Personal Religion
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by Bob Clasen
If belief in moral values is a leap of faith, then our choice of what to value is our primary freedom. It is interesting that many people give up this freedom by becoming disciples of some prophet, church, party or guru. Such a person uses his freedom once, to pledge allegiance to some organized value system such as a church or political party, and thereafter only obeys. The responsibility of deciding what is right and wrong is thus avoided.
Why do people give up their freedom so easily? Perhaps people do not feel confident enough as individuals to face the responsibility of choosing what to believe. Such decisions can be difficult. Becoming a True Disciple is one way of avoiding making difficult decisions.
The alternative is a freely chosen personal religion. If I have a personal religion I face each difficult situation as an individual, choosing what seems to be best. I can listen to others express their opinions about what is best, but the ultimate choice is mine. Furthermore, I may change my mind when I come to believe that a former value can be improved.
Someone with such a personal religion may have no allegiance to any organized religion. He may not have a theory about God or the afterlife. But if he has exercised his responsibility to choose what he believes to be right and wrong and tries to make choices in his life in accordance with his personal faith, he has a personal religion, nonetheless. Thus whenever a teacher shares with his students his personal morality, he is working in the realm of religion, not facts or science. Thus to prohibit some kinds of religion from being discussed (Christian), while permitting others (personal) seems hypocritical to me. All people who have moral beliefs are religious to that extent, since morality is not a matter of rational proof. To prohibit the discussion of religion in school or court or other public affairs would be to prohibit the discussion of morality. This would not be helpful.
There is no guarantee that such an individual religion will be any better than the major organized religions in its morality. But I find satisfaction in making my own choices, rather than subjecting myself to some authority, secular or sacred.
One advantage of a personal religion is it allows for a development of our morality; for moral progress. If one believes that God has made a final revelation, no progress is possible, questioning the “Word of God” is blasphemy.
With personal religion, I can decide that slavery is no longer acceptable, or that stoning children outside the city gate is not the best response to children’s talking back, or that homosexuality is not a sin, even though these ideas are taught in a book some regard as sacred.
But lest I think myself essentially different than other religious people, I must realize that my personally chosen faith remains a faith. I cannot prove that my notions of right and wrong are divinely inspired, only that they seem best to me. We all walk by faith, when it comes to right and wrong.
(Unless God appeared to you . . . ? )
_______________
by Bob Clasen
If belief in moral values is a leap of faith, then our choice of what to value is our primary freedom. It is interesting that many people give up this freedom by becoming disciples of some prophet, church, party or guru. Such a person uses his freedom once, to pledge allegiance to some organized value system such as a church or political party, and thereafter only obeys. The responsibility of deciding what is right and wrong is thus avoided.
Why do people give up their freedom so easily? Perhaps people do not feel confident enough as individuals to face the responsibility of choosing what to believe. Such decisions can be difficult. Becoming a True Disciple is one way of avoiding making difficult decisions.
The alternative is a freely chosen personal religion. If I have a personal religion I face each difficult situation as an individual, choosing what seems to be best. I can listen to others express their opinions about what is best, but the ultimate choice is mine. Furthermore, I may change my mind when I come to believe that a former value can be improved.
Someone with such a personal religion may have no allegiance to any organized religion. He may not have a theory about God or the afterlife. But if he has exercised his responsibility to choose what he believes to be right and wrong and tries to make choices in his life in accordance with his personal faith, he has a personal religion, nonetheless. Thus whenever a teacher shares with his students his personal morality, he is working in the realm of religion, not facts or science. Thus to prohibit some kinds of religion from being discussed (Christian), while permitting others (personal) seems hypocritical to me. All people who have moral beliefs are religious to that extent, since morality is not a matter of rational proof. To prohibit the discussion of religion in school or court or other public affairs would be to prohibit the discussion of morality. This would not be helpful.
There is no guarantee that such an individual religion will be any better than the major organized religions in its morality. But I find satisfaction in making my own choices, rather than subjecting myself to some authority, secular or sacred.
One advantage of a personal religion is it allows for a development of our morality; for moral progress. If one believes that God has made a final revelation, no progress is possible, questioning the “Word of God” is blasphemy.
With personal religion, I can decide that slavery is no longer acceptable, or that stoning children outside the city gate is not the best response to children’s talking back, or that homosexuality is not a sin, even though these ideas are taught in a book some regard as sacred.
But lest I think myself essentially different than other religious people, I must realize that my personally chosen faith remains a faith. I cannot prove that my notions of right and wrong are divinely inspired, only that they seem best to me. We all walk by faith, when it comes to right and wrong.
(Unless God appeared to you . . . ? )
_______________
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