Is the author struggling between religious values and changing societal values?

Use this forum to discuss the December 2020 Book of the month, "Wilderness Cry: A Scientific and Philosophical Approach to Understanding God and the Universe" by Hilary L Hunt M.D.
Miller56
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Re: Is the author struggling between religious values and changing societal values?

Post by Miller56 »

Maddie Atkinson wrote: 01 Dec 2020, 06:41 To me, from a sociological point of view, it seems like the author is struggling to stay true to his beliefs as society's values change. For example, his questions about family planning are stemming from the Catholic belief that contraception interferes with God's Plan for us, but the values of society have changed to believe that it is fine to plan families and in fact very important, which is leading to conflict between religion and society. So I was wondering, do other people see this struggle that I think is being presented in the book?
I live in a very religious community where the beliefs do not match societal teachings. However, because one religion is dominant, the community lives with the religious teachings. I personally do not normally go against my religious beliefs. However, I am tolerant of those who have a different beliefs even when they may not be tolerant of mine.
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Maddie Atkinson
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Post by Maddie Atkinson »

Miller56 wrote: 20 Dec 2020, 11:09
Maddie Atkinson wrote: 01 Dec 2020, 06:41 To me, from a sociological point of view, it seems like the author is struggling to stay true to his beliefs as society's values change. For example, his questions about family planning are stemming from the Catholic belief that contraception interferes with God's Plan for us, but the values of society have changed to believe that it is fine to plan families and in fact very important, which is leading to conflict between religion and society. So I was wondering, do other people see this struggle that I think is being presented in the book?
I live in a very religious community where the beliefs do not match societal teachings. However, because one religion is dominant, the community lives with the religious teachings. I personally do not normally go against my religious beliefs. However, I am tolerant of those who have a different beliefs even when they may not be tolerant of mine.
I think that everyone should be tolerant of each others' beliefs, as long as those beliefs are not harmful. I think that the point of the book however, is that his religious teachings did not match society which is what has caused him to struggle, and in a world that is growing more and more secular, it is becoming much harder to settle for just one or the other. If you live in a religious community and live by those teachings, it is usually because that community is small and they all share a singular monopoly of the truth, whereas in big communities, like cities, there is so much religious and societal diversity it is hard to just stick with one thing! I don't know if that is what it is like for you, but I am happy that you have your truth! :)
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Post by CConfounded »

I think society's value changing creates a dilemma for most older adults who want to stick their childhood belief system. You can see the same struggle reflected among those whom were liberal in their youth (e.g. wanting women's rights in the workplace) but take a more conservative view in the modern day world (e.g. being against abortion).

My point is, society is always changing. Everyone needs to be aware of this, and know that views that they hold today may not be normative in the future. That isn't a bad thing; it's life. As our views become challenged, we should take that as an opportunity to examine our beliefs and why we hold them.
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Post by Cynthia Olyy »

I do see a weave of both which is expressed in his opinion about sin and sex. If tagging sex as sin is to reduce the population, then it is is social matter while sin itself is religious.
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Post by Ahbed Nadir »

While there is some confusion that are brought in this book which explain the primary contrast between the religious and the social values, I dont think the author is struggling to stay true to his beliefs. I think he wrote thus book as a way to adjust to the changes in society and find a way to stick to his beliefs while still moving forward with the rest of society.
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Post by Bisqwik »

Society has been using contraceptive techniques since before Catholicism was invented. There is always a divide between what christianity says is right and what is done in society. Think of the rules about not eating pork, not piercing ears or shaving your beard. These are now viewed as "middle eastern" beliefs even though they stem from the same pre-Abrahamic sources. I think the author is portraying a very intimate and personal battle between different parts of the character that makes up a person. Two conflicting sets of morals that are not easy to meet together.
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Post by serenasiew »

Vanity Fair reported on the partner of the lead plaintiff in Roe v. Wade saying women cannot possibly "advance" in any meaningful way without control over their reproductive destinies. I don't know how anyone can reconcile religious principles with the need for contraception and available abortions. These and population control are not popular topics, but highlight the importance of cognitive dissonance as a means of survival in keeping "true to the faith" while living (and consuming) in an increasingly unsustainable society.
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Post by Michael Jerry_ »

I do believe that the author struggles between religious values and changing societal values because all the issues highlighted in this book emanate from this very struggle. The very fact that what we regard as the norm in modern-day society is different from what was normal 10 years ago because change is constant however the author has not fully embraced this change as he still has high regard for his religious values. I think he should embrace change because religious values change too.
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Post by Upeksha »

Maddie Atkinson wrote: 01 Dec 2020, 06:41 To me, from a sociological point of view, it seems like the author is struggling to stay true to his beliefs as society's values change. For example, his questions about family planning are stemming from the Catholic belief that contraception interferes with God's Plan for us, but the values of society have changed to believe that it is fine to plan families and in fact very important, which is leading to conflict between religion and society. So I was wondering, do other people see this struggle that I think is being presented in the book?
I also agree with your point. Sometimes it is better if we can stick into the traditional believes, but sometimes it's not. Anyway, the world is always changing, so nothing is permanent.
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Fozia RYK wrote: 11 Dec 2020, 13:14 The utilization of contraception can't be viewed as a wrongdoing these days as it's a reasonable segment of human dynamic to guarantee right results for their specific life circumstance. It is extremely hard to concur with catholic religion that contraception is corrupt nowadays. With times changing, religion needs to move alongside the occasions to have any believability.
Hi there, your comment stood out to me. Your point is excellent and one I haven't quite thought about before. In modern times, contraception is indeed a part of human life as we know it. As you said, if religion continues to resist change, then what will come of it? I think the result will be a small group of individuals that become more and more exclusive with their followers the more time goes on.
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Post by Njatha77 »

I think the author is struggling with religious values, society notwithstanding. His grievances are mainly with organized religion and the discrepancies he has found in the Bible. However, society has also changed, making some of the information contained in the Bible obsolete. His societal struggles, I believe, are based on the fact that as society changes, some of the ideals that were held sacred have also changed. This should not be the case owing to the fact that God must be perfect and unchangeable.
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Post by Medhansh Bhardwaj »

I agree with you on this one. The author's points are somewhat influenced by her own experiences in the society, and it is obvious that her religious values are influenced by that too. The Catholic point is a bang-on example for this point. However, she tried her best to make this book as unbiased as possible.
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Post by Fajarr »

The utilization of contraception can't be viewed as a wrongdoing these days as it's a reasonable segment of human dynamic to guarantee right results for their specific life circumstance. It is extremely hard to concur with catholic religion that contraception is corrupt nowadays. With times changing, religion needs to move alongside the occasions to have any believability.
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