How can religion be true?

Question

There are thousands of different religions in the world, and people believe that theirs is true and live their lives based on that fact. But surly only one can be true! which one?

Answer 1

Religion is a mental disease usually brought on by infection by the group VI reverse transcribing DNA virus called faith. Symptoms involve believing something just because someone (or occasionally a book), somewhere, says it's true. In this respect religion can be considered the chronic form of the lesser mental disorder gullibility. For synonyms, see bullshit. The official catch phrase of religion is "Give us your money, and you will have a good afterlife!". Not to mention that 100% of all priests are rapists.

Other symptoms involve donation of money to higher powers (also known as televangelists), participation in holy wars, paraphilic arousal towards guilt, lack of sense of humour, and spontaneous combustion.

Answer 2

You are right that not all religions can be true for example
The Jews say Jesus in not the Messiah, and Christians say he is.
These beliefs are keystones to both faiths. Jesus can't be the Messiah and not the Messiah at the same time, even with their close bonds they can't be both right.

Some say that when we die we die, some say we go to populate a new planet, some say we go to eternal judgment, some say we reincarnate. Again some of these have to be false.

But it is a mistake to say that since some people have the wrong answer that everyone has the wrong answer.
If someone said that 2+2=7 and another person said it equals 3
you would not give up on math, you would keep trying until you discovered that 2+2=4

The answer is to keep test the different faiths to see which one is the most true.

For example look at the universe around you, do you see it as simple enough to have been a random series of accidents?
Or is it complicated enough to have needed some intelligence interference to guide it's development?

If you are like me and see that the "simple cell" isn't simple at all, you will want a religion that has a deity intelligent enough to make the complex cell.

Some faiths do not believe that the world is real, it is just a dream that God is having, and some say the universe is real and ordered well past what a dream would produce.
If you think the world is real, and not just a dream, than you need to follow a faith that agrees with you.

I have done all of that and more, in fact since I have become disabled most of my life has been filled with investigation of religion. And I have followed the evidence to Jesus.
I hope you will do your own investigation too.

Answer 3

Ha! The difficult is "surely only one can be true." This statement has caused more wars, bloodshed, and strief than any other in the history of mankind. The problem people forget is that all religions, to some extent, were modeled and shaped based upon the cultures where the religion grew -- from Native American religions and their ties to land, hunting & gathering, and useful animals being spiritual, to Christianity and it's geo-political goals (both in the Roman empire and in the Dark Ages) to Buddhism's reliance on the stories and ideas from Hinduism to make a point. And not all religions (or religious leaders, if they're being honest) do claim exclusivity--they claim that this is how they understand God, and others' perspectives may or may not be right.

Now, of course, religions do teach some very different things (see the interesting book "The End of Faith," which argues that some religions are superior to others, that moderates who are teaching tolerance are doing a disservice, and that the only way that we can have world peace is the abandonment of relivion), but that doesn't mean there aren't some universal commonalities, too, such as the Golden Rule, selflessness, the idea of earthly life as not the be-all-and-end-all of existence.

Lion of Judah's points are interesting, except for one disconnect: What was WRITTEN was not necessarily what was said. Remember that the books of the New Testament were written dozens of years after the life of Christ. And people didn't walk around with notebooks or dictaphones. Writing was expensive and difficult, and not many people could do it. Therefore, you must either (a) believe that the Bible is the unfailing word of God (which is very difficult due to the inherent contradictions in the Bible, in the Old and New Testaments), (b) believe that the Bible is truly inspired by God (and thus, God inspired the writers to get "the important stuff right," but of course what is that?) or (c) believe that the Bible is a book written by people who chronicled the life of a very important man, but also had political and theological goals of their own when drafting (i.e. to ensure that prophecies were fulfilled, even when there was not evidence, to ensure that a particularized idea of Christ was sent forth into the world, even if that was slightly different from what happened.) A & B are basically "blind faith" arguments-- and if that's what you believe, there's no logical argument to be made against you. C, however, requires you to question all of those "exclusivity" statements supposedly made by Christ, because the writers would have a vested interest in spreading Christ's message as the ONLY one, to the detriment of the Jewish faith and the other pagan faiths of the day. And even if He did make those statements, remember who Christ's audience was (almost exclusively at the time) -- Jews. His point was that adherence to the Law was not going to save Jews, because everyone sins and falls short of the law. It was _faith_ in grace that was the saving factor.

