Why are thais so religious? Does religion serve a purpose?

[klauskunkel]

Does religion serve a purpose?

Yes, it does. It tries to answer fundamental questions about Life, the Universe and Everything (the answer is 42 btw...) and as such, Religion has a fine role to play as the source of endless debating and profound thinking. It's good exercise for the brain. That's about it. I'm not belittling religion, I find the exercise very valuable...

I really think the bigger question is: Do churches serve a purpose? And my answer to that is: This thread ain't big enough for the answer...

Yes. let us not, as I presumed you mean a church is a building. Which would be incorrect.

Christ to Peter...."Upon this Rock (Peter) I will build my church".

The buildings where just an interpretation of the idea.... If Christ would have seen a Church building, he might of been dismayed...as he was quite the humble person, smashing up temples, living out in the desert, and kind of walking endlessly down dusty roads talking to most anyone. Kind of a basic, stand up, in your face guy.

Well, I meant to distinguish between Religion (idea, philosophy, way of life....), and Churches, Temples, Synagogues, Mosques (manmade institution and not just Christian) which by their nature invariably corrupt their corresponding religion. Basically "religion" is ok, churches etc. are f***ed up.

Any religion per se does not do any harm, that's impossible. What does harm is when a group of people takes that religion (idea, philosophy) and warps it to suit their goals (usually power, money, control). This is done by institutionalizing said religion into churches, etc. and ramming their dogmas down the throat of the people living in the zone of influence of that church, etc., usually done with the aid of the country's government.

Which brings me to politics:

politics are ideas, philosophy, way of life which per se do no harm. What does harm is when a group of people takes those politics, ideas, philosophy, etc. and warps it to suit their goals (usually power, money, control. This is done by institutionalizing said politics into governments and ramming their laws and policies down the throat of the people living in the zone of influence of that government, usually done with the aid of churches, etc.

that's why I said this thread ain't big enough...

Edited November 4, 2013 by klauskunkel

[maxme]

Reformation, inquisition, Pol Pot, Mao, Sunni vs Shia, Romans vs.... , 6 different crusades, Vietnam war, slavery.... Egypt now against coptic Christians.... beheading of English soldier a few months ago in London, current atrocities in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan.....

running out of keyboard keys...want me to go on?? Seriously?

Yeah here we go, please enlighten me about the Crusades because to my knowledge and it is certainly not very limited in regards to this era, religion was the only defence, not the offence at that time.

The beheading of the English soldier, Sunni vs Shia, now we are moving into a different territory but sure we can discuss that if you are up to it.

However I do want to question one of the subjects you brought up... "slaves", seriously?

Edited November 4, 2013 by maxme

[tw25rw]

Just about everyone in Asia is religious/superstitious. One one hand it's childish nonsense, but on the other it's part of the culture that attracts us to the place in the first place.

[hellodolly]

Religion is a personal matter...no one has the inside scoop as to which one is number one...the Holy Grail of Religions...although the Christian, Muslim, and Mormons would argue this point...all thinking they are favored by God...more than the others...

If religion works for you...good...if it does not...try not to judge the ones who receive some inner peace in praying to and worshipping another entity...it is quite popular for those professing no religious affiliation...to worship oneself these days...

It appears to me that the Thais use mantra meditation...praying to different size images of Buddha...animal figures...trees...and so on...are asking for blessing for their families and themselves...for future prosperity...a good life...good health...and happiness...I believe they are sincere...

"judge not...that ye be not judged"..."pray without ceasing"...

Personal matter yes...very personal.

All about asking something egotistically, and hardly anything else.

Pray...for what?

Pray for peace on earth, pray for all people not to go to bed hungry...I do not think so.

But if so......it is not working..

So better put an end to it..., and try something else.

The definition of crazy...

Doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result...

It does NOT work..

Your suggestion is----------------------------------------------------?

[rgs2001uk]

Just about everyone in Asia is religious/superstitious. One one hand it's childish nonsense, but on the other it's part of the culture that attracts us to the place in the first place.

