Does it matter what we believe?

[PearlSeeker]

So you don't believe in the Bible God anymore? What happened that caused you to lose your belief?

I never believed in the Bible God. Although some Baha'is think that is the same as the Baha'i God, I am not buying that.
I believe it is the same God in the sense that there is only one God, but that is where the sameness ends.

I just realized that Bible is mostly myth.

 

[Nakosis]

This thought just came into my mind today.
I already have my own answer to this question but I want to see what others think before I present my answer.

Does it matter what you believe religiously/about God?

If so, why does it matter?
If not, why doesn't it matter?

This has to be the shortest OP that @Trailblazer has ever posted.

It only matters to you, or should only matter to you though there are folks that go about feeling that what you believe matters to them and will try to impress on you the importance of it.

You believe what you want, I believe what I want. As long as we can treat each other with a bit of decency it's all good.

 

[Vinayaka]

This thought just came into my mind today.
I already have my own answer to this question but I want to see what others think before I present my answer.

Does it matter what you believe religiously/about God?

If so, why does it matter?
If not, why doesn't it matter?

This has to be the shortest OP that @Trailblazer has ever posted.

I think the question is on an individual. It's up to the person whether or not it matters. For me personally, although belief does play a part in it, it matters much more what I do than what I believe. That is how I look at people as well, to decide whom I'd like to befriend or not. It's what they do, how they behave.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Does it matter what you believe religiously/about God?

In transactional reality, yes.

If so, why does it matter?

It informs my actions and my state of mind.

 

[Trailblazer]

It only matters to you, or should only matter to you

I agree, since I believe that we are only responsible to God for our own beliefs, not for anyone else's beliefs.
At the end of this life we will not be called to account for what other people believed.

31: O SON OF BEING! Bring thyself to account each day ere thou art summoned to a reckoning; for death, unheralded, shall come upon thee and thou shalt be called to give account for thy deeds. (The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 11)

 

[Trailblazer]

I think the question is on an individual. It's up to the person whether or not it matters. For me personally, although belief does play a part in it, it matters much more what I do than what I believe. That is how I look at people as well, to decide whom I'd like to befriend or not. It's what they do, how they behave.

I agree that it matters much more what people do than what they believe...
However, that cuts both ways because certain beliefs can lead to bad actions or inaction whereas other beliefs lead to good actions.
Hopefully what one believes translates into good actions.

 

[England my lionheart]

This thought just came into my mind today.
I already have my own answer to this question but I want to see what others think before I present my answer.

Does it matter what you believe religiously/about God?

If so, why does it matter?
If not, why doesn't it matter?

This has to be the shortest OP that @Trailblazer has ever posted.

It matters to the believers of a religion enough to cause harm,so that matters,it doesn’t matter to those not under the yoke of a religion imo.

 

[SalixIncendium]

It matters to the believers of a religion enough to cause harm,so that matters,it doesn’t matter to those not under the yoke of a religion imo.

That reminds me, I forgot to go out and cause harm today.

Man, I'm slackin'.

*heads out the door to wreak havoc in the name of Hinduism*

 

[England my lionheart]

That reminds me, I forgot to go out and cause harm today.

Man, I'm slackin'.

*heads out the door to wreak havoc in the name of Hinduism*

Love that,it’s true,not all isms mean harm

 

[Trailblazer]

*heads out the door to wreak havoc in the name of Hinduism*

Silly man..... Hinduism is not a religion that causes harm.

 

[Trailblazer]

Love that,it’s true,not all isms mean harm

Harm in my opinion is doing nothing when something needs to be done.
As such, Christianity is the most harmful religion, since most Christians are waiting for Jesus to return and build the Kingdom of God on earth, which is what humans are supposed to be doing.

 

[osgart]

Belief is crucial if it rises to the level of conviction, certitude, commitment, and faith. Belief is far short of knowledge though. Why would anyone be 100% absolutely certain in their beliefs knowing it's just a belief? That's totally irrational.

Then there's believing in what you know to be true which is a contradiction. Actually if someone calls them self a believer aren't they admitting that they lack knowledge in the area they believe in?

Beliefs are best served as an hypothesis to explore.

 

[Trailblazer]

Belief is crucial if it rises to the level of conviction, certitude, commitment, and faith. Belief is far short of knowledge though.

