Excepting the (semi-)historical context of the Torah, Bible and Qu'ran, can it be said there is some truth ...

Question

... of value?

They each teach not to murder.

They each teach not to steal.

They each teach not to bear enmity against their peaceful neighbour.

I think all can agree these are worthy truths we'd teach children.

Is it the truth of our religion we fight over, or the lust for ownership over land and resources and profits? Do we not lust so greedily we'll even pull our gods into the fray to stand in judgment of the righteousness of our claim?

Does it not then become a religious squabble? Whose God is bigger, better, older, more grander than the others? Whose God has a greater claim to judge the matter: mine or yours?

And so it becomes insanity. For now we mere mortals are judging the grandeur of gods.

My wife, when she was alive, may not have appealed to any of you. But in my eyes, my wife was the grandest of them all.

Need I berate you for not agreeing with me, when you think -your- spouse is the grandest one of all?

Why must it be different when it comes to our belief in the Divine?

Why must you insist I live in accordance with the way your god dictated to you? Where is the tolerance and willingness to treat others as you would be treated in that?

We must re-learn reciprocity in beliefs, and not assume that selfish majorities know best what is right for all of us.

A democracy is only as healthy as the selfless respect for the freedom of others.

Answer 1

I can agree with your thoughts, but the stage isn't big enough for you to voice your views over this entire religious matter. Some will read, others will skip or forget.

But the fact that this perspective of yours can possibly heal the world to a great extent if it is thought of, remains unattended to.

Its always not about which religion is the best, but we mortals have the habit of disrespecting others' ideas if they seem to be better than ours. We become hell-bent on proving them wrong at all costs, if we don't reach a conclusion everything becomes physical and violent.

Lack of understanding between the believers of different religions is the major problem of this world. But I don't expect it to be healed, rather it might become worse (May Allah forbid) as time goes on.

Answer 2

There is so much value in the sacred scriptures that they remain to hold their uniqueness to anyone who really requires guidance through right advice and motivation in order to steer their paths along the way of righteousness.

There is a song that goes, "There are none so blind as those who will not see..."

I, personally, wouldn't have the motivation to look after my severely disabled and temporarily unhealthy wife, if it were not for the scriptures and their translations...If it were not for what they have told us about forgiveness, perseverance, love, encouragement and so forth.

If it hadn't been for what Jesus had done to forgive sins ... My sins, my wife's sins, and anyone else's sins who will accept what Jesus has done for them and do to the best of their abilities what our Bibles say Jesus told us to do, then I personally would have no true friends whom I could trust to help me, to forgive me for when I go wrong and help steer me along the way (with the help of those scriptures, I might add!).

I would have had no real reason to persevere when the going got tough.

For that matter, my life would be without real worth if it wasn't for what Jesus did nearly two millennia ago, and for the efforts of such writers as Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul, among others, who recorded so diligently the happenings of great note that they wanted to pass on to us through time. The writings that subsequently have been gathered up, translated and've been printed, bound and delivered. The writings which we can nowadays access via our computers through the internet for next to nothing.

In saying all this I don't want to scandalize anyone who is diligently trying to change their ways and follow the right path, but is, in fact, off route, because I've been known to be off route myself at times.

Every Bible has "versions", whether it be the New Testament, or Old, and these have been "versionized", for want of a better word, to better present their adherents a more easily understandable format. Even the Qu'ran has been affected by the mistakes in translation in the bible that the writers of the King James version made which it referenced, and I have four versions of the Qu'ran which prove this fact. The readings in the Qu'ran's original language its adherents recite, while remaining true in the words, have subtle changes in the meanings, because these words are used in every day usage, so it is not entirely a dead language. It's a bit like Latin which evolved into modern Italian, and Anglo-Saxon which evolved into modern English which has further evolved into Aussie and American dialects, among others.

Writings can be beneficial to their hearers yet cause divisions amongst them. That's why we have so many different church denominations. Church politics and greed have historically caused digression from originally intended messages, as written.

Choice has been robbed from readers of nearly all approved translations of Timothy, for instance, where the church has pressured its translators to reinforce rigid church authority, and this is evident in other books of the bible as well.

When we realize that religion can be good or bad, that's when we tend to look more closely into our Scriptures.

Did you know, for instance, that the following verses were not from the original texts, but added later?

