Posts by Believer

25

Why do people need religion in this century?

by sweetgrass in

i think people need religion because of fear.

fear of death and what will happen at death if they have been good or bad.

people say it gives them hope but is this not born too out of fear of not seeing dead loved ones again, or having a better life in the afterlife?

Believer

Our generation is on the verge of another great religious evolution.

Yes it is - the best evolution possible

The trend referred to in that article supports the point I was making. The misconception is that those who are turning away from religion are turning away from God. That is not often true. People are turning from old outdated religions and embarking on something new – spirituality, a personal relationship with God. And to many of them, myself included, ‘religion’ is simply the way we express our relationship with God, the things we do for our neighbors and fellows and reflect the effect of being a God-loving person.

The new group called “Nones” are simply not affiliated with a religion, but they continue to believe in an all powerful loving Creator God. Even the statistics about the number of atheists in the world are subject to the same misconception. ‘Nones’ are usually included in that group, yet Nones continue to believe in God. In fact, of the 22% of nonaffiliated people, only 3.1% are atheists and only 4% are agnostic

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/05/13/a-closer-look-at-americas-rapidly-growing-religious-nones/

133

Why Are You Here?

by Believer in

i'm wondering why believers remain members of this forum which is clearly hostile to believers.

as one member said, nonbelievers pounce on any semblance of belief like piranhas on prey.

as former jws we should have had our fill of judgmental know-it-alls, but here we are.

Believer

Recognizing hostility is not the same as avoiding challenge.

25

Why do people need religion in this century?

by sweetgrass in

i think people need religion because of fear.

fear of death and what will happen at death if they have been good or bad.

people say it gives them hope but is this not born too out of fear of not seeing dead loved ones again, or having a better life in the afterlife?

Believer

I think people need religion because it is a natural part of us. Part of the way were are made. In the entire history of man, religion was there and it continues to be here down to this day in spite of the primitive ways it has been expressed. A very, very small portion of humanity has made a conscious choice to suppress or excise that need, but even among that very small portion are those who really want to believe, they just haven’t found an intellectual reason why. Some nonbelievers here have expressed that.

There’s a quote that says something like ‘religion is so important that it persists in the absence of knowledge.’ I think that means even if man doesn’t have intelligent ways of expressing his search for God, we will continue to search with whatever methods he has at hand. But religion, like everything else, is evolving. Judaism evolved the religion of its day by substituting animal sacrifice for human sacrifice. Christianity evolved religion of its day by substituting bread and wine for animal sacrifice. Future generations will go further continually refining religious practices and ideas. Just like the rest of society continues to evolve.

Our generation is on the verge of another great religious evolution. Perhaps the old folks can’t see it, or can’t envision it. Perhaps they are so tired of old religious systems that they through out the baby with the bath water. I think the younger generations will find a better way. Already, they are opening their minds beyond the old religious constructs and finding new ways of expressing their search for God. Many of the things about religion that nonbelievers hate are also being rejected by younger generations, but they are not giving up on God. They say ‘I’m spiritual, but not religious.’ (As are many in the middle generation.) They are more inclusive, more tolerant and more accepting. And they are learning how to encounter religious problems in more productive ways. That, in my opinion, is a step in the right religious direction, and indicates that religion is here to stay.

133

Why Are You Here?

by Believer in

i'm wondering why believers remain members of this forum which is clearly hostile to believers.

as one member said, nonbelievers pounce on any semblance of belief like piranhas on prey.

as former jws we should have had our fill of judgmental know-it-alls, but here we are.

Believer

Ok, Liberator. As you wish. But if you ever want to have a conversation about the subject matter, we can PM and share scriptures. God bless.

133

Why Are You Here?

by Believer in

i'm wondering why believers remain members of this forum which is clearly hostile to believers.

as one member said, nonbelievers pounce on any semblance of belief like piranhas on prey.

as former jws we should have had our fill of judgmental know-it-alls, but here we are.

