Appealing to the intellectual side of faitful people?

Question

I understand a belief in a higher power no matter what you name it, it kind of makes sense and is comforting for a lot of people. If that's how you want to explain things I disagree but can't tell you you're wrong. So, let's be reasonable with each other. No matter what deity you believe in, the religion that surrounds it is man made. Maybe you believe it was inspired or directly started by your deity or spiritual leader. If that is true than it was stil VERY long ago in human terms. So knowing man is not perfect and is in fact very corruptible we have to assume over many of years these religions have become less perfect through being controlled by man. So what I'm asking is if you're going to put "faith" in something why not do it how you have interpreted it yourself and how you think is how it should be. Not just conforming to a set of texts that obviously contradict common sense.

People were pretty dumb long ago, let's fix the logical holes they left not perpetuate them like blind robots because that's how it was back then.

By the way I'm buddhist so don't have any deity and don't worship anything.

Answer 1

First - I am very religious and very intellectual. I'm not a big fan of contradicting texts or answers that involve "the mysteries of God".

I know that this question is open to all religious backgrounds, but as I only really know my own then I have to speak from that background.

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormons or LDS. We believe that God is very literally the father of our spirits and is very interested in our welfare both spiritually and physically. We believe that we lived with God as spirits before coming to earth and that we are all spiritually brothers and sisters. We don't believe in bashing other people for having different beliefs than we do, but try to understand the differences and embrace the similarities.

You are right about religions becoming corrupted through time and human error. However I think most religions share the same basic truths and therefore have the possibility of leading people on good paths. (I don't think God appreciates people running around claiming to do things in His name without having his permission to do so.)

As for why I think it is logical to follow the leaders of my church - first - God has always used prophets as a mouthpiece and a means of establishing and maintaining order in his Church. Moses and Peter would both be examples of this. After Christ set up his church on earth he gave Peter and the other disciples authority to act in the name of God. Part of this authority involves the writing of the Holy scriptures. When Peter and and the others were all killed there was no one left with that divine authority to lead the church. The church eventually became corrupted, important doctrines and principles were lost and things were accepted as truth that were not part of the original church.

When the time was right and the people were ready to receive it, God and Christ once again appeared to man, called a prophet and restored the Church of Christ to the earth. This new prophet was Joseph Smith Jr. We believe that Peter who was the last prophet to have the author of God appeared to Joseph Smith and by the laying on of hands gave him the authority to lead the restored church and to act in the name of God. This authority is always given by the laying on of hands. There has been a prophet on the earth ever since then. (Then being about 1830, so really not that long ago in human terms.)

The reason why this relates to your question - I believe that because God loves us he doesn't want us wandering around in confusion so he gives us prophets who in turn speak the words of God to the world. I was never taught to just believe and do whatever I was told just because. We were always encouraged to pray and ask God if that is really what he wanted us to do. We don't worship or pray to the prophet - he does not stand between us and God. We are not only encouraged, but expected to receive our own personal revelation.

As for corrupt texts - part of the Restoration of the church included new scriptures. By the power of the Holy Ghost, which teaches the truth of all things to those who seek it, Joseph Smith was able to translate ancient writings of prophets who lived on the American Continent and who were also visited by Christ at the time of his Resurrection. This book is called the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. We believe it is scripture just the same as the Bible is, only because the Book of Mormon was only translated once and by someone with the Spirit and authority of God that it is not corrupted by time or men. We believe the Bible to be the word of God insofar as it is translated correctly. The presence of the Book of Mormon provides a second witness for Christ and also helps to prove the truth of the Bible. But again - I know this for myself because I asked God if these scriptures were His and I know for myself that they are.

The point being is that I do put faith in something I have interpreted for myself and part of that has been studying things out and praying earnestly for answers. Within the context of believing in God the most logical thing is to ask Him what he thinks since it is supposed to all be his anyway.

I'd like to know what you were referring to when you mentioned "texts that obviously contradict common sense." There are things in the bible that seem to contradict themselves, but that is mostly when it is taken out of context. Any other confusion is usually settled for me by an appeal to the Book of Mormon or a prayer.

As for Faith - it is important to know how you are defining it. All true faith must be based upon correct knowledge or it cannot produce the desired results. True faith always moves its possessor to some kind of physical and mental action. Faith is developed by practice and obedience. Let me give an example of what I mean by that - I have faith that my seat belt will keep me from going through the windshield during as accident, so I always fasten it before driving. When I was actually in an accident and my seat belt saved my life my faith was increased. Had I not been exercising my faith by wearing my seat belt, then the opportunity for increasing my faith would have been missed, (actually all further opportunity for everything would have been missed as I would have been dead, but that's not really the point.)

Answer 2

My friend I am a Sikh , I dont worship any diety myself.

Ours is the youngest religion just 500 odd years old. In fact it is the only religion whose scriptures have been written by the Gurus who started it, and thus far not even a single word has been proven wrong.

Faith upon God in one's religion is usually driven by the scriptures and you are right man is not perfect but I would say God is. Christianity - Bible (not written by Jesus himself but by King James), Hinduism- Geeta (not written by Ram Chandra but by Valmiki), and so on in others to all by human and there are in this time many contradictory lines in the same.

So when you say that you are being controlled by human, to me it means that in your scripture you have felt a loophole and you can now contradict it. Whereas in my religion for everything I do there is reason, everything that happens around me by me or for me is for a reason. There is nothing to contradict.

Answer 3

1Peter 1:24-25

For all flesh is as grass and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth:

But The Word of The Lord Endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

Get you a Kings James Bible, If you find a contradiction, it will be because you mis-understand what you have read.

Answer 4

i personally don't follow any text in my belief system ... although i read many and take from it what adds to or strengthens my own beliefs
i didn't come into this religion following any deity but have had some wonderful teachers who also encourage us to only take that which makes sense to us
and have came to the conclusion that there is a creator through accumulated logical facts for me
i am happy to share those with you anytime xx
i am spiritualist :o)

Answer 5

Only acquired said as soon as for a dull purpose, I used to be going to attraction it, however different solutions stated they simply enable attractive to sound reasonable. I imply possibly it occurred a couple of instances, however I feel they had been kidding. Just move along side it, learn the guiellines and phrases of carrier JUST IN CASE, then delete your electronic mail speaking approximately it. Everyone will get said commonly, and it;'s in general for dull causes, if any.

Answer 6

Religion is an abstract concept. Trying to use logic to, prove, explain, or detect it, is like trying to use a smile to loosen a rusty bolt. It really pretty simple.

Answer 7

I don't think people were "dumb" back then. Look at the pyramids, the precision they were built with and their locations.

Answer 8

"Intellectual side of faitful (sic) people" is an oxymoron. 'Faith' and 'belief' are substitutes for intellect.

Answer 9

they dont have that side