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Reasons why I reject the Abrahamic religion

Vendetta

"Oscar the grouch"
Interesting enough, what motivated me behind writing this was while walking to the store, a Jehovah's witness who happened to be waiting for a friend, greeted me with a "good morning" and upon greeting her back, she hands me a pamphlet. The heading of the pamphlet read:

"HELLFIRE, IS IT APART OF DIVINE JUSTICE?"

To entertain my curiousity I read the pamphlet which was very interesting. Although the pamphlet acknowledges the possibility that teaching hellfire may have an adverse effect, it does not say whether the teaching of hellfire was wrong. Moreover this pamphlet caused a self-reflection within my own religious experiences and why I ultimately disbelieve.in the Abrahamic faiths.

From ages 12 to 28 now I grew up with a religious background and since I had a really good reading level as a child, I started reading theosophy and philosophy at 13. I soon developed a more systematic approach to understanding faith, starting with Christianity. Even though I grew up as a Baptist Christian baptized and all, I had developed a dislike for Christianity because I thought the trinitarian concepts were at odds with traditional monotheism and blah blah blah in addition, I personally find the various depictions kf Jesus on Christian walls.and Cathedrals to be.historically.inaccurate. So, I soon after leaving Christianity I began my curiousity in Islam when I was deployed in 2001 (for bvious reasons) and started.began taking an interest in Islamic Kalam, cosmology and philosophers, most specifically Averroes. Soon afterward I converted took Shahadah and became an active member of the community-prayed 5 times a day and all. However, like my experiences with Christianity I noticed differences. Not only.men and women were segragated but the mosque was also divided racially-Africans hung out with Africans, Pakistanis with Pakistanis and so on and so forth. Eventually the second thought turned into criticism and from criticism I decided to not practice.

With Judaism I didn't even want to try although I do have a fond for Maimonides and Spinoza.

After reading all the doctrines including supplimental texts such as gnostic scriptures, purchased the Talmud (transliteration) along with Hadith I realized that there is so much tremendous information on what to do, and how to behave. In reading all these text and learning God rewards and punishes his followers I soon developed a disdain for these faiths. I am like Keanu Reevs in the movie Constantine when he says "God is a kid with an ant farm."

I personally believe that in looking at all these faiths there is no desire I find in all these faiths and that feeling most sincere feeling. I am since then considering myself agnostic however I am still God-curious thanks in part to my religious background that left its residue on my soul.
 

Rainbow Mage

Lib Democrat/Agnostic/Epicurean-ish/Buddhist-ish
I suppose I could say why I reject the Abrahamic religions as well. Mainly because of the way they present God. Christianity presents a God that they claim is good, but really when examined is just the opposite. This God supposedly created human beings perfect, but set them up for a fall by putting them into the garden of Eden with the means to sin, so that they would fall.

They then put forth that this God sent Jesus to die for their sins, because now since the fall man is eternally separated from God, failing to mention that God could have prevented the separation by not putting them in the garden with the means to sin. They then say that God compelled Jesus to die a torturous death that took several hours, so that he could die in the place of Adam. What they don't explain is why it took a torturous death to satisfy God. God could have just smitten Jesus was a fever, or something less painful. In short, they really don't think out their belief very well.

In the case of Islam, it's not so much that I have a problem with Muhammad or the Quran as I do the religion. The religion is a total perversion of everything the Quran teaches. They have distorted the message of Muhammad through scholars and hadiths that were narrated on no other authority except that their scholars tell them so. The present religion of Islam is the invention of scholars and political leaders.

As for Judaism. Judaism only claims to be the religion for Jews, not anyone else, and it's totally based on covenant theology in which either God or the nation can break the covenant. Hence, you'd be no better off following another religion that suits your fancy.
 

Ninez

Member
I suppose I could say why I reject the Abrahamic religions as well. Mainly because of the way they present God. Christianity presents a God that they claim is good, but really when examined is just the opposite. This God supposedly created human beings perfect, but set them up for a fall by putting them into the garden of Eden with the means to sin, so that they would fall.

How exactly does that make him bad? They had free will to do as they chose and they chose to listen to a deceiver instead of listening to him.
 

Rainbow Mage

Lib Democrat/Agnostic/Epicurean-ish/Buddhist-ish
How exactly does that make him bad? They had free will to do as they chose and they chose to listen to a deceiver instead of listening to him.

It doesn't make him bad? Then explain why he blames humans for his mistake ever since.
 

Caladan

Agnostic Pantheist
With Judaism I didn't even want to try although I do have a fond for Maimonides and Spinoza.
Did a Jewish man ever invite you into the community?
Judaism is completely unrelated to all forms of Christian denominations. including the JW you brought up in your post.
Judaism. the originator of the Abrahamic line of religions. does not invite converts into the community. and has not for a very long time now. if for the simple reason. they never understand the religion. nor do they have the capacity for mental torture that any Jewish man has become proficient with after decades, years, and generations of studies.
 
