Is one religion better than the other.. and if so....

[Segev Moran]

Hi All,

I Was wondering what you think about the various religions and religion streams in the world.

Do you think that God is really in favor of one religion? If so, Which one and why?
Please try to avoid using scriptures as arguments as all religions are eventually based on scriptures and this is not a valid argument IMO.

If you think that one religion is indeed the "right" one, do you believe that following the wrong religion is a "Sin" or on the lighter case, Not the way to salvation.
Please note I'm asking those question out of interest and not because I look for a religion to follow (I personally think they are all false).

I Raise this question because it seems that no matter who i debate, their religion is always seems to be the truth and the valid way to win God's favor.

Also, If indeed one religion is better than the other, Is it better to be a Good person believing the wrong religion or a Bad person believing the right religion?

And I'm not talking about Good and Bad in a sense of following traditions or Mitzvot..

For example:
For Jews, the Sabath is one of the holiest things..
So is it better to be a thief that keeps the Sabath or A decent honest person who sees Sunday as a holy day?

Regards All, and Happy Rosh hashana

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Hi All,

I Was wondering what you think about the various religions and religion streams in the world.

Do you think that God is really in favor of one religion? If so, Which one and why?
Please try to avoid using scriptures as arguments as all religions are eventually based on scriptures and this is not a valid argument IMO.

If you think that one religion is indeed the "right" one, do you believe that following the wrong religion is a "Sin" or on the lighter case, Not the way to salvation.
Please note I'm asking those question out of interest and not because I look for a religion to follow (I personally think they are all false).

I Raise this question because it seems that no matter who i debate, their religion is always seems to be the truth and the valid way to win God's favor.

Also, If indeed one religion is better than the other, Is it better to be a Good person believing the wrong religion or a Bad person believing the right religion?

And I'm not talking about Good and Bad in a sense of following traditions or Mitzvot..

For example:
For Jews, the Sabath is one of the holiest things..
So is it better to be a thief that keeps the Sabath or A decent honest person who sees Sunday as a holy day?

Regards All, and Happy Rosh hashana

I've found that the UUs have the best after-service snacks, so that's a point in their favour.

 

[jeager106]

@Segev Moran

I see you are an atheist.
I understand that as it's the easy way to not believe and explore religion and search for spiritual truth.
There are at least 33,000 denominations of Christians all reading the SAME BOOK.
Go figure.
Every one of those believing that particular denomination has the Bible nailed down just right.
They don't have it nailed down just right.
Most Christians don't study the Bible but sit in church listening to some person tell them what
is in the Bible and what it means.
Personal study, prayer, meditation, is key to spiritual understanding.
Is one religion "better" than another?
Well I hesitate to use the word better but I posit that there are a few that understand the Bible
much better than others.
Having a spiritual leader preach church dogma is like have another person eat your meals
for you. You will spiritually starve and not even know it.
Personal study, prayer, meditation, is key to spiritual understanding.
This is why I am a member of no denomination of anything.
Perhaps one day I'll find a hat that fits.
Sitting in a church does not make one a Christian any more than sitting in a chicken coop
makes one a chicken.

 

[Vorkosigan]

Considering the number of religions that exist and have existed along history, isn’t it reasonable to think they are most likely all wrong?

 

[rusra02]

Hi All,

I Was wondering what you think about the various religions and religion streams in the world.

Do you think that God is really in favor of one religion? If so, Which one and why?
Please try to avoid using scriptures as arguments as all religions are eventually based on scriptures and this is not a valid argument IMO.

If you think that one religion is indeed the "right" one, do you believe that following the wrong religion is a "Sin" or on the lighter case, Not the way to salvation.
Please note I'm asking those question out of interest and not because I look for a religion to follow (I personally think they are all false).

I Raise this question because it seems that no matter who i debate, their religion is always seems to be the truth and the valid way to win God's favor.

Also, If indeed one religion is better than the other, Is it better to be a Good person believing the wrong religion or a Bad person believing the right religion?

And I'm not talking about Good and Bad in a sense of following traditions or Mitzvot..

For example:
For Jews, the Sabath is one of the holiest things..
So is it better to be a thief that keeps the Sabath or A decent honest person who sees Sunday as a holy day?

