Many different religious opinions

[mikkel_the_dane]

I was taught those same core values.
Not as " religion" though.
Whats the reason to have to concoct a religion
around them ?

Also @Mock Turtle
What is a religion to you and what is your evidence for something be a religion?

 

[Mock Turtle]

Also @Mock Turtle
What is a religion to you and what is your evidence for something be a religion?

I'd go with the usual definitions - I'm not that fussy - and I usually can recognise one when I see it, as opposed to such being a straight ideology or a philosophy or anything else. Spiritual beliefs might be difficult to place but mostly can be slid into place alongside religious beliefs in many cases. The major religions seemingly coming from belief in one or more old texts - and as to varying degrees of literality.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I'd go with the usual definitions - I'm not that fussy - and I usually can recognise one when I see it, as opposed to such being a straight ideology or a philosophy or anything else. Spiritual beliefs might be difficult to place but mostly can be slid into place alongside religious beliefs in many cases. The major religions seemingly coming from belief in one or more old texts - and as to varying degrees of literality.

In practical terms, another way to tell a religion apart from an ideology or a philosophy: ideologies and philosophies don't get tax breaks.

If an organization gets treated like a charity for tax purposes but isn't required to engage in any actual charity, this is a strong sign that you're dealing with a religion.

(This may come off as a joke or snark, but I'm serious: this is a real way to tell religion apart from non-religion)

 

[idea]

Can they all be true?

Partially true.

Illustrations of the Tao » John C. Wright's Journal

www.scifiwright.com

Quite a bit of agreement.

 

[idea]

Very few religious people do that. They may believe their religion is right, because they believe it's right for them. But they don't go around trying to prove everyone else's religious beliefs are wrong.

It seems to be the atheists that are constantly trying to do that.

The religious group I grew up in actually did indoctrinate us kids on why all the other guys were wrong - great and abominable churches - satanic (JW). Mormons also - great lengths how they have the *real* authority. I think most church leaders do this.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

The religious group I grew up in actually did indoctrinate us kids on why all the other guys were wrong - great and abominable churches - satanic (JW). Mormons also - great lengths how they have the *real* authority. I think most church leaders do this.

When my university girlfriend and I were dating, her sister was in high school at a Catholic school. She described her World Religions class as "how every other religion is wrong" class.

 

[Yazata]

Can they all be true?

Depends on how we determine truth, I guess.

They all might have pragmatic truth, in the sense that they work psychologically in people's lives. (Of course, now we have the problem of defining what 'work' means.) Buddhism is really strong in this sense.

If they make inconsistent claims about supposed matters of fact, such as about which purported revelations actually reveal the divine and about the particular content of those revelations, I'd say they can't all be true in that sense. The 'Abrahamic' religions fall prey to that problem since they all claim special revelations.

One way that I like to look at it is that 'God'/the divine/the transcendent is the (unknowable by humans) Source and Ground of reality. It's the explanation for why existence exists in the first place and for why reality possesses the order that it displays. And different religions might provide different yet valuable insights into this ineffable Source and how humans should relate to it, without any of the religions being the complete and total truth about things they couldn't know. I think that some more philosophical varieties of Hinduism are strong in this regard, as is Neoplatonism in the Western tradition.

 

[PureX]

The religious group I grew up in actually did indoctrinate us kids on why all the other guys were wrong - great and abominable churches - satanic (JW). Mormons also - great lengths how they have the *real* authority. I think most church leaders do this.

I'm sorry for you, but that was not normal.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I'm sorry for you, but that was not normal.

Sure it isn't.

I've lost count of the number of Evangelicals who have told me that Catholics "aren't Christians."

 

[PureX]

Sure it isn't.

I've lost count of the number of Evangelicals who have told me that Catholics "aren't Christians."

And yet Catholics, that far outnumber these "evangelicals" you know, do not disparage other religions. Jews do not disparage other religions. Hindus and Buddhists do not disparage other religions. I'm sorry that you grew up among people that do that. But most Christians, and most other religions do not.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

And yet Catholics, that far outnumber these "evangelicals" you know, do not disparage other religions.

I've also lost count of the number of Catholics I've heard say "no salvation outside the Church", referring specifically to the Catholic Church.

Jews do not disparage other religions. Hindus and Buddhists do not disparage other religions.

Some do.

I'm sorry that you grew up among people that do that. But most Christians, and most other religions do not.

Again: sure they don't.

Have you ever read the Westminster Confession of Faith?

A fun challenge for you: you name 3 mainstream Christian denominations that you consider to be tolerant, then I'll google their statements of faith to see just how tolerant they really are.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

Sure it isn't.

I've lost count of the number of Evangelicals who have told me that Catholics "aren't Christians."

