The Danger of Outdated References
“Enlightenment is man’s emergence from his self-imposed immaturity.”
— Immanuel Kant, “What Is Enlightenment?” (1784)
Far too often in recent years, people look to outdated establishments to form opinions. Whether it’s religion, or common ideas, people seem to close their minds with it. Yes, you obviously have all the right to express what you believe, but you should form beliefs based on your personal judgement rather than outdated references. If certain things you believe are identical to others’ beliefs, you shouldn’t force every single belief of yours to be identical to theirs. You should personally think through things, and form your opinions based on your own view of the topic. Otherwise, not only are you losing your disposition on these standards, but you are also being an advocate of division. For millions of slightly to harshly different opinions are better than two opposites, because it is far easier to make a fair compromise for the people when everyone puts their identity into it.
With that being said, things like religion are not always the best references on certain topics. Take Christianity for example, a religion where certain things oppose each other. The Bible, the Christian book of stories and scripture teaching about the religion’s morals, is formed of two parts; the Old Testament and New Testament. The thing about the New Testament is that it says that Jesus proves teachings from the Old Testament to be false. The common idea of justice in those days was equality in setbacks; an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Jesus states that this is wrong, and mercy and forgiveness should be shown, rather than revenge. What this means is, someone can’t take something from the Old Testament without reading the New Testament, and say what is what. Along with this, people try to judge contemporary issues based on old records. But since no such issues occurred then, people take things more general, or said by a single man. The thing is though, your own contemporary judgement is far more valuable and credible than any judgement of the past.
Don’t go and take this the wrong way, though, as I love religion itself. The idea of a community gathering to express their beliefs together is beautiful. However, there should be a line between faith and opinion. Without your own personal opinion, you lose your identity in your beliefs. Move yourself away from anything that is stopping you from thinking how you want to. Enlighten yourself with the wonders of forming beliefs based on your own personal judgement. You will soon find things easier to understand, and find great opportunities in your life. Thank you for reading Social Science 43, and have a sensational day.
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