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.
I am agnostic and don't believe in a god, but more a higher power or higher force of some form driving us and our universe etc. But thinking yourself is something you should do in order to grow and enjoy life, not be controlled by something or someone.
agreed
In Lak'ech Ala K'in ... It's easier for humans to have a relationship with the Divine through a middle-man rather than directly... but as a result, it becomes warped or non-existent... humans eh...
Very interesting. I have never heard of this. it makes sense.
Wow... thanks for the upvote... seeing a successful person with an anarchic view on here really inspires me... if it's not too spammy I'd like to share my first ever post I made yesterday about personal responsibility HERE ... I don't think it's off topic, as I feel individual responsibility is a big theme in your post..
I was raised in a communist society where the government was perceived as the only trustworthy institution. Nevertheless, during my childhood I came to the realization that both the government and the church suck :) You have put it very well - "Wanna know god? Know yourself".
Why do we all cry the balls of our eyes out when we all entered this world. What are we fearing so much? Of course ourselves.
I think the only time a person will experience a piece of freedom is when the candlelight of their life finally blows out and hits against the Wall of Death.
Even animals are losing their sense of direction by becoming urban animals with their new territories been in nearby towns for a much easier source of food.
With us humans we all desire communication now and again. That`s why I think so many people who are homeless prefer to push on with themselves surrounded by people in a town or a city than living a life in the middle of nowhere in the sticks.
That's an interesting perspective. Thanks for this comment.
I was made homeless once by a old landlord when they sold the property I was living in and gave us like a week to find somewhere else. But I managed to sort myself out within 5 days of living it rough on the street. It puts muscle on your mindset and makes you wake up more by realising the material world is not all that. If that ever happened to me again I think I would just walk to Morocco then live of the land there. Instead of made to suffer on the miserable cold streets of a major city like London. The homeless are there but they are treated like grey ghosts of society. Many people don`t realise one minute you can have it all and it can be just taken away from you in a blink of a eye. The thing I do not like with some of those big well known You Tubers is how they mock the homeless so they can get more views and benefit profit from another persons downfall. One of the worse names ever created was "LANDLORD" having lord at the end of land just gives the landlord too much power thinking they are like the hammer of the gods!
Very true, once most people start listening to their inner selves rather than other peoples dogma maybe we can start making the world a better place...
I'm going to follow you to see what else you have to say about individual freedom...
Check my stuff out too... totally different from yours but you might enjoy it...
Honestly saying religion is a very hard topic to talk about. From the perspective whether the God exists or not, and from the perspective which religion is more correct.
My personal opinion is similar to your post, I believe in the existence of SOMETHING, but it is certainly not in the way how religion teaches us.
It is absolutely about control. Anyone who enters this intellectual prison knowingly has lost lost all reason. To tread a life path on pure faith alone is walking blindfolded into a fairytale. I say knowingly because billions of our children are born into it and almost branded by their parents religion.
You might gain a deeper understanding of the value of Christianity (not dogmatic institutional Christianity) if you listen to Jordan Peterson's lectures on the psychological significance of the biblical stories. The morals represented in those stories do not seem to be simple 'belief'. Could they not be patterns expressed through action by mankind over time that leads to archatypical truth? I think there's much more to 'religion' than control.
I don't think everything in the Bible is about control. Religion, defined as abdicating self-responsibility, always is.
I don't understand the point I guess. In order to even have a population be able to live in at least somewhat harmony, what 'isn't' control?
I'd say the golden rule covers it. Control is forcing someone to do something without their consent. It is the application of force or threats of force. If nonconsensual interaction is necessary for society, I want no part of it.
So then you would agree (in politics today) that Socialism is wrong?
I always remember what Karl's max had written
' religion is the opiate of the masses' which I personally witnessed myself through living in a country where laws are heavily based on religion moral values.
The people are forced to pick one among 6 registered organized religion, if not, it would complicate their life as normal citizen and would even lead to blasphemy charges which could result 2 years in cell bars or more.
I have shared my own journey of leaving organized religion here where I've written lengthy journey from the beginning into a long journey of seeking :)
Anyway, You've given me another insight to think about :)
Hope you have a great day!
Just checked it out. I enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing.
I agree. Organized religion is not my cup of tea. At least as far as some churches I've been to throughout my life. Always thought it so hypocritical how everyone plows into church folding hands all holy one day a week yet basically shooting the finger at people on the way out of the parking lot...lol like wtf? But I now am a little more aware not to throw the baby out with the bath water. Christianity (at at least it's values) is the core of who we are as a Nation. It behooves us to at least understand the underlying societal value it has given the West in producing our freedoms. You canxt say that we would have them without it.
