Did you make a new religion for yourself?

by White Dove 23 Replies latest social current

• 

  kid-A

  "My plan: Read the Bible and make a list of my new and old beliefs that I still want to keep and those that I just found."

  The problem with this plan is that you have already limited your intellectual/philosophical growth to one specific book: the bible. Which, in all honesty, is but a copendium of fables cobbled together by a tribe of goat herders wandering through the desert 2000 years ago.

  If you really want to expand your mind, try reading non-religious philosophy, or at the very least, other religious texts such as eastern religious traditions. You need to expand your mind beyond the judaeo-christian worldview, or real growth will simply be impossible.
• 

  greendawn

  My opinion is that we can't be too choosy if the group you associate with is otherwise ok don't bother digging deep and analysing details such as the trinity doctrine. You must pretend to believe some things to get along, that's what I do. As long as they keep the essence of Christianity.

  If one becomes too purist that's a sign of the WTS influence.
• 

  saywhat29

  Oh my God, If I could make up a religion, it would be the collest religion ever! Okay, we would get together and just dance! That's it, nothing, we would all dance and eat and have a good time. We would go door-to-door and tell people they had terrible taste in music and couldn' dance and that'd we'd be glad to show them and have dance-sessions in their homes until their were ready to come to Dance Hall! And I would be a Dance Elder and have these really cool skates on... only the dance elders could wear the cool shit and dictate the dance floor and the music.

  And to become a dance elder you have to let me poke you in the rear. Sorry, my church, my rules. Who wants to join?
• 

  found-my-way

  saywhat, you are off the wall, and awesome!

  I love ya ! (in the friend kinda way)
• 

  tetrapod.sapien

  hi white dove,

  if you decide to read the bible from cover to cover and make a list, be prepared to be at it for a while. in my case, after i got out of the WTS i was still totally cool with the bible, up to a point. and then it started to get a little over the top. i mean:

  "In the beginning" - that's fine. but the next part:

  "God..." - i am still having a hard time with.

  personally, i wish that everyone would make a new religion for themselves. billions of single-person-membership religions.

  good luck on your journey!

  tetra
• 

  SirNose586

  As a minister in the Church of Funk, I preach the Gospel of the Godfather everyday.

  
• 

  bernadette

  white dove

  Thank you so much. I feel such freedom in researching things, though not as deeply as I should. I am comparing different Bibles with the Reasoning book and have found that the reasons and scriptures they give for not doing or doing or believing things are not reasons at all or connected at all with the question. I read the question like should Christians do this or that? and then look up the scripture in the NWT Bible. The scripture doesn't even answer the question! It is not even related to it! Then, I take another Bible and compare it to the NWT and find that they left out a bunch of stuff. Unfortunately, the more I do this, the more disconnected I find the Bible to be. It is becoming less and less harmoneous.

  I remember doing the above - I used to compare different transalations on biblegateway using verses given in the watchtower study each week. What an eye opener that was.

  Nowadays I don't have a religion and don't read the bible - verses do come back to mind though but they have an entirely different meaning for me now.

  My advice to you, after having gone through all that, if you are looking to save yourself time and much sould searching and is to stop thinking and focus on love and grace from your heart - relax into it.

  best wishes

  bernadette
• 

  sweet pea

  I can very much identify with you Whitedove, I think what you're doing is a natural response to where you find yourself right now and you must do what's right for you - we are all different but have lots to offer each other. I was recently recommended a new bible - the Life Application New International Version - its a fantastic non-sectarian translation put together by numerous scholars with a great commentary which will help you appreciate scripture for what is it and bring you closer to your God and Jesus. I am about to embark on an Alpha Course out of curiosity and wanting to keep my faith alive and to see if there exists a religion where we feel good about bringing the children up to have a faith. However , I also realise now that you don't need to go anywhere to worship you can be a spiritual loving being regardless if that is what you choose to be. One day I may not even believe in anything we've previously been indoctrinated to believe, I hope not but we are all on a journey, we just don't know where to. Enjoy the detour as someone once said to me. PS. Check out www.jwfacts.com and look at "Organisation" and "Faithful and Discreet Slave" and it will really help you get your head around whether they have anything to do with salvation. Also check out Pubsinger's posts for advice - he has a strong faith, talks a lot of sense and has helped me greatly. All the best with your journey.
• 

  trevor

  After leaving the WT I went to other churches but ended up looking into Eastern religion. I became aware that many of the ideas used in Psychotherapy are based on Eastern wisdom. My journey finally led me to a place called AWARENESS.

  Life presents us with many choices and out of fear of making the wrong decisions, we often seek guidance. Seeking guidance can lead to allowing others to decide for us. This can be avoided if we are aware. AWARENESS is everything - it separates illusion from reality.

  The search for truth is a personal responsibility and sometimes the conclusions reached may not be the ones we had hoped for. It is sometimes easier to believe what we want to, rather than face reality. Reality is not always agreeable, but it is always truthful.There is truth in love. There is truth in the silent witness of nature, for it never lies, it simply is.

  trev
• 

  jgnat

  One thing I noticed about the Witnesses, they don't have a core set of beliefs. Except maybe, "Obey the Faithful and Discreet Slave". Instead they have myriads and myriads of rules, doctrines, and beliefs. Like, who the 144,000 are, the condition of the dead, smoking, and on and on and on.

  Orthodox Christianity, on the other hand, is a short list of beliefs in an attempt to answer the question, "What is Christian?". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicene_Creed. Everything else is window dressing, like how often to serve communion, sprinkle or immersion, kneel or dance, pass the plate or not.

  I think it's great that you are questioning and reviewing your beliefs. Instead of a long list, however, I suggest you first figure out what is the essence, the core of what you believe? Then decide not to sweat the small stuff.