Oh puleeze, Just about everywhere in Europe & Latin America suffer from the same problems, how many are attracted to these places to practice worshipping to dead people, buying scallop shells to put on their chest to prove they made a pilgramage to some place that contained "sacred relics", dont want to be placed in "purgatory" (can you please provide a reference in any bible that mentions the place).

You want to see sickos, head to the Philipines, where the devout get themselves nailed to a cross, notice how their church has never condemned the practice.

Its cheap pussy that attracts some of these 400 lbs misogynists, love it when they come to these forums and complain about some girl with no more than a P4 education ripping them off.

[mauGR1]

My 2 Cents.. Religion is not bigotry... Bigotry is slavery, religion can be a good help in a rainy day..

Let's not confuse the 2.

[salavan]

its a bit like being a catholic 3 hail Marys and your forgiven

[Thai at Heart]

Religion is a personal matter...no one has the inside scoop as to which one is number one...the Holy Grail of Religions...although the Christian, Muslim, and Mormons would argue this point...all thinking they are favored by God...more than the others...

If religion works for you...good...if it does not...try not to judge the ones who receive some inner peace in praying to and worshipping another entity...it is quite popular for those professing no religious affiliation...to worship oneself these days...

It appears to me that the Thais use mantra meditation...praying to different size images of Buddha...animal figures...trees...and so on...are asking for blessing for their families and themselves...for future prosperity...a good life...good health...and happiness...I believe they are sincere...

"judge not...that ye be not judged"..."pray without ceasing"...

It's true that religion is a personal thing for everyone but what is rather curious to me is why does thai religion still have some sort of stranglehold or rather a hold unto the thai people. I think i am correct when i can safely say that there are more thai ppl that visit the temples and say their prayers compared to the western ppl some of who have totally given it up. Was there some sort of brain washing when thai kids were growing up?

Snake, have you ever been in a Thai school.. What are the the tenets of the Thai nation? It is woven into this society that to be really Thai, one has to be Buddhist. Anything else makes you a kaek.

[salavan]

its a bit like being a catholic 3 hail Marys and your forgiven

[arend]

Religion's purpose:

1. To offer solace, guidance and help to those in need

2. To offer a moral framework for those who can't figure out basic right from wrong

3. To offer a community for like-minded people who share values, aspirations etc

Spirituality is often contrasted with religion:

1. Path of personal transformation ie gaining wisdom, compassion, higher consciousness...

2. Expanding the bubble/box of awareness and deepen respect for life - actually, it's awe and amazement...

3. Train and purify the mind of the hatred, anger, contempt, fear and the private hell one has created

Buddhism:

1. Meditation is the preferred practice and most direct means

2. Ordinary folk and householders can't dedicate the time so acts of kindness, generosity, respect for living things is effective

3. Also, attuning one's mind to Buddha consciousness through ritual, devotion, contemplation in the temple is very beneficial

Usefulness:

When people practice their religion with an open heart and sincerely, the world is a little more peaceful and less crazy. Just in America over a third of the population suffers from a mental disorder.

When things go wrong:

Organizations (even large ones) are vulnerable to the temptation to become cults, closed systems. A cult when it becomes authoritarian, autocratic and without checks and balances is a very dangerous animal...

When governments hijack a religion, it becomes a political entity often more concerned with money, power, influence etc

Some people fail and others succeed in their efforts - always a few bad apples...

Edited November 4, 2013 by arend

[kannot]

Religion is a personal matter...no one has the inside scoop as to which one is number one...the Holy Grail of Religions...although the Christian, Muslim, and Mormons would argue this point...all thinking they are favored by God...more than the others...

If religion works for you...good...if it does not...try not to judge the ones who receive some inner peace in praying to and worshipping another entity...it is quite popular for those professing no religious affiliation...to worship oneself these days...

It appears to me that the Thais use mantra meditation...praying to different size images of Buddha...animal figures...trees...and so on...are asking for blessing for their families and themselves...for future prosperity...a good life...good health...and happiness...I believe they are sincere...

"judge not...that ye be not judged"..."pray without ceasing"...

It's true that religion is a personal thing for everyone but what is rather curious to me is why does thai religion still have some sort of stranglehold or rather a hold unto the thai people. I think i am correct when i can safely say that there are more thai ppl that visit the temples and say their prayers compared to the western ppl some of who have totally given it up. Was there some sort of brain washing when thai kids were growing up?

