/r/ReligiousTheory

Photograph via snooOG

A sub for the academic study of religion and theories regarding religion, religions, religious thought, etc.

This subreddit is concerned with the study of religion in an academic sense. Post your academic papers, your questions on theory, your thoughts on philosophers, etc. here!

This is not a place to debate theology. For that, go to /r/debatereligion. Nor is it a place to bash other religions. This is purely for the academic views on religion, for reasons such as:

a. looking at the similarities and differences between beliefs

b. investigating the rationale for religious practices

c. comparing theological practice with non-religious practices

d. anything of the like!

Helpful Sites:

An introduction to Critical Theory. Religious Theory borrows a lot of ideas and has a lot of overlap with general critical theory.

Other Subs:

/r/criticaltheory

/r/academicphilosophy

/r/ReligiousTheory

668 Subscribers

1

I just realized a solution for two of the biggest hypocrisies in the Abrahamic mythos

If god Knows everything And Has infinite power

How can free will be possible

And if it loves everyone infinitely

Then why don't they do bad things still happen? Answer: worldsole God is you, so he knows what your going to do, and you are it so when you do something that's also it's doing. Free Will while god still knows everything God is everyone so it knows everything God is everything so he controls eveything God loves you infinitely because it is you and it is everyone who loves you Bad things still happen because we are god and don't do anything about it

0 Comments
2024/09/25
18:24 UTC

1

The tree of knowledge and humanities "mockery" of the trinity.

So this is something I have thought for a while, and began building a hypothesis for it roughly three years ago. To summarize for those not interested in the details I believe the reasoning the tree of knowledge, and its counter parts within other religions were off limits to humans other than it is knowledge unwanted/unneeded; is that it was a trinity. The three parts that would make this up are religion,philosophy, and science. To clarify and specify I will give differing examples as to why I came to this conclusion.

The first thing that made me think of this was the interchangeable aspects, as well as the balancing of these three. Religious beliefs are what filled the ancient times, and allowed for the first steps of science to flourish. A good example is Egyptian building techniques they had were given to them by the God thoth. Due to its sacred attachments it was able to survive as a form of study scientist use to this day. Now turning towards the interconnectedness of philosophy with religion an example can be; in one of the earliest religious sites is dedicated to that of skulls and the nature of death. The religion itself doesn't have much knowledge other than the age old testament of why we die, but its still a profound question we ask ourselves to this day. You can take this same method of interconnectedness in reversal with the other two forms of knowledge being compared to the others. Now the contrasting factors are just as interesting. Such as the inability for a comprehensive understanding of miracles through the scientific lense. There are examples of this "mockery," being there as a core part of our being in all three forms of study as well. With that we will start with the examples within science.

We must first discuss the beginning of our existence as science describes, in an instantaneous expansion/expulsion of energy we gained space, time, and matter as a result. Now in order for any researcher to make a proper conclusion and or factual statement they must be able apply these three elements to their work. They must use a means of recording the information aka time. They must provide a place in which this experiment occured aka space finally; they must use the effects of physical objects, actions, and or numerical data to provide evidence. There are also examples of its interconnectedness to the other two despite oppositional standings. One such example is that; rituals such as bloodletting, ripping of hearts out, mummification, and potion making allowed for the transcendence of medicine, anatomy, and many more medical practices. Another example, but for philosophy is; when we used philosophy as a means to question the commonly believed scientific practices of multiple eras including the present. This allows/ed for the progression of ethics within the medical field, as well as create fields such as psychology. In essence science is the raw form of "mind," within our trinity; the physical representation of what can not be deciphered by the other two methods.

The next of the three we will delve into is that of philosophy. Philosophy has its connections within the other two methods of knowledge in a multitude if not the most ways out of the three. The following examples are just a few that I have chosen. One great example not yet discussed is; science, and its impact upon the understanding of the cosmos has made the philosophical question of "are we alone," and "what's my significance within it all." Another example but that of religious connectivity is the rise and fall of religions themselves. The best example is the change of pantheism into monotheism, the idea that; if there is a being of higher status, power, wisdom, intelligence etc. than others of its kind are the others truly within the same class or even the same kind of being. Philosophy in itself has trinities within their study as the other two do. One example is the Greek philosopher Pythagoras believed that the number 3 was the most significant number as it was that of perfection and represented harmony wisdom and understanding. In its representations philosophy can be Interpreted as the embodiment of " heart, " within the trinity; as it is what bridges the two methods with greatest disparity, and makes one think insightful as well as outwardly speak beyond the confines of scientific, and spiritual traditions.

