I know I have
written about this before but it is a very good question and today an ever more
important one. They are, however, two quite different things. To me the very
basis of ethics is the “golden rule”:– Only
do to others what you would like them to do to you.
All religions
(repeat all religions) have this written somewhere in their “Book” or “Books”.
But to me the words – written and book – are the problem with religions.
The “words” were written by human beings and are interpreted by human beings,
no matter how Holy, or Divine, or educated, or devout they may be, it will
still be their writing and their interpretation of what they heard or saw. And
people, all people, religious or otherwise will interpret what they see and
hear through the filter of their life experiences. It cannot be otherwise.
Remember that not one (not one), not Buddha, Jesus or Mohammad, ever wrote
anything down. There is some dispute as to whether or not they were even literate.
Everything that we know about them and their teachings was written by their
followers – sometimes many years later.
People have
opinions based on their life experience, education and current circumstances. This,
most certainly, colours what they do and say – also what they write.
And there is a
difference between Religion and Spirituality. Religions, in my understanding
are supposed to give guidance to followers, to understand how to get closer to
God (or Allah, or Yahweh, or the Great Artificer, or whatever name you give to
the Almighty). In other-words how to become a better person and (possibly) more
spiritual. If this were not so, why follow any religion?
There are over 7
billion people on earth at present. There are, I believe 72 Jewish sects or
interpretations or schools of teaching; there are 3 sects in Islam with, as far
as I can determine, 73 different basic interpretations or schools of teaching;
there is dispute about how many Christian denominations, sects or schools of
teaching there are – a quite astonishing figure of about 20 000 (twenty
thousand) has been quoted; there are 5 basic divisions in Buddhism with many
difference interpretations or schools of teaching; Hinduism – the oldest
surviving religion in the world, has hundreds of different interpretations of
the various teachings (I am unable to determine how many).
But (with the
exception of Buddhism) they all claim to worship God - a Supreme Being
(presumably the same one).
There are so many
religions and interpretations because we are all different, with different
expectations and views on life. We are not clones. People will always try to
find some form of worship that is close to their way of thinking, something
that satisfies them and brings them comfort and peace.
Another problem is
that religions (all religions) give power to the leaders or teachers. A classic
example is the Catholic Church, which is a vastly wealthy organization, and the
Pope (an elected leader) wields immense power in many areas.
Power always brings
corruption and abuse of power (as
Sir John Dalberg-Acton, 8th Baronet, famously wrote, “power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely”). And
with human beings, fickle as they are, this always has been and always will be,
even with checks and balances. Corruption is not ethical. People in power will
always try and use it for their own benefit or to make them seem “better” in
their own estimation.
There is, and
always has been, abuse (sexual and physical) of women and children in all
religions – Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism. Priestly abuse
and paedophilia are oxymorons. They should not go together, but they often do,
unfortunately.
This is why, in my
understanding, there is a difference between Ethics and Religion even though
all religions have written somewhere:- Only
do to others what you would like them to do to you.
And again, that
question of spirituality. This I cannot answer. But I know that religiosity is
not the same as spirituality. Never was.
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