Exactly. What we're doing in this thread is a little illustration of what is involved in thinking for yourself -- looking at the evidence and sources and coming to our own conclusions .
This wouldn't matter if it didn't apply to every single faith or religion,
I am going to talk in my own words completely and on how I think! if this sounds like a JW I apologise although I don't think it will.
Firstly I believe in God, I went on Atheist forums to test this in myself and in the end I found not enough to proof that there isn't a God to dissuade me and I have to say my own personal need is to believe in God.....
Next issue is, which God? The choices are unlimited you have to find a way of refining the search using personal taste and what you can logically believe!
Next I look at my nature, I am non-violent, I love people and humanity, I also like logic and things to make sense (i'd make a good atheist lol if this annoying habit of wanting to believe in God didn't get in the way)
Next I look at religions, I'll be honest I think christianity and the bible as a direct result of my upbringing became the religion of preference for me, I did attempt to look at other religions that their ancients writing didn't reach me as the bible did. My love of the bible was cemented the day I actually saw the "pontious pilate" stone in the british museum for real :)
I don't think people realise how much we take on trust what we believe in life, not just in religion, I mean everything! just look at the iraq war, could we have done it if we hadn't had ourselves persuaded their were weapons of mass distruction?
And then look at the power of the written word, You only have to see how many people now believe jesus was married because a man called Dan brown wrote a book of fiction called the davinci code, The discussions i've had on that....lol
So now I have to choose a religion in Christianity WHICH? is the question, in this I only have one point of reference and that is the bible because in the end all christian faiths are drawn from it, I do have the choice of walking my own road on this! having a christian religion according to reniaa! Oooo but the bible is annoying it reminds me that God did not mean it that way, it says "do not forsake the gathering of yourselves together" and from israelites onwards he has grouped them together supporting each other. and jesus was chosen from the jews despite them going wrong, so God stood by his chosen people despite their waywardness of human nature to start believing each other rather than God (something which hasn't changed)
Now we have Jesus and In following Jesus we are taking on trust he is God's son and has a right to tell us what to do and believe which is fine so far but we have also had 2000 years of mankind messing about with Christianity bringing pagan, mens opinions, and political twists and turns to it. How do we get back to the original?
That is the question! and from this point I cannot go further or say more without being accused of leaning towards witnesses eeeek but this is where i am atm and the Cross is something i'm looking at atm as part of it.( Also my first post on how I have been treated has also effected me)
Reniaa
lol if any of that makes sense ^^