Organized religions. They are all made up by man, so why follow?

Interesting thread.

I was once a Baptist, but I now follow no organized religion. What some have said about following a golden rule is right on the money. I believe in a Supreme Being, but I don't feel that this being wants me to go to church every Sunday, pray 5 times a day facing Mecca, etc.

I think that religion is great for some people. I also feel that it has caused the deaths of countless people throughout the ages. So, organized religion doesn't work for me.

And as for the Bible, sorry, but that thing has been changed. They left certain parts out of the original, so how do you know that what we have today is actually divine? I would say the same thing about the Koran or any other holy book.

Does anyone not know that Christianity had a number of influences, including Babylonian texts and Ethiopian texts. In fact, Christianity borrows heavily from the ancient Ethiopian religion at the time. Hey, Jesus was a Jew and didn't found the religion himself. That should be noteworthy.

And before you accuse me of bashing Christianity, I have only said this stuff because everyone seems to take it as a given that all other faiths are wrong. I don't buy this line of thought. I'm sure that devout Muslims and Jews feel just as strongly as devout Christians do about their faith. Hey, there are undoubtedly people from other religions who feel more strongly about their faith than some Christians feel about theirs.

Anyway, that's how I feel about the whole thing. It's refreshing to know that there are others out there who have come to a similar conclusion. It's hard when Christians are always trying to convert me (or re-convert me, I guess).

Originally posted by mrwupy
I am a spiritual anarchist. I believe you should over throw all religions and all set beliefs and find the path that works for you. Trust your heart and you will find the voice of God there.

Exactly!!!! I can hear the voice of god inside, I can almost chat with it hehehe that is great, it's a feeling of unconditional love that you cannot get anywhere else! I may ask you all to do it! You'll find answers that may suprise you...you are never alone, you do not see many things that are not 3 dimensional, your capacity would really suprise you! Have faith in god and in yourself than anything is possible!
It takes some meditation practice but it's worth it!

Ameliaxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I think loosely binding together beliefs to help provoke thought in positive elevating ways re positive, but much of religion seems to maybe possibly started with a positive intention and then use as a tool to suit agendas and used to control and manipulate the masses and mislead and keep people confused with mixed truth and lies.. I am very skeptical of all religion and derive the positive stuff and leave the rest behind.

Organized religion started from the gods themselves.

A god took Egypt for himself (not the one of the Hebrews) and taught them their rules and regulations, including the magical arts.

Another god took Caanan for himself and it also instructed the ways it wanted to be worshipped.

Then another god took Babylon and then did the same as the other gods but tailored the worship it desired.

And so on...

Then a god came to a man named Abram (later Abraham) and set out to start his own nation sometime in the future. This god said he could do something the other gods could not, make life better for the human family. This god claimed that the other gods had no power over him and that this god would crush their kingdoms in the end. Hence the formation of the Israelite Nation and the preparation for a separation. Humans had to write down what this god said and instructed, just as the other gods of the other nations did.

Which god has the better hope for true happiness?

Find the surviving books of instructions from each of these gods and read them to find out which one knows what he's talking about. There's only a few left. There are only fragments of others, proving some of the gods did not have the power to promote their religion.

One of these gods is going to come out on top in the end.

Originally posted by Amelia
You don't want to meditate, I understand if it's against your religion and you are scared

I'm done here

Ameliaxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Wow - You got kind of short with him, didn't you? Closed mind, intolerance, or was your argument just not working?

I realize you posted that over a year ago, but I just felt it was worth commenting on. I really don't believe you are close minded or intolerant based on your postings, but this just seemed out of character for you.

My point of view:

First, I'll quote a book that everyone can believe in... the Dictionary.

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language - 4th Edition
re·li·gion Pronunciation Key (r-ljn)
n.

1. 1. Belief in and reverance for a supernatural power or powers regarded as a creator and governor of the universe.
   
2. 2. The life or condition of a person in a religious order.
   
3. 3. A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.
   
4. 4. A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.
   

Now, with that established, I submit that all of you, even the "wiccan" topic starter, are the follower of a religion of some sort. Even in the unlikely event that you have your own, unique belief system that is a far cry from that of any other individual in the present, or past... it is still a religion that is started by you - a flawed entity.

I consider myself to be a Christian. Notice I did NOT say Baptist, Presbyterian, Catholic, etc. I said Christian - as in a follower of Christ and his teachings.

With all due respect to the topic starter, I cannot leave the Bible out of this. It is the basis on which much of my beliefs are based. So, first, I'll show you what the Bible says about organized religion:

James 1:26-27 (NLT)26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.
27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Colosssians 2:20-23 (NAS)20If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as,

21"Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!"

22which all refer to things destined to perish with use--in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men?

23These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

Those are just a few scriptures regarding man-made religion. There are plenty more, but you get the point.

In other words, "true religion" is not man-made. It is helping others, or as it was coined... the "Golden Rule".