Religion

[Nalaris]

I just want to point something out and see how many people on these forums agree with it.

1)There is, somewhere in the world or maybe not yet on the world, a religion or combination of religions that is perfectly true. Do you agree?

2)Assuming you do, can it be said that the only reason a person would not join that religion is because they fear to give something up. Do you agree with this as well?

3)Assuming the above two things are true, it could be said that it's better to give that something up and join the religion. Do you agree?

[Dee]

I agree with all.

1) I believe that there is a true relegion. I am a muslim. I know that many people disagree with this, but there will come a time when they will believe. Even if it's after their lives end. But then it will be too late.

2) Yes. People do not want to give up their freedom. They do not want to give up the free will. They can't put their minds around the idea of following rules that cannot be broken. I am not saying that relegious people do not break the rules. I break the rules all the time. But we all make mistakes.

3) Yes, I agree. What are you going to lose anyway? Why not be on the safe side? I mean, you don't have to be very relegious, you can be moderate! Why waste your whole life doing what you want, when deep down inside you, you know that there is a very small chance that there might be a true relegion. What if that chance is true? You will regret it when you know you wasted your whole life doing nothing and worshoping no one.

[BarbaricAvatar]

Edit: not playing.

[sanchez]

The new pope once called moral relativism the greatest evil in the world today. I disagree with him, too.

[SekoETC]

No religion on earth is "perfectly true". I believe in Jesus but I also believe no one can call themselves to be a perfect follower, and claim their way of faith is the right way to believe. All churches have their bad sides and all people are sinners, no matter how hard they try to live right.

[Antichrist_Online]

I believe there's a Truth. But I think it is found by reading between the lines and avoiding organised religion and other people's propaganda. I believe that Budda, Mohammad (sp?) and Abraham all found it and their explainations were all corrupted in the writing down.

[KiNG KiLL]

I disagree with 1,2 and 3.

Religion is something a group of people decides to be something true, but at the same time can not be proven. All right, "not proven in the sence you are use to", you might say. But how else is something true? What is true may vary from each individual you may say... but that is obviously not correct. We all agree on many number of things, because it is something we all can feel and appreciate. Religion may not be evil in itself, but it divides people in a very unecessary way. You actually go to war and kill each other it great numbers because of what someone wrote a very long time ago. Why is it that someone today can say that Islam is the right answer to how one should live and think, when no one really knows that it actually is true? And wich one of us has ever read the original bible?

All of you people that are religious, you know you wouldn't believe in what you do, if you had been born in another continent. Doesn't that thought bother you? It's not like God or Allah or whoever has spoken to you directly, given you specific instructions. No, it's your parents, your society.
Had I been born in Iran or in the deep jungles of Africa, I would probably be religious in one way or the other. That thought scares me. I would have firmly believed that I was 100% right in my faith. Now... I can look upon all the religions as stories that people somehow has started to accept as the truth. I am really planning on starting to believe in Greek mythology, just for the sake of it... "ah, but those are just ancient stories, too incredible and ridiculous to believe in"... *sigh*

Look at the scientologists. They believe in a science fiction book written not too long ago. They honestly believe in it! I think it's a wonderful example of how religion is created. What difference if it's written now, 50 years go, 2000 years ago or even before that? Is it more true the older it is? No.

[Dee]

All of you people that are religious, you know you wouldn't believe in what you do, if you had been born in another continent. Doesn't that thought bother you? It's not like God or Allah or whoever has spoken to you directly, given you specific instructions. No, it's your parents, your society.

You might be right. I thought a lot about this specific point. I know that I was born in a different society, I would have had very different beliefs and point of views. And I can only thank Allah that I am born here, in Egypt, surrounded by relegious people.

I also sometimes think that wherever I was to be born, I would have still believed in Islam. Well, of course I don't know that for sure, but just a feeling that I have.

Edit: But even now I do have the choice of believen in whichever relegion I choose.. God gave us that option. But I still choose to believe in Islam, not just because my parents are, nor because the society I live in wouldn't approve of it.. But because I'm a true believer.

[KiNG KiLL]

I also sometimes think that wherever I was to be born, I would have still believed in Islam.

Dee, How could you possibly believe in Islam if you've never heard of it? I didn't know Islam existed until I was perhaps 8 or 9 years old. Perhaps not even then. All I knew was christianity and not even as a child did I for one second made the assumptaion that the stories would be considered as truth. So I have never gotten the chance to start believing in a religion, just as you probably have never actually gotten the chance to believe in something besides Islam? I guess if Allah has blessed you with faith, Dee... someone, something, unknown has instead blessed me with "questioning"...

