When you...

[Unveiled Artist]

When you look at other religions then the one you follow your self ( if you follow one that is)

Are you focusing on finding fault in other religions to back your own belief? ( if yes, why?)
Or do you mostly search to find what good other religions may offer their followers?

I look for how and what experience would I gain from practice. Should I put time and energy in this practice to where things I disagree with or troubling are things to learn from not reasons to leave.

I look for if the theology lines up with my core values. I look at how people follow their faith. What do they get out if it. I can smell conversion groups a mile away these days. Not just christian.

I don't purposely look at faults. I like what another poster said to stick with it a year to see if it clicks. What I noticed is I'm not religious and my spirituality is very mundane.

The closest what people would call spirit-ual would be lighting candles and giving food to my deceased family. We do it often. I don't know how old the cookies mother have her sister. It's been there what a year.

I don't see reason to find fault. It's healthy to critique religions. That's part of the learning process. It's the nature of the criticism is the key. Do you disagree or does it conflicts with your sense of spirit and outlook in life.

 

[Hockeycowboy]

When you look at other religions then the one you follow your self ( if you follow one that is)

Are you focusing on finding fault in other religions to back your own belief? ( if yes, why?)
Or do you mostly search to find what good other religions may offer their followers?

I look at people. Well, the person as an individual.

Whatever a person believes, should not make you despise them.

But some religious beliefs, do alienate people from God.
Like a literal Hellfire...that teaching has done more to turn people away from God, than most other teachings!

 

[thomas t]

Why did you choose India when there are 9 countries worse on the Open Doors list?

good question. I had a long discussion about persecution in other countries, two of them included in the 9 countries prior to India acoording to Open Doors, last time. Click here.
The thread opener was the same.
Also, India received media coverage for persecuting Christians lately and this came to my attention.

Since this is non-debating subforums, I answered you here:
Are There Two Sides of the Story for Persecution?

 

[exchemist]

You know, I never heard of friendship evangelism till I remember you saying so years ago. Lost who I thought was a friend. She left when I stopped going to her church. Another wanted to jog with me. We met at a local store. Two days later, Sunday, she invited me to her church. Never went.

Is Friendship Evangelism Effective? - Project Inspired

Looked it up. It's hard to balance whose genuine and whose not.

I find this creepy. People in my family have come across it: pretty girls who they met at a party, got friendly with and suddenly, after perhaps even a night together, the trap was sprung, by making them feel guilty and then the suggestion they might like to come along to a church service.......

One brother was suckered by this, became infatuated with the girl (who of course never went to bed with him again, so as to keep him dangling) and left the Catholic church in favour of this evangelical group. The younger brother, encountering another girl from the same group and aware of his elder brother's experience, enjoyed the night of passion and, when she tried it on, told her to get lost.

Offering friendship on false pretences, to fulfil an undisclosed agenda, is an underhand trick and an abuse of trust.

 

[David1967]

When you look at other religions then the one you follow your self ( if you follow one that is)

Are you focusing on finding fault in other religions to back your own belief? ( if yes, why?)
Or do you mostly search to find what good other religions may offer their followers?

Personally, I'm just interested to know more about what other folks believe and how it connects to their upbringing and/or culture. Does the religion shape the culture or does the culture shape the religion?

 

[Spirit of Light]

Personally, I'm just interested to know more about what other folks believe and how it connects to their upbringing and/or culture. Does the religion shape the culture or does the culture shape the religion?

Personally i would hope the religion with its teaching shape the culture

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I find this creepy. People in my family have come across it: pretty girls who they met at a party, got friendly with and suddenly, after perhaps even a night together, the trap was sprung, by making them feel guilty and then the suggestion they might like to come along to a church service.......

One brother was suckered by this, became infatuated with the girl (who of course never went to bed with him again, so as to keep him dangling) and left the Catholic church in favour of this evangelical group. The younger brother, encountering another girl from the same group and aware of his elder brother's experience, enjoyed the night of passion and, when she tried it on, told her to get lost.

Offering friendship on false pretences, to fulfil an undisclosed agenda, is an underhand trick and an abuse of trust.

Wow. Yeah. How to make them see that, though. I bite my fingers here on RF when I read such nonsense of conversion saying we are called to convert, they have the right to say no, we will still do it "nicely".

Sometimes I rather them just being honest and direct. I say no. They move along.

 

[exchemist]

Wow. Yeah. How to make them see that, though. I bite my fingers here on RF when I read such nonsense of conversion saying we are called to convert, they have the right to say no, we will still do it "nicely".

Sometimes I rather them just being honest and direct. I say no. They move along.

Yes that may be best, rather than getting involved in games. But my second brother did have his reasons - and the girl was awfully attractive.....

 

[Clara Tea]

When you look at other religions then the one you follow your self ( if you follow one that is)

Are you focusing on finding fault in other religions to back your own belief? ( if yes, why?)
Or do you mostly search to find what good other religions may offer their followers?

