How does religion work?

Question

all of my life I have been brought up catholic... went to church as a little boy and all... and I was always taught that religion is good and all...
as I grew older and real world problems started.. well getting real. I turned to religion in hopes of answers and help as I was told when I was younger... I eventually stumbled upon someone saying that "god isn't really here for us... we are here for him. "... "god won't necessarily lead us to the happiest lives or the most productive,instead of asking how is he there for me..you have to ask how can I be there for him? "
and... it threw me off...
I guess I don't know what to make of religion anymore... I don't want to sound like a selfish a**ho** but... I guess I'm alittle lost on how he can help me with my quest of happiness in my life when I'm just supposed to be there for him.. not he other way around..

Answer 1

You sound lonely. There are major crack in the Church. And we are so connected to the whole world, we can see there are major cracks in this global village. Who are we? Our identity as a group is fragmented. Everything about individual identity is under question. It was different when we only knew our immediate neighborhood. Our parents at home, the headmaster a school, the local police on the street and the politician for the country, there was authority and that gave us a clear identity. Now it seem corruption is the only thing in charge.

God is there for you in that he is the reason there is a world. No body on earth created the earth. Religion says the universe is good. Thats nice right, that the world is basically good? It did give us life and sustains us. But with all the power we use we have also changed the world. So while the world is here for us we have a responsibility to the earth. If God has loved us we should be confident enough in life to love others. The weird thing but also the greatest thing, about religion is that it says the almighty has given us freedom of choice. Religion is not consumerism, come a get miracles. Life is the miracle, you are here and you are free to continue the magic of love or to close down in self-centeredness. Religion says the answer to the why of life can be know from within; and the purpose of life lies is serving others. For this life is but a journey. Our home is our origin.

Answer 2

I do not know about other faiths, but the main theme of Christianity is service to others.



One of the best known meditational prayers in Christendom is the prayer attributed (inaccurately) to Saint Francis. Take a look -- a good, leisurely, slow, deep, careful look -- at what it says and what it does not say:



Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury -- pardon;

Where there is doubt -- faith;

Where there is despair -- hope;

where there is darkness -- light;

where there is sadness -- joy.



O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

To be understood as to understand;

To be loved as to love;

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

It is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.



This prayer has long been looked at as a formula for the abundant life of joy. You will notice that at each line, the prayer asks for clarity, that the service offered by refined and focused for the betterment of all.



This prayer is all about giving everything away, of giving up all selfishness. It never asks for anything back.



I've known people who had nothing, who were living on the edge of annihilation, and they tell me their life is full, they want for nothing. And, no, these folks are perfectly well adjusted people, not crazy, not neurotic, not liars or thugs or whatever.



Perhaps if you learn to look for ways to give away what you have instead of looking for ways to get more, your life will vastly improve. It's a reality for a lot of people, so it's definitely real. The potential is there, if you accept it.

Answer 3

Religion is a man-made construct. Its purpose is to separate you from God. A little doubt is all that's necessary. But your problem isn't even with religion. It's with listening to others who are clueless, instead of listening to God. Everything you need to live a joyous and fruitful life, now and for all eternity, is in the Bible. It's worth studying.



Case in point: http://gracethrufaith.com/end-times-prophecy/spirit-fear/

Answer 4

It works on the only 2 innate motivators for people, avoid pain and seek pleasure. If you think about it, everything single thing you do is compelled by avoiding pain or gaining pleasure and the ancient fable writers were well aware of this intrinsic human trait when they wrote the holy books. They knew there was no better way to control than with this double edged sword. The proof is in the pudding. Billions of people all over the world are still allowing their lives to be controlled by their primal drives. If only they possessed adequate logical thinking ability they would be able to discern whether or not those empty promises of eternal bliss and eternal torment were real. All 10,000 (similar God) fairy tails can't be true, but they certainly can all by lies.

Answer 5

The only way primitive religion exists today is through the child abuse of forcing it into very, very young children but thanks to better education and growing intellects so many teens are able to discover the truth, throw off the indoctrination and step into the real world!



Acceptance of a supernatural claim tends to promote cooperative social relationships. This communication demonstrates a willingness to accept, without skepticism, the influence of the speaker in a way similar to a child's acceptance of the influence of a parent. By encouraging this kind of behavior where the most intense social relationships occur it facilitates the lack of skepticism and deters more open minded thinking.



They are christian, Muslim or the other religions depending where they were born simply because they were indoctrinated by their parents as very young children. They will go on to indoctrinate their own children and those will go on to indoctrinate their grandchildren!



Atheists have the intellect to see through the conditioning and escape into the real world!



Agnostics have the intellect to see through the conditioning but lack the courage to throw of the conditioning entirely.



Sadly Christians, Muslims and others are still held firmly prisoner by the self perpetuating brainwashing!

Answer 6

True or partially true religion (religion that God has allowed to exist because its followers can't accept the whole truth) is there to help you become something you're not. To help you overcome the natural man and become an elevated being. The worst like Catholicism and modern Christianity do so by scaring you into it. And the best, like Latter-day Christianity and Buddhism do so by telling you to overcome yourself for incentive.

Answer 7

First of all, happiness is not a good goal. Happiness happens as you fulfill your life's work. Religion is an unnecessary distraction unless you are studying it to learn about it's effects in society and it's influence in history. Focus on the work that you feel you must do.

Answer 8

Dear Friend,



Religion DOESN'T work. Just because someone was 'raised' in a religious household does not make that person religious. That, is not ...biblical and if it isn't taught in the Word of God then it is a ...lie.



You see, God's desire is to commune/fellowship with HIs creation...with YOU. But, it is OUR sin that 'blocks' that covenant relationship with a Holy God. And, it is only through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit can anyone be 'reconciled' (restored) BACK into a right "relationship" with Him.



So then how does someone 'develop' a relationship with God?

1. Agree with God that you are a sinner and that you 'need' Jesus Christ not to just be your Savior ...but Lord of your life.

2. Confess your sins to God, and ask God for the "Power" of the Holy Spirit to convict you, keep you and protect you from committing "willful" sin in your life. When we learn that the burner on the stove top is HOT, we STOP putting our hand on it. When we learn in God's Word what displeases Him, we STOP doing/practicing those things.

3. In order to develop a relationship with a Holy God...we are to get to "KNOW" Him as we would in any relationship. However, with God, He wants us to read His Word daily. Ask Him what it is He wants us to learn and to 'apply' what we've learned in our daily life. God isn't interested in a religious home we were raised in, or what church we go to. It is all about...obedience to Him. to bring honor and glory to the living Person of Jesus Christ in everything we do. Think about that.



Seek the Lord with ALL your heart. He is the Lover of your soul and He wants to be "first" in your life. Allow God to direct the path of your life. We make mistakes, but God doesn't.



Tender blessings,

Answer 9

Like this:- Young children are scared into accepting the religious blackmail. Most never grow out of this because by the time they're older than about 10 years old, the damage is done. Once they breed, they repeat the cycle.



Pretty sickening really.



Believe in god all you want - god is just a moot point and it makes zero difference what you think about god. Religion on the other hand is a gigantic load of man made garbage and should be ignored by everyone.

Answer 10

it works by giving a human something to blame the good and bad in their lives on.

if its good it must be God if its bad it must be the devil. the proof that God does exist is always going to be a debate, because some people live their whole lives being a good decent person claiming t olove God and have faith, and live an unfortunate terrible life, and others who are selfish and God less may live a easy life of privilege never in want of anything.

so, its simply by chance that our lives takes the turns it does.

and the old saying its who you know, that will get you farther in life than usual,

well, that holds a lot of truth. the rich get richer the poor get poorer and the others struggle to find a way to survive.

Answer 11

You don't have to commit to one religion or another. You can read any books that you find interesting on any religion. Each religion has beliefs and certain rituals they do for significance.



Like Judaism has: Bat Mitzvah for when a boy or girl turns 13, rite of passage from boy to manhood. This allows the parents to let go of control over their child and also for their child to be more accountable as a pre-adult.



Buddhism: believes that suffering is an essential part of life. You can't escape it. Whatever task you are doing will be suffering - and you have to suffer in order to get something valuable in life.



Hinduism believes in re-incarnation. All souls and lives are eternal. All life forms are valuable and equal. When you die, you can come back as another life form.



I was also disillusioned by religion and picked by some audio tapes to learn more. "Dark Nights of the Soul" by Thomas Moore (phD in Theology) - talks about suffering.



The Jews were constantly questioning existence of God when they saw their own families being murdered during the Holocaust.

"Night" by Elie Wiesel.



Religion is a set of rules, theories, put into place so people can go on with their lives and find meaning in their lives and understand what is happening to them. It's not just about accepting everything that is preached to you in church. It's about questioning what is not correct or what you don't understand.



In your quest for these answers, you will find deeper meaning in your own religion or in many other religions.



Religion usually started by one person questioning things there were un-fair or un-just and a lot of other people started following that person's teachings.

Answer 12

I am sorry you had to grow up with great confusion, the point being Religion does Not work where Almighty God is Concerned, it works for the People Controllers alone! Faith and Obedient observance in the Ways of Almighty God,most specifically as directed By Christ are the winning Formulae.

