Does anybody really know?

Question

People who follow a religion of their choosing abide by it because they really and truly believe they are doing the right thing (that includes athiests too). Everyone thinks their religion (or non-religion) is right, even though each religion can be very different from the other. We all know the sky is blue, so we don't go to war over that. Religion is a different story, wars have been fought for centuries over religion. Has any religious person (or atheist) ever pondered the matter, and asked themselves 'am I believing/following the wrong thing? Sometimes I ask myself that question and wonder if anyone else did too.

I can't remember the last time I saw so many good, solid answers. So much so, that I can't choose! I'll leave it up to the voters.

Answer 1

No matter what people may tell you, I truly believe that everyone at some stage questions their faith. Some religions even encourage it, which makes alot of sense if you think about it.

Religion is all about faith, by questioning your beliefs you are allowing for spiritual growth whilst at the same time challenging your knowledge of the belief system you are following. If you decide, after much questioning that the faith you chose is for you, your belief is affirmed and stronger than ever. If not, then you give yourself the chance to cut ties with a system that you never truly embraced to begin with and find another.

As you said yourself, faith without doubt is just knowledge, and there are no religions I know of that are based on fact alone.

Answer 2

Actually, I am glad you asked this question.

All my life, I've wondered if the religion I was following was truly the right path.

Since coming out of it, I have not a shred of doubt that I am now following my true path. I have a newfound state of mind and a peace about following no religion (as this may come as a surprise to most followers of organized religion).

My peace of mind consists of never feeling imprisoned by the masses within the group of those followers of the organized religion whith which I was once a part of. I am being left alone and not hounded. I no longer feel all those terrible feelings that I was feeling while I was a "member". It's truly an uplifting experience for me since I've taken the bull by the horns and gone my own way. Going a person's own way, to a follower of any organized religion, is nearly sac-religious, but this is the path I chose for happiness. I've never looked back.

Thanks for asking this question. One of the best one's I've come across, so far.

Answer 3

Excellent question. As an atheist I believe religion is a means of controlling people's behaviour. Politics has superceeded religion in many respects but people still cling to it like a security blanket.

I believe religion is the output of the following variables:

1. The extent to which you desire a pleasant afterlife

2. the belief that acting in a prescribed way will assure you of a pleasant afterlife

The stronger the two variables, the more religious a person becomes.

Answer 4

I have considered this. I have had a college course on world religions. Before this, I thought they were all the same, with just a different name for God. But I am corrected. Considering what is in the Holy Books, and what I know about nature (through science), the Bible makes sense to me and I follow Jesus.

Answer 5

The word "religion" has been around for ages. But there is a difference between religion.( which does nobody any good), and having a true relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ who came to earth to die for our sins so that we may have salvation. You may wonder how do I know that my so called religion is true?
Because I see the out come of my faith, I feel it in my heart, and when I pray, my prayers are answered!
Who can say that when they pray to the "gods" of their religion they get results?
In the Holy Bible it says that there is one God, he is in Heaven.
He loves and cares about you. He even knows the number of hairs on your head. He is your creator. In the Bible it says God knew you when you were in your mothers womb
The Bible says we can know God, because he has made himself known to us. The most important discovery you will ever make is that God loves you and you can know him personally by commiting your life to Jesus Christ, God's son.

Answer 6

Of course it's possible that I might be wrong. Hell, if I had evidence of god's existence, I'd believe. It's that simple.

But it's equally possible that the godbots are wrong, too -- in fact, I'd say they're in worse shape because they insist on believing despite the complete lack of evidence to back up their assertions.

Maybe the difference is that I'm comfortable with not being able to know everything for certain, and believers are not comfortable with that -- they have to have an answer for everything and that answer is "god."

Good question. Thanks.

Answer 7

No I never have but I think your self questioning is healthy I have not because my religion is good for Me No one religion is the best The best is what suits you

Answer 8

"A difference of opinion is a no reason when comes to matters of the heart"

It is impossible to have control intellectually, as we will always have differences of opinion when intellect is in play.

Language is in play and languages by nature creates many realities.

The site following in principle deals with this phenomenon.
http://whyfiles.org/shorties/160number_lang/

This by the way means that for instance 'economy' is not producing the truth, but opinions.

Answer 9

in common words my 2 little ones...till they're 18. I provide them a particular quantity of freedom, yet no longer too a lot. they're nevertheless little. I enable them be themselves, yet i do not enable them be disrespectful or detrimental. and that i pay the expenditures and purchase the garments so that they positioned on wth I tell them to.

Answer 10

thats why I'm an agnosti, coz no one can prove one way or an othere what the truth is, i think if every body could agree that there is no proof of god then the world would be a safer place.

kby