Are christians, muslims & other theists aware just how much their beliefs restrict freedom of thought?

Question

Having grown up a catholic, I've experienced this first hand.

It took many years of peeling back the layers of the onion before I could finally view existence free from the pressure of religious dogma.

Once catholism and organised religion were discarded, the yoke of christianity itself was a burden to seeing a clear picture.

When I realised there was no evidence for Jesus existing at all, and certainly no sense to concept of him being the son of god, I then had to deal with the whole creator bit.

I studied many different faiths looking for something that made sense.

After a few years as an agnostic with pantheist style ideas, it suddenly dawned on me that it was ALL nonsense.

No soul, no afterlife, no supreme entity of any sort.

The barriers were finally all gone!

None of them had ever made sense, yet they were so hard to remove.

The sense of freedom was just magnificent..........and still is.

Do theists have any idea what they're missing?

Answer 1

Do you?

Answer 2

Hmm. Well, to honestly answer. No, religious people are not free thinkers. I like to think back to Plato's Allegory of the cave here as it perfectly describes that train of thought. These are the people staring at the reflection on the wall. To them it has become their reality. They remain comfortable, and feel safe staring at the wall because it's the reality they know. In Plato's Allegory of the gave, you my friend, are one of the few who have decided to "turn their head", and see another look at reality.

My other huge gripe is that Religion argues Charles Darwin, mainly because it's based on a concept that would prove all religions wrong. While I also think a "Primordial Soup" may be a little vague, I do think we came from someplace. I don't think we're an alien colony like Scientologists, but the idea of something snapping their fingers, and poof, man exists... Well, considering I can't find any eveidence of that happening in any given case or situation... that seems like hogwash too. Maybe the concept wasn't so farfetched prior to the invention
of the wheel, but one thing for certain, Science has disproved many of mans farfetched beliefs. Some of these beliefs include the world being flat, and the galaxy revolving around the earth.

Many have tried to find the answer to the question "Why?", and rather than use reason, they are called heretics when their findings are not in line with the statements of religion.

It's like a little kid, sticking their fingers in their ears and screamin "Blah Blah Blah" because they don't want to hear what someone else has to say.

Answer 3

Wow dude!

As an ex-atheist and now christian i have to say i have a completly oposite history than you.

To awnser your question: Yes i have a pretty good idea of what i'm "missing", and it really isn't all that great (after some years it gets pretty dull). I'm much happier now as a Christian. I can see your point though

I'm sorry that your experience with religion was so full of pressure and religious dogma, i know many people suport this kind of religious experience, and i know how bad it can be. Still, once you realize that's not what Accepting Jesus is all about, "religion" becomes a very very liberating concept (at least for me it is), and you really feel "more free" from a bunch of stuff you thought you could never break free from. Religion is all about experiencing and relating to God, is not about people pushing things for you to do, think, wear etc.


Oh, one more thing :"When I realised there was no evidence for Jesus existing at all, and certainly no sense to concept of him being the son of god" Yeah right. Please don't say there is no evidence just because your world vision obligates you to deniyng it no matter how clear and convincing it may be (creationists do it all the time and we know how anoying it can become). Also it makes me wondering how liberating this atheism thing really is...

Paz de Cristo

Answer 4

I didnt grow up in the Church, although I was branded as Christian, its what all the kids did, I also searched through religions, most I found flawed in some way or another. Dont get me wrong, I dislike alot of Christians and there hypocracy etc, but I have found my relationship with God has been incredible this far, Im far from perfect but miracles are happening in my life that some Christians even struggle to understand, I have also been set free from alot of things that had a hold on me. So freedom for me is not being in bondage to addiction or certain thoughts and feelings.

Being a Christian does have its toll to pay though and I do struggle sometimes, but it is much better than the place I was in a while back and I am getting stronger and free'd from lies.

I only have Praise to give to my God and Jesus for allowing me to be set free.

God Bless!
*H*

Answer 5

A part of your question's premise caught my attention. You say that there is no evidence that Jesus existed. None sense! Its a historical fact that He existed. You may speculate as to whether He rose form the dead, but the former is a concrete, certifiable, fact. While you viewed your epiphany as peeling back the layers of an onion, I submit that perhaps what you were actually doing was putting on layers of callousness, instead of peeling off layers of faith. As you grow older, I suspect the foolishness of your comments regarding your question will one day come into clear focus for you. Oh, and by the way - God doesn't limit in any sense our freedom of thought. You did that on your own.

