宗教徒真正信的是什麼?

猶太教拉比 Alan Lurie

只有少數話題比宗教更具爭議性，我們的文化深深浸沉在宗教中已很久長，所以不能避開它的存在與影嚮，因此我們似乎具有強烈的主觀~是否應防衛或批評宗教甚或譴責其他人的信仰，已是理所當然，但我們所接收的都是最極端的雙方(讚成或反對)的聲音，和經由媒體扭曲的報導，同時，只有少數的話題較宗教更受到固有的成見和誤解。我們請問，宗教徒信的是什麼，不同意的立場是什麼?


2008年著名的美國宗教民意調查機構皮由論壇，作一問卷調查
如
你相信神或一宇宙靈性?
你相信基督教的聖經是逐字逐句一字不差?或不是?
你相信你的宗教是唯一，真正的信仰?
你依靠你的宗教教導來判定正誤?
你相信只有一個真正的方式能解釋你的宗教教義，還是有不止一個正確的方法？
你認為虔誠信徒與活在現代社會的人會有自然沖突?
你相信同性戀者是應該被社會所接受的一種生活方式，或他們應被勸阻?
政府應該做更多，以幫助有需要的美國人，即使這意味著會有更大的債務？

研究發現，有一個巨大廣泛的宗教信仰。大部分的人的信念非教條化，能細緻入微和具包容性。
92%的人說他們相信有神或宇宙靈性，這其中不到68％的人宣稱信仰“一神論”的神 - 與我們的生活密切相關的造物主
67%相信傳統基督教聖經不能從字面解讀，這比率比猶太教，印度，佛教徒和非福音教派的基督徒更高
只有24%的回答者說，他們的宗教是唯一真理。

只有29 ％的受訪者表示，他們期待主要宗教的教義和信仰指導; 其餘的回答，他們期待個人的經驗，理性和科學的指導
所有的宗教受訪者的68％回答，他們有一個以上的方式來理解他們的信仰教學，其中包括89％的猶太教徒和82％的的主流基督徒和非福音派新教徒。
不同的信仰宗教的人平均有76％的回應，他們不認為，宗教和科學之間有衝突，即使在信仰最虔誠的那些人。
79％的猶太教徒，69％無宗派的基督徒和 58 ％的天主教徒一致認為同性戀應該被社會接納。
不分宗教， 62％大部分的受訪者支持政府須幫助有需要的人 - 即使這意味著將承擔更多的債務

另一2012年蓋樂普美國宗教民調，調查發現雖然美國是有宗教信仰的主要國家，但對有組識的宗教信任度卻是有史以來最低的，只有44% 的人信任有組識的宗教(如南美浸信會等)許多人已離開有組識的宗教，且這類人的增長較其他宗教成長快速，54%美國人願投給有高品格的無神論者入白宮。

最近研究顯示西歐~這基督教歴史中心~過去幾十年來宗教信仰一落千丈， 當2010年的調查在歐盟的27個國家中，只有51％的公民表示，他們相信上帝，依最近的民調測查，有信仰與無信仰的人口已二極化各佔半數，瑞典、愛沙尼亞和捷克共和國有80%人口不信仰一神教的神(同時有趣的是，53%回答他們信仰某些靈性或生命力)，40%的法國人與30%荷蘭人宣稱他們不信神也不信靈性，在德國59%的人自認是無神論者，在英國只有17%的人信神，且從不懷疑。

這研究清礎表明對抗宗教的簡單概括，事實是大多數宗教徒個人表達他們的信仰，並且不會和其他信仰系統或無信仰者產生沖突，這些研究還表明，在世界有許多無神論者，他們不是少數或被歧視的少數，對宗教的批評也不是禁忌，而一般西方人以為如是。

研究過宗教歷史的任何人對這結果不會感到意外，客觀看待歷史，揭示了一個非常複雜的構成，同時存在多層次，多種用途，他們很少一致性。
這些研究表明，宗教是更加複雜和個人化，非任何簡單的模式可斷言，
我們不可以輕鬆的把所有宗教的人置為一類，並歸結​​他們的信仰和實踐~如同我們也不應把不信有一創世者的人歸為一類。
這些研究表明，大多數聲稱自己是虔誠的人，大多是克制和包容他們的觀點，（對那些主張，溫和派不是“真”的信徒，請參閱我以前對這個問題解答的博客。 ）
。對圍繞宗教太多的談話，源於缺乏了解他人如何真切地感受到他們的信仰，及他們宗教的真正功能，有太多對宗教的誤解，來自這些人沒分享他們的信仰。
我會知道因我也有內疚，由於缺乏共同的背景，雖有好意圖，有時談話也會被扭曲

