Why pick one religion over another?

[Inego_de_Loyola]

Actually I do know right from wrong. What is Morrally good and bad as absolute fact. To pretent this is not NOT true is plain and simply denial of God. A postion that lacks creedence, fact. logic and truth.

God allows you to choose what you will. That no way implies that He will tolerate it or in the long term, permit it.

But your freewill [by the way how and where did you get this freewill?] allows you to pretend to know more, and know better than God. Your not the first, nor the last to do so. But all of you have a common ending and you’ll have lot’s of time to rethink your position.

May God grant you wisdom. understanding, pardon and peace!

Love and prayers,
Pat

Why the abuse if we’re playing for the same team?
(BTW my previous post came off as a little arrogant and i apologize as that was unintentional, I was being kicked off the computer so I didn’t have a chance to fix it.)

 

[PJM]

=Inego de Loyola;6388715] Why the abuse if we’re playing for the same team?
(BTW my previous post came off as a little arrogant and i apologize as that was unintentional, I was being kicked off the computer so I didn’t have a chance to fix it.)

My responce was to the poster YOU were responding too. Sorry:blush:

 

[Inego_de_Loyola]

Okay, that makes much more sense.

 

[Lethe]

Lethe,
If you narrow your search to a series of faiths that have some form of Golden Rule in place, then how does the Golden Rule fit into the faiths with the other rules and tenants in those faiths? Are their exceptions to the Golden Rule? What about Just War, Jihad, or the Natural Law? What about how you treat not just your friends, but your neighbors and your enemies? How do the other rules interact with the Golden Rule? How is the Golden Rule shaped? Is it bent out of shape? Don’t forget that the differences between the faiths make a difference to those searching. Question and research if you are curious my friend, but this is just my simple understanding.
Humblelurker Out.

Well I think this is precisely my problem with many organised religions - they do have certain rules that go against the Golden Rule. (I’m not sure that Buddhism does, but as a westener, it has always seemed foreign to me - I don’t consider that a bad thing, only that I’m not sure I would ever felt I belonged as a Buddhist.)

I tend to just stick to my own morals where I can, but I do sometimes feel there’s a bit of a gap; a human need for God, if you will.

 

[mchrisman]

In terms of religion preference, what you miss is that ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ are also relative. You seem to think that there is a fixed ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ religion.

The practice of the dhamma is right for me but it is wrong for others. This does not bother me. It helps me deal with suffering in my life. Other people’s religions help them deal with suffering in their life.

I’ve read somewhat about most of the religions. Dhamma practice just made the most sense to me and helps me more than other religions. To others, though, dhamma practice may not satisfy what they are looking for. In terms of religion, one religion may be right for one person and wrong for another. You may have people exclaim “What AJTheMan says is untrue, because my holy book clearly shows that my religion is right for everyone, it is a fact!” Disregard this. They think that their religion is the universal truth. Their religion is the universal truth to them but not to others who disbelieve.

How can there be more than one universal truth? How can truth contradict itself? What you believe as a Buddhist is contrary to what I believe as a Catholic Christian. How then can both beliefs still be true? Human logic and reason leads us to the fact that there is one true Creator of all that is. Truth is seldom about what feels good to us or what is convenient for our subjective life choices.

 

[mchrisman]

Well, my religion is different in that it holds Chaos to be just as important as Order. We also worship Eris, Goddess of Chaos, and she is our patron deity. It also has no hierarchy, and it doesn’t have a solid set of morals. It makes you think out of the box. That’s why I like it. I’m a former Catholic, and that’s how I was raised, but I chose to leave.

By thinking “out of the box” you have fashioned your own box. Is this goddess of yours esteemed as an infinite being? Are there any other gods or goddesses acknowledged or regarded by your belief system? Are they seen as being infinite beings?

 

[zz912]

Well I think this is precisely my problem with many organised religions - they do have certain rules that go against the Golden Rule. (I’m not sure that Buddhism does, but as a westener, it has always seemed foreign to me - I don’t consider that a bad thing, only that I’m not sure I would ever felt I belonged as a Buddhist.)

I tend to just stick to my own morals where I can, but I do sometimes feel there’s a bit of a gap; a human need for God, if you will.

And now you’ve fallen into the Relativist camp. You have set yourself up as God, b/c all decisions about right and wrong are made by YOU, not God.

 

[mchrisman]

I have a question for anyone in here who claims that there is no fixed set of morals or any objective right or wrong.

