Is it smart to claim "my Religion is superior"?

[RestlessSoul]

Why you replied?

37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

38 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.

John 18:37-38

 

[McBell]

The statement "my religion is superior" is just like the statement "one size fits all" in that they are both incomplete sentences.

 

[stvdv]

37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

38 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.

John 18:37-38

Thank you for this verse. Reminded me of my Master, Sathya Sai Baba, who also took birth, to remind us of the importance of following Satya (Truth) and Dharma (Righteousness)

Speak with Love = Truth
Perform actions with Love = Righteousness
Think with Love = Peace
Inquire with Love = Transforms into non violence

There is no place for hatred where Love is present. Darkness has no place where light is present

 

[stvdv]

The statement "my religion is superior" is just like the statement "one size fits all" in that they are both incomplete sentences.

I say "both statements are false"

 

[stvdv]

It makes one wonder if posting an inane question about superiority and then insisting upon a laundry list of presumed "facts" reflects a curious and baseless sense of superiority in and of itself.

Makes one wonder:
1) "why you replied"
2) "why you say this"

What you see in others is in you !

 

[stvdv]

There's a lot of bad religion. So being able to say that one practices good religion means it's superior to all the bad ones by default.

True, I fully agree with that

Hence, there is:
"no superior Religion"
"no inferior Religion"

 

[stvdv]

Everything listed in options one through five are addressed by some religions, so they can't have "nothing" to do with them

I said:
"Truth has nothing to do with Religion"
I said NOT:
"Religion has nothing to do with Truth"

Truth existed before Religion (last line)

 

[stvdv]

"True" religion quite obviously exists, as many who practice their cultural/religious traditions find them to be true in various senses of what that word can mean (and there are several). So I guess I marked that one.

I appreciate your extensive reply. I saw first your poll choices, and was curious what were your thoughts behind your choices

I agree, that if someone has a thought (belief), then it indeed exists.

IF someone tells me:
"my Religion is True"
This feels still respectful

"my Religion is a True Religion"
More easy to interpret as respectful

"My Religion is the True Religion ... mine alone"
Already difficult to interpret as respectful

"no one comes to the father except through me"
Almost no one manages to interpret that one as respectful

('respectful', as in respectful towards different (non) Faiths)

 

[stvdv]

"Superior" and "inferior" is just a weird way to refer to culture or religion,

My thought too

but quite obviously exist

And also hard to avoid

Whether something is "superior" or "inferior" is largely subject to perspective, so all religions are both of these, including my own.

People have a tendency to judge, and put in boxes. People created Religions, so understandable that this exists

Unless something actually specific is named, one can't say more than that. Superior at what?

That's the key. Saying "my Religion is Superior than all other Religions and/or (non) Faiths" is clearly disrespectful and a false statement

Pinpoint down what you believe why it is superior and leave it at that (no belittling)

It's pretty obvious some traditions are better suited to some things than others, or more ill-suited to some things than others. Be specific

True, hence I was specific, quoting the commonly heard phrase:
"my Religion is Superior"

 

[stvdv]

And for the last bloody time

Good

religion =/= theism; irreligion =/= atheism

I agree

Why do we keep conflating these?!

I did not conflate them, just to be clear

 

[SalixIncendium]

For example: A Christian claiming "my Religion is superior, and you can't reach Heaven, unless you follow Jesus" .. that kind of way (assuming God, Heaven exist)

Thanks for the clarification.

I suppose in that case, it would be smart for someone who wishes to sell their religion to others to claim their religion is superior to others if they wish to be successful in their pursuits. You'll commonly find this to be the case in proselytizing religions.

 

[Quintessence]

I said:
"Truth has nothing to do with Religion"
I said NOT:
"Religion has nothing to do with Truth"

Truth existed before Religion (last line)

Could you expand on this? I'm not seeing how alleging that truth predates humans and their cultures/religions causes the statement "truth has nothing to do with religion" to make sense. Maybe I do not understand how you are using the word "truth" here. Maybe you meant to say "truth is not wholly dependent on religion?" I see all reality as interconnected, so it is more or less impossible for any one thing to have "nothing" to do with any other thing. There's always some kind of relationship between all the parts of the universe with one another.

That's the key. Saying "my Religion is Superior than all other Religions and/or (non) Faiths" is clearly disrespectful and a false statement

Eh, I don't see it that way. Probably because of a combination of not caring and understanding how perspective is everything. Well, not "everything" obviously but I would rather someone genuinely express the who and what they are than lie to me. I'd be more concerned if they lied to me, to be honest. Beware the fox that hides its face behind the guise of the rabbit for treachery lies in wait. The predator that shows its face can be more easily dealt with and avoided than the one that does not.

 

[stvdv]

Thanks for the clarification.

I suppose in that case, it would be smart for someone who wishes to sell their religion to others to claim their religion is superior to others if they wish to be successful in their pursuits.

I am not surprised why they do it that way, as these kind of tactics are being used in the world of business; works well in the marketplace

You'll commonly find this to be the case in proselytizing religions.

Jesus on the other hand seemed, according to the proselytizing religions, not so fond of inviting businesses into the Temple or Church

 

[stvdv]

I said:
"Truth has nothing to do with Religion"
I said NOT:
"Religion has nothing to do with Truth"

Truth existed before Religion (last line)

Could you expand on this? I'm not seeing how alleging that truth predates humans and their cultures/religions causes the statement "truth has nothing to do with religion" to make sense. Maybe I do not understand how you are using the word "truth" here. Maybe you meant to say "truth is not wholly dependent on religion?"

