"Why do they have to be labeled with Christianity/Islam/Hindu/Democracy etc?"
-> to be honest with u, kiya, as well as rendering respect; u sound like an outsider who doesn't have an inkling about the essence of religion & its contribution towards humankind & community is but one of many contributions. how should i put this? here's an american idiom: don't knock it till u've tried it.
Correct, no inkling, I'm an outsider - no interest to fit into a community that excludes - and this is done by every religion/philosophy/belief. I go my own paths - they are correct for me. I need no herd to feel comfortable in. I watch, I observe with distance (having my spaceship ready for take off then <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> )
Why? I saw too much in my life, Janggut. I saw buddhist monks hitting Hindus, I saw Moslems throwing stones, I saw Christians behaving the same way. I heard a priest wanting to force me to accept Apartheid as something that was God's will - and many more things. Correct, no inkling. I have been knocked too much by beliefs/philosophies/political systems to believe even in one of it.
But I respect people who believe - IF they don't need to convice others to think the same way. And if they do? I then conclude this: they are INSECURE and need outer support in form of "fans" to cover their own insecurity.
"And WHY do we, when we have overcome our child age, still stick to this (and many even do this without questioning)? Why can't we use our brains and then find out our own paths?"
-> there is a reason for this; to avoid the same pitfalls that befell those before us. & i think it's called wisdom. the part regarding 'without questioning' is very sad indeed. hence some dare to fall into the same pitfall to learn it better.
I disagree here - I call it cowardice, I call it trotting old paths without looking at the green grass next to it. I call it lazyness of the brain - IF people don't question themselves why they believe what they believe. If they find reasons to still believe, then I respect, I just don't like it if people don't question themselves over and over again. If people choose security out of fear (being an outsider, being alone etc) then they will always remain in their own prison. And this causes harm to all.
You see, what might be a pitfall for you, might be a safe cave for someone else, a chance to learn more - a test etc. And the Iraq crisis is an interesting subject for me to study human behaviour, here on the forum, in the newspapers, internet etc.
Kiya
BTW, I have met people with a deep sincere belief, I felt it - and I have great respect for them. But this is not my path and these people understood me.
