Karen Armstrongs: The Case For God

[Rudy]

I'm reading The Case For God (http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2009/09/10/out-out-damned-atheists.html (http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2009/09/10/out-out-damned-atheists.html)) by Karen Armstrong. Although it is not the most coherent book I am enjoying it. As a person who has struggled whith (and is) the question "does God exist" I found it comforting that pre modern religion (she says) did not put emphasis on belief and that it was for the most part about a path of ethics, rituals, meditations etc, that would illuminate that which is divine in/before you.

Has anyone else read it? Thoughts about it?

[Ramakrishna]

Namaste Rudy,

I've never read or heard of that book, but I will say that I definitely agree with her. Hinduism and other non-Abrahamic religions emphasize practice above belief. If somebody lives a moral and ethical life, then that is good even if the person does not believe in Hinduism.

This is in contrast to the Abrahamic religions, particularly Christianity and Islam, where belief is strongly emphasized above practice. Many Christians believe that as long as one believes in Jesus, he/she will go to heaven no matter what kind of a life that person believes. In contrast, you could be a very good, polite, moral, and ethical person who doesn't lie, cheat, steal, kill, etc. but you will burn in hell for all eternity because you don't believe in Jesus or Allah that religion.

Practicing Hinduism is living a dharmic life. While many aspects of dharma are connected to belief and worship of deities, etc., there are also aspects of dharma that include morals and ethics to live by. These can be accomplished without a necessary belief in Hinduism. This is why Sanatana Dharma is so much more than a religion, it is a way of life. It is not just a bunch of creeds or dogma that one must believe in, and it doesn't use the fear of some eternal damnation.

Jai Sri Ram

[sm78]

As far as I know this lady is an unbashed apologist for Islam and see's something gr8 in all abrahamic cults. Maybe in this book she is treading another thread, ultimately all these authors are only utilizing their ability to write coherently to make money.

[Ananda]

Hello,


As far as I know this lady is an unbashed apologist for Islam and see's something gr8 in all abrahamic cults. Maybe in this book she is treading another thread, ultimately all these authors are only utilizing their ability to write coherently to make money.

Actually, Karen Armstrong used to be a Catholic nun but had a lapse of faith and began to study religion objectively. She's studied most world religions, as well as written books on the abrahamic religions, as well as buddhism. She also writes on biblical history as well as comparative religion. I think she's a theist from what I read of her History of God book, but she's certainly not a proponent of any one religion over another nor a fundamentalist. She frequently gives very popular lectures worldwide on religious tolerance, the benefits of introspection, mysticism, and common human values such as compassion, so I certainly don't see any reason for suspicion towards her just because she writes on the abrahamic religions, if that's what you were implying. She points out copiously in her works how misguided and lost most western religion has become.



:)

[Rudy]

Ananda said it quite well.