How Much Deviation from Religious Doctrine is Acceptable...

Central to any religion is a unified set of beliefs that is shared amongst all its followers. These can range from stories about the origin of the universe or the lives of prophets or other important religious figures to sets of rules governing how you live your daily life. It is these beliefs that define who is a follower of that religion, and deviation from them could result in a person being outcast, persecuted, or even put to death in various areas and time periods. However, these beliefs are by no means universal. Interpretations of religious doctrines may strongly differ even between members of the same religious sect. These issues are very relevant even to non-believers as they have a strong influence on people’s opinions of†¦show more content†¦Christianity can be divided into three main denominations: Catholicism, Protestantism, and Eastern Orthodox. The doctrines of each of these divisions are based on the books of the Old and New Testament. Although their c entral texts are almost exactly the same (a few books are different), their interpretations of them differ greatly. Each asserts that their own interpretation is the only correct one and that all other doctrines are false (this is slightly less true of many protestants, owing to the lack of a central protestant church). Obviously, the most central part of Christian belief is the teachings of Jesus Christ, as described in the four Gospels. In the Book of Mark, believed to be the earliest of the four, it states â€Å"He who believes [the gospel] and is baptized will be saved, but he who disbelieves it will be condemned† (p106). This immediately creates an ideology based entirely on one’s faith rather than reason or even one’s actions. Jesus himself says â€Å"All their sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men†¦ but whosoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit hath never forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin† (Mark p71). This allows a sys tem to be set up which requires above all a rigid belief in a central doctrine, deviation from which is punished by eternal damnation. It is then very easy for the church to present one interpretation which it deems correct and feel justified in enforcing strict adherenceShow MoreRelatedChildren s Rights And Rights1951 Words   |  8 Pagesright to a decent standard of living, the right to health, Children’s rights include individual rights, the right to live with his parents, the right to education, the right to benefit from a protection, Children’s rights include collective rights : rights of refugee and disabled children’s, of minority children or from marginalized groups.For the world to continue we need this population to survive and attain their rights which are also human rights. One of the many roles of nurses is an advocate,Read More Equality of the Sexes Essay3076 Words   |  13 Pagesgender roles has been long and varied, frequently switching from near equality of the sexes to complete inequality and back. In the Middle Ages, gender limitations were prevalent in that the woman was seen as weaker, inferior to the â€Å"perfect embryo†: the male. However, some equality was to be granted through the institution that most perpetuated cultural differentiation of the sexes: the Church. Gender relations began to shift with the Doctrine of Intent and the idea of courtly love. Women began to assumeRead MoreEssay on Hearing Voices and Etheogens2483 Words   |  10 Pagesliving. For instance, people hearing abusive or commanding voices often recognize their voices as those of their actual abusers attacking their sense of self-esteem and worth. Sometimes, people experience helpful and guiding voices that also arise from periods of trauma and stress. In these situations, people tend to use auditory hallucinations and delusions as literal voices of reason in situations where normality is subjective and what is normal is dependent on the community’s pre-establishedRead MoreState Mass Killings in Indonesia 1965 to 1966 Essay3128 Words   |  13 Pagesnational, local, and event- specific levels. Elements discussed are elite interests, justification for violence, formal organizations, and mobilization factors. Finally, I suggest future preventative policy measures. Introduction Violence marks much of human history. Within the sociopolitical sphere, violence has continually served as a tool used by various actors to influence and/or to control territory, people, institutions and other resources of society. The twentieth century witnessed an evolutionRead MoreEssay on Creation of the World3047 Words   |  13 PagesPowerful mythologies are normative, as Mircea Eliade described, defining for their societies how the world may be ordered. Myths provide the living backdrop on which people may act. In the Christian societies of Europe and America the â€Å"origin myth† that defines the divine order that Christians should follow is laid out largely in Genesis, and the worldview expounded within it in some sense provides the baseline from which â€Å"scientific† alternatives must deviate, at least within the Europe and America. Read MoreIslamic Way of warfare23558 Words   |  95 PagesDEFINING ISLAMIC WAY OF WARFARE AND ITS COMPARISON WITH AL QAEDA DOCTRINE A thesis presented to the Faculty of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree MASTER OF MILITARY ART AND SCIENCE Military History by MAJOR INTEKHAB HAIDER KHAN, BANGLADESH ARMY M.S., Bangladesh University of Professionals, Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2011 Fort Leavenworth, Kansas 2012-01 Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. REPORTRead MoreA Christian Approach to Homosexuality7265 Words   |  30 Pagessaid â€Å"We declare that Section 377 IPC, insofar it criminalizes consensual sexual acts of adults in private, is violative of Articles 21, 14 and 15 of the Constitution.† While gay-rights movements have welcomed and celebrated the judgement, various religious and cultural groups have expressed their concern. A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court judgement by Mr. Suresh Kumar Koushal. In the West, Barak Obama, the President of the United States, on 9th May 2012Read MoreNormal Distribution16112 Words   |  65 Pagesinterval for a person’s triglycerides is from 30 to 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl). By measuring these variables, a physician can determine if a patient’s vital statistics are within the normal interval or if some type of treatment is needed to correct a condition and avoid future illnesses. The question then is, How does one determine the so-called normal intervals? See Statistics Today—Revisited at the end of the chapter. In this chapter, you will learn how researchers determine normal intervalsRead MoreMarxism Within Blt5219 Words   |  21 PagesLiberation. This study seeks to expose the ways in which Black Theology of Liberation was shaped by Marxism through the writings of its founders, concentrating predominantly on the need to bring about the liberation of the poor African-Americans from their repressive white racist oppressors by any means necessary, and the redistribution of wealth to those deprived of it by their white capitalist oppressors. The theme of this researched remained embed in my mind during, and after the 2008-09 presidentialRead MoreAppearance Discrimination in Employment22039 Words   |  89 Pageslimitations/implications  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ This research is limited to Federal and State laws in the USA and may not be relevant in other countries as the local laws might vary. Practical implications  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Managers and employees can protect themselves in the workplace from illegal discriminatory practices. Social implications  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Employees know their rights and enhance their understanding of laws related to appearance, attractiveness, and why companies look to hire those who are considered â€Å"handsome†, â€Å"pretty† and â€Å"beautiful†