Humans are too Small

[Dark Horse]

Who's to say what's right to believe in? There are over TEN main religions and HUNDREDS of others. All of these people think they they are the ones who are right; but they're not. We're either ALL right, or we're ALL wrong, does anyone agree with me or am I alone on this one?

Let's say you're a christian and you believe in God and Jesus and the Bible and stuff; and then here comes a Muslim, who belives in Alluh and the Quran (sorry about spelling?!) you are going to think to yourself "now he's wrong. I'm right" aren't you? I just don't get it. There are like six billion people in the world; who all belive in different things. who's to say that who's are right?? NO ONE is right, okay? Us humans; we're too small and insignificant compared to the universe....WE ARE WRONG about a lot of stuff, including science and whatever, I'm sure!!

Someone (can't remember who!) said something like "If a lot of people believe a foolish thing, it does not mean it's not a foolish thing"
Agree?

I know, I know, FAITH. But what's faith? Your parents have told you that God EXISTS, so you know that's gotta be true, right? If mommy and daddy believe it, I DO TOO!
I'm sorry if I've offended some people, which I probably have, but that's MY opinion, and I'm a nobody. Who's to say I'm right except for me?
But who's to say YOU'RE right either?

I don't get why people have a need to label themselves....might as well put a sticker on their heads that says "christian" "Jewish" "Muslim".

I think John Lennon is EXTREMELY WISE in his song "Imagine"...the lyrics just about sum up everything I'm trying to say, so if you don't know the song (for some bizarre reason) please listen to it, and just have
AN OPEN MIND

thankyou for reading my rant!

[MegaMadness]

Pretty much the majority of the population is screwed IF one religion is right. YAY!

[ChaosControl]

People with a certain faith will believe in it because they feel it's true, otherwise there would be little point in believing in it. But I agree that they cannot all be right, and sometimes people need to lighten up and accept that not everyone is going to believe the same thing. They have every right to believe differently; nobody is necessarily right, and it's plain ridiculous to make someone's life a misery just because they have a different take on things.

There is quite a difference between accepting that you may be wrong, and being under the impression that your faith is never wrong. Beliefs can be flexible. I'm an atheist and it's my personal opinion that there is no God, but I have no evidence for that. Saying that, I would most likely be very cynical of what others refer to as evidence for their religion. Who knows, maybe if I experience something that converts me, I'll become religious. But not everyone will have the same experience as me, so who am I to say I'm right?

I also agree with your point that humans are unlikely to know everything there is to know about the word. In relation to my point about experience, even if the vast majority of people collectively shared a similar experience, it's never going to be everybody. With six billion people in the world, there will never be an objective, value-free approach that suits everyone.

And even if there was... how could we know it was the truth? We're just humans. Maybe we're seeing the wrong things...

[Brandon]

Put it this way.

If there is such thing as a true religion, then believing in A religion will increase your chances of being in the right one. Like the saying "it's better to have loved and lost instead of be loved at all," I think the same applies to religion; "it's better to be in a religion and proved your religion is wrong, than to be in a religion at all."

[MadPoet]

First off, you don't live your whole life believing in something because your parents do. Truthfully, I think that most people who have been raised into a certain religion eventually grow up, and they reach a point where they start to doubt what they have been taught. It's up to them to decide what they believe, and to come up with their own reasons as to why they believe it. As children we might believe in God simply because our parents do, but eventually that will change.

I'm a Christian, and I don't believe you have to be a part of Christianity to be saved. As long as you believe in God, that's all that matters. Allah could be your God, for all I care. As long as you believe in a supreme being, you're part of the so called "right religion." Jesus was Jewish, after all, yet some Christians believe Jewish people won't be saved? There is no right religion, there are simply belief in God. That's the most important thing.

[Of Mike and Men]

So, what makes you right?

[Dark Horse]

I'm not saying I'm right; that's exactly the point I'm trying to make. That no one is right. Not me, not you. That we are only human; and that we know about basically nothing outside our own heads.

[TheBabyEater]

I'm a Satanist because it's obviously the correct religion.


/sarcasm.

[Cosmo]

Anyone here heard of Inclusivisim?

it's basically the idea that, regardless of which religion you follow, if you follow it and believe in it then all these different religions, all these paths, will eventually lead to the same God. I think, if you hold a religious belief, or that there is a God, that this is how it should be.

But I definitely agree with your main point. Nobody has any idea what's right or not, so it's incredibly arrogant or ignorant to presume your religion is the right one.

[Celestial.]

Originally Posted by MonsterCosmonaut

Anyone here heard of Inclusivisim?

it's basically the idea that, regardless of which religion you follow, if you follow it and believe in it then all these different religions, all these paths, will eventually lead to the same God. I think, if you hold a religious belief, or that there is a God, that this is how it should be.

This is basically what I believe. To me, all religions are just different ways of worshipping the same thing, so they're all equally 'right'. If it feels right for you, and doesn't hurt anyone, then it's fine by me. I've never claimed that my religion is the only right one, nor would I ever say that. I only say that my religion feels right for me, so it's what I follow.

