Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with religion

Look at the birds, they sow not, yet they eat

ChabonJabon — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:04:15 -0800

I believe in God. The strange thing is that God does seem to give me everything I ask for. Even stranger, I don't actually believe that a God can exist. The question: If you are a believer in God, do you notice yourself having your requests consistently answered? I have been an atheist and a firm believer in Science ever since I was young. However, some years back, I came up with a theory as to how God could exist. Basically, I thought that what people called God, was actually some form of my subconsious.

Immediately after that, I would simply call on God whenever I was faced with a situation where I could not consiously deal with. And it seems to work.

Stuff like:

- I need $2500 this month
- I need to find a girlfriend this week
- I need to get extra high scores in my exams
- I don't want to be alone this weekend, I want to do something exciting

What usually happens is that some situation will come up that could lead to any of the results above, and I would take it, and without even remembering that I had made this request, I suddenly find that my request has come true.

Yes, I know it sounds silly, but it really happens to me - consistently and all the time.

I realise that I am somehow influencing myself into taking actions that lead to those situations that I asked for previously.

The question: Am I alone with this? Are there other believers in whatever who also get the same thing? Any atheists who get similar things?

Where are the real militant atheists?

DetonatedManiac — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 22:18:23 -0800

Are there any true "militant atheism" organizations or "preachers" out there? I mean real extremist atheism? Like "Death to all believers" type extreme? If not, why not? I was just watching the CNN special on "god's warriors", which got me thinking about the relationship between belief and violence. Then I read the wikipedia on atheism which mentions that often the term "militant" is attached to atheism when that is not really an accurate qualifier. They are using militant as a pejorative when what they are really saying is "committed atheist" or "firm atheist", not someone who dresses up in fatigues and commits acts of terrorism, or advocates blowing up buildings they don't agree with (ala Islamic terrorists and Christian abortion bombers).

Judaism, Marxism, heck even Hindus and Buddhists have their fringe sects of fundamentalists and extremists who advocate violence.

So ARE there any actual atheist groups that advocate or commit serious criminal activity? if there are, why don't they get more press since every other religious faction already hates atheists and looks for any excuse to show how being godless is evil?

If not, why not? you'd think that atheists would be the most extreme, after all religious zealots just believe they are right, while atheists know they are right based on all logic, evidence and fact... not to mention that persecution usually breads an overly paranoid and defensive mentality, and no group has been more systematically persecuted by ALL religions through history than atheists/infidels/heretics/nonbelievers/freethinkers etc.

(full disclosure, I loosely consider myself Buddhist)

Where can I get the Islamic equivalent of Jewish Literacy?

parkbench — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:45:37 -0800

Where can I get the Islamic equivalent of Jewish Literacy? I've been working my way through some literature on Abrahamic religions and I've found Jewish Literacy indispensable. Now I'm wondering if I can find a similar sort of thing about Islam--quick deconstruction of notable events in the Qur'an and breakdown of important historical figures/movements.

Any suggestions?

the hairy aspects of religion

Kerasia — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 07:02:16 -0800

Many religions have prescriptions about hair - hair covering, hair growing, hair shaving... I am interested in knowing about all the various religious aspects of hair. I know bits about some of them, but I'd like to ask the hivemind what you know about hair and religion. Mainly thinking of head hair but body hair is relevant too.

Mythology?

xmutex — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 11:41:35 -0800

Do we have any evidence about whether people believed in the gods of Greek & Roman mythology as people today believe in the gods of Christianity, Islam, etc?

Help my niece free her mind

plexi — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:33:24 -0800

What are good techniques to deprogram a Christian fundamentalist? My niece was heavily indoctrinated with Christianity as a child, and she is now 20. As an adult, she is intelligent enough to escape the vise of religion, but I would like to help her do so in a kind manner and not just give her a copy of Dawkins' or Harris' books.

eBay shipper sent me a religious tract - should I note this in feedback?

Cranialtorque — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 21:05:36 -0800

An eBay purchase just arrived. I have no complaint at all about the item, and it was shipped quickly. The seller included a religious tract in the package, though, which bugs me. I would like to note this in the feedback, politely, as a negative. It seems reasonable to note something about the transaction that I disliked, but worry that it may not be worth the potential hassle. Yes, I am an atheist. No, I don't make a habit of provoking religious folks. I do not appreciate being witnessed to, proselytized to, or preached at, especially when it invades my everyday business. This is not a Jack Chick level of tract, not hate-spewing or overly gory. But I don't enjoy "Turn to JESUS or you will burn FOREVER!" being a part of this transaction.

