Your religious beliefs are probably wrong

[Rick O'Shez]

If God showed up in my living room I would offer him a nice cup of tea and have a chat. I'd have a lot of questions though.

 

[dust1n]

Come on, let's not get muddled around in technicalities. It was merely a simple example, and not a true algebraic equation.

Sure, and I was pointing out a mere example was meaningless.

 

[dust1n]

Not having an opinion about pizza doesn't mean you know anything about pizza. There is no assumption of knowledge in dis-belief.
What is happening in this thread is the arbitrary and semantic separation between the words 'belief', and 'opinion'.

You be right.

 

[Cephus]

That's completely illogical. That's like calling abstinence a sex position. Something that isn't a particular thing can't be that thing obviously. Explain how not religious means religious plz.

And again, saying my agnostic position of I don't know is wrong, means that I do know, but I don't know that I know. Which is fundamentally contradictory thus showing your proposition is entirely false. Also this doesn't dispute the main point whatsoever. You're still agreeing then that your religious beliefs are probably wrong like my non religious "religious beliefs" are wrong.

You have to remember that lots of theists hold such completely bizarre beliefs that they can twist and turn their definitions ad infinitum to mean anything they want. You only have to read posts by the most religious zealots here to see them redefining words at a moment's notice so that their beliefs seem more reasonable than they actually are. It's SOP.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

You have to remember that lots of theists hold such completely bizarre beliefs that they can twist and turn their definitions ad infinitum to mean anything they want

What baffles me are the convoluted "explanations" which seem designed to confuse rather than clarify.

 

[Cephus]

What baffles me are the convoluted "explanations" which seem designed to confuse rather than clarify.

I don't know if it's conscious or not but a lot of theists I've run into do it to make their own beliefs seem more plausible. If they just declare that everyone has faith, then their own entirely blind faith doesn't seem quite so ridiculous. I've also seen some of them relabel "reality" as "God" so they can claim that everyone believes in God. It's bizarre.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

I've also seen some of them relabel "reality" as "God"

 

[Harikrish]

To believe in reality is the best basis for belief. Our beliefs should be based upon what we have verified to be real

How did you verify what was real in Islam? The majority of Muslims are too illiterate to even read the Quran. The prophet Mohammad was himself an illiterate and could only recite what he heard from a talking cave. Even he could not verify what was written by the scribes he recited to. The Quran is written in Arabic. Would that be the language God wished to reveal himself. And if it was then how come the majority of Muslims don't even speak it!!!

 

[Woodrow LI]

How did you verify what was real in Islam? The majority of Muslims are too illiterate to even read the Quran. The prophet Mohammad was himself an illiterate and could only recite what he heard from a talking cave. Even he could not verify what was written by the scribes he recited to. The Quran is written in Arabic. Would that be the language God wished to reveal himself. And if it was then how come the majority of Muslims don't even speak it!!!

Very fair questions to ask.
As to how I came to Islam read HERE

The events and timing of them convinced they were not coincidence. Since then my life has been one of constantly seeking verification. I have neither the need nor the desire to convince others that is evidence of Allaah(swt) I am satisfied it is for me and I have no concern if anyone else sees it as I do.

The Qur'anic Arabic is quite interesting. It is not a conversational language and is not spoken. Even Arabs that are fluent in Arabic have to learn it. It is not spoken by any people any place on earth. A person who learns Qur'anic Arabic would not be able to converse in Arabic.

But it is a very easy language to learn.

You keep saying that most Muslims are illiterate. Have you ever looked at the Statistics in the regions that contain the majority of Muslims? It is Asia not the Mideast or Africa. nearly 3/4 of the worlds Muslims live in Asiatic Nations with acceptable literacy rates.


My own opinion as to why the Qur'an was revealed in Qur'anic Arabic, is because it is a unique language used no place else and no Muslim has a language advantage over another. We all have to learn it. Including Arabs

As it is a unique language and not used in conversation, it is not subject to change and new words can not be added into it.

 

[Nakosis]

Why just religious beliefs? I suspect all my beliefs are wrong, but you got to believe in something. Might as well stick with my beliefs vs adopting the beliefs of someone else. They are just as likely to be wrong too.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Clearly you are religious and butthurt over the fact that you feel attacked; thus you make a spite comment.

No. I simply find your OP to be intellectually vapid. It's painfully obvious that you know absolutely nothing about statistical analysis, 'pure' or otherwise.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I had to laugh at this because you made some good statements and well, some interesting ones.

I think the best way to find the "right" religion is to find what each have in common. Every religion I know of believe there is "something else." Abrahamic believes the Something else is Someone. Eastern beliefs vary, Nichiren Buddhist believe that something else is the Mystic (mysterious) law pervading all life. While you have others like zen, their "something else" is being one with life without using labels and so forth. State of being rather than being something new.

The message of all religions I know don't correspond with geology only the culture and history that makes up their faith and practices do. For example, in Christianity the message is universal--in order to live eternally one must die to your flesh or self that sins. So die to live. In Buddhism we get rid of our attachments in order to live in this life. While in some faiths we live to keep in touch with those who have passed on as we will be the same giving advice and guidance to our loved ones when we pass too.. so the sense of "the past" is in all religions I know of too. Even modern ones. Paganism, for example, has been around way before Christianity and Buddhism way before the Catholic Church who helped put the Bible together. A lot of religions value their "past"... so that's a common denominator too.

