Religion is about control. Thinking for yourself is the only true freedom.
Many religious people recoil at this idea. Many seem to equate "think for yourself" with "reject God."
But wait a minute. Even when you are reading your "holy books," and listening to sermons or teachings on your god, your traditions, your sacred texts, your religions, who is doing the thinking? Many Christians I have met will say: "Well, it is the Holy Spirit leading the message," or, "These words are not from man, but from the Lord." Wait a tic. Who is the one processing these messages? Isn't it your mind and your brain, and all the emotional and cultural filters that go with it? "Oh, no, no!" says the religious person. "It is the Spirit of God in me."
You know what, to an extent, I don't disagree. I actually believe there is a common understanding of foundational truth in almost all humans. I don't know what lies beyond, or what is "out there." It can be proven pretty simply, however, using your GOD-GIVEN (nature-conferred/supplied) brain and mind, that it is individual humans, delivering, processing, and "understanding" these "messages." Christians, if the Holy Spirit you serve is one, and undivided, and powerful, then why do pastors across the world disagree on what this revered "Holy Spirit" says? Well, one Christian may say, that church over THERE doesn't understand, but the people at MY church, WE do!
You see, it is always an individual doing the processing when it comes to things like this. Why would you abdicate your god-given processor for blind trust in someone else's!? This denies the design of nature/god/life itself.
We are myriad beings, prone to errors in judgement, miscalculations, and mistakes. All in all, we do pretty well. We generally don't walk off of cliffs (our logical faculties know what will happen) and humans generally aren't running around killing and pillaging one another (save the state/governments/police). our brains are pretty good. We all want love. Why in hell would we believe someone who says "Your brain, mind, and body are untrustworthy! Don't trust the logical, emotional, and feeling device that has kept you alive this long, feeding you, helping you avoid dangerous people and situations, and processing zillions of stimuli a second, TRUST ME and my magical message." THIS, MY FRIENDS, IS A KIND OF SUICIDE.
The individual is the primary unit nature has made. We can correct each other and sharpen each other, but never can do so if we believe that we have no authority within ourselves. We do. That is "god." That is nature-conferred individual self-executive capacity. How much more godlike could we be!?!?
When I had this realization, I had to leave organized religion.
Wanna know god? Know yourself. And no, Christians, that's not blasphemy. Your own Christ shared the same message of oneness of all under "the Father." Are kids cookie-cutter drones? No way. They think for themselves. Your Christ said that the kingdom belongs to such as these. Get with it, and stop shooting the messenger (or crucifying him, whichever applies).
~KafkA
Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as Facebook and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!)
Some good points made here.
I think what has happened with all major religions is a type of broken telephone effect.
A long time ago, some well-meaning chap tried to record and pass down some wisdom/insight about the nature of the universe that may have been derived via psychedelic substances and/or meditation/introspection, but due to incorrect translations and misunderstanding by some less informed people, the original ideas were perverted.
And to this day, unfortunately, this perversion persists in the minds of arrogant and ignorant people looking to dominate others.
Very well said...I Totally agree
Me too. This is a great way of thinking about it.
Great post.
It also give HOPE.
Follow me @Yehey
Thank you.
I remember when I was a Christian and still attending church, I had this thought once during worship. I was thinking of the bigger questions, "Hmmm what about abortions? Are the babies saved? Did Noah really saved all animals from the flood? Why are there so many fucking contradictions OH SHIT I SAID FUCK SORRY GOD."
I eventually backslided and gave up church when I started reading more books. Long story short, I just can't believe that all of life's answers, especially the concept of good and evil can be fitted in one book only.
I agree @kafkanarchy84. If you want to know god, life, the universe, or whatever entity, then know yourself first.
And you can know yourself with these 3 simple rules:
That's it.
Thanks for this. Really enjoyed reading this comment and hearing of your experience. I can definitely relate. And your three rules are pretty damn good, in my humble opinion!
Thanks! Religious or not, just respect everybody everyday.
@aldentan Be careful with that though, not everyone deserves respect and tolerance. That's how good people end up used by bad ones. There are many people I can't respect. It's just impossible because of the actions and behaviour of those people.
True, true. I guess we gotta manage with balance and not approach life with cliches and rules.
Solid rules to live by. I would add a fourth, if I may. Make the world a better place than it would be without you.