Answer 4

The Dalai Lama once remarked That "Make kindness your religion"
Although I follow the principles of the Dharma, a person doesn't have to follow any religion to be a good person and live a balanced life.
All anyone can do in this world is to do no harm if we cannot do good and as the natives Americans once described as "to tread lightly upon this earth", to make a good impact upon other peoples lives by showing kindness and empathy.
Intelligent people (and I mean here anyone who thinks for themselves) have imagination, through connecting imagination to reason, one can stand in someone else's shoes and find empathy, It is in any ones grasp , religious or nonreligious.
Some people would say that religion is just a psychological coping mechanism, while other people have a personal or shared philosophy, all in all theses are all human attempts at trying to figure out their existence, the great existential dilemma we all face in life.

Answer 5

The truth is religion is NOT true. Only the messiah is truth.

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had known who I am, then you would have known who my Father is. From now on you know him and have seen him!"
John 14:6-7

If you evaluate the claims of Jesus and compare it with the prophesies in the old testament, you will realize there is no other religion worth exploring.
Historically, Christianity has been the most persecuted and yet it thrives because the church has been given a mandate from God to thrive, and so it shall! Are you one that will embrace it's tenets?

Answer 6

I am an agnostic/atheist but I can answer this as it crops up a lot.

"all gods are based on the same universal being from all who all love and happiness flow. all religions are on the road towards spiritual enlightenment.......but my religion is better than any of those other religions, because it has the true teachings - interpreted in the most correct way - of Krishna/ Allah/ Jesus/ Jehovah (strike out those which do not apply) who was closer to enlightenment than any other god/ person... and if you don't agree you'll be damned to hell"


{edit} It's amusing to look at some of the other answers (from religionists) and see how well they fit my answer, above. I particularly enjoyed the idea that someone suggested - everyone else's religion is equivalent to 2+2=7...but *my* religion is equivalent to 2+2=4....... :-) I just (literally) cannot understand the mental process that a person goes through to come up with such cr@p

Answer 7

Religion is man made, man has formed different way's to follow God, much of this is done to make as much money out of the followers as they can, religion is powerful tool and is easy used to brainwash people, there is no true religion, because of the changes made by man, and yes we all think ours is the best, the only thing which is 100% true is faith in God, which ever religion you follow

Answer 8

I use to feel the same way until I married my husband, and he is Christian. He showed me that religion didn't have to be so hard. The Bible say's that there is only one way and thats through Jesus Christ, you must believe that Jesus died for our sins. Believe in God and you will be saved through his Son, Jesus Christ. My life has changed in so many ways since I gave my live to Jesus Christ. I have a peace that I never had before, and I handle lifes problems so different now. Remember that there is only one Judge and that's God! I Love to listen to Dr. Charles Stanley, he is on Television and also the radio. He always seems to talk directly to you. God Bless you and I pray that you will find your way to salvation. I was always so affraid that I couldn't be like those Jesus freak people and you don't have to be. You can be yourself and your heart will change you. You will start to live your life differently, and you will feel so much Love. Love is the most important thing in life. Go to a church where you feel comfortable and make sure that the message being preached is coming from the Bible. I pray that you have a whole new life opening for you and that you will have a place in Heaven through Jesus Christ! Isn't it wonderful to know that know matter what you have done in life, you can be forgiven and be reborn through Jesus Christ!

Answer 9

Truth is a funny thing. To one this is the truth and if another does not believe then that person be damed to hell.
For another this is the truth.

For those who know the real truth know there is no real truth.

Religion is one of those truths, no one is right, no one is wrong. Each religion is different to every person, and those who do believe in the same religion, see it different.

Find what works for you, disregard what everybody else says. Be true to yourself and your God, whatever God you choose. It is not supposed to be a easy answer. If this subject was easy we would not have so much killing and fighting over religion.
Good luck on your journey into religion....

Answer 10

Good point. Every religion has some truths to it. The error in religion comes in when people try to put their own ideas in other peoples' heads so that they can control people. It is true that there is only one true religion, but people must do their homework to find which one it is.