Religion has been intertwined with ethics, morality, and even intelligence, from the Abrahamic religions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam to the Eastern religions of Buddhism and Hinduism. However, modern realities have revealed that some of the cruellest people are usually religious, even carrying out the most heinous crimes under the guise of religion. Sam Harris was recently called "unintelligent" during a conversation between Tucker Carlson and Charlie Kirk. Do we place too much emphasis on religion as a source of morality and intelligence?
Notifications
Clear all
Jan 28, 2023 12:16 am
2 Replies
Jan 28, 2023 1:49 am
I used to believe that my own morals were strong enough to withstand the world's tests. I was very anti-religion and knew I understood the difference between right and wrong. But where do morals come from without a strong foundation? Example; You know lying is wrong, but sometimes you tell white lies and you justify it based on your own reasons. With yourself as the very foundation of your moral compass, you are able to have a whimsical spirituality that suits your desires and wants. You know stealing is wrong but you can justify stealing from someone who stole from you. Do you see how this moral structure begins to crumble? Without a solid foundation to base your morals on, you are able to change and sway them to your liking, which makes it a very slippery slope. This is why I believe every person should seek God with their heart and let Him be the Rock, the Foundation.
The morals of Jesus Christ are pure and good, and anyone who reads the Bible for themselves can testify to this. Organized Religions with complicated hierarchies often don't promote a personal relationship with Jesus, which is the entire point of the Bible itself. In Catholicism for example, only specific members are allowed to read the gospel; which is absurd! The Bible also states: And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Matthew 23:9 NIV The catholic church directly opposes the word of God by making everyone call the priests "Father," can you believe that? I believe that many organized religions purposefully misguide people to keep them from true salvation, and that is the devil at work. False prophets are everywhere, and the only way to truly understand Christianity is to develop your own personal relationship with Jesus.
As far as religion being linked to intelligence; I certainly have found in my own life that I have gained much wisdom from leaning into and trusting in God. Things I struggled to understand in my life, were completely untangled through purposeful prayer. This isn't to say I think people who don't believe in God are stupid- but to ignore the existence of the very real spiritual warfare we face every day? I believe that is willful ignorance.
Thanks for taking the time to discuss this. Love you ❤️