The third representation of this " mocked ," trinity we have carved into the very code of our being is religion. Despite the contradictions religious, and scientific consensus there is over arching connections that can not be denied. One such example of their intertwining relationship is that of cosmic and mathematical studies. As mentioned before the Egyptians believed they gained their ability to use math from the God thoth, bit the belief isn't sufficient evidence for their true connection through math, and astrology. The mapping of celestial bodies were due to their relations with yhe divine such as their place of origin, the heavens, or even the physical embodiment of the gods themselves such of the planetary system and its connection with the Roman pantheon. Religion is also responsible for humanities and consequently sciences grasp of time and the recording of it. A great example is that ancient people would base their rituals around the natural rhythm of differing seasons, spacial phenomeno, and that of recording important cultural events. The impact of religion onto science is deep just as the other way around but their bridging partner philosophy; has very intimate connections as well. Though tons of examples are present for the twos intertwined relations a few examples are; that along of philosophers would use their religious beliefs to help shape, and nurture their philosophical ideals. It was also religion that began our want and urge to began asking ourselves what our origins are, what is our purpose as a species etc. Religion and its position within this " mockery ," could be best described as the soul of our markings. Though it is the most criticized part of knowledge for its lack of " evidence ," just like that of souls themselves. It still holds reverence and importance as without it we as humanity would've never asked ourselves those first important questions of internal insight as well as; did those physical rituals allowing for the progression into the many sciences' we have today.Throughout this I have quoted, and maintained this finding as a " mockery ," and there are many contradictions within the studies of the three themselves; this I will explain the reasoning behind in the following paragraph.

The term mockery as I use it is the expression not of negative means such as we intend to offend anything such as a creator or ourselves as a species. In this sense, the term is applied due to the very contradictions and disparities between the three. The three following tend to have arguments and disagreements within the studies; typically, this discrepancy is the action cause by the want for truth. There are also fundamental contradictions as well, such as the process in which one conducts their actions in life and the way in which one may perceive or be influenced within their daily ongoings. However; at the core, without each of these three being accessible to humanity, there would've been no virtual or actual progression within our species. The reasoning it is a mockery rather than a true trinity is through the very definition of opposition the three have. A true trinity would be that of perfect balance however; due to all the differing factors said prior and the elements not seamlessly falling into one another there is an imbalance one that can sway what a humans progression through life may be.

In conclusion, it's this authors opinion that we have a trinity one that is a mere mockery of what the truth we all are ferociously debating amongst ourselves is. until we are able to come to that one universal consensus, we will be plagued with this mark of knowledge and its endless sea of questions.

28 Comments
2024/05/08
03:37 UTC

2

Essay abt Ernst Bloch and Christian Marxism

2 Comments
2024/04/25
18:40 UTC

1

Thinking about Free Will (specifically ref Christian god)

Free will is knowing you have options, and having the power of choosing at your own discretion. Correct?

I've always been told the biggest difference between human and angel is that we have free will and they do not. I've always been told god gave us humans free will. Is that what you've always understood as well?

Angel's have no free will, yet Lucifer somehow rebelled and convinced half of the angels to also do so? Lucifer nor the others should have never been capable of even the thought.

When Adam and Eve were in the garden, did they always have free will? Did they really know their options, or were they ignorantly bound to do, think, say whatever god wanted?

I don't think they even knew they could disobey god until Lucifer told them they could - just like he did with the angels. The act of disobedience is what gave them knowledge of free will, not god. Lucifer taught us free will and god decided to take the credit.

What do y'all think?

19 Comments
2024/03/21
14:32 UTC

2

Virgin Mary, my Daughter and other events. Is this a miracle?