Why would someone have certitude if they did not know that their beliefs are true?
Belief is not factual knowledge but that does not mean that a belief cannot be 'known' to be true.

knowledge;
1. facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject.
2. awareness or familiarity gained by experience of a fact or situation.

knowledge means - Google Search

I cannot prove that my religion is true so it is not a fact, but I can still know it is true because not all knowledge is not based on facts we can prove. Some knowledge is based upon an awareness or familiarity gained by experience of a fact or situation.

We should never claim that what we believe is true and expect others to believe it is true because we cannot prove it is true. But we can still say we know it is true because certitude is an inner knowing, and nobody can take our certitude away from us because it isn't theirs to take.

Why would anyone be 100% absolutely certain in their beliefs knowing it's just a belief? That's totally irrational.

Why not? A person can be absolutely certain that their beliefs are true.
That is an inner knowing that cannot be explained to others who do not have that kind of knowledge.

Then there's believing in what you know to be true which is a contradiction.

I think you are caught up in words and what you think they mean. As I said above a person can know that what they believe is true.

Actually if someone calls them self a believer aren't they admitting that they lack knowledge in the area they believe in?

No, because there might be factual knowledge surrounding the belief, which might be why they believe it is true.

How important are facts within your religious beliefs?

How important are facts within your religious beliefs? Facts???

www.religiousforums.com

However, they have to admit they lack proof because nobody can prove that a religious belief is true.

Beliefs are best served as an hypothesis to explore.

They are, until you explore them extensively and come to believe they are true.

 

[InChrist]

This thought just came into my mind today.
I already have my own answer to this question but I want to see what others think before I present my answer.

Does it matter what you believe religiously/about God?

If so, why does it matter?
If not, why doesn't it matter?

This has to be the shortest OP that @Trailblazer has ever posted.

If it impacts one’s eternal destiny, then I would think it matters immensely…eternally.

 

[osgart]

Why would someone have certitude if they did not know that their beliefs are true?
Belief is not factual knowledge but that does not mean that a belief cannot be 'known' to be true.

I just don't use those words that way! It's confusing, and muddies the meaning.

knowledge;
1. facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject.
2. awareness or familiarity gained by experience of a fact or situation.

knowledge means - Google Search

I cannot prove that my religion is true so it is not a fact, but I can still know it is true because not all knowledge is not based on facts we can prove. Some knowledge is based upon an awareness or familiarity gained by experience of a fact or situation.

I won't argue that. I have such knowledge.

We should never claim that what we believe is true and expect others to believe it is true because we cannot prove it is true. But we can still say we know it is true because certitude is an inner knowing, and nobody can take our certitude away from us because it isn't theirs to take.

I wouldn't venture down that road to make such claims. I have subjective truths about me, but I feel I've arrived at those truths objectively. I think inner knowing has to be able to function productively to be knowledge.

Why not? A person can be absolutely certain that their beliefs are true.
That is an inner knowing that cannot be explained to others who do not have that kind of knowledge.

I hold that through inner knowing there are self evident truths. But they have to be worked on and discovered with effort. This kind of knowing can be harmless, if found to be productively effective.

I think you are caught up in words and what you think they mean. As I said above a person can know that what they believe is true.

That's certitude not knowledge. Certitude can be productive and harmless, but it can also go bad places if one isn't aware.

No, because there might be factual knowledge surrounding the belief, which might be why they believe it is true.

Sounds like a personal intuition attempt at likelihood.

How important are facts within your religious beliefs?

How important are facts within your religious beliefs? Facts???

www.religiousforums.com

However, they have to admit they lack proof because nobody can prove that a religious belief is true.

They are, until you explore them extensively and come to believe they are true.

I do have religious beliefs, but I don't see my religious beliefs contradicting facts, or blinding me to others. I'm certain of my beliefs for the most part, but it doesn't rise to the level of knowledge.

Certitude can go very wrong. I recognize my beliefs may not turn out to be true.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Silly man..... Hinduism is not a religion that causes harm.

I don't know. Some of those those Hindu gods look pretty darn scary.

 

[Trailblazer]

I don't know. Some of those those Hindu gods look pretty darn scary.

Don't you know that looks can be deceiving?

 

[Twilight Hue]

Don't you know that looks can be deceiving?

When I see Chhinnamasta for example I go ohhhhhhhhhhhhh. Aaaaaa!! Yikes!!!!!

 

[YoursTrue]

Well, what I believe matters to me.

What others believes matters to me, too. Though, it isn't because I want to change it. I like to learn about people.

Others beliefs can affect you, too.

 

[JustGeorge]

Others beliefs can affect you, too.

Yeah, they really can. Especially if you live in close contact with them.