0.5 Are religious and political ideas delusional manifestations of  (Page 6/8)

Religious concepts and messages

What influence do religious ideas have on a persons life? Why does a religious experience over time influence a person?

Are there similar comparable experiences in a persons life that a religious experience could be compared to? Perhaps that is why some of tales that are preached in different religions try to relate a certain type of life experience through the tale. Fiction can modify how life is viewed - and in religion many of the tales are fictional and these are often used to communicate morals or messages.

So the fictional tales in many religious writing or preached in religious temples are significant and a large part of a religious experience. Even if the story is one of the history of the religion - false or truthful - is a part of the religious experience.

What then is the difference between fiction and reality? The religious stories told are often very different from reality. Or what is the difference between religious fiction and reality?

The messages communicated through the stories are usually messages that center around ideas that are central to the religions beliefs. The tales portray the proper or improper thing to do - or could tales of their religious gods or figures - which would be a different type of example or tale.

So, every religion has core ideas or messages that it tries to communicate. However, what is difference between a story and a single idea? A single story can communicate different ideas - however it might be debated which ideas are being communicated in different stories. Each religion has its own story, and its own stories it tells - both of which could communicate messages or concepts about life to the followers of those religions.

Religion and consciousness

Religious ideas are often values such as kindness and compassion or a different world-view or perspective on those values. But what is a world view of a value? Say the value is kindness - then there is a way that the manner of kindness can be perceived - maybe simply a different way of describing the kindness, for instance it could be a simple honest kindness or a more complicated and less caring kindness. Perhaps the other qualities and values that people have can change the nature of the simple adjective 'kind'.

For instance, if someone is kind but doesn't value kindness that could be different from someone who isn't kind but values kindness. Confusists value being kindness and it is one of the hindu virtues. It isn't discussed as a Christian or islamic value - however the ten commandments could imply a kindness and following the laws of your religion in islam could be considered being kind or honoring your society like how confusists value their family and society.

Perhaps different ways of discussing the religious values lead to different ways of personally being. Discussing kindness in different ways could lead to a different way of being kind for each religion.

However, what does a different way of being - or I could call that having a different personality orientation - have to do with consciousness? Is it a matter of understanding your own personality or beliefs in what your personality should be? Or are religious beliefs more about someones understanding of the world?