Why do you have to go somewhere else? Can't you see that that is just substituting one set of beliefs for another?
That is what I am coming to understand. Trading one dictator for another, neither of which might be correct.
That's right, and there's no way of knowing for certain whether any belief system is "correct".
Do you equal beliefs with truth?
Relatively speaking, yes. If what you believe in is a lie, what good is it?
All it will do is keep you imprisoned in a set of ideas and trapped in delusion. But there is something deeper than "relative" truth, and that is the truth of what you are. People seek truth outside themselves, thinking that they are separate from everything and everyone, and that is the source of their discontent because it leaves them feeling isolated and and less than whole. Efforts to remedy that are usually in the arena of beliefs systems, philosophies, and religions, but as you are suspecting there is no certainty about any of them.
What I am suggesting is that the deeper truth of what you are is not separate from anything else, and knowing that truth directly resolves feelings of isolation, lack peace, and wholeness. As long as one clings to a belief system, however, the truth of what you are will continue to be overlooked. People may take some mental comfort in being with like minded people with their shared beliefs, but they are still left within conceptual frameworks that mask the deeper truth of what they are; they are still stuck in a dualistic world of "me" and "other", of "me" and "God".
People want to know "God", but without knowing what one is in the first place that desire will just take them in circles, hopping from one belief system to another if questions and doubts arise. Or they will remain fixated on their particular belief system and refuse to even admit the possibility that they could be wrong. Doesn't it make sense that people should know who/what they are first before seeking to know anything else, especially something practically guaranteed to create uncertainty like the concept of God? The problem is that beliefs systems and religions TELL you what you are, and people swallow that message without even questioning it. So the root problem is not how to "find God" but in discovering the deeper truth of what you are. Do that first and then see what happens to ideas and beliefs about God.
If that's the case then you must also look into beliefs other than Christianity. When I say that, notice your initial reaction - that will tell you something about how beliefs have already put a fence around you.
If I don't believe that Christ is my saviour, and his father is God, then where does it go from there. Worshipping trees, rocks? Then it starts to go into paganism or atheisim.
Had you been born in another culture it's likely that what you believe would be entirely different and you'd be revering a different holy book and set of "prophets". And also consider the possibility that whatever God truly is he/she/it doesn't require or demand "worship". People worshipping trees and rocks are also trapped in their own belief system. And let me be clear about this: not holding a belief in God is not the same as atheism. I am suggesting letting go of beliefs and non-beliefs entirely - that lets you be totally open and receptive to what is actually appearing before you right now. Without any beliefs getting in the way of seeing the world find out for yourself what happens.
Perhaps the "answer" to truth is not found in beliefs at all; have you considered this?
I don't know how to reply to that.
I still believe the bible is the book of God, it's translations and it's preachers can skew things, but the overall message is there. I think it is the conduit that brings us to God and Jesus, without that, how would we even know about them?
It's still only a belief, and even if one clings to the notion of the Bible as being "God's word" who knows how far off translations actually are. Additionally, Christianity isn't the sole provence of ideas about God.
Going to any religion to me is kind of like the saying, those who don't stand for something, will fall for anything. Jim Jones, David Koresh, the militant Muslims all come to mind.
I'm absolutely not saying that if you don't stand for "something" that you will fall for anything. Most people, however, remain under the delusion that they MUST follow some kind of belief system, and it's those people who will fall for anything. It's those people who will do anything, including murder, to advance their particular belief system over another. So I am suggesting that every belief be questioned by getting to the root of "who" it is that holds a belief. People carry around certain unexamined beliefs about "who" or "what" they are, and those beliefs dictate how they act in and view the world. I am suggesting that it's time to examine those beliefs about "me" that have been unexamined all their lives and seeing whether or not they are based in reality or are only concepts held in the mind, concepts that weave together a false idea that covers up the truth of what you actually are.
Maybe you can explain it in a different way I could understand, it's probably going over my head.
First see if you can find "you", the you you believe yourself to be. Actually look for that individual. Take your time with this and let me know what you find. Then re-read what I've written above and then take some time to sit quietly (eyes closed may be helpful) and ponder the question, "Who/what am I really?" And just a hint about this deeper reality: whatever answer your mind comes up with will be based on some idea or image; those are themselves just more beliefs. The deeper reality of what you are is not contained in any idea or image, but that doesn't mean it's not present and discoverable. What you actually are is fully present and available to you at every moment, it's just a matter of "seeing" it. When the distorting lens of beliefs systems drop away what you actually are is there to be seen. Finding that is like returning home again after a long journey.