Believers: there are 150 major religions in the world so chances of yours being true are less than 1%. Agree?

Question

(I'm defining "major" as those having more than 1 million followers).

From an emotional standpoint, you likely will disagree, but you must agree from a logical standpoint, this is an accurate statement, right?

imtori: so you're trying to tell me that the bible ISN'T dogma? I think that's the very definition of dogma.

Valerie F: Well 3 out of 4 ain't bad!

Meg M: Interesting thought, but as you admit, you are guilty of the logical fallacy called "Argumentum Ad Populum http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argumentum_ad_populum which states something is true if the majority believe in it e.g. "Since most of the world believes in God, he must exist." This is of course erroneous: Think Slavery, Nazi Germany, Bell Bottoms. Mark Twain said it best: "One of the proofs of the immortality of the soul is that myriads have believed it - they also believed the world was flat.". Anatole France agreed: "If 50 million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing." Replace 50 million with 2.1 billion and you have described Christianity. Use 5.5 billion and you have described the religious - (leaving 1.1 billion non-religious in the world).

Bellaluna: I never could understand that logic. Jayne Kulikauskas said it best: "It makes a big difference if we think of God as a person or as a force. One way you get Christianity, the other you get Star Wars."

Rob: I didn't do very well in statistics so help me out. If they all have 100% chance of being correct, then are you telling me they all have 0% chance of being wrong? How is that possible? We're not talking wishful thinking, of WANTING them all to be right. We're talking the statistical odds of whether any of them are. I just want people to entertain the idea that not just 149 of them are wrong but that they ALL could be.

Answer 1

If religionists employed logic and reason, with respect to their religion, they would no longer follow it.

Remember that impressive word...."faith"....thats their justification, and faith is the decision to not even evaluate "probablities" or support or anything!

Answer 2

>>but you must agree from a logical standpoint, this is an accurate statement, right?<<

Not at all. You are assuming each has an equal chance of being true. Let's say I have a bag of coins from around the world. There are 150 TYPES of coins, but the total NUMBER of coins is, oh, let's say 3 billion. If 1/3 of those coins are American quarters, and you reach into the bag while blindfolded, does each type of coin have an equal chance of being selected? No! There is a 1-in-3 chance you will pull out an American quarter, not a 1-in-150 chance.

I am NOT suggesting that the religion with the greatest number of adherents is the true religion, I am just pointing out that your logic is faulty.

Answer 3

I would have to disagree. It is not the denomination you are that makes it right or wrong but the beliefs you follow and where you get your information. I believe any religion that follows the word of God from the bible has merits and truths and therefore if you take all 150 major religions you are talking about and put those that follow the written word of the bible then I would say our percentages are about 80% possible of being true. I do not think it is relevant whether we are christian,jewish,methodist and so on it is whether we follow The teachings in the bible whether we are right or wrong.

Answer 4

Since what time in history has the majority been right? Jesus Christ came to the Jews only and how many of the Jews believed him? God came to Noah and how many believed his story of the boat being salvation from the flood. And in Sodom, how many believed the two angels that came there telling them to repent? Yes all of our relgions are false and God is true only; Romans 3:4
God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
If the major religion was right the world would have peace, but since this world by nature is evil, then evil will rule until God destroyes evil; Isaiah 45:7
I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Answer 5

Rather than leaving the fate of your "everlasting life" to the roll of the dice a smart person would test to see if the "religion" he/she chooses to adhere to actually follows God's Requirements as He set them forth in the Bible. Regardless of any dogma or tradition and use his God-given discernment of what is true.
Here is an example of one of 16 short lessons that can help you to learn those requirements as they are laid out in your own Bible.
"What Does God Require of Us?


Lesson 13
How Can You Find the True Religion?

Are all religions pleasing to God, or is just one? (1)
Why are there so many religions that claim to be Christian? (2)
How can you identify true Christians? (3-7)

1. Jesus started one true Christian religion. So today there must be just one body, or group, of true worshipers of Jehovah God. (John 4:23, 24; Ephesians 4:4, 5) The Bible teaches that only a few people are on the narrow road to life.—Matthew 7:13, 14.

