Just a thought-Has anyone ever wondered? (page 3)

Carmel

Maybe relying on the bible as the only reference for whether or not there is a god should be called into question.

carmel

I think about that kind of stuff all the time. I used to just think about that kind of stuff sometimes, but ever since I was involved with the JW's for a short time, I've had that stuff on my mind constantly. I think the JW's kind of screwed up my view of God.

fairchild

Good question you brought up. What puzzles me often is this.. I don't doubt that there is a God at all. But why didn't he make it so that we could all be 100% certain? Like, have a bible scripture appear in a blue sky with red letters every Wednesday afternoon or something.. something really clear so that there would be no doubt at all for anyone. This idea might sound crazy, but wouldn't that be easier, for all of us? I am told that God gave us the bible and that should be sufficient, but then others tell me that the bible is just another book.. so who am I, little being, to know who is right?

JAVA

I think the JW's kind of screwed up my view of God.

Fear-based religions have a way a screwing many things up, but that's how they keep their followers in line.

On the topic of god, lets say you're the one that started the ball rolling, and created the world. When it first happened, and there were only a few folks around, you talked to them and gave some direction. As time went on the few became many, problems and religions multiplied and to make matter worse, you became silent.

It doesn't make sense; why would you do that? The idea that the Bible (or any other so-called holy book) has the answers, and god can sit back and wait until you read the directions is a little weird when you think about it. If 100 people read the manual, and come away with 100 different conclusions, all with various results, what does that say about the writer?

If there is a higher power who started the show, I don't think that power has anything to do with religion and their holy books. Your conclusion about god (whatever it is) is just as good as anyones, for indeed--god is in the mind of the beholder.

Davin

I think anyone who's ever been a jw has HAD to wonder about those things.

I guess whenver I've thought about it, I've narrowed it down to one of two things.

One is that God is a cognizant being that doesn't live in a red or blue state. It has the option to simply exist, while everybody argues about how they all want to believe in this same wonderful thing. And maybe if it were to ever have anything consequential to do with humanity, it would be when everyone stops acting like kids on a playground that can't get along with eachother, and he wouldn't have to worry about coming off as a favoritist. Non Partisan God would work okay with me.

Second is that maybe God is simply the pursuit of unity. God is the ideal of a species that hasn't realized it's own motion towards the best kind of strength in numbers - when everybody plays for the same team and cuts out all the trite bs that divides us. My God could beat up your God, my Acura is 2 months newer than yours, a 6 foot tv could change my life - maybe God is just this mutually shared idea in all cultures that there is something more to life than adversity and death, and maybe that something noone realizes is the subconscious desire for simple unity. There you go. Collective subconscious? My college psych theory professor would be psyched (or maybe hate it...)

Maybe this is why my friends call me a hippie sometimes?

PinTail

This life is a test, if it were a real life we would have been instructed what to do and where to go, and of course whom to do it with. Shane

prophecor

I've truly wondered about the knowledge thats available thru other sources than the Bible.

Yoga, Buhddist beliefs, even some the wisdom in Islam.

Looking at the cultural and religious divide, there appear to be more serenity, depth of character, knowledge and wisdom beyond those who submit and subject themselves to the status quo of Christianity.

The strength that can be found in the spiritual that is Oriental in nature is something of pacific beauty. I have always wished to be able to take much of that same energy onto myself.

Restricting ourselves to Bible teaching alone leaves a sizeable portion of the rest of humanity in a vacuum, leaving no opportunity whatsoever for growth and keeping ourselves locked in a state of ignorance, much like the belief that their is no life in the universe apart from what exist on this planet.

Balsam

Deist, believe that a god of some sort created life. I have come to feel this is probably correct view point. Traditional Judeo/Christian Religions do not have the only way.

http://www.deist.info/

How to Practice Deism

Be true to yourself.

Have faith in yourself.

Think, think about thinking.

Find wonder and awe in the universe.

Love yourself. Love the Deity. Love others.

Don't be a beggar when praying. Just be thankful.

Know that all others are just as special as you. But, also know, that no one is any more special than you.

Know that you are not perfect, and that is okay!

Be respectful and tolerant of others. They too are imperfect.

Search for the truth, and embrace any truths you may find along the way, but be willing to change your ideas about the truth when new information comes along.

Midget-Sasquatch

Since learning the point of the "telephone" game in grade school, I always thought that the surest way for "god" to give us any message was personally. Never getting one personally was a saddening thought as a child, but as I grew up it was more of a melancholy one. Maybe there simply isn't anyone on the other line. Then the silence wouldn't still be nagging me.

Then again, maybe we've externalized this classical creator "god" and expect a message from the outside and that's all wrong. Maybe, if we're open to it, we can get a personal experiential sense of the divine (whatever its nature) through the thoughts/emotions that motivate us to help one another, and the reciprocal joy that comes from it.

Just a thought-Has anyone ever wondered?