[Nixit]

I voted that I disagreed with all of them. Though perhaps I should have not taken sides.

I was (and still am) raised as a Unitarian Universalist, which essentially gives its members the right to search for their own true beliefs and meaning in life. We do have base principles, though, and they are principles on how to live life and treat other people and the world.

It does not say anything, however, about what we, as a congregation, believe in in terms of God, spirituality, et cetera. So, within our church, we have Bhuddist-UU's, Christian-UU's, Aethiest-UU's, et cetera, but we all come together to worship in the same place; together, yet individual.

Personally, I haven't decided whether there is a God or not. Sometimes I think there is, sometimes I don't. But I don't especially like the uniformity that often goes with religion. I think that the different concepts and beliefs should be always out there, but that it should still be possible (though it wouldn't have to happen) to have people from different beliefs able to come and worship in the same place.

Most likely, I am naive about the specifics of the different religions, and there might be some reasons why that might not be possible, but I think that would be a really cool thing to see.

That was long.

[Joshuamonkey]

Ok, I disagree partly on 2, but I voted supporting all anyway. There are plenty of other reasons for not joining a religion. Law, unbelieving, morals, jobs. All that kind of stuff.
I'm a Mormon. (I hope you've realized this by now, take a look at my sig.)
I believe everyone is judged by what they know, so people who never hear of the "true" gospel can still go heaven and the celestial kingdom.Oh wait, am I the only one who knows what the celestial kingdom is?

So even if not everyone knows about the religion, its still good to tell people the truth, right? And get more people to follow the good standards. Even if they don't believe, its still good to do what right. And along with that, for the second coming, every nation has to hear of the true gospel or something like that. And our church does baptisms for the dead and things like that.
Almost everyone in a religion thinks their religion is right, or they wouldn't be in it.(atleast the ones that actually go to church) I'm one of them...

Most likely, I am naive about the specifics of the different religions, and there might be some reasons why that might not be possible, but I think that would be a really cool thing to see.

I'll make another topic. Go there!

[Oasis]

I was (and still am) raised as a Unitarian Universalist, which essentially gives its members the right to search for their own true beliefs and meaning in life. We do have base principles, though, and they are principles on how to live life and treat other people and the world.

It does not say anything, however, about what we, as a congregation, believe in in terms of God, spirituality, et cetera. So, within our church, we have Bhuddist-UU's, Christian-UU's, Aethiest-UU's, et cetera, but we all come together to worship in the same place; together, yet individual.

I have never heard of this before, though I think it sounds amazing. I have never been one who has grasped onto a formal religion, though I was raised Protestant, and frequented a Catholic church when I was older.

That doesn't mean I don't believe in God, no matter what his name, or some kind of heaven, no matter what it's called.

I think, and maybe I'm naive of many religions, nor am I used to discussing religion like this.........but that at least many believe in the same things, just call them by different names, have different stories, a few other variances such as policy, beurocracy and history. But the basic beliefs are the same.

So why shouldn't people come together to worship? It makes a lot of sense to me.

[the_antisocial_hermit]

That doesn't mean I don't believe in God, no matter what his name, or some kind of heaven, no matter what it's called.

I think, and maybe I'm naive of many religions, nor am I used to discussing religion like this.........but that at least many believe in the same things, just call them by different names, have different stories, a few other variances such as policy, beurocracy and history. But the basic beliefs are the same.

This is how I've kind of looked at these things, too...

[Phalynx]

Everyone has a religion, I'd go so far as to say that Atheism is a relgion...

By definition someone, somewhere, has a set of beliefs that is as near to truth as humanly possible... They prob don't know they have found the one true faith *grins*

[Dee]

I guess if Allah has blessed you with faith, Dee... someone, something, unknown has instead blessed me with "questioning"...

You think I never questioned my relegion? Of course I have questioned it, many, many times. That's how my beliefs stay strong.

When I was younger, I seriously considered joining Christianity, mainly because they believed in the same God, and also because I wanted to try something new. But I also wanted to be rational about it, so I read more, understood more, and for me, I decided the true relegion was Islam.

We all question our beliefs, that's why we were born with brains. And if you're not convinced with what you found yourself born into, then just find something that suits you and makes you more comfortable. You will gradually find the truth.