"See entry: religion" • Chapter 1 • Ideologies and religions • Opinion

introduction

Religion has always been a significant force, and religious priests have always had a great influence on people's lives.

Religion is very present in our lives in Israel. It affects believers and non-believers, and the recent events we are experiencing highlight this in a way that can no longer be ignored.

In this series of articles we will try to understand what religion is, what benefits it brings with it (and there are quite a few), and what damages it may cause (and there are quite a few).

We will begin with a general analysis of the concept of religion, and move on to the implications for our lives in the State of Israel.

I will go ahead and say that this is my surgery. Those who disagree with him are welcome to respond and join the discussion, provided that the responses are substantive.

The first martyr of science

In Europe, until at least the 16th century, religion dictated people's lifestyles. The term "non-religious person" was extremely rare, and was not legal. People were punished with terrible punishments for violating religious commandments, and were burned at the stake if they were accused of heresy.

At the end of the 16th century, Giordano Bruno, a former monk, clashed with the Catholic Church on theological issues and his conception of the solar system. Bruno has a phenomenal memory and is considered a genius. He was influenced by the ideas of Plato, and by the model of Copernicus according to which the planets move around the sun.

executed by fire

Bruno claimed that the stars visible in the sky are suns and that the universe is infinite and contains many worlds. He also presented the miracles described in the Holy Scriptures as theatrical tricks. 

In the end, Bruno fell into the hands of the Inquisition. After eight years of torture, in which he refused to recant, Bruno was declared an apostate and executed by burning at the stake in Campo di Fiori, Rome.

Many see Giordano Bruno as the first person who sacrificed his life for science.

The first secular

Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677) was a philosopher of Jewish origin, who developed innovative philosophical views for his time. He is also considered the pioneer of biblical criticism, when he understood the Bible as a human creation and not as a divine revelation.

Spinoza is considered one of the fathers of secularism, skepticism and modernity in general, and the philosopher Hegel claimed that "without Spinozism there is no philosophy at all".

Spinoza's writings were confiscated by the Catholic Church, and the Jewish community also excommunicated him. In this way, Spinoza became a rare phenomenon in his generation - a non-religious person who does not belong to any religious community.

Religion in the modern world

Since then, significant changes have taken place, and the power of religion in the world has weakened greatly. In a survey conducted in the USA in 2022, 81% of people stated that they believed in some kind of God. (compared to 98% in 1950). In a survey in Scotland in 2018, only 18% said they were consistent believers in God, and 32% declared themselves atheists.

However, religion still plays an important role in our lives, especially in its radical manifestations.

A prominent example is radical Islam, which has a tremendous negative impact on life almost everywhere in the world.

Iran, Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, ISIS, the Taliban, Hezbollah and many other organizations radically affect the quality of life in the world, and in our case also create an external existential threat to the State of Israel. Countries with theocratic regimes such as Iran andקטאר, constitute a real threat to world peace.

Another example is the ultra-orthodox community in Israel, whose radical current has a disproportionate effect on our lives in Israel, and produces An internal existential threat on the State of Israel.

Religion as an ideology

Religion is a type of ideology.

definition:
Ideology is a comprehensive worldview, which refers to reality in the past, present and future, and creates a conceptual framework, which allows a person to organize and understand the world in which he exists, and to act to change or preserve it.

The diagram below attempts to map the place of religions in the family of ideologies.

I divide the ideologies into two main families:

• The "supernatural" (or "mystical") ideologies base their teachings on supernatural beings (gods, God).
• The "natural" ideologies remain within the realm of human nature.

Within the "natural" ideologies I identify two classes:

• The humanist ideologies place the individual person at the center,
• The "superhumanist" ideologies place at the center an ideal perceived as standing above the individual person (nationality, race, class...).

Religions and Sects

The place of religions is in the department of "supernatural" ideologies, since at their core religions refer to one or another deity. This deity is outside the natural world and has a tangible impact on the daily lives of its believers.

Each religion has its own special story in which it distinguishes itself from others.

The sisters of the religions in the department of "superhumanist" ideologies are the cults.

A difference that is usually noted between religion and sect is that religion refers to a deity, while not all sects are like that. However, many of the cult leaders hide behind a religious ideology that they shape for their needs, while presenting themselves as God's messengers, and/or as those who speak on his behalf.

It is very difficult to distinguish objectively between a religion and a cult of this kind. In fact, the established religions also usually started as cults. They were inspired by a leader who saw himself as God's messenger.

Thus, for example, Christianity was initially a sect within Judaism, and later withdrew from it and became the most widespread religion in the world.

In fact, the difference between religion and sect is mainly quantitative (the number of believers).

what is religion

For the purpose of the discussion we will use the following definition:
"Religion is a system of beliefs and worldviews, which are fundamentally connected to spiritual and supernatural elements, as well as binding moral principles."

And if we use the concept of "ideology" that we have already defined, we can simplify:
"Religion is an ideology, connected at its base to spiritual and supernatural elements and binding moral principles."

Characteristics of religion

• Religions attribute creation and control of the world to a supernatural being that exists outside of it
• Religions usually include symbols, rituals, sacred figures, and sacred events.
• Religion has an explanation for the way the universe was created and life was created.
• Religion provides a version of the purpose of life
• It imposes on its believers obedience to moral principles handed down from a higher commandment
• A person's actions are under constant scrutiny by a supernatural being, who punishes or rewards him according to his behavior (private supervision)
• Religion deals with the concept of souls and life after death in another world

A note on Buddhism

Some will be surprised that I did not categorize "Buddhism" as a religion.

After several years in the East and attempts to research the subject, my conclusion is that Buddhism is a way of life and not a religion. The goal of Buddhism is to spare man, as much as possible, the inherent suffering in his life.

I did not find a supernatural god in Buddhism.
The "Buddha" was an Indian prince named Siddhartha who built a set of rules for life, but did not depend on a superhuman factor.

It is interesting to note, however, that in its popular versions it is difficult to find "pure" Buddhism. Usually those who walk this way also have an arsenal of pagan gods, and hold superstitions related to local folklore, which teaches us about the basic need of humans to cling to supernatural ideologies anyway