Does it really matter whether a given religion is "true" or not? Does it matter whether its mythology is literal history or allegory or outright falsehood? Does that make the experience of the practitioners of that religion less real, less valid? Wasn't every religion "made up" by someone at some point? But doesn't every religion touch on some deep spiritual truth that transcends all religions? In that way, aren't they all true?
2007-10-19 16:09:14 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Right, but what I'm saying is that they all have meaning, value, and worth for those who believe and practice them. And, beyond the cultural trappings, every religion has some truth to it, some deep spiritual insight. The literal truth, revelation, or divinity of the founder is irrelevant, IMHO.
2007-10-19 16:14:11 · update #1
So if a religion speaks to some Ultimate Truth, does it matter if what the founder claimed about himself and how he received the message true? Wicca is a good example -- Gerald Gardner invented it somewhere between the 1930's and 1950's, while claiming it to be a survival of an ancient religion. Most modern Wiccans know this, and they don't care. Wicca is real, and valid and has meaning. It's only abut 60 or so years old, but that does not make a Wiccan ceremony any less moving.
2007-10-20 02:05:42 · update #2
"True" for a religion has different meanings depending on context.
Just because something is allegorical fable, doesn't mean that it cannot also be true.
I don't think there's anyone out there who thinks that Spiderman is a factual depiction of a teenager who actually possesses the proportional abilities of a spider - but the themes examined in the narrative of Spiderman - such as 'with great power comes great responsibility' can still be true and meaningful.
Likewise, if your religion brings you comfort and helps you to lead a fulfilling, meaningful life, it can certainly be 'true' - no matter if some guy actually, physically turned water to fermented grape juice or perambulated upon liquid two thousand years ago or not.
It only matters when certain followers of such a tradition start insisting that their truth is the only valid one, and that everyone, everywhere has to follow their truth, and that any physical evidence that contradicts their mythology must be ignored or suppressed.
2007-10-19 16:18:00 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
Main question: Yes.
1) Whether the religion is true or not does not change the fact that how it makes us treat each other is far more important.
2) If a religion is based on allegory, the religion should really make that clear. i.e., I know that Santa Claus isn't real, but I still enjoy watching some Santa Claus movies.
3) No, the experience is no less real to the practitioner if it is allegory-as long as it makes sense to them and stirs their emotions.
4) I believe all religions were all made up by people, though not all people do.
5) Whether all religions touch on some deep truth is a matter for long debate and deserves it's own question. I think that all religion is a search for truth, with the founders stating that they have found said truth.
6) They're all true in the sense that Aristotle was right about things. He had some ideas that were right, many that were wrong, and many ideas that are not useful in our daily lives, and we have something we could learn from him.
2007-10-19 23:18:36 · answer #2 · answered by bardoi 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Does it really matter whether a given religion is "true" or not? Yes. Believing a lie is believing a lie. If its important enough to be dealt with as your religion, isn't it important enough for you to seek the truth, wherever it takes you?
Does it matter whether its mythology is literal history or allegory or outright falsehood? Yes. Religions based on history and allegory can both be perfectly fine religions, but you're going to deal with them differently depending on whether you see them as history or allegory. That's why its fine to seek the truth...because just because you find out that a claim is wrong doesn't mean the religion is bad...it just means that particular claim needs to be dealt with differently.
Falsehood is trickier. It depends what the falsehood is. There is a difference between religions founded by people who were mistaken and religions founded by people who knew they were lying, for example.
And it depends on the particular falsehood. Wicca evlved out of the idea what witchcraft was an ancient religion. That theory being totally dismantled in no way invalidates Wicca, however...unless your justification for Wicca is that its the ancient religion of witchcraft. But clinging to the falsehood and claiming it as truth causes all sorts of problems.
Does that make the experience of the practitioners of that religion less real, less valid? Again, depends on what people are basing their beliefs on. Is it based upon the falsehood, or is based upon an experience within a religoin that happenes to have a falsehood in it? Not all religions are about experience. Some are about having faith that a scripture is true, no matter how much you doubt...in which case truth becomes incredibly important.
Wasn't every religion "made up" by someone at some point? Every religion was organized at some point. "Made up" kind of implies invention from nothing.
But doesn't every religion touch on some deep spiritual truth that transcends all religions? IMHO, not necessarily. Just because someone calls it a religion and says he follows it doesn't guarantee he gets a damn thing out of it. And if a religion was conciously fabricated by someone unscrupulous (such as a con artist looking for money), then there might very well be not a shred of spiritual truth to it. I believe there are many paths to the truth, but that doesn't mean all paths are true.
In that way, aren't they all true? No.
2007-10-19 23:25:18 · answer #3 · answered by Nightwind 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Does it matter whether its mythology is literal history or allegory or outright falsehood?"
Yes of course it does. You see, the whole purpose of religion is to lead the seeker to some sort of ultimate truth.
Therefore, if the religion's beliefs are outright falsehoods, then the religion has absolutely no value, whatsoever.
2007-10-19 23:24:01 · answer #4 · answered by clusium1971 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well it depends on what one is looking for. If it's just to feel good about themselves then yes, I could start a religion called 'Sitting Chairs' develop a feel good theology around it based on things people want to hear, and I bet Sitting Chairs would become the new wave cult.
But the question is does 'truth' matter? Can one really know what 'truth' is? Does 'truth' take commitment? Well, doggone it if it does I want Sitting Chairs!!!!!
2007-10-19 23:17:56 · answer #5 · answered by Terry L 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is the eternal question of Is Truth Relative or not? Is it relative to each person experiencing it, or is it what it is, and we make up how we want to experience it?
I think you can create value for yourself in any religion, based on truth, myth or not. I do not think all religions touch on some deep truth but I think perhaps different religions meet the needs of different people. It's all in where you are developmentally. Some attract one kind of thinker and person, others attract another.
2007-10-19 23:14:59 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Ain't they all, Pretty much, made up? I mean never mind if the events behind the religions are real, It still made up over something that supposedly happened.
2007-10-19 23:13:34 · answer #7 · answered by punch 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Wasn't every religion "made up" by someone at some point?"
Well, many faiths hold that their teaching are divinely imparted, and do not believe that all paths lead to the same place in the end...
2007-10-19 23:15:01 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
When a diamond merchant comes across a diamond of great value he goes and sells all the other daimonds to buy that diamond.Why? "No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bed they put it on a table for all to see"
2007-10-19 23:23:28 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It can have meaning. If I believe that Earth is a living being, does that not give some meaning about how the earth can be hurt and is mortal?
2007-10-19 23:17:06 · answer #10 · answered by Windona 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