DOGMAS

Dogma means the doctrine of belief in a religion or a political system. The literal meaning of dogma in ancient Greek was "something that seems true." These days, in English, dogma is more absolute. If you believe in a certain religion or philosophy, you believe in its dogma, or core assumptions.

Religious dogmatism is frequently associated with the Christian dogma that arose in Europe over the past two millennia. For example, Catholics hold that God is a Holy Trinity and Jesus was conceived by immaculate conception when Mary was impregnated by the Holy Spirit without original sin.

Dogma can also have a negative connotation, as by asserting opinions in an arrogant manner; opinionated. You might look down on others who don't live according to those same morals and are likely to be intolerant to other beliefs.

Of all people Albert Einstein was never considered dogmatic. Yet, when asked if he accepted the historicity of Jesus, he replied, "Unquestionably!” Does this answer imply that Jesus came to save the world? Certainly not. Likewise holding Mohammad as the messenger of Allah, Krishna as the origin of all Divine incanations, or Jesus as the Son of God, is not dogmatic. It is holding one of these as the one and only truth and all others as false that constitutes dogma.

We sometimes hear that all religions are equal, which may be right in that they all propose to lead to the Absolute. However certain religions are more prone to dogma than others. The tendancy to proselitize forcefully with the aim of bringing the world under your own faith is the epidemy of dogmaticism. Buddhism, Hinduism, or Judaism would be the opposite of such behaviour in that they have never be found to predicate with the aim of mass conversion, overt of covert. In fact some doctines hold that unless you were born into their faith, you cannot become a member through conversion. This may be another form of dogma.

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