Do religious ideas change?

[Ó Cathasaigh]

Are we so ingrained with our own personal idealogies about religion, or lack there of that we are not willing to change our beleifs, for the most part?

If I were to prove/disprove God(s), while as impossible as it is, would you begin/stop worshiping?

[Zenith Darksea]

Is this a worthwhile question to ask? Considering that your hypothesis is apparently impossible, how can we imagine a situation in which it is true?

[Big War Bird]

I have gone from being a dedicated catholic to a confirmed agnostic. As a youngster, a career as a priest was not out the realm of possibility for me. The reason I have so abandoned religion is my observation at how a religious beliefs have changed throughout history.

[Zenith Darksea]

Have they? Likely they have in the Roman Catholic Church; however, the situation in Orthodox Christianity is quite different. That is one of the main reasons for the large number of people (particularly in America) abandoning Western post-Orthodox Christian denominations and becoming Orthodox - the beliefs haven't changed at all.

[removeduser_426582376423734]

This is generalising religion. There are many out there - on that definitely is changing constantly is Hinduism.

[William the Bastard]

Everybody is different and an individual. However people tend to group into ideological stereotypes in the same way humans have grouped into nations/tribes. To be part of a whole to make yourself larger and the group stronger. The ancients worshiped as Polytheists and today most orthodox religionists would laugh at some one who had many gods or abhor sacrifice of human or animal flesh. Yet to the Aztecs and such like if they did not sacrifice then the sun would not rise the next morning. Either some people are still sacrificing humans for our sake somewhere or the Aztecs were wrong. In many cultures religion has been used as a method of control as it coincides with the doctrine of the current regime. Personally I think one of the reasons why Constantine took on Christianity was that it was a peaceful religion as opposed to worshiping Mars/Ares and that slaves and the rich were equal in it's eyes. The all the majority of people had to do was pay their taxes and carry on being nice to each other then eternal happiness was theirs in heaven. Remember that Judaism did not take off in the empire in the same way because it was very insulated and would not allow the gentiles to join their ranks. However Jesus was Jewish and Christianity was born out of Judaism. Islam too would not have existed in its current/past format if it had not learnt from Judaism and Chritianity. As far as change in religious ideas goes there have been many many tweaks and alterations in texts and dogma as to fit the need of the people/clergy/rulers. Some examples would be Alexander becoming the son of Zeus, Caesar and his successors becoming deified, Council of Nicea(325BCE), UrbanII saying that its alright to kill only if its an infidel, Martin Luther (not king!) with protestantism and many many more. Scientology has proved that even more different religions will be here in the future. As long as there is man we shall create ideas on things we just do not know about and perhaps even if we do one day find out the meaning of life, and such other answers to questions of human intrigue, some if not most won't believe it anyway! Its the nature of man that you've already made your mind up beforehand or will twist the argument to fit your own will.

[Tom Paine]

Depends on the strength of the belief and the stubborness with which it is held; a weak belief or one weakly held can be rapidly abandoned, a strong belief or one stubbornly held will be far harder to shake/remove.

[Nurab Sol]

It seems to me, that most religious people, even when faced with supposed proof that God does not exist, would just go on the way the always have. Religions like Islam and Christianity are worth believing in and practicing even if they are false. When one sees the devastation wrought by atheistic ideologies, regardless of their validity, it turns us off. A religion that promotes human dignity, peace, rule of law, and stability, is better regardless of it's validity. How many people do you suppose would choose almost certain anarchy, misery, and despotism, just so they could claim not be wrong. Religion has motivated people to brave death and injury, but they knew they were right and knew that the world would be a better place if their way was adopted. It this true of any atheistic ideologies? How does the world become a better place if everyone gets to do what they want and be justified in doing it? Only a divine source can provide objective, or even just stable, morality.

[Tom Paine]

Except that a divine source is represented by a man. How much havoc did the Papcy wreak? The English Reformation and CounterReformation? The Inquisitions? The conversion of the Mexica peoples? And so on. Hah, the Christian ideologies have a lot of blood on their hands too, motivated by their religion rather than the atheistic ones, whose atheism is incidental.

[empty]

I never believed in such things...
I would always abdicate of a religion if I were still myself.
Since it always changes a lot constantly (generalising religions) it's another reason to not believe it because it never was suposed to exist, it's just a basical human tendencie. A stupid tendencie as I like to think...