a bo# o! !lesh an bones but it si+-l# is the i+age that is the
li9eness o! Go=s "hara"ter2 reasonableness2 an reason$ The 1ible ,as ,ritten b# 0arious authors
,ho ,rote it !or nu+erous -ur-oses an ob>e"ti0es$ Ho,e0er2 the one +ain -ur-ose the# ha in
"o++on ,as the esire to es"ribe the relationshi- bet,een Go an +an$ ?hether traitionall#2
through allegor#2 ,ise sa#ings2 through -oetr#2 or through -ro-he"#2 ulti+atel# it ,as ,ritten !or
the +ain reason o! es"ribing the relationshi- bet,een Go an +an$
So+e -ro-onents argue that a Christian oes not ha0e true !aith unless the# rea the 1ible
literall#2 I "annot agree ,ith this state+ent !or 0arious reasons$ Pri+aril# be"ause o! the i!!erent
ieologies -eo-le ha0e !or an against the bible$ 3an# belie0ers o! Christ o not -ertain to the
1ible to ha0e the relationshi- ,ith Go that other Christians ha0e$ The bible ,as ,ritten uring
an era ,here belie! s#ste+s an !ounation ,here "o+-letel# i!!erent !ro+ ho, the# are toa#2
although +an# "hur"hes ten to rel# on the -ast 0erses +an# be"o+e "on!use an settle to ,hat
so"iet# no, o!!ers in the +ainstrea+ an "on0entional Christianit#$
As !or religious thought an its e!!e"ts on the "onsieration o! Christianit#2 the state+ent
about reaing the 1ible literall# is a 0er# i+-ortant one be"ause it eter+ines the nature o! the
ulti+ate realit# o! Christianit#$ It also brings into light ieas o! blin !aith an also the o0erall
0aliit# o! +an# o! the "lai+s +ae in the 1ible$ The state+ent is not right also be"ause
Christianit# itsel! has been altere b# generations$ 3an# #oung an oler generations "onsier
the+sel0es Christian ,ithout literall# reaing !ro+ the 1ible2 but solel# base on their -ersonal
relationshi- through Christ2 ,hi"h is the ulti+ate reason ,h# the bible ,as "reate$ The 1ible
RELIGIOUS THOUGHT AND THE SIGNIFICANCE TO RELIGIONS 5
,as "reate !or that reason2 an it oes not nee to be altere into >ust another boo92 be"ause
+an# go ba"9 to the bible to see9 the ,iso+ it originall# o!!ere$
3oreo0er2 it "an be sai that i! there ,ere a +ore "o+-art+entali:e religion than
Christianit# the ?estern ,orl2 it ,oul be "o+-letel# i!!erent$ Christianit# belie!s in the
,estern ,orl ,ere re"entl# taught in s"hools o0er e0olution$ Countless 0essels o! tea"hings an
i++igrant "ultural ientit# ,ere !looe into the A+eri"as$ In a geologi"al2 so"ial an -oliti"al
"onte/t Christianit# is e0asi0e$ The religion see+s to bran"h out !ro+ ,here +oern a#
Jerusale+ an Lebanon is2 also 9no,n as the Le0ant$ The hol# area o! the ,orl +an# ,oul
argue an ,as in!luen"e b# the Ro+ans at the ti+e o! the birth o! Jesus an his eath$
Fro+ stuies in the "ourse2 it is +# unerstaning the Je,s strongl# belie0e that a sa0ior
,oul "o+e into the ,orl in ti+es o! trouble an belie0e that Jesus ,as the 3essiah or a s+all
grou- that -ro0ie un!atho+able lo#alt# i an ,as e0en "onsiere a Je,ish<se"t$ Ho,e0er2
Christianit# ,as able to be"o+e so ,ies-rea be"ause o! ho, !reel# it ,as to "on0ert into