I was sleeping in a room and I saw in my dream a shadow a silhouette it’s dark and I got scared on the silhouette background there’s some light and all I can perceive is that silhouette looks like a person wearing a robe and a light that looks like a crown. I am scared but something told me this person is the Virgin Mary. Some kind of powerful intrusive thought came to me telling me this thing that I see is Mary. All of a sudden I stood up and rush out of the room scared.

I don’t normally go to Church, even though I was baptized in the Catholic Church and I barely pray, but I do believed the Church to be true as a matter of faith even though I am a lazy member of the church.

After around 4 years I was reunited with a person that later became my wife. We lived together as she moved here in US and I was living here before her. We are not married at the time. One day she was sleeping and I woke up early morning to brush my teeth and all of a sudden I smell flowers, a strong smell of roses while I was brushing my teeth.

I got scared and a powerful intrusive thought told me this is the Virgin Mary although I did not see anything. A powerful smell of roses and what I can describe as a powerful intrusive thought telling me this is Mary! I got scared and I cried, I am overwhelmed. I think I am going crazy! I don’t know what to do such thought about The virgin Mary at that moment struck me it is very strong! I feel like i am losing it.

I went on to my life and even forgot about it. I got an offer to move to a different state and City. I got a job offer that relocated me to a City called Spokane. In Washington. Then my gf and I got married there and we are blessed with a beautiful daughter. During her pregnancy one night I have a dream I saw my GF at the time because we are not married yet, She is in the hospital on the bed and Her tummy which is my daughter and I also see a person right next to her and guess what it was the Virgin Mary in the hospital right next with my GF and daughter still in the tummy while my gf is on the bed. She is probably around 6-7 months pregnant when I had this dream.

My wife is about ti deliver the baby, she had a hard time. We came to the hospital because she felt the baby is about to come out. The delivery was prolonged we are waiting the baby do not want to come out yet but we were admitted already.

One night I while waiting while my wife is asleep. I wondered around the hospital at the hallways and corridors I am walking and all of a sudden as I wondered a far from our room, I saw a life size statue if virgin Mary in the hallway wearing the same exact robe when I saw her in my dream with my wife and bay at the hospital. I was shocked and really I don’t know what to think of it. The name of the hospital is providence in Spokane. We did not choose this hospital it just so happen this is the closest hospital where we live in the city of Spokane.

Our baby have to be suctioned out because she got stuck her head was sticking out but the rest of the body was still inside and this is normal delivery but my wife could not push no more. Doctors used a technique called vacuum they attached an instrument to pull out our baby. It was successful! Our baby also have a shoulder dislocated temporarily due to the process. She was healthy after that! I came with her in NICU for more monitoring and we reunited with her mom the next day!

I also learned that Spokane City up in Washington is where Fathers Day was originated, the very same City I became a Father! I believed that the Virgin Mary I saw in my dream in the beginning wearing dark was the Virgin Mary of Dolor which is called the Mother Of Sorrow. Coincidentally the Providence hospital in Spokane Washington where my daughter ther was born was built by Sisters or nun that have deep devotion to our Lady of Sorrow. Sister Emilie Gamelin and Mother Joseph Pariseau.

Until to this day I dont know If this is coincidence or this is what you can call a Miracle. Thanks for reading! These are true life events. What you think? What are your experience similar to this?

1 Comment
2023/11/04
23:25 UTC

1

How is Pseudo-Dionysian thought regarding God accepted in reference to Jesus and Man's creation?

How is the idea of God being the One, or a similar concept in that he is "beyond being", and is the transcendent, immanent, and "unparticipatedly participated" interact with the belief that man was created in God's image? Is the terminology used here just to denote the importance of a being that is able to acknowledge the different aspects of how being came to be? And how does Jesus as the son of God play into this? I am very new to this and it is quite possible I am misunderstanding some of the language used in Neoplatonic Christian schools of thought.

1 Comment
2023/06/17
19:04 UTC

3

Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics Book II - put in my own words, my notes & reflections

0 Comments
2022/07/23
07:43 UTC

1

Father = Son?

43 Comments
2021/12/14
22:52 UTC

3

Black Catholic Wikipedia project

0 Comments
2020/10/17
14:41 UTC

3

God’s Three Qualities Dilemma

So here’s what I’ve had troubles grasping for almost a decade.