If you add up the common denominators, that would be the true religion--at the end, it doesn't become a religion but a lifestyle of honoring your past, living the present, and looking forward to the future.. finding fulfillment in where you are now and having goals that are beyond ones like money and better job. Comfortable with retirement and smiling when one is ready to die. Some core things we look forward to in our human make up. Maybe psychology is the true religion?

Given that so many different religions exist, many of which are mutually exclusive, and most claim they contain the truth of reality, the odds aren't in your favor that you picked the right religion. This is based on pure statistical analysis, and that's assuming that one religion we have is actually correct.

Most religious beliefs corresponds with geography--a religion based on truth shouldn't depend on where you're born. Islam will obviously correspond with the middle east and Christianity can be frequently found in the States.

There have also been countless religious frauds that try to take advantage of people and make money/ manipulate people with religion. Even if a religion happened to be correct at some point, its very possible that respective religion has been polluted so much over time, like telephone, that the religion doesn't even resemble anything like what it started out as. For example the original teachings of Jesus Christ vs the modern catholic faith which includes the pope and hundreds of rituals, and the various Xian sects.

Its one thing to argue that a deism God exists as a kind of philosophical entity, but its another to show that there is an intervening God who cares about what we do with our genitals and what we do with our Sundays, and wants to have an individual relationship with people. Most of the arguments given by people of faiths are all identical to each other which I find to be an amusing reflection that there aren't many good arguments beyond those for deism.

As fo religions like Buddhism and Hinduism, even though I consider Buddhism to resemble more of a philosophy, I haven't seen any convincing evidence of reincarnation or multiple Gods.

 

[Thruve]

So you're a universalist theist?

No, not just a universalist theist. If you read my last post, notice I included non theistic religions lol.

 

[Ultimatum]

Sure, and I was pointing out a mere example was meaningless.

It was showing that not having a religious belief doesn't mean that you have one, though you could make a case otherwise for other metaphysical subjects.

 

[john2054]

please learn more about religion b4 you say anything else on here okay serp777?

 

[serp777]

No. I simply find your OP to be intellectually vapid. It's painfully obvious that you know absolutely nothing about statistical analysis, 'pure' or otherwise.

It's painfully obvious that you're unable to form a worthwhile response and are incapable of formulating an intelligent rebuttal, else you would have simply done so. Again your debating skills and tactics are highly inferior. Making baseless assertions about my knowledge gives you no credibility. It's clear you're making up nonsense and lies. You certainly haven't proven anything.

INb4 you say "I'm not going to waste my time blah blah blah." Of course the irony here would be that you're wasting time making your unimpressive assertions.

Here I'm going to counter your argument--No, you don't know anything about statistics! Thank you for contributing your third grade arguments.

 

[serp777]

please learn more about religion b4 you say anything else on here okay serp777?

Please spend more than 5 seconds trying to make a rebuttal to any of my arguments before spewing your pointless unfounded garbage, okay Johnny boy?

 

[serp777]

I had to laugh at this because you made some good statements and well, some interesting ones.

I think the best way to find the "right" religion is to find what each have in common. Every religion I know of believe there is "something else." Abrahamic believes the Something else is Someone. Eastern beliefs vary, Nichiren Buddhist believe that something else is the Mystic (mysterious) law pervading all life. While you have others like zen, their "something else" is being one with life without using labels and so forth. State of being rather than being something new.

The message of all religions I know don't correspond with geology only the culture and history that makes up their faith and practices do. For example, in Christianity the message is universal--in order to live eternally one must die to your flesh or self that sins. So die to live. In Buddhism we get rid of our attachments in order to live in this life. While in some faiths we live to keep in touch with those who have passed on as we will be the same giving advice and guidance to our loved ones when we pass too.. so the sense of "the past" is in all religions I know of too. Even modern ones. Paganism, for example, has been around way before Christianity and Buddhism way before the Catholic Church who helped put the Bible together. A lot of religions value their "past"... so that's a common denominator too.

If you add up the common denominators, that would be the true religion--at the end, it doesn't become a religion but a lifestyle of honoring your past, living the present, and looking forward to the future.. finding fulfillment in where you are now and having goals that are beyond ones like money and better job. Comfortable with retirement and smiling when one is ready to die. Some core things we look forward to in our human make up. Maybe psychology is the true religion?

So then why follow a particular religion? You said accept all the common denominators and use that. Fine, but that doesn't justify belief in a particular religions.

Furthermore, there is no evidence that your particular interpretations of what the correct common denominator is, nor do I think that all religions have common denominators besides some general supernatural stuff like a magical soul that is separate from the brain.

 

[serp777]

Why just religious beliefs? I suspect all my beliefs are wrong, but you got to believe in something. Might as well stick with my beliefs vs adopting the beliefs of someone else. They are just as likely to be wrong too.

This is a fallacy though. Beliefs in scientifically validated claims are basically right. Although no 100% certain, we can basically conclude that they are truth fro all intensive purposes. For instance, we can almost certainty conclude that a diode functions because of a PN junction in silicon. Same with all other scientific principles that have concrete applications. SO in other words I expect some of my beliefs are pretty much certainly right and some almost certainly wrong. There also also things I think are likely, but not certain, like there being some form of life out in the universe.

 

[serp777]

really serp suck it and see!

Why did you even bother posting?