For people who have a really strong Faith?

Question

This is a question for people who have an unshakeable belief in whatever Faith they belong to, and think theirs is the only true religion.

If you were given up at birth, and adopted into a family who were devout believers of a different religion to the one you believe in now, what do you think your faith would be? The one you were brought up with in your adopted home, or the one you believe to be true today?

...ok, so this is probably a stupid question, I mean, the obvious answer would be the faith you were brought up with, because you wouldn't know any different, but I suppose thats the point...

There are a lot of people on here slagging off other people's faiths, or defending their own in a way which insults non-believers of that faith.

Why is Religion, of any kind that preaches peace, tolerance and love, a cause for fighting, unacceptance and hate?

...its crazy...

Answer 1

Ok I don't believe in God at all, I don't follow any religion although my Grandmother on my Dad's side was a devout Catholic and my mother is a Christian, I was sent to Sunday school as a child and brought up Christian. As an adult I have read the bible and looked into many religions to try and understand them and see if any moved me but hey didn't. I would say though that although I don't believe in worshipping a God, I can see why others do and respect them for that.

The one bit of the Bible I read as making sense, is that we come from the soil and go back to the soil and that we can take nothing with us. Our bodies are borrowed and it is up to each individual to do the best they can in the time they have.

It dose not matter which religion you look at there is good and bad in them all, religion can bring an inner peace to some people but as recent events have shown and also through the centuries before it also brings a lot of pain.

I have a strong faith in mankind and in knowing that if the sun does not come up in the morning it wont matter which faith you believe in.

Answer 2

Tolerance and understanding go a long way to alleviate much of the bickering that goes on between people of different faiths.

A "religious" person that tells another "religious" person that he/she is doomed, is not advancing his/her own point of view. Rather he/she is pushing others away from what he/she believes by being bigoted, obstinate, and - well, dumb.

Now, a "religious" person who lives his/her religion and sets an example to follow by being kind, tolerant, patient, understanding, caring, and loving is more likely to make converts.

This may be a little off track, but it made a good point. A preacher and a bus driver reached the heavenly gates together. The bus driver was shown to an absolutely glorious room where he would spend eternity. The preacher was looking forward to seeing what his eternal resting place would be like given what the bus driver got. The preacher was shown to a rather small, unimpressive but comfortable room. He questioned the gate keeper asking why the bus driver got much better treatment that he, a preacher of God's word, got. The gate keeper responded, "In your life you preached and put people to sleep; the bus driver drove a bus in a way that made people pray."

Answer 3

This is not a stupid Question The answer is real simple. You see reilgion is man made relationship comes only from God . That is why religion is always bashing each other because man always want's to be right have all the right answers and believe what they say is right. But see God say's it's about relationship with him . In order to understand something or someone you have to learn about the individual or object. This is what Jesus taught . He told the religous people of his time that they were missing the whole piont. It's not who is better but who has relationship with the one who ie best and can show us what our real purpose in life is and then the real truth will set you free and you won't need religion because you have relationship. And besides true faith only comes from relationship with the one who is the author of faith.

Answer 4

If your faith is so strong then nobody can shake it. Its not what others ram down your throat. Let them try, and be polite and tell them you disagree. What i have found out is there are people who just cant help themselves from cutting and pasting and trying there hardest to get there point across. Also people with no faith stirring things up does not help. Honestly i thought watching t.v was bad for adverts. I see it here with the same cut and paste or the same preachings going over and over the same old ground.
Your faith should be between yourself and god. If someone ask for advice then give it don't ram it down there throats, or try to say your going to hell because my religion is better. This section on religion is becoming like an advert for each faith. Or should i say a slagging contest. Its Sad really because us with faith should no better. E.g Not to judge others.

Answer 5

Children are hard-wired to trust and believe their parents and elders... and so they do.. And so they are helpless when they are indoctrinated with the insidious, irrational, insane mind-virus that we know as faith-based 'revealed' Abrahamic death-cults of desert monotheism, which are rooted in the myths, superstitions, fairy tales and fantastical delusions of a tribe of ignorant Bronze Age fishermen and wandering goat herders. It is unfortunate that only about 10% - to - 15% of those children eventually acquire the rationality and critical thinking skills necessary to throw off this mental disease. The rest grow up wallowing in willful ignorance and self-deulsion, then procreate and pass the infection on to their progeny.

This is, by far, the most serious and dangerous problem facing humanity today.

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Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion. ~ Steven Weinberg, Freethought Today, April, 2000

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"The fundamental cause of trouble in the world today is that the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt." ~ Bertrand Russell, "Christian Ethics" from Marriage and Morals (1950), quoted from James A. Haught, ed., 2000 Years of Disbelief

Answer 6

I will tell you how this craziness can start. This sounds logical, step by step, but the conclusion is frightening.

1) If people do not believe as we do, then they will go to Hell
2) Going to Hell is the absolute worst thing that can possibly happen
3) As devout believers of (whatever), it is our duty to stop these people from going to Hell. It is an act of love to save them.

This is where it gets scary

4) Whatever we do to a person cannot be as bad as letting them go to Hell
5) We must do whatever we can to save them
6) Even if it means imprisonment, torture, dismemberment
7) If they do not become saved, they are going to Hell anyway, so whatever we do to them will not matter in comparison.

This kind of argument has been used many times and perverts a message of peace and harmony into torture, sometimes even rape and murder.

It's the kind of thinking that causes a Christian father to beat his son until he repents.
It's the kind of thinking that gives rise to "holy" wars.
It's the kind of thinking that occurs all over the world where faiths do not respect each other and do not allow religious freedom for their citizens.
It's the kind of thinking that led to the torture and burning of "heretics" and "witches" in Medieval England.

Answer 7

I think you are asking an interesting question, however you don't understand that for Christians it is God who has come into our lives and He doesn't belong to any one denomination. I don't think you full understand the difference. There are some Christians, or people that claim to be, who are still learning and are what you say here...they are going along with what they have been brought up with. But, there comes a time in some peoples lives when God comes into our lives and calls us to where He wants us, no matter where we began. That is how it is with me and many other Christians I know.

There are people who think it's their place to tell everyone they are "sinners going to hell". That is because their denomination is a condemning one and is full of hell and damnation, that's what their pastors tell them. It is not their place to be doing that really. Then there are the trouble makers, and I see them on here all the time. They pose as Christians and answer questions or ask stupid ones. So, you need to be discerning.

I will not put up with some of the garbage I've seen here and let people know when they are insulting me or God. I will report people I feel are over the edge too. Why should we put up with that?

Answer 8

that depends. If I was never exposed to the religion I believe today, then probably the one I was brought up with. If I was exposed to the religion I believe today, I think I would believe in it. Part of the reason why I do belive what I believe is b/c I have witnessed people in my life living it. If I had no chance to see that b/c of how I was brought up, who knows?

Answer 9

I think it depends on the circumstances they are in. Most people start to explore other religions as they gain some independence from their parents. There are many religions that are really relatively similar in their ethics as far as treating people nicely and doing kind things. Even after you experience other beliefs many people try and settle in on a certain structure as they have children or get older. Many times it goes back to what they were taught as growing up.

So to answer your questions.... personally it would be what i was taught from the environment i was in.

Answer 10

i think many people miss the entire point of faith. If you watch the movie "Dogma", it actually gives a great explanation of the difference between faith and religion. Having faith is a wonderful thing. I personally am a Christian, but am praying that God shows mercy on all souls. The parable of the vineyard and the workers is a great one for me. I hope that God shows his mercy on everyone, not just the ones who have heard his word!!

Good question...or thought, nonetheless