The Bible states that God is all-powerful, omniscient, and all-benevolent. However, the events of humankind as the Bible have told them, say that God simply cannot be all three of these things from a logical standpoint. Let’s look at the All-benevolent side first. Naturally, total benevolence means that God has the desire to rid the world of evil. Then, when adding power to the mix, God must be able to rid all evil from the known creation. Then, finally, omniscience, in which God knows of all evil. The conflict lies when you try to combine more than two of these together, knowing that there is evil in the world. When God is all three, there is no evil. However, when there are only two, Evil can still exist. If god is omniscient and omnipotent, he knows of all evil and can rid the world of all evil, but has no desire to do so. When he is omnibenevolent and omnipotent, he can and desires to remove evil, but is unaware to some of the evil that exists. When he is omniscient and omnibenevolent, he knows of all evil and desires to remove it, but does not have the power to do so. So, why does evil exist? If the Bible states he is of all three qualities, how could evil possibly exist? Was the Bible unaware of faults?

1 Comment
2020/03/18
07:39 UTC

1

What is the point of God?

As Coronavirus hits the world and religious sites are closed & churches, mosques etc are closing down congregations what is the point of God?

0 Comments
2020/03/17
14:08 UTC

1

True prayer is meditation

It dosnt matter who you pray to its always the same entity but a different proxy be it jesus allah krishna or the great dao prayer is connecting yourself with yourself control what you want to happen control your feelings and your ego and attract what you need and project outside its already proven we project waves and every thought and feeling has its own frequency that frequency creates the butterfly affect that attracts it back to you tur more focused you are the more clean and real it dosnt really matter if its considered "evil" or "good" the universe dosnt have feelings..

0 Comments
2019/08/30
00:56 UTC

3

NOAH ARK... Ron Wyatt's Story!!!

2 Comments
2019/08/12
06:01 UTC

0 Comments
2019/03/10
12:34 UTC

2

the core of God and devil

God and devil - one wants power, the other relates emotionally. demands and communicates.

god basically says "community" while devil basically says "listen to me!"

why would anyone want to be listened to and why would anyone say community?

aren't communities made of and from understanding people or people who understand each other?

0 Comments
2018/10/30
13:16 UTC

0

Islamic song by Nabihah

1 Comment
2018/10/18
23:43 UTC

1

the psychology of animal sacrifice

ritualistic animal sacrifice is disassociated pain which causes a feeling of sorrow for causing the pain which is done in order to relieve pain from tension caused from not wanting to feel sorry for whatever which is the reason for the compulsive action. illogically and without a good reason feeling worthless seems to cause sacrificial ideals.

rebellious people tend to be more selfishly biased because selfishness is a vicious cycle of people not caring about each other with causes selfishness and rebellious thinking.

societal golden ages need socioeconomic changes for the benefit of the people and people will start having standards which will make them appreciate and value life of all kinds or they will shun life of all kinds because of prompt selfishness without coexisting with nature and other people. selfishness is caused by not relating adequately with other people which makes those kinds of people miserable from feeling inadequate and bitter. if people grow up with each other in a utopia that is not destructive to nature and the ecosystems then chances are that they will live socially happy lives.

0 Comments
2018/09/29
13:01 UTC

2

Consumer Christianity is Killing American Churches

I've been serving as a pastor part time, full time, and volunteer for over 16 years. I was raised a pastors kid, pastors nephew, and pastors grandson. I've seen this whole Consumer Christianity thing first hand my entire life, and I'm only now starting to get my hands around it. And frankly, I think it's killing the American Church, and is a cancer that needs to be rooted out if we expect to have any level of real impact in America.

I wrote an article about this today with this in mind here:

r/https://eagerfortruth.com/2018/08/16/we-need-more-community-at-our-church-so-im-leaving/

Check it out! Leave me some feedback! I would love a discussion to be birthed on this!

1 Comment
2018/08/16
19:47 UTC

1

ANONYMOUS WARNING TO ALL CHURCHES IN THE UNITED STATES

4 Comments
2018/07/19
08:55 UTC

1

Matted Hair: What it symbolizes? - Mudra of god shiva

1 Comment
2018/03/14
11:30 UTC

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