Why can't you question your religion/become educated about your religion?

I

IndieUndies

New member
Maybe so people won't find things that others don't want them to find?
No one ever seems to look into their religion. They just go to church, listen to preachers and read the bible. But that's not enough. Do they ever ask themselves where exactly the bible came from? When their religion started and where?
The way I see it, If you never question it, how do you know you truly believe in it?
If you just sit around listening to what people tell you and never look into yourself or form your own opinion on it, you're just brainwashed. (Which would go for anyone else, including those with a lack of religion)

I don't like the idea that people believe in something because of fear, which seems like that's all that makes a lot of people believe in religion. Fear of Hell, God, Satan. But then there are those who believe because they are promised prosperity so long as they believe in God and obey his word. Its believing out of convenience. And I just think that people should believe because they believe. But that's just me.

I would just like to see religious people defying the idea that knowledge is the enemy of faith. Its not as if what they find is going to deter them from it anyway. If proof came and kicked them in the ass they would still believe if they really do believe. No amount of proof in the world is going to stop them from that. I just think that if you're going to be so devoted, they should do themselves a favor and not be apart of that large number of people who know nothing about the religion they claim. Just learn the history of it, ect.
I ask this because 1. When I was little my mom read me something from the bible about not questioning it. And 2. pretty much all the religious people I have met do not/have not question it and do not attempt to learn anything about their religion outside of the bible.
@dogbeith - I care because religion is apart of my life even though I do not practice it. And why shouldn't I care? It affects me.
@Oldguy63 - Atheism is a lack of belief. But from my personal experiences, no religious person I know looks into their religion because why should they? They have been told its the almighty truth, why would you divert from that? And to question it would surely be to become lost. Atheism is foolish? Well I don't believe a guy parted a sea but hey, what are you gonna do?
I, in no way, believe that all religious people know nothing about their religion. Im aware that some do. But most, its questionable.
 
I think it's because their religion has become personal to them, meaning if you question their religion, you're questioning their dignity. I'm glad I've never got attached to my Catholic upbringing...
 
Being Catholic, I have no problems. I know where the Bible came from, the Church. I am not brainwashed, I and my mother are 2 of 7 of my immediate family that are Catholic.

I fear nothing, I love God and know that I will be purged after death and be united with God for eternity.

Knowledge is not the enemy of my faith, on the contrary, the Catholic Church was responsible for basically every scientific, mathematical and cultural advancement for over a thousand years.
 
Martin Luther (founder of protestantism) said "reason is the devil's greatest whore"

Why? Because if you think about it hard enough, you'll realize that the religion is all made up nonsense. Reason and faith cannot coexist in partnership.
 
I am not sure it is written that we can't. I would be surprised if we didn't at one time or another question it. How else does one learn???
 
I agree with you completely. This is the reason I have decided to fuck religion and do whatever the hell I feel like. I don't like the way people say they're presbyterian(my family is this) or any other religion and they don't even know what it means. I've researched religions before, but it just doesn't suit me. I believe in a god and that's it.
 
Love God but fear Him was the message I was taught. I didn't buy it. I had enough challenge trying to figure out how to both fear and love my parents without introducing a third and unnecessary player into the mix.
I agree that most paople only learn as much about their religion as is convenient or necessary. I dare say atheists are more informed about many religions than most Christians, and definitely more interested in other religions than most Muslims. It comes from being worried that if they explore other ways of looking at things, their weak belief might crumble.
 
My religion requires us to study for ourselves, and even to ask questions about it in order to actually understand it.Just because our book is claimed by one person to state the moon is cream cheese ( it does not, just an example) the rest of us do not have to believe that. We are asked to go and see if we can find this claim, and if so discover using the tools around us (which includes science, as we are taught that intelligence is a gift, and things born of that gift are good and to be used) to find out if this is actually true. I believe in my religion not out of fear at all, and am open to others views as well. It does not change how I think or believe, but is respectful IMO, to allow people to believe as they see fit, and question where they will. You do posed a very good point on religion viewed as a whole, however, and are correct that most never do question, and merely stick to what they are taught.
 
most churches allow for individual scripture study.
most churches have their own seminaries
in the LDS churches there is individual reqquirements to study, but there is also much church indoctrination.
some of us get it right, some err,
but that is the same across the board for all religions.
 
I heartily agree. I question my religion, and the process of education of any type should be never-ending.
There are people on this site who are very informed about their religion. They didn't come to their knowledge effortlessly. Would there were more of them.
 
Personally after being a Christian for well over 60 years, I don't agree with you. I think most Christians look at their religions very carefully. Do you really think that people (Christians or not) want to be wrong in what they believe? I know I have studied many avenues of thinking and searched Bible teaching compared to secular thought and looked at it extremely seriously since in my understanding my whole eternal state will be based on getting it right. If I thought that what I have believed was wrong I would change in a minute. But really, from my research atheism is one of the most if not the most foolish beliefs that there is.
 
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