@kafkanarchy84 "Eventually, male dominance was established in nearly every known human society and lasted for about five millennia. It still persists in more subtle forms today. What were the influences that allowed this wasteful human practice to persist for so long? The only influence present in every culture appears to have been religion."
Male dominance was the custom of the society where almost all of the major religions began.
It's spread to dominate most of the world’s cultures.
What do you believe to be a better heiarchy?
For me with the understanding I have Christian do say Christianity is not religion but ways of life. They claim of what you follow is not according to the way Jesus Christ live when he was on earth then you are not a Christian. But my concern is there are many believe in this so call Christianity which you don't even know which one to believe all I know is I believe in myself and follow my mind in doing what I do daily.
Thanks @kafkanarchy84 for dishing this out it worth meditating and thinking.
Very good post. I'm not much on religion mostly because i feel its all about the money.. But "I am God"... That's a cause I could get behind
God has given us a gift of the ability to think and process. It is a shame to waste that gift. It is God's blessing and his curse
It is a very sensitive topic....it deals with peoples believe and emotions.....i dnt think about god and spirit,all these so much...but living in a society we need some ideas and rules...specialy in my reference i think that to live a desent and systematic life we need some common believes....no matter god or spirit...but some traditional believes are going on our society and somehow society is going on...if in future all become believer of once own ideas and believes society become undiscipline...so if gods existing makes us discipline ....than its ok...
It is an absolute thinking. It is an way of expression of ones belief, the abstract thinking. It is an umbrella in which all the people of the world should adjusted.But in reality it is always use and aplied in narrowly.Thanks for sharing.
Great post! I like it :)
Agreed with a lot of what's written. This is my take on religion:
"There are many religions in the world, each has a different religious story with base ideals and rules, each has thousands - millions of followers, but they cant all be right... Yet, each believer is sure that his religion is the right one! He will argue for that and wont accept other Ideas. "
This is a small paragraph from my new post, I think you will like it!
@paps
Nice article. I am new in here and I am glad to find voices of reason in this community. Keep up the good work.
Thank you.
Many people say that religion makes them better people, makes their life more calm and they're like satisfied. But can you be happy, calm and satisfied from life without blindly following a religion ? Yes, of course. You only need to start to believe that you're responsible for what happens to you. You need to open your mind for science and believe the others, people who work hard every day to overcome religion and prove that "God didn't save the guy in the operation room, the surgeon did" . Seeing people being happy will make you satisfied and happier. Helping people doesn't require faith. Doing good things doesn't mean you need to believe in "God". Do good things, believe in yourself only and that's how you'll succeed in life, you'll be a better person and most importantly - you will be a person of science and common sense.
@kafkanarchy4 really nice post have a good day ahead keep up the good work best wishes thankyou
@kafkanarchy Enlightenment starts from knowing oneself. Thanks for sharing!
very nice article ! i am highly religious
i wish to create a group of one hundred thousand people...ordinary people from around the world and then do some brain storming to reach the ultimate truth,,, pls read my blog and become a part of the group... we will start the discussion once we have a good number of people aboard....
The believes which can give us the power to think positively, and help to survive with good thinking.. in my view, it is the religion.. Thanks for sharing such worthful post friend!
"We are myriad beings, prone to errors in judgement, miscalculations, and mistakes."....."Mat 5:48 YOU must accordingly be perfect, as YOUR heavenly Father is perfect."
In this life everyone deals with imperfection based on experience some more successful than others. The best reference of perfection is the Father in heaven.
Which Father can only be understood and perceived by individuals. Thus, I would agree with the apostle Paul when he said "You have no need of a teacher."
Good Post. In My Experience, I Don't Believe In Religion But I Believe In Believing. Why People Believe In Religion Is That They Don't Understand Why Something Is Happening So They Call For Something To Rely On. It Is In Brains Nature To Find Answers For Thing And If We Can't Find Objective Answer , Our Brain Makes Up Any Answer That Will Have Some Back Up . Its Just The Way How Brain Works. So It Is The Right Saying , Knowledge Is God . The More You Know The Less You Are Misled . I Am Not Saying That There Is Nothing Grater Than We . Just For Now We Can't Objectively Say There Is.
at least there is brain storming....
@kafkanarchy84 Wonderful put up And that i desire steemit experienced a sticky or pin selection due to the fact That is a type of Specific posts..
Great post. You have to know yourself before knowing God.
Thanks for sharing.
Here's my recent post. Comments, suggestions, upvotes & resteem will highly appreciated. Thank you!
https://steemit.com/poetry/@athenabree08/appreciate-life