Is it acceptable to change your beliefs?

by kenpodragon 12 Replies latest jw friends

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  kenpodragon

  I have mentioned on this board before, that I think the downfall of organized religion rest in the fact that they are to stubborn to change. Meaning, "what is, will always be." As they feel their teachings are based on God and that is all that matters. What bothers me in this, is the fact that nature to me teaches otherwise. Nature teaches adaptation, and progression of life. Meaning, what worked for my grandparents and my parents, might not work for me. Does that mean that what existed before me was wrong? No it just means that what was before me, was right for a different generation and a different person that is not me. Now in my life I have gone through many phases. I was the Witness who only listened to the society, then a lost soul trying to figure it all out, and then now "the person who find contentment in all the messages of life." In my current state, my life is no longer about "what this person said" or "what this person wrote." My life is about listening, reading, watching and seeing what means something to me. Now these things might not all be a book or thought based on religion. Sometimes I can find education in watching a bird care for her young, or seeing the way a tree grew around rocks to get to the height it needed too. I may even find education in thoughts from a moment long ago, that just needed to be reconsidered in my mind. The thing is, my thinking changes. What do I mean? Well does a student enter college with the same amount of education that they will have when they exit? No, because they are paying to learn that information from the people who know it. To me, that is how life is as well. I did not enter this world with all the knowledge I would have at death, I did not leave the Witnesses with all the knowledge I would have in the end. I am that student in college, only the college is nature and life. So with this in mind, "is it acceptable to change your beliefs?" I would say yes!! What is more unacceptable is thinking you are right all the time, and making yourself deaf to the council and education that is offered in life. My thoughts change from time to time, not as much now as they did when I first came into this world, or when I left the old religion. Yet, I see small things or lessons all the time, and learn things every day. So it does not surprise me, that at times when I read old thoughts I wrote. I sit there thinking of a million things I could have added, or another way I could have said it. For you see, that is the education of life. The progression of knowledge and the acceptance of education, from where ever it comes from. My thought Dragon

  Edited by - kenpodragon on 8 November 2002 15:34:58
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  mouthy

  I think that was very well said.I too enjoy the birds with there young & the tree example-Yes I do think we can change our minds. I am old- & have changed mine many,many times....I am now at a stage where I think I have it right-but I have been wrong many,many, time-- So I just keep on reading

  Enjoying the beauties of nature-Which helps me to believe in a Creator..... Of course there are times. When I witness what Man/woman/do - I get very discouraged with God -& ask him "Why not finish it all ?" I would if I was God!!!!!!

  I know this is wrong thinking-Alright I have changed my mind since I first started to write it.
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  JT

  nice points
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  AmazingProgeny

  I have learned to love change. I have gone through a lot of changes during my life. The most changes have come in the past ten years since leaving the JWs. I agree with what you said. You expressed it very beautifully. Life is a journey of change and should be enjoyed. I am so glad that I left the JWs so that I could have the freedom to grow and change. So many of my beliefs have changed and I have loved every minute of the journey.

  Jennifer
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  PurpleV

  I have mentioned on this board before, that I think the downfall of organized religion rest in the fact that they are to stubborn to change.

  JW's excepted, of course! They have "new light" all the time!

  PurpleV (of the Ducking and Running class....)
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  funkyderek

  Is it acceptable to change your beliefs?

  Yes, absolutely. In fact, it's imperative to change your beliefs when the available evidence changes. Fortunately, this is not difficult. It's only necessary to be intellectually honest and believe what the available evidence compels you to believe. Those who refuse to change their beliefs in the face of contrary evidence are stupid and/or dishonest.
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  Scully

  I'm one of those people for whom change is traumatic. Being constant, to me, has a quality of comfort, and I do like comfort.

  On the other hand, I do accept that change is inevitable, and when it happens I know it's going to be a difficult transition, but hold an awareness that I can regain that comfortable feeling once the metamorphosis is complete.