Believer

Another thing, Liberator. The idea that you must accept the whole Bible as the absolute truth or you’re not a Christian is a WT teaching. Folks who don’t even know what a Christian is! Paul didn’t teach that. He said the old law is obsolete and outdated. He chastised the Christians who tried to keep the law. He said your minds are blinded when you try to keep the law. (Somewhere in Corinthians where he talks about a veil.) Yeah, you DO need the entire bible to untwist yourself from WT teachings. But once you untwist, you are FREE! Free to find God on your own terms and many believers here have done. Jesus freed his followers from burdensome rules and laws. He said just keep these two commandments (you know what they are) and you have fulfilled everything. None of the prophets were called the word of God. Only Jesus. Jesus’ teachings are superior to all of the words of Moses and the prophets. So if you believe Jesus is the word of God, then believe him! And be free!

133

Why Are You Here?

by Believer in

i'm wondering why believers remain members of this forum which is clearly hostile to believers.

as one member said, nonbelievers pounce on any semblance of belief like piranhas on prey.

as former jws we should have had our fill of judgmental know-it-alls, but here we are.

Believer

At the mouth of two atheists! So it must be true. Sorry Liberator, I was wrong.

133

Why Are You Here?

by Believer in

i'm wondering why believers remain members of this forum which is clearly hostile to believers.

as one member said, nonbelievers pounce on any semblance of belief like piranhas on prey.

as former jws we should have had our fill of judgmental know-it-alls, but here we are.

Believer

TheLiberator, nobody can tell you what you can and cannot believe, especially not someone who doesn’t even believe. Why does an atheist get to dictate what a believer must believe? Hogwash! If you’ve bought that argument, I can see why you are discouraged. If I were you, I’d let that foolishness go! If you’re a Christian, you must know that Jesus never said anything like that. He said believe in him. Have faith in him. Love God and love your neighbor. Do good unto others and let God be the judge. Even Paul said to turn away from the old law. Liberate yourself from all those restrictions, brother! Love God, love your neighbor and get on with life!!

133

Why Are You Here?

by Believer in

i'm wondering why believers remain members of this forum which is clearly hostile to believers.

as one member said, nonbelievers pounce on any semblance of belief like piranhas on prey.

as former jws we should have had our fill of judgmental know-it-alls, but here we are.

Believer

DavidJay wrote:

Well perhaps this should be declared a non-believer forum or forum only for atheists. I myself will leave if it makes people feel better.

No, Jeepers!! No need to leave. I think we can all co-exist here. Who thinks this should be an atheists only forum? Or a believer only forum? I certainly don’t. But I am new here, so what do I know. That’s just my gut reaction.

133

Why Are You Here?

by Believer in

i'm wondering why believers remain members of this forum which is clearly hostile to believers.

as one member said, nonbelievers pounce on any semblance of belief like piranhas on prey.

as former jws we should have had our fill of judgmental know-it-alls, but here we are.

Believer

Redpilltwice said:

By the way, do you know how to catch a piranha the easy way? Just dunk raw meat into the water. When they bite, shake them off into a bucket.

Yes, and the fresher the better! LOL! Looks like they can’t help but bite, and then you know will who they are and who to avoid.

133

Why Are You Here?

by Believer in

i'm wondering why believers remain members of this forum which is clearly hostile to believers.

as one member said, nonbelievers pounce on any semblance of belief like piranhas on prey.

as former jws we should have had our fill of judgmental know-it-alls, but here we are.

Believer

Well I see one benefit that has resulted from believers being on this forum. It’s the wisdom you have gained in how to deal with those who oppose what you believe. The refining of faith through the fire, as Vidqun mentioned.

GilesGray, you said:

When we left we found our voice which had been forcefully muted by dogmatic believers. Some of us paid a high price for our freedom of speech and we are not about to lose it again.

Yes, I understand that. But remember, believers were also muted by the same dogmatic believers. So a forum such as this is also the believer’s opportunity to regain their freedom of speech. They don’t want to lose it again either. Surely there can be some respect for that so that every time the words “faith” or “spiritual” or “God” are brought up, the believer is not chastised or ridiculed for it. They should be just a free to say ‘I believe in God’ without have to prove why to those who really don’t care why.

Dubstepped, thanks. Great advice.