I notice such an anti-religion sentiment here for a variety of good reasons. So many bad things have happened in the name of religion. However, if YOU could see to it that your group was different, positive, would you like to be involved in such an endeavor? Even if you didn't espouse a strict list of rules, would you ever want to be a positive religious force for the good of people? Or, has any form of religion turned you off so much, that all religion is bad?
If You Could Form Your Own Religion, Would You? Why? Why Not???
by minimus 20 Replies latest jw friends
-
-
COMF
Religion has nothing to do with a positive force for good. Positive forces for good come about because of the inherent goodness in people. Religion simply attempts to turn that moral awareness into a means of exerting control over people.
I continually strive to encourage and strengthen the good and positve things in life. One way I do this is by staying uninvolved with religion.
-
minimus
Don't you think that religion CAN be a positive force for good?
-
teenyuck
Don't you think that religion CAN be a positive force for good?
No
-
COMF
To the extent that religions provide physical necessities for those in need, they are useful. These activities could be, and are, accomplished equally well, perhaps even better, by non-religious organizations. The religious element is superfluous and simply adds a layer of useless complexity to the altruistic act.
(Edited to add...)
Case in point, Minimus: feeding the homeless. There are soup kitchens that provide hot meals to the homeless, along with information on how to find a place to stay, at least for the immediate present, and how to obtain help with needs such as clothing, medical care and jobs.
The secular organizations keep it to this. The religious ones add something else, unrelated to the activity of helping the homeless, and tailored to furthering the goals of the religion: in order to eat, you have to sit through a sermon.
-
Big Tex
I think people can be a force for good, not religion. Religion has proven over time to be more about the rules the men at the top of the organization set down than about spirituality. Religion is about rules, pomp and procedure. Spirituality is about faith, hope and love. Whatever good religion has done for humanity is because of the individual people who have worked in their own lives to spread spirituality, as they understand it, to others. It is that effort, not because of the religion but often in spite of it, that has benefited humanity.
-
JH
Form a new religion? Me???
Nope...
I'll leave that to Jesus
-
minimus
There are many homeless people that still hunger for spirituality. Religion, not necessarily organized, can be helpful to a person. Not every religion is abusive. If were were able to function as Christ expressed (with the Golden Rule), the world's religions could be a positive force.
-
hippikon
Well as a matter of fact I have started a new religion. It realy has had gods blessing as over the last two years as I have had a 100% increase from Zero members to One member. It is focused on improving the lifestyle of its members.
-
COMF
Minimus, understand that I'm not knocking you or your ideas. I'm only presenting things as I see them.
On what you said about the golden rule, again, you can do that without religion. Much of secular philosophy and counseling deals with getting along with others by being considerate of their thoughts and needs, by respecting them even in their differences. What does religion add to this, except guilt, rules of behavior and mythology-as-fact?
Take the grain of truth, and discard the accompanying chaff.