Jainism - or anything else really

Does it bring life?

Does it ring true?

What is its highest value and the centre around which is revolved?

What is the goal? What is the means to that end?

What greater worldview/philosophy does it fit into? Is this worldview consistent with the actual reality? Can it at all be reconciled with reality or is it on another plane of existence entirely constructed in the minds of the believers? i.e. Is there any external evidence to this belief system?

Is the basic philosophy of this belief system internally consistent, or does it contradict itself? If it contradicts itself, does it cease to be a viable and trustworthy belief system/worldview or can these contradictions be reconciled? What is an absolute contradiction and what is an irrelevant contradiction and how should one differentiate?

What is meaning? Why is it important? Why do we test beliefs according to facts? Why is there the concept that facts and truth function in separate areas of life and should not be confused? When did we start to separate the two ideas from one another? Is there such a thing as a truth gradient? Is there such a thing as an irrelevant fact? What would it be irrelevant to? Are facts relevant? What to? Are they relevant to truth?

What is truth?

Is truth the most relevant fact, or does it not need external relevance to substantiate itself? Is it in fact relevant without needing to be relevant? How can truth need to be anything, whether relevant or irrelevant? Is it truth that needs substantiation, or is it our human need to find and investigate and derive and prove that the world holds together in some way? Does truth need to be acknowledged in order to be true?

Jainism after all

I do still feel compelled, however, to do as I said I would and explain why I don't  believe in Jainism.

A question that I believe to be a good test of any philosophy of life is does it bring life? In other words, does it lead to greater goodness, stronger and more genuine love, and revelation of truth in the lives of those who adhere to it, or does it lead in the other direction?

In Jainism, there is a concept known as Moksha where one annihilates all karma (good and bad) and become a Siddha (one that has attained the ultimate goal). They can then go on to Moksha where their souls are finally freed from the endless cycle of birth and death (reincarnation), and ultimately achieve it’s pure self.

That, in a nutshell, is what Jainism is all about. - www.modernjainism.com/testimony/

What I consider to be the primary problem with Jainism, as with all religion*, is that it is inherently selfish. In Jainism the point is to reach Moksha. Most religions have the idea that some sense of 'heaven' can be acheived - whether Paradise, enlightenment, Moksha, or the like, Some religions, such as Christianity and Islam, also believe in an alternative which involves eternal pain. This alternative, the consequence of failing to please God, then inspires fear in the members and drives them to work harder for their place in paradise.

How the Jesus-movement differs, is that once relationship with Jesus is entered, heaven (or 'salvation') is already secured, so there should be no more striving. All good deeds are not done in order to merit a place in heaven, or to outweigh the bad ones. Rather, good deeds are done because they are good, because they benefit another, and because as our love for Jesus grows so does our desire to be like him. This is love -  to give or do for the benefit of another, at cost to yourself and not for your own gain.

Unfortunately, members of the Jesus movement, those who know him and are known by him, very easily fall into a fearful religious mentality where they return to their old ways of trying to earn God's favour and their own merit and in doing so misrepresent who he is and what his love means. I am one of these, but I hope I will learn quickly to rest in his love and already-pleased-ness instead of striving for what cannot be earned.

* Religion -  a human system of serving a philosophy, person, God or another , usually in the interest of attaining a goal that serves personal interests.