TRYing to MAKE sense of it All

[soulpowertothenthdegree 116]

I am often bewildered at the insistence of those that their religion is the ONE. Can something that has been responsible for so many deaths actually be a good thing to emulate? I have looked throughout history at the 1000's of wars that have culminated in the mass destruction and tragic loss of life all in the name of some fictitious God and silly beliefs that have absolutely no basis for truth. When you are given this body to occupy your soul with did you get instructions on a specific religion to follow? NO.

There are those that believe they have one life, you die and that's all folks; I am not one of those. I believe the blueprints you bring with your soul to any life give you all the answers you need and religion is not one of them. Sadly, there is way to much misinformation running rampant and many ill informed teaching the masses.

The way this world operates is designed to brainwash all into thinking there are certain things that are more important than others and certain people are more deserving than others.

I know this topic is always a firestorm of emotions and I know why; You have been taught to believe things for so long, hearing the truth is a huge blow and often inflicts a desire to lash out and become defensive at the very mention it is all based on a bunch of lies.

It is no different for any topic of interest or way of life that comes into question. How can anything you know is true, suddenly become false? It's a gut shot when you find out and causes many to question the veracity of what they are being told is the actual truth.

For instance, you could be adopted and live a life not knowing or be told the circumstances one way and find out something different happened...the possibilities are endless and are not limited to personal circumstances; remember once long ago they believed the Earth to be flat and it was the center of the Universe? Maybe it is...has anyone actually been above it and looked down...with the exception of being on a plane, how many of you have ever been in outer space? My point is we all want to believe what we read in books and are taught by religious scholars is the truth and the truth is not what you see, read and hear from other people, the real TRUTH is what you feel in your heart and soul to be the truth.

If you really want to believe the false facts you have been fed that is your choice, obviously many do, but as I pointed out at the beginning of my thread, what could possibly be good or just about religion when all it does is cause derisiveness and leads to the destruction and death of many? My higher power does NOT think or feel that killing others is justified to further a false religious doctrine.

Soul

[Neognosis 652]

Can something that has been responsible for so many deaths

You are starting with a false premise.

Religion has never been responsible for any war or the killing of anyone.

Religion, like race, color, ethnicity, etc. is just a way to differentiate two groups who are in a conflict over resources.

War is ALWAYS over resources. Land, wealth, natural resources, water, fuel, food, etc.

Religion is nothing more than a way to tell who you are competing with, and a way to convince those who otherwise would not fight over said resources to do so and believe that they are doing the right thing.

[Dumpnuts 704]

You seem to be looking at it with a simplistic & biased view. First off, understand that I myself am an atheist. Now the religions aren't what cause people to harm one another. They may claim that it is their religion that is behind their reasoning, but in the end, they would be just as harmful under any banner. A dangerous Christian would be a dangerous Muslim, atheist or even Buddhist. It's not the belief system or label that makes a man dangerous. It's the way his brain perceives & chooses to interpret those things.

[Ryu 4,187]

People choose their actions and to try and blame their religion is simply a cowards way of trying to abdicate responsibility.

If you ask a religious person about which is the right way, it shouldn't be surprising that they will claim theirs is the only "right" one whether you ask a christian, buddhist, lutheran, taoist, etc the respnse will often be predictable.

However if you want truth then you have to read, study, observe and most importantly, THINK.

Relying on your "heart" to guide you is just as flimsy as relying on a priest or moldy book to give it to you.

No philosophy, regardless of how flashy or fluffy, is able to provide real answers. Life cannot be explained or summed up in a single phrase or sentence.

[grendals_bane 85]

...the truth is not what you see, read and hear from other people,

Wouldn't the above quote mean that what you have said isn't the "truth" as it is something I have read or heard from someone else?

Your arguement that religion has caused thousands of wars isn't true. Religion is just a convient tool used to create an excuse for war, an example of this are the Crusades, which were claimed to be wars about religion but in fact centred around money, resources and power (the true cause of most wars).

[simplybill 2,943]

Interesting thread. I'm looking forward to following it.

Edited January 18, 2014 by simplybill

[Rlyeh 10,238]

People cause war. Religion's greatest achievements and worst desecrations has always come down to humans, a religion without followers is impotent.

[simplybill 2,943]

It is no different for any topic of interest or way of life that comes into question. How can anything you know is true, suddenly become false? It's a gut shot when you find out and causes many to question the veracity of what they are being told is the actual truth.

Thanks for the interesting thread, Soul. I've been pondering this for a couple of hours now. I appreciate a topic that forces me to look closely at my own beliefs. I'm grateful also for the thoughtful responses your thread has gotten.

So in my pondering, I came up with this: I realized my faith and my beliefs are two different things. By tying the two together, my faith in God takes a hit whenever my pet beliefs are found to be in error. Faith should grow and be nurtured, while at the same time keeping a critical eye on my beliefs.

One of my favorite scriptures is in Luke, chapter 6, verse 46: "...he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and built a foundation upon the rock; and when a flood rose, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built."

Of course, as a Christian, I believe Jesus is the "rock". Today I have gotten a better understanding of the words "dug deep".

[libstaK 6,399]

So you believe in re-incarnation for which there is no proof and yet wonder why people believe in particular religions for which there is no proof?

As has been said, religions do not cause wars, people do. Violent people, angry people, greedy people and self-righteous or overly prideful people. Religion provides these people the opportunity to do what they wish most. For others it gives a voice to their discontentment with the world, an excuse to hate others - thankfully we live in an age where these types are villified for the criminals that they are, but we cannot blame entire religions for the actions of the criminally minded we must blame the criminals.

The majority of followers of any religion are peaceful, just as the majority of secular society is peaceful.

[Dumpnuts 704]

So you believe in re-incarnation for which there is no proof and yet wonder why people believe in particular religions for which there is no proof?

As has been said, religions do not cause wars, people do. Violent people, angry people, greedy people and self-righteous or overly prideful people. Religion provides these people the opportunity to do what they wish most. For others it gives a voice to their discontentment with the world, an excuse to hate others - thankfully we live in an age where these types are villified for the criminals that they are, but we cannot blame entire religions for the actions of the criminally minded we must blame the criminals.

The majority of followers of any religion are peaceful, just as the majority of secular society is peaceful.

Truer words...

[ambelamba 673]

Religion has never been responsible for any war or the killing of anyone.

Never?!

[XenoFish 54,439]

Stupid people do stupid things, because it's their right to do them. No one makes anyone do something, it's always their choice. Because one idiot decides to kill in the name of God (pick a god any god). Then gathers a group of idiots to do the same doesn't make the religion itself bad.

Edited January 19, 2014 by XenoFish

[The Krimson King 20]

What about the stories in the bible where war is a direct result of god telling Israelites to kill for their promised land. Jericho for instance.

[simplybill 2,943]

What about the stories in the bible where war is a direct result of god telling Israelites to kill for their promised land. Jericho for instance.

Krimson - I think the general consensus among theologians is that God sent a Messiah not only to reconcile us back into good standing with Him, but to also shield us from His anger. (That's the short version.)

[Grandpa Greenman 9,175]

Religion is a convenient way for the powerful to get people who will not benefit from a war to fight and die in it.

[White Crane Feather 4,965]

Religion is a convenient way for the powerful to get people who will not benefit from a war to fight and die in it.

For god and country

[The Krimson King 20]

Simplybill-I understand that all I'm saying is that there were conflicts as a direct result of god saying kill these people, genocide even. To say wars are only started by bad people in the name of god is false because it is in the bible stating otherwise.