Many religious people recoil at this idea. Many seem to equate "think for yourself" with "reject God."
But wait a minute. Even when you are reading your "holy books," and listening to sermons or teachings on your god, your traditions, your sacred texts, your religions, who is doing the thinking? Many Christians I have met will say: "Well, it is the Holy Spirit leading the message," or, "These words are not from man, but from the Lord." Wait a tic. Who is the one processing these messages? Isn't it your mind and your brain, and all the emotional and cultural filters that go with it? "Oh, no, no!" says the religious person. "It is the Spirit of God in me."
You know what, to an extent, I don't disagree. I actually believe there is a common understanding of foundational truth in almost all humans. I don't know what lies beyond, or what is "out there." It can be proven pretty simply, however, using your GOD-GIVEN (nature-conferred/supplied) brain and mind, that it is individual humans, delivering, processing, and "understanding" these "messages." Christians, if the Holy Spirit you serve is one, and undivided, and powerful, then why do pastors across the world disagree on what this revered "Holy Spirit" says? Well, one Christian may say, that church over THERE doesn't understand, but the people at MY church, WE do!
You see, it is always an individual doing the processing when it comes to things like this. Why would you abdicate your god-given processor for blind trust in someone else's!? This denies the design of nature/god/life itself.
We are myriad beings, prone to errors in judgement, miscalculations, and mistakes. All in all, we do pretty well. We generally don't walk off of cliffs (our logical faculties know what will happen) and humans generally aren't running around killing and pillaging one another (save the state/governments/police). our brains are pretty good. We all want love. Why in hell would we believe someone who says "Your brain, mind, and body are untrustworthy! Don't trust the logical, emotional, and feeling device that has kept you alive this long, feeding you, helping you avoid dangerous people and situations, and processing zillions of stimuli a second, TRUST ME and my magical message." THIS, MY FRIENDS, IS A KIND OF SUICIDE.
The individual is the primary unit nature has made. We can correct each other and sharpen each other, but never can do so if we believe that we have no authority within ourselves. We do. That is "god." That is nature-conferred individual self-executive capacity. How much more godlike could we be!?!?
When I had this realization, I had to leave organized religion.
Wanna know god? Know yourself. And no, Christians, that's not blasphemy. Your own Christ shared the same message of oneness of all under "the Father." Are kids cookie-cutter drones? No way. They think for themselves. Your Christ said that the kingdom belongs to such as these. Get with it, and stop shooting the messenger (or crucifying him, whichever applies).
~KafkA
Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as Facebook and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!)