Yeah, there are many contradictions and odd things in Christianity(in other religions too). I remember watching a scene from a series called the Blacklist. A grown man preached in a church among young children about 2 sisters who gave wine to their old father to make him insanely drunk so they could have sex with him to get pregnant. I was like, "Is this some made up cult stuff for the show or is this real?" Quick search, the Holy Bible. "
I am still interested what religious people would say about this. Or what could anyone learn from this or why is this story special and worthy to include. For some reason, they avoid talking about it if I ask.
" I would add a fourth, if I may. Make the world a better place than it would be without you."
Nicely said that's deep!
Well they avoid talking about it cause they have double standards. Simple as that. I remember dating a christian girl once. EVERY religious rule was given to me, but it didn't seem to apply to her. She was toxic.
Listen to this https://steemit.com/jordan-peterson/@julzee/jordan-peterson-on-the-psychological-significance-of-the-stories-in-the-bible and let me know if you gain a wider view of Christianity ok?
No sorry. It's really long. It's a sweeping statement, but this files up "I won't believe everything I see online", much less on the topic of religion.
Wow. Ok thanks.
Nice post and it reminded me of a joke I once heard which is kinda related -
Q : What did the Buddhist monk say to the hot dog vendor?
A : Make me one with everything ;)
I don't follow any religion but I'm all for it if it's a method for someone to become a better person. But I don't really see that happening in the world. Also, my grandmother is insanely religious and based on the stories she tells me about numerous people who go to the same church as she, those people didn't succeed for sure. Cursing other people, spreading lies, gossips 24/7, backstabbing friends and the list could go on.
Also if religion is the ONLY thing(forever) that keeps away a person from going around doing horrible things... that's another story... (even worse if the religion "tells" him/her to do it)
There is a quote about this in True Detective:
Same goes for those who don't go around punching innocent people randomly just because of the laws. You don't do such thing because it is wrong, and not because of the fear of some jail time.
YES!!!!!!! EXACTLY!!!
It's only 'wrong' because of particular religious belief via tenants that say it's wrong that we have been taught which now seem to be universal knowledge because we're simply human..?. It's not wrong in the Middle East to stone people etc. Or even to enslave people in the Sudan! I think some miss that fact and think that we would still think certain actions wrong in the West had we never been a Christian Nation. You should listen to the psychological explanations by Jordan Peterson about what the religion actually means biologically and psychologically to us. It seems like some dismiss religion too quickly and maybe understandably due to a negative personal experience with institutional religion. But I think there's much more to it.
after a hard month of research about religion (islam) and science i can easliy say that religion have too many contradictions with modern day science and i can feel it was the thoughts of people back then , Thats why i rethank about my religion , being risen in a religious family , i kept sharing my ideas and thought with my parents , and then one day i went and told my mother who says that the 'Quran' is 100% truth and its the ultimate truth and words of god, the problem is religious people like my mother , they all think they have the ultimate truth and the correct book , which makes huge problems , she even told me if science and quran contradicted you should leave science and stay on your quran !! i cant believe how brainwashed these people are,
You are a brave person. What is funny is that my religion told me to seek the truth. I did. That's what led me out of religion. I still feel "spiritual," and do not know what is beyond, but I do believe in love. I respect your pursuit of the truth, and willingness to abandon that which does not match reality. Kudos!
I'd rather lean to the understanding of truth and justice for all and instinct of right and wrong and a good heart than the words of men before that not know what I do now. @isteemithard Proverbs by me
https://steemit.com/religion/@isteemithard/religion-from-an-agnostic
But God give us our body capable of critical thinking to confuse us. God doesn't want us to use our critical thinking that's exactly why he gave it to us.
Yes that is satirical. Hopefully a lot of religious people are thinking critically but I'd love them to push their critical thinking more.
If we don't know something it's more helpful and smart to say we don't know then pretending to know.
@kafkanarchy84 I totally agree with you! We all really should be thinking and deciding for ourselves what is right and wrong unless we are infants. But then all children are unbiased unless we adults teach them one thing over the other.
So the decision to choose is the only thing we are given from birth, and every human being should be given this right to choose and decide with his/her own brain what he/she will become.
But then the religions come and brainwash us to do things we otherwise would never have done be it good or bad.
So everyone should be given the choice to decide on what to believe and which religion to follow that way people will have a real freedom without conflict.
Btw I used to live in Japan as well, I did my master's in TiTECH.
Also upvoted and followed you!
Well said and nice to meet you. Followed back.
You're so right when you say knowing god is knowing yourself.
Sad how many religious people adjust their holy textbook according to their own beliefs without knowing their just further enslaving their mind.
The etymology of the word explains it all.
