HAPPINESS-ORIENTED RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS

Religious organizations (Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, etc.) and philosophical ones (such as Buddhist or Taoist) often preach a series of guidelines that contribute to a better world to live in, such as not killing or not stealing. At the same time, some of them spread beliefs and guidelines that have the opposite effect, such as rejecting, condemning, or even punishing innocent people for harmless acts.

In contrast, happiness-oriented religious organizations are characterized by the following:

• They emphasize their happiness-oriented ideas.
• They avoid harmful messages towards innocent people.
• They reform any harmful parts they may have.
• They spread well-being.

1. THEY EMPHASIZE THEIR HAPPINESS-ORIENTED IDEAS

If we delve into different religions, we realize that they contain many guidelines aimed at achieving a happier world. Happiness-oriented religious organizations focus on persistently preaching these ideas, such as:

• Love (for oneself and others)
• Honesty (integrity, fulfilling commitments, telling the truth, avoiding deception, false testimonies, perjury, slander)
• Respect for others and their rights
• Not harming others (killing, stealing, offending, speaking ill, mocking, or any other type of harm)
• Doing good to others (charity, generosity, helping, especially those in need, solidarity, altruism, almsgiving, hospitality, kindness)
• Compassion (mercy, pity, empathy)
• Brotherhood
• Peace
• Serenity, peace of mind
• Justice, morality, ethics, righteousness
• Hope, optimism
• Gratitude
• Kindness
• Patience
• Good feelings towards others
• Temperance, equanimity, balance, avoidance of greed, gluttony, and other intense desires, anger, envy, jealousy, etc.
• Moderation
• Work, diligence
• Rest
• Healthy habits for the body
• Self-improvement
• Not wasting
• Simplicity, modesty, humility

2. THEY AVOID HARMFUL MESSAGES TOWARDS INNOCENT PEOPLE

On the other hand, well-being-oriented religious organizations avoid messages that are contrary to happiness, especially the following:

• Those that foster unpleasant emotions, such as hatred, contempt, disgust, anger, shame, or guilt. However, guilt may be justified when we harm others, as a mechanism to prompt us to repair them and not repeat them in the future. And rejection of victimizers can be an effective tool to prevent abuse towards innocent people.

• The exaltation of suffering. Instead, they preach acceptance and tolerance of it to the extent that we cannot free ourselves from it.

• Messages that induce fanaticism, intolerance towards what is harmless, or rejecting, stigmatizing, excluding, harassing, persecuting, punishing, assaulting, or in any way causing suffering to people who do not follow certain dogmas or patterns. On the contrary, they preach respect and love, as well as the acceptance of diversity.

• Unequal relationships, domination-submission, and especially those involving violence.

• Prohibitions, impositions, taboos, and “shoulds,” except for:

• • Causing unjustified harm to innocent people.

• • Violating the rights, freedoms, and dignity of others (see “Happiness-Oriented Policy”).

• • Breaking a just law.

• • Failing to fulfill what we have committed to.

• • Taking advantage of others.

On the contrary, well-being-oriented organizations respect individual freedom. They propose guidelines for behavior, usually healthy, but not dogmatically, rather as mere recommendations. The only exception is the requirement not to harm any sentient being except in legitimate self-defense, always against the aggressor and never towards an innocent person.

• Divine punishment and divine wrath towards innocent people who do not harm others, hell, fear of God, etc.

• Beliefs that reduce our self-esteem, such as telling us we are sinners. Again, the only exception would be harming innocent people.

• The use of derogatory and degrading labels, such as abject, infidel, perverted, shameless, whore, indecent, immodest, deviant, obscene, blasphemous, or apostate.

• The non-recognition of women’s rights and freedoms or their equal rights with men.

• Homophobia and messages contrary to the rights of homosexual, transsexual, and bisexual people.

• Messages contrary to the rights of children. On the contrary, they preach that respect should be equal from parents to children as from children to parents.

• Those contrary to animal rights.

• Blind obedience.

• Those contrary to freedom of thought.

These types of religious organizations are characterized by flexibility, free thought, and critical spirit, not applying ancient books and doctrines in a fundamentalist way, but taking the positive and leaving the rest.

3. THEY REFORM ANY HARMFUL PARTS THEY MAY HAVE

Specifically, the following would be advisable to reform in the 3 religions with the most followers:

• Christianity: read more…

• Islam: read more…

• Hinduism: read more… 

4. THEY SPREAD WELL-BEING

Some happiness-oriented organizations promote guidelines that contribute to happiness, such as good relationships or meditation. An additional step would be to encourage more techniques for their followers to be as happy as possible based on everything proven by science, which can be read in a very summarized way in the 6-page guide  “How to Be Happier”).

Finally, they have an approach of rapprochement with other religious organizations that are also oriented towards well-being.