They follow like sheep and PEER pressure, same with many religions and smoking drinking etc etc.

[sirineou]

God goes to a party

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEGQ42RFfhg

[snake24]

Just about everyone in Asia is religious/superstitious. One one hand it's childish nonsense, but on the other it's part of the culture that attracts us to the place in the first place.

Oh puleeze, Just about everywhere in Europe & Latin America suffer from the same problems, how many are attracted to these places to practice worshipping to dead people, buying scallop shells to put on their chest to prove they made a pilgramage to some place that contained "sacred relics", dont want to be placed in "purgatory" (can you please provide a reference in any bible that mentions the place).

You want to see sickos, head to the Philipines, where the devout get themselves nailed to a cross, notice how their church has never condemned the practice.

Its cheap pussy that attracts some of these 400 lbs misogynists, love it when they come to these forums and complain about some girl with no more than a P4 education ripping them off.

Nice. Another one that doesn't suffer from the one sided view and agrees that superstituous and religious nonsense is also apparent in other regions of the world.

[snake24]

Religion is a personal matter...no one has the inside scoop as to which one is number one...the Holy Grail of Religions...although the Christian, Muslim, and Mormons would argue this point...all thinking they are favored by God...more than the others...

If religion works for you...good...if it does not...try not to judge the ones who receive some inner peace in praying to and worshipping another entity...it is quite popular for those professing no religious affiliation...to worship oneself these days...

It appears to me that the Thais use mantra meditation...praying to different size images of Buddha...animal figures...trees...and so on...are asking for blessing for their families and themselves...for future prosperity...a good life...good health...and happiness...I believe they are sincere...

"judge not...that ye be not judged"..."pray without ceasing"...

It's true that religion is a personal thing for everyone but what is rather curious to me is why does thai religion still have some sort of stranglehold or rather a hold unto the thai people. I think i am correct when i can safely say that there are more thai ppl that visit the temples and say their prayers compared to the western ppl some of who have totally given it up. Was there some sort of brain washing when thai kids were growing up?

Snake, have you ever been in a Thai school.. What are the the tenets of the Thai nation? It is woven into this society that to be really Thai, one has to be Buddhist. Anything else makes you a kaek.

Definitely not. I'm not a thai why would i study in a thai school. Growing up in my home country we did have thai students in my school. Must be tough for them adjusting and learning and speaking english all the time.

[snake24]

Religion's purpose:

1. To offer solace, guidance and help to those in need

2. To offer a moral framework for those who can't figure out basic right from wrong

3. To offer a community for like-minded people who share values, aspirations etc

Spirituality is often contrasted with religion:

1. Path of personal transformation ie gaining wisdom, compassion, higher consciousness...

2. Expanding the bubble/box of awareness and deepen respect for life - actually, it's awe and amazement...

3. Train and purify the mind of the hatred, anger, contempt, fear and the private hell one has created

Buddhism:

1. Meditation is the preferred practice and most direct means

2. Ordinary folk and householders can't dedicate the time so acts of kindness, generosity, respect for living things is effective

3. Also, attuning one's mind to Buddha consciousness through ritual, devotion, contemplation in the temple is very beneficial

Usefulness:

When people practice their religion with an open heart and sincerely, the world is a little more peaceful and less crazy. Just in America over a third of the population suffers from a mental disorder.

When things go wrong:

Organizations (even large ones) are vulnerable to the temptation to become cults, closed systems. A cult when it becomes authoritarian, autocratic and without checks and balances is a very dangerous animal...

When governments hijack a religion, it becomes a political entity often more concerned with money, power, influence etc

Some people fail and others succeed in their efforts - always a few bad apples...

You mentioned this

Religion's purpose:

1. To offer solace, guidance and help to those in need

2. To offer a moral framework for those who can't figure out basic right from wrong

3. To offer a community for like-minded people who share values, aspirations etc

yet why does it seem that farang are abandoning their religion. They don't need solace or guidance anymore? They don't need a community anymore?

