Why make up your own religion???

[GeratTzedek]

<<staff edit>>
I know the phrasing makes it sound like I'm angry, but I'm not. It's not a rhetorical question; I am genuinely curious why you think you have the authority to decide what is truth and what is not. It's a way of thinking that I don't understand. My gosh, I have been blessed by G-d with a fantastic intelligence, and I've spent most of my life studying what others have to say, and I would never have the audacity (sorry I can think of no other word) to think that I could make up my own religion. At this point it is hard for me not to see this as incredibly immature and narcisstic. I'm sure it looks quite different to you. Please help me understand you.

Down through history, people simply didn't do what you say you are doing. They believed religions they were taught because they believed them to be correct. It had nothing to do with what they personally thought or wanted or it being convenient. The very very few people in history who actually started new religions, such as Muhammed or Joseph Smith, go through great pains to VALIDATE what they are doing. They make claims such as visions or visits by angels that would set them apart from the average person. They try to show how what they are revealing has been true from the beginning of time. But what they don't do is just say, "Oh I'm making up a new religion." They never treat it like some buffet that they can casually throw together whatever foods they want to make a meal. Now I might not agree with their claims, but I can certainly understand what they are doing. You, I am completely baffled by. Please help me understand you.

 

[Ramona]

All religions are man-made.

And creating threads to call out another poster in such a matter isn't cool.

 

[Isambard]

Creating your own religion = tax benefits. Thats reason enough

 

[[serious]]

hey, making your own religion at least shows initiative. If I were God, I'd have a lot more respect for those that had the presence of mind to come up with their own answers rather than jst copy off some one elses notes.

 

[Crazy Liz]

I'm not Sacredsin & I haven't made up my own religion, although I would say I have worked out my own theology and spirituality within a broadly Christian framework. I do find this question interesting, though.

I think there are some assumed presuppositions underlying your questions that may well have a bearing on this discussion.

Who are you to decide what is truth? I know the phrasing makes it sound like I'm angry, but I'm not. It's not a rhetorical question; I am genuinely curious why you think you have the authority to decide what is truth and what is not.

Does your question assume that religion must define some ultimate metaphysic, rather than simply being a useful metaphor by which one can express one's spirituality?

I'm not sure whether an ultimate metaphysic is even a component of all religions. I guess that would be a good question to discuss here from the viewpoints of different people and different religions.

It's a way of thinking that I don't understand. My gosh, I have been blessed by G-d with a fantastic intelligence, and I've spent most of my life studying what others have to say, and I would never have the audacity (sorry I can think of no other word) to think that I could make up my own religion. At this point it is hard for me not to see this as incredibly immature and narcisstic. I'm sure it looks quite different to you. Please help me understand you.

Down through history, people simply didn't do what you say you are doing. They believed religions they were taught because they believed them to be correct. It had nothing to do with what they personally thought or wanted or it being convenient. The very very few people in history who actually started new religions, such as Muhammed or Joseph Smith, go through great pains to VALIDATE what they are doing. They make claims such as visions or visits by angels that would set them apart from the average person. They try to show how what they are revealing has been true from the beginning of time. But what they don't do is just say, "Oh I'm making up a new religion." They never treat it like some buffet that they can casually throw together whatever foods they want to make a meal. Now I might not agree with their claims, but I can certainly understand what they are doing. You, I am completely baffled by. Please help me understand you.

I wonder whether these concerns have any relevance at all unless one wants other people to follow their religion. Is it immature and narcissistic to try to come up with new metaphors and expressions for one's own spirituality? As far as I can see, it might be if one expected everyone else to accept it, rather than granting others the same freedom to express their spirituality in original ways.

There is something about religious rituals being old and shared with others from ancient times and in remote places that I find spiritually satisfying. This aspect of human spirituality certainly argues against innovation, or at least against excessive religious innovation. Yet creativity is also part of human spirituality. There are very few religions that are so bound by tradition that they do not resonate at all with the thought of, "Sing a new song unto the Lord." Does singing a new song put one on a slippery slope toward a new religion?

I think in a very real sense, we all invent our own faith, no matter how much we follow a well-defined tradition or how important a place in our spirituality is occupied by a particular metaphysic.

Do you get what I'm saying? Innovation and discovery may be opposites, but then again, maybe not.

 

[Crazy Liz]

All religions are man-made.

And creating threads to call out another poster in such a matter isn't cool.

I think she tried to ask a question respectfully that otherwise would have been a derail of another thread. It's an interesting topic. How about allowing some latitude here?

 

[Gardenia]

All religions are man-made.

I'm going to have to go with this.

I view all religions as different ways to approach the same goal - knowing the Divine and becoming a better person. What works for some won't work for others, we're all different. I see no wrong in taking a very personal approach to this, and coming to your own conclusions about religion. After all, why go through other people when I can undertake my own spiritual journey? When I can commune directly with the Divine and find out where I, myself, should be.. Now, I do not see anything wrong with following an established religion either! Find a path or strike your own, in my view, it all leads back to the same place. Now, obviously, if someone does not view all religions as such, the idea of following your own path can see very strange. It's all a matter of perception, really.

 

[Ramona]

I think she tried to ask a question respectfully that otherwise would have been a derail of another thread. It's an interesting topic. How about allowing some latitude here?

That would have been my last response, but what I said needed to be said. This question could have easily been taken to PM.

In short, my answer to your question is no.

