Who God, What God, When God, Where God and Why God?

[Taff Lafferty]

If a hundred different religions have to be wrong for yours to be right, does this show that people from all over the world like to invent gods that don’t exist?

[JehovahsWitness]

It is customary at this point in the conversation to offer a short list of the reasons you don't think this happened ...?

Because I believe Charles Russell and his associates gave evidence of doing their best to adhere to what the bible says on religious topics rather than adhere to religious tradision. I believe the bible to be the word of God, so in making a concerted effort to distinguish between non-biblical tradition and bible teaching, Russell and those like him proved they were not simply seeking to misguide and mislead the gullible but to establish religious truth.

Though not unique, and certainly not infallible, those early bible students respected the principle found in Romans 3:4 "God must be true" and in doing so broke away from many of the teachings that I believe have shackled people to falsehoods for centuries, such as the immortality of the soul, fear of eternal torture in hellfire, the teaching that the bible god is truine in nature, as well as come to an understanding of many of the bible truths JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES still hold to be true today such as the need to meet together for study and worship, the role and importance of the Kingdom in God's purpose and the obligation for each individual Christian to preach the gospel (see Mat 28:19, 20).


Further reading
http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1102014241#h=13


For further information, please see the docudrama posted below

[Elijah John]

I don't want to sound rude but that just is wrong, it is arrogant and it is incorrect.

I notice when the thread you weave unfolds you leave the debate with a thank you and a wave goodbye, you don't handle criticism well.

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[Taff Lafferty]

[Replying to post 12 by Elijah John]

I believe i was responding to his post.

I think that this is an unwarranted and unreasonable criticism of me.

[Hamsaka]

If a hundred different religions have to be wrong for yours to be right, does this show that people from all over the world like to invent gods that don’t exist?

LOL to Mr. Divine Yes, to be so unbelievably fortunate to have been born with the 'right' religion's church just down the street, in a culture deeply shaped and impacted by the 'right' religion espoused by the church down the street in my town/state/nation/hemisphere/planet/solar system/Milky Way/Cosmos.

The pattern my pattern-seeking brain identifies is that people, individuals, are instinctive significance-seekers, and find that significance from the personal 'ego' on upward to the group/community/nation. They find their 'special' and 'unique' significance in a group/community/nation that strives to set themselves apart from the rabble. It's another horn of that troublesome elitism.

My kids are particularly smart, good looking, successful and so is my Dad/Mom and the town I grew up in took State in football AND basketball six years running while *I* was in the one marching band that blew everyone's socks off in the Daffodil parade . We aren't like 'those people' who don't clip their lawn or pick up the trash in their driveway or let our kids run outside without coats or shoes with snotty noses and probably lice. That's the 'pattern', it ain't no different, we humans have a tendency to want to be better than, in whatever way, in order to be any 'good' at all.

Makes perfect sense that Jesus is the only way to be saved, and 'those people' over there aren't True Christians because they don't believe in the Trinity or accompany their hymns with musical instruments when it is NOT in the Bible to do so.

That said I am ironically reassured by the similarities in religious doctrines across the world; a person could divide a piece of paper in twenty or so columns and distill them all down to some truly pro-social, compassionate, ethically nurturing and necessary disciplines to tame our beastly natures.

I suppose if there is objectively only ONE true God and/or religion, the poor folks trying to get by in the other fake religions with false gods would be too devolved to walk and breathe at the same time? Yet they aren't. I don't have any lingering doubts there is an actual God or religion it is dangerous to dismiss as ancient superstition, however well intentioned. I'm hardly alone. I feel 'significant' in my lack of significance, save friends, family and the patients I've known.

I wonder, seriously, if the above points to the individual's likelihood of involvement in a particular religion -- that yearning for personal significance. Since most human things occur on a spectrum between extremes, I wonder if those to orient toward either extreme are particularly afflicted with a nagging sense of their own insignificance. Surely it is what drove Omar Mateen to become radicalized, Dylan Roofe to seek his moment of revolting 'fame', Timothy McVeigh's involvement in Christian Identity and his subsequent massacre in OK City.

Toward the middle of this 'spectrum' lies most of the rest of us, not severely plagued with insignificance, but seeking it in a religious, political or some other ideological framework providing special identity and goodies that go along with it. My hand is raised along with the rest.