Answer 13

I don't know about you, but when I started learning about the Catholic religion, the Bible was never in my hand, nor in the hand of the priests. The Bible is our guide book from God as to how we should live our lives to our best interest. Never was I told that Almighty God has a personal name that is full of meaning.

Although translators have taken the liberty of deleteing God's personal name from modern Bibles. Jehovah's Witnesses are advertising God's name earth-wide during these last days. The only way we can draw close to someone is by knowing their name and their attributes.

Beliefs that set Jehovah's Witnesses apart as different are;

(1) Believe the entire Bible is the inspired Word of God.

(2)Believe the only true God has a personal name Jehovah.

(3) Believe Jesus Christ to be God's only-begotten Son, and first born of all creation.

(4) Believe God's Kingdom is the only hope for mankind; that it is a real government; that it will soon destroy the present wicked system of things, including all human governments, and that it will produce a new system in which righteousness will prevail.

(5) Believe Jesus as King will have 144,000 co-rulers of the kingdom.

(6) Believe this earth will be inhabited by meek people who will be in unity with Jesus in worshipping the only true God Jehovah. These will enjoy eternal life right here on a paradise earth worshipping Jehovah, the only true God. Yes, there will be but one religion in the entire earth.

(7) Believe the dead are conscious of nothing at all, but will be awakened from the sleep of death on Resurrection Day.

(8) Believe that the year 1914 was the start of these last days and that Jesus as king will step in and destroy all ungodly wicked people and man made governments.

(9) Believe true Christians must show genuine Christian love for their neighbors, but they are separate from the world not dabbling in politics because our vote is for Jesus to be our king and God's Kingdom to be our government.

(10) Believe we must practice applying the counsel of God's Word in everyday life now-- at home, at school, in business, in their congregations.

Scriptures concerning these beliefs: (1) 2 Timothy 3:16 and 17

(2)Psalms 83:18 (3) John 17:3 (4) Daniel 2:44 (5)Revelation 14:1

(6) Psalms 37:10,11 and 29 (7) Ecclesiastes 3:18-20 and

John 5:28 and 29 (8) Matthew 24:7-14 (9) John 17:15 and 16

(10) Proverbs 1:5-7

Learn how you can actually become God's friend at www.jw.org.

The Bible says that we will be happy if we are "conscious of our spiritual need" and cultivate it. Matthew 5:3

Answer 14

Religion acts as a guide to God, but it is not the authority on God. Religion has it place in the material realm, like a boat on water. When it takes you to your destination on land the boat is no longer necessary. I respect and promote religion, but I don't full subscribe to it and find the Spiritual Truth religions are founded upon to be of much more value.



I believe religion is meant to keep the structure of the world in order through the way we live our lives. It's true benefit to us lies in the next world, not this one, which may explain why it seems God doesn't answer prayers or allows wars and suffering. Religion and spirituality are hard to accept and understand when we are so attached to and overvalue the importance of the fleeting mortal life in the world of form and content.

Answer 15

Imagine looking through a kaleidoscope directed at a light bulb. What do you see? Do you see the light bulb? No, you don't, you see the patterns reflecting off the filters in the kaleidoscope, which obscure the light.



Similarly, when you observe anything, you do not observe without thought. Thought colours everything you see, hear, etc. If a person is nasty to you when you first meet them, at the second meeting, you will not view them afresh, but according to the 1st meeting.



We are of the opinion (as a species) that the universe has a cause, which presupposes that there is something else other than the universe. Further, we consider ourselves as separate from the universe and from the cause of the universe. People do not go around saying I'm God (usually), nor saying I'm the universe, or the universe is me. It is thought that tells you that you are separate from the cause and from the universe, and it is thought that tells you there is a cause of the universe.



There are other theories as to how the big bang theory came about such as "this universe was born out of the ashes of it's former self", and "this is only one universe of many, and that our universe is born from another universe". These theories are the product of thought, just as the light patterns seen in the kaleidoscope are a product of the filters within the device.



Are the theories true, or, are the theories simply useful?



Take any scientific theory such as Newtons laws. Are they true? No. Do they have limited use? Yes! Is Einsteins theory of relativity true? No (as it doesn't hold true at subatomic dimensions). Is Einsteins theory of relativity useful? Yes because it allows us to have satellites, mobile phones, GPS devices, spacecraft etc.



Theories that are useful are ones that provide a physical application, or, ones that provide some mental benefit that leads to physical application.



So, what do we want? This is a very important question, because in order to get what we want, we have to tailor our thinking to meet the challenge.. Mostly, people get unhappy when they do not like the work they have to do in order to meet a goal or complete an important task. Thus, it is important to consider whether you 'll like the means before you accept the ends.



Does catholic religion promote this? No. However, there are Christian texts that do e.g.,The Gospel of Thomas 'saying 43': Jesus said, "You don't understand who I am from what I say to you. Rather, you have become like the Judeans, for they love the tree but hate its fruit, or they love the fruit but hate the tree."



So happiness comes from a balance between ends and means? This would imply the need for focus and goals combined with a need to enjoy the means of achieving those goals.



The other problem for achieving goals is negotiating hurdles and setbacks. Most people do not cultivate creativity in their life: they have a job, and that job comes with Standard Operating Proceedures, company culture, expectations, guidelines etc. Most people do not deviate from the most direct root to solving a problem, and that leaves them vunerable when they encounter obstacles/difficulties.



Imagine taking your car to work 100 miles a day there and 100 miles a day back, i.e., your a courier! You can take the motorway (freeway) for most of the way, and you get there quick. However, one day, you have a very lucrative contract to deliver a VIP (very important package), a life and death delivery of a heart that needs to be delievered within 2h 30 mins in order for it to still be viable for transplant! Then you encounter a setback half way there. The motorway/freeway jams up because of a traffic accident. Traffic crawls along at 10 mph, which means if you continue on the motorway, the heart won't make it in time, and your firm will not get future work from the client hospital.



If you took a creative approach to being a courier to begin with, then you'd make every journey different, by planning to explore side-roads, and minor roads along the root in order to learn as many different ways of getting from A to B as possible. Then if there is a traffic jam, you can leave the motorway and navigate the next best root.



This is just an example, but you can see from it that creativity is really important in situations where you face setbacks. The poroblem is that most jobs do not encourange employees to foster creative approaches.



So, whether your life is working out (your goals, ambitions and whether or not your enjoying it), you know it's down to you. You can not know what un-predictable confounding factors will come your way, whether they be God made or manufactured by other humans, or by sheer bad luck. However, deal with them you must, or fail...

Answer 16

Religion is a very clever but dangerous, multi-purpose human invention.



By definition, religion is faith-based. This 'faith' card is very clever because it just requires only that the believer is kept from critically examining their beliefs to keep them in the loop. If they are kept in the loop, they become suggestible to all sorts of disguised sales pitches targeting for all sorts of investments - emotional, financial, time, or, at the most extreme, life itself in a suicide bombing. But if the believer manages to escape the loop for a moment, and critically examine their beliefs, they start to unstick themselves from this huge invisible spider-web of a trap called religious indoctrination. Sam Harris is a good place to start escaping the loop.

Answer 17

THANK YOU FOR ASKING ME ABOUT MY RELIGION.





The reasons which make great number of people become Muslims.

* It is the last Divine Religion revealed to man.

* Islam recognizes previous divine revelations. On the other hand, Jews do not recognize Jesus, and the Christians do not recognize Muhammad; whereas, Muslims recognize Moses and Jesus, may Allah exalt their mention

* In Islam humans relates with their Lord in all matters and conditions.

* Islam is the only Religion which has not been distorted or changed.

Harry G. Dorman said:

'It (the Quran) is literal Revelation of God, dictated to Muhammad by Gabriel, perfect in every letter. It is an ever-present miracle witnessing to itself and to Muhammad, the Prophet of God. Its miraculous quality resides partly in its style, so perfect and lofty that neither man nor jinn could produce a single chapter to compare with its briefest chapter, and partly in its content of teachings, prophecies about the future, and amazingly accurate information such as the illiterate Muhammad could never have gathered of his own accord.'34



W. Thomas Arnold said: 'Sense of justice is one of the most wonderful ideals of Islam, because as I read in the Quran I find those dynamic principles of life, not mystic but practical ethics for the daily conduct of life suited to the whole world.'

* Islam satisfies the man's bodily and spiritual needs in equilibrium. It refuses that one aspect be given precedence over the other.

* Islam does not conflict with man's intellect and natural disposition.

* Islam is the Religion for humankind at large, regardless of their education, time and place which, in contrast to previous religions were sent to a specific people during a specific time. For example, if a person wants to become a Jew, he has to be born a Jew. Jesus said about Christianity: 'I was sent to the lost sheep of the Children of Israel.'The Quran is the only scripture that says "la Iqra fideen" (there is no compulsion in religion) So whether your black, white, Jew or Pagan it means nothing to a Muslim.



The concern of a Muslim is for your spiritual welfare. How can you live a life without understanding everything? It's like running a computer on Windows 95 and saying "why is nothing working out? and why are things going wrong?"



If you will be going to hell of heaven is the decision of God not any man but you should strive to do good and the only way you can honestly do that is by being Muslim.



If you look past the Islamophobic hatred and orientalist misconceptions of Islam you'll see truth. Islam just says just three things: Believe in one God, Believe in the words of the prophets and love people not the world if you want to succeed.



