I was raised in a Christian household and actively participated in church activities during my youth. My father, who now teaches, was a pastor before transitioning into education. However, as I grew older and ventured abroad after high school, I found myself gradually drifting away from Christianity and began to question the validity of organized religion. Since then, I haven't returned to practicing Christianity, but I've developed a different kind of faith.
My belief centers around the idea that as long as I continually strive to improve myself, take control of what I can control, and share my experiences to help others, some sort of higher power—whether it's called God, the Universe, or something else—will guide and support me. I believe this guiding force is available to everyone, but individuals must first take responsibility for their own lives before receiving assistance.
On that note, I'm curious about your alternative to religion, if you have one. Or do you follow a particular faith? What do you see as the advantages and disadvantages of religion? And what have been your personal experiences with religion—positive or negative?
I wish I had a good alternative to religion. I don't, and I don't feel like it's possible for me to believe, because of my mental makeup, and my background.
But I also believe that over the long term, societies with no religion will wither away and die, nobody will have children. Or they will develop an alternative to religion that's worse. For instance - the climate change narrative offers us an an alternative to religion. There's a fiery hell (global warming), but we can sacrifice and redeem ourselves (going "green").
I believe that saying about everybody having a "god sized hole" in them is absolutely true. I've gotten to know a lot of people in the past few years who are very religious. It provides a LOT for these people. Meaning, community, certain routines, a feeling of continuity. I wish I could believe in some religion - any religion - myself, but I don't see it happening.
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175 sats \ 1 reply \ @DEADBEEF 22 Apr
But I also believe that over the long term, societies with no religion will wither away and die, nobody will have children. Or they will develop an alternative to religion that's worse. For instance - the climate change narrative offers us an an alternative to religion. There's a fiery hell (global warming), but we can sacrifice and redeem ourselves (going "green").
I believe that saying about everybody having a "god sized hole" in them is absolutely true.
You summed up my thoughts exactly. The slow suicide of western civilization is the perfect example of this. The rise in mental health issues, suicide, destruction of the family, drug use, and declining birth rate all coincide with the loss of religion in the west.
“If you believe in nothing you’ll fall for anything” is scarily true. So many people jump from one trend to the next always finding themselves empty and unfulfilled.
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💯. What feed energy into is incredibly important to creating our reality. People are so focused on distractions now. Many have lost their way, lost their inner truth, or connection.
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I think it's important for us to have faith in something bigger than ourselves. To know that we are part of something beautiful. I am much happier now that I have found my version of spirituality.
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Just read the book of Matthew online, it has all you need to know. If you seek you will find. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5&version=NIV/
Keep in mind, many times through Christ's life there were people who only heard him say one of these teachings, He did not have to stop and explain the whole bible to each of them.
That tells us the message isn't so much about a set of rules, it is a Spirit that we are called to have in this life. Treat others the way you want to be treated, and love others as you love yourself. (that is not charity*** = love yourself means wanting yourself to be better, that is how we should treat each other as well.)
If you are looking for others to share the Spirit with- just look to your local Jesus-meetup and I'm sure you will find that community you talked about =)
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Also raised Christian, had some catholic schooling, was always very "religious" -then grew up rebellious, and very anti-authority. Many years of drugs sex and sloth.
Never trusted the government, I had some suspicion that religion was the thing that kept people enslaved to the State and earthly authority- but had no idea how it all worked together and what the real problem really was. (fiat money, war and death machines) After finally putting the pieces together and realizing why I needed bitcoin, my time preference also started to change.
Started thinking about long term goals. Back to my drug years, I had some pretty serious psychedelic experiences and they proved to me both that there is absolutely some kind of "Higher Power" and that souls are real and that my own human existence is not only about a single body that is born and dies about 80 years later. Now I can't prove that to anyone else, but for me- if I am thinking about my long term goals, they have to include goals for my undying soul or "essence" of what I really am.
Now what am I to do?
We can all discover God in our own ways, but for us, people who know the Name of Christ Jesus, I think we don't have any excuses or reason to try to reinvent the wheel here.
It turns out that we can try as hard as we can, verify everything, always do our best to be good- but we will still fail. Luckily, Christ is the one that died for us and will intercede for us to the Father at the end. We just have to accept Him and follow him.
For me following Christ means sharing messages like this when I see the opportunity, and doing my best as a Steward of His Kingdom.
There is no better way to Steward than to stay humble and stack sats. The end of the fiat machine means the end of untold suffering for people everywhere.