I'm a former evangelical Christian, and I can personally attest to what you say is the truth. When I was still an evangelical, I was told that Catholics aren't true Christians and are in need of liberation from the Catholic Church and true salvation in Jesus Christ. I was training to be in an evangelism team, which I eventually trained to lead. The belief that Roman Catholics (as well as Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses) aren't true Christians was part of the evangelical training process. I was given specific gospel tracts about them, as well as other material, and taught how to lead them to Christ. I am sorry to say that I believed what I was taught about Catholics and treated the ones I met as if they weren't true Christians. I can see now how very misguided I was in trying to evangelize the ones I met. It must have been terribly insulting to them. If I ever met them again, I would humbly apologize for the way I treated them.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

The religious group I grew up in actually did indoctrinate us kids on why all the other guys were wrong - great and abominable churches - satanic (JW). Mormons also - great lengths how they have the *real* authority. I think most church leaders do this.

When my university girlfriend and I were dating, her sister was in high school at a Catholic school. She described her World Religions class as "how every other religion is wrong" class.

When I was still an evangelical Christian, I was basically taught that Roman Catholics, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, and liberal Christians were not true Christians, and only evangelical conservative Christians were actually genuine Christians who had a proper understanding and knowledge of the Bible, and our church doctrines were the only correct ones. I was also taught that it was partly my responsibility as a true Christian to evangelize Jews and other non-Christians as well. For the record, I grew up in a Baptist Church and then switched to a Nazarene Church a few months before I got married when I was 19.

Ironically, the Nazarene Christians considered the Baptist Christians to be erroneously wrong in their beliefs and interpretation of the Bible because they believed in eternal security (Once Saved, Always Saved). So, shortly after I started attending the Nazarene Church after years of attending a Baptist Church, I was advised to pray again for salvation just in case I wasn't truly saved while I was a Baptist. I honestly believed that I had to pray again for salvation.

 

[PureX]

I've also lost count of the number of Catholics I've heard say "no salvation outside the Church", referring specifically to the Catholic Church.

That's not disparaging other religions. And it's a phrase that can be both meant and taken in a lot of different ways.

A fun challenge for you: you name 3 mainstream Christian denominations that you consider to be tolerant, then I'll google their statements of faith to see just how tolerant they really are.

People that need religion to have faith tend to depend on them, and will often recommend them to others. And if you're looking for an excuse to condemn them, that's a convenient place to start: presuming that they are condemning you, first. But when you actually discuss their beliefs about other people with them, you will find that most know not to overstep the boundaries and make presumptions about yours or other people's relationship with God.

I understand that when one has been abused by religious zealots, they may well become religion haters, seeing zealots everywhere and anywhere they see any expression of religion. But the truth is that the zealots are anomaly. And the poison you think you see in all religion is unfortunately in you, now. Because you have been bitten by and suffered from the religious zealot's toxic ideology.

I am simply trying to remind everyone that most religious people are not toxic zealots, and most religions do not practice that kind of toxic ideology.

 

[Valjean]

When I was still an evangelical Christian, I was basically taught that Roman Catholics, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, and liberal Christians were not true Christians, and only evangelical conservative Christians were actually genuine Christians who had a proper understanding and knowledge of the Bible, and our church doctrines were the only correct ones. I was also taught that it was partly my responsibility as a true Christian to evangelize Jews and other non-Christians as well. For the record, I grew up in a Baptist Church and then switched to a Nazarene Church a few months before I got married when I was 19.

Ironically, the Nazarene Christians considered the Baptist Christians to be erroneously wrong in their beliefs and interpretation of the Bible because they believed in eternal security (Once Saved, Always Saved). So, shortly after I started attending the Nazarene Church after years of attending a Baptist Church, I was advised to pray again for salvation just in case I wasn't truly saved while I was a Baptist. I honestly believed that I had to pray again for salvation.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

Imagine there's no heaven, it's easy if you try. No hell below us. Above us only sky. Imagine all the
people living for today. Imagine there's no countries. It isn't hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for, and
no religion, too. Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the
only one I hope some day you'll join us, and the world will be as one." - Imagine, by John Lennon.

 

[Valjean]

Imagine there's no heaven, it's easy if you try. No hell below us. Above us only sky. Imagine all the
people living for today. Imagine there's no countries. It isn't hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for, and
no religion, too. Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the
only one I hope some day you'll join us, and the world will be as one." - Imagine, by John Lennon.

LOL! -- I was thinking of posting both this and "God," but it seemed a bit much.

 

[shunyadragon]

You that's an interesting concept, because you have to start somewhere in deducing evidence or forming an opinion that is touching a logical base. (Don't you?) I'm speaking primarily of religion. And now that you mention it, what form of religion did Adam and Eve have, it doesn't matter whether you believe it or not: but logically, what form of religion did they have before and after their expulsion from the Garden of Eden?

It is a Hebrew myth, so therefore Hebrews.

 

[shunyadragon]

Obviously not. But for some, it is suitable.

This reflects the problem you proposed in the original post. Since there are so many different beliefs and variations throughout history, being suitable does qualify anyone as 'being suitable' over others. The limits of the nature of fallible human nature come into play here for the inability to agree on the subjective truth in the nature of God, Revelation, or the many diverse forms of claimed scripture.

 

[Jimmy]

Can they all be true?

None are. Reality is the only place you’ll find the truth.