Theists, Deists , Polys etc?

Question

are there others like me out there who believes what I do ... has a religion ... my own ideas of God and the afterlife etc ...
but is open to saying
you know what , this is what I believe but I do not think everyone else is wrong
your God is every bit as valid as mine
your beliefs in the afterlife are as true as mine
heck we might all be right

I cannot say mine is right and there is no other way but my way
not with so many different beliefs out there.... I find that to be quite a silly assumption
I cannot , would not deny what I believe .... and it is THE truth ( for me )
and I appreciate that everyone will feel the same about theirs
but I respect that
do you respect me ?
do you feel the same ?
do you understand that as much as you feel your truth should be the truth for everyone ... that there are other truths out there

Answer 1

You left out the option that we might (and probably are) all wrong (if there must be a right and a wrong to this).

Humanity in relationship to Divinity is like the bacteria in the gut of a flea riding on the back of an elephant to the planet upon which the elephant walks. Actually we are no more capable of understanding Divinity than the bug is.

To say otherwise is to be arrogant. The human mind, so tiny and fragile, Divinity so all inclusive. We each can but glean a mote of Being.

Every human is unique. Every Path is different. So, big deal, some humans make allowances and can agree on a few concepts or pieces of dogma. This does not make their point of view any more or any less real. It works for them.

Some have no belief of Divinity. So how do they plan to logically argue their non-belief into the hearts of others? This does not make their point of view any more or any less real. It works for them.

We have the right to believe (or not believe) as we wish. We have the right to speak about our beliefs (or non-beliefs). We should know that it is rude and unproductive to push our view past the point of being reasonable. If we do not, we should expect to be called fool.

Answer 2

I think I agree with the general sentiment - that is, that we're all in the same boat here, just trying to make the best of what we've got - but I think there's one fundamental issue which you're ignoring. Namely, that while many things in subjectivity are undoubtedly true, truth is not a function of subjectivity. How else could you possibly reconsile multiple differing individuals? It is not the case that what is true for me is true for you, because that would deny the difference between us, but it is also not the case that the two truths must be fundamentally separate; otherwise, our interactions with others become essentially meaningless! We'd just end up talking our own languages at each other and never learning or teaching anything!

What you believe can never, in and of itself, be The Truth, because you can only ever understand your own mind and the ideas that you consider within it. You are only ever grasping a tiny portion of the huge array of understanding that this mesh of subjects called "reality" provides. Any system of understanding would do well to acknowledge this, I feel.

Allow me to make a potential modification to your clarification. I respect and acknowledge your beliefs about yourself. I respect and acknowledge the truths that you can acknowledge as a perceiver within reality. I totally refute any beliefs or claims you make about universality or objectivity, and I hope you do the same to me.

To put it bluntly, you don't know. You might think you do, and in fact, it's entirely possible that you are right, but you don't know, and neither do I. Rather than "Nobody is wrong", the focus I suggest is " Nobody is definitely right, and neither am I". When you've got that down, what you've got is not only openness and intellectual and spiritual honesty but also humility to go along with it. That, I feel, may be a more appropriate approach to take; particularly when we wish to allow ourselves to be challenged and to grow in the face of tension and uncertainty.

Answer 3

I am deist. Nice to meet you.

I believe:

- The after-life, reincarnation, heaven/hell, karma, and religions as a whole were created from the illusion of death., and as such are OUR OWN making...not God's.

- While it is true that heaven and hell exist side by side in the immediate after-life, that is only part of the picture. Jesus ascended to a realm of light known as the mental plane, 3rd samsara, or salomo loka (hindu). It is any wonder that Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists all believe in 7 levels to heaven- I think not!!!! I recently learned that Traditional Christianity also shared this view up untill the 9th century. Today, it is a little known fact that even the bible stipulates there are THREE heavens.

- I'm pretty sure there are more evolved beings beyond the father and the son. It's called transcendence- who says infinity only goes one way?

- Whether the study of higher intelligences could point towards there being a God...it simply DOES NOT MATTER. I believe that the quantum reality is our true state of being (but again, that doesn't make it "real.") Eg. Buddhists believe in an eternal field where no one ever dies and no one is ever born.

- Other than that, everything goes.

Answer 4

I believe in possibilities... I could never limit myself to taking up one religion or creating my own because the truth of the matter is I just don't know and don't think anyone should claim they do. There are so many possibilities out there that I think it's a bit closed minded to reject them.

