Why do the religious feel the need to impose their will on others?

Great Debates
1

I am non-religious. I would like to know why the religious feel the need to impose their morals and values on others. And by others, I mean not only other people, but other organizations, and even other countries.

Furthermore, how can fundamentalist religions continue to have credibility? The world did not get to where it is by being fundamental. We got where we are by being open to change and embracing progress.

Now, I know a lot of the religious fanatics are going to say “Yeah, but where we are today isn’t so great,” and “it says in the bible we have to spread the gospel”… but does that mean imposing your beliefs on the rest of America through letter-writing campaigns and whining?

The next time you feel the need to crusade for prayer in schools, and outlawing abortion, take a look at where Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran got by integrating religion with government. Oh, and try to keep that snotty look off your face when someone comes to church in clothes that you deem inappropriate.

I am an American and you cannot tell me how to live my life. Get used to it.

2

With all due respect this thread is badly timed (you weren’t to know)

A huge debate about this is in it’s closing stages in the Pit.

3

Er…this is more a rant that a GD question.

Why do religious folks feel the need to impose their will on others? Same reason leftist/liberals or rightist/conservatives do I suppose…because they are human, and humans have a deep seated need to stick their noses into other peoples private business. And to feel superior I suppose.

Its all a matter of perspective. You need to lighten up and get used to people telling you how to live, who to like, how much money they want to take from you, whats ‘right’ and ‘wrong’. That you might happen to agree with this group or that group is irrelevant…they are ALL imposing their will on you.

Next time bring a bit more calm to an OP in GD please…leave the rants in the Pit.

-XT

4

I don’t suppose a link to this thread could be supplied?

5

“There is no God” is an opinion, not a fact.

Ok so it’s not on exactly the same subject, but it covers it, and I think the last thing we need is another religion thread.

6

Well excuse me.

This is a genuine question and not a rant. I would like to know. And for the record I have never imposed my morals or values on anyone.

Now, if you would like to live your life having people tell you how to live, who to like, etc… more power to you. But NOBODY is imposing their will on me. I’m a good man who never harms anybody, with a family and a life. Nothing you can say would make me believe that “I’m a sinner and need to be forgiven”.

I am calm.

Now would you like to address the issues instead of criticizing my posting style?

7

I don’t think this trait is unique to religious people, so the question is too specific. Some religious people feel they are obligated to spread the word, but you can find people of all kinds who try to impose their will on others.

8

There are people who suffer from the profound delusion that belief is a subject not subject to the protocols of basic politeness.

This is neither universal nor the sole province of religious believers.

9

I think dopers will agree - its not religious people that need to impose - its imposing assholes that need to impose, what excuse they use - jesus or lack of one are just petty details.

10

Well, first of all, your initial assumption is at least 50% plainly false. Most religions DON’T, as a general rule, try to impose the elements of their faith on anyone else. Buddhism is generally not a prosetelyzing religion, nor is Shinto, nor Judaism, nor the Sikh faith. And a great many Christians, Muslims, and Hindus don’t actively promote their faiths to nonbelievers. So a more accurate question is “why do SOME religious folks try to impose their morals on others?”

Well, to answer that question, first of all you’re a bit unclear on what exactly you’re asking. Do you mean why do they impose their RELIGION on others? Or why they impose specific moral issues, such as homosexual rights or abortion? Because really, the answer’s different depending on what issue you’re talking about.

11

Agreed with second part. However the question is NOT too specific because the religious are the people I’m asking about.

12

One part of the answer to your question is that not all of them do. Some do, though, so let’s examine the range of motivations that might explain it. The “range” includes emotional, religious, social, and political reasons, and also the range from trivial and stupid, to important and profound. So, we have a very large subject ahead of us.

One hypothetical reason:

I believe in my religion, it seems to me to be obvious truth, and I feel that not believing the same thing can only be the result of some absence of information. So, I tell everyone I meet what I believe, thinking that they will flock to join my church, and be better people because of it. This is a pretty arrogant point of view, but I certainly think it does represent one set of motives, although it is quite simplified.

Another one:

I believe my religion is the only truth, and all other points of view are heretical, and evil. Proselytizing is therefore a holy duty, and all tactics are justified, since it is the defense of good itself that requires it. With this sort of motivation, all the extremes of human misery are justified, and eventually encouraged.

