Joined: 9 Sep 2020 Gender: Female Posts: 96 Location: In a floating candy house with a flying pet unicorn
08 Dec 2020, 2:04 pm
Does anybody know what is the most peaceful religion? I think religion is supposed to be about peace in theory, but people fight wars over religion in reality.
Joined: 27 Oct 2014 Age: 39 Gender: Non-binary Posts: 29,113 Location: Right over your left shoulder
08 Dec 2020, 2:07 pm
Heaven's Gate
_________________ Israelo delenda est! "Many of us like to ask ourselves, What would I do if I was alive during slavery? Or the Jim Crow South? Or apartheid? What would I do if my country was committing genocide?' The answer is, you're doing it. Right now." —Former U.S. Airman (Air Force) Aaron Bushnell
Joined: 23 Feb 2019 Gender: Male Posts: 1,639 Location: west coast
08 Dec 2020, 3:24 pm
I think comparing religions on violence is not a useful exercise. Of the five major religions you can find peaceful and violent adherents to each.
Smaller religions or subsects of the major religions might be exclusively violent or peaceful, but I'll posit no such religion will ever rise to prominence.
Ultimately, you don't choose your religion. You either have the faith or you don't.
_________________ "Ignorance may be bliss, but knowledge is power."
Joined: 20 Nov 2016 Age: 51 Gender: Male Posts: 1,678 Location: Jersey UK
08 Dec 2020, 3:43 pm
All good religions if practised sincerely are peaceful in nature. It is man and not God or Buddha that lacks peace.
God is truth, love, Compassion, detached from this world. This statement is not incompatible with the worlds great religions.
It is only man who has defiled the holy in their search for power and at times in his stupidity and ignorance.
But they will eventually be led to the right path. After all, all ways eventually lead to the same destination.
Jainism btw are incredibly conscious of practising Ahimsa The practice of nonviolence towards all sentient beings.
I have been to Jain Temples in Sarnath, India where the monks use brushes to sweep the path in front of them carefully to ensure that they do not accidentally hurt or kill any insects in their path
I like this although not always practical i admire their determination and perseverance
Jainism is indeed likely - based on doctrine - the most peaceful religion in the world.
Jain ascetics will go to extreme length to avoid harming other creatures, including - among the Digambara - walking around naked, as the production of clothing might inadvertently harm creatures.
They are also known to cover their mouths to prevent ingesting insects by accident and to sweep the ground in front of them to avoid stepping on small creatures.
But the ascetics likely make up a very small portion of the Jain community, and it is probably not realistic to assume that a lay person could consistently adhere to such strict altruistic behaviour.
Buddhism is likely next on the list, but even here we find some branches with a more militant history - like Nichiren Buddhism in Japan.
Hinduism is more of a mixed bag. Ahimsa also exists in Hinduism (and was a major component in the The Upanishads), but it doesn't occupy the same central position as in Buddhism and Jainism, where it is of paramount concern.
The chinese religions (Confucianism and Taoism) are largely pacifist, but do not disown violence altogether.
On the other hand, the Abrahamic religions do not (except for Baháʼí, perhaps) have a peaceful reputation.
And finally, atheism and agnosticism are not religions, so one cannot deduce a propensity for peace and pacifism (or war and genocidal megalomania) from these categories. "Pagan" is also an umbrella category for various religious traditions, so there may be both pacifist pagans and ... pagans with a different perspective.
Joined: 8 Dec 2020 Age: 32 Gender: Male Posts: 6 Location: 62060
08 Dec 2020, 6:19 pm
The Jedi protect the Galaxy and guard it from the evil sith! Although the mandalorian faith is pretty appealing. I might be tempted to remove my helmet to swoon the ladies every now and again. What do you think Jedi or no? It is recognized if I'm correct in saying and the Jedi of this Galaxy have never killed anybody with a lightsaber although there was that incident last year where someone poked someone's eye out for being relatively communist. Just saying.
Joined: 23 Feb 2019 Gender: Male Posts: 1,639 Location: west coast
08 Dec 2020, 6:26 pm
Domensiclivnaphorum wrote:
The Jedi protect the Galaxy and guard it from the evil sith! Although the mandalorian faith is pretty appealing. I might be tempted to remove my helmet to swoon the ladies every now and again. What do you think Jedi or no? It is recognized if I'm correct in saying and the Jedi of this Galaxy have never killed anybody with a lightsaber although there was that incident last year where someone poked someone's eye out for being relatively communist. Just saying.
Such bigotry painting the sith as evil. They are the most peaceful, unifying the galaxy under one rule so there will be no more war.
_________________ "Ignorance may be bliss, but knowledge is power."