IS DOUBT always an indication of moral failure---FAITH vs. DOUBT?

Terry

Is doubt always an indication of moral failure-- Faith vs. Doubt?

Human survival depends upon a rigorous balance between perception and the means of testing first impressions.

Nature’s own test is that of Eater and eaten.

Inside the food chain, predators blend with their surrounding habitat. Avoidance of death isn’t easy. Survival depends on distinguishing the vine from the serpent, the nectar from the flytrap, the twig from the mantis, the dappled shadows from the leopard.
Self-correcting Human intelligence removed mankind from the Food Chain by a rigorous balance between perception and doubt, cognition, and skeptical inquiry.

That required:SELF_TESTING, which is DOUBT.

The result of this self-correction? Homo sapien dominates all other species.

Before there was Science to create a Technology for medicine and genetic knowledge, the only way out of the ultimate doom of a brief existence was Superstition.

Man’s intellect and imagination have conspired to create a means of escaping even Death itself.

Religion, superstition, and ritual were mankind's first-draft of the means of ‘escape.’

Mankind has created the idea of a super-powerful Being who can rescue him. The price is total fealty, obedience, and unwavering loyalty. These three things are only possible when there is no Doubt.

Why?

Mankind is intelligent enough to know (even hiding this knowledge from himself) the Great Rescuer is imaginary. To counter his fear of death and dying, doubt cannot be allowed to destroy the delicate illusion or his superimposed ‘meaning’ of life would vanish in a cynical and empty purposeless existence.

As history has demonstrated, again and again, religion produces priests, shaman, Witch Doctors, gurus, Spiritual advisors, Popes and Governing Body leaders. Each of these claims to have a unique connection to the mind of God. For a price or a service, they will dispense the Secrets of eternal life and offer protection from death.

These self-empowered religious leaders must rely on Total Obedience for their power and livelihood. If they allow their congregation to TEST them, the authority can vanish with the first failure.
Supreme Authority only is possible with Supreme Control, i.e. (no doubting is allowed.)

The irony is clear. By seeking to escape death, mankind has fallen victim to a Con game.

Trading away skepticism and doubt, they fall victim to eternal servitude. If you doubt this, ask yourself, what does the phrase “A slave of Christ Jesus” actually mean?

Yet, some men and women have resisted both the ‘Leap of Faith’ and the headlong plunge into self-deception. These are thinkers, doubters, and skeptics who put the grand claims of the priests and prophets to the test. When the report is given, the Man of Faith resorts with Denial, Anger and Fear. How can doubt be allowed?

Well, it isn’t!

Who is hated more than any other group but the Atheist?

What is an evangelist other than a desperate storm trooper for an imaginary cause seeking to create an exclusive world entirely free of doubts by eliminating skeptical inquiry?

If they convert the planet, no whistleblower will be left to destroy the illusion of everlasting life.

Which world do you live in? What price do you pay for it?
The believer must live inside a bubble of constantly re-affirmed nonsense and ritual servitude.

The non-believer must live in a coercive society which demeans and reviles him.

Both worlds come at a price.

The True Believer dies with a smile, self-convinced Paradise awaits on the other side.

The non-believer dies knowing his only monument is the life and legacy he has already lived.

A religious believer can do many foolish and harmful deeds and yet have the slate wiped clean.

The doubter must own his deeds down to his last breath. He makes restitution or he dies in infamy.

The test of each person’s character is this decision between FAITH and DOUBT.

Who you really are as a human being determines which choice you make.

Dreamer or Realist?

Is there room to be a doubting believer or a believing doubter?

Revelation 3: 16
Young's Literal Translation
"So -- because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to vomit thee out of my mouth."

The Bible says, "NO."

Don't you dare doubt or you may discover the delusion is inferior as a solution.

Terry

1 Corinthians 7:22

For he who is called by the Lord as a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise, he who is called as a free man is Christ’s slave.

______

We are so accustomed to this sort of language, we never stop to QUESTION whether being a sheep or a slave is a terrible debasement of human intellect.
The realistic thing to point out is this: We actually become sheep and slaves of---NOT GOD--only those claiming they represent God.

That is a HUGE claim and requires doubt to hurdle the possibility we are being conned!

Terry

The dividing line between humans and animals is the ABILITY to QUESTION or own impulses. Animals totally rely on instinct. Pets are easily trained because animals grant unquestioning submission to any more dominant influence.
For a human being to roll over and show their white underbelly is bestial. Submission is surrender.
http://muslimvoices.org/word-islam-meaning/

"In Arabic, the word “Islam” means submission or surrender – however, it was derived from the root word “salam”. From this root word, you can also derive the words peace and safety. Many people feel that Islam implies some sort of enslavement to Allah, but others find it more helpful to define the word “Islam” as surrender."

ttdtt

It is if you are a JW - funny how Jesus didn't condemn Thomas, nor did the disciples shun him.

Finkelstein

Doubt and inquisitiveness might be a measure of human intelligence.

The ancient Hebrew High Priests had to watch out for any open dissension upon their laws which they created themselves within their socialized civilization.

The WTS. and its leaders have inherently tried to model itself upon the ancient Hebrew's approach toward apostasy more so than what your find in other bible based faiths.

This might have come about by some of the core doctrines to which this organization built itself upon such as Christ returning to establish a new earthly kingdom under his rule. (1914)

Terry

2+2=4 does not require a huge philosophical argument to prove.

Religious arguments are very dusty, creaky, and long-winded. In fact, religious Doctrine is so ramshackle, the religious Authority must censor critics because they can't risk using silly rebuttals to convince intelligent people. Criticism exposes false things.
If JW's had THE TRUTH they'd be eager to reason, argue, debate till the cows come home. They'd never shut down discussion and makr you as an Apostate. Why?

Because having the TRUTH, their arguments would make critics look like idiots immediately.
Instead, it's the other way round.

To destroy the possibility of being foolish, religious authorities seek to destroy the moral authority of critics. They label them pejoratively.

Phizzy

What is morally good, let alone right, about holding a faith ?

And Doubt is in my mind not the opposite of faith, nor is it impossible to both have Faith and Doubt.

When I was a JW I never believed we had everything right, but I certainly felt we had some things right, which was "faith", but I had much doubt.

Now I have no faith, I only trust that things are true if they have sufficient quality evidence supporting them, no faith required.

I feel though that I am a better person morally now, than when I had some measure of faith.

Terry

I know I am a better person today than I ever was as a JW.

Now that's a helluva statement for an agnostic apostate to make!

Finkelstein

Doubt is an indication of personal integrity toward honesty

IS DOUBT always an indication of moral failure---FAITH vs. DOUBT?

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