Was what Adolf Hitler did in Germany in the 1930’s right?

Anyone please take the time to answer this question along with a reason why or why not.

God’s peace.

 

[eucharisteo]

why pick one religion over another?

truth

 

[Codec16]

Ok it really seems like everyone is going around in circles here…

Not that i have ever called myself an authority but why does it matter? If someone finds more happiness in one religion vs. another, if they can better benefit the world through that faith instead of the one they were brought up in, why not?

Wouldn’t the world be boring if we were all Catholics?

I think so. And I’d be sad that all that culture had been erased for the sake of “unity.”

 

[LilyM]

Ok it really seems like everyone is going around in circles here…

Not that i have ever called myself an authority but why does it matter? If someone finds more happiness in one religion vs. another, if they can better benefit the world through that faith instead of the one they were brought up in, why not?

Wouldn’t the world be boring if we were all Catholics?

I think so. And I’d be sad that all that culture had been erased for the sake of “unity.”

Religion is meant to make people feel happy? What if my religion which makes me feel happy tells me that killing babies as a sacrifice for the gods is a good thing? A fair few religions have taught just that, you know. No-one who is living in spiritual delusion can possibly be truly or completely happy, either on earth or in the hereafter.

France, Italy, Spain, Germany, England, Ireland, Scotland - all countries with long and proud Catholic traditions, all very VERY different culturally, even prior to the Reformation when they were all Catholic. By the way, also have a look at the 20-odd sui juris churches that are in communion with the Pope - huge differences in language, liturgy and culture between Coptic Catholics and Maronite Catholics, between Ruthenian Catholics and Syro-Malabar or Syro-Malankara Catholics.

Catholicism in no way means the erasing of culture - what on earth gave you that idea?

If the whole world became Catholic it would be as Jesus prayed for it to be - we would all be one as He and the Father are one, acknowledging the one Truth and worshipping together the source of that Truth. In the fulness of the knowledge that He has given us, instead of some worshipping partial or extremely wrong and distorted perversions of that Truth.

What did Jesus say - ‘the Truth will set you free’? What does that mean if not that possessing the Truth will always better enable us to be good people, serve others and save our souls and potentially theirs too, than possessing any shred of untruth? It’s a non-sequitur to assume that someone can possibly do their best when their faith is based in whole or part on lies or untruths.

It would mean we had finally fulfilled the commission He gave the Apostles, which was to make disciples of ALL the nations, not only baptising them in the name of the Trinity but teaching them His commandments - in other words the fullness of belief and practice that make up the Catholic faith to which the Holy Spirit led the Apostles.

 

[schaick]

That’s a bit circular, though… I’m sure the Koran says within its own pages that it is the right and only religion…

That remind me of this:

How do you know God exists?
The Bible says He does.
How do you know the Bible is true?
It’s the word of God.

Yes it does.

One thing about the Quran though it was simply one man Mohammad that was visited by an “angel”. Just his word for it. No other signs or witnesses.

In the Holy Bible we have many, many witnesses, signs and most importantly fulfillment of prophecy- really the only way a Book can even begin to be proven that it is from GOD.

 

[Sagefrakrobatik]

Ummmm, no, you can’t be a buddhist and a Christian, or a buddhist and a Jew. Buddhism rejects the concept of an eternal soul, and Christianity and Judaism reject the notion of kharma, or the concept of enlightenment coming from within, instead of from God. Christianity also rejects the buddhist tenet of the individual attaining heaven or nirvana by themselves.

Have you read a book called Like Buddha Like Jesus?

Does it?

Because if you seriously and deeply study the others, you will clearly see that something is so very very wrong…

As I say, look at the others very indepthly and you will see why I have stuck with mine.

Ok whats wrong with Sikhism?

 

[Moro_Rock]

The whole point of religion is Jesus. It is based on the most unique human being who ever lived.
Every other religion is valid only insofar as it leads its followers to Jesus

 

[Bill_Pick]

It seems so relative… all the major religions have their holy books, their morals, their assertions that they are right… How can you then pick one and stick to it so closely, when you could have picked the wrong religion anyway?

Why pick a church that was started by a man,why not pick a Church that was started by Our Lord Jesus Christ MK 16;18=19

 

[Glassman96]

Ok it really seems like everyone is going around in circles here…

Not that i have ever called myself an authority but why does it matter? If someone finds more happiness in one religion vs. another, if they can better benefit the world through that faith instead of the one they were brought up in, why not?

