Wouldn't it be so simple if there was only one religion?

Question

If you are a firm believer in a particular religion how do you justify that it is the right one? Considering other people believe in a different religion just as strongly or even stronger than you?

I'm not religious. the reason I ask this question is because there's so many implications involving all religions, I just wonder if there was only one religion things would be simpler.

Answer 1

All I know is that my religion is the right one for me. I'm a firm believer that there are many different paths we can take, and the other religions are just as important as mine. I think the world is too amazingly complex for there to just be one right answer - I believe that we all should find our own way.
I think it is possible for people to respect each others views and get a long despite different beliefs. At special occasions around our dining table we have a couple of devout Roman Catholics, 2 devout Muslims, a Taoist and an atheist. There are a couple of agnostics too. We all have a good banter and debate, and we all value each others opinions.

Answer 2

This is a really interesting question!

I firmly believe that the majority of this world's problems arise from the over-zealous belief that any particular religion is true and that all others are false and should therefore be eradicated.

Just look at the horrific crimes that have been perpetrated in the name of religion over the centuries. The Holocaust and all earlier persecutions of the Jews, the persecution of the Catholics by Protestants from the sixteenth century onwards, the Burning Times - the persecution of pagans by Christians throughout hundreds of years - well, I could go on and on and on with this list but I won't, my blood pressure is going up just thinking of it!!

The saddest thing of all is that I believe there IS only one religion, because there CAN only be one truth about existence. I don't pretend to know what that is but what I believe is that all the world's religions, major and minor, have some elements in them of whatever that truth is. There are certainly themes that are common across many religions, for example re-birth in its many aspects.

Think of it like a pie chart - a circle divided into segments according to how much of the truth any one religion has realised. My favourite for the biggest slice would probably be some form of paganism but that is just my personal choice and I would never try to influence anyone else with regard to it.

Answer 3

most religions stem from the fact that somebody believes in something better, ie, be it heaven,shangrala,Atlantis whatever, religions are a way to justify our behaviour, to give us something to attain to, basically to give us hope that in a world gone bad, this is not all there is and if we follow our chosen religion correctly we will attain that which we covet, how the religions differ depends on individuals interpretations and choices but at the end of the day they all want the same thing, its like shoe shopping, everyone needs shoes to protect their feet what style they choose is down to individual choice(and yes i know some people carnt afford shoes I'm just using this as an example)do i believe my shoes are better than the next ones sure i do ,i chose them didn't i!!!!!

Answer 4

Of course there is only one religion, the religion of love, the religion of humanity. But to answer the question I have to tell you an example. Whether the same dress can suit all? Region, culture, time and mindset of people decide the code of conduct which in turn evolve into a religion. Those who live in the colder religion can not survive or adjust in hot regions. It is the same case with religion also. Only those who have a cosmopolitan outlook can hon our all religions. I have visited churches and durgas as well as temples. I honour everything as equal. nagarajan.

Answer 5

Can we not get rid of this nonsense that religion causes wars?

People go to war to gain power: power over other people or power through control of land or control of resources or access to markets. One or more of these reasons sparked every conflict from the Boer War to the invasion of Iraq - including Ulster (just to take the last century or so as an example; but the argument holds good back through history, I believe).

Religion gets dragged into the mix because cynical leaders recognise the power of religion to unite and motivate, and they quite shamelessly exploit this power for their own purposes. Look at the way Adams and McGuinness, among others, played the catholic card for all it was worth while posturing with an Armalite rifle and glorying in the deaths of protestants and British soldiers. Did they do it because they wanted to become Pope? Or because it was the best way for them to get political power in Ulster?

People go to war for power. Truth is the first casualty. Religion, sadly, is one of the weapons.

Answer 6

First, yes one religion would most likely be simplier, but because we are creatures that different in many ways religion is different as well.
As for justification that my religion is the right one, that is based on the fact the I believe in the bible, and that christianity teaches us to live a life that is closest to that of Christ.
Is it perfect? The religion its self yes. The people who profess to be christians sometimes have a problem with perfections because they interpret scriptures differently. I do as the bible tells me, I work out my own salvation or belief's, based on God's Word, and with fear and trembling (Godly Fear).
I will say that I do not believe mine is the only right one as I fully believe anything that man gets involved in is open to corruption. It is just the closets thing I have found for me.

Answer 7

It might be a simpler and safer world, but it would be a little dictatorial. You would have one figure head (like the pope) who would basically control the world. If you are of a religion, are you happy with every facet of that religion? The good thing about religion in the world today is that everyone if free to believe what you want (unless you come to Y!A).

Answer 8

Yes

But...

The short answer is that religions are too different to come together as one.

Merely being religious tells you nothing about a person, or their nature - we are all spiritual beings.

The Melanesians worship frogs, the Polynesians worship the moon, The Hindus worship milions of gods, while Jews, Christians and Muslims worship only one God, only the Christians see him as one God in three persons.

Then there's Jesus: was he born of a virgin, die for our sins on the cross and rise agin from the dead? Ask a Jew, Muslim and Christian and you will get three different answers. Only one of them can be correct.

A sincerely held belief is not right or good necessarily, and not all real spiritual experiences are good. The debate will continue as to which is which.

Answer 9

There will always be more than one religion because religions are man's ways of seeking God. What you need to know is that there is only one God - and you need to find Him.
All the religions teaches man to live good, righteous lives, to do good deeds, etc. in the hope of receiving salvation except for one which tells of a loving God who became man, came down from heaven to live among man, taught and showed us the way back to reconciliation with God.

Seek and you will find!

Answer 10

go back to pre christianity my friend and you will see that all across the globe, there were no battles over religion, just land.
All paths were accepted.

The word God, according to plato actually meant a body that traversed the Heavens (sky) so that meant the sun, moon, planets and stars were considered Gods, then the christians came, cut everyones throats who did not switch to christianity, and so confused the whole issue.

I am Kemetic, and proud of it. It was the religion followed since the beginning of time, up to two thousand years ago.

I thought it better to listen to a 7 thousand year old, than a 2 thousand year old about the truth.