http://www.religioustolerance.org/reltrue.htm
Happened across this article and thought it was really neat. What do you think?
Sheri
Interesting article about religion
by Lo-ru-hamah 8 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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startingover
I thought it was good too, thanks for posting it. I wonder what I would have thought if I had read that when I was still a JW. Doubt I would have read it in the first place, and if I did I'm sure what it was saying wouldn't have sunk in.
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davegod
Too much fact and common sense. That has no place on an religious forum.;)
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Maddie
Thank you for the article, I enjoyed reading it. I agree that it is very doubtful, if not impossible, that any church has the absolute truth. I for one am certainly not looking for the "true church" anymore.
Maddie
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mavie
"Imagine the results if more people accepted their religion as the best faith for them, but at the same time recognized that there are other religions which teach about other deities, other systems of morality, other religious practices, etc. Yet almost all of them motivate people to lead better lives. There might be fewer people willing to defend their particular religion by oppressing or killing followers of other religions and spiritual paths."
I think this is fantastic. Personally, I am an atheist. I still recognize the value of religious belief in others. I also find much beauty in some of the major religious world traditions. As long as someone is not attempting to impose those beliefs on others they are ok with me. -
Lo-ru-hamah
After reading the article I did some calculations and if you lived for 80 years you would have to attend 1.2 different churches every day from the day you were born to attend every major church and all of the sub churches affiliated with each. (34,000 total churches and sub groups) Then you have to figure out which one you were directed to by God.
It is really sad that for all those years as a witness I thought that by some wonderful twist of fate God directed me and my family to the one true religion.
Mavie, I enjoyed your thoughts. It really would be a better place if people were more accepting of each other and their beliefs. It seems that if you take the theme of most of the holy writings they direct people to be kind.
Startingover, I would probably not read it when I was a witness either. God forbid we actually think?
Thanx
Sheri
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uninformed
good find sheri!
I guess the single most decisive element of a person's life that determines "their" version of true religion, is what country they are born in and what religion their parents are.
what is sad is how sure we once were.
pop
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Carmel
There are certain re-occuring patterns in the world religions. If one takes a little time to familiarize themselves with them, he will see the patterns and likely lead them to seek a world view or cosmology adumbrated in one of the world's religions extant today that puts them all into context without having to decide whether one is "true" and the remainder all false. carmel
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writetoknow
THE CIRCLE OF TRUTH
One day, in a huge city called Christendom a great turmoil erupted among its religious leaders. The cause of all the commotion was a question that had plagued this great city for thousands of years:
“Which one of the thousands of religion in Christendom was the truth?”
This raging question had been the source of all the wars every fought in the city and the cause of the break up of most families.
However, there was one thing that the cities religious leaders agree upon and that was one man they all considered to be a prophet. This prophet was no part of their many religions or their politics. He, they believed would tell them the truth:
“Who had the right religion?”
This they felt would stop the fighting and bring at last peace to their great city.
So all the religious leaders went out from the great city to a small humble village were the prophet lived; called “Christian Freedom” to find and question this prophet. When they found him the great crowd gather around him to pose the ultimate question.
“Sir tell us which one of our religions has the truth – the real faith?”
But the prophet said nothing; he then took his staff and drew a large circle around himself. He then stepped out of the circle and said:
“ This circle represents each one of your hearts, please, each one divide the circle into three piece. One piece of the circle for God, another piece for service of others, and the last piece for your own needs”.
Silence fell over the crowd the prophet held out his staff for someone to step forward to divide up the circle, but none would step forward.
Then the prophet drew another circle around himself and once again stepped out of the circle – this time he said: “ This circle represents the prophet you all profess to follow Jesus Christ. Some one step forward and divide up his heart into the same three pieces”.
This time a long silence then the religious leaders fell to arguing among themselves over the prophets request. Finally after considerable time had lapsed one of the religious leaders stepped forward and said with an angry voice: “No one can divide the heart of Christ he was whole soul, whole hearted to God and he loved his neighbor as himself; he always put the needs of others a head of his own”.
The prophet then said: “You answered correctly, who of you can say your hearts is not divided? None answered, he then said: “Which of you need not forgiveness and grace please step forward.”
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Is there one among the thousands of your religions that has produced a perfect heart from it’s teachings? If you find one then that is the true religion practice it and you will find life”.
No one said a word to the prophet so he said: “go away and practice mercy stop judging one another from your divided hearts then you may see the Christ’s heart.”
02-05 – 1997
Written by Daniel McStrong