Regards All, and Happy Rosh hashana

If there is a true God, and I believe there is, it follows that his standards and commands constitute the one true religion. So I believe the first step to finding the right way to worship God is to find this true God, our Creator and Lifegiver.
It is evident to me based on the abundant blessings of life that the true God is not only infinitely powerful and wise, but also warm and loving. This leads me to believe the true God wants us to know about him, and have a warm friendship with him, while also giving him due honor and respect. I am convinced he has communicated all that we presently need to know about him in the Bible, and that this one true God is Jehovah. Therefore, I believe the worship of any other god is a false religion, as are also those religions that claim to serve the God of the Bible, but who violate his standards and commands.

 

[jeager106]

Considering the number of religions that exist and have existed along history, isn’t it reasonable to think they are most likely all wrong?

Yes!
Some are closer to Biblical truth than others.
Too many are steeped in tradition and dogma.
Let the believer search for truth by prayer, meditation, and study.

 

[jeager106]

@rusra02

Great, truthful post.

 

[Vorkosigan]

If there is a true God, and I believe there is, it follows that his standards and commands constitute the one true religion. So I believe the first step to finding the right way to worship God is to find this true God, our Creator and Lifegiver.
It is evident to me based on the abundant blessings of life that the true God is not only infinitely powerful and wise, but also warm and loving. This leads me to believe the true God wants us to know about him, and have a warm friendship with him, while also giving him due honor and respect. I am convinced he has communicated all that we presently need to know about him in the Bible, and that this one true God is Jehovah. Therefore, I believe the worship of any other god is a false religion, as are also those religions that claim to serve the God of the Bible, but who violate his standards and commands.

With this logic you can prove anything to be true. If you can believe it, then is true.

 

[Tabu]

Religions are like rivers , each is one is pure in the beginning but on their courses lots of dirt get mixed up in the form of opinions , options , preferences , conveniences ,... and then on their way they encounter hard rocks called egos , which split these religions into many streams called sects and denominations.
One needs a strong intellect to filter and get the good from any religion , there are some reformers within some religions who have done this job well.
When it becomes tough or almost impossible to filter ,or when people repeatedly fall sick by drinking this contaminated water, people end up saying " No good in Religions hence No good in God"
So you cannot say which one is purer , at one time each made fertile a huge basin and at a later time each carriers a lot of pollutants.
I also feel based upon the above hypothesis that the newer ones or newly reformed ones would be cleaner , and would quench ones thirst a little better.
Finally all collect dirt and have to join the Ocean.

 

[Vorkosigan]

Religions are like rivers , each is one is pure in the beginning but on their courses lots of dirt get mixed up in the form of opinions , options , preferences , conveniences ,... and then on their way they encounter hard rocks called egos , which split these religions into many streams called sects and denominations.
One needs a strong intellect to filter and get the good from any religion , there are some reformers within some religions who have done this job well.
When it becomes tough or almost impossible to filter ,or when people repeatedly fall sick by drinking this contaminated water, people end up saying " No good in Religions hence No good in God"
So you cannot say which one is purer , at one time each made fertile a huge basin and at a later time each carriers a lot of pollutants.
I also feel based upon the above hypothesis that the newer ones or newly reformed ones would be cleaner , and would quench ones thirst a little better.
Finally all collect dirt and have to join the Ocean.

If you can find good using your intellect, why do you need religion? Just use your intellect and be good!

 

[Father Heathen]

@rusra02

Great, truthful post.

Not really, since most other religions make the same claim, thus you're back to square one.

Any shmuck can write **** down and then claim that the words were inspired by god while using circular logic to "prove" it.

 

[Quintessence]

Considering the number of religions that exist and have existed along history, isn’t it reasonable to think they are most likely all wrong?

This is the equivalent of saying "considering the number of cultures in the world, isn't it reasonable to think they are all wrong?" How is it "wrong" for peoples to have unique cultural expressions of their values that inform life's meaningfulness? Might as well start calling diversity "wrong."

 

[Vorkosigan]

This is the equivalent of saying "considering the number of cultures in the world, isn't it reasonable to think they are all wrong?" How is it "wrong" for peoples to have unique cultural expressions of their values that inform life's meaningfulness? Might as well start calling diversity "wrong."

No is not equivalent to that. The nature of the cosmos doesn’t depend on any of our opinions. I value diversity of ideas, not diversity of truth.

 

[Father Heathen]

Yes!
Some are closer to Biblical truth than others.

And some are closer to Koranical truth than others, while some are closer to Bhagavad-Gitaical Truth than others. Then you have some that are closer to Granth-Sahibical truth than others, and then there are those that are closer to Aqdasical truth than others. Then there are those closer to Tanakhical Truth and others closer to tripitakaical truth...

