Atheist? Agnostic? Theist? Polytheist???...

by Vee 4 Replies latest jw friends

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  Vee

  If you are a Theist and I assumed for a long time I was, this means we were acknowledging that there is a singular God as Creator. Now that your thoughts have changed do you question whether all of those years of heartfelt prayer, and pouring out of your inner most thoughts to (Jehovah) God were actually transmitted? Is it possible that if we trully believed in our minds heart that what we perceived to be the "truth" in the JW org and the only way in which to reach God, that God (Jehovah) would have accepted our prayers as sincere, and the context or the avenue in which we reached him was irrelevant?

  I know myself that when I was young growing up in the org, praying to Jehovah got me through some of the darkest moments of my life. This was despite the fact that a many number of the problems and pain were associated with the org (but I didn't necessarily recognise this at the time). Now that I'm out of the org I still feel the need to say the occassional prayer, but after years and years of praying to Jehovah through the way in which I was taught, I still feel like I'm praying to the same God, which doesn't feel at all right! This makes me think that perhaps God was just a figment of my imagination, and is no higher than my cerebral cortex. Perhaps purely psyshological, and just the way in which I wished to perceive God at the time.

  After all belief in God cannot be without faith, and faith is a very personal thing. It is a trigger that flicks over in our minds that can't be backed up entirely by fact. It seems impossible that any 2 of us can share exactly the same relationship with one singular God since we all come to know him and believe in him on different levels through different avenues. Therefore, what is the purpose of organised religion? If similar beliefs or ideals attract us to the same organised religion, is it because we want a more exclusive relationship with God and need the backing of a larger majority to give justification to our hopes and beliefs? Could it be that this need is just evidence of a shakey foundation to our faith?

  V**...Possible Athies? Agnostic? Theist? Polytheist TBC
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  Gopher

  It seems to me that the purpose of organized religion may be as innocent as having a social circle (where else might you meet new friends, potential mates, etc.?). Or it can be viewed in a sinister way, as a way for those "in power" in a certain religious group to dictate beliefs to their rank-and-file.

  To me if one wants to believe in a God, it IS a personal thing just like you said. Religion gets in the way and tries to serve as an intermediary, and that just muddles things. Those who depend on a religion seem to be saying "Ok what should I think next, what rituals should I perform next, what days should I observe or how many prayers should I say to get divine approval?" I am generallizing of course, not all religions are quite that domineering.

  That being said, having been under the "loving guidance" (LOL) of the WT Society for so many years, I have come to absolutely distrust that any man or group of people can honestly guide others to God. Every religion seems to have holes in it.

  So I think God wants us to use the brains he's given us and navigate our way through life, using universal principles we can learn from various sources (if we are alert). As far as whether he wants us to praise him 24/7, I don't think his ego will suffer if we don't. I think simple appreciation/acknowledgment will suffice for him (if we choose to do so).

  My $.02.
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  Realist

  This makes me think that perhaps God was just a figment of my imagination, and is no higher than my cerebral cortex.

  you can bet thats what it is!

  'faith' is a trigger that flicks over in our minds that can't be backed up entirely by fact.

  not entirely??? you mean not at all right?

  Could it be that this need is just evidence of a shakey foundation to our faith?

  again...you can bet thats what it is!
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  vanilia

  good question.
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  Xander

  You pose the question of prayer in perhaps the most interesting light I've ever seen it.

  I mean, usually you get the "I believe prayer works, because I've always prayed to god, and feel he answered my prayers"

  Or the "I believe prayer does not work, because I've always prayed to god, and he never answered any prayers".

  Yours is best.

  "Does prayer work? I've always prayed to god, and felt he answered my prayers, but I now realize I was not ever really praying to god. What does that mean?"

  As I see if, there are three possible answers to this:

  1) There is a god, and he really doesn't care who you pray to, for, or through, he answers your prayers if he feels like it.

  2) There is no god, and your prayers were only answered in that by performing these activities your mind was strengthened enough for you to do whatever you were asking for help to do. (Or, in the case of a prayer for material things, dumb luck). This is the easiest explanation.

  3) There are several gods/goddesses, and the witnesses have identified one to pray to that will sometimes answer prayers. This, of course, is the ideal solution to answer the problem of all religionists who claim their unique god exists and answers prayers. IE, the christian god is not the same as the muslim god who is not the same as any of the pagan gods, yet people claim prayers/petitions to all of these dieties work.