Usefulness:

When people practice their religion with an open heart and sincerely, the world is a little more peaceful and less crazy. Just in America over a third of the population suffers from a mental disorder.

Ok a 3rd of the US suffers from some type of disorder but are those the religious nuts or the ones with no religion?

Here's something else i noticed.

In the US and the west there are these well ppl that are really anti religion and of course they vehemently oppose the religion of the west the most which is christianity and of course indirectly all religions but they truly hate christianity they think it's all hogwash.

Yet in asia i believe they have such people these ppl still retain respect for thai religion regardless if its animism, buddhism or the chinese or the hindu elements.

You see what i mean. In the US you have guys like bill mahar who ridicules christianity as some idiot on a cross yet you would never ever see a thai person go on tv and ridicule the elephant headed god even though there should be thais that think it's just plain silly superstituous nonsense.

[bbbbooboo]

Was it Karl Marx who said "religion is the opiate of the masses"?

[sustento]

There are many Thais who try to be good Thai Buddhists.

However, Thai Buddhism is all a bit of a joke morally and if you were to ask them why, most couldn't come up with a better answer than the fact that they were born into it.

Considering that Buddhism isn't in the strictest sense a religion anyway, I would say that Thais aren't that religious.

There are many Thais who try to be good Thai Buddhist's. "they may well try but they fall down miserably"

There's no such thing as a 'good Buddhist'. Some are just further along the path than others.

[maxme]

And no answer as suspected... a lot of garble. Seem some people are are more religious than they let on. They are on a personal Crusade, hoping that the posters here will recant their beliefs.

Edited November 4, 2013 by maxme

[Stradavarius37]

Why is anyone religious? And does it serve a purpose? The amount of bizarre singling out of "The Thais" on TV is truly amazing/pathetic. Take people one at a time, and judge them on their merits.

[Somtamnication]

Reformation, inquisition, Pol Pot, Mao, Sunni vs Shia, Romans vs.... , 6 different crusades, Vietnam war, slavery.... Egypt now against coptic Christians.... beheading of English soldier a few months ago in London, current atrocities in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan.....

running out of keyboard keys...want me to go on?? Seriously?

Yeah here we go, please enlighten me about the Crusades because to my knowledge and it is certainly not very limited in regards to this era, religion was the only defence, not the offence at that time.

The beheading of the English soldier, Sunni vs Shia, now we are moving into a different territory but sure we can discuss that if you are up to it.

However I do want to question one of the subjects you brought up... "slaves", seriously?

Are you so ignorant of past history? The bible was used as a leaning post to justify slavery to America. GO back to primary school to learn history. I cannot teach it to you.

You asked how, when and who uses religion as an excuse for war and pain, and I answered it ten-fold.

[EyesWideOpen]

The Thai laity only have 5 rules they're supposed to try and live by. They don't have a big list of 'thou shalt nots'. You don't appear to know very much about Buddhism at all.

If you read the five precepts of Buddhism, and then spend much time in Thailand observing the culture,

you will quickly realize that calling Thailand a Buddhist nation is the ultimate irony.... :-)

[sustento]

The Thai laity only have 5 rules they're supposed to try and live by. They don't have a big list of 'thou shalt nots'. You don't appear to know very much about Buddhism at all.

If you read the five precepts of Buddhism, and then spend much time in Thailand observing the culture,

you will quickly realize that calling Thailand a Buddhist nation is the ultimate irony.... :-)

If you read the 10 commandments and then spent much time in the USA observing the culture you will quickly realise that the the fact that the USA regards itself as a Christian nation is the ultimate irony... :-(

[Gandtee]

Perhaps the unwritten rule in British pubs which was, 'No arguing about politics and religion' should apply to this forum. You cannot change bigots.

[Gandtee]

Religion was introduced to organize and subdue the masses through the threat of being sent to hell.We made our own gods.

[EyesWideOpen]

The Thai laity only have 5 rules they're supposed to try and live by. They don't have a big list of 'thou shalt nots'. You don't appear to know very much about Buddhism at all.

