Is it against your belief to consider what someone else is saying could be true?

Question

I'm a buddhist
Budda wanted us to not just follow what he said but test it too, like meditate upon it, think for ourselves what we thought of his teaching if it was right or not.
that's my primary belief; Buddhism
so we are allowed to have conversations with atheists, muslims, and many other religons while considering what they teach us with no harm. I am reading the Quran and Bible.
When people debate with each other (mainly I notice this in religous debates) it seems like they're not considering what they're saying. They go around poking fun but they don't seem to consider if the other person contradicting them is right.
When you argue out defending your religon do you even consider what someone of another belief is saying? Or if you're atheist do you consider what the religious person is saying?

*by the way this is not part of the question but you can e-mail me or post on here; what do you believe is the *true* religon and why? because I am going to teach soon*

Shemus Wood, the gift of life is a miracle. When you see a baby being born it is hard to take in that it is even possible. There are some things that we can't understand now. Like why we even have a life. How can Science prove that? Prove that we have a purpose on this Earth? Humans are the ones polluting, murdering, and so forth. What is the purpose? Some things no matter how crazy you can find out later perhaps, but please don't close your mind to ANY ideas. No matter how "crazy" they sound. A thousand years ago, the idea of a computer would have been crazy. Who knows what humans will find out in the next thousand years.

to my contact "GOD IS LOVE"===>I do believe that Jesus Christ is real I heard there was evidence. Is he holy? That is another matter. I am a buddhist but there are many different forms of buddhism that coexist with other religons. I am still learning thank you for teaching me that though. I don't just go by what I see I go by faith too. It is complicated to explain. But I believe in some Christian beliefs.

Answer 1

I do not argue religion with anyone, but I do like to hear all about other religions, I am not the most enlightened person on the face of this earth, I am open to learning about religions, as long as someone is not trying to convert me, I remain nice about what they are saying, I don't go into my religion with them, because I am not into converting people, the decision is up to them in what they believe

Answer 2

Swordarkeereon pretty much hit the nail on the head, for me.
I dont think any religion has it completely right, therefore, no religion is the "true religion".
Every faith has something the next faith should consider. If someone was to take some of the key elements, from every religion, they would be closer to having it right...

The hardcore Christians, who dont care what anyone else has to say...The ones who judge everyone, including people of the same faith. Those are the people who I think get it the least.....I wish people could learn to accept eachother...consider eachother....
I believe in God, but I dont believe that that belief gives me or anyone else the right to judge others.

Avaheli...I never even thought of that before. It makes sense...But yet still confusing...Well I now officially have a headache.

Answer 3

I try to see where the other person is coming from, but alas, it is one of my greatest faults to not always be able or sometimes even unwilling to execpt what that person is saying.
I just came across this sitution about another question that ended up spilling over into an e-mail debate between myself and another poster on here. In the end we both saw where the other was coming from but it took quite a bit of time and talk on both sides. We may never agree that one of us was right or wrong but we learned a new way of looking at the world and the written language that we had never been open to before.
I have been on the Christian side of the debate and now the Pagan side. I thought that I could see at one point where the Christians were coming from but the more I studied and reseached the more I felt unsure myself about what the bible says and the men that wrote it.

Answer 4

I'm a Pagan eclectic Witch (I generally use the term Wizard just to get past the whole "you can't be a Witch, you're a guy" thing.)

It is most definitely NOT against my belief to learn from other faiths. I am not so interested in the major faiths (Christianity, Judaism, Islam) as I am in the others, Buddhism being one. I know very little about it and I don't really personally know anyone who says they are Buddhist, but if I did, I would like to sit over a cup of coffee and talk with them.

I am willing to discuss anything, but don't tell me the same argument time and time again, I'm pretty bright and I'll let you know if I didn't get it the first time.

Answer 5

I'm skeptical of anyone who's unwilling to acknowledge the beliefs of others or consider the possiblity that they might not have all the answers.

The universe we inhabit is so complicated and unknowable that it's the height of arrogance to believe that there aren't other possible 'right' answers to the questions religion tries to answer.

As for a 'true' religion. There is none - based on this logic:

If God created everything we know then he/she/it created Islam, Christianity, Taoism, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and every other religion in the world.

If one of those religions is the 'true' religion then God must have screwed up when he created the other religions - and my understanding is that God is infallable and can't make a mistake.

So if there is a God, then all religions MUST be valid and there can't be one 'true' religion.

Answer 6

Yes, even if the other person is a child.
God expands Himself into unlimited Supersouls residing in the hearts of all living entities, called Paramatma.
So therefore even a child can be guided from within and can speak words of wisdom.

I fallow the path of Vaishnavism, but once when I was having a very hard time, (karmicly) I took the Bible off my hostess shelf and went straight to the teaching of Jesus.
One line there said something like, "Blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called Gods children.

AND

"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you." (Luke 6:27-31. NIV)

Other religions preach love and goodness also like
Buddhism preaches ahimsa=nonviolence.

from Dhamnapad 201

"Victory breeds hatred, for the defeated live in pain. Happily live the peaceful, giving up victory and defeat."

Judaism says,
"One should choose to be among the persecuted, rather than the persecutors." Judaism. Talmud, Baba Kamma 93a

Islam says,
"Let there be no injury and no requital."

Religion is love.
If I find love anywhere then of course I should accept it as true!

Answer 7

I don't believe there is any "true" religion. I believe there is something of value in all religions. It's rarely the message behind the religion that I argue against, but rather the individual's perceptions of the religion, because that's what makes it dangerous. Admittedly I'm pretty hard on Christianity, but only because I was a Christian and *the people* in the religion harmed me more than helped me. However, I still believe I learned some valuable things from my exposure to Christianity.

Answer 8

i am a Christian. but i found in life that there are many truths some of them follow the way of Christ and some don't. i try always to listen with an open mind to what others are saying to me. in this way i have learned that there many ways in which my religion and other relions have many similarities in their beliefs which show that we are not all that different from each other. it's a shame that more people don't keep an open mind it could bring us all closer together and stop all the hatred and bigotry in this world. what is the true religion? i would like to say mine. i am Cathlic but i nreality we will never know until we die. all we can do while on this earth is live our lives without doing harm to others and do as we think GOD wants us to. BE it GOD, Buddha,allah,etc.

Answer 9

The Bible calls upon its adherents to test everything for truth. Granted that truth is measured by the Bible, but if I don't truly consider the possibility that I'm wrong and that someone else is right, I'm only cheating myself. I try to very carefully weigh all the evidence, and then I decide what I believe about it based on the core of my beliefs.

Answer 10

I believe that belief in Jesus is the only way to God.

Why would I consider this to be the only true religion?

Glad you asked.
It is because those who believe Jesus to be the only way to God usually become better people. They hate less, love more, help each other and strangers, they don't curse, chase women, do drugs, etc. They give up the vices that they once were accustomed to doing, and they treat others with respect which is something they did not do before.

I might add that everyone who calls themselves a Christian, are not necessarily a Christian.

grace2u