Only your religion is right. Justification please!?

[futureplanet]

Humans create and follow religions. This is known....
When you look at 1 billion Hindus believing a Lord Vishna created trees from a Lotus flower, and Australian Aborigines believe rainbows are the result of a giant serpent spirit, and Christians believe that god drowned the entire planet except for a 950 year old man, and his family, AND all the animals!

These stories each sound as crazy as the next one, but there is no shortage of follows for these, and, oh so many other religions.

Yes, we all must acknowledge humans create religions. That is a given. If you are a christian, then you acknowlege that thousands of religions (except yours), is made by man to explain things (volanoes, lightening, life, univerise, etc.)

If you are Muslem, the same applies, but now Islam in the one exception.

I think if I was born 1000 years ago, and didn't have any knowledge of the world outside of my community or country, I might believe whatever religion was followed in my society at that time.

But, now that we know of all the other countries, populations and communities, each with their own religions, then we know things for sure:

1. Humans create religions
2. Humans follow religions that are created by humans.

With these undeniable facts, how do the religious justify their beliefs?

To me, this is the clincher. This is all the evidence I need. Nothing more required to be said or done. Humans create religions and follow them.

(Note: There are more and more brain studies showing our susceptibility to belief, and other factors that show religiosity is a bi-product of other useful brain mechanisms, but that is not the point of this thread, I wanted to know the religious' own justifications)

 

[Guitar's Cry]

Religions are not created by humans alone. It is in concert with their environment that spirituality develops. The individual wakes to find himself in a thriving, living, dynamic world and develops meaning from it.

 

[Engyo]

I don't particularly feel that only my religion is right, unless we are talking specifically about ME. IF we are talking about large goups of people, then it may be right for some, but I sincerely doubt that it is right for all.

 

[futureplanet]

I agree religions are inspired by feelings of spirituality and awe, based on nature, the environment, etc. But a tree doesn't start writing the hindu or buddist scriptures. These were done by a human hand. So, how do you justify, knowing humans are inventing all these religions, and the many follow, blindly.

 

[Smoke]

1. Humans create religions
2. Humans follow religions that are created by humans.

Absolutely.

With these undeniable facts, how do the religious justify their beliefs?

For me, Buddhism isn't about belief, but about practice. My beliefs are always subject to change. So is my practice, as far as that goes.

 

[BruceDLimber]

Greetings!

We say NO SUCH THING!!

Indeed, quite the opposite!

I quote the Baha'i scriptures:

"There can be no doubt whatever that the peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly Source, and are the subjects of one God. The difference between the ordinances under which they abide should be attributed to the varying requirements and exigencies of the age in which they were revealed. All of them, except a few which are the outcome of human perversity, were ordained of God, and are a reflection of His Will and Purpose. Arise and, armed with the power of faith, shatter to pieces the gods of your vain imaginings, the sowers of dissension amongst you. Cleave unto that which draweth you together and uniteth you."

—(The Proclamation of Baha'u'llah, p. 114;
also Gleanings, CXI, pp. 217-8)

Best!

Bruce

 

[sandandfoam]

With these undeniable facts, how do the religious justify their beliefs?

I don't need to justify them. I make sense of my existence in the best way I can. If you don't like how I do so - fine.


Why does what I believe elicit a desire for justification when it has no effect whatsoever upon you?

 

[Willamena]

I don't justify what others believe, just what I believe.

 

[futureplanet]

I don't justify what others believe, just what I believe.

I KNOW! That is the question. How to you justify what YOU believe, knowing humans create religions and follow them?

 

[futureplanet]

I don't need to justify them. I make sense of my existence in the best way I can. If you don't like how I do so - fine.


Why does what I believe elicit a desire for justification when it has no effect whatsoever upon you?

It not about the effect on me. I am asking about the effect on you. I want to know how your brain works that you get over this point. Because I can't, I wonder how you can.

 

[Revoltingest]

Tricky question....so I'll answer it sideways.
Revoltifarianism is not the right one, but since it lacks any dogma whatsover, it's the only one guaranteed to not be wrong.

 

[Midnight Pete]

Humans create and follow religions. This is known....
When you look at 1 billion Hindus believing a Lord Vishna created trees from a Lotus flower, and Australian Aborigines believe rainbows are the result of a giant serpent spirit, and Christians believe that god drowned the entire planet except for a 950 year old man, and his family, AND all the animals!

These stories each sound as crazy as the next one, but there is no shortage of follows for these, and, oh so many other religions.

