What if religion was simple, would it be enough for you?

by free2beme 6 Replies latest jw friends

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  free2beme

  I was thinking today, what if religion was simple, would it be enough for you? What if someone said, "God does not expect a church or congregation, or even that you read from a certain book each day. All God wants is that you treat each other with kindness, have self respect for your body and those you share this world with you and ask that you simply be thankful for this life by enjoying it and the world you live in." I wonder if that would be enough for people, or would they need those endless church meetings that repeat subject after repetitive subject, and judge others. What if the world was not about the branch of a faith that you belonged too, but rather about the fact that you actually treated yourself and others well. No guilt for not praying or attending church, no judgemental looks for not believing the way another believes. Something just simple and to the point? I don't know why, but in all my journeys in this life and what makes sense. I think what ever higher power actually truly exist, this is all they really want and everything else was just added to make spiritual life about more physical control. Meaning, religion is the best guilt trip, but I don't think that is what was meant.

  What do you think, could you handle the simple thought of an easy to understand religion or is the complex formality what you long for?
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  Dune

  Isnt that basically Atheism? lol. But seriously, if i had be raised that way, it probably would be enough.
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  JamesThomas

  What if someone told you it was simpler still?

  What if the truth, the wholeness, the peace we seek is simplicity itself?

  Look at all the effort in building and supporting the complex matrix of who we believe ourselves to be and it's relationship to the rest of the universe and "God" or whatever. Now stop.

  Stop all doing and straining, all believing, all imagining, all conceptualizing, all movement, and see what is naturally, innately, effortlessly and immovably here.

  Be still, and know...

  j
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  free2beme

  It is interesting if you think about it. What god would give you a life and then expect you to spend the whole thing worshipping and not enjoying the gift? I think you should appreciate what you have and have a good life. Not saying you should do everything wrong under the sun, more in that you should just be a good person and treat others well and enjoy this life. Guilt is something we teach one another, but we come into the world the way it was meant to me. Free to enjoy!
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  Carmel

  It seems we have a good depiction on this board that most atheists do not believe in a "standard of goodness". As I understand them, the concept of "good" does not exist as it requires a value judgement. They see the corruption in religions and assume that there is nothing positive in the original message of the founders thereof. That "goodness" is and individual persons right to chose. I see that as chaos ultimately ending in the rule of the strongest over the "less fit" by their definition. We've been down that road as humans and are emerging out of that kind of rule by brute force. The human condition is "evolving" wether or not we want to acknowledge the source or empitus for that change. To go back to chaos would be a regression rather than an advancement.

  The simplicity for which you appeal is already there in the fundamental spiritual teachings of all the world's religions. They have been encrusted by human invention over time and need "new wine" but not in the old bottles.

  nuf said

  carmel
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  oldflame

  I don't feel that I need religion. It is faith we are required to have. Remember Christ saying "one faith, one baptism" ? Religion is something created by man, faith is something created by Christ. I doo however go to church once in awhile and it gives me that little punch in the butt to remember to keep the faith. So in some ways church is not a bad place to be but at the same time I don't think it is a requirement for salvation.
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  Narkissos

  What if someone said, "God does not expect a church or congregation, or even that you read from a certain book each day. All God wants is that you treat each other with kindness, have self respect for your body and those you share this world with you and ask that you simply be thankful for this life by enjoying it and the world you live in." I wonder if that would be enough for people, or would they need those endless church meetings that repeat subject after repetitive subject, and judge others. What if the world was not about the branch of a faith that you belonged too, but rather about the fact that you actually treated yourself and others well. No guilt for not praying or attending church, no judgemental looks for not believing the way another believes.

  Am I wrong in saying that, in such a talk, where religion stops moralism begins (or, perhaps, goes on)?

  What if "God" (or whatever "God" might metaphorically stand for) did not want, expect or require anything from us?

  What if the main purpose of "religion" was actually to provide a break from the usual course of life -- whether the enjoyment or suffering of life -- including a suspension of morality (what we should or shouldn't do)?

  The separation of a "sacred" place (temple, synagogue, church, masjed, etc.) and/or time (shabbath, Sunday, holidays, festivals) from the "profane" or "ordinary" world and course of events, which seems to be one unsurpassable characteristic of religion (even when religion professes to overcome it, as in Western Christianity), may be just about that. Liturgy, prayer, or mantra, equally distinguish the religious use of language from ordinary speech. Perhaps we just need such a break from our everyday world and life.

  And yes it can be very simple. Silence before a candle or nature for instance may do it much better than hearing lengthy sermons.

  I suspect the nauseating character of the JW religion may be more due to the lack of genuinely religious experience rather than the excess of it. But it's just me...