by Sofia Lose 52 Replies latest jw experiences
Sometimes I get a strong curiosity to start dabbling into other religions, other faiths, you know?
Really different ones such as Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, etc.
Has anyone here looked into something else? Has your spirituality been satisfied by any other than Christianity?
SL
Is it possible to achieve spiritual fulfillment in another faith after having been so heavily indoctrinated in a fundamentalist Christian religion?
Islam tickles my fancy tremendously. Even though is so restrictive towards women, I also notice so many women happy and well acclimated in that context. Why?!
Just curious.
SL
If you are curious about religions, I would read up on Joseph Campbell. He has a number of books such as "The Power of Myth", "The Hero with a Thousand Faces", etc. Great reading in comparative mythology/religions. It might give you insight on how humans have created these beliefs over time.
As for satisfying "spirituality" with another religion/belief system, I would recommend you take one minute to think about what you are really searching for. I have learned over time that the feeling some people call "spirituality" is nothing more than the natural feeling of awe, joy, a peak experience, etc. I was indoctrinated to think that those feelings can only be gained by some religion or supernatural belief system.
I assure you, as an atheist living without religion, I still get those feelings. I get them when I look through a telescope, read the latest Scientific American, kiss my girlfriend, watch a great movie or documentary, cook, spend time with friends, help someone, etc.
Before you consider looking for a religion to fill some void, you might want to see if you can fill it with other things. You would be surprised. Just a thought.
I'm not being flippant, why not try satisfying your need by investing your time in astronomy or wildlife photography, conservation or humanitarian assistance?
Look outwards, there is a jaw dropping universe full of wonders that show religions up for the small minded ideologies that they are. There has never been a time like this when so much information and opportunity is available to you.
Don't squander it in a church, mosque or synagogue, a stroll in the countryside and a pub lunch with friends is all the worship you need.
When I left the JWs I went mainstream christian. Then I looked at other types of spirituallity. All failures.
I am now convinced there is nothing. Yes, it would be nice to delude myself with magical answers but in the long run I found that there is nothing out there.
God is without evidence in any faith. I refer to Sagan's 'Dragon in the Garage.'
Great insight by you all.
Many thanks.
Keep the comments flowing.
SL
I dont know why that is Sofia but I am going to speculate that it is somewhat anthropological in origin.
That religion (Islam) had been around a long time and is a survivor so it has something that makes it so.
I would venture to guess that any religion that survives grows and makes people appear to thrive is meeting a need of some type.
While Islam is not progressive of women, it is protective of them (according to its own standard) and is also set up to give very clear guides as to the family structure being important. They have in place an arrangement for financially helping their poor and other social structures that are "built in". Their are holidays with meaning, foods with meaning etc.
When you separate out being Arabic (which is different) or radical like ISSIs (Americans have a hard time with that one sometimes) and look at the religion versus the nationality, its clear that not all the ideas are bad. Nor even most of them.
Like Judaism, it is a culture, a religion, an identity. There is comfort and meaning in that.
Contrast that with the JWs - a new religion...they are frantically trying to instill a "culture" using the tool of uniformity. They are trying to bring in some kind of pride and fun (using technology here recently- a distinctly young American concept) and of course they are having extremely limited success. This is true not just when you compare them to stable religions rich in tradition like Islam but even when you compare them to religions of their own ilk like 7th Day Adventists or Mormons.
Sofia, for me mainline Christianity has been very satisfying. If you go with a liberal church it's nothing like being a witness. But if you want to try other religions, here is my glib little assessment of each :).
judaism-good choice if Jesus is the one you have a problem with.
Hinduism-like Greek mythology, but people today still actually believe it's true.
islam-way too much like being a witness.
Buddhism-this is the one you may really want to look into. If the spiritual side doesn't appeal to you, the philosophical side probably will. Many people who have troubles with Christianity have found fulfillment with Buddhism or secular Buddhism.
atheism/agnosticism-many people make peace with their belief that there isn't or probably isn't a God. They can still have a sort of spirituality/spiritual experiences in everyday joys and a sort of holistic approach to life and as mentioned above, wonder at the world through science.
wicca and similar-these spiritualities celebrate nature and natural cycles. witch broom not required.