Read more on the link:

http://www.thekeytoislam.com/en/why-beco…

Source(s):

1. As Muslims we cannot lie about anything, especially about our religion.

2. We have original recorded sources of our religion:



A) The Quran

http://www.quranexplorer.com



B) Teachings of Muhammad - the Authentic saying or Sunnah

http://www.quranexplorer.com/hadith/engl…



This is a unique part of Islam, not available in any other ancient religions.

Answer 18

There's amazing peace and joy in knowing God:) But it's not a joy and peace that is dependent on having all your ducks in a row...It comes from knowing you have right-standing with God, a pure heart and clean conscience through Jesus...freedom from slavery to sin, guilt and regret....joy that comes from from really knowing your Father God loves you and lives in you, and that He's making you just like Him:)...it's a joy in becoming free from yourself and free to love without expectation, because you are so fulfilled in the perfect love of God. It's joy in not being able to be shaken by life or people because you're anchored in the truth of the Word of God.



I know it sounds too good to be true, but it is true! God is your Father and loves you so much! He sees you worth the blood of Jesus. He wants you to be one with Him.

Yes, He wants you to give up what you got through the fall of man (that leads to death anyway)...so you can have Christ's life (the image of God) that you were created for, by the power of His Holy Spirit who He will give you if you put your trust in Jesus.

Answer 19

I'll try to make it simple. Compare your earthly father to your heavenly father. Can you say that your Dad had you for you ? Or can you say, your Dad had kids for himself ? Both are sort of true. Your Dad had a family, because he met a woman. He raised those kids as part of his life, they are his contribution to the future of mankind. He didn't know them, before he had them, but he might have gotten to know them and learned to love them as they grew up. So you are here for you and him and vice versa.

God is a little different than Dad. Because he knew you before you were born. He gave you life and a free will to live any way you want. His hope is that you find him and love him. But he doesn't want to force you to love him. He wants you to decide. God made people with no strings attached. If we thank him for our lives and everything he provides, we are good children. That has to make him happy when we choose to make him part of our lives. So God could have made us for both reasons. For ourselves and for him too.

Your Dad may demand your respect and try to run your life. He may expect you to do what he wants and make him happy. God is beyond that kind of thinking. He gives and doesn't make demands.

Answer 20

Religion can't help you, but God can through His son Jesus. Turn your life over to Jesus, Repent of your sins so Him, let Him know that you know He is the son of God who died on the cross for your sins and rose from the dead on the third day. Invite Jesus into your heart and life, Give control of your life to Jesus and let Him lead you in life. He will not let you down.

Answer 21

Religion works by externalizing spiritually to be outside of yourself, making the victims of organized religion completely co-dependent on a another person to save them.

Answer 22

Yes, God IS here for us. Whoever told you otherwise is an ignorant a**hole. The reason you're confused about religion is because you (like me) were brought up Catholic. Catholicism doesn't qualify as religion anymore. Over the centuries the Vatican has invented too many things, which is exactly what Jesus spoke out against. The Protestant traditions are actually spin-offs of Catholicism, even though they will deny that, but they go by the decisions made by the Vatican during their various councils over the past several centuries. The Vatican, for example, condemned reincarnation, even though it's mentioned in the Bible. So of course the Protestants went along with that. But Jesus didn't say that it wasn't true. His disciples said that the people thought He might be one of the old (dead) prophets returned again. So they knew about reincarnation. Real religion isn't about standing/sitting in a building (church) and listening to some man in a costume (priest or minister) preach about things he has little true knowledge of. Real religion is what Jesus was studying when He was in India, Tibet, and Nepal. Christians like to laugh at this idea, but He was over there from the time He was about 13 until He reached the age of 30. Then He came back to teach the people of His homeland. Religion means the mystical experience of perceiving God's actual presence. THAT is what religion actually is. It's fine to go to church just for the environment but that in itself will not get you to God. If you want to know about the actual practice of religion, learn how to meditate. Yes, I know that many Christians think that meditation is "satanic" or that it "empties the mind" and allows demons to enter, but none of that is true. I strongly recommend the book, "Autobiography Of A Yogi," by Paramhansa Yogananda. Used copies can be found at Amazon.com. Religion helps. Christianity, however, no longer teaches what Jesus taught, so it can't be of much use, which is why so many people have left it. Find out about religion, learn meditation, and read that book - you'll see what i mean. There are people here quoting from the Bible and that's fine, but reading scripture cannot get you to God. Hoping or believing that one is saved (from one's own karma) isn't enough, either. And the way religion "works" is that you need to deepen yourself spiritually through meditation and that opens us to God's presence (not to Satan's presence, as Christians believe). In Christianity everyone says, "You must believe!" but that isn't enough. Jesus brought powerful teachings, but have you noticed that most of His life isn't even in the Bible? 18 years are missing. Those who assembled the scriptures that later on came to be known as "the Bible" made a point of omitting certain parts, such as what Jesus was doing during those 18 years. They wanted there to be no connection to India or the other countries I mentioned. Some people are driven to find Truth, and such people will see the errors in modern Christianity, and will go in search of what Jesus really taught. Good luck ...

Answer 23

At the very minimum, religion requires belief to work. Without belief, religion is meaningless.

Belief without sufficient credible evidence requires that you find a gullible population. These gullible people can be better convinced to believe if they have experienced a trauma in their lives. Therefore you need to target recent victims of bad luck.



After you have achieved belief, you can then establish yourself as an ambassador or messenger of god, and demand that the believers follow what you command.

Answer 24

It is time for you to forget the Catholic church and start reading God's word for yourself. I suggest the King James Version of the Holy Bible. In Scripture, we are told that we receive not, because we ask not. Ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit so you can be taught all things concerning Him. Read the

Book of John in the New Testament and then read the Psalms of David in the Old Testament. Or vice/versa as you wish, but this will give you a better understanding of who God is. Revelation 4:11 tells us that we are created for God's pleasure and not out pleasure. It pleases God when we listen to Him. The Bible also tells us that "all good things come from above." Knowing the Lord Jesus is very important, because He gives you that peace that surpasses all understanding. Mankind cannot offend you and you basically fear nothing, because when Christ is for you who can be against you. The Lord promises to never leave us or forsake us, so you have the best friend in all the world. God did not promise us a rose garden, because the devil desires to kill us or steal our joy in life. God gives us His full armor so we can be prepared when this hour comes. You are being tempted by Satan at this very moment. Keep your eyes on Jesus.

Answer 25

Not too worry. gods don't seem to have any real proof for their existence. You don't have to serve him/it/her. the only way for you to find happiness is to start thinking for yourself and forget this whole nonsense story of an invisible sky friend.

Answer 26

Religion initiate as lessons on morals and sometimes even on ethics.

Then they treat life after we die, which might mean heaven/hell or reincarnation.

Christianity is based upon the promise of heaven should we have faith in Christ.

Since Jesus Christ was made man, died and rose again as Christians we would be shown the road to heaven which had been opened by Jesus of Nazareth.

Answer 27

God loves us no matter what. You can't exactly help God. I mean it's like asking a little bacteria to help me carry a huge box of weights. God wants to help us. He loves us so much, it's impossible for us humans to understand God's love. Just pray to him. God will always answer, one way or another. He might takes weeks, months to answer. If you're confused, pray. Ask God to help you. You have no idea how much he wants to help you. You just need to allow him in. God made us to be his perfect children then satan came and convinced the first humans that they can be like God. We agreed. Then Jesus came down to Earth and died for us to save us from our sins. When Jesus went back to Heaven, the Holy Spirit came down to live inside those who trust, and believe in God. Listen to that little voice inside your head when it tells you what you're doing is wrong. That little voice is the Holy Spirit. God loves you and he wants you to love him back.

Answer 28

Religion works by taking God and puting him in a box God my friend is not found in man made religion if u want to know the truth my friend turn to God through Jesus the truth the way and the life who died for u so that u may live and have everlasting life

Turn to him read the bible bcome and learn the truth and be set free start on matthew . if u ever need me my friend inbox me I been through what u been through feeling lost and stuff... my life having no meaning no purpose until I have enconterd God in my life and been walking after him and starting to be be set free of the bondages that has been holding me down ..ps what this person told you is a lie it is us that needs God look at this world how evil and wicked it is no one has no love for each other killing so mush sin with out God we perish he gave life to us we sinned and he sent his on son to die for us come my friend my heart feels for u come learn of the truth and be set free

Jesus said come all thoes who are heavy laden who are weary and I will give them rest take my burden which is light and my yoke which is easy come my friend come learn the truth and turn to God and really be set free through his son ? If u ever need me my friend inbox me

Answer 29

Sadly, it is religion that causes many to doubt that there is a compassionate Hearer of prayer. Religion’s involvement in war, terrorism, and the toleration of child abuse has led even prayerful people to say, “I don’t believe in God.”





Why is religion often an influence for bad? Put simply: Bad people have done bad things in the name of religion. The Bible foretold that Christianity would be hijacked and used for evil ends. The apostle Paul told Christian overseers: “From among you yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves.”—Acts 20:29, 30.