If you read the five precepts of Buddhism, and then spend much time in Thailand observing the culture,

you will quickly realize that calling Thailand a Buddhist nation is the ultimate irony.... :-)

If you read the 10 commandments and then spent much time in the USA observing the culture you will quickly realise that the the fact that the USA regards itself as a Christian nation is the ultimate irony... :-(

Weak and spurious argument. Thailand is considered to be 99% Buddhist. America is considered to be roughly 24 % Catholic. So you are working on a apples and oranges issue, always a weak starting point

for any serious point of view....

Although at another level, Catholicism and Buddhism do share some things. Primarily they both are designed to keep the poor people happy with their crappy lot in life, and they both make a mountain of money....

Edited November 5, 2013 by EyesWideOpen

[chrisinth]

Religion is a personal matter...no one has the inside scoop as to which one is number one...the Holy Grail of Religions...although the Christian, Muslim, and Mormons would argue this point...all thinking they are favored by God...more than the others...

If religion works for you...good...if it does not...try not to judge the ones who receive some inner peace in praying to and worshipping another entity...it is quite popular for those professing no religious affiliation...to worship oneself these days...

It appears to me that the Thais use mantra meditation...praying to different size images of Buddha...animal figures...trees...and so on...are asking for blessing for their families and themselves...for future prosperity...a good life...good health...and happiness...I believe they are sincere...

"judge not...that ye be not judged"..."pray without ceasing"...

It's true that religion is a personal thing for everyone but what is rather curious to me is why does thai religion still have some sort of stranglehold or rather a hold unto the thai people. I think i am correct when i can safely say that there are more thai ppl that visit the temples and say their prayers compared to the western ppl some of who have totally given it up. Was there some sort of brain washing when thai kids were growing up?

They follow like sheep and PEER pressure, same with many religions and smoking drinking etc etc.

"In order to be an immaculate member of a flock of sheep, one must above all, be a sheep".

Albert Einstein had it sorted out..........................

[chrisinth]

One of my 'guiding' adages is as follows:

God gave mankind something to believe in. The devil gave them religion.

Maybe a little bit deep, especially from a non-believer, but a lot of truth there for me.....................

[shaurene]

Hi Mate

Some good points there, I was in a Prody family and went to church a few times. I lived in Birkenhead on the river Mersey and lived in a street all Catholics. I used to watch the nuns and the Canon knock on the doors, I saw one mother bring her son out, a friend of mine and she spoke to the canon and next I saw this canon beat the shit out of him.

In my teens late 50s I had many catholic mates, one night we drove over to Liverpool and went to a dance club, it was a Friday night, we started back home around 11.30pm going towards the tunnel we all said we were hungry I said let's stop at the burger joint and we went in it was 11.45 we all got burgers and got in the car and we all started to eat our burgers except Jonny he said cant eat this till after midnight, driving on ater a little time he said what time is it, it was 11.55 I told him you ok now it is five past twelve so he scoffed it we got to the tunnel and there was a big clock there, he screamed out, Evey you bastard it is not 12 yet we all burst out laughing and he said got to go to confession in the morning now.

I am not really a believer but I live in a village up in Khon Kaen and I have learnt to respect their Buddha religion, my wife often kneels on the bed and starts her bowing on the pillow, her Mum is at the temple all the time and my wife's brother is a big Monk. I like the Buddha religion.

[dighambara]

Not as religious as Americans, but in a very different way. Where westerners attend church regularly, Thais do not, but do show reverence to religious objects; Statue of Mary, or of Brahms.

[blazes]

One way to deal with this subject is to ask which religion has produced the greatest "culture"....meaning: fine architecture, beautiful music, rituals that even agnostics (like me) can admire, and so on.

There is a doubleness to religion: it leads to hatred and wars, but it also appeals to the "spiritual" in the human being. For what it's worth, I think Christianity has inspired the best music. The music of Bach, Beethoven, Haydn and Mozart (for starters) are unparalleled in any other religion.

Why is it that some Asian cultures (but not others) are brilliant at reproducing Christian "culture"? How come the Japanese, the Chinese and the Koreans can produce incredible prodigies who play Western music as if they were born in the West?

Think how many cathedrals there are in Europe that are worth revisiting over and over again. When I have seen one Buddhist temple I have seen them all.