• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Believers should not feel intimidated by so called experts on religion

Secret Chief

nirvana is samsara
I possess all the Holy Books of all the religions

I accept the truth in them all because I have read them and they are all enlightening and teach truth.

You must disagree with your fundamental Baha'i beliefs then because they are in plain contradiction of the essence of Buddhism. It's vaguely tedious to be repeating this for all eternity and beyond, but on this occasion I'm just waiting for my breakfast to be ready.

I do agree that one can sometimes wonder just how much a person has read. Take Buddhsim, as one example:
  • Pali Canon: modern printed editions of the Pali canon run to some fifty volumes
  • Chinese Canon: the Taishō edition of the Chinese Canon comprises fifty-five volumes, each containing some 1,000 pages of Chinese characters
  • Tibetan Canon (aka the Kanjur and Tenjur): comprises 300 traditional poti volumes
- Buddhist Canons
 

MyM

Well-Known Member
Assuming Allah exists, and all the advice you follow is rational.

Why do you need to follow a religion at all? Do you not feel as if you can direct your own life?

lovely question :) ty

In Islam, we believe that we were all born believing in One God, the Creator of the universe of you and me. It is those who you were raised that guides you differently. It is our instinctive behavior inbred in us to go and look for that substance and that is Our Creator. It is instilled in our nature, our hearts and our souls. Example, say this urge one has, often in turmoil or distress, it can overtake oneself and often brings a person back to reality in that there is a Creator. For example, you are on an airplane, and you have just a few seconds before you know you will crash. People raise their hands, they start praying they start whispering, some shout out "Oh God, help us!" and some (like Muslims) start saying the shahada (the declaration that there is only one god and Allah is the only one worthy of worship and Mohammad pbuh is the messenger of God).

Also, in Islam, since we know that Allah created us, we know that He knows what is best for us. He will not lead us astray. He sent HIS guidelines for us to follow and there are circumstances if we do not. That's just the way He wants it and we are not to question Him. It isn't upon us to just say to hell with it and I'm doing what I want. In Islam, Allah says in the Quran,
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ And I did not create the Jinns and the human beings except that they should worship Me."...51:56

In Islam, He gave mankind the free will to choose or refuse. It is your choice.
 

SA Huguenot

Well-Known Member
A religious person who hold a personal belief in any religion or spiritual teaching, has no reason to feel intimidated by a socalled expert on religion....there is not one answer fits all when it comes to spiritual practice.

An expert has an opinion, thats all.
Let them have their opinion, and the best part, just leave them alone :)
They try to tell you "you don't know your own personal belief" :D that is hilerious.
Very true.
 

Mock Turtle

Oh my, did I say that!
Premium Member
For example, you are on an airplane, and you have just a few seconds before you know you will crash. People raise their hands, they start praying they start whispering, some shout out "Oh God, help us!" and some (like Muslims) start saying the shahada (the declaration that there is only one god and Allah is the only one worthy of worship and Mohammad pbuh is the messenger of God).
Also known as God of the trenches (instant converts when death is likely) but where many will not do so. How would one differentiate between those who might cry out for mummy or daddy in such circumstances from those who do so with regards their religious beliefs? Perhaps the same mechanism is at work in the brain and where we just grasp at straws, as to saving us?

I never did so when I was in real danger of dying - too busy dealing with the situation - and perhaps why I survived. :oops:
 

Native

Free Natural Philosopher & Comparative Mythologist

MyM

Well-Known Member
Also known as God of the trenches (instant converts when death is likely) but where many will not do so. How would one differentiate between those who might cry out for mummy or daddy in such circumstances from those who do so with regards their religious beliefs? Perhaps the same mechanism is at work in the brain and where we just grasp at straws, as to saving us?

