Religion Vs. Philosophy

This is a topic I have been waiting to discuss for quite some time now. In class yesterday, we were talking about Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson in an old famous philosopher. He started a little club that met at his house once a week. They called themselfs the Transendentalist club. Everyone in the club seemed to be ahead of their time: Femenists [50 years before they could legally vote], abolitionists, vegitarians, and ministers. They all believed that there was more out there than God. They came up with logical reasoning for everything. These may have been some of the most abstract people of the time.

I was thinking to myself, that would be something I could get into. I would honestly enjoy practicing Transendentalism. My biggest question is: "Is transendentalism a religion?" A religion is sharing the same ideas and belifs. When you think about science and philosophy, they all share similar ideas and beliefs. So there must be more to religion. I believe what makes religion different from philosophy is faith.

Everyone knows that there is faith in religion, but what if there was faith in science or philosophy? In religion, you have faith that your God will save your soul after death. In science, you could just as well be faithful that someone creates a peice of technology that grants extended life.

So is there really a difference at all?
I believe the main difference between religion and philosophy, is that there are no rules in philosophy. In religions, you have set standards that determine if you are a good person or not. In philosophy, you can do what you want. There is no standard for the abstract ways of a philosopher.

I hope this discussion has opened your mind as much as it has opened mine. Regardless what you believe in, be it religion or sceience, make sure to have respect of other peoples beliefs.

"The disrespectful are the disrespected." - Hayden Vachon

What is life?

What about the world? Not only life, but the life all around us. Life within everything; Mentally or Physically. In this time and place, people move too fast. They focus on making it through the day with no trouble at all. Think for a moment: What does trouble do for us? Is it a hassle? Or does it simply make us think?

Certain troublesome situations may force us to search deep within ourselves. This is where the concept of personality comes from. Acting upon any given situation is one of the few natural rights we still have. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and everyone has a personality. No law can ever strip us of these personal values.

As well as personality; We all have our own perception of life, death and everything in-between. Think to yourself: How do you perceive everything around you? Do you walk around everyday, wishing you were somewhere else? Or do you stretch your mind, searching for a better understanding of life in general?

To understand life, you must first understand yourself. How do you see yourself? How do other people see you? These are questions you need to answer to begin a comprehension of life.

Please think about these questions with an open mind.