 

[Teshi]

I don't see where making up one's own religion is all that much more presumptuous than, say, converting religions. It's not a huge step from "I can pick which religion is the right one" to "I can come up with the right religion."

Anyway, I expect most people who have an eclectic faith think there are multiple paths to truth (for lack of a better term), and see themselves as finding their way down one of those paths.

 

[TheOutsider]

All religions are man-made.

And creating threads to call out another poster in such a matter isn't cool.

QFT! Also, it appears that GerTzedek has decided to eat the menu, so to speak. Religion is not directly about "The Truth". Especially since, "The Truth" is inherently unknowable. No, religion is about finding which path/grid/prison/etc. works best for you. And whether you like to admit it or not, everyone creates their own religion with their own unique beliefs and rituals born out of each individual personality. No 2 Christians are the same, no 2 Muslims are the same, no 2 Jewish people are the same, etc, etc, etc anon.

 

[BlackBerry]

All religions are man-made.

And creating threads to call out another poster in such a matter isn't cool.

QFT! Also, it appears that GerTzedek has decided to eat the menu, so to speak. Religion is not directly about "The Truth". Especially since, "The Truth" is inherently unknowable. No, religion is about finding which path/grid/prison/etc. works best for you. And whether you like to admit it or not, everyone creates their own religion with their own unique beliefs and rituals born out of each individual personality. No 2 Christians are the same, no 2 Muslims are the same, no 2 Jewish people are the same, etc, etc, etc anon.

 

[GeratTzedek]

Hi Liz:

As to what I think "religion" is, I googled the web for definitions, and found the extensive essay on Wikepedia to be the most helpful. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion Here is the opening paragraph:

A religion is a set of beliefs and practices, often centered upon specific supernatural and moral claims about reality, the cosmos, and human nature, and often codified as prayer, ritual, and religious law. Religion also encompasses ancestral or cultural traditions, writings, history, and mythology, as well as personal faith and mystic experience. The term "religion" refers to both the personal practices related to communal faith and to group rituals and communication stemming from shared conviction.

You ask if I think it is immature to come up with new metaphors and expressions of one's own spirituality. No, I don't. But I also don't think that doing this is the same as starting a new religion. A religion is much more than metaphors and expressions of one's spirituality. I do not have an anti-innovation attitude. But there is a difference between creavity WITHIN a religion, and creating a NEW religion. To "sing a new song" is to sing authentically. But to assume that one is so wise that one can understand better than the distilled wisdom of the ages, and so cast aside all that wisdom and offer something new from scratch, DOES seem incredibly arrogant to me. I'm hoping this thread will give me a fuller understanding of why someone would do this.

 

[GeratTzedek]

I don't see where making up one's own religion is all that much more presumptuous than, say, converting religions. It's not a huge step from "I can pick which religion is the right one" to "I can come up with the right religion."

Anyway, I expect most people who have an eclectic faith think there are multiple paths to truth (for lack of a better term), and see themselves as finding their way down one of those paths.

Sure it is different. While I use my own noggin, I don't assume I can reach truth alone. Big BIG difference.

 

[GeratTzedek]

And creating threads to call out another poster in such a matter isn't cool.

You have misinterpreted my motives. The motive here is to make the attempt to understand another better, and perhaps in the process upgrade my opinion. It's called giving people a chance to explain. Do I come into this with a bias? Of course. But I'm still listening. I have a long history of altering my views upon listening to others. Obviously.

I am also making every effort to word things kindly. There are limits to how kind I can be without sacrificing the truth of my opinions. But I am not the sort to simply bash a person because I don't like what they say.

Nor is this the sort of thing to be dealt with in a PM. There was no private offense against me. We are discussing a worldview, and one shared by more people than the person I am responding to. Therefore the appropriate place to bring up my question is the forum.

And Heart, you may personally believe that all religions are manmade. I do not. I am thoroughly convinced that Judaism is G-d made, handed down by HaShem himself to Moses at Mt Sinai. I hope we can disagree agreeably on this.

 

[StarCannon]

Why shouldn't I create my own religion? If I have something to share, and I choose to share it through a "new" set of beliefs, then that is my perrogative.

 

[Khameo]

Constructing and deconstructing belief systems is healthy mental exercise (and fun).

 

[GeratTzedek]

Why shouldn't I create my own religion? If I have something to share, and I choose to share it through a "new" set of beliefs, then that is my perrogative.

It's fine to share insights. But don't you think claiming to know it all, more than the collective distilled wisdom of the ages, is going a bit far?

 

[Crazy Liz]

It's fine to share insights. But don't you think claiming to know it all, more than the collective distilled wisdom of the ages, is going a bit far?

Have you asked if that's what anyone here is claiming?

 

[TheOutsider]

Hi Liz:
But to assume that one is so wise that one can understand better than the distilled wisdom of the ages, and so cast aside all that wisdom and offer something new from scratch, DOES seem incredibly arrogant to me. I'm hoping this thread will give me a fuller understanding of why someone would do this.

The wisdom of the ages is vastly over-rated. Afterall, they were just humans like us.

 

[GeratTzedek]

The wisdom of the ages is vastly over-rated. Afterall, they were just humans like us.

You are treating them as individuals. The point of the distilled wisdom is that 1. two heads (or a gazillion) are better than one and 2. old means it has had time for trial and error to have taken effect. Basically, there is no need to reinvent the wheel.