The Religious Establishments.

by Blueblades 4 Replies latest jw friends

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  Blueblades

  If God is all loving and forgiving why do "The Religious Establishments"try to convince us that if you do not conform or follow 'IT' you will have a miserable life here on earth and then die,because you are different.

  Does religion work against everything it proposes to solve?Why does religion make you feel bad?How can you feel worthy,when you are constantly fighting internal drives to be accepted by God and /or/Religious Establishments?

  I know when we talk about religious establishments we are not talking about God,its just that they say there is a connection between them and God and so you better toe the line of which ever religious establishment you belong to.Can we really separate the two and go it alone?

  Blueblades
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  Hamas

  And if God is so loving, why create evil (satan)

  I tell you my friend, its all bs.
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  donkey

  BB,

  Does religion work against everything it proposes to solve?Why does religion make you feel bad?How can you feel worthy,when you are constantly fighting internal drives to be accepted by God and /or/Religious Establishments?

  Go and see the movie "Luther". It clearly drives your point home.

  As far as thinking individual spirituality is the next "correct step" apply the same level of questioning to it. For instance, look at what you might claim as the holy book and then reflect on how it would have ever gotten into your hands were it not for the structure provided by the organized religion. Without that provided structure how would your belief system have come to you?

  Now I agree that the paradoxes abound - but then that's why I have rejected the faith based approach. If God wanted to be a part of my life - then he would make himself part of it. When he shows himself I will gladly welcome him. If he is a God of truth (which is the only God any of us should ever accept) then why should he allow me to deceive myself by worshipping him in faith? The risk in him doing that is that my faith may be inaccurate - therefore false - and as a result would be an exercise in self deception thereby proving false to his truth. Without evidence there can be no truth - just random coincidence.

  Sure I know the Bible claims we need faith - but it takes faith to believe that the bible is the authority to begin with in the first place. The resultant effect would probably be having my linkage in that dependent line of faith as just another domino waiting to fall.

  All the best,
  Jack
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  Gopher

  why do "The Religious Establishments"try to convince us that if you do not conform or follow 'IT' you will have a miserable life here on earth and then die

  Because if they didn't, then nobody would feel guilty enough to follow them!

  And who "established" the religious establishments of which you speak? Just a bunch of guys who decided that people needed to be beat down organized under a religious dogma.

  I totally agree with Donkey -- that acceptance of the Bible itself goes hand-in-hand with acceptance of organized religion. It all seems like a sophisticated control scheme.

  In the end, it all boils down to this--- when you submit to an established religion, it essentially means you have to listen to one person (or a ruling group) that tells you how he/they think you should interact with God. And as pointed out in the first post, often if you don't stay in line, you will be punished accordingly.

  Life is too short to deal with that nonsense. But for some people, it gives them a feeling of belonging.
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  CruithneLaLuna

  I am tempted to leave the subject line standing alone, but I want to add one thing, to illsutrate / support / drive home my point.

  I am dealing with a situation right now that entails a potential for / invitation to a high degree of stress, worry, anxiety. When I was a Christian (especially during my JW period of 30+ years), praying to "God" or Jesus or Jehovah would have NOT helped, and if anything would have made me feel more stressed. Yesterday and today, I did a couple of (highly improvised) ritual/prayer/meditation thingies that fixed me right up. To put it simply, I feel that my prayers ARE answered now, in a definite, immediate, positive sense. Whether miracles happen that make the problems go away immediately is not the point; the point is being able to cope successfully and BE HAPPY (not to mention functional and productive) no matter what is currently hitting the fan.

  I have talked with others who have left Pagan groups that tried to be controlling and dogmatic - ANY form of spirituality can be perverted to such ends (even if it is not intrinsically that way) - but I stick to what simply offers tools for growth that have worked for others. I try them, and what works for me, I adopt and adapt. While I enjoy stimulating interaction with others whose inclinations and paradigms seem to be harmonious with mine, I do not accept dogma or control. Neither should you (unless you think you should...).

  Cruithne, the eclectic Druid