1/15,000 chance that you're right. (Earth, beliefs, choices, choice, church)

[wizanda]

Its ok, there is no need....you have just made the biggest mistake in your whole eternity for everyone, as no longer do i wish to even try or return on here.....if anyone wants me, the signs are clear enough where to find me.
Peace B with U all

[BruceDLimber]

Greetings!

Originally Posted by Prometheus

If you believe your religious convictions are correct, how can you be so certain about them when you know there are thousands of other religions out there in this world?

Very simple: as the result of extensive reading, prayer, research, investigation, observation and evaluation!

And please note that the scriptures I follow state explicitly that ALL the great religions are legitimate and God-sent, so that there is no problem whatever with someone's being another religion, the more so given that one of our central principles is Individual Investigation of Truth!

So I humbly put it to you that all this, at least potentially, is far simpler and better than you suggest!

Best, :-)

Bruce

[ayani]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

If you believe your religious convictions are correct, how can you be so certain about them when you know there are thousands of other religions out there in this world?

i am certain about them because they speak the Truth to me. another person may get that from Jainism, Islam, Sikh Dharma, Indigenous beliefs, or the Catholic Church.

the odds may be stacked against me so far as numbers, but so far as message, there is more unity than difference. i think it's important to listen to one another and compare, for just this reason.

Second, to those who still believe in the religion they were raised in, don't you ever wonder that your beliefs are just an accident of geography?

initially, of course. i was raised in north america to a mixed Catholic and Lutheran family, and was raised Lutheran. had i been born in Delhi instead of New York City, i would likey be raised Hindu or Muslim.

i like your point- it's an important one to keep in mind, i think, and certainly true. i believe that Truth speaks through human creativity and connection in any time or place. one of the things we get to do as humans is to hone that, explore, listen, and reflect. we work with what we are given in life, and what we are exposed to. we can't choose where and how and to whom we are born- but we can choose to learn, reflect, reach out, and hone our gifts for ourselves and others. this, i think, is a bigger point that points of doctrine.

[Green Gaia]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

To every single person who follows an organized religion, I ask two questions.

If you believe your religious convictions are correct, how can you be so certain about them when you know there are thousands of other religions out there in this world?

I am sure of 2 things, 1) We don't know everything, and 2) no religion is 100% right or the only "true" religion. That's why I am a UU; I have the freedom to explore all the possibilities for what speaks to me and helps me in my life and reject those that don't make sense or are counter-productive to what I believe is important: love and peace.

[Super Universe]

I assume the 1/15,000 refers to the fifteen thousand different faiths.

But this is incorrect because the actual odds are one in one, or one hundred percent, that you will find the correct faith, though not necessarily during your time on the earth.

These faiths are not against each other though people or even leaders of these faiths might be.

[cardero]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

To every single person who follows an organized religion, I ask two questions.

If you believe your religious convictions are correct, how can you be so certain about them when you know there are thousands of other religions out there in this world?

Let me put it this way. As much faith as you may have, as strongly as you believe your religion is the truth, as much as you think you know you're correct, I guarantee there is someone out there who believes in a different religion and is just as, if not more convinced they are right than you are. How do you justify your belief considering how stacked the odds are against you?

If you still believe in the religion you were brought up in, I'd advise you to seriously, seriously consider why you believe what you do. It has nothing to do with if it's true or not. It's simply what you were taught. You believe what you do because it's what you were told to do.

Think about it.

Here I say to YOU that no human-made religion is perfect. No human-made religion is wrong. No human-made religion can individually cater to soul growth and UNDERSTANDING. No human-made religion is “the TRUE religion.” Each organization has a little bit of TRUTH here, a little bit of good there. But none are complete. It is up to each INDIVIDUAL to make what he or she can of life in accordance with the chosen religion (whether it may BE an organized religion or a religion within yourself). The REALationship YOU and I have, plus YOUR spiritual growth, is a PERSONAL experience shared between YOU and I, and YOU and I only. It is a special and unique REALationship. BE aware that I, GOD, helped in the creation of Homo-sapiens, not Robo-sapiens.

HELLO IT'S ME: An Interview With GOD
Chapter Religion
Pg: 43

[Prometheus]

So what I've heard so far is that all religions have some degree of truth and goodness to them, but let me put this to you.

No matter that all religions have some truth, there is still a religion out there that can be called the "most true."

I believe the Divine is an absolute truth, not subjective from person to person. To quote YHWH, "I am that I am."

It stands to reason that of all the world religions which teach different doctrines, one of them must have it either completely true or closest to actual truth than anyone else. Even if this religion itself does not have all truth, it would have the most.

Here's the crux of my question. What if you've never heard of this religion before in your life? The most true religion on earth is out there and you don't even know what it is. Does not everyone here, including myself, owe ourselves to try and learn about every religion that we can?

If we all really cared about the truth, we would seek it continually. I contend that for everyone to be the best they can be, they must educate themselves in every religion possible.

Some of you may be doing this already. That you are here on this website is a good start. There are many religions to learn about here, though not all of them.

To those of you who continually seek truth with an open-mind and can change your opinion of which religion to follow should it manifest its truth to you, I applaud you.

For those who do not have an open-mind with a humble willingness to learn, and are only here to get as many people to join their way of thinking as possible (wizanda), you should reconsider why you are here.

We should be educating each other and share in humility. Look at your own motives honestly for a moment. If your main concern on this site, and in your life, is to convert people, then I think you have the wrong idea.

[Bishka]

Originally Posted by wizanda

Its ok, there is no need....you have just made the biggest mistake in your whole eternity for everyone, as no longer do i wish to even try or return on here.....if anyone wants me, the signs are clear enough where to find me.
Peace B with U all

*waves*

Bye now.