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Alceste

Vagabond
My disdain for Abrahamic religions stems from their misogyny. I'm female, so there's nothing of personal use to me in any of the Big Three, and much to offend me. I dabbled with wicca for a bit but discovered I don't really have an inclination to anthropomorphic theism in me, nor do I have a taste for ritual or spiritual community. My spiritual leanings are toward apophatic mysticism, which holds that one can improve one's chance of immersion with a sense of the divine aspect of the cosmos by not insisting it actually exists.
 
Even with the Baha'i Faith, I have had to liberalise it mentally in order for me to continue practicing it as well as having it as an integral identity and part of my life. I do not believe that any organised religion necessarily needs a 'mouthpiece of God on Earth' in order to claim its validity.

There is not much for sexism or an anthropomorphic Deity (indeed, philosophically the Baha'i Faith sees that God can only be related to by His attributes, the Merciful, the Kind, the Generous, etc.). However, the community still largely preaches, teaches unobliged obedience towards their authoritarian 'Universal House of Justice' of which I do not find in the Baha'i Writings, practically worships 'Abdu'l-Baha (the eldest son of Baha'u'llah), Unity in Conformity, homophobia and transphobia (or at least punishment through the taking away of voting rights), white-washed version of its history, denial of any Baha'i 'sects' other than itself and trying to trademark the name "Baha'i", its anti-intellectualism at times...

What keeps me practicing the Faith is my own personal belief in Baha'u'llah as the Manifestation of God for this Age (in my personal self; I am a universalist in the sense that all people will attain spiritual communion with God eventually), and that His teachings bring inspiration and peace in my life between me and God. But this corruption of an "Administrative Order" no longer appeals for me, waiting for the day when everyone becomes a Baha'i through "Entry by Troops" to establish the New World Order.

Christianity, the religion of my birth, no longer appeals to me. I reject the Atonement doctrine, which practically defines most, if not all of Christianity. I am more open to Judaism and Islam in terms of its monotheism (as well as Jehovah's Witnesses or Christadelphians for their One God stance), than what Christianity has become.
 
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Vendetta

"Oscar the grouch"
Did a Jewish man ever invite you into the community?
Judaism is completely unrelated to all forms of Christian denominations. including the JW you brought up in your post.
Judaism. the originator of the Abrahamic line of religions. does not invite converts into the community. and has not for a very long time now. if for the simple reason. they never understand the religion. nor do they have the capacity for mental torture that any Jewish man has become proficient with after decades, years, and generations of studies.

Actually, the only Jew in my 28 years.of earthly existence that was kind enough to share some Jewish theology was Levite. He took time to give me a list of books of Jewish theology and philosophy (I only bought 5 books he listed). As far as being invited.no I haven't. I have Jewish friends who've had parties but I was never invited. Only time I was accepted in a Shoel, was when I invited myself which was frowned upon.
 

Vendetta

"Oscar the grouch"
I suppose I could say why I reject the Abrahamic religions as well. Mainly because of the way they present God. Christianity presents a God that they claim is good, but really when examined is just the opposite. This God supposedly created human beings perfect, but set them up for a fall by putting them into the garden of Eden with the means to sin, so that they would fall.

They then put forth that this God sent Jesus to die for their sins, because now since the fall man is eternally separated from God, failing to mention that God could have prevented the separation by not putting them in the garden with the means to sin. They then say that God compelled Jesus to die a torturous death that took several hours, so that he could die in the place of Adam. What they don't explain is why it took a torturous death to satisfy God. God could have just smitten Jesus was a fever, or something less painful. In short, they really don't think out their belief very well.

In the case of Islam, it's not so much that I have a problem with Muhammad or the Quran as I do the religion. The religion is a total perversion of everything the Quran teaches. They have distorted the message of Muhammad through scholars and hadiths that were narrated on no other authority except that their scholars tell them so. The present religion of Islam is the invention of scholars and political leaders.

As for Judaism. Judaism only claims to be the religion for Jews, not anyone else, and it's totally based on covenant theology in which either God or the nation can break the covenant. Hence, you'd be no better off following another religion that suits your fancy.

Egypt, so your views on religion are a result of your own personal experiences or.from reading?
 

Vendetta

"Oscar the grouch"
My disdain for Abrahamic religions stems from their misogyny. I'm female, so there's nothing of personal use to me in any of the Big Three, and much to offend me. I dabbled with wicca for a bit but discovered I don't really have an inclination to anthropomorphic theism in me, nor do I have a taste for ritual or spiritual community. My spiritual leanings are toward apophatic mysticism, which holds that one can improve one's chance of immersion with a sense of the divine aspect of the cosmos by not insisting it actually exists.

