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Why is your understanding of an other religion the right one?

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
Time and time again it is seen in RF that certain people (especially certain Atheists do) telling other people that their understanding is wrong on their own religious belief, while the person who isn't from their religion actually claim to know their religion and teaching better than the believer....

Why do you believe your understanding is better than the person who actually follow the religion you claim to know so well?
 

Heyo

Veteran Member
Time and time again it is seen in RF that certain people (especially certain Atheists do) telling other people that their understanding is wrong on their own religious belief, while the person who isn't from their religion actually claim to know their religion and teaching better than the believer....

Why do you believe your understanding is better than the person who actually follow the religion you claim to know so well?
There are as many religions as there are believers. You always have to ask about the personal interpretation.
But sometimes people are ignorant of the scriptures, dogmata or history of the religion they claim to adhere to.
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
There are as many religions as there are believers. You always have to ask about the personal interpretation.
But sometimes people are ignorant of the scriptures, dogmata or history of the religion they claim to adhere to.
The strange thing I see is that people telling their own understanding, the skeptical people call it false because it is a bit different than the actual text. They want it both ways, and are not satisfied :p
 

Heyo

Veteran Member
The strange thing I see is that people telling their own understanding, the skeptical people call it false because it is a bit different than the actual text. They want it both ways, and are not satisfied :p
I agree. On the one hand scolding the believer for taking their scripture literal and on the other scolding them when they don't is putting them in a double bind. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
But some believers aren't innocent either when they claim to take everything literal - while they are interpreting, with mental gymnastics that turns the literal sense of the text on it's head.
I have witnessed both and often both parties are unwilling or unable to compromise, arguing for arguments sake, not with a goal of understanding or a solution in mind.
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
I agree. On the one hand scolding the believer for taking their scripture literal and on the other scolding them when they don't is putting them in a double bind. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
But some believers aren't innocent either when they claim to take everything literal - while they are interpreting, with mental gymnastics that turns the literal sense of the text on it's head.
I have witnessed both and often both parties are unwilling or unable to compromise, arguing for arguments sake, not with a goal of understanding or a solution in mind.
True :)
 

Polymath257

Think & Care
Staff member
Premium Member
I have found that many believers are ignorant of both their scriptures and the history of interpretation of those scriptures. This happens because religion is, in part, a cultural phenomenon and, when people are brought up in it, they absorb the ideas from the culture around them as opposed to studying the scriptures and the history.

As for criticizing whether or not they take the scriptures literally (or even by the most common interpretation), often the scriptures are horrid when read literally. Even most believers reject doing that for all verses. But, many still say that they do.
 

Polymath257

Think & Care
Staff member
Premium Member
True.
But to respect those who do follow a religion should be a normal thing to do


I'm not sure I agree. If someone follows the ancient Aztec religion and wants to remove a human heart to appease their deity, should I respect that? Should I even respect that belief? I don't think so.

Some ideas, whether religious or not, do not deserve respect.
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
I'm not sure I agree. If someone follows the ancient Aztec religion and wants to remove a human heart to appease their deity, should I respect that? Should I even respect that belief? I don't think so.

Some ideas, whether religious or not, do not deserve respect.
Why always take the most extreme as example?
My comment was ment as an example here in RF
 

Polymath257

Think & Care
Staff member
Premium Member
Why always take the most extreme as example?
My comment was ment as an example here in RF

Extreme examples show the weakness of the claim. You made a blanket statement that is clearly false when applied to my example.

That means that the statement needs to be modified. Not all religious beliefs deserve respect.

So the question then becomes, which religious beliefs *do* deserve respect? And that is a much more complicated question. I would say a religious belief deserves respect if it is a belief that deserves respect. The religious nature of it is irrelevant.
 

loverofhumanity

We are all the leaves of one tree
Premium Member
Time and time again it is seen in RF that certain people (especially certain Atheists do) telling other people that their understanding is wrong on their own religious belief, while the person who isn't from their religion actually claim to know their religion and teaching better than the believer....

Why do you believe your understanding is better than the person who actually follow the religion you claim to know so well?

Hi Seeker,

I believe that God gave humanity religion to bring us together, to foster love and fellowship between us and to build bridges between people.

So any interpretation which causes prejudice, hatred and separation comes not from God because we are all His children so He wants us all to get along with one another, help one another and wish each other well.

The division, separation and disunity between people comes from a lack of knowledge of the purpose of religion which is love and unity.

Any interpretation which says one religion is superior to another or the only true religion comes from the ego but the interpretation which says we are all one and equal comes from God. All the Founders of religions taught virtues such as love and good character and never to harm anyone.
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
Extreme examples show the weakness of the claim. You made a blanket statement that is clearly false when applied to my example.

That means that the statement needs to be modified. Not all religious beliefs deserve respect.

So the question then becomes, which religious beliefs *do* deserve respect? And that is a much more complicated question. I would say a religious belief deserves respect if it is a belief that deserves respect. The religious nature of it is irrelevant.
The mutual respect from both parts is the only way to find mutual ways.
No need to throw "dirt" at each others, not from the religious person or the non religious person.
Disagreement in how to live a good life will always be there.
 

Estro Felino

Believer in free will
Premium Member
That's a good point. :)
I can suppose that since there are so many theists try to convince atheists to change their mind, atheists tend to (more or less unconsciously) to do the same with theists. It is normal, I think.
 

Audie

Veteran Member
That's a good point. :)
I can suppose that since there are so many theists try to convince atheists to change their mind, atheists tend to (more or less unconsciously) to do the same with theists. It is normal, I think.
That's not really it
 

KWED

Scratching head, scratching knee
Time and time again it is seen in RF that certain people (especially certain Atheists do) telling other people that their understanding is wrong on their own religious belief, while the person who isn't from their religion actually claim to know their religion and teaching better than the believer....

Why do you believe your understanding is better than the person who actually follow the religion you claim to know so well?
Believers often (and understandably) suffer from confirmation bias, cognitive dissonance, etc and cannot view their beliefs with any real measure of objectivity.
We see it regularly where they will something like literally take simultaneous conflicting positions when trying to rationalise problematic issues.
It is similar to how businesses, sportspeople, etc will bring in consultants who may not be experts in that specific field, but can spot problems in methods and processes that the client is too involved to see.

Hope this helped.
 

KWED

Scratching head, scratching knee
The strange thing I see is that people telling their own understanding, the skeptical people call it false because it is a bit different than the actual text. They want it both ways, and are not satisfied :p
Ah, you are talking about religionists who ignore or re-interpret scripture to be more compatible with their personal worldview.
They are free to do that and it is often a good thing, but if a religionist claims that their religion allows X, but their holy scripture explicitly prohibits X, then I can't see the problem with someone pointing that out, regardless of whether they themselves follow that religion.
As I always say, if you have to change a religion so suit your own moral code, maybe it isn't the right religion for you?
 

KWED

Scratching head, scratching knee
True.
But to respect those who do follow a religion should be a normal thing to do
Respect is earned, not demanded. If an ideology promotes sexism discrimination, homophobia, torture, slavery, etc - why does it deserve respect.
Also, you need to appreciate the difference between and ideology and the people who follow it (often simply because of the accident of birth).
Sometimes I think people confuse the concept of "respect" with "tolerant courtesy".
 
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