To that list I'd like to add, colossal screwups by people that are identified as Christian. Individual Christians are usually Christianity's worst enemy.
Oh wait, that's #5.
BTS
Why Do People Abandon the Christian Faith?
by leavingwt 58 Replies latest jw friends
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leavingwt
To that list I'd like to add, colossal screwups by people that are identified as Christian. Individual Christians are usually Christianity's worst enemy.
Oh wait, that's #5.
BTS
This is also known as. . .
"I like Jesus, but his Fan Club really turns me off!"
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PSacramento
In view of this, I would say that 99.9% of the population is screwed. Do you see where I'm coming from?
The overwhelming majority of Christians are within organizations and they didn't find God on their own.
I think that even those can find God in their own way, at least I hope thay can.
As you know, all people need is someone with the allusion of authority and know-how to tell them soemthing that they "don't know" and they will be, "OK, sounds good to me".
We see this with JW's all the time and other demoninations too of course.
People just don't want the work to test what they are taught and to find out the truth for themselves, its just too much work and God Forbid if you find out you were wrong !!.
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BurnTheShips
Regarding "thinking for yourself", I think that's relative to the religion in question. Some religions encourage a lot of thought, others are more restrictive.
Looking at the list again, it seems more geared to fundamentalist type religion. Yeah, it seems that one kind of fundamentalism often breeds another. Also, rules without relationships breeds rejection, and that holds true for much more than religion itself. JWism was rules up the wazoo, but no meaningful relationship.
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leavingwt
People just don't want the work to test what they are taught and to find out the truth for themselves, its just too much work and God Forbid if you find out you were wrong !!.
I just cannot see how a person would know all of these things. You're placing so much responsibility on ignorant individuals, IMHO.
They were born, they went to church, they loved it, they're happy.
Why would they suspect that they need to do any hard work? Why would they ever develop a desire to do more than their parents or loved ones?
Granted, I think youv'e expressed that your beliefs are essentially universalist, so its' not as if it's all life and death, Heaven or Hell, in your own view, correct?
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leavingwt
Some religions encourage a lot of thought
Overwhelmingly, perhaps, this encouragement would not include discovering that the organization in question is 'wrong', 'false' or 'harmful'. This gives me cause for concern.
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BurnTheShips
90% of religious affiliation is related to who you were born to/where you were born. In a sense, for the majority of people, how they worship/don't worship is a crapshoot. As a believer, that's part of the reason why I don't think God judges based on a person's religion.
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AGuest
May you have peace!
I think the dear Doctor missed a MAJOR truth: some of us simply leave "religion." Our faith, however, remains totally intact. Indeed, it becomes even greater as a result! We leave because we realize that religion, although it may call itself by many things, including "the truth"... is NOT the truth... nor does it have the Truth.
Assuming the dear Doctor is speaking of the "faith" that is "christianity," the TRUTH is that TRUE "christianity" is not about a religion. It's not about identifying with a denomination or theological teaching or theory. It's not about going to a certain church. It's about going to... and belonging to... Christ... which many have difficulty doing. Why? Because they THINK... they can simply choose him. That is an error. WE do not choose Christ - HE chooses us. And he does so by means of holy spirit and not simply because we've joined a religion. Although we can put ourselves in line so as to possibly BE chosen... TRUE christianity does not "follow" the "teachings" of anyone other than Christ... which teachings are NOT found in any book... but given by him directly. Through holy spirit. Yes, some of his teachings have been recorded. But those are for those who LACK faith... who need to SEE such things... written... in ink. They have not allowed themselves to walk by FAITH... to see his teachings written NOT in ink, NOT on paper... but on their hearts.
This simple TRUTH is the PRIMARY reason people loose their faith... in God: because He cannot be found in any RELIGION. He is a SPIRIT and must be worshipped in spirit. But so many need to SEE something that they turn to what they can see: golden-calf institutions that have their fancy buildings, precious possessions and self-assuming, done-up leaders. THAT is where they most often look.
So many begin to associate with a group for, well, whatever reason... and then they "join" that group, which calls itself "christian." They believe that by means of THIS joining... they are "christians." This is inaccurate. It is ONLY by means of becoming joined... to CHRIST... that one IS a "christian." Because the very word "christian" means... "chosen (anointed) person." No choosing... no anointing... no christian. That is the TRUTH. But "religion" (at least, those that claim to be "christian") rarely teach that, if at all. A few do, but then tell its members that they should be led by an earthly leader (i.e., pastor, preacher, priest, reverend, whathaveyou). Or, as we know, tell its members that only some of them are "chosen," yet all of them belong to Christ.
Why is this a difficult truth for people to grasp? Because (1) they lack faith, and (2) they keep looking in the wrong place. A very dear one recently shared a cartoon he'd seen some years ago with me, which some of you may have seen. It shows a man standing in the middle of the room with a door to his right and a door to his left. The door on the left is labeled "The Way to Heaven." The door on the right is labeled... "Heaven." So many choose the left door... which is the Bible... rather than the right door... which is Christ. Even the Bible, which so many put their faith in... which they have, in essence, made their god... says this. John 10:7, 9 Yet, they can't even "follow" that "god."
And so, inevitably, they get let down. Because what they are following is not what they believe it to be. They keep hoping and hoping that it will be, that what the thing they are following will eventually make good on their promises. They wait and expect... and... nothing.
IF, however, they turned to CHRIST... rather than to religion... or to the BIBLE... they would know exactly what to hope for and how that hope will be fulfilled... and when. If it is not in their lifetime, they will know that. But they won't become discouraged because they are forewarned... and fortified. God is not slow respecting His promises. And one of those promises was made through His Son:
"Look! I AM with you... ALL the days... until the end of the system."
If Christ is with you, therefore, and thus you with him... IF YOU ARE IN UNION WITH CHRIST AND THUS HE WITH YOU... you CANNOT lose your faith. It is impossible. Because faith... is not only a gift of God... it is a FRUIT of His holy spirit.
I bid you peace and perhaps ears to hear and get the sense of these things, if you so wish it.
Your servant and a slave of Christ,
SA
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leavingwt
90% of religious affiliation is related to who you were born to/where you were born. In a sense, for the majority of people, how they worship/don't worship is a crapshoot. As a believer, that's part of the reason why I don't think God judges based on a person's religion.
BTS
. . . Making it virtually impossible to argue with a person of little or no faith.
May I walk on those streets of gold with you, my brother.
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Terry
Life is about growth and change and adaptation.
You innovate or you capitulate or you vanish.
When you capitulate you are nesting in an incubator of safety. Religion is warm, cuddly and reassuring.....for awhile.
Sooner or later you must emerge from the cocoon and live in reality with practical guidelines that really work.
You innovate by widening your circle of information.
Once you discover actual facts about the real world you experience what the world at large discovered: ENLIGHTENMENT.
Pre-Enlightment, the world experienced supernatural fears, metaphysical guesses steeped in superstitious lore.
Post-Enlightenment, the world turned to science, technology and societal remedies for social ills.
We live in an age of INDIVIDUALITY competing with Pre-Enlightenment resistence to change.
Faith is a stepping stone to maturity, enlightenment and emerging emotional intelligence.
The worm emerges from its cocoon and leaves it behind when it flys off as a butterfly.