I respect everyone's opinions but find that people don't respect mine. I find that a lot of people hide behind the term religion for their bigoted views. Most religions have so many contradictions that you still have to choose the ones you wish to believe... so every belief is your own and you shouldn't use the term 'faith' as an excuse. A lot of people expect me to respect their views because they are a certain religion but then don't respect mine just because they don't come from a religious background.

If you respect me then sure, I'll respect you.

Answer 5

Im an atheist and you are not religious, you have a wishful and dreamy way of dealing with the complex questions of life without subscribing to one doctrine, so yes I can respect that.
Also, your type will never interfere with science or what is being taught in the classroom so again, I have no problem with you.
I think you are wrong, but in a sweet way.
I look upon your beliefs in the same way I might look at an elderly widow who believes their lost partner guides them through life, I wouldn't take it away from them nor be mean to them about it, I just think that it's a way to deal.
I think your idea about thinking everyones religion can be true to very misguided and perhaps you havent had to deal with a group of people slowing down the progress of scientific progress in a field you hold dear?
Non the less you seem like a kindly person with a harmless outlook on life therefore I can respect your opinions enough. The fact that you are willing to say you are not 100% sure, to me, means you're more of a hopeful idealist than a preaching dogmatist.
I'm pretty sure, with enough research you might find the wonder of life in nature and not spirituality but this is not the point of your question.
I dont feel the same as you.
I can respect you.
I understand where you are coming from but I wholeheartedly disagree with you.

________________
ADDED LATER:
So I get a thumbs down for saying that I disagree with but respecting this opinion? Basically saying that my opinion is not respected.... strange that atheists are always being perceived as cold hearted and close minded.
The point of the question is to respect an opinion different to your own, exactly what is not being granted to me when I'm being polite! Nice.
_______
Yay! Thumbs up beats thumbs down. Score! ☺

Answer 6

No, this is nothing more than moral relativism. If everyone's position is equally valid, then Hitler's position was valid as well when he killed the Jews in the Holocaust.

Sorry, but there is just one TRUTH. We may all have different perceptions of what that truth is; but at the end of the day, some of us will be wrong, and some of us will be right.

It's a tough break, but a simple principle of logic. We can't all be right. Especially when two religious ideas directly conflict:

For example:

God is all powerful;
God is not all powerful.

There is no way that both can be true at the same time.

As for "respect" -- this turns on identifying a desired quality. Another person exhibits this quality, and they earn your respect. But a person's idea of what is true will shape whether or not they respect that other. So if you are perfectly tolerant towards another person's view, you would perfectly understand their intolerance to your own view.

Answer 7

As a general rule I respect everyone's right to believe what they will but how they act on those beliefs may cause me to not respect the person. Ex: hating, judging, condemning and killing in the name of any God.

I respect you because you have shown to be a kind and loving person. From my understanding of Spiritualism, many of our beliefs are similar, some differ, but I'd not ask you or anyone to believe my ways above your own. I believe we are all part right part wrong, none of us having a complete knowledge or understanding.

Answer 8

So for you the truth is subjective. For me it is objective. I believe that there can only be one truth, although that isn't what I used to believe. Rationally, the truth of beliefs cannot be relative, and trying to say so is foolish. It means that anyone who believes in only thing is considered arrogant and judgemental for their beliefs, even before they state what they are. We can state however that all beliefs hold some truth, because this is God's world and His truth is in it. Your beliefs will not be entirely 'wrong'.
Relativism fails it's own test. It states that no one view can be uniquely privilaged over any other. So to state that relativism is uniquely privilaged over any other worldview is doing just what it says must not be done.
I believe what I believe because I met God.
God is what or who he is. His claims deserve attention because if they are the truth, then it's important to all of us.

Answer 9

I believe the same way
I try to respect everyone, unless they show they don't deserve it. I do understand that as much as I feel my truth is everyone's... that there are different truths out there.

_____________
Since this question is asking opinions and respecting everyone's beliefs there really shouldn't be any thumbs down

Answer 10

1. Respect is something that you earn, and can't just be handed out to people that you don't know/haven't earned it.
2. I do feel that everyone is entitled to there opinions and that every single believe has the possibility of being true.
3. Actually I don't care what others believe, and I don't necessarily believe what I believe is true, but along with numerous truths, there are numerous falsities.