Another one:

I flatly don’t believe, but I find that passionate faith among others makes it easier for me to accomplish my political goals, so I pretend passion, and faith, and use the faithful as pawns to increase my power. Hook this one up with the last one, and you have a possible political dictatorship with unlimited power.

Another one:

The secular world, and the secularly oriented people I have known have hurt me, and exploited me, and made me feel small, and unimportant. Then my co-religionists changed my life, made me feel loved, and important, and able to avoid being exploited. I am now strongly motivated to do the same for people I meet that seem also to be hurt, or weak, or exploited.

Another one:

God really did speak to me, and He told me to give you this message.

Another one:

The belief and faith that I have found has given me insight, and understanding of human nature, and I have applied that to my own behavior. That behavior is (as far as I am able to be consistent and faithful to my beliefs) an example of the sort of life that benefits humanity in general, and the people I meet in particular. I don’t try to convince you, since logic and rational thinking are not a part of my faith. I tell you what I believe, only when you ask, because that is the only time you will actually hear what I am saying. The rest of the time, I treat you as my beliefs require me to, because I believe that to be the right thing to do.

Another one:

All the rich and influential people in my town are members of one church, and part of that church’s expectations are that I will proselytize publicly, and be seen as an active recruiter for my church. Since I really want to have access to all these influential people, I preach my ass off, every time someone fails to run away fast enough.

I could go on, of course, but there isn’t much point. You cannot tell which one is my real reason for proselytizing, since you can’t see into my heart. You can judge by the life I live, and the way I act, what my real values are, but to do that, you have to get close to me, and come to know my real self. A bit much to expect you to do with every evangelist you ever meet.

Tris

“When people are free to do as they please, they usually imitate each other.” ~ Eric Hoffer ~

13

I must be leaving soon, I’ll return to this tomorrow, but I have 2 main reasons to throw out:

  1. It is human nature to try to shape others to conform to your social view. This has happened throughout history, with religion and with other ideology.

  2. Many religious people feel an honest need to “save people’s souls” or some such. While such thinking is short sighted and not very considerate of what the other people feel, the intentions are usually good.

14

I’m going to take a Darwinian viewpoint here - or something.

As I was thinking about people saying “some but not all” and most religions don’t evangelize, etc. I thought, yeah but the two BIG religions DO evangelize. 60% of all religious people (53% of the world population) are Christian or Muslim.

But that’s no Accident, right? It’s because Christians and Muslims evangelize.

Oh my god, it’s a meme!

You don’t have 60% of all religious people being laissez faire Buddhists because Buddhists don’t evangelize.

Because they’re laissez faire.

A religion that’s in your face and trying to convert you is going to grow faster than a religion that could care less what you do.

Blame mathematics, not religion.

15

Pet peeve. Couldn’t care less.

Er, mathematics is rather neutral. It isn’t math’s fault that evagelism gets more converts than sitting around waiting.

I had a thought earlier: Religions are like tumors. Some are benign, some will eventually kill you, but it is important to treat them correctly.

16

Just chipping in to say that this is a really good and thorough exploration of motive. As you say, truth is you never really know what motivates - indeed, there might be a number of factors at play.

17

I was being coy.

But you could argue this point.

18

I like this one:

Society is disinegrating. We need to stop it. I know a way. You don’t need to Believe, but you do need to follow these rules.

19

I’ve always believed that some intensely religious people feel like they have The Answer.

What if you believed that you had found the cure for cancer? You really, truly, intensely believed that you had the formula that would end cancer for all time. And you’re on a cancer ward, with people all around you struggling, suffering and dying. Would you keep it the cure to yourself? Would you have a “it’s a free country, let them treat their cancer however they want, live and let live” attitude? Or would you tell others about it?

Now, I don’t personally believe that religion (or belief in Christ, or any of the other things that some religious people try to proselytize about) is going to save the world. I personally don’t think it’s anything like a cure for cancer. But I suspect that some religious people do feel that way. I find that analogy useful way to try to understand their persistence and (what feels to me like) obnoxiousness. I think they’re deluded, but I feel like I know where they are coming from.

20

What’s math got to do with it? “Meme” junk aside, that sounds like a good explanation- although a religion with a lot of converts isn’t necessarily a successful one. Converting as many people as possible isn’t the goal of all religions.