Is there a difference in "BELIEF" (not religion) when comparing Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Wiccans, Satanists, Pagans, et al.? Just the BELIEF! NOT WHO they believe in, nor what they believe.
Belief, in-and-of-itself, is it different?!
2006-06-23 08:25:14 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
No the ability and depth of belief or faith is the same among the worshippers in different religions.
The opposite of demonstrated truth or empirical science, is revealed truth or faith.
All the devotees of a religion have a belief in something greater than themselves and their community. This greater being is normally their god or gods. The believers' faith shapes their actions and their society. Most believers are so convinced that only their group knows the truth that they will kill others who disagree.
Blaise Pascal said: "There is a God-shaped hole in the heart of every man that only God can fill." From the number of different religions around it seems that the ability to believe in something unprovable or abstract is inherent in every human.
The only religion that I can think of that differed slightly from the others was the Ancient Romans who had contracts with their deities. If the deity did not perform according to their contract with Rome then the malfactors temple would be closed and a new god installed.
Thomas Aquinas in his "On Sacred Doctrine" said something along the lines that the object of belief must be true because the faithful can believe in their god.
He splits up acceptance of a faith into:
knowledge that reason affords
Revelation of the supernatural end
Salvation which they must tend by their voluntary acts
The different faiths start off with a basic knowledge, which is built up into a theology. Whether the starting knowledge is:
a "holy" book like the Koran, Bible, Book of Mormon etc. , or a "holy" spot like a Sacred Grove, or
observations of the seasons and astronomical events, or
Onastic revelations to a mystic
the end result is that a religion develops.
Most political systems are not formally recognised as religions but have believers without the trappings of a central godhead.
2006-06-23 09:28:05 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It seems to me.. and don't listen to me because I just ramble.
That Pagans believe more than Christians and others. Pagans don't tell you blah blah is a silly superstition one minute and then turn around and tell you about their own weird belief that is apparently less silly of a superstition than yours, Christians do. This never made sense to me. Pagans will believe in the Christian God, just not worship him, Christians deny the existance of all other Gods. This also makes no sense to me. It's one of those things I just can't understand.
I am getting to your question...
Now, if Christians believe so fervantly in their own stuff and nobody else's, then maybe THEY have stronger belief.
But then, if Pagans believe in more stuff, maybe their belief is stronger?
But then, if Christians, Muslims, etc. believe so strongly based on something as silly as a book, then maybe Pagan belief, which doesn't require a book, is actually stronger. But then, they've got a book to back them up, as flimsy a backup as it might be, so maybe their belief is stronger.
A subjectivity...
2006-06-27 13:33:04 · answer #2 · answered by kaplah 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Everyone has beliefs. We choose beliefs based on many factors.
God believers appear to choose that specific belief based on their need to believe something higher than themselves exists.
There is no credible evidence to support that belief, so people who do not need to believe in a higher power are atheists.
But it is a matter of choice based on individual need.
2006-06-23 15:30:00 · answer #3 · answered by Left the building 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No: belief in any of them is the same as belief in any other. None of them rely upon facts or logic; rather they all require "faith", or belief absent evidence.
2006-06-23 15:28:21 · answer #4 · answered by Blackacre 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well, kinda, Christians have to believe that they can be saved only thru faith, nothing they do can really effect that, some would call it a "blind" faith, while other religions believe more in themselves and their works, hoping that they can be good enough
2006-06-23 15:30:43 · answer #5 · answered by sammi_i_am15 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
even non believers believe! it may be that they believe there is nothing to believe in but they have belief.
2006-06-23 15:29:52 · answer #6 · answered by jon 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't understand this question. There's something you want to say that I'm just not getting.
2006-06-23 15:28:32 · answer #7 · answered by Iamnotarobot (former believer) 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There isn't a differance.
2006-06-23 15:28:51 · answer #8 · answered by mcalano77 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are all the same.
2006-06-23 15:31:12 · answer #9 · answered by LindaLou 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