God is disgusted with false religion. In fact, God’s Word, the Bible, holds false religion responsible for “the blood . . . of all those who have been slaughtered on the earth.” (Revelation 18:24) Because false religion has failed to teach people about the true God, whose very essence is love, those religions are bloodguilty in God’s eyes.—1 John 4:8.



The Hearer of prayer feels for the victims of oppressive religion. Soon, God’s love for mankind will move him to judge all religious hypocrites by means of Jesus. Jesus said: “Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?’ . . . Yet then I will confess to them: I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness.”—Matthew 7:22, 23.

Answer 30

God has already done it all for you! He came and died on that cross to pay for your sins. Choose to believe that Jesus did what He said He came to do, and God will forgive you of your sins. Do that, and God sends His Spirit to live within you and to help you understand the Bible and to live a holy life serving God. Jesus did not ever promise that we would live happy lives here on earth. He did promise that for when we enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Answer 31

I was brought up in a truck stop. I believed in that life body mind and soul. That was my religion. And that is how it works. Eventually I became a truck driver and dedicated myself to it religiously. Now I am retired and have no regrets.

Answer 32

You have not been taught the whole counsel of God's Word. Watch these videos.



http://www.goodseed.com/learn-about-the-bible.html

Answer 33

Simple any Message that God has for the People, Satan will be the first thing to Speak after God, in any form it may chose; just as any Scripture that God has sent to the People, Satan will re subscribe to that Written Word. The rest is simple Math. ...1030/2014

Answer 34

please read this carefully............I explained it for you



Our soul is like a piece of glass.....every sin we commit, it stays on the glass as a spot. The more we sin, the more spots we collect. When we go to church and repent of our sins.......the spot is removed.





Jesus gave us the law of judgment and Mercy when he died on the cross.



if we continue to repent of our sins...............what ever sins are left on our soul when we die, he will administer MERCY and those sins will be forgiven...IF we live a life and no repentance...then when jesus comes we will have the law of JUDGMENT....as if he never died for us at all.....and we reamin filthy .



He wants everyone to come back to him.............he spoke to the prophets and gave us the bible.....now we each have free will....freedom of choice...........knowing this...what will you choose?

to just have fun in life and never try to reach for this ultimate goal of eternal joy..................or consider this life a freebee and just raise caine?

its all up to you....you are an angent uto yourself....you deturmine your eternal destiny...



think of this way...............you are in a class that will deturmine your whole life....your teacher points out the window and shows you a wonderful playground...full of drugs...sex and party



then she passes out a book and tells everyone....that at the end of the month who ever studies hard and passes the final test ....in 30 days and will be given a job, a house and a wonderful family.

but playing in the playground is addictive and once you start playing...... it is so much fun...you just cant seem to open that book.



what will you do? run out and play......................or study hard for that wonderful Ammercian dream...?



consider the playground sin..............and the book your life...

God doesnt need you to worship him..............he has already attained a heavenly glory....he wants you to attain as well...and the guidlines of chrsitianity is your ticket to heaven....

now think about it

Answer 35

Religion is man-made ideas of how to reach God, or bring Him down to us. It is not the order in which God inhabits His reign. God is everywhere, all knowing and all seeing. He allow us to make choices based on what He has given us to work with. We have no choice in the consequences of our choices! God is real, alive and causes us to move, live and have our being. He gives life, and sin, with the temptations of Satan, brings death and damnation.

God left us His Word to be our compass and guide in life, because He sees ahead of us and want to direct our paths to Him. (Matthew 7:13,14) Everybody will not believe or receive the in-grafted Word of God, but to their own demise. It will go the way He says it will, in the end. All of us are temporary and He is Eternal. We will either go to Him at the end of our life, or go to the Devil who we served, at the end of life,there is no in-between!

Answer 36

The answer is not religion. The answer has never been religion; nor will it ever be. The answer is and always has been Christ. And to know ABOUT Him is not the same to know Him. So, do you Him? More importantly, does He know you? (See Matthew 7:21-23)

Answer 37

religion is a man made way to worship God instead of doing it the way God said to.

God did not want to make a religion, but a way of life for man to follow so that man could be

with God when they die.

God wants a personal relationship with man. He wants man to know God and His ways and to

realize that God loves man so much that He sent His only Son to die for man`s sins and all man has to

do is to truly accept this gift and ask for forgiveness.

Answer 38

The confusion comes because people are looking at religion, and not God. God wants us to be obedient to his laws and principles. (Matthew 22:37,38) There is nothing else that we can give God.

Acts 17:24,25 God does not dwell in man made temples, neither is he attended to by human hands as if he needed anything. because he himself gives to all persons life, breath, and all things.

God will help those who put forth the effort to help themselves. What choices are you making? What effort are you putting forth?what are you reaching out for? Does any of these things involve maintaining a relationship with God, or is just "all about you" The Bible says, if you draw close to God, he will draw close to you.(James 4:8) Your choice of religion will depend on your own personal study of the Bible, and not from something someone else said.

Answer 39

Do not confuse religion with God.

Religions are just invented by the human race for their own reasons.

Answer 40

Your story could be repeated by thousands of Roman Catholic, perhaps millions. The Roman Universal Catholic Church was founded by Constantine the Great, Emperor of Rome in AD 325. It was his proposed answer to a failing Roman Empire. Unfortunately, his edict to make all Empire citizens Catholic, added tremendous persecution upon the true Christians. The dominating church with Roman government support killed over 50 million true Christians, Jews, and Muslim. But worse than that---she taught that salvation came with membership to the church, not through faith in Jesus. Even today she teaches the same, and not the personal relationship a sinner must make with Jesus the Christ.

So, let us clarify something---religion is man seeking God--most eastern religions fit that but so does Catholicism. On the other hand, Christianity is God seeking man---Jesus said he came to seek and to save those who are lost. You being raised in a religion would not likely to have experienced the feeling of God seeking your soul for salvation. With religions--God is but god, and not living, with Christianity God is God and we know him in the form of Jesus, his son. Jesus died so you and I would not have to die but have life. Belief in Jesus we obta8in everlasting life and Jesus is the way to the living God. With that said--if you seek God you will find him, ad when you find him you can and should learn how to rely upon him for most all of life's trials. I have been doing it for over 66 of my 78 years now. God bless.

Answer 41

My view of God does not sit well with the religious masses. I believe God may have started the human race, likely through evolution and not magically making Adam and Eve appear in a garden of Eden. He may have just planted the seed and "walked" away. Our lives are now what we make of them, for good or evil.

Answer 42

Religion is exactly that, man's works.



Revelation is God's work.

Answer 43

He is going to be there for you all u need is patience. Also the more u find it difficult provided you do good deeds and follow Gods teaching then u will enter heaven. btw im Muslim not Christian but both faiths are similar in some aspects. Please watch this it's really good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOGRPMOumqI&list=UUSwCKogAmASvoVTwGBK_ZDA

Answer 44

"god isn't really here for us... we are here for him. " that's not true at all. That's someone else's opinion.

Answer 45

Are you chasing Happiness or Holiness? a True happiness is a daily spiritual battle for faith to choose the right happiness.



Do you surround yourself with people that lift you up or bring you down? Do you surround yourself with those who believe in you, who encourage, who have faith in you, that when they look at you they see the person that no only who you were, who you, but who you yet can still be. Do they value for who you are or do they want you to be someone else? Are you trying to be happy for someone else or for yourself?

To truly be holy-happy we must love ourselves and to love ourselves we must have someone beside us that loves us for who we are and that will push up to be a better version of ourselves, not who they want us to be. To have a Godly man or woman next to us who accepts us flaws and all. To have that is to have true happiness.

Answer 46

good question deserve good answer,

[e-mail]

Religion is 1 from the One True God, the Creator. I can give you a little longer answer if you are asking sincerely.

Answer 47

Simple Answer I was told in college while in the cafe:

All religions have a commonality (in order of importance):

1) To provide system of government or bureaucracy that has its own rules, laws, expectations and crimes and punishments.

2) To provide an Afterlife

3) To explain the unexplainable

4) To provide hope where there is no hope

5) To provide support to the bureaucracy and infrastructure so that the system survives at all costs to moral, ethical, reasonable & truth so that the upper caste may continue being financially supported in retirement.

Answer 48

The whole religious thing works better on people with lower IQs. See source!

Answer 49

You put your right foot in, you put your right foot out, you put your right foot in and you shake it all about. You do the hokie pokie and you turn yourself around. That's what it's all about.

Answer 50

I asked God once why does he let evil happen to good innocent people. And he said to me something like this, I can't remember word for word. "Why do you let it happen? Why do my people let it happen? I've given you the Keys to the kingdom, you have the power to become the Sons of God, you can qualify to be called the Children of God, don't you realize what power that gives you?" You see, this is our time to shine, to prove ourselves, to decide what we love, this world and it's ways or the ways of God as given to us by his Son. There is nothing we can't do, even the works that Jesus did and greater. Why should God listen to us when we won't bother to listen to the instruction of his Son and do as he says. He won't come down and steal our opportunity to redeem ourselves.

Answer 51

Evening



I wasn't raised Catholic but I always wanted to be Catholic since I was about 12. I wanted to be a nun and then, as I aged, a priest. I never believed in God (didn't know that until my later years), but what I learned from joining the Roman Catholic Church two years ago opened my eyes to what religion actually is and what it is not. So, this is my answer to your question:



First, religion is just practicing your faith. When you believe in something or someone you make an action that shows your devotion. Prayer, communion, going to Church, and worship are all religious activities and in respects to Christianity, shows how the Christian has a relationship with God. That is religion.



