Protestantism

» Migisi - Political Religionism

.
Curiosities of Literature
by Isaac D'Israeli (1766-1848)
http://www.spamula.net/col/archives/2006...
.
"Political Religionism"
Snippets:
"IN Professor Dugald Stewart's first Dissertation on the Progress of Philosophy, I find this singular and significant term. It has occasioned me to reflect on those contests for religion, in which a particular faith has been made the ostensible pretext, while the secret motive was usually political. The historians, who view in these religious wars only religion itself, have written large volumes, in which we may never discover that they have either been a struggle to obtain predominance, or an expedient to secure it. The hatreds of ambitious men have disguised their own purposes, while Christianity has borne the odium of loosening a destroying spirit among mankind; which, had Christianity never existed, would have equally prevailed in human affairs. Of a moral malady, it is not only necessary to know the nature, but to designate it by a right name, that we may not err in our mode of treatment. If we call that religion which we shall find for the greater part is political, we are likely to be mistaken in the regimen and the cure.
....
"Whether the reformed were martyred by the Catholics, or the Catholics executed by the reformed; whether the Puritans expelled those of the established church, or the established church ejected the Puritans, all seems reducible to two classes, Conformists and Nonconformists, or, in the political style, the administration and the opposition. When we discover that the heads of all parties are of the same hot temperament, and observe the same evil conduct in similar situations; .....[Migisi: the author provides examples here].... - an impenetrable mystery seems to hang over the conduct of men who profess to be guided by the bloodless code of Jesus - but try them by a human standard, and treat them as politicians; and the motives once discovered, the actions are understood!
....
"This subject of "Political Religionism" is indeed as nice as it is a curious one; politics have been so cunningly worked into the cause of religion, that the parties themselves will never be able to separate them; and to this moment, the most opposite opinions are formed concerning the same events, and the same persons." (end)
.
[italics are the author's - bold is mine]
.
Sidebar here http://www.spamula.net/col/ "Isaac D'Israeli's Curiosities of Literature, a compilation of book-lore whose first volume was issued in 1791, with further instalments being added in 1793, 1807, 1817 and 1823."
.
Political Religionsim has been going on for a very long time - perhaps forever.
.

-- posted by Migisi

» pink101 - Political Religionism--Thanks

In response to Political Religionism posted by Migisi:

.
Thanks, Migisi.
.
I learned something from the snippets you added to this inquiry into the ideas of Religionism.
.
As I stated above, I sincerely believe we have ignored the basic problem here. You have cast some light on it.
.

-- posted by pink101

» pink101 - ISMS And Their ISTS

.
We are inundated by ISMS and their ISTS.
.
Namely, we are drowned in ReligionISM and its ISTS are all over the place making sure we do not forget their presence or the impact they can have on our day to day experiences in life.
.
An ISM is a belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as authoritative by some group or school.
.
If a person joins "some group or school" that advocates an ISM, they become an IST no longer allowed to be objective in their choices by threat of losing their status as a member of the group.
.
Such groups have self appointed guardians whose job it is to police the boundaries of member behavior. When any member steps outside of the standards, they are immediately brought to test to insure the group's stability. Example; "What is your stand on a particular doctrine held by the ISM to be absolute truth?"
.
Christians are turned into ISTS by such guardians of the ISM. We see them at work in these threads.
.
.
.

-- posted by pink101

» Migisi - Political Religionism--Thanks

In response to Political Religionism--Thanks posted by pink101:

.
Isaac D'Israeli gives some very excellent historical examples. I recommend reading the entire article.

-- posted by Migisi

» Brian Tubbs - Choose Your Battles Wisely

In response to Choose Your Battles Wisely posted by pink101:

Good advice! I'm learning....slowly. We all need to take this to heart.

» pink101 - Choose Your Battles Wisely

In response to Choose Your Battles Wisely posted by BrianTubbs:
.
The very idea that some of us come here with the idea in mind that we are involved in a war of good against evil is--maybe--the biggest problem we have.
.
This could be more of a Think Tank than it is a site where there is so much wrangling. If it were, we could develop our thoughts and ideas about various subjects of interest to each of us. Instead, we have one really sore head and a couple that lean in that direction. The sore head acts like an advance artillery force always trying to destroy any thread that isn't going in a direction that pleases him and, he prides himself in his ways. And, that is sick..
.
This isn't doing anything good for Suite101.com. He has a very long history of being a trouble maker here--it dates back to his first entry here when, if memory serves, he threatened Suite101 management with litigation should they attempt to silence him.
.
He has used this site as a staging area for directing participants to a competitive site he hosts in a different venue.
.
A real prince of a guy.
.

-- posted by pink101

» pink101 - Do Not Disturb

.
When Absolute Truth is put on the table, it amounts to a gauntlet being thrown down.
.
If I were to claim that I had discovered Truth Absolute about all reality, it would be inevitable that others would soon disturb my beliefs. It is a challenge for anyone to claim absolute truth.
.
Yet, it is the high mark of Religionism that the adherents claim absolute truth. Like those idiots out in California a few years back who believed that a space ship was circling planet Earth ready to pick them up as soon as they performed a mass suicide ritual of death. They were convinced by their leader that the "Absolute Truth" was that they would be transfigured into those space ships.
.
Remember this group?
.
http://www.rickross.com/groups/heavensga...
.
Bon Voyage.
.

.

-- posted by pink101

» qatharms - Responding to Wendell

In response to Responding to Wendell posted by pink101:

It seems to me that the term "religionism" has more in common with the term "racism" than with the concept of a radical enthusiast for any religion. The term "racism" is used to castigate behavior that is not respectful of particular races and behavior which is motivated by hate and expressed by violence against, not for other races.
Using the term "religionism" in parallel to racism would mean that people who want to suppress all religions, people who scorn every evidence of religion in public life would be labeled "religionists."
I agree with you that we need a new term for those whose aggressive violence in the name of any religion has more in common with psychosis than faith. Using the patterns already established in the English language by the term "racism" I believe that "religionism" is not that term.

-- posted by qatharms

» pink101 - Responding to Gatharms

In response to Responding to Wendell posted by qatharms:
.
As far back as 1913, the Webster Dictionary defined the word, religionism, as follows:
.
1. The practice of, or devotion to, religion.
2. Affectation or pretense of religion.
.
But, you bring up a good point regarding parallel comparison of the words, religion and race.
.

-- posted by pink101

» Brian Tubbs - Hey Katharine

In response to Responding to Wendell posted by qatharms:

Glad to have you a part of the discussions here. Hope you'll stick around. Just read your profile and noted that you placed third in the 2004 Christian Writer's Guild novel competition. That's awesome. I envy and admire you. I'm working on a novel project right now. Hope I can finish it. It's a lot of work.