Can I convert to your religion without believing in its miracles?

[robo]

Can I become a Christian without believing in miracles of Jesus?

Can I become a Buddhist without believing in miracles of Buddha?

Can I become a Muslim without believing in miracles of Mohammed?

Can I become a Hindu without believing in miracles of Krishna?

If you are a theist subscribing to one of the above-mentioned religion, do you believe in miracles of the other three religions mentioned above? If not, why not? For instance, if you are a Muslim, do you believe Krishna killed Putana, the demon and that Krishna is God?

Likewise, if you believe Krishna killed Putana [which is a miracle] and you are Hindu, why do you not believe that Mohammed split the moon and that Mohammed flew between Mecca and Jerusalem on Buraq - the flying donkey?

 

[Breathe]

Yes, you can.

I don't believe in miracles.

 

[robo]

Yes, you can.

I don't believe in miracles.

Why not? Do you mean to say Krishna did NOT kill Putana? Either he did or he did not. If he did, you should believe in the miracle. If he did not, how did the story come to be? Was it made up?

 

[Breathe]

Why not? Do you mean to say Krishna did NOT kill Putana? Either he did or he did not.

I don't believe it occurred as a historical story.

If he did, you should believe in the miracle. If he did not, how did the story come to be? Was it made up?

"Made up" makes it sound like a lie made up by someone for the sake of it; I believe it was born from time, possibly based on the personification of some event (for example, Pūtanā may be an anthromorphised, personified illness that the historical Kṛṣṇa had), and has spiritual truths in it.

 

[Quintessence]

I think it needs to be clarified "believe in what fashion?"

There's a world of difference between taking mythology as literal, historical truth and taking mythology as... well... mythology (as storytelling).

 

[Gharib]

Why would you ask a question like this?

How could you accept a Prophet of God and not the sings with which he was sent?

Moreover, the greatest miracle that Muhammed was given is the Qur'an itself, how can you be a Muslim without accepting the miracles of Muhammed peace be upon him?

 

[Bob Dixon]

Yes, you can. The Miracles are stories that can help us understand, but to require belief in them in a post-Newtonian world is a bit... counter-productive. To forbid belief in Miracles is the same.

 

[robo]

Why would you ask a question like this?

Because, it appears that theists tend to believe in only one set of miracles but not any other. This is dogmatic and does not stand up to rational scrutiny.

How could you accept a Prophet of God and not the sings with which he was sent?

Moreover, the greatest miracle that Muhammed was given is the Qur'an itself, how can you be a Muslim without accepting the miracles of Muhammed peace be upon him?

Why not accept the miracles of Krishna or Buddha?

 

[robo]

There's a world of difference between taking mythology as literal, historical truth and taking mythology as... well... mythology (as storytelling).

I am all for mythology being treated as mythology and nothing more.

I think that many of the religious texts should be in the fiction section of bookstores. What do you think?

 

[Alceste]

Can I become a Christian without believing in miracles of Jesus?

Can I become a Buddhist without believing in miracles of Buddha?

Can I become a Muslim without believing in miracles of Mohammed?

Can I become a Hindu without believing in miracles of Krishna?

If you are a theist subscribing to one of the above-mentioned religion, do you believe in miracles of the other three religions mentioned above? If not, why not? For instance, if you are a Muslim, do you believe Krishna killed Putana, the demon and that Krishna is God?

Likewise, if you believe Krishna killed Putana [which is a miracle] and you are Hindu, why do you not believe that Mohammed split the moon and that Mohammed flew between Mecca and Jerusalem on Buraq - the flying donkey?

Point of fact, Buddhism is not necessarily theistic, and yes, you can be a Buddhist without believing in miracles.

 

[sandandfoam]

One persons miracle is anothers natural process. Birth for example, or the changing of the seasons. I believe in miracles - if you were to share my religious outlook I imagine you would too.

To me, miracles reflect a way of looking at the world.

 

[Alceste]

I am all for mythology being treated as mythology and nothing more.

I think that many of the religious texts should be in the fiction section of bookstores. What do you think?

I think there's nothing wrong with keeping them in the religion section. There point of such a system is to make books easier to find. Have you seen how huge the fiction section is? And it's usually sorted by the author's surname. Where would you file the Bible in such a system?

 

[sandandfoam]

Where would you file the Bible in such a system?

And there's probably too much sex and violence in it for the more conservative bookshops

 

[Quintessence]

I am all for mythology being treated as mythology and nothing more.

I think that many of the religious texts should be in the fiction section of bookstores. What do you think?

Possibly, but the intended use of the storytelling (and therefore its construction) is different enough that one can argue they should be in different sections. Although I will use pop culture/modern mythology as readily as ancient mythology in my religious practice, I don't get the impression most people are like that.

Frankly, I'd be happier if the books on Pagan religion got moved into the religion section instead of being in the $#@%ing "New Age" section. Paganism, neo or otherwise, is NOT the same as the New Age movement and the failure to categorize it with other religious books is a snub against the legitimacy of Paganism as a religion. Neither here nor there; I couldn't resist the rant. :sorry1:

 

[Satyamavejayanti]

Can I become a Christian without believing in miracles of Jesus?

Can I become a Buddhist without believing in miracles of Buddha?

Can I become a Muslim without believing in miracles of Mohammed?

Can I become a Hindu without believing in miracles of Krishna?

If you are a theist subscribing to one of the above-mentioned religion, do you believe in miracles of the other three religions mentioned above? If not, why not? For instance, if you are a Muslim, do you believe Krishna killed Putana, the demon and that Krishna is God?

Likewise, if you believe Krishna killed Putana [which is a miracle] and you are Hindu, why do you not believe that Mohammed split the moon and that Mohammed flew between Mecca and Jerusalem on Buraq - the flying donkey?

yes, you can still be Hindu without believing in any miracle.

 

[Riverwolf]

yes, you can still be Hindu without believing in any miracle.

Heck, 99% of all the Hindu miracles I've heard of are things I don't believe in.

The other 1% (the Milk Miracle) I'm still undecided on.

 

[F0uad]

I think its hard to be a Muslim and not follow the Quran since the Quran is the mircale.

 

[idav]

I think a person can even be a Christian without believing in a literal Resurrection. Though some others may not agree and find a literal interpretation of the resurrection to be foundational.

 

[Bob Dixon]

I think a person can even be a Christian without believing in a literal Resurrection. Though some others may not agree and find a literal interpretation of the resurrection to be foundational.

Well, there've been Christians since the beginning who didn't believe in a literal resurrection. Basically any Christian views you can come up with (well, not ANY, but a lot of them) were around in the early days, before an orthodoxy was established.

 

[arthra]

In the strongest terms, Baha'u'llah revealed:

"We entreat Our loved ones not to besmirch the hem of Our raiment with the dust of falsehood, neither to allow references to what they have regarded as miracles and prodigies to debase Our rank and station, or to mar the purity and sanctity of Our name."

~ Baha'u'llah

Further In the Baha'i Faith, miracles are not considered proof:

Briefly, my meaning is that many wonderful things were done by Bahá'u'lláh, but we do not recount them, as they do not constitute proofs and evidences for all the peoples of the earth, and they are not decisive proofs even for those who see them: they may think that they are merely enchantments.

~ Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 37

Miracles can happen and they may be effacious for those who experience them but others who hear about them are only getting second hand information. So they are not proofs by themselves.