The one true religion

[marky mark]

The term religion is for the most part misleading. The Apostle James says, "Pure and undefiled religion is this: to visit the orphans and widows in their affliction." There is a vast difference between religion and christianity. Religion is for the most part, man made and man controled. It is a ritual based, man centered organization. Christianity, true christianity is a personal relationship with God thru Jesus Christ and holds to the Bible as the absolute standard. It is God centered and therefore love is a necessity.

 

[Muffled]

Even the most staunch believers have "one true religion" and denounce all other religions as false.
That amounts to everyone being atheist to all religions but their own. If we ask people their opinion on all religions and calculate a mean (in colloquial terms people call the mean, "average"), our calculations would reveal that the majority would find all religions as false.

Are there people that believe in all religions, or most religions, or are all religions, or most, mutually exclusive? Or is there a one true religion, and which is it?

The one true religion is Islam ie hearing and obeying God.

As a Christian I believe that we have a better way of doing that but that doesn't change the true basis for Christainity.

This pretty much sums up the basis for most other religions as well.

 

[sojourner]

The term religion is for the most part misleading. The Apostle James says, "Pure and undefiled religion is this: to visit the orphans and widows in their affliction." There is a vast difference between religion and christianity. Religion is for the most part, man made and man controled. It is a ritual based, man centered organization. Christianity, true christianity is a personal relationship with God thru Jesus Christ and holds to the Bible as the absolute standard. It is God centered and therefore love is a necessity.

Nope. Never has been. The basis for Xy is community -- the church -- ekklesia -- the Body of Christ. That's why Jesus called disciples: To form a community. When James says, "visiting the orphans and widows in their affliction," he's talking about community. When you say "love is a necessity," you're talking about community -- relationship with other people. True Xy is about relationship -- relationship with each other, wherein God is allowed to live in the spaces between us.

The "Bible as an absolute standard" wasn't dreamed up until the sola scriptura debacle of the Reformation. For the preceeding 1500 years, Xy was grounded upon the tradition of the community, as taught by the apostles, of which the religious texts were part.

 

[Muffled]

Nope. Never has been. The basis for Xy is community -- the church -- ekklesia -- the Body of Christ. That's why Jesus called disciples: To form a community. When James says, "visiting the orphans and widows in their affliction," he's talking about community. When you say "love is a necessity," you're talking about community -- relationship with other people. True Xy is about relationship -- relationship with each other, wherein God is allowed to live in the spaces between us.

The "Bible as an absolute standard" wasn't dreamed up until the sola scriptura debacle of the Reformation. For the preceeding 1500 years, Xy was grounded upon the tradition of the community, as taught by the apostles, of which the religious texts were part.

All too often what Christians have in common varies. That is why there are 10,000 denominations. It seems to me that Christianity is not based on community but suffers because of it. If community were all that were required, then the VFW would be a Christian group.

 

[rockstarwife628]

Are there people that believe in all religions, or most religions, or are all religions, or most, mutually exclusive? Or is there a one true religion, and which is it?

I believe all of the faiths are compatible - I tend to be radically inclusive, pluralistic, and syncretic. I believe that all faiths can be inclusive, it's just that *followers* fall on a spectrum of inclusion/exclusion. If you look throughout the histories of the various faiths, you'll find examples of inclusion and exclusion in their followers. I personally choose inclusion. I believe the same fundamental truths exist in the various faiths, and I see all paths as merely different ways of relating to life, humanity, divinity, and truth - different perceptions and understandings of the same reality, all equally valid and meaningful. I don't believe there is "one true religion", but instead believe we each have to find the religion or path that is most true *for us*, the one that allows us to best cultivate our humanity, spirituality, and our relationships with our fellow man and, if believed in, with the Divine. I don't believe that the point is in "believing the right way", in terms of calling the Divine the "right" name or affiliating with the "right"religion. Instead I believe the point is the journey, the process. And each of us are merely following, IMO, our different paths to the same Destination...

 

[sojourner]

All too often what Christians have in common varies. That is why there are 10,000 denominations. It seems to me that Christianity is not based on community but suffers because of it. If community were all that were required, then the VFW would be a Christian group.

It isn't about "any community." But relationship wherein space is made for God to live in our midst is what Xy is all about. It's never been about "God and me." It's always been about "God and us." Individualism is what has been the downfall of Xy -- the disposition of human beings to circle the wagons and exclude. Xy is inclusive.

 

[kepha31]

A one true religion is one that does not reject the truths found in other religions (1), recognizes the incomparable value of every human being(2) and strives for unity with all Christians (3)

(1) Declaration on the Relation of the Church to non-christian religions - Nostra Aetate
(2) Evangelium vitae - Ioannes Paulus PP. II - Encyclical Letter (1995.03.25) section 2
(3) Ut unum sint - Ioannes Paulus PP. II - Encyclical Letter (1995.05.25)

 

[YmirGF]

Are there people that believe in all religions, or most religions, or are all religions, or most, mutually exclusive? Or is there a one true religion, and which is it?

Religions all have their crumbs, but their loaves have long since turned to dust. Truth is relative to understanding at any given point.

 

[sojourner]

Are there people that believe in all religions, or most religions,

Believe in them?
Heck! I've seen them!

 

[Godwilling]

It isn't about "any community." But relationship wherein space is made for God to live in our midst is what Xy is all about. It's never been about "God and me." It's always been about "God and us." Individualism is what has been the downfall of Xy -- the disposition of human beings to circle the wagons and exclude. Xy is inclusive.

"Circle the wagons"? That comes from John Wayne's movies and other westerns where the original inhabitants of North America are portrayed as savages and a threat to good "Christians" who were portrayed as better the more Indians they killed.

Was that meant as an example of community building or as a hateful, racist, "us against them" comment?

 

[Raymond Sheen]

Even the most staunch believers have "one true religion" and denounce all other religions as false.
That amounts to everyone being atheist to all religions but their own. If we ask people their opinion on all religions and calculate a mean (in colloquial terms people call the mean, "average"), our calculations would reveal that the majority would find all religions as false.

Are there people that believe in all religions, or most religions, or are all religions, or most, mutually exclusive? Or is there a one true religion, and which is it?

The apostle Paul said that there are many gods and many lords, but to us (the early Christian congregation) there was one God, Jehovah and one Lord Christ Jesus.

To every person who adheres to some form of organized religion there is that one true religion, at the least above all. They aren't going to adhere to a false one, are they?

I personally think that there has never been a religion true even unto itself. The ancient Israelite failed miserably even with their God among them, they awaited thousands of years for their messiah and due to religious nonsense they nailed him to a tree when he arrived. The apostle Paul foretold of the apostasy of Christianity within a hundred years of it's founding. And if the Bible had really said Christ would come again, which it doesn't, they would nail him up a second time, I'm sure.

The simple approach to nature and rejection of the worldly ways of the Tao has transmogrified into superstitious priests for hire to bless supermarkets and the Buddha's rejection of the overcomplicated metaphysical and doctrinal complexities of Hinduism has only resulted in surpassing them.

I define religion in its most basic sense, as the strict adherence to a set of beliefs. Everybody is religious. But when an organized religion is divided within the masses it is doomed to fail. For example, when it becomes state recognized. Then again, the state is subject to the same result, isn't it.

Its the System Of Things. Sin.

 

[crystalonyx]

That amounts to everyone being atheist to all religions but their own.

I go one step further and am atheist to all religions.

 

[Me Myself]

Is Devotion and Compassion.