Given that most faiths espouse deities that espouse no other deities other than those that they uniquely claim--in other words, that the beliefs of most faiths are exclusive to the beliefs of most other faiths--what substantiates one faith over another? A Muslim God where there is only one God, and a Greek god where there are no other gods but the traditional Greek, are faiths that cannot be SIMULTANEOUSLY true in the same universe (and yes, there is only one UNIverse). What's the deal? I await your knee-jerk reactions, but more happily await reasoned discussion.
2007-06-21 12:23:32 · 7 answers · asked by 1848 3 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
One faith is substantiated over another when someone who is willing and able to kill you says change or die. His faith is then substatiated over the one you used to have. I dare say that is the way it has played out through history. Just ask the Pope. he'll tell you right after your 1st communion
2007-06-21 12:49:50 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Anomalous Nature of Religious Diversity
The number of major gods recognized around the world and recorded in world history are in the hundreds.
The number of religions, current and past, centered on these gods, is in the thousands.
The number of lives lost in the attempts to advance or defend religious beliefs is in the millions.
The number of humans negatively affected by this cultural anomaly is in the billions.
The choice of religion is up to the believer.
In his eyes his choice will always be the right one.
In his eyes his choice is the only one.
Who are we to challenge such conviction.
2007-06-21 13:58:33 · answer #2 · answered by FMAACMSkipppy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The one that has the most gold and can kill the most people.
I think all religions really do realize they are worshiping the same god/gods; they are just fighting over him/her. So it really comes down to individual selfishness that substantiates their faith.
In Native American, most think of it as animism or multiple gods. It's not. They are just different faces of life for focus. Christians do the same thing but won't admit it. Afterall, they use the cross, Jesus, Mary, Saints, icons, relics, etc...etc...to focus on for different things they need at the time as well.
2007-06-21 13:00:04 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are all the same in that they are driven by our need for the idea of permanence. We have been told that we must have a thing called 'happiness' and it can only be attained by searching for something outside of our 'selves'.
All the rest is method, lineage and all other systemic properties that characterize a belief system.
2007-06-21 13:04:40 · answer #4 · answered by @@@@@@@@ 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Why can't they be true? I'm a Hindu and I believe in Demigods, and more then one form of God. My family are Lutheran and they believe in one God and Jesus Christ. I feal that we're both right. We just look at God totally differently.
2007-06-21 12:34:28 · answer #5 · answered by nagaraja 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nothing. Faith is an illogically held belief.
2007-06-21 12:38:24 · answer #6 · answered by Sophist 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Social pressure.
2007-06-21 12:29:32 · answer #7 · answered by megalomaniac 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