I do not plan to actually leave negative feedback, as I am happy with the item and the shipping. My plan is to mention it as a negative in the comment section.

My concern is not that the seller might leave me a negative feedback; who cares. It is that this action could either trigger a flurry of email or snailmail from the seller (and his fellow congregants) or some sort of dispute with eBay, and that it just could be a big headache. (I'm not particularly worried about any live harassment, as we live on opposite sides of the continent.) When I transpose the situation to a physical retailer, I think I would act similarly, and I think I would be unhappy with myself if I let this go.

What do you think, hivemind?

Are moral police actually sanctioned in Holy Books?

Naoko Kensaku — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:27:48 -0800

Religious filter: There's a sex scandal in Malayasia regarding an ex-politician climbing his way from the allegations that put him in jail in 1998, which is him having sexual relations with his aide. With all the hoo-ha over what people did in the bedroom, I have to ask for clarification. Is there ANY PART of the Holy Books (Quran, Bible, Torah) that encourages people to actually set up a police/body to actually police people’s sexual behaviour?

I do know in the Old Testament people actually stoned adulterers and the like, but does actual phrase/verse in the Holy Books (not all these Letters and Hadith books) exist to deal with an official body as opposed to promoting nosy neighbours. But is there anything that says, "Go and create a body/something similar" and spy on your neighbours?

How does education about religion work in US schools?

bjrn — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 12:49:54 -0800

Someone told me that in the US most public schools don't have religious studies or comparative religion type classes. Is this true? If this is true, how far does it go? Does that mean there's no (Greek/Roman/Norse) mythology either? And what would be the rationale behind not teaching it?

Does America's religious history have a parallel in England? Give me the details.

gregb1007 — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:12:45 -0800

Does America's religious history have a parallel in England? Give me the details. In retrospect, it's pretty clear that fervent religious sentiment was a major influence on American history from times colonial to modern. But what about the parallel history of religiously-minded Englishmen? Those colonists with an unwavering commitment to God presumably left behind church-going brothers and sisters, cousins, and neighbors who adhered to the very same principles. What happened to these communities of faith over the course of 300 years since some of their members came to America? Did the religious fervor eventually die down in the face of the Enlightenment? Was there a specific point in English history where the speeches about hell and damnation, brimstone and fire go completely out of fashion while they continued to thrive on the American continent? Or are there are some hidden corners of England that are still under the sway of 17th century-style zealotry?

Prayer notices in the local paper - what are they for?

lysistrata — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:49:29 -0800

I sometimes see announcements in the newspaper praising saints and listing prayers or novenas with instructions to publish the same ad in a future edition of the paper if the prayers work for you. Who places these ads? What purpose do they serve? What's the deal?

You have a Shaker Knowldege Gift

Julnyes — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:57:10 -0800

Good books on Shaker history? I am looking to expand my knowledge of Shaker history. I recently watched a performance based in a fictitious Shaker community which used a large number of Shaker songs and I'd like to know more.

Please recommend media that looks at all aspects of Shaker theology, lifestyle, community, music, design aesthetic, influence, etc - whether it be fictional or factual.

Though I think I would like to start with the factual and move into the fictional after I have a better grounding. The type of media does not matter - I am looking for books, movies, cds, plays, podcasts - anything and everything.

So please set me on the road to further random knowledge to cram into my cranium.

Leviticus 20

plexi — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:38:05 -0800

Who decides what passages of the Old Testament are no longer relevant in Christian theology, and who grants this authority of interpretation?

Attending first Quaker meeting - what should I know?

clcapps — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 14:18:59 -0800

I'm attending my first Quaker meeting tomorrow. What should I know beforehand? I'm very curious about the Religious Society Of Friends, and think that it might be a good fit for me. So tomorrow I'm going to my first meeting. I don't know anyone there, though, and I'm not really sure what to expect. I know that it's an unprogrammed meeting... What will be appropriate to wear? Will it be odd that my fiancee and I are showing up, not knowing anyone? I don't know... I'm very curious, and very excited about this, but I'm also very nervous.

Is Your Excellency aware of the 2 for 1 special on pineapples today?

C^3 — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 04:54:02 -0800

What is the proper etiquette for addressing an authority figure in a religion that you don't practice? The proper salutation for a Roman Catholic Bishop would be "Your Excellency." Let's say you're meeting a bishop and you're not Catholic. When would this form of salutation and address be necessary and when wouldn't it?

