1/15,000 chance that you're right.

[wizanda]

Its ok, there is no need....you have just made the biggest mistake in your whole eternity for everyone, as no longer do i wish to even try or return on here.....if anyone wants me, the signs are clear enough where to find me.
Peace B with U all

 

[BruceDLimber]

Greetings!

If you believe your religious convictions are correct, how can you be so certain about them when you know there are thousands of other religions out there in this world?

Very simple: as the result of extensive reading, prayer, research, investigation, observation and evaluation!

And please note that the scriptures I follow state explicitly that ALL the great religions are legitimate and God-sent, so that there is no problem whatever with someone's being another religion, the more so given that one of our central principles is Individual Investigation of Truth!

So I humbly put it to you that all this, at least potentially, is far simpler and better than you suggest!

Best,

Bruce

 

[ayani]

If you believe your religious convictions are correct, how can you be so certain about them when you know there are thousands of other religions out there in this world?

i am certain about them because they speak the Truth to me. another person may get that from Jainism, Islam, Sikh Dharma, Indigenous beliefs, or the Catholic Church.

the odds may be stacked against me so far as numbers, but so far as message, there is more unity than difference. i think it's important to listen to one another and compare, for just this reason.

Second, to those who still believe in the religion they were raised in, don't you ever wonder that your beliefs are just an accident of geography?

initially, of course. i was raised in north america to a mixed Catholic and Lutheran family, and was raised Lutheran. had i been born in Delhi instead of New York City, i would likey be raised Hindu or Muslim.

i like your point- it's an important one to keep in mind, i think, and certainly true. i believe that Truth speaks through human creativity and connection in any time or place. one of the things we get to do as humans is to hone that, explore, listen, and reflect. we work with what we are given in life, and what we are exposed to. we can't choose where and how and to whom we are born- but we can choose to learn, reflect, reach out, and hone our gifts for ourselves and others. this, i think, is a bigger point that points of doctrine.

 

[Green Gaia]

To every single person who follows an organized religion, I ask two questions.

If you believe your religious convictions are correct, how can you be so certain about them when you know there are thousands of other religions out there in this world?

I am sure of 2 things, 1) We don't know everything, and 2) no religion is 100% right or the only "true" religion. That's why I am a UU; I have the freedom to explore all the possibilities for what speaks to me and helps me in my life and reject those that don't make sense or are counter-productive to what I believe is important: love and peace.

 

[Super Universe]

I assume the 1/15,000 refers to the fifteen thousand different faiths.

But this is incorrect because the actual odds are one in one, or one hundred percent, that you will find the correct faith, though not necessarily during your time on the earth.

These faiths are not against each other though people or even leaders of these faiths might be.

 

[cardero]

To every single person who follows an organized religion, I ask two questions.

If you believe your religious convictions are correct, how can you be so certain about them when you know there are thousands of other religions out there in this world?

Let me put it this way. As much faith as you may have, as strongly as you believe your religion is the truth, as much as you think you know you're correct, I guarantee there is someone out there who believes in a different religion and is just as, if not more convinced they are right than you are. How do you justify your belief considering how stacked the odds are against you?

If you still believe in the religion you were brought up in, I'd advise you to seriously, seriously consider why you believe what you do. It has nothing to do with if it's true or not. It's simply what you were taught. You believe what you do because it's what you were told to do.

Think about it.

Here I say to YOU that no human-made religion is perfect. No human-made religion is wrong. No human-made religion can individually cater to soul growth and UNDERSTANDING. No human-made religion is “the TRUE religion.” Each organization has a little bit of TRUTH here, a little bit of good there. But none are complete. It is up to each INDIVIDUAL to make what he or she can of life in accordance with the chosen religion (whether it may BE an organized religion or a religion within yourself). The REALationship YOU and I have, plus YOUR spiritual growth, is a PERSONAL experience shared between YOU and I, and YOU and I only. It is a special and unique REALationship. BE aware that I, GOD, helped in the creation of Homo-sapiens, not Robo-sapiens.

