Why Religion?

Willamena said:

If you have a personal relationship with god, what would "develop" it?

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what would develop it?I can't speak for others but what helps develop my relationship with The Creator is through meditation,through some divination methods,learning through different spirituality articles and books and etc.Learning how to read signs that angels may send,getting in touch with the spiritual realm and learning how to hear God's guidance,using your intuition of God's desires for you.listening to other people who have spiritual experiences that they can share.

Willamena said:

If you believe in god, meaning that you have a personal relationship with god, what need do you have for religion?

Isn't it essentially other people telling you how you should have a relationship with god?

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I used to be in a religion of Disciples of Christ since I was 8 years old up till 30,I went at first because my parents worship in church, I had no other choice,then in my 20's I stayed cause I didn't want my mom to be upset with me,then when I turned 30 I said, ok, that's enough of that!! I use to be in my own thoughts while the pastor preached thinking what a bunch of bologna,this can't be the way!! God is suppose to be LOVE!! I wasn't happy at all and I didn't agree with 99% of what they said and believed in, I hated all the dogma and their take on who God is and the bible was simply retarded to me, it read like a fictional novel , (a snake giving a women an apple and telling her to eat it ) really? lol,so I left religion and began to explore the beliefs I've always felt I've never looked back and I've never been happier, and closer then I ever was to The Creator, Truly why would you need a religion to learn about God, they can't put you in Heaven or hell or breath life in you. To me it's a personal journey, this is your life to live the way you desire,finding the truth on your own!!not because it's what others think you should say and do and behave!! and definately not living according to a book that has no proof behind it. you are born alone ,even if you are a twin ,one comes out at a time,and you will die alone, no one experiences your death,even if you die with someone beside you. So we should travel our spiritual path alone. At least that's my opinion.The Creator of heaven and earth created us individually with individual purpose in this life. Man made religion for his own selfish desires and mission to control masses of people.The Creator didn't make "religions". We are suppose to be as one,religion divides his people.

Willamena said:

If you believe in god, meaning that you have a personal relationship with god, what need do you have for religion?

Isn't it essentially other people telling you how you should have a relationship with god?

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I would say, having a relationship with anyone, is bidirectional. So I can't just decide to have a relationship with God, on my own terms - especially as he is sovereign, he has actually more say in the matter, than I do. So it would be my responsibility to find out, what is alright with him.
Otherwise, I may well find myself saying, "I have a relationship with God", when God is saying, "Who are you? I don't know you. Get away from me - be gone."

Like saying, I have a relationship with Jim, and Jim is telling all his friends, "I don't know that weirdo. He be like tripping or something."
Why is Jim not my friend? He doesn't know me. He doesn't like my ways. He doesn't want to be associated with me.

For me, the situation is similar with a relationship with God. See Worship. I have come to appreciate that the Bible is not the word of men, telling us how we should have a relationship with God... but God actually telling us, through his servants previous to me, how we can have a relationship with him.
Of the many pieces of evidence for this, is the order that exists in creation. I would expect that God would want his people organized as well, and this I have seen - from the ancient Israelites, through to the disciples of Christ, right into our day.

AT-AT said:

I did find this helpful, even if some may argue it's "rhetoric":

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I don't think of it as rhetoric, even if it is. I see it as inaccurate.

Willamena said:

Okay, but what need is there for religion?

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Well, how can anyone develop a good personal relationship with God without knowing him or how to go about building such a relationship?

Maximilian said:

Well, how can anyone develop a good personal relationship with God without knowing him or how to go about building such a relationship?

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So religion then is effectively other people telling you how to have a relationship with god.

To answer your question: If god is real, then a person should be able to come to god on their own. From there, they can build a one-on-one personal relationship.

Willamena said:

So religion then is effectively other people telling you how to have a relationship with god.

To answer your question: If god is real, then a person should be able to come to god on their own. From there, they can build a one-on-one personal relationship.

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To be more precise, true religion is the system of worship designed by God Almighty in order that his human creation can draw near to him. (cf. Romans 10:13-15) After all, how can you have a relationship with someone you know absolutely nothing about?

Maximilian said:

After all, how can you have a relationship with someone you know absolutely nothing about?

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If you don't accept the premise others impose on you, then anything is possible.

Willamena said:

If you don't accept the premise others impose on you, then anything is possible.

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How does this apply to one developing a good personal relationship with Jehovah God?

George-ananda said:

A judgment can be based on a lot of objective sound reasoning as I believe mine is in this case

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Then why didn you give those objective reasons when I asked you about them?
How does one objectively differentiate an "advanced" soul from a "non-advanced" soul?
How does one even recognise a "soul"?

Making objective judgments over a body of facts is an important human reasoning skill.

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Sure, but an opinion is just an opinion and you have yet to show that you have an objective methodology for differentiating "advanced souls" from "non-advanced souls". I asked you to share this method and you basicly responded by saying that all you have is your opinion.

It's not enough to claim you can do it in an objective way - you actually have to demonstrate that you can.
So how can you?

We each must do our own reasoning which holds sway over our jurisdiction of one person.

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Not sure what you are saying there.

TagliatelliMonster said:

Then why didn you give those objective reasons when I asked you about them?
How does one objectively differentiate an "advanced" soul from a "non-advanced" soul?
How does one even recognise a "soul"?



Sure, but an opinion is just an opinion and you have yet to show that you have an objective methodology for differentiating "advanced souls" from "non-advanced souls". I asked you to share this method and you basicly responded by saying that all you have is your opinion.

It's not enough to claim you can do it in an objective way - you actually have to demonstrate that you can.
So how can you?

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Judging advanced souls is done by analysis of the wisdom they present in the context of a lifetime of experience. Promoting things like peace, love, detachment, compassion is the start of an imperfect and incomplete list I can create.

By saying 'objective' I am saying it's not just my personal gut feeling but reasoning along with a lifetime of my accumulated knowledge/wisdom as to how spirituality is advanced.

To make my point with an extreme example, I think Buddha and Jesus are more spiritually advanced than the town bully. Beyond that, I judge degrees based on the criteria I have come to respect.

George-ananda said:

Judging advanced souls is done by analysis of the wisdom they present in the context of a lifetime of experience. Promoting things like peace, love, detachment, compassion is the start of an imperfect and incomplete list I can create.

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How are those objective pointers of an "advanced soul"?
Sounds more like you are listing traits that you happen to like or prefer.

What's objective about it?
And why those and not some others? (make sure to answer that one in objective terms)

By saying 'objective' I am saying it's not just my personal gut feeling but reasoning along with a lifetime of my accumulated knowledge/wisdom as to how spirituality is advanced.

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"Knowledge and wisdom"? Or mere religious beliefs?
Because those are not the same thing.

To make my point with an extreme example, I think Buddha and Jesus are more spiritually advanced than the town bully

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Why?