Religious JU'sians: Would you ever renounce your faith?

Sure.

If a better one came along.

Would you ever renounce yoru faith in doing your best, persevering no matter what, etc.?

Good question. I have thought about it, and...

I really don't see anything that could shake me from my faith. I hope that nothing would try me to that level, where I would question my religion. I am one of them staunch Mormons. Not a goody-goody, just devoted.
I like my religion. It excites and intellectually stimulates me. I feel the Holy Ghost's confirmation whenever I study the scriptures or pray to my God. I have opportunities to serve my fellow man (not just fellow Mormons) and to do my best to become more like my exemplar, Jesus Christ.
Yeah, as far as religion goes, I'm good.

Would you ever renounce yoru faith in doing your best, persevering no matter what, etc.?

Hmmm...At the moment, I would say NO, but, time would tell....

I really don't see anything that could shake me from my faith. I hope that nothing would try me to that level, where I would question my religion. I am one of them staunch Mormons. Not a goody-goody, just devoted.I like my religion. It excites and intellectually stimulates me. I feel the Holy Ghost's confirmation whenever I study the scriptures or pray to my God. I have opportunities to serve my fellow man (not just fellow Mormons) and to do my best to become more like my exemplar, Jesus Christ. Yeah, as far as religion goes, I'm good.

Hmmm, I think for anyone considering a faith, that is one thing that should be considered...how does it make you feel...but i don't think people do that....i think they follow a trend from their pasts...(i.e. raised catholic, end up catholic because thats what they were raised as)

Best Regards, Lucas

i think they follow a trend from their pasts...(i.e. raised catholic, end up catholic because thats what they were raised as)

This isn't always bad. Granted something that you choose or discover for your self will usually be more meaningful, and many children brought up in a particular faith will end up rebelling against it, just because... Still, sometimes it actually works: parents pass on something important that saves their children from having to make quite all of those mistakes by which we usually end up growing. I'm all for learning from experience, but learning from someone else's experience - where possible - is a great labour saving device.

I don't worship anything, and as I have a belief that many faiths are partly right....it would be kind of hard for me to renounce anything.

This isn't always bad. Granted something that you choose or discover for your self will usually be more meaningful, and many children brought up in a particular faith will end up rebelling against it, just because... Still, sometimes it actually works: parents pass on something important that saves their children from having to make quite all of those mistakes by which we usually end up growing. I'm all for learning from experience, but learning from someone else's experience - where possible - is a great labour saving device.

True, just depends on the situation...

don't worship anything, and as I have a belief that many faiths are partly right....it would be kind of hard for me to renounce anything.

Hmmm...we will find you something... Mwuahahaha!


Best Regards, Lucas

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (along with SingrDave), I have been asked this question more times than I can remember. The best answer I've come up with is, "I would only denounce my faith if the Heavenly Father (through the gift of the Holy Ghost) told me that the LDS Church was no longer where He wants me to be." Since my faith derives from direct answers to prayers from our Heavenly Father, only He could convince me otherwise.

"I would only denounce my faith if the Heavenly Father (through the gift of the Holy Ghost) told me that the LDS Church was no longer where He wants me to be." Since my faith derives from direct answers to prayers from our Heavenly Father, only He could convince me otherwise.

"Would you be willing to accept a collect call from a Mr. God, sir?"



Best Regards, Lucas

LOL Lucas!!!

Whoops! Did *I* say that?

*evil grin*



Best Regards, Lucas

I was born a Catholic, left and came back.  I came back because I learned about my faith (I was raised in the Tridentine Church), and what it really was all about.  So no, I have had my crises of faith, and it has made my faith stronger.

"Would you be willing to accept a collect call from a Mr. God, sir?"

Something about girls at Weldon Academy, I think...

This isn't always bad. Granted something that you choose or discover for your self will usually be more meaningful, and many children brought up in a particular faith will end up rebelling against it, just because... Still, sometimes it actually works: parents pass on something important that saves their children from having to make quite all of those mistakes by which we usually end up growing.

We are raising our children (my wife is LDS too, from birth) in the Mormon church. My oldest son is baptized (we baptize at age eight, since we feel it is a choice that each individual has to make, and a baby can't make a decision like that), and my younger son, who is seven, has already told me that he wants to be baptized when he turns eight next summer.

