What do you think the strictest religion is?

[CompSciGuy]

Is evangelical or fundamentalist christianity stricter than catholicism?

In general I would say yes… Both are strict with regards to sex but fundamentalists tend to have issues with things like rock music, movies, alcohol, which in general are things that Catholics enjoy.
Also I personally think that fundamentalism is harder on the believer because there can be a lot more fear-mongering regarding hell; I remember growing up I was always so afraid for my friends who were Hindu and Muslim because I didn’t want them to go to hell for not knowing Jesus. They used to show us videos of people going to hell because their friends didn’t tell them about Jesus. It made evangelism much more painful rather than a joyful experience like it’s supposed to be. In Catholicism there’s more that sense of, you know, God being merciful and not simply meating out judgment based on whether or not you happened to accept Jesus in your life.

 

[Lucky10279]

What do you think is the strictest religion/denomination? Strict with regards to dress, rules on behavior (i.e. sex), allowance of different beliefs, punishment for breaking any of the rules.

The strictest religious group I can think of isPuritans. That religion no longer exists. Can you think of any still around today that are super strict like that?

The Amish come to mind, but they have rumspringa so by that one fact I consider them not 100% strict.
(rumspringa = Some Amish youth …[go] to live among the “English”, or non-Amish North Americans, experiencing modern technology and perhaps even experimenting with sex, alcohol and illegal drugs. Their behavior during this time represents no necessary bar to returning for adult baptism into the Amish church)

So does anyone know of any religions like the Puritans who are really really strict?

For your convenience, here is a list of Christian denominations but your answers need not be limited to Christian denominations.
Here is a list of religions.

JWs if you can call them a religion.

 

[minkymurph]

What do you think is the strictest religion/denomination? Strict with regards to dress, rules on behavior (i.e. sex), allowance of different beliefs, punishment for breaking any of the rules.

The strictest religious group I can think of isPuritans. That religion no longer exists. Can you think of any still around today that are super strict like that?

The Amish come to mind, but they have rumspringa so by that one fact I consider them not 100% strict.
(rumspringa = Some Amish youth …[go] to live among the “English”, or non-Amish North Americans, experiencing modern technology and perhaps even experimenting with sex, alcohol and illegal drugs. Their behavior during this time represents no necessary bar to returning for adult baptism into the Amish church)

So does anyone know of any religions like the Puritans who are really really strict?

For your convenience, here is a list of Christian denominations but your answers need not be limited to Christian denominations.
Here is a list of religions.

All religions can be equally strict depending on how they are implemented, and every denomination has it’s extremists and ‘puritans.’

Exclusive or Plymouth Brethren are a bit like the Puritans. Members can’t drink or have tv’s, women can’t cut their hair and can’t speak at their gatherings, there is a very strict dress code and they don’t mix much outside their circle. If you were brought up Methodist and started going to an Anglican Church it wouldn’t be a big deal 'cos they are all Protestant. It would be a big deal in the Brethren even though they are also Protestant.

How strict a denomination is also depends on numbers. Smaller denominations or ecclesiastical communities tend to be stricter 'cos it’s easier to micro-manage a smaller number of people. When numbers grow, it becomes harder. JW’s are pretty controlling of their members, and they like small congregations for this very reason. It’s harder to control a large Parish than a small group. JW’s aren’t as strict as the Brethren but the way they implement their faith in pretty mean ways.

Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia are, to put it mildly, very strict. However, other Moslem countries are not so extreme because they are governed differently. One of the ‘in’ European countries to go to for a holiday is Turkey, and it’s Moslem. You can pretty much do what you want in Turkey.

 

[Skeptic92]

Some may say that the required fasting/abstaining from meat on lent is strict… I would agree that enforced asceticism kind of defeats the purpose of asceticism.

If you think what the laity have to do during lent is bad, you should see the Franciscans or Benedictines during lent, I could not live on their diet in lent

Honestly strictest religion? none, strictest implementation of a religion? Buddhist Monks, least that’s what I would argue

 

[smirknoff]

The strictest religion has got to be atheism, since their rules on heresy are really strict. You even contemplate believing in any god at all and zap–you’re not an atheist anymore. No nice trial or chance to recant like you’d get from the gentlemen of the Inquisition, you are just out!

 

[samiam1611]

The strictest religion has got to be atheism, since their rules on heresy are really strict. You even contemplate believing in any god at all and zap–you’re not an atheist anymore. No nice trial or chance to recant like you’d get from the gentlemen of the Inquisition, you are just out!

We’ve already had some posts like that, which the mod deleted. Atheism has nothing to do with this thread, and is not a religion or denomination anyway. Do you have a genuine answer you’d like to contribute? Thank you.

 

[samiam1611]

The Amish look at how appropriate the technology is, and how disruptive it will be to their values. Their treasures. What the Maori term “taonga”.

In some respects, their lifestyle reflects a pessimism with earthly things. In other respects, it is a deliverance from the things of earth. The hardest thing the Amish have to face, is the intolerance, and prejudice of the world, because they choose to live according to their beliefs and values. To have the courage of their convictions.

Amber

It’s interesting to me that many of the Amish youth return to their community after rumspringra. I would think some JWs and Muslims would love to have that option. Why would someone choose that lifestyle? Do you think JW’s and Muslims are happy with their religion too?

 

[amber_lux]

It’s interesting to me that many of the Amish youth return to their community after rumspringra.

It isn’t that surprising to me. There is a freedom within the Amish community rules, that is absent during rumspringra.

A documentary I recently saw probably expressed it best: “I undid my hair for this!”. The scene was a nightclub in England. Going to the nightclub left the girl empty.

Why would someone choose that lifestyle?

The lifestyle conforms with the ethical principles of virtually all of the codes of ethics I’m aware of:

• The Rede of Wicca.
• The EIghtfold Path of Buddhism.
• The Ten Yamas and Ten Niyamas of Hinduism.
• The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20. Somebody else can debate whether or not the list in Exodus 34 is also included);
• The Sermon on the Mount;
• Daoist Principles and Ethics;
• Bushido (Granted, as practised from a Christian, rather than than Zen POV);

Amber