How All Religions Can Be True

by metatron 6 Replies latest jw friends

  • metatron
    metatron

    If there's one thought that's truly unthinkable or beyond
    an average Witnesses' comprehension, it's the thought that
    more than one religion can be true.

    In reality, it's not that hard to fathom.

    First, start with the thought that God is everywhere and in everything. Every star, telephone pole, bacteria, or human
    is a part of God. Creationists love to put God in every function
    of the universe but rarely admit what that would imply -
    namely that everything is part of Him.

    Secondly, since all things are part of the Divine, God
    and his universe work rather like a physical body with
    all its self adjusting internal mechanisms. No one has
    to worry if the laws of the universe apply to a distant
    planet - or concern themselves that the protons in the atoms
    of your skull know how to behave like the particular particles
    that they are. "God as mechanism" makes so much more
    sense than one bearded guy on a far away throne.
    There was a cartoon of God answering millions of phones
    representing prayers - "Hello, this is God, can you hold?".
    That's how silly it is.

    Since God is all and in all, religions simply serve human
    needs in particular times and cultures. Some may be generally
    more effective in promoting human progress (Protestants over
    Catholics and Muslims) but they all exist to serve human
    needs - like Christianity in giving hope to slaves and the
    oppressed.

    The idea that this organization is the "truth" is foolish
    in particular because it so ineffective in raising kids
    or healing depression.

    I try to see the good in other faiths - Islam, while leaning
    towards aggressive conquest, has produced some good
    geometric art. Mormons help with genealogy. The Dalai Lama
    tells folks that happiness is the purpose of life.

    I don't see much permanent good that the Watchtower will
    leave behind when it fades into the shadows. I guess it helped
    marginal people cope with the 20th century - it's an anachronism
    now - a kind of 19th century relic that belongs in a museum,
    instead of bothering people with its demands.

    metatron

  • Undecided
    Undecided

    Metatron, you can express things so well, thanks for all your post here, I always read them, keep posting these threads of wisdom.

    Ken P.

  • eyeslice
    eyeslice

    lthough I still practice as a JW, I have for quite some time felt that what we have been taught about God cannot be the whole picture. So I started to read a number of other books about 'Mankind's Search for God' (not just the WTB&TS one!), including C S Lewis's Mere Christianity.

    However, one book that I found interesting and useful, though I do not agree with all he has to say, is Deepak Chopra's How to Know God. He lists 7 stages of getting to know God. As Witnesses we have only ever get to know the God of stage 1 and 2, as you can see from the list below;

    stage 1: God who protects us like a mother or father, stemming from 'fight or flight'

    stage 2: A God who makes laws - a God of crime and punishment

    stage 3: A God who bring inner peace - restful awareness

    stage 4: A God who encourages humans to reach their full potential - intuiative response

    stage 5: A God who inspires to explore and discover - creative response

    stage 6: A God who make miracles - visionary response

    stage 7: A God who draws us back into unity with him

    So, I don't think that the issue is about all religions being true but rather are there good people in all religions. The answer to that must be yes. Every time I served on a Judicial Committee I asked myself, I lived in the times of the Inquisition and was in a similiar position would I have put people to death in the name of Christ? It can be a difficult question to answer but I certain know a number of elders that probably would not have. So the answer is there is good and bad in all religions, including JWs. The question is what sort of persons will our quest to know God make us, liberal minded, loving people, or narrow minded religious bigots?

  • Satanus
    Satanus

    Thanks met

    Shall i pull the covers off? Ok, that is part of the buddhist philosophy. It's cool stuff.

    SS

  • Wren
    Wren

    Metatron

    Good commentary for 4/22/02 Awake "Can I Worship God In My Own Way?". I agree with undecided.

  • mustang
    mustang

    Metatron,

    Your last word was the one. If, as the Scriptures says, the law & prophets could be summed up in one word, so too can the WTS can be summed up in one word: DEMANDS.

    Mustang

  • patio34
    patio34

    Hi Met,
    I chuckled at this one:

    Mormons help with genealogy

    I spent a lot of time at their library on this, but didn't tell fellow dubs about it. When i was there, i'd overhear some of their fellow volunteers waxing golden about a future time when "they'd have plenty of work to do then!". It disturbed me because it sounded so much like me and fellow dubs. I knew we sounded as odd as they did.

    But now it's no longer "we" but "them."

    I always enjoy your thought-provoking posts.

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