On that note, to find the religion that will fulfill that quest to be happy is, well hard. What I learned from Christianity (different perspective) is that in order to live you have to die. You have to understand yourself and others more through the highest sacrificial gesture, dying for someone else. That's what religion is: Sacrifice. Finding that part of yourself that is willing to help others as well as yourself (as most religions teach), is a good start.



Many protestants say God does things for us but we don't do things "for" God. I never agreed with this, and maybe that could cause the confusion with what you're saying. If you're leaning towards protestant teachings (non Catholic), then what you said "God won't necessarily lead us to the happiest lives or the most productive, instead of asking how is he there for me. You have to ask how can I be there for him?" is true. It is all about what God does for you not what you do for God.



In Catholicism (which I advise as a better way to view devotion) is both. It's a "relation-ship" you have with God.. .so its what you do for God (prayer, communion, etc) and what God does for you (giving grace, salvation, etc). You cant separate the two.



So to know who you are, your quest for happiness in Christianity is to focus on this simple thing, "you have to die to live." The highest sacrificial gesture is dying for someone else. If Christ can show you how to die for others (in all aspects of the word), then with that life, you (if you find it true) would be happy.



Christianity, of course, isn't the only religion that teaches us to die in order to live fully. If you are not comfortable with the Church teachings or Christianity as a whole, maybe write down the morals you already hold dear. Write down the values you have and what you don't. Maybe by being devoted to living and by your actions be your prayer would be just the religion you need.



Writing down your values, morals (family and otherwise), may give you a better idea of how you see religion and what faith (or devotion) will fulfill YOUR soul "no matter what" anyone else says.



That is my take... I haven't posted in a forum for over 13 years, so I hope this helps a bit.



Carlita

Answer 52

That is not right. How can we be there for God? Rather the question is, What does God ask us to do. We are to love our neighbor, flee from sin etc. these answers are detailed in the bible.



"god isn't really here for us"

This is completely untrue, God is definitely here for us.



Mark 11:20-25 "As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”



God has led me to a very happy life. Things are not perfect, they will never be on this earth, but I have a lot of joy especially knowing that God is always there for me. I may not understand the reason for everything but I trust God.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good

Answer 53

?

Answer 54

It is a relationship WITH God but it sounds like you are looking for what only you can get out of it. A relationship with God is not a selfish thing, its a cooperative relationship. Not only for your use or His use. Sometimes God uses you to bring others to Him which is quite an honor if you think about it. You said that you are Catholic, do you spend much time in adoration with the Blessed Sacrament or in prayer? Praying the Rosary can bring you closer to Jesus through Mary. You need to spend more time than just on Sunday with God then you get to know Him and He gets to know you. I would recommend that you make an appointment with your priest and ask how you can deepen your relationship with God. Also there is a class for people who want to become Catholic called RCIA but Catholics are welcome too to learn more about their faith. You are in the right place but you need to find out what challenges God has for you in your Catholic faith. Don't lose your faith over this, eternal life would be a lot to lose.

Answer 55

it is very sad..........//

.

Answer 56

http://www.truereligionworks.com/

go see this website

Answer 57

All religions should be burned and torn to pieces it's like following a clut the worst thing ever

Answer 58

If it doesn't make sense, it's probably not true. If you are truly interested in getting to know the truth about God. Please visit the website JW.org. You can even request a bible study.

Answer 59

Poorly.

Answer 60

It doesn't.

Answer 61

Religion is bad, u need a relationship with Christ, just read the Bible (yourself) and pray to the Lord to guide you.

Answer 62

You don't need religion any more than I do but you do need Christ and I believe God has put a hunger in your heart fro 'spiritual meat'.

Finding a church that will help you in the right way and on the right path is tricky. What you need is God's Spirit to guide you. To receive God's Spirit you need to ask Jesus Christ into your heart and life, confessing your sin and sins, and then go step by step into the future.

Christ's Spirit will come to you if you thank Jesus for suffering and dying for you whose sacrifice enables Father-God to put away our sins, and your sins, and give us a brand new start , as a true reborn child of God. It is then you will know in your heart that God has received you and made you his own!



Once the Spirit is guiding your life you will find the church where God wants you to be, it may not be the same for your brother or best friend! No church is perfect, but those who offer Bible and fellowship meetings to explore faith and ask questions are normally the best ones.



A true church will have a sense of love and peace in the atmosphere where the worship is from the heart and full of joy, but also capable of becoming gentle and quiet, encouraging deep communion with God.



You need to find a fellowship of people around your age group.

Be earnest and God WILL guide you to be blessed in his Love!

Answer 63

Oh my. All I can say is I thought my Minister knew everything till I really learned what is in the Bible. Man, was I surprised. God is no mystery & He wants us to know Him and what His Plan is for mankind. jw.org

Answer 64

There are two religions, so it depends on which one you are in.



(Matthew 7:13, 14) 13 “Go in through the narrow gate, because broad is the gate and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are going in through it; 14 whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are finding it.



The broad road is called that because it allows for any point of view and any idea that makes you feel good or for some other reason that has a personal appeal for you. It has no set standards so you can try to be good or not try at all and still be accepted by your peers or according to your own standards. On that broad raod you can be regular and an avid supporter of some religion if you wish, but since that religion is basically just there to take advantage of you and mislead you then yes, you are there for those leaders who claim to represent God, but who are taking advantage of you and teaching you lies like the Trinity, immortality of the soul, conscious torment of the wicked after death, all good people go to heaven, and other things like these which contradict the Bible and which teachings actually have a pagan origin because these teachings were inspired by demons.





(1 Timothy 4:1-3) 4 However, the inspired word clearly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired statements and teachings of demons, 2 by means of the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, whose conscience is seared as with a branding iron. 3 They forbid marriage and command people to abstain from foods that God created to be partaken of with thanksgiving by those who have faith and accurately know the truth.



(2 Peter 2:1-3) 2 However, there also came to be false prophets among the people, as there will also be false teachers among you. These will quietly bring in destructive sects, and they will even disown the owner who bought them, bringing speedy destruction upon themselves. 2 Furthermore, many will follow their brazen conduct, and because of them the way of the truth will be spoken of abusively. 3 Also, they will greedily exploit you with counterfeit words. But their judgment, decided long ago, is not moving slowly, and their destruction is not sleeping.



However those who are on the narrow road leading to life have searched for the one narrow gate and made personal sacrifices to enter that gate because it means life. Most will inherit the earthly part of God's Kingdom and live under that government when it rules over the earth and they will help to fulfill Jehovah's original purpose as stated in Genesis for humans to to caretakers and stewards of his earthly creation as they live forever upon it in a paradise. While a relatively few will serve God in heaven along with his son as the administration of that kingdom. In the meantime not only do those on the narrow road have to do things which Jehovah approves of and live according to his standards, but they also receive many blessings even now. Jehovah is always there for his servants who worship him in truth. My mother was raised as a Catholic also, but she began searching for something else because she wanted to understand the Bible and get to know God as a friend, My in laws used to be Catholic also, but eventually they all became Jehovah's Witnesses because it is the truth according to the Bible.



(John 4:23, 24) 23 Nevertheless, the hour is coming, and it is now, when the true worshippers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, for indeed, the Father is looking for ones like these to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit, and those worshipping him must worship with spirit and truth.”



(Matthew 5:5) 5 “Happy are the mild-tempered, since they will inherit the earth.

(Matthew 6:10) 10 Let your Kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also on earth.

(Revelation 5:10) 10 and you made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are to rule as kings over the earth.”



(Isaiah 30:21) 21 And your own ears will hear a word behind you saying, “This is the way. Walk in it,” in case you should go to the right or in case you should go to the left.



(2 Corinthians 1:3, 4) 3 Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of tender mercies and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our trials so that we may be able to comfort others in any sort of trial with the comfort that we receive from God.

Answer 65

Religions works the same way life does. As you mature, you realize that it's not all about you... that it's about how you fit into the world at large. Instead of having Mommy and Daddy watch over you and protect you and give you everything you need and want, now, as you become older and more independant and self-sufficient, it becomes about how you can contribute to society, how you can help others grow and thrive... because, as your whole community grows and thrives, you benefit from having a better society around you.

That can be compared with ones relationship with God. When you're young, it's all stories about how God will protect you and care for you, but as you become an independant person you have a chance of improving your one-sided relationship with God by giving back to God... and in turn, God gives even more than you ever imagined... not just the little things you want, but real things, like growth, wisdom and the joy of being a whole person.



That's how it works for some people, but if that's not your thing, fine. No one else should judge you for how you chose to conduct your personal relationship with the divine... that's your business... everyone else needs to focus on their own business.

-Scarlet

Answer 66

to summarise our Christianity, in one word would be "comm-union"

-----------------------------

look at the first page of the bible... then consider your job (assumeing you don't serve people or manufacturing)... farming...

that is (I think) the direction of who serves who, and who provides for who

--------------------------------

have faith, he is really real. and pray

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if there are paths to the top of the mountain, stick to one path or else you will be going around in circles.

--------------------------------

there are lots of things to be thankful for.