HELLO IT'S ME: An Interview With GOD
Chapter Religion
Pg: 43

 

[Prometheus]

So what I've heard so far is that all religions have some degree of truth and goodness to them, but let me put this to you.

No matter that all religions have some truth, there is still a religion out there that can be called the "most true."

I believe the Divine is an absolute truth, not subjective from person to person. To quote YHWH, "I am that I am."

It stands to reason that of all the world religions which teach different doctrines, one of them must have it either completely true or closest to actual truth than anyone else. Even if this religion itself does not have all truth, it would have the most.

Here's the crux of my question. What if you've never heard of this religion before in your life? The most true religion on earth is out there and you don't even know what it is. Does not everyone here, including myself, owe ourselves to try and learn about every religion that we can?

If we all really cared about the truth, we would seek it continually. I contend that for everyone to be the best they can be, they must educate themselves in every religion possible.

Some of you may be doing this already. That you are here on this website is a good start. There are many religions to learn about here, though not all of them.

To those of you who continually seek truth with an open-mind and can change your opinion of which religion to follow should it manifest its truth to you, I applaud you.

For those who do not have an open-mind with a humble willingness to learn, and are only here to get as many people to join their way of thinking as possible (wizanda), you should reconsider why you are here.

We should be educating each other and share in humility. Look at your own motives honestly for a moment. If your main concern on this site, and in your life, is to convert people, then I think you have the wrong idea.

 

[Bishka]

Its ok, there is no need....you have just made the biggest mistake in your whole eternity for everyone, as no longer do i wish to even try or return on here.....if anyone wants me, the signs are clear enough where to find me.
Peace B with U all

*waves*

Bye now.

 

[Bishka]

. Look at your own motives honestly for a moment. If your main concern on this site, and in your life, is to convert people, then I think you have the wrong idea.

That's not my concern in life or this site. My main concern in life is to share what I see as the truth, and if they do not accept it, well then, I will not push -- I would like to see people accept what I see as the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, but we all have our free will (which is such a wonderful blessing), so we can choose what we accept and what we don't.

My main concern on this site is to try to dispel any misnotions or prejudices against the LDS Church and any other faith that is picked on.

 

[Jistyr]

For all of those who say that their religion is most correct because they have communicated with God, been told the Truth, been Enlightened, have felt God's touch, or whatever it may be, really can't have stable ground to stand on.

Perhaps that feeling is more profound than everything they ever felt, but perhaps it is not more profound that communicating with the God of another religion.

To be truly sure that the personal experience one felt is what proves their religion, one must then be given the Truth from the God of each of the 15,000 religions and select which one is most vibrant. Nobody would ever be able to do that, so since that moving experience is only the highlight of a single religion, that still puts them back to a 1/15,000 chance.

 

[Prometheus]

Basically, Jistyr hit the nail on the head.

I used to have feelings I thought were the Spirit of God inside of me. The LDS church would describe it as a "burning in the bosom." After I became an Atheist, I still can get those feelings from other sources. Many times you think you're feeling the Divine, but it may actually be an emotion that can be felt by anyone.

 

[ayani]

We should be educating each other and share in humility. Look at your own motives honestly for a moment. If your main concern on this site, and in your life, is to convert people, then I think you have the wrong idea.

i agree, and i think the mods would agree as well, heh.

What if you've never heard of this religion before in your life? The most true religion on earth is out there and you don't even know what it is. Does not everyone here, including myself, owe ourselves to try and learn about every religion that we can?

definately, yes. religious study is one of my passions. there is *alot* out there, that's what i can say for sure. so i'll keep learning if you will, P.

 

[cardero]

So what I've heard so far is that all religions have some degree of truth and goodness to them, but let me put this to you.

No matter that all religions have some truth, there is still a religion out there that can be called the "most true."

I believe the Divine is an absolute truth, not subjective from person to person. To quote YHWH, "I am that I am."

