Has Religious belief anything to do with truth?

Question

It is, as far as i am concerned, that the universe is billions of years old. Logic and intelligence tells me this based on what i see and know about the world around me.

So if i was to become a devout Christian would i need to unlearn my knowledge and truth and instead believe faithfully in what is written in the bible i.e. the earth is 6000 years old. Which it quite clearly isnt.

If "Religion has nothing whatever to do with obejctive truth. Never has, never will" then why do so many follow it? Is ignorance a prerequisite for faith?

Josh - the behaviour of the universe can be proved in a labaratory.

steph w - i dont dislike religeon but i do question its place with all the problems in the world that are caused by it.

Answer 1

Logic and intelligence lies to you. The Bible is truth. Check out Mt. St. Helens. The damage done to it in days, appears to have happened over billions of years. What does your logic and intelligence tell you now?

Answer 2

I do not know who came up with this 6000 yaers old is scripture but who ever it was is somebody who has a very high need for structure. One must take what is written and also what is not written. One of the things not ruled out is that the universe is more than 6000 years old. When somebody makes a ridiculus statement like that just ask them for the proof in scripture. Then go to that place and start a page earlier and read a page past and then you will know what scripture says and in my experience most scientific beliefs were revealed in scripture b4 man discovered the truths.
Example scripture tells of gold so pure it is clear. Man was unable to make gold pure enough to observe this quality b4 the 20th century. Scripture tells us to make that cut on male babys on the 8th day but no one knew why that was the best day until the 60's.

Some science seems to contradict the Bible but at the root of those you will find a rebellion against God and those sciences are partial in error. Example: while mutations and adaptability happens within a species as Darwin observed and as native Americans observed thousand of years b4 him. Tthere has never been a documented case where there was genetic change developing into a new species and between severe climate changes and the amount of time required for there to have been any such evolution the math just does not support such a change. It could have been done by a super intelligent type in a controlled lab somewhere as we can extrapolate from what we have already done ourselves but here on earth it never happened. Those who want to rebell are going to argue this and that and not admit their error but if you really think it out intelligent design is far more likely and since the Bible has been found to be an extremely credible work very likely it happened in a similar but more intricte maner than is related in Genisis.

This 6000 years may apply to the world as we know it but even that theory ranges as high as 10000 years. People are just not to bright and want to appear as if they are. Be smart read the work yourself. Do your own research. These same fanatics think only the King James contains the truth but if you search out the history much of what they say is either in error or twisted. Some want to live in a small predictable world so let them but do not overlook the truth because you yourself are to lazy to read the truth yourself.

Answer 3

Well religion was made by man kind, you can't trust man, just take a look at the world to prove that, the bible was written by man, and done so to control man, it is only a story book after all, the truth lies in faith, not religion, and to become a devoted Christian and believe that you would need your head examined, the truth is out there, but not in religion as we know it, it might have been there before man got hold it and realised he could profit from it

Answer 4

Truth is what we believe. Facts are something else.

There is no need for any dispute between what the Bible has to say and the age of the universe. If some of the nuttier branches of Christianity want to take Chapter 1 of Genesis literally (and ignore Chapter 2), that's fine by me, but nowhere in the Bible does it say that the world is 6,000 years old.

Answer 5

You don't have to unlearn. All that you really need is to believe that the creation of the world required a master mind. Faith is admitting that some things are just too perfect to have not been orchestrated by someone far more knowing.

Answer 6

Truth is only ever an abstract notion. For we can never know the whole truth of another mind and religion is the product of another mind. So religion has far more to do with Faith and belief than solid truth

Answer 7

What is truth? If you were to believe that something is true, then to you it is true. However, if you were to believe that something is not true, then vice versa. Belief is different to truth. Truth is something that is generally accepted by the majority of people as being so.... like the Sun is hot... as we haven't actually been there to prove it, it may be untrue, but most of us believe the Sun is hot and so we accept it as a truth until proven different. If you believe that the Earth is 6000 years old then as far as you are concerned this is truth, but to the majority of people this is probably not accepted as truth but as a belief. Clear as mud eh?

Answer 8

I think it's important to distinguish between stereotypical religious beliefs prevailant in your experience and the whole growing pool of spiritual thought and understanding as applied to Christianity or any other theistic worldview.

People often get turned off by the canned theological positions of certain denominations, even though those positions are often not fully representitive, or even accurately representitive of the denomination that they're linked to in the public consciousness.

Scientific and rational thought is one avenue to understanding, but as with all approaches, it's bound by its evolution to date. There is obviously more to existance than the sum total of scientific awareness as it exists in 2006.

We should fully utilize scientific progress and it's claims/conclusions. We should also be fully aware that those claims and conclusions are in flux.

But we are more than scientific awareness. We have the capacity to logically sort through all the information available to us, whether that information is objectively verifiable or subjectively experienced. To say that objective science is real, while our subjective experience is somehow surreal or invalid as bonafide reference material, is too narrow a focus. Nature has provided us with evidence as to our role and relationship with the rest of existance. Part of that evidence is within us, and it resists scientific examination... at least in terms of its present limitations.

But that is changing to a degree. You might want to investigate, for instance, quantum mechanics (quantum physics) and the windows it's opening into the workings of consciousness. We are seeing realities at work here that we once would only have ascribed to subjective theological or philosophical musings.

Don't throw anything away. Everything in life acts as a symbol or sign to deeper understanding.

Answer 9

No. God is the source of all truth and truth is no dependent upon man's personal beliefs, which is what religion is. Religion is self-righteousness, as opposed to Christianity, which is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The righteousness of God far exceeds the righteousness of men, which Isaiah refers to as filthy rags. The Bible does not teach that the earth is only 6000 years old---this is a false teaching derived at by people who do not understand biblical genealogy. There are gaps in the genealogy, and we do not know how long Adam and Eve were in the garden of Eden----perhaps tens of millions of years. At the time Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden they were immortal---they did not age and they were immune to death. It is only after they were booted out that they begin to experience aging. To the age of Adam at his death was the time that he lived outside of the Garden of Eden. I believe, like you, that the universe is billions of years old. This does not change the truth of the Bible nor does it influence doctrine. God has given us in the bible what he wants us to know and not everything that he knows. We cannot handle the knowledge of God. The Bible represents what God wants us to have in order for us to be responsible and obedient creations.

Answer 10

wow dude....what a question...
well all you need to know is that u do not have to put aside all of the knowledge that you have to follow Christ, all you knowledge is there for a reason, and later u will see how it combines with your believe. If you do decide to follow Christ, start reading the Bible from the New Testament, this is the time when its written about Christ, his miracles, and wonders, and spiritual balance in within. When u read the new Testament, you will be amazed @ one point because you will see that the book is like its written for you, for your spirit, and it will guide you. Because as we know if not for our spirit to move the body, we won't be able to live. As far as religion..... all I can say is that I don't believe in religion, we are made in spirit form clothed with the body, God is Spirit, Life is Spiritual, so why would you believe in religion? As far as I'm concern now a days ppl keep on fightin for no reason, because of their believe and yet they don't see that they believe in the same True Begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ. baptist,catlic, protestant.....bla,bla,bla, instead of ya wanting to put a title on you self, keep faith in the Spirit and God, so that you see the unseen and understand....what God allow you to understand.

But I can only congratulate you, walk the path dude, Jesus is Real, as long as you don't title it (religion.....etc) God is a spirit.
and ENJOY it.

But I don't think religious belief has to do anything with truth, religion is man made, human(s) are sinful, so why would I believe in religion rather than faith and believing in God.