I meant, that even IF all Religions vanish from the earth, Truth still remains. So, Truth does not depend on Religions, though Religions depend on Truth of course. Advaitic POV or from the Bible "The Word" (capitalized)

Also, Truth in the context of "belittling Faith of the other person". Faith is between you and God. Absurd to belittle the other's Faith. God, the Truth we believe in, has nothing to do with Religion, again "Faith is between you and God"

I hope this clarifies my POV a bit

 

[Kathryn]

I think there are inferior religions but I don't concern myself with them. Everyone has a reason for believing what they believe and I can best take care of myself, period.

 

[wellwisher]

For example: A Christian claiming "my Religion is superior, and you can't reach Heaven, unless you follow Jesus" .. that kind of way (assuming God, Heaven exist)

Heaven and Hell are Christian concepts. Other religions have other names for their divine places where all meet after death. So technically, it makes sense if you wish to go to a particular place, like Heaven after death, you follow its leader and namesake who prepares that place.

Atheist do not have such a place. They die and that is it. It is a sad religion. If there is life after death, and an Atheist survives and awakens, there is no meeting place for everyone. You might be alone. However, like the story of the prodigal son, Atheists may remember there is a place they can meet; heaven, since they often mention it, with doubt each time they attack Christianity. Jesus is love and forgives so they will be welcome; prodigal sons and daughters once lost but now found. Below are 10 places to go if you find yourself alone.

Tlalocan
Aztec Mythology, ​

Gan Eden
Judaism,​

Fólkvangr
Norse Mythology,​

The Fields Of Aaru
Egyptian Mythology​

Vaikuntha
Hinduism​

Tir Na Nog
Irish Mythology​

The Otherworld
Celtic Mythology​

Elysium
Greek Mythology​

Cockaigne
Medieval European Mythology​

Heaven
Christianity​

 

[rocala]

To answer to the thread tittle, a smarter human that has knowledge and experience can say, most likely, that his religion is superior.

I don't think that it works like that. Suppose that other members of his faith are incredibly dim. How would you even begin to measure your own knowledge or that of others?
Life would be very simple if we gave our religious leaders I.Q. tests and followed the winner.

 

[stvdv]

I see all reality as interconnected, so it is more or less impossible for any one thing to have "nothing" to do with any other thing.

True, I agree. Intriguing concepts, and almost impossible to put it in words correctly (for me). But, I'll try it anyway

"Things" are, from my POV, always connected. This connection I call Atma, Consciousness or Divine. And also physical, emotional and mental connections are there between people

Consciousness is like the white screen, onto which the movie, life, is projected. The screen doesn't get tarnished by the movie, though it can be bloody scenes all over it. I see Consciousness as reality "free of all".

When I am drowned (most of the time, I guess) in the other (pseudo) reality, the world of "things", I indeed feel very (too much) connected, addicted. But still I try to hold on to "my true reality" from my POV

In the world of things, I don't say "things have nothing to do with other things". Faith is different, it's not a "thing" connected to another "thing". Religion is a "thing" (institution), Faith not.

There's always some kind of relationship between all the parts of the universe with one another.

Yes, I guess that's true, but that's hearsay for me. At least I like that concept

Eh, I don't see it that way. Probably because of a combination of not caring and understanding how perspective is everything.

Perspective is useful to keep calm for me

Well, not "everything" obviously

but I would rather someone genuinely express the who and what they are than lie to me.

True, same for me

I'd be more concerned if they lied to me, to be honest. Beware the fox that hides its face behind the guise of the rabbit for treachery lies in wait. The predator that shows its face can be more easily dealt with and avoided than the one that does not.

I like predators, they feel so natural and real. But unless they are like my favorite black panther predator in below clip, I keep my distance.

 

[stvdv]

Heaven and Hell are Christian concepts. Other religions have other names for their divine places where all meet after death.

I can understand people like that concept

Below are 10 places to go if you find yourself alone.

So technically, it makes sense if you wish to go to a particular place, like Heaven after death, you follow its leader and namesake who prepares that place.

Yes, that makes sense indeed if you wish that

Atheist do not have such a place. They die and that is it. It is a sad religion.

Unless they have no attachment to meet again

If there is life after death, and an Atheist survives and awakens, there is no meeting place for everyone. You might be alone.

IF there is life after death the Atheists might be happily surprised, assuming Heaven is nice

However, like the story of the prodigal son, Atheists may remember there is a place they can meet; heaven, since they often mention it, with doubt each time they attack Christianity.

I remember hearing a story, where a man spoke bad about God, and not believing in God. When he died he went straight to Heaven. God explained "God cares when you think of God, whether it's positive or negative, that doesn't matter to God".

I like that God

Once I was very upset with God, using words I better not repeat. Falling asleep I got 3 visions of God, and He told me "God is very happy when you get very angry" (was the first time in my life, as far as I could remember, that I expressed my anger).

Jesus is love and forgives so they will be welcome; prodigal sons and daughters once lost but now found.

I like that Jesus too

I once went through this tunnel of light, met God, and it was fantastic. For me no death worries, fortunately

 

[stvdv]

I think there are inferior religions

I think there are no superior nor inferior ones

but I don't concern myself with them

Live and let live, ditto with belief
I am too busy staying on track myself

Everyone has a reason for believing what they believe

Very true, if I come to know the other, walk a mile in his shoe, usually my view changes in his favor

and I can best take care of myself, period.