Wouldn’t the world be boring if we were all Catholics?

I think so. And I’d be sad that all that culture had been erased for the sake of “unity.”

Wouldn’t the world be a better place if everyone would just Love God and Love One Another as Jesus taught without all this orginized religion?

It seems that anytime man tries things his way, he manages to throw things out of balance.

 

[humblelurker]

Well I think this is precisely my problem with many organised religions - they do have certain rules that go against the Golden Rule. (I’m not sure that Buddhism does, but as a westener, it has always seemed foreign to me - I don’t consider that a bad thing, only that I’m not sure I would ever felt I belonged as a Buddhist.)

I tend to just stick to my own morals where I can, but I do sometimes feel there’s a bit of a gap; a human need for God, if you will.

I noticed you said many but not all. What religions do you feel, other than Buddhism, fit when it comes to the Golden Rule? One question you may ask yourself is, “Are my thoughts on the subject a guess or do I have dogmatic proof from the dogmas of the different faiths?” Personally I think the gap you feel may be God calling you closer. I believe this is a good sign, so don’t give up and keep exploring.

Humblelurker returning to lurker mode…

 

[rinnie]

It seems so relative… all the major religions have their holy books, their morals, their assertions that they are right… How can you then pick one and stick to it so closely, when you could have picked the wrong religion anyway?

Because of the Eucharist. The CC has the Holy Eucharist. If you stick with the Holy Catholic Church you have the promise from God that you picked the right Church, The RCC is the Church that the Pope is in, and the Pope had the Church handed down to him.

 

[Moro_Rock]

Well I think this is precisely my problem with many organised religions - they do have certain rules that go against the Golden Rule. (I’m not sure that Buddhism does, but as a westener, it has always seemed foreign to me - I don’t consider that a bad thing, only that I’m not sure I would ever felt I belonged as a Buddhist.)

I tend to just stick to my own morals where I can, but I do sometimes feel there’s a bit of a gap; a human need for God, if you will.

Hi Lethe , the first thing you should understand is that God is not a God of confusion.
If a man was sent from God with an important message for mankind it is reasonable to suppose that God would pre-announce him to support his claim.
If God did not pre-announce his servant-messenger then any imposter , anytime in history could say " I have come from God" or "This message was given me by an Angel in the desert "
Neither Socrates or Buddha or Confucius were pre-announced or expected
But, because of the Old Testament prophecies the advent of Jesus was not unexpected
There is God’s promise to the Patriarchs that through them , all the nations of the earth would be blessed.
The prophecy that the Tribe of Juda would be supreme until the coming of Him whom all nations would obey.
The Septuagint Bible of Alexandrian Jews] prediction of virgin birth of the Messiah.
The prophecy of Isaiah 53 about the Suffering Servant who would lay down His life as a guilt offering.
The promise of the everlasting kingdom of the House of David

Also, there was much expectation in the rest of the world
And, of course, the Magi had heard the many Jewish prophesies as well as the prophecy made to the Gentiles by Daniel centuries before.

 

[Sagefrakrobatik]

Hi Lethe , the first thing you should understand is that God is not a God of confusion.
If a man was sent from God with an important message for mankind it is reasonable to suppose that God would pre-announce him to support his claim.
If God did not pre-announce his servant-messenger then any imposter , anytime in history could say " I have come from God" or "This message was given me by an Angel in the desert "
Neither Socrates or Buddha or Confucius were pre-announced or expected
But, because of the Old Testament prophecies the advent of Jesus was not unexpected
There is God’s promise to the Patriarchs that through them , all the nations of the earth would be blessed.
The prophecy that the Tribe of Juda would be supreme until the coming of Him whom all nations would obey.
The Septuagint Bible of Alexandrian Jews] prediction of virgin birth of the Messiah.
The prophecy of Isaiah 53 about the Suffering Servant who would lay down His life as a guilt offering.
The promise of the everlasting kingdom of the House of David

Also, there was much expectation in the rest of the world
And, of course, the Magi had heard the many Jewish prophesies as well as the prophecy made to the Gentiles by Daniel centuries before.

have you ever thought to see what Jewish scholars have to say on the issue of messianic prophecies in the bible. For example there is a suppose prophecy in Daniel that predicts the exact date however Jews point to how the text is mis intrepreted. I’m not in the mood to get into detail but just wanted to make that point.