...so what exactly is your point? Of course religions that based certain texts will obviously be closer to that text than religions that based on completely different texts, etc.

 

[Tabu]

If you can find good using your intellect, why do you need religion? Just use your intellect and be good!

Yes, at this juncture that would be a better idea than follow any religion whereas earlier when religions were pure following them would have been more fulfilling.
Yes , one can dig out his own personal spring and call it my way or my religion, but once people start drinking from it,it becomes a Religion.
How pure , how powerful ,how unbiased , and how much concern for the welfare of humanity one's intellect has will decide the effectiveness of ones found religion. Such great personalities were the fountainheads of great religions.

 

[Quintessence]

Do you think that God is really in favor of one religion? If so, Which one and why?

Some of the people who worship and study that god (I presume when you write "God" you mean the one-god of the Bible and of the classical monotheists or Abrahamic religions) sure seem to think so. Not being a worshiper of that god, I can't say I have any personal thoughts on the matter. It isn't relevant for my own theology and religion. With respect to the gods I do worship, they do not favor any particular religion because "favoring" is not something most of the gods I worship are capable of except in a poetic/anthropomorphized sense (e.g., Spirit of Creativity "favors" all religions in that they are expressions of itself, not because it is capable of the mental state of favoring something).

Please try to avoid using scriptures as arguments as all religions are eventually based on scriptures and this is not a valid argument IMO.

I understand why you feel that way, but in order for some of the Abrahamics to answer the question you pose honestly, it is really better to let them answer it in the method that they so choose. If you want to reject their answer based on your dislike of scriptual support afterwards, you'd be free to do so.

I Raise this question because it seems that no matter who i debate, their religion is always seems to be the truth and the valid way to win God's favor.

Well, if you talk to people who practice a religion other than exclusivist branches of Abrahamic classical monotheisms concerned about salvation, you'll very quickly run into those of us who think otherwise. Are you familiar with this here, out of curiosity?

 

[LuisDantas]

Hi, Segev Moran.

Do you think that God is really in favor of one religion? If so, Which one and why?

I don't think God is much of a factor in deciding about religions.

Religions do however vary quite a lot both in adequacy for specific people and in overall merit.

The main criteria IMO would be the ability to acknowledge the personal inclinations of each adherent and to deal with them constructively, attaining peace of mind, rational inquiry, and ethical motivation in ways that fit each one.

Please try to avoid using scriptures as arguments as all religions are eventually based on scriptures and this is not a valid argument IMO.

I don't think that is quite accurate, but I agree that scriptures are not much good as arguments.

If you think that one religion is indeed the "right" one, do you believe that following the wrong religion is a "Sin" or on the lighter case, Not the way to salvation.
Please note I'm asking those question out of interest and not because I look for a religion to follow (I personally think they are all false).

A religion is as true as its adherents empower it to be. It will vary along time and place.

I don't use the concept of sin, nor that of salvation, but I think there is a responsibility of belief and practice. Generally speaking, taking refuse in superstition is a grave mistake, as is refusing to exercise basic decency when given the opportunity to choose it.

I Raise this question because it seems that no matter who i debate, their religion is always seems to be the truth and the valid way to win God's favor.

Also, If indeed one religion is better than the other, Is it better to be a Good person believing the wrong religion or a Bad person believing the right religion?

A person who is courageous and sincere enough will eventually heal his or her own practice, but on the other hand having learned a good religion makes quite the difference in attaining the ability to do so, so I don't know.

It will depend on whether you are focusing on the specific person or on the overall trends of the adherents, I presume.

And I'm not talking about Good and Bad in a sense of following traditions or Mitzvot.

That is nice. Tradition is a means to an end, after all.

 

[LuisDantas]

No is not equivalent to that. The nature of the cosmos doesn’t depend on any of our opinions. I value diversity of ideas, not diversity of truth.

How do you know that there must be one sole truth in religion?

 

[Quintessence]

No is not equivalent to that. The nature of the cosmos doesn’t depend on any of our opinions. I value diversity of ideas, not diversity of truth.

Are you under the impression that the only thing religions deal with are questions about the nature of the cosmos? If so, that is very... odd. Well, that's being gracious. It's just plain wrong.

 

[Vorkosigan]

How do you know that there must be one sole truth in religion?

There must be one truth (period).