Is choosing a religion like playing Roulette?

[Stevicus]

Sometimes I wonder. I was thinking about this while reading the thread "Your 'deal-breaker.' What is it and why?"

Even if I was to accept the basic concept that there is some sort of intelligent creator of the universe, it still leaves the question of which religion, if any, to choose. How do you know if you've picked the right one? Considering the hypothetical penalties for picking the wrong religion, it almost feels like playing Russian Roulette.

What if the time comes for me to meet my Maker, and I'm told "Well, Steve, you've lived a pretty decent life, except you were supposed to have sacrificed 25 goats and 50 chickens over the course of your lifetime. Since you didn't, well, too bad. Down you go!"

So, I guess my questions to the forum here are: How did you pick your religion and how do you know it's the right one?

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Well, I played Russian Roulette.

My friend didn't make it so I chose Christianity.

 

[Madhuri]

I don't think many people know what reality is. I've asked a lot of questions and done a lot of thinking and I always seem to come to the conclusion that it is near impossible to know what reality is, and therefore it cannot possibly be expected that you do know what religion to pick. In which case, how can any religion that makes a claim that you must believe in it or go to hell be fair or logical?

Unfortunately, a lot of main religions in the world call for blind faith and condemn skepticism. I associate myself with a religion that does not expect the ignorant human to just know what reality is but provides a guide to helping the individual discover life and truth gradually and for myself.

I choose to follow religion in the first place because I really want to know truth. But I follow what I perceive to be the most logical spiritual wisdom, particularly one that encourages an open mind, development and change of perception according to my own personal journey.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

How do you know if you've picked the right one?

Certitude is the domain of two two groups of people: those far less intelligent and those far more intelligent than I am.

 

[Charity]

It's like shopping for a pair of shoes, you go visit the places that offer what you are looking for and when you find something that looks good to you and feels right then you buy it and walk out satisfied.
The difference is with roulette you take a chance and take whatever fate deals you, when you go with religion you can decide for yourself.

 

[Awoon]

Sometimes I wonder. I was thinking about this while reading the thread "Your 'deal-breaker.' What is it and why?"

Even if I was to accept the basic concept that there is some sort of intelligent creator of the universe, it still leaves the question of which religion, if any, to choose. How do you know if you've picked the right one? Considering the hypothetical penalties for picking the wrong religion, it almost feels like playing Russian Roulette.

What if the time comes for me to meet my Maker, and I'm told "Well, Steve, you've lived a pretty decent life, except you were supposed to have sacrificed 25 goats and 50 chickens over the course of your lifetime. Since you didn't, well, too bad. Down you go!"

So, I guess my questions to the forum here are: How did you pick your religion and how do you know it's the right one?

Find a religion without a book and you'll be just fine.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Certitude is the domain of two two groups of people: those far less intelligent and those far more intelligent than I am.

That's got to be a small group.

I'm around the most brilliant minds in the world - at least in the humanities - and you could hang with the majority of them.

 

[no-body]

Sort of, more so that it is really all a game than it is a gamble. Though each Casino wants you to think their particular roulette wheel is the one you should be playing at when it really doesn't matter at all. You don't really have anything to gamble away but your time and all that matters is you have fun despite what those heavily invested in the games want you to think.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

No, you can actually win at roulette occassionally.

 

[ChristineES]

I am of the school that if someone tries to live their life and follow God and/or live their lives unselfishly (mostly, we all get selfish at times), etc. that I don't believe that a loving God that I believe in would reject him or her. I do get a lot of flack from other Christians for this belief, but I can't help myself. So, no, I don't believe in any kind of roulette when it comes to God and religion.

 

[PolyHedral]

Yes, except the slots in the roulette wheel are actually smaller than the ball itself, which itself has a tendency to quantum-tunnel off the table entirely.

 

[tarekabdo12]

choose the right basics first then look for the religion which much more matches the mind and morals.

 

[Vinayaka]

I have a different take. I think you already are a particular religion ... the one that is at the same level of consciousness your soul is at, and buy using intuition, not logic, you'll discover it on the inside, then find it on the outside.

 

[Sabour]

Sometimes I wonder. I was thinking about this while reading the thread "Your 'deal-breaker.' What is it and why?"

Even if I was to accept the basic concept that there is some sort of intelligent creator of the universe, it still leaves the question of which religion, if any, to choose. How do you know if you've picked the right one? Considering the hypothetical penalties for picking the wrong religion, it almost feels like playing Russian Roulette.

What if the time comes for me to meet my Maker, and I'm told "Well, Steve, you've lived a pretty decent life, except you were supposed to have sacrificed 25 goats and 50 chickens over the course of your lifetime. Since you didn't, well, too bad. Down you go!"

So, I guess my questions to the forum here are: How did you pick your religion and how do you know it's the right one?

Too bad I've seen too many people jumping between religions and not doing logical thinking and not having an approach in their search.

For example, I would say in order for a religion to be true, there must be something you can hand me so that I would test it. So I would say the right religion must have a book.

Another thing I believe in is that there is one and only one God.

So now I have something to start with. I know that there is one God and there must be something to prove that the religion is true.

Third, I believe that if I sincerely asked God to guide me and insisted on it by seeking the truth with open heart and mind I will find the right way.

Now I can start searching after coming up with these three points.

Edit: wow didn't notice the thread was that old

 

[Vinayaka]

Edit: wow didn't notice the thread was that old

The other day somebody responded to one that was about 8 years old, so don't feel bad.

 

[Sabour]

The other day somebody responded to one that was about 8 years old, so don't feel bad.

Well am not feeling bad actually the point addressed is important

Than you for your kind reply

 

[George-ananda]

How did you pick your religion and how do you know it's the right one?

I doubt there is a 'right one'. Your choice of religion is not as important as the quality of your heart and mind. Compassion, love, unselfishness, etc. is all that really matters in the end.

 

[psychoslice]

Well what I see personally, is that all religions are already dead, after all their all from the dead past, true religion is forever flowing, forever renewing, you cannot put it into any scripture, for scripture is dead.

 

[1137]

93.

Roulette? No. People should choose their symbols and rituals and such based on psychoanalytical introspection. They don't, but it would help people much more to have their beliefs tailored to fit them, their goals, their desires, etc rather than the other way around.

 

[psychoslice]

Deleted, didn't realize I already said it.