Re: How do you know "your" religion is the "correct" one?

[eric42434224]

It just makes clear we need a new Bible.  One that uses exapmles that are relevant to today, and uses clear language with specific instruction.  Bible 2.0

[William Wallace]

It just makes clear we need a new Bible.  One that uses exapmles that are relevant to today, and uses clear language with specific instruction.  Bible 2.0

This new Bible should include emoticons and other socially relevant language, too. lol

[Dr. SeaWolf]

And Jesus said as he ascended into heaven "ROFL KTHXBAI SUXORS LOL :-PPPPP"

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

I would so totally read that Bible.

[Fiery Winds]

Hef, I have found that your particular convictions, as admirable as they are, do not reflect the majority of Christians' views.

rumborak

I know.  But I would think that most of them would also affirm that the Bible is not the "source" of their faith, but that an encounter/experience of God is the source.  The Bible helps out, but I have never heard of anyone just picking up a Bible, reading it, and saying "Yep, that sounds good to me!" and becoming a Christian.

I'm curious about that too, Hef.  Do you have scriptural support for that?  I was looking at Romans 10 (whole chapter for context) which states clearly that faith comes by hearing the Word of God.  I don't doubt your experience at all, but I'm not so sure that it's necessary or a substitute for the Word. 

[hefdaddy42]

Does the phrase "Word of God" always refer to the Bible?

[bosk1]

Yeah, I've seen that one and variations of it quiet a few times.  It's kinda cute/funny the first time through.  But it's such a straw man that it completely misses the point.

Well, the point in all this is that when I'm in another long drawn out conversation with my mother about something and she pulls out her standard "It says it in the bible!!!" card, these will be my comebacks to her.

"Oh, but that was then, those don't apply."

"But the example that fits your argument DOES apply?  I see."

She will get flustered, realizing that (to a degree), I'm right and she doesn't have all the answers, but she will defend the discrepancy tooth and nail.  It will be a beautiful day for me. 

EDIT:  Also, #4 - "Should I smite them?"  That's funny shit, right there.

Oh, I understand what you are saying.  And, look, I don't deny that some people do arbitrarily pick and choose.  But some "pick and choose" because there is a valid reason.  Fpr example, there is clearly a command in the Bible to build an ark and put certain animals in it.  Should I build an ark and put animals in it and tell other people they better do the same?  No because it is clear that is not a general command to all people.  Whether you believe the story of Noah is literal or merely a parable, the narrative describes a specific command that a specific person was to carry out.  Obvious from the conteext.  The context may be less obvious to someone who is not as familiar with the Bible, but the things cited in that article refer to commandments that were given specifically to Jews that were part of the Hebrew nation as a "people set apart for God," and not for anyone else.  So, yes, saying those don't apply to me is "picking and choosing," but it's picking and choosing because those rules don't apply to me.  It's no different than if I choose not to follow the rules in the California Vehicle Code for what color police lights I can have on my car, what markings and stickers I should have on it, etc.  Although those are laws, and there are parts of the VC that do apply to me, those don't apply to me because I don't have a police car.  

EDIT:  And, yeah, I agree.  It's funny.

[Bombardana]

...authors who clearly had no idea what they were talking about.

Ironic.

Doubly ironic.

[William Wallace]

...authors who clearly had no idea what they were talking about.

Ironic.

Doubly ironic.

Your mom's ironic.

[fsh3702]

Buddhism depends on the idea that all beings are connected through a type of energy beyond the material realm. When you are reasonably advanced at meditation you can "feel" this energy. I have "felt" this energy too. I use quotation marks because feeling is not the right word, but it's impossible to explain it to others that haven't experienced it. That's how I know emperically my religion is correct. I'm personally not sure if I could believe in something you can't empirically determine. So if I weren't a Buddhist I'd probably be an atheist (although you could call Buddhism atheism).

hi, are you saying you can observe through meditation the 6 existence forms stated by the buddhism theory, which are creatures in hell, ghost, animal and human( of sourse) and asura and heaven? 

sorry, i think you know what i mean, i don't know the precise expression of the 6 forms.

[Adami]

Oh god I can't stand Mahayana, at least what it's become once it had sex with New Age.

[fsh3702]

i don't know much about bible.

i think all religions are the same spirit, there are different gods, which in buddhism i believe they are called "Bodhisattva", these bodhisattvas are a high level form of existence than human, sometimes they present themselves in fleshy form for the purpose of salvage of human and every kind of creature.

there are so many things we don't understand, for example "the dark matter", "why we are human and some creatures are animals?","why we can only live for several decades?" human always has limitations.

[Adami]

What? Buddhism has no gods or spirits, unless people bring them in from different beliefs. A Bodhisatva is someone who has reached enlightenment, not a god or spirit. They don't present themselves in different forms. Unless you're discussing Karma, in which case the entire point of being a Bodhisatva is to escape Karma, so they're not coming back at all.

And I have no idea what you're talking about with dark matter. Humans are animals, just like other creatures.



I seriously can't make sense of the last sentence or so of your post.

[El JoNNo]

Reminds of the conversation between a minister and Richard Dawkins, now this minister is African and very black with the stereo-typical feature and all. Dawkins states that we are all African Apes and explains our evolution and migration etc... Someone on youtube edited to so it has Dawkins just calling him an African Ape and the Minister just standing there speechless

I'd link it but I'm at work.