I never did so when I was in real danger of dying - too busy dealing with the situation - and perhaps why I survived. :oops:

I was just giving you an example. But in Islam, it is inbred in us to believe. It's just you choose not to. :) It's your right since Allah gave you the free will. There is no compulsion in Islam to force you to believe :)
 

MyM

Well-Known Member
I could understand that. But in that case, I think one would have to also claim that they are not true believers, but merely criminals exploiting Islam. I personally don't get the impression that this is the case, but rather that these people are very much religious and feel that they are doing what they believe "true" Islam or God want.

Assuming they are exploiting Islam or the teachings of the Quran, I expect God is not looking at that lightly. So they would obviously then be atheists really, pretending to be Muslims. I doubt that to be the case :D

lol When atrocities that go against the Islamic teachings are performed and then claimed in the name of Islam, it does put a bad stink in the air. Personally I wanna go over there and slap them but might be beheaded myself lol
 

Mock Turtle

Oh my, did I say that!
Premium Member
I was just giving you an example. But in Islam, it is inbred in us to believe. It's just you choose not to. :) It's your right since Allah gave you the free will. There is no compulsion in Islam to force you to believe :)
Inbred, as in you chose to believe such? I wasn't indoctrinated into any particular religious belief, apart from the norm for our society being Christianity, and as to which I started to question quite early on. So perhaps my reaction to approaching death was more natural? And I can't recall crying out for anything.
 

MyM

Well-Known Member
Inbred, as in you chose to believe such? I wasn't indoctrinated into any particular religious belief, apart from the norm for our society being Christianity, and as to which I started to question quite early on. So perhaps my reaction to approaching death was more natural? And I can't recall crying out for anything.


it's on you...
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
And an expertise doesn´t depend of studying a narrow religious cultural heritage, but from studying ALL cultural religions and see if they basically fit together.
First then we can talk of experts . . .
Links to follow up on:
Comparative religion - Wikipedia
Comparative mythology - Wikipedia
Creation myth - Wikipedia
List of creation myths - Wikipedia
Ancient Science. The Ancient and native Way of Knowledge
All religions and spiritual teaching leads toward the same. Just taught in different ways and under different Gods or deities.
 

TagliatelliMonster

Veteran Member
Up to his level of wisdom he hold good understanding, but he never say he know fully, he has still more to understand and work on within him self
That's not an answer to my question.

My doctor doesn't know everything about the human body either - nobody does.
But she's still an expert in medical science, which is why I consult here when there is something up with my health

See, I didn't ask if your teacher was "all knowing".
I asked if he is an expert.

He's teaching, so I'ld assume that he has some level of "expertise" in the matters he teaches, right?
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
That's not an answer to my question.

My doctor doesn't know everything about the human body either - nobody does.
But she's still an expert in medical science, which is why I consult here when there is something up with my health

See, I didn't ask if your teacher was "all knowing".
I asked if he is an expert.

He's teaching, so I'ld assume that he has some level of "expertise" in the matters he teaches, right?
He has his level of wisdom as a spiritual teacher. Nothing more or less. He inly practice sufism
 

Link

Veteran Member
Premium Member
This is why atheists should be welcome in religious forums. Eventually they will learn the scriptures, and they might convert.

On the other hand, atheists might convert theists. They form stronger ideas as they debate, and these ideas forge character.

Ideas can help see where everyone stands. There are a lot of misconceptions from both sides.
 

firedragon

Veteran Member
You must disagree with your fundamental Baha'i beliefs then because they are in plain contradiction of the essence of Buddhism. It's vaguely tedious to be repeating this for all eternity and beyond, but on this occasion I'm just waiting for my breakfast to be ready.

I do agree that one can sometimes wonder just how much a person has read. Take Buddhsim, as one example:
  • Pali Canon: modern printed editions of the Pali canon run to some fifty volumes
  • Chinese Canon: the Taishō edition of the Chinese Canon comprises fifty-five volumes, each containing some 1,000 pages of Chinese characters
  • Tibetan Canon (aka the Kanjur and Tenjur): comprises 300 traditional poti volumes
- Buddhist Canons

Hey. Have you read all of this?

I am interested in reading the Taisho and the Tibetan Canon etc. I have never in my life read a word of it.
 
Top