There is something to be said for being brought up in a religion. While you're not running the spectrum of religious experimentation, you're also not running the spectrum of religious experimentation! For myself, I was christened Methodist because it was the closest church to my house growing up. I attended Assemblies of God, Lutheran, Unitarian, a Buddhist Temple, Catholic... I even attended a service at a drive-in movie theater! You put your speaker in the window on Sunday morning, and the preacher stands up top of the snack bar with a microphone.

Let's just say I was glad when I felt I'd found the true church at age 19.

I am glad that my kids don't have to go through what I went through, religiously. They are being raised the way I think they should be raised, and if they want to strike out on their own, that is their business. I will still be there for support and understanding.

As I've written in past articles, I would never renounce any idea unless I had a good reason to do so. So I guess the derived question is, "what is a good reason to denouce your religion?"

I would abandon any denominational beliefs in a heartbeat if I had ample evidence, but I can't imagine any reason for renouncing God. What situation could prove that He didn't exist? And there's no event that could happen in a single person's life- not even, I hope, my own- that would be sufficient to define God's character.

So if, within my life, I cannot either prove that He doesn't exist or that He is anything but what He claims, then there is no situation in which I could renounce my religion.

Dan

Something about girls at Weldon Academy, I think...

I even attended a service at a drive-in movie theater! You put your speaker in the window on Sunday morning, and the preacher stands up top of the snack bar with a microphone.

Reply By: Dr. GuyPosted: Thursday, November 10, 2005I was born a Catholic, left and came back. I came back because I learned about my faith (I was raised in the Tridentine Church), and what it really was all about. So no, I have had my crises of faith, and it has made my faith stronger.

Good fer you doc!

I would like to say, nope never. But then I think of Peter. So I will say I hope I never am put into the position of renouncing and if I am, may God take my life before I can do it.

I would like to say, nope never. But then I think of Peter. So I will say I hope I never am put into the position of renouncing and if I am, may God take my life before I can do it.

Eww, kind of a sad way to go.... but eh, yer choice...lets hope it doesn't get down to that...

Eww, kind of a sad way to go....

Your opinion. You know what they say about those.

Your opinion. You know what they say about those.

You can hang'em on a christmas tree?


--Lucas

Interestingly I am most attracted to that religion which actually calls on you to renounce your faith. The 'aim' of Buddhism is to awaken to the reality of things by slowly, patiently cutting through the layers of delusion, greed and hatred that stop us from seeing things as they are. In the Buddha's own teaching 'Buddhism' is simply a kind of boat that allows us to cross over to the other side of the river. Once there, you really don't need that boat anymore...

Now, with a non-dualistic view of things faith and truth should be one and the same; if they are not, then of course one should renounce one's faith - and as quickly as possible! I found it refreshing to hear the Dalai Lama, when asked what he would do if any aspect of his faith were proven to be scientifically in error, say that he would, of course change his faith. As they say in Zen "if you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him!"

All religions ask us in various ways to see beyond our limited egos. Perhaps the last step for many of us - the last space in which our individual ego holds out the longest - is our religious conviction. For many of us it might be the most painful of all 'little deaths' that we are called on to make...

In Zen the tantalising image is held out of a fully awakened master, who is now no longer interested in meditation or enlightenment or 'religion', but simply has a clear eyed view of how things actually are.

As Daisetz Suzuki once expressed it, "Before Zen, men are men and mountains are mountains; during Zen study things become confused; after enlightenment men are men and mountains are mountains, only one's feet are a little off the ground."

Reply By: Chakgogka

*Whew* Long response... but i can agree with that...

--Lucas

You can hang'em on a christmas tree?

Reply By: Tova7

What!? Am I wrong? I always thought that's where ya stuck 'em....



--Lucas

Well that is as good a place as any!

I'd like to think that I'd still believe even in the face of unrelenting evidence. That's what blind faith is all about, after all. It's no fun if you can see where you're going...

I'd like to think that I'd still believe even in the face of unrelenting evidence. That's what blind faith is all about, after all. It's no fun if you can see where you're going...

Tree? What Tre- *Thud*

There ya go...

Well that is as good a place as any!

Mentioned that to a friend of mine and he proceeded to suggest putting it in a "personal 'haver-sack'" (Dungeons and Dragons terminology= a extra deminsional space) :/



--Lucas