Answer 67

I assume God is there. I, however, am not omniscient. I am just me. If I can say a good word for someone, I will. God included. Others may or may not be interested

Answer 68

Religion basically provides a nice stumbling block for human progress and advancement and development. It almost always is worthless to human morality and decent behavior. Without religion, our world would be a far better place to live!

Answer 69

Poorly.

Answer 70

BASIC RELIGIOUS CONCEPTS







A. Belief in God



1. Theistic God: the concept of a being which is (1) purely spiritual, (2) all good, (3) all knowing, and (4) all powerful.



2. Theism:



a) Narrow: belief in the existence of the theistic God.



b) Broad: Belief in the existence of some divine being other than the theistic God.



3. Atheism:



a) Narrow: disbelief in theistic God.



b) Broad: disbelief the existence of any divine being whatever.



4. Agnosticism



a) Narrow: neither belief nor disbelief in the existence of the theistic God.



b) Broad: neither belief nor disbelief in the existence of any divine being whatever.







B. Types of theism



1. Animism: belief that inanimate objects (such as statues or mountains) have souls.



2. Polytheism: belief in a multiplicity of gods.



3. Henotheism: polytheistic belief that each nation or country has its own god.



4. Dualism: polytheistic belief in two conflicting deities, one good and the other evil.



5. Monotheism: belief in one god, but not necessarily the theistic God.



6. Deism: monotheistic belief in a god who set the universe in motion and thereafter left it alone.



7. Pantheism: monotheistic belief that god is identical with nature as a whole.







C. Revelation



1. Special revelation: divine revelation to humans which is (a) specific in content, and (b) for a specific audience (such as the Bible or the Koran).



2. General Revelation: divine revelation to humans which is (a) general in content, and (b) for a general audience.



3. Theology: the human attempt to understand special revelation.



4. Natural theology: the human attempt to understand general revelation.







D. Approaches to theistic belief



1. Mysticism: experiencing a union with divine nature by means of ecstatic contemplation.



2. Rationalism: theistic belief from rational grounds.



3. Fideism: theistic belief solely on the grounds of faith.

Answer 71

it works by re legions of the spirit of gods way as [not-knot] god that gets us back to god] at the seventh re legion[was] as "time" is where two or more see as love from false love done and held as that eternal legion. [re legion from all not gods[re legions] done.. and to understand "work" this way, think of when someone asks why god allows us to suffer, the answer is written,because "god is working his works" we automatically assume "god" and "his" are the same thing because both are god, but "his" is the "spirit of gods" works that god is working back to god. [it means god is working the spirit of gods works]

Answer 72

Shocking proof of where you go after you die...see video below and it's not what yo0u thinjk

Answer 73

Religion provides both the carrot and the stick, hope and punishment allowing the "haves" who are few in number to control the "have nots" who's numbers are great.

Answer 74

We are created for God's pleasure. What is that pleasure? For Him to see us thrive, live, have joy, prosper, serve Him and serve others and share His good news of life and forgiveness for sins. He does not take pleasure in the death or suffering of anybody, although suffering is a fact of living in a fallen world.



For somebody to say "God's not here for you, you're here for God" is not entirely correct. God is indeed master and Creator and He has the final say.....but because He is perfect love, He has no secret agenda to control or manipulate you. He just wants to be near you and love you. That's really all He truly wants, in the end, is to be near His creation and be close to us. That is pure 100% love. It took me YEARS of struggle to come to this. How did I come to this? Read Psalms 51 for starters:



Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.



You are being told about who God is. That is the major problem with RELIGIONS. They try to tell you who God is and how He works. You must know HIM FOR YOURSELF.



Jeremiah 31:34

No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."



Obey the simple gospel of Acts 2:38. God bless.

Answer 75

Dear truthseeker,the ultimate goal is to develop your own relationship with God. We must all daily ask for His guidance, and then act in accord for what we pray for by not behaving in a manner that would incur His displeasure.

For example, we cannot pray to God to help us not to lie and then turn around and lie the next day. It is hard,but it is worth the effort,and time to do things His way,and not our own way. I am working on this myself. The next step is to believe in Jesus,and to daily repent of our sins,and shortcomings. Then we must must read God's Word daily in order to be truly happy. Isaiah 48:17-18,and Psalms1:1-3. Then once you have done all those things you get baptized,but even after baptism the recipe for success is still the same. You will find the right religion for you that adheres to the Bible if you pray,and sincerely ask God for His help.

Answer 76

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock". Sir; that is not Religion knocking.

Answer 77

Religion promises you many things and also many punishments. These promises never seem to happen. You can pray all day and night and nothing happens.

Try to live without religion for a while clear your mind of its hold on you, look at it from the outside. Have your prayers ever been answered no do you know if anyone else’s has? Religion can drive you nuts with it’s hocus pocus. Have a mind off your own and think for your self.

Answer 78

It doesn't work if you are able to deal with reality. Religion of any sort is only found in myths within the mind(s) of mankind with no proof to substantiate it.

Answer 79

'Beliefs' are an infection of the imagination/ego!

A religion is the congregation of those infected with similar strains.

Like a leper colony.

Those infected display clearly symptomatic behavior and thought.

A 'belief infection' constantly requires defense and validation (care and feeding) and, of course, spreading!

Unlike the lepers, those with infected egos deliberately attempt to spread their 'belief'!

Insidious!

Answer 80

My Friend if you want to be truly happy,, forget about religion and start being more appreciative and have a attitude of gratitude. If everyday you get up and you say "Thanks you God I have a place to sleep, some food to eat, The internet (lol) , a job if youare woking and if you are not still thank him for being alive. So my point is you will feel better because there are others that are worse off than you.



RELIGION was created by man to divide, confuse and control the masses.

Answer 81

i think that it is very simple: you make the cause, you receive the effect.

it is amazing how many religious people do not believe in the power of prayer. they always think that there is an easier way than to pray two or more hours daily.



supposed you make a spiritual cause, then what?

--

Ten Worlds: Ten life-conditions in which a single entity of life manifests. Originally the worlds were viewed as distinct physical places each with its own particular inhabitants. In light of the Lotus Sutra, they are interpreted as potential conditions of life inherent in each individual. The Ten Worlds is a component principle of ichinen sanzen[3000-worlds in a momentary state of being] in which T'ian-t'ai set forth in the Maka shikan [great concentration and insight]or[great calming meditation]. The ten worlds are:



(1) The state of Hell (jigoku). Nichiren Daishonin’s the “True Object of Worship” (“Kanjin no Honzon Sho”) states, “Rage is the world of Hell.” Hell indicates a condition in which one is dominated by the impulse of rage to destroy oneself and everything else. In this state one is utterly devoid of freedom and undergoes extreme and indescribable suffering.



(2) The state of Hunger (gaki). The “True Object of Worship”[1.] states, “Greed is the world of Hunger.” Hunger is a condition characterized by insatiable desire for food, clothes, wealth, pleasure, fame, power and so forth. One in this state is tormented by relentless craving and by his inability to assuage it.



(3) The state of Animality (chikusho). The “True Object of Worship” (“Kanjin no Honzon Sho”) states, “Foolishness is the world af Animality.” It is a condition governed by instinct, in which one has no sense of reason or morality. “On the Sovereign, Teacher and Parent” (“Shushishin Gosho”) describes the state of Animality as follows: “The short are swallowed by the long, and the small are eaten by the large, feeding upon each other without pause.” One in the state of Animality stands in fear of the strong but despises and preys upon those weaker than himself. Hell, Hunger and Animality are collectively called the three evil paths (san’akudo).



(4) The state of Anger (shura). The “True Object of Worship” (“Kanjin no Honzon Sho”) states, “Perversity is the world af Anger.” It is a condition dominated by a selfish ego. One in this stage is compelled by the need to be superior to others in all things, despising them and valuing one’s self alone. Nichiren Daishonin’s “Causality within the Ten States of Life” (“Jippokai Myoinga Sho”) states as follows: “The first volume of the Maka Shikan reads, ‘He who is in the world of Anger, motivated by the warped desire to be better than everyone else, is forever belittling others and exalting himself. He is like a hawk sweeping the sky in search of pray. He may outwardly display benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and good faith, and even possess a rudimentary moral sense, but his heart remains in shura.’” Hell, Hunger, Animality and Anger are collectively called the four evil paths (shiakushu).



(5) The state of Humanity or Tranquillity (nin). The “True Object of Worship” (“Kanjin no Honzon Sho”) states, “Calmness is the world of Humanity.” In this state, one can make judgements fairly, control his instinctive desires with reason and act in harmony with his environment.



(6) The state of Heaven or Rapture (ten). The “True Object of Worship” (“Kanjin no Honzon Sho”) states, “Joy is the world of Rapture.” This state indicates the sense of pleasure which one experiences when his desire is fulfilled. However, the joy in the state of Heaven is temporary, and disappears with the passage of time or with even a slight change in circumstances. The six states from Hell through Heaven are called the six paths (rokudo). The majority of people spend most of their time transmigrating, or moving back and forth among the six paths. In these states one is governed totally by his reactions to external influences and is therefore extremely vulnerable to changing circumstances.

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Those states in which one transcends the uncertainty of the six paths are called the four noble worlds.



