by KateWild 105 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
"What's the Harm?"
It looks like this is the very topic. Yes I think it is. A fact is that a waste majority of the world’s population are “believers”. They are believers to some extend! I know some Muslims following muslim haram (or Jewish kosher) or other rules. I also know a few Catholics believe that the pope is Gods lieutenant on earth. In other countries as in northern Europe, Scandinavia, Netherlands or so, it looks like a majority of the people are either pure atheists or just totally ignorant. In fact, in some of these countries only 5% of the pop. Goes to church on a regular basis.
The thing is that when you actually believe that God speaks to you, when you actually hear his voice, and can read his will, you have become obsessed. Your mind is not clear and open.
This goes for religion or even political groups. If you are a communist, or fascist, Marxist or a Pol Pot, believer. Your are capture in the same mind trap, meaning that you are not open for other ideas. Your brain has stocked you into a “cult thinking” , which is very harmful. It could result that you can, if your leaders are Taliban’s, make you carry a bomb into public areas.
You don´t think for yourselves. You are depending on what other people want you to think!
And the other people…. They have their own agendas…
Kate, continue to use your own mind, it is much better then to use others
Bugbear
most of what people BELIEVE has no impact on life whatsoever!
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What people believe can have an impact on their quality of life.
Do for you what feels right for you.
A belief is only harmful if it pushes you to feel negatively about your life or to commit actions that are negative in the lives of you or others. Having a belief in something outside oneself does not mean those are harmful - life is about balance. Your balance. There are people who believe in karma, people who believe in the balance of nature and the impact on their lives - people who believe in life/death stories and others who 'feel' things.
In the long run, just because one person insists that from their perspective a 'belief' is ruinous, does not make it so. Find what works for you.
I have read others condemn 'believers' as irrational. Funny thought that. I think comments like that are highly irrational - they are simply opinions. Who is to say that what appears irrational in the life of one person, is in fact the one string in an otherwise life of suffering, that is the only rational thing the person can hold fast to?
Be your own person. If your quality of life is improved - if you are happy in what you believe - if you are doing no harm to others - what should they care? Who would know if you didn't say anything to them? Would they just observe you as a happy person who in projecting that feeling of happiness, serves to improve the behavior of others? If your belief caused you to feel rage and anger at the world - you would have cause to examine those feelings and the belief behind them.
sw
Look, let's be realistic about our human need for self-comforting.
Life is a struggle and for all the struggles we end up dead. How depressing is that?
We need to self-comfort or we'd go insane with the doom floating over everything, right?
Masturbation is self-comfort.
Drinking is self-comfort.
Drugs, video-games, movies, music are self-comfort.
This makes a certain amount of sense UNTIL it becomes neurotic.
What do I mean by neurotic?
I mean it interferes with the practical part of life and steals your time and erodes your relationships with family, friends and society.
JW beliefs are alienating. It is a death by strangulation.
The neurotic part of belief in religious ideas is the part where YOU FEEL COMPELLED TO CHANGE OTHERS TO YOUR POINT OF VIEW.
Other than that, it is simply self-comforting mental masturbation.
You imagine the nicest, most rewarding ideas and feel the pleasure.
It's sort of pathetic and counterfeit--but, as long as it doesn't hurt anybody . . . heck, have it it.
It isn't real---except for the feelings of pleasure, anyway.
"I am satisfied there is evidence of a Creator." - Kate
"I am happy to believe this." - Kate
Don't you think these two statements are in contradiction? Do you really have compelling evidence that justified a "creator"?
The Lord placed two types of people on this, His only planet that matters:
(1) Those who critically analyze and evaluate all available information, making decisions, including those involving their belief systems, based on thought, facts and reason; and
(2) Folks who have been blessedly spared such tedium.
Take care,
Ismael
Kate, continue to use your own mind, it is much better then to use others-bugbear
Thank you I will, I can see the harm in organised religion, but I can't see the harm in my own specific beliefs. Kate xx
SW,
I like the point you make about having balance. I am happy with my beliefs, and I am happy I have achieved a healthy balance. Kate xx
Other than that, it is simply self-comforting mental masturbation. It isn't real---except for the feelings of pleasure, anyway. - Terry
LOL, that made me smile. I totally agree that it is a form of comfort and pleasure for, and I certainly don't tell my 12 yr old atheist son he is wrong and he must believe in a creator. I don't really tell anyone they are wrong, although I may disagree with a few it doesn't mean I think they are wrong and I am right, I just think that not everyone believes the same and it's okay to disagree.
Kate xx
Don't you think these two statements are in contradiction? Do you really have compelling evidence that justified a "creator"? - MadGiant
No I don't think the statement contradict because they weren't meant as absolute, they were meant as my opinion. The evidence I have compells me enough at the moment, but if more compelling evidence were to be presented to me giving the opposite conclusions, I will gladly change my perspective. I don't see how my beliefs are causing me or anyone else any harm.
Kate xx
You are on a Pink Floyd sojourn. Another brick in the wall (of your theism) is removed with each passing week/month you post on this site. Been there done that. It can be scary thinking the wall and its foundation will be entirely removed. I predict it will and you will wonder why the fuss.
Losing my religion was a lot like the scene in Forest Gump where he has taken up running (popular in the '70s America) and has become somewhat of a national inspiration to others. One day, while running in the desert along an open highway with barren landscape (and a lot of Gumpians following him) he just stops in his tracks and says: "I'm pretty tired. I think I'll go home now.' Voice over: "And just like that, my runnin' days were over."
