What To Say When Someone Says "If U Can Find A Religion That's Better......

by minimus 56 Replies latest jw friends

  • minimus
    minimus

    I'm in no man's land. I have no disdain for spirituality or religion. I just can't say either one is for me. Yet I still find myself praying to God infrequently. it's truly a journey.

  • cognac
    cognac

    Peter said, "Who else are we to go to? You have the sayings of everlasting life."

    So, where do we go? Jesus.

    Jesus also said that you keep searching the scriptures, as if that is what is going to save you. Basically, we don't have to have everything correct in it's absolute sense. So, we don't have to be in the "correct religion", but, what we have to do is abide by basic principles and soundness of mind.

    Nothing was ever said about being in a specific religion.

    Jesus told us to go to him, so, that's what I do...

  • minimus
    minimus

    WHO not where.

  • aligot ripounsous
    aligot ripounsous

    Right, as a still nominal (inactive) JW, I'll try to define "better", i.e. the pieces of creed that JWs taught me, which I found suitable enough for me to adopt them (wasn't born with them) to frame MY truth (can't say anything about absolute truth because it's beyond my reach, I like the phrase "the WAY of the truth) : one unique god, has a name, no trinity, makes us know what He wants us to know about Him through the Bible, in which BTW there are ununderstandable prophecies, Jesus' ransom sacrifice, no hell, the 2 classes convey the satisfying idea that God wants to associate humankind to the fulfilment of His design, yes paradise earth is a nice prospect, it will be even nicer once Jehovah has answered all the interrogation marks that lace it. Anyone has a proposal for a replacement ? Islam & Judaism, please don't apply. I know all too well the serious shortcomings of this religion as an organization, and actually, as with democracy, it's the worst one, apart from all the others (which I know of). Don't tell me that I don't need a religion, I do, unless of course they boot me out.

  • loosie
    loosie

    it is better to have no religion than to be a jw.

  • wha happened?
    wha happened?

    It's funny how quick any part of life can become us against them. JW's picked a big group to fight against, basically the rest of mankind. The apostles tried to stop a man from preaching because he was part of their little group and Jesus corrected them on that

  • Alpaca
    Alpaca

    Minimus, thanks for starting this thread.

    Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
    religion
    c.1200, "state of life bound by monastic vows," also "conduct indicating a belief in a divine power," from Anglo-Fr. religiun (11c.), from O.Fr. religion "religious community," from L. religionem (nom. religio ) "respect for what is sacred, reverence for the gods," in L.L. "monastic life" (5c.); according to Cicero, derived from relegare "go through again, read again," from re- "again" + legere "read" (see lecture). However, popular etymology among the later ancients (and many modern writers) connects it with religare "to bind fast" (see rely), via notion of "place an obligation on," or "bond between humans and gods." Another possible origin is religiens "careful," opposite of negligens. Meaning "particular system of faith" is recorded from c.1300.

    The question itself limits the argument. The real question should be, "If you can show me a belief system that is better......"

    It's no coincidence that the word religion is derived from the Latin verb, religare, meaning "to bind fast." And that is exactly what all religions seek... to bind their adherents to a framework of thought that is externally imposed on them.

    There is absolutely no empirical way to prove either the proposition that God(s) exists or that she/he doesn't and hence the very relevance of religion is likewise called into question. On the one hand it is a logical fallicy to assert that the non-existence of something can be proved. It cannot. One can merely, within the rules of logic, assess what the probabilities are based on what is observed. On the other hand, if there is a God(s) and a religion that is connected with the diety/dieties then one would expect at least some modicum of empirical proof for the diety's/dieties' existence somewhere on the planet. There is none. Occam's razor says (to paraphrase) that the most probable explanation for any given phenomena is the simplest, which rules out most religious explanations of what is going on.

    As far as I am concerned, the belief system that offers the most satisfying and intellectually honest framework for explaining the world and us, is agnosticism and secular humanism. We don't need to have our minds "bound" by some artificial construct of reality to To the contrary, when the human mind is freed of the fear to think without bounds it results in a highly pragmatic and efficient approach to life, social problems, politics, the environment, and the multitude of other things we, as humans, must deal with.

    Cheers to all,

    Alex

  • Maddie
    Maddie

    Whether some religions are "better" than others depends on the degree of damage they cause. I don't believe there is any religious body on earth that has everything right, so would have to be honest and say that.

    Maddie

  • LouBelle
    LouBelle

    I got that over the weekend via facebook. I told her that she doesn't know any better as she has never experienced any other religion than her own. She had aslo said that if everyone was a JW - the world would be a better place - to which I retaliated "That would mean a loss of freedom, a loss of self expression as if you do not think, believe everything that a JW does then you are "dealt with"

  • wha happened?
    wha happened?

    the kool-aid prevails

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