(7) The state of Learning (shomon), a condition in which one awakens to the impermanence of all things and the instability of the six paths, and seeks some lasting truth and aims at self-reformation through the teachings of others. Men of Learning (Skt shravaka) originally meant those who listen to the Buddha preach the four noble truths and practice the eightfold path in order to acquire emancipation from earthly desires.



(8) The state of Realization (engaku) is a condition in which one perceives the impermanence of all phenomena and strives to free one’s self from the sufferings of the six paths, by seeking some lasting truth through one’s own observations and effort. Men of Realizatoin (Skt. pratyekabuddha) originally meant those who attain a form of emancipation by perceiving the twelve-linked chain of causation or by observing natural phenomena. Learning and Realization are called the two vehicles (Jap nijo). The defect of the two vehicles lies in the fact the persons in these states seek only their own salvation.



(9) The state of Bodhisattva (bosatsu). In this state, one not only aspires for enlightenment himself but also devotes one’s self to compassionate actions. The characteristic of Bodhisattva lies in this dedication to altruism. The “Causality within the Ten States of Life” (“Jippokai Myoinga Sho”) states, “Those in the state of Bodhisattva dwell among the common mortals of the six paths and humble themselves while respecting others. They draw evil to themselves and give benefit to others.”



(10) The state of Buddhahood (butsu). This is a condition of perfect and absolute freedom, in which one enjoys boundless wisdom and compassion, and is filled with the courage and power to surmount all hardships. A Buddha understands all phenomena and realizes the Middle Way. The ten honorable titles of the Buddha represent the great power, wisdom and virtue of the Buddha.



footnote:“True Object of Worship” (“Kanjin no Honzon Sho”);major writings of nichiren daishonin, volume 1.

Answer 82

Christians are constantly coming up with a lot of nonsense and pathetic excuses to make sense of their ridiculous religion. The other religions are the same.

Answer 83

Laidawestbrook2 has inspired understanding when she/he says "I think the problem is most people are caught up in belonging to a religion more than having a relationship with God. The Bible gives us instruction on how to have a good relationship with God rather than keeping up with reglious traditions."



And she/he gives some relative quotes from what sounds like a JW bible. The KJV says Matthew 11:28 "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.



However, the emphasis needs to be on your personal relationship with Jesus Christ. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Acts 4:12 mentions Jesus Christ of Nazareth & 2 verses later in Acts 4:12 says"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."



I'm sure at some point, you have learned this. The point I am trying to make is that God never promised anyone a happy life without burden while living upon the earth. This world belongs to the dark prince, Satan. Since sin separated up from God, He devised a way to reconcile us to Him through His son Jesus Christ. Jesus is the ONLY way to get to heaven which is where we are rewarded, where there is no more suffering, where there is no more sickness, where there is no more death, forever !! We only have to endure & stay faithful to God for a few years. This life really goes by kinda fast. I have already been given rest from burdens, thanks be to God. Then, we have an eternity to be rewarded for the choice we made. Unless you don't make the right choice. Forget religion ... just stick to following Jesus Christ !! May God bless you with enlightenment & faith !

Answer 84

Relationship not religion. God want that with you and by the way he does not need you, He wants you.



He wants you so much that He took on flesh and came here just to set you free from everything , including religion.



No one comes to the Father unless they come through Jesus.



God is the Judge, He looks at Jesus and asks "do you take this sinner as yours? Jesus says "Yes I Do" so know God asks you the question, Do you take this Savior as your own?



Well do you?





If you do then start reading in the gospel of John and go from there, get with a good Church that is not about religion and rules.

Answer 85

Poorly.

Answer 86

RELIGION

The Bible's Viewpoint



Why are there so many religions?

“You let go of the commandment of God and cling to the tradition of men.”—Mark 7:8.



WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS

People have an innate “spiritual need” that they can fill by worshipping God. (Matthew 5:3) In trying to satisfy that need, people have created many religions that are based on the ideas of humans rather than those of God.



For instance, the Bible says about members of one first-century religious group: “They have a zeal for God, but not according to accurate knowledge. For because of not knowing the righteousness of God but seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.” (Romans 10:2, 3) Likewise today, a large number of religions exist that “teach commands of men as doctrines.”—Mark 7:7.



Is it necessary to belong to a religion?

“Let us consider one another so as to incite to love and fine works, not forsaking our meeting together.”—Hebrews 10:24, 25.



WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS

Hebrews 10:25 uses the phrase “not forsaking our meeting together.” Those words show that God wants people to gather as an organized group for worship. But would each worshipper have his or her own interpretation of who God is and what he requires? No. The Bible says that those who worship in a way that God approves “should all speak in agreement” and “be completely united in the same mind and in the same line of thought.” (1 Corinthians 1:10) They would be organized into congregations and would “have love for the whole association of brothers” worldwide. (1 Peter 2:17; 1 Corinthians 11:16) Such united and organized worship is necessary to please God.



Can true religion be identified?

“By this all will know that you are my disciples—if you have love among yourselves.”—John 13:35.



WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS

Illustrating how to identify those who practice true religion, the Bible says: “By their fruits you will recognize them. Never do people gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles, do they?” (Matthew 7:16) You need not be a botanist to distinguish a fig tree from a thistle; likewise, you need not be an expert on religion to tell the true from the false. What are some of the fruits, or identifying features, of true religion?



True religion teaches the truth from God’s Word, the Bible. (John 4:24; 17:17) It is not based on human philosophies.

True religion helps people get to know God, including knowing his name, Jehovah.—John 17:3, 6.

True religion focuses attention on God’s Kingdom, not man’s governments, as the only hope for mankind.—Matthew 10:7; 24:14.

True religion promotes unselfish love. (John 13:35) It teaches people to respect all ethnic groups, to use their time and resources to help others, and to avoid sharing in the wars of the nations.—Micah 4:1-4.

True religion is a way of life, not just ritual or formality. Its members practice what they preach.—Romans 2:21; 1 John 3:18.

Jehovah’s Witnesses, the publishers of this magazine, strive to honor God in their speech and conduct. Why not attend a meeting at a Kingdom Hall and see for yourself?

Answer 87

A few things to avoid:



a.Religions that use their own books to teach. The Bible is the only instructions you need.

b.Religions that say the Old Testament does not apply anymore.

Answer 88

Religion works by keeping you under the concept of reward and punishment. It is there to control you.

You are however a spiritual being connected to the universal conscience. Its all about energy, which is in every cell of your body, and in every living thing. Every thought we have is also an energy and this goes to the same place this cosmic energy field called conscience. This is a powerfull field and if we connect our thoughts to our feelings using positive thoughts only we can manifest anything we need. If we use negative thoughts this will also come back to you. As this energy is connected to every living cell this is the field we are working in. Ask yourself this, the whole world seems to live in fear, fear of loss,illness, debt etc, then look around you and see how people are reacting. We are letting this negative force rule us.

Religion will only cause you harm as you can never live up to what it require, but God or this cosmic field used in the right way will produce what you need providing you use all this power in a positive way.

Jesus knew how to use this field, he could heal the sick and told us time and time again to seek the Kingdom, this Kingdom lies within us, find this and you will know the truth behind the lies that you have been taught. Took me most of my life to do this after joining many religions, now I know where God truly lives my life is changed. When you are told God lives within you, think of this energy field, we all have it and this is our connection to the universal energy of Love. Because Love indeed does conquer everything.

Answer 89

Perhaps your catholic parent did not teach you the correct concept of God.



See this Catholic born guy who seek the truth until the truth found him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFuZCL_NbXE

Answer 90

Like this

Answer 91

Like this

Answer 92

Like this

Answer 93

I understand what you are going. I think the problem is most people are caught up in belonging to a religion more than having a relationship with God. The Bible gives us instruction on how to have a good relationship with God rather than keeping up with reglious traditions. In many cases this about a hardship to it members rather a refreshing feeling of peace. At Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all you who are toiling and loaded down, and I will refresh you. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am mild-tempered and lowly in heart, and you will find refreshment for yourselves. 30 For my yoke is kindly, and my load is light.

Jesus invite to seek him. He states that he is mild temper and won't add any burden on you. God care about your well being.1 Peter 5:6-7.” 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time, 7 while you throw all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. For more information go to www.JW.Org

Answer 94

Maybe you're spending too much time figuring out what religion is, when you should be figuring out who God is.

Answer 95

Like this

Answer 96

Gullibility of the poor and weak minded and money laundering.

Answer 97

Poorly.

Answer 98

Poorly.

Answer 99

There are priests and Pundit to help ignorant people. They help you to perform any religious rites.

Answer 100

Poorly.

Answer 101

god is there for us we must commit our lies to god to not live in sin any more



john 3:16

Answer 102

Perhaps religion is just the first step. Now you need faith and spirituality.

Answer 103

Like this

Answer 104

catholics do not follow a true pope. there has not been a true pope, that i know of since Peter. no one has ever been given all the keys of authority in the catholic church except Pete, aiui.

Answer 105

God offers a relationship rather than religion.

0ne of the by-products is joy!

Answer 106

You waste your time worshipping an imaginary being and his holy book.

Answer 107

Dear,

First u should Understand about the Need of Religion. The Need of a thing can describe its purpose.



Need of Religion:-

Religion describe a code of conduct or a method by which we can directly communicate with our Creator (God Almighty).