I would guess that it's proper etiquette to use the proper salutation if you're ever meeting them in an official capacity, such as on church grounds. What happens if you meet them in line at the supermarket? Would it still be "Your Excellency"?

what is the inner voice that Gilbert speaks of in Eat, Pray, Love?

mordecai — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 10:54:40 -0800

what is the inner voice that Gilbert speaks of in Eat, Pray, Love? I'm very intrigued by this rational inner voice that Elizabeth Gilbert speaks of when she had that breakdown on her bathroom floor in the middle of the night; the one that asked her to go back to bed.

my friend once had a very similar experience when she was at the traffic light and she lost all sense of who and where she was. her mind was gone and she was terrified. and as she stood there, staring at the green light, a voice in her told her to calm down and cross the road.

has anybody ever had similar experiences? what is it and how is it explained?

Books on impact of miracles on Latin American politics?

Joakim Ziegler — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:59:21 -0800

I'm looking for recommendations on books on purported (modern) religious miracles in Latin America, and their impact on society and politics. For instance, the Virgin of Cuapa appeared to a man in Nicaragua during the civil war, and ordered him to "burn bad books", which was done, with "bad books" interpreted to mean Marxist literature.

In general, I'm interested in purported miracles leading to mass movements, political change, and societal impact. Additionally, if there are some really good books out there on the influence and impact of the Catholic Church on modern Latin American politics (big subject, I know), specifically as it relates to the Latin American right wing, and possibly the various "dirty wars", I'd also be interested.

Academic works are preferred, but more popular reporting works too. Prefereably books I can get on Amazon.

Religious Defections

Static Vagabond — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 18:37:37 -0800

How many people after being brought up in one religion, eventually choose another? I'm aware that it's almost common to find someone who has been brought up in a religious environment to eventually become an atheist, with that change happening even during childhood.

But how often does that happen between religions? If a person grows up in a religious environment and retains the belief in a higher power, how often do they change to a entirely different religion, purely for religious reasons. (e.g. I'd ideally be excluding converting to religion X to get married, or similar)

Have their been studies done? Or more generally, what are your thoughts on it happening?

I'm assuming the defection rate (for want of a better term) would be near zero, unless its a subtle change, e.g. following Anglicanism vs. Protestantism under the Christian umbrella, and even in that case, would that change be more for comfort reasons then religious ones (moving to a town with only Protestant churchs).

Thoughts? (Numbers?!)

Is belief a requirement for baptism?

Anonymous — Sat, 31 May 2008 08:51:16 -0800

How can a non-believer be most expediently baptized? This is the situation:
A non-believer [me] wishes to marry a strongly devout eastern orthodox girl.
In an eastern orthodox church.

This cannot happen [as I understand things, which is admittedly not very well] if I have never been baptized.
I think that *ideally* I would be a member of the church, but that allowances can be made up to but not including a past history devoid of immersion in water by men in robes.

She's a very sweet girl and would never insist on anything that made me uncomfortable. But. She has confessed that she finds the idea of a marriage without the blessing of the church to be 'kind of meaningless' which sounds way worse when I write it out here. I think I'm not the best at translating these concepts into english, but I'm coming at this as someone who doesn't understand / believe in all of the theological implications of churchy ceremonies. As best I can reckon, there's [something] that happens that makes us as a couple closer in the eyes of [god], so hey!
I'd be a jerk to say I didn't want that for her [us].

So - the actual question[s]:
-wikipedia tells me that any christian church that isn't mormon will provide what would be deemed a 'valid' baptism in the eyes of the eastern orthodox church. Is that right?
-would I, at any point in the baptism, be required to say that I believe in god? I think that the water is supposed to work its magic whether I believe or not [or else what is happening in infant baptisms?], so would I have any luck as an adult in finding someone to do this to a non-believer?
-what is the simplest way to get this done? I'd really rather not join the church she attends [I'll be spending lots of time with these people, and I'd like to avoid feeling like I'd lied to everyone or something everytime I saw them...]
-what am I forgetting to ask?

Yes, I'm sure. That the marriage is happening is non-negotiable. She's super. She makes me want to be as super as she somehow thinks I am. I want to do this thing for her, and I'm not afraid of getting dunked in the name of love.

Just to keep any naysayers at bay.

Oh. And I live in western Canada, and I'm willing to explore options in bc, alberta, or saskatchewan.