Christians, confronted with inconsistencies in their bible (which they claim is divinely inspired, and, therefore perfect), would have to seek older versions to find out which version is correct. For example: Gen 1:25 and Gen 2:18 contradict themselves regarding which came first...mankind or animal-kind. Older translations might exist in Hebrew, Latin, or even Greek. How can religious denominations keep their members unless they badmouth their source religions?

 

[Spirit of Light]

Christians, confronted with inconsistencies in their bible (which they claim is divinely inspired, and, therefore perfect), would have to seek older versions to find out which version is correct. For example: Gen 1:25 and Gen 2:18 contradict themselves regarding which came first...mankind or animal-kind. Older translations might exist in Hebrew, Latin, or even Greek. How can religious denominations keep their members unless they badmouth their source religions?

They could believe what they do without badmouth others, no need for being nasty toward others just because they believe differently then our self.

 

[exchemist]

Christians, confronted with inconsistencies in their bible (which they claim is divinely inspired, and, therefore perfect), would have to seek older versions to find out which version is correct. For example: Gen 1:25 and Gen 2:18 contradict themselves regarding which came first...mankind or animal-kind. Older translations might exist in Hebrew, Latin, or even Greek. How can religious denominations keep their members unless they badmouth their source religions?

I can't quite follow this. Most Christians do not assert their scriptures are "perfect".

"Divinely inspired" is not synonymous with "flawlessly transcribed". Scripture was written down by mere men, after all, who were inevitably cultural products of their time, writing in a style to appeal to the people of their time. Furthermore, from the earliest times, Christians have recognised that the bible is a literary work that uses a variety of literary and stylistic devices to communicate its messages, including metaphor, poetry and allegory, again in the style of the time.

The debates about translations are a different issue, but a not unexpected one, seeing that, as you say, the bible had to be translated, partly from Hebrew and partly from Greek into Latin and other languages.

In the main denominations of western Christianity, both these factors are well-known and regularly touched upon in sermons. The faithful therefore are, or should be, aware that discerning the meaning of scripture is not always a trivial exercise and that there can be room for alternative interpretations.

I don't see why any "bad-"mouthing" of what you call "source religions" has anything to do with this.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Since I do not believe that God owes anyone “evidence” for his existence anymore that what he has already shown us by creation, finding an alternate explanation that eliminates him gives him an excuse to eliminate those who don’t acknowledge or appreciate the gift of life.

Evidence for his existence is all around us....I’m sorry you do not have eyes to see it. It’s a special kind of blindness according to the Bible. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4) It only affects certain kinds of people.

There is really no creation. It is only our ignorance which makes us think that there is a creation. What is there is a vast field of energy. Creation, life, birth, death - all are part of that grand illusion - 'maya'.

Life is chance right from the beginning. Of the 250 million spermatozoa that my father pushed into my mother, only I survived. I had just 1 out of 250 million chance of survival. Similarly it is chance that US lost some 200,000 people to Coronavirus and India some 100,000.

Life with its bundle of sorrows and delights, can be lived without any help from a God or Allah or his prophets / sons / messengers / manifestations / mahdis that people claim to be. There is no God or Allah lending a helping hand.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 is a face-saving device. When God or Allah is non-existent human imagination, how would there be any evidence? Is there any evidence for the pink Unicorn or the green flying spaghetti monster?

 

[chinu]

When you look at other religions then the one you follow your self ( if you follow one that is)

Are you focusing on finding fault in other religions to back your own belief? ( if yes, why?)
Or do you mostly search to find what good other religions may offer their followers?

I focus, whether they offer God, or NOT.
Nothing else.

 

[chinu]

No.

As I said previously, I think each individual as at a different level of understanding based upon their own perception of this reality and takes a worldview tailored to their individual needs, desires, and/or attachments.

You mean, after reading holy-scripts possibly people take out meanings according their own needs, desires, and attachments ?

 

[SalixIncendium]

You mean, after reading holy-scripts possibly people take out meanings according their own needs, desires, and attachments ?

Not exclusively, but that could be a potential influence.

 

[chinu]

Not exclusively, but that could be a potential influence.

If so, how you figure that out ?

 

[SalixIncendium]

If so, how you figure that out ?

Observation of behaviors and contemplation of and meditation on these observations.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

When you look at other religions then the one you follow your self ( if you follow one that is)

Are you focusing on finding fault in other religions to back your own belief? ( if yes, why?)
Or do you mostly search to find what good other religions may offer their followers?

No. Actually I think I have a pretty complex approach, scanning for not only disagreement, but also those things which are true and beautiful, as well as connecting it to points in history, and connection points to other religions.

 

[hollochris]

The Spirit of truth that Jesus promised to send. (John 15:26) This is the Spirit that proceeds from the Father and will lead and guide into all truth. (John 16:13) You know the truth by receiving the Spirit of truth.

OK, does that mean that non Christians cannot know the "truth" whatever that is...??

 

[74x12]

OK, does that mean that non Christians cannot know the "truth" whatever that is...??

You need to become Jesus' disciples to know the truth according to John 8:31-32

This means that if you obey Jesus then you will receive the holy Spirit of truth.