Does following religion blindly.....?

Question

create mindless followers?
In other words...if you believe so strongly in a religion, do you block out reality?

These people did...

In Jonestown, Guyana, in 1978, followers of the Rev. Jim Jones killed a visiting congressman and three newsmen, then administered cyanide to themselves and their children in a 900-person suicide that shocked the world.

So why is it any differnet with Christians? If your Pastor said...I have received word from Heaven that the Devil is visiting tomorrow, and he is going to burn and rape you. The only way out is to kill ourselves first...what would you do? If you followed his word faithfully to that day, why would or wouldnt you follow now?

Answer 1

I think you hit the nail on the head. This is what religion is designed to do. Give a little hope, and ensure followers.
Its a social construct but people like to only say the truth when they call a religion a cult. The only different between a religion and a cult is that one has been around for so long people just accept it.

Answer 2

It's two different things. In Jonestown, they followed Jim Jones blindly, yes. But Christians are NOT supposed to follow the pastor (or minister, preist, or whichever title you prefer) blindly. We are to realize that these men are just men. Jones's followers didn't do that.

As Paul wrote in Galatians 1:

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!

In other words, if it doesn't jive with what you know to be right, then it is wrong.

Now, were my minister to make a statement similar to what you said, I'd ask him to show me the scripture that lines up with his statement. If he copuld produce one, I might accept it. But I'd probably just tell him he was a kook.

Answer 3

Because it's exactly that.. following a religious leader "blindly".
Nobody in their right mind would do such a thing and unfortunately, there are pastors and preachers nowadays who "blind" their followers into a belief that is not even true.
It's sad that there are people who need to follow another's doctrine. My parents are an example of two people who would do anything.. ANYTHING for their pastor. It scares me to see them that way. Pastors are to be respected but not treated as God or Jesus himself. But some people just seem to have a need to follow and believe in a lie. Paying a tithe is an example of how my parents are blinded into giving so much into a church where hundreds give their own 10%, then the same people go home after church and eat fried chicken and sit at home with a fan blowing in the livingroom. No AC, just a fan. While the pastor goes home to a $150,000 plus home with his AC cranked up to the max because there's a heatwave in Texas and has a Sunday steak dinner...... oh yeah.. I can give you an ear full.
Some people are just plain blind.

Answer 4

There is a great problem with blindly following religion or anything else. True christianity is based on a body of evidence found primarily in the Bible. Faith is NOT credulous belief. True faith is based on accurate knowledge. One must study the bible intensely and differentiate between man-made doctrine, man-made traditions, and what the bible actually says. True history and science validate the truth of the Bible, although secular sources are not needed to validate the bible, they often demonstrate the bible's accuracy. There is more involved in being a Christian than just saying "I believe"

Answer 5

I'm a child of God I do not go to church but I follow the Bible - I admit there are false Christians the world over but not everyone is so blind. But putting that aside there are bad people who are not religious that cause harm. Everyone even you believe in something, even if that something is the mission of convincing people that religion is made up. You also follow a group who believe the same as you. Charles Manson is an atheist, do you follow his lifestyle? I do not believe you do. You see to you, your right and to those who believe in God to us we are right. Does that mean either of us are right or wrong. That does not matter. A strong christian will not change his beliefs no matter what you say nor should he. as a strong atheist wont change his.

Answer 6

I don't believe anyone should follow any religion without thinking for themselves. If one tests their faith either it will crumple, in which case it wasn't all that strong to begin with and is not great loss; or it will withstand the pressure put upon it and will be stronger than it was. Christians are not the only people who resist testing their faith and not all of them do resist. I've met just as many stubborn and misguided muslims, pagans, you name it. For that matter, some atheists are unwilling to countenance that which they cannot explain rationally- afraid that their own beliefs will not be strong enough to withstand the evidence of the unknown. For the record, my faith was tested, and it crumpled. I went with what seemed true to me, and am much better off now.

Answer 7

I wouldn't follow his word, although to that day your pastor may have been a good man it would be obvious that something went wrong, not everything he says is of God and therefore you must use your own discernment to decide whether what he is saying is true. In this case I would not follow him blindly, one of the ten commandments is do not commit murder and I believe suicide is murder therefore God would never ask you to break one of his commandments. The one thing I would do is pray for my pastor as he's obviously lost his mind!

Answer 8

It's all about faith. I have a friend that is blind and when we go places together she has to trust me when I lead her places or she could get seriously hurt going out on her on. Religion is the same way. The main thing is that you must read your Bible, pray and ask God to lead you in the way that YOU should go, because every preacher is not going to agree with each other or you when it comes to interpreting the Bible's meaning. I've sat in a sermon and disagreed with what the preacher had to say because scripture mean different things to each of us. Don't get me wrong, most of the time we all agree but there are times we don't so you just have to as they say, let your heart be your guide. As far as killing yourself, the Bible says we are not to take our own lives and I wouldn't kill myself.

Answer 9

In reference to that Pastor, I would consider him insane since I validate any teaching I receive based on the Bible. If someone instructs me in something that contradicts the Bible, then I will not follow their advice.

Reality is very important and it was actually my investigation into creation that brought be back to Christianity because I could not realistically accept the beliefs of the evolutionists.

Answer 10

Pray a lot. Then break out the Super Soakers and fill 'em with holy water, and get ready to rumble I guess.

No I wouldn't do it, because suicide is a sin. It is also hard to repent of it because well you're dead and stuff.