Thread: Whose Religion is Right?

Originally Posted by juvenilepunk

Religion, religion, religion. It seems that each year there seems to be new religions crawling from the shadowed corners of the world. Each religion seems to have one thing in common; they proclaim to be "the one true religion". So who exactly is right and who is wrong?

How can we have only one true religion with dozens of religions? Opinions, thoughts?

One obvious conclusion is that they're all bullshit and we shouldn't go around taking things on faith when we have a means of sorting out fact from fiction. Does this make sense to anyone else or am I just crazy?

Originally Posted by PhilosopherStoned

One obvious conclusion is that they're all bullshit and we shouldn't go around taking things on faith when we have a means of sorting out fact from fiction. Does this make sense to anyone else or am I just crazy?

That's one way of looking at it I suppose. I was hoping to get an opinion from someone religious.

The word originally meant something along the lines of to re-align with one. One thing they all have in common is that they advise to do to others what you would want them to do to you. So perhaps they all are? At least for people on those levels of consciousness.

Originally Posted by juvenilepunk

That's one way of looking at it I suppose. I was hoping to get an opinion from someone religious.

Oh. Well then on behalf of most religious people let me offer you an answer in the spirit that you were looking for:

My religion is right!

What, you want a rational explanation? Something with a little more nuance perhaps? OK.

My religion is right because it says it is!

Is that about right?

I think this is only possible when there is a religion where science and religion agree. Then we will have one true religion. I think spirituality is coming pretty close to this, check out my thread in the other forum on this matter:

http://www.dreamviews.com/f96/spirit...cience-109261/

I believe in God, but I also believe in science, and I believe these two can be reconciled. Of course I don't have all the answers yet, so all input is appreciated.


edit; actually now that I come to think of it (just saw the banner on this site advertising about scientology ), scientology is trying to reconcile religion and science isn't it? Sure I do agree it looks like a scam at first, but they do make some good points, and the idea of scientology, joining religion and science is what is important here.

Religion is, as Daniel Dennett and [I think] Richard Dawkins say, a failed science. When early humans were trying to understand the world around them--without the scientific method of course--they simply made up the obvious explanations: invisible beings, magic, gods, rituals, etc.

Somehow humans have made it to the year 2011 and a significant population still practices the mad methods of religion, and say "we're just trying to understand the world!"

The atheists' religion is right.

Hellenic polytheism

no way. Thor would tear through Zeuss so fast your head would spin. I don't want to have set some shrooming berzerkers off on you.

By Poseidon's beard, I will not bow down to your barbarian demons. I shall consult the Oracle of Delphi and if the Olympians wish for war, you shall face the stalwart phalanx of my mighty hoplites!

Guys... the correct answer was 'Mormon'.

*Sacrifices Xei in the name of Ares*


Edit: To stay on topic... I think the huge contrast between all the world's religions makes a strong case for how they are all exaggerated fables.

None.

I'm convinced at least half of the sensible catholics that are left out there are only claiming to be religious just to spite everyone else. Is there a bigger cop-out than 'faith'?

Originally Posted by Spartiate

Edit: To stay on topic... I think the huge contrast between all the world's religions makes a strong case for how they are all exaggerated fables.

I think fighting amongst the religions is on topic. After all, how else would you possibly settle the dispute. The OP very specifically asks which religion is right. I think we should move this thread to the gaming forum. We could play a game of risk (with modified rules agreed upon before hand) between all the different religions to see which one is right. Obviously the one with the stronger god(s) will ensure that the dice roll in such a manner as to ensure the victory of their religion.

EDIT: Dibs on the germanic gods. Spartiate has dibs on thegreek gods and Xei has dibs on (hehe) the mormons.

Nah, the gods/demigods need to battle it out Highlander style. THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE.

Edit: but seriously, Mormon is the one true faith.

The highlander being scottish and the scotts being celts, could I take this as calling dibs on the celts? Does anyone know if the insular and continental celts should be counted as the same or different religions?

Originally Posted by Lynn

None.

don't tell me you've suddenly deconverted.

Originally Posted by nerve

don't tell me you've suddenly deconverted.

I don't believe in RELIGION. Who said anything about God?

If there is a conscious creator to our universe, my money is on the philosophy of the non-theistic deists. Thinking that humans are in any way "special" in a universe as big as ours is as self-centered and closed-minded as thinking Jerusalem was the center of the universe a few thousand years ago.

Obviously, non-theistic deists are not really religious. I think any being capable creating the universe is too amazingly advanced to be so pathetic as to expect worship.

God without religion... what's the point?

Originally Posted by Spartiate

God without religion... what's the point?

There doesn't need to be a "point" for something to be the way it is.

Imagine you're at a beach, and you build a nice sand castle. Then, imagine you go off and play volley ball, and then go home. You don't really care about the sand castle, you just created it to pass the time. But what if a colony of ants or bacteria or whatever spawn in the sand castle. They might wonder how wonderful their home; their universe; really is. They might even worship "the creator" of the sand castle, and have silly arguments about which version of sand-castle-creator-worship is correct. Then, on some sand-castle-internet-forum somewhere, someone says "hey, what if it was just some kid that built a sand castle for no particular reason?" Then someone replies, "sand-castle-creator without sand-castle-creator worship... what's the point?"

Originally Posted by PhilosopherStoned

EDIT: Dibs on the germanic gods. Spartiate has dibs on thegreek gods and Xei has dibs on (hehe) the mormons.

I call dibs on voodoo.

Originally Posted by ChaybaChayba

edit; actually now that I come to think of it (just saw the banner on this site advertising about scientology ), scientology is trying to reconcile religion and science isn't it? Sure I do agree it looks like a scam at first, but they do make some good points, and the idea of scientology, joining religion and science is what is important here.

Scientology has absolutely nothing to do with science. At best, it is flimsy pseudoscience, and at worst, it is semi-incoherent babble dreamed up by a madman...not much unlike the other major faiths of the world.

Cue shitstorm.

Originally Posted by Replicon

There doesn't need to be a "point" for something to be the way it is.

Imagine you're at a beach, and you build a nice sand castle. Then, imagine you go off and play volley ball, and then go home. You don't really care about the sand castle, you just created it to pass the time. But what if a colony of ants or bacteria or whatever spawn in the sand castle. They might wonder how wonderful their home; their universe; really is. They might even worship "the creator" of the sand castle, and have silly arguments about which version of sand-castle-creator-worship is correct. Then, on some sand-castle-internet-forum somewhere, someone says "hey, what if it was just some kid that built a sand castle for no particular reason?" Then someone replies, "sand-castle-creator without sand-castle-creator worship... what's the point?"

I meant to say that we have no "evidence" of creationism except through religion. Religion is where our concept of god and creation comes from.

I think that anybody who believes in god without religion is kidding themselves, they're probably still heavily influenced by religion, especially the Abrahamic ones.