Comments on: God? What God? A Look at Personal Religion http://relijournal.com/religion/god-what-god-a-look-at-personal-religion/ Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:03:40 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Spike http://relijournal.com/religion/god-what-god-a-look-at-personal-religion/comment-page-1/#comment-20343 Spike Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:07:24 +0000 http://relijournal.com/religion/god-what-god-a-look-at-personal-religion/#comment-20343 Is believing in something a moral or ethical act in itself? After beig indoctrinated into the Christian religion as a teenager, I ended up struggling with questions as an adult. Did I have faith? Was my faith strong enough? Did I place my faith in the right doctrine? Was faith alone sufficient or was obedience also a requirement? Could I loose my faith? Had I already lost it? I finally realized that what I had actually been taught to have faith in was not a god but rather to have faith in faith. However, anything worthy of being called god whould not really care whether or not you believed in it because your act of believing would not make such a god any more or less real that it already is. The existence of a god should be self-evident. I no longer buy the premise of so-called revealed religion where a hand full of men are chosen to supernaturally discern the mind of god for the rest of humanity and then get the job of being mouthpieces to convince others to believe. I was once one of those people who outsource their moral compassing to such an external source of religious authority. I was brainwashed into thinking I could not tell right from wrong unless I got my morality out of a book or from a magisterium. I now conclude that any being which demands faith is one which has needs, insecurities and an ego that must be defended against insult. Such a god no only starts to look suspiciously like the very men who promote a great magistrate in the sky, but such a god would also be down right dangerous as it struggled not to be forgotten. It would fear fading into oblivion if everyone happened to stop believing in it. Rob god of belief and you rob it of its power. That's a weak god. If there is a god, it is the god's responsibility for making itself evident rather than playing hide and seek and then arbitrarily blaming creatures for not finding it. The problem with belief is that it can be coerced as just as it can arise naturally from life experiences. In a religion which operates under a system of rewards and punishment, to have faith is never really a natural, free choice. Rather, it is a sheer ultimatum. Believing under those circumstances is not morality. It is self-serving prudence. One is simply saving their hide. In conclusion, I no longer see any great morality or ethical superiority in the simple act of believing. From now on, I will have faith in something because I have evidence for it, not because I was threatened with punishment for failing to believe. An idea is ethical because it has intrinsic merit, not just because it is believed in. write2talk2spike@yahoo.com Is believing in something a moral or ethical act in itself? After beig indoctrinated into the Christian religion as a teenager, I ended up struggling with questions as an adult. Did I have faith? Was my faith strong enough? Did I place my faith in the right doctrine? Was faith alone sufficient or was obedience also a requirement? Could I loose my faith? Had I already lost it? I finally realized that what I had actually been taught to have faith in was not a god but rather to have faith in faith. However, anything worthy of being called god whould not really care whether or not you believed in it because your act of believing would not make such a god any more or less real that it already is. The existence of a god should be self-evident. I no longer buy the premise of so-called revealed religion where a hand full of men are chosen to supernaturally discern the mind of god for the rest of humanity and then get the job of being mouthpieces to convince others to believe. I was once one of those people who outsource their moral compassing to such an external source of religious authority. I was brainwashed into thinking I could not tell right from wrong unless I got my morality out of a book or from a magisterium. I now conclude that any being which demands faith is one which has needs, insecurities and an ego that must be defended against insult. Such a god no only starts to look suspiciously like the very men who promote a great magistrate in the sky, but such a god would also be down right dangerous as it struggled not to be forgotten. It would fear fading into oblivion if everyone happened to stop believing in it. Rob god of belief and you rob it of its power. That’s a weak god. If there is a god, it is the god’s responsibility for making itself evident rather than playing hide and seek and then arbitrarily blaming creatures for not finding it. The problem with belief is that it can be coerced as just as it can arise naturally from life experiences. In a religion which operates under a system of rewards and punishment, to have faith is never really a natural, free choice. Rather, it is a sheer ultimatum. Believing under those circumstances is not morality. It is self-serving prudence. One is simply saving their hide. In conclusion, I no longer see any great morality or ethical superiority in the simple act of believing. From now on, I will have faith in something because I have evidence for it, not because I was threatened with punishment for failing to believe. An idea is ethical because it has intrinsic merit, not just because it is believed in.

write2talk2spike@yahoo.com

]]> By: JEAN FOSTER http://relijournal.com/religion/god-what-god-a-look-at-personal-religion/comment-page-1/#comment-18251 JEAN FOSTER Sat, 04 Jul 2009 15:25:21 +0000 http://relijournal.com/religion/god-what-god-a-look-at-personal-religion/#comment-18251 There is only one true GOD and he lives in heaven.he is the only GOD who sent his only son JESUS CHRIST TO BE THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD. NO MAN CAN COME UNTO THE FATHER [god] but through JESUS CHRIST. GOD'S WORD IS SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED. THAT MEANS ONLY THE TRUE CHRISTIANS CAN UNDERSTAND GOD'S WORD. BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT LIVING IN THEM. ONCE YOU HAVE JESUS CHRIST LIVING IN YOUR HEART HE CAUSES THE CHRISTIAN TO DO GOOD WORKS. BUT GOOD WORKS ALONE WITHOUT CHRIST DOES NOT TAKE US TO HEAVEN. THE WAY TO FIND OUT IS TO GET ON YOUR KNEES , TALK TO GOD YOURSELF.HE WILL GIVE YOU THE ANSWER. LOVE YOU IN CHRIST JESUS. GOD BLESS. There is only one true GOD and he lives in heaven.he is the only GOD who sent his only son JESUS CHRIST TO BE THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD. NO MAN CAN COME UNTO THE FATHER [god] but through JESUS CHRIST. GOD’S WORD IS SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED. THAT MEANS ONLY THE TRUE CHRISTIANS CAN UNDERSTAND GOD’S WORD. BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT LIVING IN THEM. ONCE YOU HAVE JESUS CHRIST LIVING IN YOUR HEART HE CAUSES THE CHRISTIAN TO DO GOOD WORKS. BUT GOOD WORKS ALONE WITHOUT CHRIST DOES NOT TAKE US TO HEAVEN. THE WAY TO FIND OUT IS TO GET ON YOUR KNEES , TALK TO GOD YOURSELF.HE WILL GIVE YOU THE ANSWER. LOVE YOU IN CHRIST JESUS. GOD BLESS.

]]> By: ladybaby http://relijournal.com/religion/god-what-god-a-look-at-personal-religion/comment-page-1/#comment-18249 ladybaby Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:40:10 +0000 http://relijournal.com/religion/god-what-god-a-look-at-personal-religion/#comment-18249 Religion is a personal relationship with the creator we believe in. To often religion has made love turn into hate by expecting followers to do as they say, and not think for themselves. Religion is a personal relationship with the creator we believe in. To often religion has made love turn into hate by expecting followers to do as they say, and not think for themselves.

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