Yes, we all must acknowledge humans create religions. That is a given. If you are a christian, then you acknowlege that thousands of religions (except yours), is made by man to explain things (volanoes, lightening, life, univerise, etc.)

If you are Muslem, the same applies, but now Islam in the one exception.

I think if I was born 1000 years ago, and didn't have any knowledge of the world outside of my community or country, I might believe whatever religion was followed in my society at that time.

But, now that we know of all the other countries, populations and communities, each with their own religions, then we know things for sure:

1. Humans create religions
2. Humans follow religions that are created by humans.

With these undeniable facts, how do the religious justify their beliefs?

To me, this is the clincher. This is all the evidence I need. Nothing more required to be said or done. Humans create religions and follow them.

(Note: There are more and more brain studies showing our susceptibility to belief, and other factors that show religiosity is a bi-product of other useful brain mechanisms, but that is not the point of this thread, I wanted to know the religious' own justifications)

You want to know how better to insult and ridicule people. You want to abuse others to make you feel better about yourself. You want to scoff. And laugh. And mock.

I don't know you personally, but I know your type.

 

[sandandfoam]

I want to know how your brain works

Good luck with that Sigmund

 

[Smoke]

I don't know you personally, but I know your type.

I almost want that on a t-shirt. Maybe "I've met your type before."

 

[JustWondering]

You want to know how better to insult and ridicule people. You want to abuse others to make you feel better about yourself. You want to scoff. And laugh. And mock.

I don't know you personally, but I know your type.

Nice attempt at trying to make futureplanet into a bad guy. But you failed. So how about you answer the OP now instead of side stepping it.

 

[JustWondering]

Good luck with that Sigmund

Another Christian side stepping the OP. Why am I not surprised?

 

[Erebus]

But, now that we know of all the other countries, populations and communities, each with their own religions, then we know things for sure:

1. Humans create religions
2. Humans follow religions that are created by humans.

With these undeniable facts, how do the religious justify their beliefs?

No, no, no, all wrong. MY religion is the ONLY one that was revealed by GOD HIMSELF TO ME PERSONALLY! This is how I KNOW that all other religions are FALSE.

ok enough of that.

Personally I don't believe any religion is universally correct, nor do I consider non-belief to be universally correct, instead I think that everybody should decide for themselves what is right for them and sod what anybody else thinks. My "religion" is the only right one for me and I have absolutely no interest in trying to make anybody else agree with it.

 

[jarofthoughts]

I don't need to justify them.

You do if you claim that your religion is the truth. More-so if you incite others to join your religion.

Why does what I believe elicit a desire for justification when it has no effect whatsoever upon you?

Ah, but you see, it DOES affect me. Creationists pushing their stuff on schools, Christians protesting free choice abortion, Christians opposing stem-cell research, Christians opposing gay marriage... Just off the top of my head.

And all of this for purely religious reasons with little or no basis in reality. Now, I'm not claiming that you personally hold any of these views, but by supporting their central claim (that there is a god and that this god is the Christian god) you are lending them credibility. And this is not an attack on you personally, but rather an attempt to show you that, yes, what you believe does in fact affect other people.

 

[Wannabe Yogi]

Humans create and follow religions. This is known....
When you look at 1 billion Hindus believing a Lord Vishna created trees from a Lotus flower,

This is false. I don't this myth about Vishnu. Some traditional Hindu's schools of thought. don't believe in creation or even a creator God. How do you know what a billion Hindu's believe. I have studied hinduism for over 20 years and I would never make such a claim. In fact one of the oldest Creation myths in Hinduism many say is agnostic in nature.

The view of mythology that you are talking about (it's a primitive science) stop being in vogue with the intelligencia at the start of the 20th century. Today by most people who study the field of mythology do not see myths as failed or an obsolete mode of thought.

Mircea Eliade believed that one of the foremost functions of myth is to establish models for behavior. Jung talked about its affect on the human mind.

I could make many more comments on the OP but I will leave it at that.

 

[JustWondering]

This is false. I don't this myth about Vishnu. Some traditional Hindu's schools of thought. don't believe in creation or even a creator God. How do you know what a billion Hindu's believe. I have studied hinduism for over 20 years and I would never make such a claim.

The view of mythology that you are talking about (it's a primitive science) stop being in vogue with the intelligencia at the start of the 20th century. Today by most people who study the field of mythology do not see myths as failed or an obsolete mode of thought.

Mircea Eliade believed that one of the foremost functions of myth is to establish models for behavior. Jung talked about its affect on the human mind.

I could make many more comments on the OP but I will leave it at that.

So you agree with the OP that myths, superstitions and faiths are human creations?