Webster has the best dfinition of religion"ones personal beliefs". YOUR religion is developed by your personal relationship with God and how and what He reveals to you as an individual. I could ramble on and on, but thats the starting point. Find Him, except Him, then allow Him to show you what He wants from you. The Christain movement has had the possitive affects on the world you mentioned, but it is not all there is.
Religion---your personal view
by The wanderer 30 Replies latest jw friends
-
-
done4good
In answer to your question, once I knew Watchtower was full of lies I decided to research the BIble. I discovered the Bible is full of fables, that the gospels weren't written by those given credit for them, that nothing was written down about Jesus until around 40 years after his death (if he existed) and that there is no historical evidence for Jesus' existence
Exactly what I found. Hard to accept, (even still), but reality.
j
-
JamesThomas
In answer to your question, once I knew Watchtower was full of lies I decided to research the BIble. I discovered the Bible is full of fables, that the gospels weren't written by those given credit for them, that nothing was written down about Jesus until around 40 years after his death (if he existed) and that there is no historical evidence for Jesus' existence
Exactly what I found. Hard to accept, (even still), but reality.
It takes great courage to see the truth that our gods are false; and that is just the beginning. What we seek is the purity of truth. Truth is the actuality of the present which remains when all that is false, all that can be removed, is removed.
Religion is simply thought. There is no reality to it outside the imaginations of the mind. Which does not mean that the mind can not present fantastic images that appear real to convince us. But visits by our favorite deity are only temporary phenomena. What is true always? What is present when all phenomenal experience is absent? What remains when the universe isn't? When all phenomenal beliefs of reality and "self" are quiescent, what are you, really? Resting just beneath all the story and drama, what is true, right here, right now?
j
-
Seeker4
When I left the Witnesses, I essentially left Christianity and all religion behind. Like Dansk and others here, my investigation led me very quickly to the truth that religion is essentially based on myth, and it's a way that our ancestors used to deal with death and dying and our fear of those things.
The one approach to life that appeals to me the most is taoism, which is really a philosophy that developed into a kind of folk religion in China over the centuries, and eventually led to zen buddhism. I've long thought the the Bible book of Ecclesiastes, whoever wrote it or if it's simply a collection of various writings and sayings by numerous authors, is very strongly influenced by Asian philosophy. It was always my favorite Bible book!
Much of the Bible is boring and silly. I remember that one of the main JW arguments for the Bible being inspired was how great it was. They used to say, "Well, if there really weren't a historical Jesus, someone had to have come up with all that info in the gospels, and look at how great all those teachings are!" Their arguments are essentially that the gospel teachings are so wonderful, they simply had to have come from the inspired son of God.
About 10 years or so ago I read the Tao Te Ching for the first time. You can read it cover to cover in an hour or less, and it's pretty amazing. My first thought was, "Now this is what a book inspired by god would really be like! Short, succinct, clear, profound and no doctrine or dogma." Yet the Tao Te Ching doesn't claim to be sacred or god-inspired - just the writings of a wise old man, or a few wise old men.
No more worship of false gods for me, and they are all false gods. I just believe in one god less than most folks.
S4
-
fullofdoubtnow
As a former Jehovah's Witness have you been enticed to consider another religion
No
-
Mulan
In answer to your question, once I knew Watchtower was full of lies I decided to research the BIble. I discovered the Bible is full of fables, that the gospels weren't written by those given credit for them, that nothing was written down about Jesus until around 40 years after his death (if he existed) and that there is no historical evidence for Jesus' existence.
Science and archaeology have exposed the lies about the Hebrew scriptures, which in turn has undermined Christianity and Islam.
Having found that these religions are bunkum I am through with all religions - though I AM spiritual.
Ditto, what Ian said...............above.
-
purplesofa
My interest in religion is to know why people behave the way they do. As individuals, a culture, a society.
What I find interesting is that.....Jehovahs Witnesses is a religion. But there whole campaign is to set up a government that replaces all other governments.
Religion is a way to control and govern people.
Everyone of them want to be right, number one, the way to live and die.
Basically they are all the same......the basic rights and wrongs, exposing winning and losing behaviour. Sometimes I think everlasting life is onlysaying the whole of mankind will live on.........not each individual.
The Book of Exodus, recently there was a program on the history channel, giving scientific proof explaining all the plagues. A superstitious culture that did not understand these phenomenons would/might/did give credit to GOD. Indiands did raindances(maybe they still do) to ask their GOD for rain. Do we really believe that a dance would make it rain?
If we keep thinking some GOD is going to step in and save us all.......we better think again IMHO. We need to get off our duffs and fix these problems.........it really only is in our power.
I really am not trying to knock peoples beliefs. But I have yet to see a religion that doesn't have something that is quirky. We all live on this planet together, if there is any GOD it is our Nature, our Creation. It actually controls us, gives us our needs, gives us beauty, houses us, shelters us.......We need to be caring for it as if we keep destroying it........it will prove to us that it is all powerful.
purps
-
acadian
spirituallity, can only be found within.... If I were to say I worshiped anything... I'd have to say that I worship the Cannabis plant.... But thats just Me... ,Mike
LOL...
If you are not a Christian, how do you identify yourself?
On this board I go by Acadian, elsewhere it's Mike a flesh a blood man, no more no less. Don't care for labels much, I'm just a man trying not to harrn anyone and help all that I can where I can. Insight... Do not belong to any church thats incorporated, they do not belong to the body of christ, but the body of the State...think about it? Where do they get their authority? The State or God? Who do they put faith in for protection? The State or God? Who do they recieve benifit from? the State or God? And who tells the incorporated church what they can and cannot say? The State. Get out of her my people! And if you don't belive me, call up your local State Attorney Generals office and find out what is required to be a "501 3. (c)" corporation (non-profit corporation) ask what subjects they can and cannot talk about as a non-profit corporation, you'll be surprised. Now I have a date with a Fatty, later... Peace Acadian
-
candidlynuts
when i first stopped going to the kingdom halls i would still say i am a christian
the longer i've been out the more i wonder why believing in anything is important. you live.. you die.. those seem to be the only FACTS
to me , all organized religion is crowd control and social networking. thats fine if thats what you want.
i WANT to believe in God but then i see things like 100 billion people have lived and died in human history, if there were more to life than "this" it looks like we'd KNOW by now.
-
Brigid
I think religions are currently necessary in our collective stage of spiritual and psychological evolution for most of us aplanet. Most people simply need simple explanations and constructs to abide by to avoid the chaos that ultimately rules our universe. Even those religions that are little more than soul goulags (sp?) are necessary for some. It would take far more space and time than I have to explain my full view on this but in a nutshell, I believe they are a necessary evil (but then, what is evil anyway??) and some actually do good by themselves.
~B.