THEISTS -- Do you approach religious claims in the same way you approach claims made by a used car salesman?

Question

Do you scrutinize and critically consider religious claims just as much as you would the claims made by, say, a used car salesman or a politician or a realtor? Or is there a "presumption of authenticity" intrinsic to your spiritual worldview?

Answer 1

As a Christian I challenge my faith and explore it. I try to understand it and question it. Also we are told in the Bible to be able to give an account for our faith. If one does not understand their own faith how can they hope to explain it to someone outside of their faith.

Answer 2

A used car salesman is far more honest on average than any religious, scientific or philosophical claim. I treat all of the above with more wary skepticism than any used car salesman.

Religious claims are often faked for monetary gain, prestige, etc, and many 'religious' people are classical Biblical Pharisees; they wear their religion so openly that one can only say 'they already have their reward.'

Science is a reductive art only, yet constant claims that 'science proves' or 'scientists tell us' are usually motivated by exactly the same things as most religious claims: money, power, pride, prestige etc. Despite the claims to exclusivity science is so frequently wrong that it's record, in social terms, is actually a bit worse than pretty much all religions, and far worse than some.

Philosophy goes down the same path. From Plato's assertion that only philosophers live a worthwhile life to the present-day socialists and environmentalists (or are they the same?) who are willing to liquidate countless millions (in the case of environmentalists, billions) of people who don't live up to their standards. When they say the sun comes up in the east I check north, south and west just to be sure.

There are a very few things that I am absolutely convinced are true, such as the existence of God and the primacy of free will in the universe. All other claims are measured against those few things that I hold to be true; every religous, scientific and philsophical claim is measured especially against freedom, since by far the most common of all deceits in human history is the myth that freedom doesn't exist. Practically all religions, political movements, philsophies, and especially scientific materialism, do their best to convince human being that they aren't free, and they succeed all too often. Once a man or woman is convinced there is no choice, the choice vanishes, and soon we'll have rapists claiming they have no choice because evolutionary psychology 'proves' that rape is an inherent genetic trait in human males. And they'll be right, because they bought the claim and reaped the consequences.

I rather doubt that you treat all the different evolutionary theories and derivative philsophies such as atheism with any sort of skepticism at all, and are glad to trade your free will for whatever it is that you want to do that theism would forbid you, whether (as is most common) sexual promiscuity or dishonoring your parents. Whatever it is that you don't want anybody to tell you is wrong is really something YOU consider wrong, and are moving heaven and earth (in your mind at least) to assuage your conscience.

Since it's the most common of all human pasttimes I don't expect to convince you to give up whatever it may be just on my say so. But you might try to treat all the claims of those you accept uncritically with the same skepticism you press on theists. Do you think they have no axe to grind, no agenda to sneak past your guard? If you really do believe that, then you're nothing but a cynical naif, which contradictory double-thinking profession is grown to be very popular these days.

Thanks I'll the same, I'll keep testing my unconscious beliefs whenever I discover them, and building bedrock conscious beliefs a little at a time.

Answer 3

I'm just in the process ... of buying a new car - a Mitsubishi Colt* - from a mate.
Another mate is driving me over to Sydney on Saturday morning so's I can catch a flight up to Brisbane.

I was a passenger in one about six months ago and I was impressed; I netted it - I looked at every aspect of the specifications - I recognise one if I see it on the road; I know this car 'backwards' and I LOVE it.

Now, if it was a religion based on an invisible sky swooper I'd be up crap creek in a barbed wire canoe without a paddle, wouldn't I?
I wouldn't be able to net it cos all I'd get were people's impressions of here-say.
No-one woulda done a test drive in it cos it wouldn't have existed - the last time there was evidence of it existing was just before a flood that wiped out everything except for some animals and stupid 'follow the leader' kids and their compliant wives.
.

Answer 4

I tend not to listen to anyone who feels the need to go around and tell everyone about there beliefs. Beliefs should be personal and regardless what a person has as a belief system the common morals should always win out.

I don't know if that's the mother in me or the pagan.

Hope that helps some

Answer 5

I am much more skeptical of religious claims than I would be of a used car salesman. I can always buy another car while buying a bill of goods from a well meaning preacher could have eternal consequences.

Answer 6

Oh yeah! I question everyone...used car salesmen, teachers/professors, politicians, realtors, religious leaders, my parents, even God. I do presume that the bible is authentic, but I don't accept that any person's interpretation of it is authentic, not even my own. In other words, I do assume that the truth is there, but I don't assume that my understanding of it is perfect.

Answer 7

there is absolutely no authenticity in a car salesman,a politician or a religion! POS(power of suggestion) is what I think makes the world go round!


good to see ya!

Answer 8

I approach religious claims with the Scriptures and the Word of God. I approach car salesman claims with references and past customer experience.A worldview is not so worldly when you have the Bible to bring everyone closer to God.

Answer 9

Yes

Answer 10

I live by my faith in God and Jesus. My definition faith is believing without needing to see and therefore I do not question.

I do spend time trying to determine whether I am living a correct and moral life. I also know I sin because I am human.