Why does religion exist?
What is its purpose?
And then, do we really need it?
The etimology of Religion itself explain the contraddiction that hides behind the common view that people has of it : in fact its origin may come from the verb to tie, to constrain men to the divine or to the community (because of the shared beliefs) or to separate, to move them away from the earthbound profane and reach the sacred.
Now, what Religion does is to move away the human part of our beings but what we really think about it is that it should free us, direct us to those which are the best choices for ourselfs and for the others too, but then how could it do this if its separating us from our main features? how could it help us growing as individuals if it tie us to the community or to a divinity?
Did Hester do a really bad thing having sex with a man that she loved?
Was it a sin to have a baby who was just the consequence of their love?
Is love natural or a sin?
Does love drive us away from god, or does it drive us cloeser?
Is god love, isn't he?
Then why Religion has to condemn love?
That's my question, and my topic too.
These are good questions, Don Juan (but please let me know who the heck you are, so that I can give you credit for this post).
ReplyDeleteYou seem to be re-casting religion as representative of Society (in the Nature versus Society equation). This is interesting, and potentially a good approach to the novel. Just be sure and go back over those passages that directly concern religion (the chapters devoted to Dimmesdale will likely bear the most fruit) so that you can have specific textual references available to you as you develop your argument.
Love is indeed natural, but it is not in anyway God. Faith is God, and although it is taught God loves us, Love is not the founding ideology behind religion. Also, Sex is not love at all, at least not according to the bible, but a temptation put upon the Earth by Lucifer if used out of wedlock. Beside those points, I think you have a great thesis going.
ReplyDeleteIt's Cecilia, sorry about the nickname.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Nathan, check out The Song Of Solomon, in Ecclesiastes 12: "Let him give me the kisses of his mouth: for his love is better than wine [..] Take me to you, and we will go after you: the king has taken me into his house. We will be glad and full of joy in you, we will give more thought to your love than to wine: rightly are they your lovers".
If you read it all, you'll find some explicit sexual allusions. Tell me if i'm wrong, that's the first time i work on the english version of the bible and i find it pretty confusing.
thanks for the comment! :)