Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Different Interpretations

I was a bit surprised by the Tico's first post. On the one hand you can could consider adoration to Macs, Ipods and Steve Jobs a religion, but I was thinking we were going to discuss more traditional religions like catholicism, judaism, islamism, etc.
In anycase, It could perhaps be a good starting point. What is a religion?
Does it nedd to have a written document, does it imply that you adore someone? or something?
Does it need moral principles or just a common goal or way of looking at life?
Concretely, Tico has mentioned many times that if you don't follow all of the rules in catholicism, then you are not a catholic. For example, being a catholic but not going to sunday mass of cofessing "because i don't belive in that" excludes you from being a true catholic. Ok, I think I could agree with him, but two things come to mind. One, if that were absolutely true in everything then there would be no space for organizations to change and grow from within. Santo Tomas de Auino changed many things withing catholicism, he did it by being controversial and then convincing people of his way of thinking. He is now a Saint. Did he ever become a non-cathilic? From the time he first thought, this shouldn't be like this, to the point the catholic church accepted some of his ideas and changed its views, was he ever a non-catholic? that could be debatable. ut the answer is not easy, how do you set the limits? you can't be too controversial? how much is too conroversial? how much is changing the organization and how much is simply following other ideas? when are you a saint and when are you excomulgated?
If we keep on changing religions and traditions (accepting homosexuality, for example) are we betraying the teachings or accepting the times? If all religions always accept the times, will we eventually have just one religion? what will be the fndamental differences?
The other thing that comes to mind fro Tico's question is If I am not a catholic because I don't follow all the rules, then what am I? Am I a different religion? did I invent mine by following my own rules? Or am I still a catholic? just a bad one?
I realize I have just written more than twenty questions, but I would love to hear what you think.

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