Your views on religion at home...

Lifestyle Relationships
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Re: Your views on religion at home...

In some countries (i.e. Pakistan), religion has lost its purpose to a point that it is being used more for negative purposes than positive.

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Re: Your views on religion at home...

FACT: It isn't a religion of it's own, it's a non-religion. Everyone is born without a religion and then most people get indoctrinated or brainwashed into following the religion of their own parents. None of my siblings or I were taught about our religion while growing up, yet we are all still really good people with good character and moral values. Religion is when you follow an organized set of beliefs that are decided upon by a book/God which none of us do. We're non-religious!

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Re: Your views on religion at home...

I am sorry Reha, but that is not true (at least not most of the time). I know many people that dont have religion at home, and they are all good people. I think this whole thing about teenage pregnancy, STDs etc... come from low education levels and depends on social econimic background, not so much religion. As MIrch say, wile they may not have religions, they do have morals. Ill give you an example. I joined a counslling center twoyears to become a counselor to hep people with subjects like immigration, discrmination, suicide...
Surprinsingly, most people taht volunteered there called themselves Atheist..they dont believe in God at all. And you know what? they are the sweetest, wisest most open minded people I have ever met and really opened my eyes to so much. At the time that I joined the center, there was a whole debate going on in Quebec about ethnic religious issues. The main thing was about women and the Hijab. Politicians (mostly practicing Christians by the way) asked for the hijab to be banned. Teachers could not wear it, students would be expected to take it off...Anyhow, the council that arranged these debates had a few in Montreal. People were invited to go protest at the events because they were deemed racist and such. So who protested, stood outside holding sign , spoke to the radio and asked for the rights of minorites to be protected? Many of these people, people who do not believe in God or dont live religiously, but were there because they belieev no one should be judged, especially when those judging are ignorant about the practices. Oh, and where where the our people (the hijabis, their husbands, relatives, friends)...Nowhere to be found. So dont assume so quickly.

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Re: Your views on religion at home...

cheers unos

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Re: Your views on religion at home...

I believe everyone is born with insaniyat, no need for religion to teach it to them. My siblings and I were all born and raised in Western culture without religion, yet all of us have what you call "insaniyat" and really good character and moral values. We are not evil without religion.

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Re: Your views on religion at home...

You are not evil without religion, but the point here is you are not evil with it either. This whole blaming the religion for all evil is a load of tosh because it's just an opinionated theory that has no base in reason or fact. And there is no way to prove it either since religion isn't about to end any time soon.

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Re: Your views on religion at home...

A religious person would still refrain from doing something wrong in privacy compared to non-religious person.

The fear of God will always win.

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Re: Your views on religion at home...

Niksik if the world lived on the premise to each his own when it came to individual freedoms it is by all means a better place. And that applies here, I know a good many people living happy, fruitful and great lives and they do not believe in God or organized religion. One my friends went from Christianity to hardcore Buddhism. He is happier this way.

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Re: Your views on religion at home...

From what I've seen, yeah religion might not shape a person's moral landscape necessarily but it doesn't make you a bad person either. Unfortunately that's what the popular belief is these days. If anything, it actually does seem to make you a little more understanding towards other faiths. A friend of mine recently reverted from Christianity to Islam. Being the only revert in her family, she's having a really hard time with her non-practicing Christian family. The only person who is actually understanding towards her and encourages her is her uncle who is a catholic priest.

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Re: Your views on religion at home...

Religion gives us something to look forward to after this life.
Do good and you will be rewarded, do bad and go to hell.
I think in most of the religions, there is life after this worlds life.

For a non-religious person, this is the only life, I think right ??
So what motivates them to do good ? I am not making a statement but actually asking from Unos, sharabee.

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Re: Your views on religion at home...

I don't think its fair to say religion is the root cause of all evil. Religion effects people differently, and it can make people better or worse human beings. The same goes for atheism and agnosticism.

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Re: Your views on religion at home...

Well, if religious people only do the good they do because they are asked to by a creator they believe in, and because they want a reward in return or fear punishment, I'd think that kind of morality is conditional. Wouldn't it be better to be moral even if you don't believe you have to be?

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Re: Your views on religion at home...

[QUOTE]

Feb 24th, 2011 12:09 PM
sarad
Re: Your views on religion at home...
Religion gives us something to look forward to after this life.
Do good and you will be rewarded, do bad and go to hell.
I think in most of the religions, there is life after this worlds life.

For a non-religious person, this is the only life, I think right ??
So what motivates them to do good ? I am not making a statement but actually asking from Unos, sharabee.

[/QUOTE]

This is one thing that confuses me about Islam. If i'm paying zakat to the poor not because I want to but because I have to because I fear hell, how is that any better than not paying at all. For people who don't follow religion and still do good, seems to me like its a mark of a person who wants to be a better person for the sake of humanity. Its someone who has empathy and concern because they think this poor person can't even provide food or shelter for themselves, I have so much I need to help. And this can be applied to any situation. So many of my friends who don't particularly follow religion have gone to developing countries and given up their time, money and effort to help improve others lives. I'm assuming they do it just out of a natural human desire to care for others. I'm not sure doing something because you fear the consequences is the best way to do things. PS just so you know I fully believe in Islam and practise it as much as I can.

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Re: Your views on religion at home...

I believe with all ritualistic practices like Zakat and Salah, apart from the fact that they're mandatory you need to know what those rituals mean, why they are beneficial and why they need to be done. Only then are those rituals valid. If you pray just to fulfil the ritual but you don't care about what you're reciting or concentrate on your prayer, you're not doing enough. That said, fear of hellfire or desire for reward isn't a bad thing either.

/Haji Sanaullah

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Re: Your views on religion at home...

Bhai sahab Paji Sanaullah .. err Haji Sanaullah , order and belief takes over understanding and logic of Ibadat. You do it first and then try to understand it (while doing it) rather than try to understand why it needs to be done and only then do it.

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Re: Your views on religion at home...

I did not mean my post to be directed in that way. I ll try to put it another way.
Good and bad exist everywhere so do in poeple following religion or not.

For people following religion (in this case Islam)
There would be people who would pay zakat happily because the purpose of zakat is to help those who are less fortunate and they feel and understand the need to.
And there would be some people who would pay it because they have to (from may be fear of hell or may be for reward).
Its kind of same like a classroom. You have kids who like to behave and study and then there are those who do not want to behave or study but they have to because of the class rules and teacher.

For people not following any religion
There would be the good ones who have good moral values and do good.
What about those who do not have any moral values, they do not have anything to fear or look forward to.

So atleast in religion there is an incentive for good behaviour but whats there if you have no religion.

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Re: Your views on religion at home...

well, fairytales are for kids..

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Re: Your views on religion at home...

I agree. But it doesn't make sense to continue doing the rituals out of fear of hell without even knowing why the rituals are there.

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Re: Your views on religion at home...

I will be pointing finger and laughing at those people from the top floor of my palace in paradise.

I notice that those who consistently do that (even out of the fear of hell) eventually figure out the real reason of doing that.

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Re: Your views on religion at home...

Haji Sanaullah shall point and laugh Nelson Muntz style with 35 virgins on each arm :D