The greater a person's divisiveness and vigilance to keep themselves/their group/community/religion/ethnicity distinct and 'above the rabble', the greater is that driving force for 'special' significance. Not 'just as' significant, or equally significant with respected differences, but MORE significant. The closer a person goes toward that end of the spectrum, the greater is their need to succumb to special pleading and avoidance of reason simply to justify their personal/group significance.

[Taff Lafferty]

JW,

Is that what happened to the people around Charles Russell?

I don't believe so no.

It is customary at this point in the conversation to offer a short list of the reasons you don't think this happened, eh?

No response yet....

[Taff Lafferty]

[Replying to post 14 by Hamsaka]

A lot of words, what you seem to be describing is these groups/cults think they are all Santas little helpers with a good moral compass, that being in a group/cult mentality more deeds more god.

Decency covers that for me.

Religions are devoid of compassion for its fellow man by what?

To me it seems its by differences, therefore each religious group/cult is wrong as the moral compass is skewed.

[ttruscott]

JW,

Is that what happened to the people around Charles Russell?

I don't believe so no.

It is customary at this point in the conversation to offer a short list of the reasons you don't think this happened, eh?

No response yet....

POST 11, Taff...

[Taff Lafferty]

[Replying to post 17 by ttruscott]

Ta.

[Hamsaka]

[Replying to post 14 by Hamsaka]

A lot of words, [/quote}

It's one of my superpowers, difficult to control sometimes . . .

what you seem to be describing is these groups/cults think they are all Santas little helpers with a good moral compass, that being in a group/cult mentality more deeds more god.

A bit on the less-charitable side, but minus the Santa snark yes, religious groups and cults give their members the personal significance every human desires, and a set of moral/ethical goals that result in reward. Isn't what we choose to do with our lives always an extension of personal significance and reward-rather-than-punishment? At least at first.

I admit I shake my head at religion as well, but I was once one of 'em. Tried to be, and finally gave up. It's easier for me to characterize the need for religion and god beliefs without scorn, I really hate to scorn myself and honestly, I can only imagine what religion looks like to a person who's never been religious. I see it myself. WTH?

Decency covers that for me.

Me too. "Decency" is a mighty big subject.

Religions are devoid of compassion for its fellow man by what?

Not sure what you mean here, but I do find some religionists and their fundamentalist or evangelical beliefs almost devoid of compassion for their fellows.

Religions aren't persons, in a poetic fashion they may have a 'soul' but basically they are a structured set of expectations and punishments and rewards. But they aren't anything at all without the people using them.

I'd say it's more accurate that some people are relatively devoid of compassion for their fellows, and how they utilize their religious beliefs (interpret, unpack) is going to be along uncompassionate lines. You can't 'be' what isn't in you to be. Some folks aren't very sensitive, or are too damaged by whatever to find compassion within themselves and therefore can't behave compassionately. It's not deliberate on their part, it's effortless, a natural expression. That said, they wreak havoc and do/say damaging things and frankly, I have just about no sympathy for them. Not that they would register it anyway.

To me it seems its by differences, therefore each religious group/cult is wrong as the moral compass is skewed.

I think all religions regardless are 'wrong'. We're wrong as soon as we've decided what God is, if such a being exists. And I don't mean we're wrong because God can only be apprehended subjectively, or 'felt'. We're wrong because we can't know that which isn't in some way a reflection of ourselves. It's why there's a demanding, punishing God and a loving and compassionate one all in the same religion. God is whatever we need him to be, and if you (generic) need to believe in a God, you will and God will be what you believe you need. Or worse, what you believe other people need.

None of this means that God doesn't exist, it just means we can't decide if God exists or not except for ourselves, and then to keep in mind if you do believe that everything you've ever been told could be wrong, and you're on your own.

[Taff Lafferty]

[Replying to post 19 by Hamsaka]

Thank you for your post, i have never been anything really in regards to organised religion, but man has managed to create thousands of religions all contradicting each other.

Its like we need an a, an actual thing so we can enslave ourselves in ignorance, that ignorance is in arrogance to all others outside of your designated cult or observance.

Most annoying is when i ask legitimate questions i feel that im met with pointless scripture not a real answer that comes from any other area than a dogmatic book.

Frustration is giving negativity to my direct questioning.

Kind of feel that when cornered in dogma, they complain of the aggression of my question rather than answer it.

Stay loose dude.