Voltaire on Religious Tolerance During the age of Enlightenment many people, especially those belonging to the middle class, began writing against the way society lived. Many people also wrote against the church and the way the church wanted to run things. Voltaire always spoke against the church but he also believed in religious tolerance because in the end he was raised with religious beliefs that could not be forgotten. Just like John Huss and Martin Luther, Voltaire received punishment for trying to unmask the church although what they spoke the truth. This is why I believe he started this piece talking about an Irish priest who wrote a pamphlet on religious tolerance.
Although religion gives a person meaning to life, it guides people into the right direction, comforts people in times of sadness, and connects people together. Many believe that religion is the cause of all wars, because of the large number of general encounter between opposing different worshipping of leaders. But the cause of a war can be very difficult to figure out. Others would argue that religion is the primary cause of war, because of the many wars that have been caused by it. Throughout history, religion has been named the number one source of creating the torment anguish of human wars.
However, obviously, in our culture, there are very distinct differences between them. You use these words when describing something of a spiritual nature, however, vastly differing in connotation. Documentaries about religious organizations often utilize these two words feasibly. Those belonging to a corrupt religious organization or simply a religion viewed as taboo in American eyes are considered cultists. Spiritual people who follow Christianity, or Buddhism are often called just and religious.
Polygamy within the Christian, Islamic and Mormon beliefs The issue of polygamy has caused great controversy in North American since reports of abuse surfaced from a Fundamentalist Mormon Sect in British Columbia, Canada. Even though the Fundamentalist Mormons have stressed that their practice of Polygamy is strictly religious devotion and their interpretation of God’s words for men to “go forth and multiply”; their practice of polygamy contradicts the established societal laws of North America and as a result, generated much conflict. In fact, the practice of polygamy has caused great disagreement among other religions as well, mainly Christian and Islam faith. Since the issue of polygamy within the three religions seems to be related the groups’ religious beliefs, it is critical to examine the correlation between their beliefs and ways of life. Christianity, Mormonism and Islamic faith all convey different perspectives toward polygamy in terms of their beliefs.
Whether one is a detractor of organized faith or a supporter, almost everyone can agree that religion is a double-edged sword: while it provides solace to some, it starts the most violent conflicts for others. Jonathan Kirsch, a Biblical scholar, attorney, and a columnist for the Los Angeles Times, attempts to explore this intriguing paradox that is religion in his book, God Against the Gods: The History of the War Between Monotheism and Polytheism. This book itself is very simply written, meaning that the reader is not required to have any previous knowledge on the subject to get an ample understanding of it. Before the book’s first chapter, the reader encounters several pages explaining the topic of discussion. This “pre-chapter” introduces the notion that with the advent of monotheism, it “turned out to inspire a ferocity and even a fanaticism that are mostly absent from polytheism” (Kirsch 2).
In Ray Hammond’s critical essay, he saw the novel as Mary Shelly’s “means of expressing her innermost fears about life and death in a tangible form (Hammond).” Both Shelly and her mother suffered “birthing horros which are echoed in Frankenstein (Hammond).” Shelly’s novel can be seen as a critique on amoral science, or science without forethought. In Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, the character of Frankenstein shows the danger of playing God and the ethical questions presented when man does not consider the ethical questions his experiments present. The pursuit of knowledge is at the heart of Frankenstein, as the good doctor attempts to go beyond anything ever attempted and discover the unthinkable: the secret of life. Frankenstein’s experiment is made with good intentions, as he believes his creation will help humanity. "The accomplishment of his toils" is the creature, created from human body parts Frankenstein harvested from graveyards (34).
In the story of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Mr. Brocklehurst becomes a very controversial character that Jane encounters early in the story. Mr. Brocklehurst, the director of Lowood institute; a rather annoying clergyman, feels that he has a specific goal in life and that is to “save” the otherwise lost souls of his girls in the institution, but really is trying to mold the girls into his own vision. He makes himself seem like a very religious man who only thinks about the students and their well beings. All the students need to learn how to live with no pride, no luxury and know how to live with mainly nothing and cure them from the lust of flesh. Mr. Brocklehurst ideas to give the student a moral and academic education are beyond human expectations.
Sydney Canaan Mrs. Beard AP English IV 25, January 2012 Religion vs. Humanism In Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Hardy places many questions of justice and religion in the reader's mind, and these inquiries challenge many of the conventional ideals found in Victorian England. While religion was a vital component in constructing the social laws of the time, it gradually became the social laws that were composing the religious regulations. In turn, many people of the lower-class were unable to find salvation in religion due to their rejection in society. Hardy confronts organized religion because of the lack of compassion toward less remarkable people and places humanism as a more pure notion to live by.
In the novel Jane struggles between moral duty and obligation to faith. Charlotte Bronte provides three major religious figures: Mr. Brocklehurst, Helen Burns, and St. John Rivers. Mr Brocklehurst has his own type of religion where he makes the girls at Lowood go through cruel and unusual punishments to cleanse them of sin. As told in the novel Mr. Brocklehurst cuts Helen's naturally curly hair to make it lie flat like all the other girls. Helen Burns however, has a drastically different religion.
However, different religious beliefs cause different perspectives on what is unethical. The authors of Cultural Anthropology: the Human Challenge (p. 293) point out that “Frequently it is religion that legitimizes the political order and leadership. Religious beliefs may influence or provide authoritative approval to customary rules and laws” (Haviland, Prins, McBride, & Walrath, 2011). This explains why so many of wars are centered on religion. Religious organizations have caused some of the worst social conflict.