Patrickism believes differently:

Ideas and perspectives are unique as well. People are different and so are their PURPOSES. It is unfair to "lump" them in something as constrictive as organized religion. I would not advise people to pursue a person, place, or book to attain spiritual growth. MY REALationship will ALL(WAYS) BE with people directly, not through a person, place, or publication. Where people gather to actively talk, to share ideas and values, and support TRUTH that is where I will BE.

HELLO IT'S ME: An Interview With GOD
Chapter: Religion
Pg: 43,44

With our self, with our beliefs and with what we discern as the Truth, no one should know the source better than the indivdual. It is each our own responsiblitiy to become our own experts.

 

[Pah]

I am happy they do. You asked why I believe my religious convictions to be correct. I told you the answer. Why would God only communicate with people of my religion? We are all His children.

...

Apparently the "Christian" god is telling something different to the belivers of a that god. The Jewish god of the old testament and the Islamic god both hear something different. The Christian god can not get his story straight amongst Christian followers, i.e., Later Day Saints, Catholicism, the various evangelical groups, and (the prime immediate example where a split is happening) the Episcopal church.

This god doers not speak with a single voice and the god's message is different for each that hear the message

 

[Prometheus]

I want everyone to try a thought experiment with me.

I want you to pick another religion that you don't believe in. Any other religion out there. Even if you're a Christian picking a different denomination of Christianity, it doesn't matter. Choose a religion that has doctrines you don't agree with.

Once you have done that I want you to study that religion for a while if you don't know much about it, even if you only do 10 minutes of research. Once you think you have a good understanding of the religious beliefs of this other system, I would like you to engage in a role-playing activity.

I want you to pretend that you are a member of this other religion. Put aside your own beliefs and temporarily embrace this other religion as if it were your own.

Having done this I want you to argue against your own actual religion. Try to take on the perspective of a person of another faith and look at your own religion critically. Be skeptical. Question the things you believe and try to form arguments against them. This is simply playing "Devil's Advocate" for a moment.

I hope some people will do this. Go ahead and make a post in this thread about which religious stance you pretended to be and show the arguments you came up with.

If you can't do it, that just proves to me you're incapable of being open-minded.

 

[Katzpur]

If you believe your religious convictions are correct, how can you be so certain about them when you know there are thousands of other religions out there in this world?

I don't believe I've ever used the word "certain," although I would not hesitate to use the word "confident." I don't feel as if I would ever be comfortable embracing a non-Abrahamic faith. Although I admire much of what Buddhism and Hinduism teach, for instance, they don't fill the need I have for the Abrahamic God. When I compare beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the beliefs of other Christians, I just find that, for me personally, there are fewer unanswered questions and fewer unresolved "mysteries" in my doctrines. I'm not the kind of person who is all that comfortable saying, "we're not supposed to know that." I believe that God has provided a lot of information for us and that He wants us to pick up on as much of it as we possibly can. I also like the idea that my religion teaches me to accept truth as truth, regardless of its source.

Let me put it this way. As much faith as you may have, as strongly as you believe your religion is the truth, as much as you think you know you're correct, I guarantee there is someone out there who believes in a different religion and is just as, if not more convinced they are right than you are. How do you justify your belief considering how stacked the odds are against you?

I don't even try to "justify" my beliefs. They're beliefs, after all, and I'm entitled to them.

Second, to those who still believe in the religion they were raised in, don't you ever wonder that your beliefs are just an accident of geography?

If you were born in India, chances are very good you would be a Hindu. If you were born in the Middle East, chances are very good you would be a Muslim. If you were born in a Western country, chances are very good you would be a Christian.

Or, to take it one step further, if you were born in ancient Greece or Norway, there's no doubt in my mind you would believe in Zeus or Thor respectively.

Yes, I've actually thought about that a lot. I'm quite sure that if I had been born into a Muslim family in Iraq, I'd be a Muslim right now.

For so many of you, your religion is an accident of where and what conditions you were born into. Are you so egotistical to think you are one of the lucky few who just happened to be born into the right religion? Because I've got news for you, so does everyone else.

