Which religion?

[mango_2003]

I am shocked at the numbers of people who would become a non-Christian over becoming a Protestant. Sad.

~mango~

 

[FightingFat]

Dr. Colossus:

Are we limited to real religions? I’d like to be a Jedi…

Brilliant Dr. Colossus! Did you know that in the last U.K. census, 0.7% of the population declared there religious affiliation as ‘Jedi’?

statistics.gov.uk/census2001/profiles/rank/jedi.asp

The British sense of humour eh? :whacky:

As far as the question is concerned, and it’s just a bit of fun, as a lifelong martial artist I think I have come into contact with Buddhism the most and think it has some fascinating concepts and principles-

'If you meet Buddha on the road, kill him"

But Hinduism is wonderful, vibrant, colorful and accepts everyones beliefs as valid- the rite of others to exist if you will. I do think that socio-demographic factors do effect what faith you are, so it is essential we all respect each other. Good thread!

 

[Jermosh]

mango_2003:

I am shocked at the numbers of people who would become a non-Christian over becoming a Protestant. Sad.

~mango~

Thats becuase it is a loaded question. There would not be anyform of christians if there was no Catholic Church. All of Christodom relies on the Holy Apostlistic Catholic Church. So if there was no such thing as Catholic there would be no form of christian religion.

 

[jimmy]

mango_2003:

I am shocked at the numbers of people who would become a non-Christian over becoming a Protestant. Sad.

~mango~

I think alot of those are in a way that if they could not be Christian they would be Jewish, but I also think alot of Catholics think upon the lines that James Joyce did, who left the Catholic Church. When asked, “did you become a protestant?” he said, “I lost my faith, not my reason.”

I have also seen the above attributed to a man named H. L. Mencken. Mencken was not too enthusiastic about any relgion but he respected the Catholic Church and definately looked down upon protestant theology according to thisexcerpt from his book, “Treatise on the Gods”.

hometown.aol.com/dpinstitut/Mencken_Protestantism.htm

 

[Maccabees]

I think Eastern Orthodoxy should be taken out of the eqaution here it is the same church people!
East and West are in schism but is the same one holy catholic and apostolic church the same seven sacraments given to us from christ and to the apostles.
To say you would be Orthodox is like asking a Chineese person what race you would be if not Chineese and he would reply Taiwaneese. It would be the same race their countries are just in a state of schism.
Doesn’t make sense. Now protestnat communites are not in anyway connected to the one holy and catholic church so that would be an option though not for me. I would be a Jew.
Te me there are only 2 real religions in the world Catholcism (yes orthodoxy included) and Judaism. These are the only relgions founded by God and those which have everlasting covenants, Both with inspired tradition from the prophets or in our case the apostles. Sure there are other relgions but when you look closer they really are not true relgion. Buddism is at its core atheistic. Hinduism ins pantheism. Neither come to the conclusion of one true God to me that is the very essence of true religion. Islam and Mormonism are nothing more of plagurism of the holy scitptures tainted by madmen Ie Mohammed and Joseph Smith no new truth can be found here only new heresies.

 

[RBushlow]

mango_2003:

I am shocked at the numbers of people who would become a non-Christian over becoming a Protestant. Sad.
~mango~

You must be counting differently (another reason why this should be a Poll) than I am. Almost all said either Orthodox or Judaism.

 

[FelixBlue]

Thanks for all the replies so far. I see that I was ambiguous in what I was asking and should have made clear that for the first part of the question, Catholicism meant Christian (and thus included all forms of Orthodox and Protestantism, not to say these are equally true).

As for the second part of the question, the ranking or rating of the great world religions (aside from Wicca, which was thrown in more as a…well, I’ll be charitable), I said Christianity and meant it to refer to one of its three expressions, Catholicism, the Orthodox and Protestantism.

As for me, I think I would have to go along with the James Joyce quote above, and simply lose faith. Culturally, however attractive otherwise, both Hinduism and Buddhism would not be options. Judaism seems so tribal.

As for a ranking, I go with:
Christianity (with Catholicism as its fullness)
Buddhism
Hinduism
Judaism
Islam

Again, the thought experiment was supposed to be from the perspective of shelving revelation and going with any other number of persuasive reasons…

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

:There are only two God-made world religions: Judaism and Catholicism. Christianity and Catholicism are synomous. If I were not Catholic, I’d be a Jew (Orthodox Judaism). I would not be Orthodox on both doctrinal and moral grounds.:

How can you be an orthodox Catholic and say this? The Church teaches explicitly that the Orthodox have valid sacraments and are true particular churches, meaning that they are not “man-made” religions. Your implication that they are is unorthodox and not just un-Orthodox.

In Christ,

Edwin

I would be Anglican, Calvinist, or Orthodox.​

The CC might be more attractively Christian if it had more of the qualities of various other religions.

It has profited greatly from Islam in the past - why can’t it profit from other Christianities ? ##