Try reading the Book of Matthew and really pay attention to just what Jesus told us:
23:8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Other reading suggestions Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis https://ntslibrary.com/PDF%20Books/Mere%20Christianity%20-%20Lewis.pdf Anatomy of the State by Murray Rothbard https://cdn.mises.org/Anatomy+of+the+State_3.pdf
It all comes together for me when I see how anti-good the State really is, and what Christ really said about His authority being supreme over the Kingdoms of the Earth.
Also what is interesting is that in no way does the bible say that we are going to heaven forever when we die. There will be a time when the New Earth is made, we will live again there and work in the Kingdom of God.
When I gave the Book of Matthew a read again, I really focused on Jesus himself and what he actually told me, I was surprised to find how helpful He really is. <3
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211 sats \ 1 reply \ @ama 22 Apr
Some people seems to need to believe in the supernatural for some reasons, and some do not have such a weird problem. There is nothing that causes so much harm and evil than those sick believes.
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What sick beliefs? Supernatural beliefs? How do you define supernatural?
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Can I say that in this day and age, the government has become a religion for many people as they control peoples lives through the money printer, food and energy? Most people are just trying to survive and have no time to seek out their true purpose or explore spirituality.
I also think that religion can help us establish good principals that we can follow and live our lives.
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I agree. I think it's important to have spiritual connection and the collective seems to have strayed from that path as of late. Focused on the wrong things, like politics.
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I hadn't exactly thought about it as an alternative to religion, but I strongly relate to your version.
I grew up in a completely secular environment, so what you call an alternative, I just think of it as how I approach life.
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Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" John 14:6 ESV
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In my opinion, religion cannot be an institution. Religion is the way people perceive and live the world. And there is only one religion and, of course, one god. All religions tell about pretty much the same things. This is proof that the source of all religions is the same and one. But over time, they degenerated and deteriorated. They turned into ridiculous rituals. This is true for all religions. So how do we know the truth? My response to this is: *Asking the right questions like; If there is a god and he really loves people, what does it mean for him to hide himself so much? Or; Do all prophets have anything in common, and if so, what is it? My answers to these are as follows:
God is hiding, that's true. However, it makes its presence felt by those who do good work and behave well. Because he loves them. This is a subjective reality.
What all prophets have in common is that they all have miracles. Jesus had medical miracles. Moses had magical miracles. Soloman could speak to animals. It is not possible for us to confirm the existence of these miracles today. But the miracle of Muhammad, the last prophet, has survived to this day. Muhammad's miracle is the Qur'an. It has remained unchanged to this day. This is a scientific fact. The Qur'an is the word of God. And as I mentioned at the beginning of my article, it is a guide for those who behave well and do good deeds. If you become a good person, as described in the Qur'an, God will make His presence felt to you. To this we attribute a special word: Hidayet. (Please search for it.)
Yes, I am a member of the last religion. But for us, all prophets are the same. And they are God's messengers. Please note: I say that all religions are corrupted. Including Islam. But the essence of Islam is the Qur'an, and this book looks the same as it did on the first day. And it continues to shine. To whom does it shine? Live in the manner prescribed in the Qur'an. That is, to those who do good and beautiful works. Please do this subjective experiment and see for yourself. Please read the Qur'an.
This is such a book that can bring you into the light if you passionately follow its first commandment: "Read!"
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My experience is similar: I grew up in a slightly Christian home, but as I grew up I questioned some practices that seemed meaningless to me and little by little I distanced myself, especially as I learned more about the Catholic Church and how they forcibly imposed their faith on the people. other ethnicities in the world. Nowadays I don't believe that any man with an omnipotent beard is the one who pulls the strings of the universe while his followers flatter him, for me, the forces that govern the universe must be something more than just adoration and manipulation... Now after a few years and Reading and educating myself more and little by little getting to know other cultures and religious beliefs, I am deeply attracted to the philosophies and teachings of Taoism which, in my opinion, only seek to teach you how to learn to live more in harmony with your environment and the beings that surround you, without the focus of worship on a specific mythical figure or character.
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I was not raised with any religion and I used to consider myself atheist. After a lot of shadow work, I have opened up to spirituality and it is very important to me now. It is my own relationship with GOD, the universe, source, that which cannot be named. I don't subscribe to one specific religion. I do enjoy learning from them all though. I feel like different religions are all pointing to the same thing and have great stories and lessons. And many have been tainted in different ways as well. I enjoy having my own understanding of what it means to have faith in something bigger. I have much more peace these days.
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