  Adaptation is one of the hallmarks of nature - for humans and everything else on earth. We adapt to the weather. We adapt to our surroundings. We adapt to minute changes in our physical bodies - a fever is the body's response to infection - pain a response that allows us to prevent serious injury or a way for our body to tell us to slow down or stop whatever we're doing that causes pain.

  Changing one's beliefs allows us to grow from one reality - the reality where we believed in something that wasn't necessarily correct, but was comfortable - to another reality where we feel that it's ok to not always know the answer, and ok to make big mistakes and do something to rectify the mistakes. The new reality affords us with a sense of accomplishment, a feeling that we've grown in our knowledge and a feeling that we've gotten to know ourselves better.

  I always used to laugh at the illustration JWs used of Paul - who went from being a Jew who persecuted Christians - to being a Christian himself. The rationalization was that it was ok for Paul to change his belief system, so it was ok for a Catholic to change their beliefs and become a JW, for example. But when the shoe is on the other foot, and it's the JW who's struggling with the inconsistencies of their belief system, and who sees glaring errors in the doctrines, well that just doesn't apply, does it?? LOL But I think that's what Paul was referring to when he talked about the "tested quality of your faith". Faith was something that needed to be examined and picked apart, the way a detective studies a crime scene to come up with answers as to what happened. It's hard to be that objective when we're talking about our "eternal life" and "salvation", but it's necessary.

  I don't feel bad about changing my beliefs, and I'm not about to allow anyone to use shame and guilt to make me feel bad about it. I know that I've examined my beliefs thoroughly before changing them, and I'm happy to be on the other side of that monumental struggle.

  Love, Scully
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  Tashawaa

  Dragon,

  I have to whole-heartedly agree with your statement about life's "learning curve"... however

  I have mentioned on this board before, that I think the downfall of organized religion rest in the fact that they are to stubborn to change. Meaning, "what is, will always be." As they feel their teachings are based on God and that is all that matters.

  I wish to add, that I don't believe that "organized religion" will ever "fall" or be stopped. In a way, all organized religion is part of the "learning curve". I think they are a necessary step in any spiritual development, regardless of belief system (eg. Muslim, Christian, Jew). Some people chose, out of their own necessity to remain in a system that can provide answers. Some chose (like ourselves) to use that past experience and build on it. An even organized religion, over time, changes doctrine. I know my own ideas of "God" have changed based on what I have observed through nature.
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  kenpodragon

  Tashawaa,

  Religions do have their purpose in education, in the same way a tree has it's purpose in nature. They are both things we can learn from, see strength in the way they hold themselves. Yet, it is important that we see both as something that should grow and perhaps in time, it might be something that should be used for something else all together. Some may need to cut down the tree, and build a home. Yet, the tree and religion still existed and served their purpose of education in their time in our lives.

  My thought

  Dragon
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  AGuest

  Dearest 'Dragon... peace to you!

  Your post is quite thought-provoking and I would like to say that religions DO change... all the time! That is why you have the "Orthodox" this and the "Reformed" that. But not always for the good. For example, one thing that a lot of religions miss, though, once they're established, is that they are based... on understanding at the time of institution! Which is a "danger" when dealing with religions: "this is what we believe/think/teach... and we want people who believe/think/teach... like us!"

  I will give you an example: prior to knowing my Lord as I now do, I thought I had faith. Hey, I was the quintessential "J-dub sista'"! Of course, I had faith! And yet, soon after having revealed himself to me, my Lord also revealed to me... that I did NOT have faith; in fact did not even know what it truly was... and what tiny bit ("mustard seed") I had to even hear and see him... was GIVEN me... by him! On my own, I had nothing. Now, early on, that was something a bit "hard" to swallow: "I have faith, Lord, truly I do!" I have since learned that I wasn't even in the running [of the race] for faith... heck, I couldn't even compete in the "special olympics" for that one! I have since also been taught that I did not have love, I did not have peace, I did not have a plethora of things... and am still working on them... particularly self-control (I have a weakness for chocolate, although a diabetic... among many others greater things of self-control that I work on, but praise Jah there is a savior to "rescue" me!). But... I had to be willing to acknowledge that what he showed me... about MYSELF... was true: I was not what and where I thought I was!