Seems like an interesting journey. So how isbyour approach to God, the cosmos etc? I am curious
 

Vendetta

"Oscar the grouch"
Even with the Baha'i Faith, I have had to liberalise it mentally in order for me to continue practicing it as well as having it as an integral identity and part of my life. I do not believe that any organised religion necessarily needs a 'mouthpiece of God on Earth' in order to claim its validity.

There is not much for sexism or an anthropomorphic Deity (indeed, philosophically the Baha'i Faith sees that God can only be related to by His attributes, the Merciful, the Kind, the Generous, etc.). However, the community still largely preaches, teaches unobliged obedience towards their authoritarian 'Universal House of Justice' of which I do not find in the Baha'i Writings, practically worships 'Abdu'l-Baha (the eldest son of Baha'u'llah), Unity in Conformity, homophobia and transphobia (or at least punishment through the taking away of voting rights), white-washed version of its history, denial of any Baha'i 'sects' other than itself and trying to trademark the name "Baha'i", its anti-intellectualism at times...

What keeps me practicing the Faith is my own personal belief in Baha'u'llah as the Manifestation of God for this Age (in my personal self; I am a universalist in the sense that all people will attain spiritual communion with God eventually), and that His teachings bring inspiration and peace in my life between me and God. But this corruption of an "Administrative Order" no longer appeals for me, waiting for the day when everyone becomes a Baha'i through "Entry by Troops" to establish the New World Order.

Christianity, the religion of my birth, no longer appeals to me. I reject the Atonement doctrine, which practically defines most, if not all of Christianity. I am more open to Judaism and Islam in terms of its monotheism (as well as Jehovah's Witnesses or Christadelphians for their One God stance), than what Christianity has become.

When you say liberating yourself sometime.from bahai'ism do you mean on certain principles that may conflict with your own personal belief?
 

Alceste

Vagabond
Seems like an interesting journey. So how isbyour approach to God, the cosmos etc? I am curious

Meditation, in a manner of speaking. I rarely meditate these days, but I aim to do things meditatively, with total absorption. I don't always succeed due to the complexity of my life, but my over-arching goal is to move toward simplicity and immerse myself in the moment all the time. Chop wood, carry water. The immediate present, the natural world around me and my own surprising existence is more fascinating to me than "god and the cosmos".
 

Vendetta

"Oscar the grouch"
Meditation, in a manner of speaking. I rarely meditate these days, but I aim to do things meditatively, with total absorption. I don't always succeed due to the complexity of my life, but my over-arching goal is to move toward simplicity and immerse myself in the moment all the time. Chop wood, carry water. The immediate present, the natural world around me and my own surprising existence is more fascinating to me than "god and the cosmos".

Interesting but here is an annoying question. What if the "god of the cosmos" is the the cause of that (e.g. chopping wood, smelling fresh air etc)
 

Alceste

Vagabond
Interesting but here is an annoying question. What if the "god of the cosmos" is the the cause of that (e.g. chopping wood, smelling fresh air etc)

What difference would it make if she were? If I'm thinking about god while I'm chopping wood instead of just chopping wood I'm liable to hack my own leg off.
 

gnostic

The Lost One
One of the reasons why I didn't become a Christian is that when I was in my late teen I actually got into heated arguement with a pastor who literally told me that I'll burn in hell for not converting, not believing in God or loving Jesus. He was waving his bible as if he wanted to hit me with it.

As for Islam, the prophet sounds to much of megalomaniac and braggart with this whole "Last Prophet" or the "I am holy than thee" attitude.

And with both religions I don't like some of their teachings with regards to law & morality.

I don't like any creationists who think that their belief should be taught in the science classroom. And I don't like any religion that treat their scriptures if they were science textbooks.
 
When you say liberating yourself sometime.from bahai'ism do you mean on certain principles that may conflict with your own personal belief?

noun: Baha'i Faith
adjective, follower: Baha'i

Well yes.

The belief that one must be obedient to the Baha'i authorities, i.e. the "Universal House of Justice" is directly against Baha'u'llah's principles, when He says that if anyone makes a direct commandment of God (amr'u'llah) after Baha'u'llah is considerably an impostor.

A Baha'i must be obedient to whatever the Universal House of Justice says or does. If one doubts their Divine Appointment from God, then their status as a Baha'i is questioned and considered doubtful. Baha'is also white-wash their own history, are anti-intellectual, and are triumphalistic.

So when I mean liberal, I mean, away from the ideas of authoritarianism and theocracy that pervade fundamentalist Baha'i thought.
 

blue8

Member
Actually, the only Jew in my 28 years.of earthly existence that was kind enough to share some Jewish theology was Levite. He took time to give me a list of books of Jewish theology and philosophy (I only bought 5 books he listed). As far as being invited.no I haven't. I have Jewish friends who've had parties but I was never invited. Only time I was accepted in a Shoel, was when I invited myself which was frowned upon.

I would like to see that list you have got...if possible :)
 
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