I don't believe I'm egotisical. I will readily admit that I don't know why I was born into an LDS family. I'm glad I was, but I don't think that it's necessarily because I was more "deserving" than the next guy. Besides, I don't think that had I been born into a Muslim family in Iraq, it would really make a whole lot of difference in where I ultimately ended up.

If you still believe in the religion you were brought up in, I'd advise you to seriously, seriously consider why you believe what you do. It has nothing to do with if it's true or not. It's simply what you were taught. You believe what you do because it's what you were told to do.

Here you make an assumption that you have no basis for. Granted, a lot of people don't ever question their beliefs. Once you get to know me better, you'll find that that doesn't apply to me. I was taught to question. If I had just blindly accepted everything I was ever told in Church, my parents (and my dad, in particular -- who was an active member of the Church, by the way), would have been very disappointed in me.

Think about it.

Okay, but you think about something, too. What would be the benefit to my deciding to reject Mormonism simply because I was born into the faith? Is there some reason I should join another Church when my conversion would not be sincere?

 

[Prometheus]

I don't feel as if I would ever be comfortable embracing a non-Abrahamic faith. Although I admire much of what Buddhism and Hinduism teach, for instance, they don't fill the need I have for the Abrahamic God. I also like the idea that my religion teaches me to accept truth as truth, regardless of its source.

So what is it that makes the Yahweh character so necessary to you? I mean, you can look at the sun in the sky and see that it provides so much to us that we need for life. If the sun were to just disappear, life as we know it would end.

When you consider God, though, it's nothing like the sun. I have denied the existence of this being and nothing has changed for me. I'm happier and more fulfilled in my life than ever. You would think a God would have much more impact on our lives than the sun would. He just isn't necessary. I can live morally, happily and with a sense of awe and security without invoking God at all.

In short, I can testify to you that belief in a God is not as necessary as you may think it is.

I don't even try to "justify" my beliefs. They're beliefs, after all, and I'm entitled to them.

By justify I mean to have good reasons for what you believe. I think that you do have good reasons to follow your religion, but I don't think you have good reasons to think your religion is actually true. The moral code you live by can be attained without a God.

Yes, I've actually thought about that a lot. I'm quite sure that if I had been born into a Muslim family in Iraq, I'd be a Muslim right now.

Well, I'm certainly glad you have thought about this and can admire you for it.

Besides, I don't think that had I been born into a Muslim family in Iraq, it would really make a whole lot of difference in where I ultimately ended up.

If by "ended up" you mean the Celestial Kingdom, then you're saying beliefs don't really matter in the grand scheme of things?

Okay, but you think about something, too. What would be the benefit to my deciding to reject Mormonism simply because I was born into the faith? Is there some reason I should join another Church when my conversion would not be sincere?

It's not on the grounds that you were born into it. I only pointing it out to make you wonder why you think it's true. You wouldn't think it was true had your circumstances been different, as you admitted. So how can you be at all confident in your ability to discern truth to begin with?

 

[ayani]

Prometheus- i will try this, guy. i gotta find a faith that goes against my own.

i'm looking foward to this! i kinda find my faith universalist,so this'll be interesting to look into. i'll let you know how it goes, ok?

 

[Prometheus]

Prometheus- i will try this, guy. i gotta find a faith that goes against my own.

i'm looking foward to this! i kinda find my faith universalist,so this'll be interesting to look into. i'll let you know how it goes, ok?

I really appreciate your willingness to try it. Anyone who can do this well deserves my respect. Not that my respect is anything that special.

 

[Super Universe]

The universe is immensely complex, so much that even as intelligent as humans are we are still quite lacking in our ability to theorize what causes the universe to exist.

Now pick an animal that understands the universe the best. Even if you choose humans you are so far from the truth that it doesn't matter. You might as well pick a whale or bear, humanity might be closer to understanding the universe but only in a microscopic amount.

Finding the truth is what existence is all about. Once you find it, you then know where heaven is and how to enter.