Should Religion Be Viewed By The Idea Of The Sacred?

The idea of the sacred is mostly based upon faith and tradition. Faith is the unwavering grip on an idea; therefore, it is less subject to change because it is mostly through rational discourse that people begin to look at a view differently. People holding onto such faith are averse to change or ideas in opposition to their own because it is difficult to prove an opinion wrong. Despite the reluctance of these people, progress and change is vital in shaping this world into what it is today and it is imperative that people question ideas. However, religious historical connections and literary context support Rushdie’s claim that “the idea of the sacred is quite simply one of the most conservative notions in any culture, because it seeks to turn

Generally, the evolution of subject matter in literature reflected how people viewed change. As previously mentioned, authors, such as Dante, had to be cautious when mentioning the church and could only sneakily disgrace figures in Hell. However, Chaucer openly degraded the monk and the pardoner by making them ones of material motives rather than spiritual enlightenment. Because Dante was against the church and its faith, he was exiled. Later on, the withering reliance on the church by the people allowed Chaucer to become bolder in judging the papal figures. Dante and Chaucer’s statements against the church would have been condemned, but an increase in reformers in a later time made it easier for writers to voice their opinions. Moreover, uncertainty regarding the church practice in the form of heresies was also greatly abhorred. Because one cannot see God nor have proof that God exists, it is natural for rationalists to question spiritual beliefs. For example, the Arian heresy was based on the misunderstanding of the Trinity. From a rational perspective, the mystery of the Triune God truly does not make any sense. The Arians thought that physically, the Trinity seemed more like polytheism because it didn't make logical sense for three people to be combined into one person. Likewise, the Pelagian heresy claimed that one did not need to be a good person without God. Basically, one can do good deeds

Mohammad‘s monotheistic views attracted few followers because they were unlike any of the religion at the time and attacked idolatry. Mohammad was very open in his teachings and allowed anybody to follow him, unlike the territorial tribal clans. In addition, his preaching that there was only one great God attacked traditional idolatry and threatened Mecca’s prosperity as a religious center because it housed the various gods. These new ways were regarded with such disgust that Muhammad had to flee his native city. To the clans, a sense of belonging to a certain group and polytheism was so important that they did not welcome Muhammad’s new religion. Although Muhammad was greatly disdained by the clans, he has impacted the present-day Islamic world greatly. On another note, persecution for a different religion was also prevalent in the early Christian times. Before the Edict of Milan, Christians were persecuted for their faith because they did not worship the common deity. They had to meet in secret. It was not until Constantine had his revelation, that Christianity was legal. These historical events show evidence of people’s reluctance to allow a difference in spiritual