Regions of the world that have only recently converted to Islam?

thewalrus — Mon, 26 May 2008 15:56:04 -0800

IslamFilter: I'm looking for examples of regional cultures/ethnic groups within the present-day Ummah that were bypassed by the expansion of Islam. For example, most of the people of the mountainous and hard to access Nuristan province of Afghanistan only converted to Islam ca. 1890. Prior to that it was known to everyone outside Nuristan as "Kaffirstan" (land of the unbelievers/infidels). This could be due to geographic reasons, like Nuristan, a pre-existing particularly strong local animistic religion, or other factors. Can anyone offer links to research papers or other analysis of regions where this phenomena has occurred?

Does anyone have information on how the practice of the faith differs in regions that have only recently converted to Islam en masse?

I've read that some local customs and cultures have been incorporated into South American / Upper Amazonian Catholic rites. There's murals of Jesus eating a dinner of roast Guinea Pig at some churches in Peru. Is there a parallel phenomena at work in other parts of the world?

Who am I?

hadjiboy — Tue, 20 May 2008 02:03:39 -0800

A Crisis of Identity? All my life, I've been the sort of person to avoid my faith to a certain extent (I would pray and try and be as good a muslim as I could, but there was always so much more I could do, and I knew it). Recently, I've met someone who's awakened that desire in me to finally make the commitment, and it feels great to have begun to do so, but there's another side of me that feels like I'm (I don't even know how to say it...) cheating on it... It feels really weird to be in this sort of position. I feel like I'm being pulled in two different directions, and I don't want to give up on either one of them completely (although I do feel very strongly about my faith now) I have this huge guilt of letting that part of my life go which has been with me for the past 28 years.

What should I do? Do I bury the past and move on with the future, or do I try and create some kind of balance between the two--which would be extremely hard and kind of mentally torturing in a schizophrenic sort of way. I already have enough mental problems as it is so I don't want to be adding to the pile, but I would like some reflection on this subject by people who have been in a similar position and have had to deal with these kinds of feelings of loss and confusion.

Thanks in advance.

I really want to stop wanting things.

phrontist — Sun, 18 May 2008 20:16:59 -0800

In Buddhist philosophy, how is one supposed to do anything? The first noble truth is that life is dukkha. suffering.

So desiring, craving, or Taṇhā are the source of this suffering. So far this is all intelligible.

Where I get confused is the third noble truth. If craving results in suffering, to end suffering (through fourth noble truth) you have to deal with craving, no?

But how do you do anything without desire? You wake up in the morning and you crave food. You want to get up and go do things. You want to learn things, make the world a better place, meditate, or any number of other things.

It seems like if you got beyond craving, you would contentedly waste away. And to even get there in the first place, you'd surely have to desire to follow the eightfold path. This seems paradoxical, and clearly Buddhists do not simply sit around doing nothing. So how does one act without desire? What else is there to act on?

I know I've seen this guy before.

phunniemee — Sun, 18 May 2008 20:04:35 -0800

Who is the guy in this poster? I have been trying to find out who the man in this picture is. He looks so familiar to me, but I just can't seem to place him. My gut feeling is that he's a writer, but he could be an actor or scientist or something.

Through some internet sleuthing, my friends and I have traced the image itself down to a website for the Spiritwatch Ministries (whatever that is), and I emailed the wife of the guy who wrote the article (who happens to run the page) to ask where they got the image and what they know about it. (Haven't heard back yet, and it doesn't appear that I ever will.) We traced the slogan-as-poster to an ad campaign for the Episcopal Church, but I don't know if it's the same one, since it's just briefly mentioned on the bottom of the page.

If anyone knows who he is, or has any clues about the origin of the picture, please let me know! It's been driving me crazy for over a week now.

People I'm nearly 100% certain he's not, but I'd like a second opinon (because the suggesters of these people keep insisting that they're correct):
Richard Dawkins
Christopher Lloyd
Barry Lynn

p.s. I finally joined metafilter after being a long-time reader specifically to ask this question, so I really hope you guys can pull through!

Where to go in LA for Yoruba?

tinatiga — Tue, 13 May 2008 16:08:58 -0800

I'd like to delve deeper into one of the Yoruba-based religions. Where can I go for Candomble, Umbanda, Santeria, or Voodoo in Los Angeles, CA? I'm fairly knowledgeable about the differences between these traditions/religions. And I honestly don't have much of a preference. I've tried Googling but have come up empty. Any help is much appreciated. Also, feel free to contact me via the e-mail listed in my profile.

How does a kippah stay on?

paperclip — Tue, 13 May 2008 07:53:02 -0800

JewishFilter: how do Jewish people wear a kippah (aka yarmulke) without it falling off every ten seconds? We're just talking about this at work, Google fails us, and we can't figure it out, it seems like it would fall off whenever you moved.