2. The Bible foretold that after the death of the apostles, wrong teachings and unchristian practices would slowly come into the Christian congregation. Men would draw away believers to follow them instead of Christ. (Matthew 7:15, 21-23; Acts 20:29, 30) That is why we see so many different religions that claim to be Christian. How can we identify true Christians?

3. The most outstanding mark of true Christians is that they have real love among themselves. (John 13:34, 35) They are not taught to think that they are better than people of other races or skin color. Neither are they taught to hate people from other countries. (Acts 10:34, 35) So they do not share in wars. True Christians treat one another as brothers and sisters.—1 John 4:20, 21.

4. Another mark of true religion is that its members have a deep respect for the Bible. They accept it as the Word of God and believe what it says. (John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17) They treat God's Word as being more important than human ideas or customs. (Matthew 15:1-3, 7-9) They try to live by the Bible in their everyday life. So they do not preach one thing and then practice another.—Titus 1:15, 16.

True Christians love one another, respect the Bible, and preach about God's Kingdom

5. The true religion must also honor God's name. (Matthew 6:9) Jesus made God's name, Jehovah, known to others. True Christians must do the same. (John 17:6, 26; Romans 10:13, 14) Who are the people in your community that tell others about God's name?

6. True Christians must preach about God's Kingdom. Jesus did so. He always talked about the Kingdom. (Luke 8:1) He commanded his disciples to preach this same message in all the earth. (Matthew 24:14; 28:19, 20) True Christians believe that only God's Kingdom will bring true peace and security to this earth.—Psalm 146:3-5.

7. Jesus' disciples must be no part of this wicked world. (John 17:16) They do not get involved in the world's political affairs and social controversies. They avoid the harmful conduct, practices, and attitudes that are common in the world. (James 1:27; 4:4) Can you identify a religious group in your community that has these marks of true Christianity? "

Would you be willing to spend 15 minutes a day for 16 days finding out?

Answer 6

It doesn't matter if you stand on your head until winter and spout numbers. There is only one true faith, One true Lord and one true baptism.

I cannot speak for the rest here but I am convinced I have the truth of God's word.
And I have proof that the others here have to look deeper into their own religions and be truthful. Almost all of them are not approved by God.

How many of you even use the personal name of God?
How many of you know you are Not supposed to pray to Jesus?
How many religions teach it's ok to get into politics?
To vote? To join the military?
To give blood? To kneel before crosses and statues?

All these things are detestable to Jehovah God.

You cannot slave for two masters...you'll wind up hating one.

Answer 7

I absolutely agree. Most every religion states that their beliefs are correct, but almost all of the religions' beliefs cannot co-exist with each other, therefore, some religions have to be wrong.

Answer 8

I am answering this question because I would like to say something in regards to "Self Righteous"'s answer...

Our Creator gave us the Bible so that we could reason and use our power of logic and discernment as to what is true. Faith is defined as...

(Hebrews 11:1) “. . .Faith is the assured expectation of things hoped for, the evident demonstration of realities though not beheld.”

As far as your statement being accurate, I guess it would be to all except the one true religion, which of course is mine...well, even then it may be true, but I am 100 percent sure that mine is the one true religion, and one day everyone else will know it for sure also...

(Ezekiel 38:23) “23 And I shall certainly magnify myself and sanctify myself and make myself known before the eyes of many nations; and they will have to know that I am Jehovah.’”

Jehovah will make sure that everyone knows who represents him and who doesn't...you can count on that!

~wannaknow~

Answer 9

I'd have to say even if there was only ONE major religion in the world, the chances of that religion being correct is still less than 1%--in fact it's probably about as close to 0% as you can get without going into negative numbers.

Answer 10

Religions are made by man..not by God. It is for that reason that I do not follow a religion even though I have a very personal relationship with God. He leads me.

Answer 11

how about we narrow it down to the Billion... or may be the ones that at least claim they came from God...

after this filter i think you are left with Christainty and Islam
....

i still do believe that Judiasm is a religion from God but corrupted by man just as is Christanity...

as for Hindusim... it is mostly one (or 2) race(s) that believe in it... so i blame that on the size of their families...