Matthew 16:2b - 3
17:21 (no "fasting")
18:11
21:44
23:14

Mark 7:16
9:44
9:46
11:26
15:28
16:9 - 20

Luke 6:1
17:36
22:43 -44
23:17
23:34a
24:12

John 5:4
7:53 - 8:11
9:38
19:33 - 34
21:25

Acts 8:37
15:34
24:7
28:29

Romans 16:24

Hebrews 9:9 - 13:25

1 John 5:7 - 8

This is not a complete listing but goes to illustrate the point that our Bible translations ought to be more properly presented to us, now that we have the means to more accurately trace their antiquity.

Even though our scriptures are not one hundred percent true, the way we have them readily available to us, they are still very helpful in guiding our right intentions and motivations. After all, religion is basically tying oneself again to the way which seems right to us, isn't it? (re = again; ligo = to tie). So without them we are prone to make the mistakes made by others before our time, aren't we?

I hope this information is of value to you.

Bob D

Answer 3

There is only one God all the other "gods" are a figment of the human imagination (aided by satanic manipulation). God has given His Word to us in three different ways all of which say exactly the same thing (as you have pointed out). If you want to know what God requires then I suggest reading the Word He has sent to us through His Prophets.

As for me...I require NOTHING of you and my opinion really doesn't count for anything. Just like your opinion doesn't count for anything nor does your next door neighbor's. The only opinion that counts is God's.

As much as we would like to change it there is only one reality and God is the only "supreme being" in that reality. No matter what fantasies we project onto that reality it simply will not be changed to make us the supreme being.

Answer 4

I have to say that I agree with you one hundred percent. Religions only look different if you buy them retail - if you go to the wholesaler, you'll find they're all pretty much identical.

And I'm totally stealing that wife analogy. That's an excellent example of the whole 'eye of the beholder' concept.

The only problems I have with religions are when they insist that I have to love their wife, follow their wife's rules, and teach kids in schools that their wife is the most beautiful and smart wife in the universe.

Answer 5

God is who He is and He has revealed Himself to us profoundly through Jesus Christ. It is difficult to sidestep that TRUTH. Having said that it is also clear that some people KNOW God but are not privy to have Christ to consummate their relationship. God Himself will sort that out. Now this matter of people fighting over who's God is greatest, the fighting is unnecessary but the presentation is necessary. This is how people learn of the TRUE God. The squabble over land and resources is basically in the hands of people who are preoccupied with what they see to be important.

Answer 6

The Torah and the old testament do have historical content. The new testament has almost none that can be proved. When people refer to the historical facts in the bible they refer to the old testament while trying to prove the truth in a historical sense with regards to the new, but the old and new in a historical sense are mutually exclusive.

Answer 7

In the movie "Enemy Mine" a human and alien are stranded on a planet and are forced co-exist in order to survive. In one scene the alien is praying to his God from his Holy Book. The human asks him to read to him what it says. After a while, the human tells the alien that what he was reading out loud sounded a lot like the words from his own Holy Book, to which the alien responds, "Truth is Truth."
In this regard I agree that all of the major faiths share "truth", but truth must not be relegated to subjective interpretations such as "my wife versus yours." This panders to "feelings" and "likes"which limits the opportunities to discover objective truth. Something can not be "true" for one person and "not true" for another. It's like math: The laws of Physics, Mathematics, or Gravity can be better or worse understood by different people, but the truth of those laws are undeniable. Like the movie said, "Truth is truth", not what's true for you is not true for me." That people use faith (and other people for that matter) in a utilitarian fashion to achieve their own ends does not add or diminish the objective truth of faith, no more that using gravity to lower food or drop bombs validates or invalidates it.

Answer 8

On the surface your values are beautiful - to me because they reflect the Christian God. But there is some contradiction here - what do you base your beliefs on? And who are you tell me how to live my life? What made your moral standards better than anyone elses? If 90% of the population decides murder, stealing etc.. is now okay is it now okay?- Of course not but why?

Answer 9

I have no idea what your wife has to do with this, but seeing as Im unmarried, sure. Your wife is better than mine.

And as for the actual point of course the religious books are great examples to follow. Even athiests will tell you that they believe the books are just for helping man live a morally righteous life.

Answer 10

Yes they taught the love and kindness. To forgive and tolerate. To be honest in secret and public. Message of God is one for all times which He taught through many of His messengers. They taught the total meaning of this life. Man's relation with the creator God etc. Morals are only part of their message.

"Say: He is God, the One and Only; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; and there is none like unto Him." (Holy Qur'an, 112:1-4)