[In The Name Of Rudess]

Buddhism depends on the idea that all beings are connected through a type of energy beyond the material realm. When you are reasonably advanced at meditation you can "feel" this energy. I have "felt" this energy too. I use quotation marks because feeling is not the right word, but it's impossible to explain it to others that haven't experienced it. That's how I know emperically my religion is correct. I'm personally not sure if I could believe in something you can't empirically determine. So if I weren't a Buddhist I'd probably be an atheist (although you could call Buddhism atheism).

hi, are you saying you can observe through meditation the 6 existence forms stated by the buddhism theory, which are creatures in hell, ghost, animal and human( of sourse) and asura and heaven?  

sorry, i think you know what i mean, i don't know the precise expression of the 6 forms.

I think you mean the levels of consciousness one can reach through meditation. Consciousness levels are on a gliding scale, so you can't really say how many levels there are, but humans have roughly 5 levels of consciousness:

1. Dreamless sleep
2. Sleep with dreams
3. Normal consciousness, here you are still connected to your subconscious through your ego. >95% of people in western society are stuck in this state while they are awake.
4. Consciousness freed from the ego, but not yet in touch with nature.
5. Free from suffering and completely in touch with nature, or enlightened. Enlightened people can choose to be in this state at all times.

Levels 4 and 5 can be reached, or "observed" as you stated it, through meditation. When you are in level 5 you can perceive other existence forms too, animals for example. I hope this answered your question.  

Oh god I can't stand Mahayana, at least what it's become once it had sex with New Age.

I don't see how that has anything to do with what he said. The New Age bit, that is.

I seriously can't make sense of the last sentence or so of your post.

Give him a break, English obviously isn't his first language.

[Dublagent66]

What did the W.O.P.R. say in Wargames?  "The only winning move is not to play."   

[rumborak]

there are so many things we don't understand, for example "the dark matter", "why we are human and some creatures are animals?","why we can only live for several decades?" human always has limitations.

Magnets.  I mean seriously, when will we figure out those?

rumborak

[emindead]

I dunno, really. Adami made me doubt of my religion. R.E.M. helped, too.

what did I miss?

My joke!

[rumborak]

I think if there is a correct religion, we don't know about it yet. I would think a correct religion wouldn't have to shroud itself in allusion and hearsay.

rumborak

[yeshaberto]

I dunno, really. Adami made me doubt of my religion. R.E.M. helped, too.

what did I miss?

My joke!

    you worried me for a day

[Adami]

Damn. And here I thought I had single handedly disproven god, and not even on purpose.


DAMN YOU FALSE HOPE!

[yeshaberto]

it wasn't single handed anyways, it was also REM

[Adami]

it wasn't single handed anyways, it was also REM

Nah, just me.

[Sigz]

Adami = Michael Stipes?!?!

[Adami]

Adami = Michael Stipes?!?!

No, I've disproven god, I'm clearly the devil.

[Zook]

.......... So you're Michael Stipes then?

[William Wallace]

I think if there is a correct religion, we don't know about it yet. I would think a correct religion wouldn't have to shroud itself in allusion and hearsay.

rumborak

Well, the true religion is Scientology. Problem solved. 

[Zook]

You're glib.

[zerogravityfat]

trick question, all religions are false mythical tales.

[Zook]

Prove it! ... Oh wait I agree with you.

[FinkPloyd]

The truth is over there, walk into the light.

[AwakeFromOctavarium]

Well the truth is, a lot of people do not know as much about other religions as Christianity. They only know basic ideas, like how Islam has Muhammed as prophet and they do not believe that Jesus is God and stuff, but they do not know the details, like the scriptures, practices, etc., as much as they know about Christianity. and I think it's the same for most of the believers of other religions, except in the context of theirs.

Well this excludes, of course, those people who study about many religions.

[eric42434224]

Well the truth is, a lot of people do not know as much about other religions as Christianity. They only know basic ideas, like how Islam has Muhammed as prophet and they do not believe that Jesus is God and stuff, but they do not know the details, like the scriptures, practices, etc., as much as they know about Christianity. and I think it's the same for most of the believers of other religions, except in the context of theirs.

Well this excludes, of course, those people who study about many religions.

The amount of depth and detail one knows about any religion has nothing to do with if the religion is in fact "correct".

[In The Name Of Rudess]

Well the truth is, a lot of people do not know as much about other religions as Christianity. They only know basic ideas, like how Islam has Muhammed as prophet and they do not believe that Jesus is God and stuff, but they do not know the details, like the scriptures, practices, etc., as much as they know about Christianity. and I think it's the same for most of the believers of other religions, except in the context of theirs.

Well this excludes, of course, those people who study about many religions.

That's right. Most people in Western society are either Christian, agnostic or atheist, since they don't know much (or anything) about other religions. This is ofcourse also true for people in countries where Islam/Buddhism/Hinduism etc. is prevalent. In most countries where Islam is the main religion it's even forbidden to have material regarding any other religion. I think it's understandable for a lot of people not to know anything about other religions if they're just not interested in the subject. But it does make someone look kind of stupid when they come into a thread like this saying "God doesn't exist" or "all religions suck and don't make any sense (basically)" while they don't know anything other than Christianity. Or not even Christianity.

[In The Name Of Rudess]

Well the truth is, a lot of people do not know as much about other religions as Christianity. They only know basic ideas, like how Islam has Muhammed as prophet and they do not believe that Jesus is God and stuff, but they do not know the details, like the scriptures, practices, etc., as much as they know about Christianity. and I think it's the same for most of the believers of other religions, except in the context of theirs.

Well this excludes, of course, those people who study about many religions.

The amount of depth and detail one knows about any religion has nothing to do with if the religion is in fact "correct".

Indeed. But the purpose of this thread (I think) is not to objectively prove that one's religion is correct but to show your opinion on which religion you believe to be correct and to give your opinion about other people's views. It's impossible to give your opinion on some else's views if you don't have any knowledge regarding their views.