Religions -- Question

Why do we have religions?

In today's world and throughout history, religion has played a predominant role in the affairs of men and women and the groups with which they associate. Probably more than any other single factor, religion has had an influence which far outweighs virtually everything else. The manner in which people have lived their lives, fought their wars, sought peace and tried to pursue happiness have all been heavily influenced by the religious dictates of the time and place in which these people have lived.

But is religion really needed for such pursuits as happiness, sociability, war and peace? Are there, perhaps, better alternatives?

On the most basic level anyone professing to the beliefs and lifestyles of any religion must ultimately ask the question: Why have religion? What justifies its existence, especially in lieu of having other alternative devices with which we might prefer to use in order to motivate ourselves and to create our own reality? One might even question the role religion might ideally play within a society which claims to be civilized or humane. Ultimately, it comes down to the most fundamental (pardon the pun) of questions: Why even bother with religion?


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"Religion is one of the most powerful social phenomena in the world. It guides nations, wars, societies, even whole eras; it has catalyzed climactic moments in history. As such, it should be studied -- and thoroughly. Religions hinge on truth claims, usually embodied in texts and carried out through social practices and belief sets that are often highly institutionalized and structured. The texts, truth claims, belief sets, and structures of religion can and should all be put to the sort of tests to which other institutionalized phenomena are subject, namely: tests for internal logical consistency in belief sets, tests of corroboration for truth claims, and examinations of the efficacy of institutions and other structures within the boundaries of religions. We do this with ideologies in political science. We do this with theories in economics. We do this with nontheistic philosophies. Scholarly integrity and academic honesty demand that the same level of criticism be employed for religions and their institutions as for other social phenomena." [6]

One reason such a question is asked is that bloody and horrific wars have been fought over religious differences. This is the case wherein essentially the fundamentalists of one sect or cult were arrayed against the fundamentalists of another sect or cult, and a whole host of seemingly innocent people invariably got in harm's way. The fact that the higher ranking members of either fundamentalist sect or cult pretty much escaped the ravages of wars and devastation they were so instrumental in initiating, proliferating, or profiting thereby is... well... another matter altogether.


More Information Please go:
( http://www.halexandria.org/dward838.htm )

Why is where important?

Information from:
( http://blogs.murdoch.edu.au/juliah/2008/07/30/hello-world/ )



This is the ‘where’ of this blog which then sits or floats in the ether of th internet all of which is tenuously anchored through this keyboard and computer, which makes my sense of location difficult.

Part of the assumption that I have about thinking is that context (and therefore location) is primary in giving the thoughts and ideas a flavour or an aroma. For thoughts to come alive and spring off this page then i as writer and you as reader must have a sense of the historical, social, economic context in which these ideas exist. Is the internet a medium that works against this or with it? Or does it have no impact in this regard?


Information from:
( http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Is-Where-You-Want-To-Go-Important-To-You?&id=703686 )


Are you where you want to be? Given the number of self improvement books to self improvement websites, the answer to that question for many people is probably Not.

Before you can answer the question are you where you want to be, you must first know where are you. Think for a moment when you ask for directions. What is the first response that you get from the person giving you the directions? That’s right, where are you now?

Until you can determine where you are now, you cannot make any plans to go to where you want to be. When you know where you are, you then can begin to also build why is it important to you not to be where you are any longer.

So where are you right now? Several years ago I constructed a personal life wheel that had 8 sections. Each section counterbalanced the section opposite.

* Mental and Health
* Career and Financial
* Family and Social
* Purpose and Spirituality or Ethics & Values

Take some time right now and draw a circle. Divided the circle into 8 sections or 8 pieces of pie. Then label the first section you select as Mental. Label the section immediately opposite Health. Complete the wheel using the remaining sections as noted above.

Then, using the center of the circle as zero, start assessing or evaluating your own sense of happiness. The outer rim of the circle represents 100% happiness or satisfaction. Fill each section from the inside out toward the outer rim of the circle.

Upon completion, make a heavy line that connects all the sections together. Then, strip away the outer rim of the original circle. Now ask yourself, this simple question:

Am I going to have a smooth ride or a bumpy ride as I travel down the road of life? If you are like most, myself included, you will be probably having a bumpy ride.
Now that you know where you are, you can begin to construction a Goals Action Plan to smooth out the bumps. As your goals are achieved within each section, your Life Wheel becomes more balanced. Better balance increases efficiency as well as speed.

The Goals Action Plan is only one aspect of helping you to discover the importance of where you are going. Attitudes and Self Leadership skills (strong interpersonal skills) are also part of this self assessment.

When you understand the why of where you are going, you can get to there where much easier. So before you start a journey of self improvement, find out where you are currently and why you want go grow forward toward success.

If you want more information about Goals, Attitudes and Self Leadership, you may be interested in Three Missing Pieces of Organizational & Personal Success. Visit http://www.processspecialist.com/e-books.htm to learn more about this combination e book and e work book.

Call me, Leanne Hoagland-Smith, The Business Coach, at 219.759.5601 or visit at http://www.processspecialist.com to explore everything from how my solutions double results to articles and resources including the Simply Speaking series.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Leanne_Hoagland-Smith