"Religion gives us the Why"

by Phizzy 17 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  StrongHaiku

  Mlllie210, your story resonates with so many of us.  What you are describing sounds a lot like an "Existential Crisis".  There is a body of psychotherapy ("Existential Therapy") which might provide you additional tools to deal with that "free fall" effect and help you develop a sense for your own meaning.  

  I have often heard the statement "Religion gives us the 'Why'" and each time I just have to shake my head and do a 'facepalm'.  If you compare all Religions in the most objective way all you will find are a collection of people (usually from the Bronze Age) who codified their answers/opinions to that question.  I think we are much smarter than them and know much more than they did and are likely to come up with better answers.  If you really think about it "Religion" doesn't really seem to provide an answer.   All it does is makes you "feel" like you have one.  Kinda of like a "Teddy Bear" makes a child feel safe.  

  Science can and does provide a large number of "Why" answers.  However, its role is not to replace the "Teddy Bear".  And, I think this is were many people get stuck.  

  
  
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  sir82

  Based on JW doctrine, the answer to "why are we here" is "to serve Jehovah. And if you don't serve him he will, sooner or later, kill you."

  I.e., per JW doctrine, Jehovah is scarcely more than a terrorist with a gun to your head, who whispers in your ear, "of course you are free to not do what I say. Just go ahead & try it, and see what happens..."
  
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  Simon

  We're here on a whim of a superbeing <- religions answer

  I don't think it's really an answer.
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  freemindfade

  religion/god is an answer to a question nobody asked
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  Phizzy

  Ah Simon, you have got to the knub of what annoys me about the statement, it simply is not true.

  Well the first part is, to a great degree, Science does tell us What happened, or is happening.

  But it is simply wrong to claim that religion gives us any kind of answer to the "Why" that rises above puerile nonsense.
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  Village Idiot

  “I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my own church.”

  ...

  “EVERY national church or religion has established itself by pretending some special mission from God, communicated to certain individuals. The Jews have their Moses; the Christians their Jesus Christ, their apostles and saints; and the Turks their Mahomet; as if the way to God was not open to every man alike.

  “Each of those churches shows certain books, which they call revelation, or the Word of God. The Jews say that their Word of God was given by God to Moses face to face; the Christians say, that their Word of God came by divine inspiration; and the Turks say, that their Word of God (the Koran) was brought by an angel from heaven. Each of those churches accuses the other of unbelief; and, for my own part, I disbelieve them all.”

  Thomas Paine The Age of Reason, The Writings of Thomas Paine, Volume IV. Pages 22-23.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  
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  Xanthippe

  I like making up my own purpose. It changes over the years. At differerent times I have been obsessed with leaving home, finding a partner, having a child, getting a degree, finding the job I really wanted to do. At the moment I want to get the damn garden straight and looking beautiful. I would also like to visit as many countries as I can before I am too old.

  Some people are obsessed with collecting stamps, playing the bagpipes or breeding chihuahuas. Each to their own.

  There's no need to feel lost without religion telling us why we are here. I would hate someone to tell me what the purpose of my life should be now. The thought of some religious leader telling me why I'm here and what I have to do for my life to have purpose horrifies me.
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  millie210

  StrongHaiku Mlllie210, your story resonates with so many of us.  What you are describing sounds a lot like an "Existential Crisis".  There is a body of psychotherapy ("Existential Therapy") which might provide you additional tools to deal with that "free fall" effect and help you develop a sense for your own meaning.  
  I have often heard the statement "Religion gives us the 'Why'" and each time I just have to shake my head and do a 'facepalm'.  

  Thank you I will look in to that! And I am with you on the facepalm.

  Religion is a teddy bear as you mentioned. It is also a way for the few at the top to gain riches and power over peoples vulnerability and need for a teddy bear.