但我也相信原本善良的人，和我們本能渴望聯絡其他有意義的，我們應該表達我們的分歧，並高舉倫理和道德標準，但這些分歧應植根於現實與了解，而非一般性。
同時我對宗教所有對話來禱告，我們願沒成見或，但願不會變成敵人，但願同為追尋真理與幸福有榮光，有缺陷，可愛的人類

Few topics are more contentious than religion. Our culture has been so deeply immersed in religion for so long that we can't avoid its presence and its influence, and therefore we all seem to have strong opinions -- whether in defense of our own religion, criticism of religion as an institution, or even condemnation of other people's beliefs. But the messages that we receive about religion all too often come from the loudest voices of extremists (from both supporters and detractors), and through the media's distorted attention. And so, few topics are more subject to stereotyping and misconceptions than religion. We are left asking, then, what do religious people really believe, and what is the position of those who don't?

In 2008, the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life conducted an extensive study on religion in America to find out what members of different religions believe. The study asked respondents such questions as:

• Do you believe in "God or a Universal Spirit"?
• Do you believe that your Holy Books are meant to be taken literally word for word, or not?
• Do you believe that your religion is the one, true faith?
• Do you rely on the teachings of your religion to determine right and wrong?
• Do you believe that there is only one true way to interpret the teachings of your religion, or are there more than one true way?
• Do you think there is a natural conflict between being a devout religious person and living in a modern society?
• Do you believe that homosexuality is a way of life that should be accepted by society, or that homosexuality is a way of life that should be discouraged?
• Should the government do more to help needy Americans, even if it means going deeper into debt?

• While 92 percent said that they believe in "God or a Universal Spirit," less than 68 percent professed a belief in a "theistic" God -- a Creator who is intimately involved in our lives.
• 67 percent believe that their tradition's Holy Books are not meant to be read literally. This number is much higher for Jews, Hindus, Buddhists and non-evangelical Protestants.
• Only 24 percent of respondents claim that their religion is the one true faith.
• Only 29 percent said that they look primarilly to religious teachings and belief most for guidance. The rest answered that they look to personal experience, reason and science for guidance.
• 68 percent of all the religious people surveyed answered that there is more than one way to understand the teaching of their faith, including 89 percent of Jews and 82 percent of mainline Christians and non-evangelical Protestants.
• An average of 76 percent of religious people across different faiths responded that they see no conflict between religion and science, even for the most devout in their faith.
• 79 percent of Jews, 69 percent of non-denominations Christians and 58 percent of Catholics agreed that homosexuality should be accepted by society.
• In every category of religion, the majority of the respondents supported governmental help for the needy -- even if this means incurring more debt -- with a blended total of 62 percent.

Other recent studies show that in Western Europe -- the historic center of Christianity -- religious affiliation has plummeted over the last several decades. According to recent polls, the population there is now divided roughly in half between those who claim a belief in God and those who don't. In Sweden, 80 percent of those polled responded that they do not believe in God (while, interestingly, 53 percent answered that they believe "there is some sort of spirit or life force"). In Germany, 59 percent of individuals are self-defined as atheists. And in Great Britain, less than 17 percent of respondents answered "yes" to the statement "I believe God exists and have no doubts."

These studies clearly demonstrate that matters of religion resist easy generalizations. The truth is that most religious people bring individual expression to their faith and feel no conflict with those who have different religious belief systems, or no religious belief whatsoever. These studies also show that atheism is not a small or discriminated minority in much of the world, and that criticism of religion is not the taboo that it is often thought to be. To anyone who has studied the history of religion these results are not surprising. An objective view of history reveals a very complex institution that exists simultaneously on many levels and for many purposes, with little unanimity.

These studies show that religions are much more complex and personal than any simple model asserts, and that we can't easily lump all religious people into one category and generalize about their beliefs and practices -- just as we can't lump together all those who don't belief in a Creator. And as these studies indicate, the majority of people who claim to be religious are moderate and inclusive in their views. (For those who assert that moderates are not "true" believers, please see my earlier blog on this subject.)

Far too much of the conversation around religion comes from a lack of understanding of how others truly experience their faith, and how their religion truly function. And far too much comes from misunderstanding from religious people toward those who don't share a belief in God. I know because I can be guilty of this, as conversations that start with good intentions get twisted due to lack of common context. But I also believe in the inherent goodness of people, and in our basic desire to connect meaningfully to others. We ought to voice our disagreements, and to hold others to high ethical and moral standards, but these disagreements should be rooted in reality and understanding, not blanket generalities. My prayer, then, is that in the conversation about religion -- as in all conversations -- we see each other not as stereotypes or, God forbid, as enemies, but as fellow glorious, flawed, loveable human beings who are seeking truth and happiness.