A Religion is False and Superstitious Story which does not Guaranty the Real and Live Communication between Creator ( God Almighty) and Creature (Human).



If we have the Confidence in God Almighty that whatever we are saying to God Almighty (our needs, our problems) has all the powers to solve them then God Almighty will definitely Listen to those Peoples.



''Listen, O those who can, to what God desires from you. And what He desires is only that you become solely His and do not associate any partners with Him, neither in the heavens nor on the earth.



Our God is that God who is alive even now as He was alive before. He speaks even now as He used to speak before. And even now He hears as He used to hear earlier. It is a false notion that in these times He does hear but does not speak. But He hears and speaks, too.



All His Attributes are eternal and everlasting. None of His Attributes is in abeyance, nor will it ever be. He is the One without any associate Who has no son, nor has He any wife. He alone is the peerless Who has no one like Him. And He is the One Who is unique in that none of His Attributes are exclusively possessed by anyone besides Him. He is the One Who has no equal. He is the One Who has no one to share with Him His Attributes. And He is the One no Power of Whose is less than perfect. He is near, though He is far and He is far, though He is near.



He can reveal Himself to Ahl-e-Kashf in personification, but He has no body, nor any shape. He is above all, but it cannot be said that there is anything beneath Him. He is on 'Arsh, but it can't be said that He is not on the earth. He is the sum total of all Perfect Attributes and He is the Manifestation of every True Praise.



He is the source of all that is Good and encompasses all Powers and He is the source of all Beneficences. He is the One to Whom everything returns. He is the Lord of all realms. He possesses every Perfection and is free from all defects, imperfections and weakness. It is His sole prerogative that all those who belong to the earth as well as all those who belong to the heavens should worship Him.



As far as He is concerned nothing is impossible for Him. All souls and their potentialities, and all particles and their potentials are His and only His creation. Nothing comes into existence without His agency. As for Him He reveals Himself through His Powers, His Omnipotence and His Signs.



We can attain Him only through Him. He always reveals His Person to the righteous and shows them His Omnipotence—and this is the only means by which He is recognized and by which that way is recognized which is favoured by Him.



He sees without physical eyes and hears without physical ears and speaks without a physical tongue. Likewise it is His work to bring a thing into existence from nothingness.



For example, in the visions of dream you see how He creates a world without matter and shows you every mortal and nonexistent being as having existence. Thus are all His Powers. Ignorant is he who denies His Powers.



Blind is he who has no knowledge of His profound and inconceivable Powers. He can, and does, everything that He intends to, except those things which violate His Majesty or which are in conflict with His Promises and Verdicts. He is unique in His Being, in His Attributes, in His Actions and in His Powers.



All doors to reach Him are closed except the one door which the Noble Qur'an has opened. And all Prophet hoods and all Books of the past are such as now there is no need left to follow them independently. Because the Prophet hood of Muhammad (sa) comprises them all and encompasses them all. And except it [the Prophethood of Muhammad (as) ] all routes to God are closed.



Each and every truth which leads to God is in it alone. Neither any truth will come after this, nor there was a truth which is not present in it. And for this reason all Prophet hoods have ended with this Prophet hood. And so it should have been: for a thing which has a beginning must also have an end.



But this Prophet hood of Muhammad (sa) in its intrinsic beneficence is not deficient. Rather its beneficence far surpasses the beneficence of other prophet hoods. Following the Prophet hood of Muhammad (sa) is the easiest route through which one can reach God. Obedience to it wins greater gifts of Divine love and Divine communion than ever before.''

Answer 108

All religions have the same basic goal. To collect a fee from the believers. These donations are then used to build elaborate buildings to make people believe that religion is something special. Then the religion offers an afterlife in heaven for believing whatever they say or condemnation to hell for not. After brainwashing the children of believers before the age of reason they have dedicated members that are not able to think for themselves. That in short should answer your question. Hope this helps.

Answer 109

People make it work by believing in it.

Answer 110

packs of lies and pulling the wool over the eyes of lame, wimpy suckers

Answer 111

Religion works to bring you happiness by telling you what life is about. You don't know the bible, just a bit, right? Being Christian is a high calling.

Answer 112

Religion only works when no one asks any questions. If anyone questions their own religion they would quickly see how little sense it makes.

Answer 113

Religion is man made.



Christianity is God reaching humanity.

Answer 114

It makes you strong with beliefs

Answer 115

just follow the ten commandments and forget everything else.

Answer 116

Add your answerAsk not what the Lord can do for you but what you can do for the Lord.

Answer 117

All healthy relationships are *two-way* 'streets'.



Each person gives to the others involved, and each one receives from the others involved.



The majority of people behave in ways indicating they just want to be on the receiving end.



However, that is not the way a relationship with our Creator is either built, or, maintained.



He knows us inside out, from the moment of conception.



King David, writing figuratively of Jehovah God, said:



“Your eyes even saw me as an embryo; All its parts were written in your book

Regarding the days when they were formed, before any of them existed.” (Ps. 139:16)



However, the only way we know about him, is to closely examine the 'letters' he 'sent us', all put together now for us, in God's Word, the Bible:



"Now these were more noble-minded . . . for they accepted the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, *carefully examining* the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." (Acts 17:11)



"Therefore, many of them became believers,

and so did quite a few of the reputable Greek women as well as some of the men." (Acts 17:12)





Notice that they didn't just accept whatever someone told them . . . not even religious leaders!



Christ had called the disobedient Jewish religious leaders *hypocrites*, for pretending to sorship his Father, while actually teaching unscriptural things in the place of actual Bible truths:



(“You hypocrites, Isaiah aptly prophesied about you when he said: ‘This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are *far removed* from me. It is in *vain* that they keep worshipping me, for *they teach commands of men as doctrines*.’”---Matthew 15:7-9)





He also warned his followers* not* to blindly accept the teachings of those claiming to follow him:



("Many will say to me in that day: ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ And then I will declare to them: ‘I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!’" Matthew 7:22, 23;



"For *false* Christs and *false* prophets will arise and will perform signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, the chosen ones. You, then, watch out. I have told you all things beforehand." Mark 13:22, 23).



So, there are *many* religions that *only claim* to be following Christ, and many others besides that also have false teachings. The only way to learn which is the one true religion, then, is to compare what the Bible itself says, with what religions teach, and how their followers live their lives. Which requires the close examination of Scripture mentioned in Acts 17:11. I suggest using 'guides' to where specific subjects are touched on in the Bible, such as:



"An Introduction to God’s Word"

http://www.jw.org/en/publications/bible/nwt/introduction/



"What Does the Bible Really Teach?"

http://www.jw.org/en/publications/books/bible-teach/







Most religion, though, works by misleading people into supporting various religious leaders & organisations which condone & teach beliefs & practices that many people want to have, and therefore want to believe that these are approved by God. They encourage the giving of financial support for their leaders & organisations to exist . . . and, much more. However, the Christian Greek Scriptures show that early Christians supported themselves fincially. For example:



"After this [Paul] ... came to Corinth. And he found ... Aquila...with Priscilla his wife, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. So he went to them, and because *he had the same trade,* he stayed at their home and worked with them, for they were *tentmakers by trade.* He would give a talk in the synagogue every sabbath and would persuade Jews and Greeks." (Acts 18:1-4)



True Christians today likewise never solicit donations to support themselves! Nor do they teach tithing, like many churches do, because that was a part of the Old Law Covenant that was replaced by Christ's new covenant.



So, you have likely asked yourself whether you should trust any religion.

This set of articles discusses 'how religions work':



"Should You Trust Religion?"

http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/wp20130701/



I once felt the same way, having been raised attending a church that didn't follow the Bible. However, when I eventually discovered what God's Word says about religion's future, my frustration & confusion became encouragement & understanding. It shows that all false religions will be forever destroyed, while the one, truly righteous worsip of the true God, Jehovah will exist forever.



To find out more about this, I recommend reading:



"What Is the Good News About Religion?"

http://www.jw.org/en/publications/books/good-news-from-god/good-news-about-religion/







God certainly does have a plan for all obedient mankind. However, not all the benefits are available yet. This is because we are still living during the reign of Satan over the earth. This has been allowed because mankind chose to follow Satan. Satan accused God of being inept & incapable, while accusing mankind of being entirely selfish & unwilling to serve Jehovah out of appreciation. . . .

By allowing time for mankind to try every concievable way to succeed in opposition to God, the evidence has built up, and all angels in heaven & humans on earth can see the horrible results. This evidence will make up the backing for Universal Legal Presidence, which will for all time prevent wicked ones from causing doubt or harm in the future. . . .



IF God had quickly killed each rebel as they came along, it would have caued more to question his claim to sovereignty. (If two horses are to race, but one is killed before the race, no one ever has any proof that one was faster than the other.) Jehovah doesn't want to leave any room for doubts in the minds or hearts of righteous hearted ones. He wants them all to be convinced, so they can have the strength to be faithful no matter what.



After Satan's system is gone for good, the complete fulfillment of Bible prophecies will begin!



"The meek will possess the earth,

And they will find exquisite delight in the abundance of peace." (Psalm 37:11)



"Should Christians Expect Divine Protection Now?"

http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/102002245

Answer 118

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Answer 119

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Answer 120

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