[TheBabyEater]

When I was going through my doubting of Christianity phase, I wasn't ready to not believe in God or Heaven. But the idea that you would go to hell if you simple didn't worship God made me sick to my stomach. I refused to believe in something that wasn't kind, I believed that a God like this didn't deserve to be "worshiped."

So, since I wasn't ready to become an atheist all together, I believed that as long as you were a genuinely good person you went to heaven. Christian, Muslim, Atheist or none of the above.

[JKmadu619]

I am a Christian, Lutheran.

I think most people are against religion, because they don't fully understand what it implies. If it's true or not, no one knows. However I believe there is a God, and a life after death.

Now, Lutheran belief is that all people go to heavan regardless of age, race, or gender as long as they have not had evil in their heart. However God may cleanse them of the evil if they were a believer, who followed his word, and if you showed remorse for your actions.

Also we believe that all religions are the same. There is one God, the names and differences are only created by man.

So no, not all religous people or bigots who are convinced everyone else is wrong and must follow something like sheep. No I don't know for sure if God is out there. However I will believe what I want, and you believe what you want.

Once you start slandering me, or making rude comments about my God and using "Sciences!!1111!!!! It Tru!!!!111!!" to back it up, then we will have a problem. It doesn't matter if you have sciene to prove it, I sitll will have my beliefs and you just looked like an ass for feeling that you are smarter than everyone else and must enlighten them. Same as religious people who do nothing but hand out free bibles and tell everyone they are damned to hell if they don't repent. That is not what religion is about at all.

- Justin

[Megan1]

I'm a Christian and know in my heart that Jesus is God. However, even if you don't believe that, you almost have to admit that some religion is right and some are wrong. If one religion says "you need Jesus to go to Heaven" and another religion says "you don't need Jesus to go to Heaven", ONE OF THEM HAS TO BE WRONG! If one belief system says "God is real" and another belief system says "God isn't real", ONE OF THEM HAS TO BE WRONG! You can't both need Jesus and not need Jesus. There can't both be a God and not be a God. It isn't very possible for all religions to be right. One belief system is right. It isn't possible for all religions to be right because they contradict each other.

p.s. When I capitalized, I wasn't yelling at you....I'm just making that point stand out. lol

[Xujhan]

Originally Posted by JKmadu619

Once you start slandering me, or making rude comments about my God and using "Sciences!!1111!!!! It Tru!!!!111!!" to back it up, then we will have a problem. It doesn't matter if you have sciene to prove it, I sitll will have my beliefs and you just looked like an ass for feeling that you are smarter than everyone else and must enlighten them.

As a person you inherently deserve respect, yes. All people do. Your god though, as an idea, has earned no such consideration. If someone criticizes your god you have two options: join the debate or don't. What you don't have the option to do is demand that the debate stop altogether. If you think that someone's criticism of your religion or your god is too strongly worded, too bad.

Also, the correct phrasing is: "Science, bitches. It works."

Originally Posted by JKmadu619

Same as religious people who do nothing but hand out free bibles and tell everyone they are damned to hell if they don't repent. That is not what religion is about at all.

That is not what your religion is about, sure. Quite clearly, there are a great many people who disagree with you and who think that that is exactly what religion is about. As you say; you have your beliefs and they have theirs. On what grounds do you now say that your approach to religion is right and theirs is wrong?

[JKmadu619]

I never said other religions even have wrong approaches. What I'm saying is that the insane christains (West Borro Baptists for example) are not practicing what they preach. It's fine to have other aproaches, do not bother others with them. Relgion, not religous, it's all the same.

It explains how things work, and in the end it all comes to the same thing, a huge event. Be it the big bang or the explosion God caused, it doesn't matter how it happened, it did and we are here now. Therefore arguing and thinking your theory is better than others is just stupid, seeing how no one witnessed the earth being created, and therefore we have no proof through eyewitnesses.

I realize I do not have to join the debate, but if it's brought to me then what. If I reply I'm wrong, if I don't then I'm avoided conflict because I am wrong. People are too caught up on which religion or sets of ideas are right and wrong, to realize it is all the same thing.

So what I was stating in my post is that I believe the OP was incorrect intheir original post.

- Justin

[Cosmo]

Originally Posted by Xujhan

Also, the correct phrasing is: "Science, bitches. It works."

Fletcher

Take me

[Magic.]

I had this discussion with friends a while ago ... most religions say if you don't believe in their God, then you go to "hell" or the equivalent, so say one of them's right, everyone else goes to hell, and probably quite a lot form that religion for their sins as well, seems like a pretty crappy God to me ...
Personally I have faith that there a higher power than us, but I'm not gonna pretend I have the slightest clue what/who it is. I believe in things like the Big Bang, I just believe it had to be initiated by something. i.e. Big Bang was caused by particle collision, who made the particles? etc. I don't like the label of religion because I don't believe we can know, and I don't think that any God would put so many "rules" on people, especially not one encouraging free choice ...

[MadPoet]

Originally Posted by Mr. Gir

When I was going through my doubting of Christianity phase, I wasn't ready to not believe in God or Heaven. But the idea that you would go to hell if you simple didn't worship God made me sick to my stomach. I refused to believe in something that wasn't kind, I believed that a God like this didn't deserve to be "worshiped."

