Can guesses be termed and sold as "religion" with good results?

by The Dragon 3 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  The Dragon

  Seems answers are an "end" of sorts to both guesses and problems.

  I have recently came to the conclusion that "religion" in general is nothing more than self exalted leaders "guesses" into an unknown subject...that they try to sell and term as "religion". With no good or valid argument to discredit this line of thinking...I stand behind it.

  How is a person(s) bearing answers seen to those seeking answers? How would that person(s) be seen in the eyes of those who have power and authority over others who accept their "guesses" as answers or "truth"?

  It would seem that person(s) would be seen differently by different people with different intentions and desires.

  But how would God feel about that? (Without starting a new religion/guess about it)

  Is that a question only HE can "truthfully" answer?

  Or does any man feel qualified to present His opinion on the matter for Him and answer this question?
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  Narkissos

  I'm not sure about your premises.

  The assumption that religion is about answers (however obtained) may apply to Western Christianity (and perhaps the Western versions of anything, including Buddhism or Taoism), but not to "religion in general". In most religions of the world, I think, beliefs (in the sense of consistent and articulated doctrine) are secondary to community ritual.

  This, as well as Western mysticism, would rather suggest that the core of religious experience (assuming some sort of unity to what we call "religion," for the sake of discussion) is non-verbal (or para-verbal) and any "answers" drawn from it are at best ambiguous by-products of this experience.

  By the way, it is interesting that the deepest "answers" of orthodox (exoterical) theology usually end up in tautology (which is perhaps the best verbal representation of silence), e.g. "only God can reveal God... to God": in Trinitarian speech, for instance, only the Holy Spirit (= God) in the believer can perceive the revelation of the Father (= God) through the Son (= God).
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  Abaddon

  The Dragon

  I have recently came to the conclusion that "religion" in general is nothing more than self exalted leaders "guesses" into an unknown subject...that they try to sell and term as "religion". With no good or valid argument to discredit this line of thinking...I stand behind it.

  It seems religion stemmed from attempts by humans to explain their existence and the environment around them.

  The evolution of the human mind resulted in a pyschology that allowed certain of the ideas developed in trying to explain the environment and existence to take a deep root in human society. Our evolutionary ancestors were more likely to survive if they were capable of forming strong social groups with common values. These same traits proved to be fertile ground for religious thought.

  Even after religious stories of origin no longer 'answer' questions but actually (due to their primative simplicity) create questions, and after there are perfectly good non-faith based theories regarding our existence and the environment, the same stories made by bronze-age goatherds are seen as real by many as the ability in humans to hold beliefs regardless of their reality so profound.

  But how would God feel about that? (Without starting a new religion/guess about it)

  God is one of the above mentioned primative attempts to explain the environment and existence. There might be entities as part of this iteration of an utterly naturalistic Universe as we are we would term 'god' in some way, but not old blokey with a beard and a bad/good book. Likewise, there might be some transcendent quality of intelligent life en mass that has certain gold-like characteristics. But again, not blokey with beard and good/bad book.

  One can't disprove god, just be fairly certain about which ideas of god are utter poppy-cock as opposed to un-refuted hypothoising

  One can be fairly certain that ALL religons are just melanges of personal opinion collected over the life-time of the religion and asociated ancestor-traditions, presented as a cohesive whole. The more dogmatic a religious person is the more they are worshipping their own opinion.

  Funnily enough, both Jesus and Mohammed were very down on the creation of rules beyond what they gave (which they saw as given by god) and term them either 'hypocrites' or 'idolators'.

  Thus even the origins (historic or otherwise) of major religions see that religious scruple is mopstly personal opinion
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  The Dragon

  I don't even know other humans thoughts, plans or intentions....how can someone claim to know God's?

  How would He feel about that?

  I would feel like a puppet with what ever idenity people wanted to portay me as.

  Why would He allow them to do so?

  Seems to me though...He alone has the truth...and all we do is guess/religion....and insist we are right.

  If He hold the truth...He can make Himself know at a time of His own choosing...what will happen to all the guesses people pay good money for..and gain much power over others by means of.

  What can they do? Say He is wrong about Himself and doesn't know His own thoughts and intentions? They alone have that "truth"?

  I see a storm a coming......