  My point: TRUE "christianity" is progressive. It has to be. As my Lord said, "I have many things which I have not told you... yet... which you are unable to bear." When we are "concieved" as "christians"... we are at an embryotic stage, which much be nourished in order to grow. And as we RECEIVE nourishment... by means of eating from the Tree of Life... we GROW! Such growth does not happen all at once, overnight. True, the calling can and does... but as it is said, once that occurs, "And God... will FINISH YOUR TRAINING."

  Problem is, when folks start building entire institutions on what they believe at a given time, they do not leave room for such growth, for clearer understanding of what truly was "hazy" initially... although they did not know it at the time. And no, this is not one of those "the light gets brighter" deals - the Light has ALWAYS been bright, always will be. What is SUPPOSED to occur... is as it is written:

  "The PATH of the righteous one gets brighter and brighter!"

  That means that the individual's PERSONAL WALK... on the "Way" of Life... gets brighter as he/she gets closer to the Light. True, what is around that one gets "illuminated", but more than that, what he/she truly IS... or is not... gets illuminated! He... she. His or her OWN nakedness gets exposed, so that he or she... PERSONALLY... can "put on clothing". What is that "nakedness" that is revealed? His or her own heart... and its darkness... its LACK of light... so that its holds within it... hatred and/or hypocrisy. How is that darkness covered up? How is that nakedness clothed? With LOVE, born of a NEW personality... one existing in love.

  Now, I am as guilty as the next guy of wanting to stop at the "elementary" understanding... as "mature" understanding sometimes came with the thought that I would have to abandon a previous thought, understanding... or level. But the benefits have been GREAT: as I have discarded rules and regulations... law... for LOVE... and faith... those two "fruits" of my Father's spirit against which there IS NO LAW... have grown in me! Not only that, it seems that as they grow (along with the others), rather than crowding out new growth, they actually EXPAND the size of my heart... so that MORE CAN GROW! Does that mean that I am now "without law"? No, it simply means that if whatever I do I do in love... there can be no law against it. It is only those things that I do outside of love, joy, faith, kindness, mildness, goodness, long-suffering and self-control... which are subject to law. And for THOSE things... there is a "ransom".

  Religionists, though, and people who attempt to adhere to "law" do so... out of FEAR! Change... takes COURAGE... and it also takes being able to look at what you are... and where you were... and while you may "see" that it was wrong, see also that it was, for whatever reason, necessary. You had to know what "law" was... before you could TRANSCEND it... with LOVE! You have to know what "transgressing law" is... not only to be able to ask to be forgiven... but to be able to FORGIVE!

  And even more than change... love... takes courage. It is quite easy to hate, to judge, to hold a grudge, to point the finger and condemn; truly, it is in the "nature" we inherited from Adam to do these things. However, IF we allow ourselves to "inherit" a "nature" that is from God... then we will have the courage... to love. Always... and everyone.

  Why is that important? Because religions (particularly "christian") tend to keep their folks in line with fears regarding dying at Armageddon, going to Hell, being rejected from God's good grace, etc. However, my Lord did not "gain" followers by such teachings: he gained them, by LOVING them! When they were hungry, he fed them. When they were sick, he healed them. And he taught them not to WORRY... about ANYTHING... including their "place" with him. Even when they disappointed him... even when they denied HIM... even when they said they would NOT put faith in him... he never disappointed them, he never denied them... and he always had faith... in them.

  There should be no fear in change, but there is, because change threatens what was in existence before, just as my Lord's message of change threatened the Jewish system. But as my Father has said, through my Lord... "Look! I am making ALL things... new!" And to me, that denotes change. And I am quite ready for it... even if it means I, SJ, have to change... what I think, what I believe, what I teach. Because if it is TRUTH, then none of it is mine anyway, but what I have received from my Lord, JAHESHUA MISCHAJAH, the Son and Christ of the Holy One of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, his Father and mine, JAH... of Armies.

  Again, I bid you peace!

  A slave of Christ,

  SJ