Answer 6

I am happy that you found relief.

Still, I cannot help wondering if your relief was from being out under a church heel or from the faith of the Bible itself?

I myself have found great relief but not from being without faith; rather, from being out under the heel of any particular church dogma, I am now able to concentrate on what exactly the Bible is telling me, instead of what I am being told it is supposed to mean.

So, I kind of feel the opposite you are, do you have any idea of what you are missing?

If you skip the first two paragraphs about God, etc in the following link, try to read it and see what how it looks from this side:
http://bythebible.page.tl/Creation.htm

Answer 7

I found that freedom in Paganism. When I realized that sin and hell were merely scare tactics and dumped the whole thing, I found what was truly in my gut that I knew to be true for me. Some people, as you say, don't want to have to think about the hard questions of existence and having a book and rules makes it easier for them to get through life. It's also quite handy having someone other than themselves to dump their troubles on, and abdicating all responsibility to this god who does it all for them. In my personal path, the gods are there to help me, not to run my life. That's my job.

Answer 8

I liked the testimonial, thanks for sharing the process.

In developing your current worldview, did you have any concern that something 'dawning' on you as 'ALL nonsense' may be driven by faulty rationale? I'm not saying that your rationale was faulty, but it certainly might be.

I don't feel that freedom of thought is being limited, just focused on things differently than you. And I agree that organized religion has multiple flaws.

I disagree that there is no evidence that Jesus existed. The folks claiming this are biased, as they claim those who believe Jesus existed are biased. I don't know how arguing consensus doesn't prove (which it doesn't) can then be used to disregard consensus all together.

There is plenty of history to support the existence of Jesus.

Answer 9

In your expansive freedom of thought, can you include the idea that perhaps Christians (and other theists) find magnificent freedom in the knowledge and love of Christ?

In your enormous magnamity of wisdom, can you imagine even the remote possibility of that being true?

Or are you really as narrow and bigoted a thinker as your question makes you seem?
Could you possibly remove just one more little "barrier"?

Answer 10

People in prison say that about poltics and laws. If there were no rape laws there would be no rapists in jail, in fact there would be no rapists.

YOu do know that EVERYONE is jail is INNOCENT don't you!

They are ALL political prisoners.

George Bush orders soldiers to kill people in Iraq it's a war and they get a medal.

Some guy walks into a liquour store and shoots the clerk, it's murder and you go to jail.

What exactly is the difference, for the PEople of Iraq feel that the Americans should be tried and imprisoned for their crimes of invasion.

The difference is the poltical side you are one.

Tell me something, how, exactly, has RELIGION stopped or halted the FREE SPEECH movement of Polish jokes.

I mean you can't do Polish jokes anymore.

WHICH RELIGION stopped that exercise of free speech, exactly.

I once saw a black comic on TV tell a great joke about how is cat won't go out into the backyard since the Korean family moved next door.

Now, WHICH RELIGION has stopped us from allowing him to tell that joke on TV.

Which religion made people BOOO Chris Rock for his HBO special, with that hillarious bit about he's not looking behind at the ATM near Central PArk at midnight to see if PEter JEnnings is standing behind him, he's look for a .....

Why did he get booed. What RELIGION caused people to BOO him.

Can you give me some specifics of how these CLAMPS on free speech came about and WHICH SPECIFIC RELIGION made them happen!

Hey, any flies on you!

Now, as to freedom of THOUGHT

WHO is trying to STOP people from having the THOUGHT all things might be WILLFULL CREATED by a vastly superior entity?!

Which religion is stopping THAT THOUGHT from reaching people.

Answer 11

I've never felt less educated being a christian, if you mean free thinker as doing my own thing and not abiding by rules. I'm very comfortable with that. It's a personal choice.
I know some very well educated Christians, or people from other beliefs and I don't see any barrier,their beliefs serve as motivation and inspiration.

Everybody is searching for something,,,,I found mine and it's God.
When you so out searching you either find something or get lost.
http://www.talkjesus.com/index.php?refer

God bless you.