So, since I wasn't ready to become an atheist all together, I believed that as long as you were a genuinely good person you went to heaven. Christian, Muslim, Atheist or none of the above.

I used to feel the same way, but I read a book that really got me thinking. In the book it pointed out the flaws of a religion that believes being 'good' is the way into Heaven. Actually, God isn't doing us a disservice by requiring you to believe in order to enter Heaven. He's doing us a favor. He's saving us from a life where we constantly question "Am I good enough for what God promised?" There is no possible way for us to earn Heaven. In order to do so, we must be perfect. That doesn't mean you are perfect if you believe in God, but it means that you are cleansed of all your sins. A person with sin cannot enter God's kingdom. It doesn't matter if you live your life a 'good' person. You are still a sinner. And therefore, not good enough for Heaven. It's not about worshiping God. It's not as if He is greedy and demands that we worship him.

That being said, though, I don't believe that nonbelievers will be punished, I just don't believe they will be rewarded either. You might not be worthy of Heaven if you do not believe, but you aren't deserving of Hell.

[Kate*]

I think there's no way to know who's right or wrong until death, but I also think that there is more than one right answer or there wouldn't be different religions. I was raised completely non-religious so I came up with my own belief system by combining aspects from different religions and my own life experience. I wouldn't claim to have or to believe the only right answer or tell anyone else they were wrong. What someone believes, in the end comes down to themselves and the higher power (if any) they believe in.

[Xujhan]

Originally Posted by Afterlife

I used to feel the same way, but I read a book that really got me thinking. In the book it pointed out the flaws of a religion that believes being 'good' is the way into Heaven. Actually, God isn't doing us a disservice by requiring you to believe in order to enter Heaven. He's doing us a favor. He's saving us from a life where we constantly question "Am I good enough for what God promised?" There is no possible way for us to earn Heaven. In order to do so, we must be perfect. That doesn't mean you are perfect if you believe in God, but it means that you are cleansed of all your sins. A person with sin cannot enter God's kingdom. It doesn't matter if you live your life a 'good' person. You are still a sinner. And therefore, not good enough for Heaven. It's not about worshiping God. It's not as if He is greedy and demands that we worship him.

That being said, though, I don't believe that nonbelievers will be punished, I just don't believe they will be rewarded either. You might not be worthy of Heaven if you do not believe, but you aren't deserving of Hell.

So you consider yourself more worthy than every non-Christian in history. Isn't pride a sin?

[TheBabyEater]

Originally Posted by Afterlife

I used to feel the same way, but I read a book that really got me thinking. In the book it pointed out the flaws of a religion that believes being 'good' is the way into Heaven. Actually, God isn't doing us a disservice by requiring you to believe in order to enter Heaven. He's doing us a favor. He's saving us from a life where we constantly question "Am I good enough for what God promised?" There is no possible way for us to earn Heaven. In order to do so, we must be perfect. That doesn't mean you are perfect if you believe in God, but it means that you are cleansed of all your sins. A person with sin cannot enter God's kingdom. It doesn't matter if you live your life a 'good' person. You are still a sinner. And therefore, not good enough for Heaven. It's not about worshiping God. It's not as if He is greedy and demands that we worship him.

That being said, though, I don't believe that nonbelievers will be punished, I just don't believe they will be rewarded either. You might not be worthy of Heaven if you do not believe, but you aren't deserving of Hell.

My biggest problem with religion was the book itself and it's wrongful judgement

[Of Mike and Men]

Originally Posted by ellabella:)

I'm not saying I'm right; that's exactly the point I'm trying to make. That no one is right. Not me, not you. That we are only human; and that we know about basically nothing outside our own heads.

You're misunderstanding the paradox of your statement. You are telling us that no one is right, implying that you're right in saying that everyone is wrong. Thus, not even this belief that you hold, or that you are sharing, is correct. Therefore, this thread is, in essence, paradoxical. As mentioned, if no one is right, then your view that no one is right, is in fact, wrong. It is essentially like skepticism. Good to a point, but redundant when beyond measure. You cannot claim everyone is wrong, without refuting your own argument. Thus, you are implying you are correct to say that everyone is wrong, which means you are wrong and have no business saying that we are wrong. You understand my flow of thought? If we know nothing outside our own heads then how can you say what is inside our heads, is wrong? Rather, you can only say your view of our view is wrong, not that we are wrongs, for how do you know what is outside of your own head? Your view reminds me of an existentialist, to a point. Which, has had some wise philosophers, but the core of their philosophy is fundamentally flawed.

[ReluctantPegasister]

The thing I always like most about Wicca was that it allows for people who don't accept their religion, and teaches that there are many paths to the divine. I myself am not Wiccan, but it is one of my more favored dalliances.

OP says humans are too small in their thinking- I agree, many religions have similar failing instead of different ones. Another chimed in with a Pascal's wager justification "Better to have had a religion proved wrong then none at all" to which I say, Why is it better?

I think I am a perfectly moral person without believing in Jesus, Yahweh, Nirvana, The Lord and The Lady, Pan, Zeus, or any other religion.