Christianit#$ @ou in4t nee to be "ir"u+"ise; #ou in4t ha0e to belong to a +ore roote
Je,ish<se"t or !ollo, the stri"ter rules rabbi4s i+-ose$ Thousans u-on thousans ,ere
in!luen"e an easil# -rote"te uner these -ro-heti" tea"hings as the# ,ere ire"te to the -oor
an oo+e$ The s-rea o! Christianit# an its abilit# to !lourish ,as base on the ro+an
e+-ires gri- o! the ,orl an its stor# an tea"hings to be tol in a "o++on language$ In )(AB
the !irst "rusae o""urre$ A -ilgri+age to strengthen an unite the !ollo,ers o! the Latin Ro+an
Catholi" Chur"h an so+e ,oul argue e!en its na+e in regars to the e/-ansion o! Isla+$
Religious thought also -la#s a role in hel-ing +an to unerstan his relation to Go an
to other -eo-le$ Re!le"ting on the iea o! ,hat a religion is2 ,hat it is use !or2 an share ,ith
the unerstaning o! -ri+al beha0ior to settle -ri+iti0e esires2 Histor# see+s as though it +ight
RELIGIOUS THOUGHT AND THE SIGNIFICANCE TO RELIGIONS 6
ha0e been -rei"table$ In hinsight 0ision is al,a#s C(&C( but being a,are an "onne"ting the
ots bet,een hu+an intera"tion an the -lanet "an hel- us in -resent a# li!e as ,ell2 es-e"iall#
in the age o! globali:ation$ In essen"e2 religion ,as an out"o+e an a +eans to an en o! a series
o! .uestions that -ut to rest our ,orries an !ears2 that hel-e alle0iate the ,eight o! guilt an
sha+e2 an a""e-ting su!!ering as the "#"le o! li!e$
Realit# is entaile an 0ie,e b# the e#es in ,hi"h our an"estors le!t behin$ Religion
hel-s igest realit# !or ,hat it is an not ,hat it +a# a--ear to be$ It is the ri0ing !or"e that has
ins-ire art an literature2 that has ins-ire ne, ieas an "reations an a sour"e b# ,hi"h +an#
-eo-le !eel allo,e to a""e-t ,ith or ,ithout >ug+ent$ It has also ins-ire ,ar an slaughter
but -ro0ie stru"ture an align+ent ,hen nothing else glue$
Resear"hers ha0e gi0en +erit to histori"all# stu#ing religion2 ho,e0er2 ,ith the trial o!
souning bias in a s"ienti!i" >ournal resear"hers ha0e no, gi0en religion "hara"teristi"s that
e!ine religion$ A religion nees a "o++unit#2 stories or +#ths2 rituals ir "ere+onies2 reli"s2
so"ial an ethi"al -rin"i-les2 an +aterial e/-ressions$ ?hen "o+-aring religions it4s i+-ortant
to see the relationshi- bet,een +an an Go or Go4s2 +an an earth2 an +an ,ith +an$
Religion is asso"iate ,ith hu+an beha0ior2 in "orrelation to the intangible2 i++easurable
relationshi-s ,e ha0e ,ith the ,orl$
RELIGIOUS THOUGHT AND THE SIGNIFICANCE TO RELIGIONS 7
Re!eren"es
Eilberg<S"h,art:2 H$ 5)AA(6$ The savage in Judaism: An anthropology of Israelite religion and
ancient Judaism 5-$ C(D6$ 1loo+ingtonE Iniana Uni0ersit# Press$
?ol!son2 H$ A$ 5)A*%6$ PhiloE Founations o! religious -hiloso-h# in Juais+2 Christianit#2 an
Isla+$
Co"hrane2 C$ N$ 5)AB%6$ Christianity and classical culture 5--$ F(<FC6$ Ne, @or9E O/!or
Uni0ersit# Press$
Le,is2 C$ S$ 5C()'6$ Mere christianity 5Gol$ B)6$ Goo1oo9 LLC$
Albright2 ?$ F$ 5)AB%6$ Fro+ the stone age to Christianit#$
1o#er2 P$ 5C(()6$ Religion explained: The evolutionary origins of religious thought 5No$ )%(6$
1asi" 1oo9s$