Don't you think that, if there were a legitimate reason for believing one religion over all others...(details)

Question

...there would be some sort of consensus about which religion is the correct one?

I mean, we have a pretty good idea (reasonable people do, anyway) that evolution is the Real Deal...I'm sure there's a tiny proportion of scientists who don't buy it, for whatever reason, but there's a huge majority that does recognize it for the very probably truth that it is. Same with the age of the earth, solar system, universe, etc. And since we're talking about scientists, that's saying something, isn't it?

But why is there such a multicotomy (I think I just made that word up) in the realm of religion? Sure, some religions are more popular than others (due, I think, to tactics involving threats/bribery on the part of some), but why doesn't the One True Religion (as all religions claim to be) have the majority of humanity in its sway?

Found this pie chart, in case you're curious:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Worldwide_percentage_of_Adherents_by_Religion.png

bibliophile: Compare in what respect? One can compare horses to donkeys or apples to oranges, if one so chose.

If you mean, compare in terms of merit, I think all religions are pretty much on equal footing...

hasse_john: Touche, touche.

Dapper Napper: Thou sayest it.

Dapper Napper (again): I'm sorry; I guess I assumed you'd read a bible...I thought you'd understand that Yes, I was agreeing with you. I don't know where you got your figures (80% seems distressingly high to me), but I do believe that anybody who denies that evolution is very, very probable is unreasonable.

Sorry for the confusion.

Nightwind: All right, let us say that somebody (personally I like unicorns, but I don't see them in real life) says he/she saw a unicorn eating veggies in his/her backyard. And he/she tells the world about it and a lot of people believe this person.

Next let's say somebody says that he had a purple dragon show up for dinner at his house, and that this dragon, by way of polite dinner conversation, flatly denied that there was any such thing as unicorns. This person also relates his story to the world, gathering believers and causing controversy, because his story plainly contradicts the story about the unicorn in the veggie garden.

Now, obviously somebody's been fibbing--both stories can't be true. This, to me, is how many of the world's biggest religions stand today--and how do we know which story to believe?

zorrro857:

"You made the comment that all "reasonable" people , "just who are reasonable under whoses standards?

"Do you mean that they have to agree with you?"

Fundamentally, I think reasonable people ought to "agree with" (or at least take very seriously into consideration) mainstream scientific theories that are generally agreed upon and have a lot of legitimate evidence to back them up.

Glen:

"First, Not all religions claim to be the only truth, many of us claim to be the truth that's right for us."

You're right; that was an unfair overgeneralization on my part, one I did not point out only because I ran out of space in my description.

"Third, 6,000,000,000 people on earth and you think it's possible for all to agree on something???"

Like I said, the vast majority of scientists (what I generally think of as the most rational-minded people on earth) seem to have no problem whatsoever in agreeing almost universally on a lot of things. Does that say something about the rest of us?

Betty Boop: Most people who are familiar in the least with the scientific method understand that, fundamentally, nothing can be 100% "proven". Hence the fact that even scientists still call it a "theory".

Answer 1

If there was a God and a "true religion", then, indeed, you would expect it to be obvious and agreed upon. The very fact that it is not and there is no way of distinguishing one religion as having greater veracity than any other lends strongly to the idea that none exists.

Answer 2

I assume you were raised Christian because you're making a lot of Christian assumtions.

First, Not all religions claim to be the only truth, many of us claim to be the truth that's right for us.

Second, you don't need to analyze religions' usefulness by whether they tell the historic truth about the universe. Many religions don't claim that's what they do. In my religion, Judaism, we recognize the stories of our scriptures as important parables, metaphors, for bigger truthes. Almost no Jews (I mean it, less than 5% or so) believe or teach that Noah's flood really happened and such. In fact, 80% of us don't even believe in Gd with certainty, we either don't believe at all or call ourselves agnostic. But we keep following our religion because it's meant to be a guide about how we act and how we make moral decisions, not a precise historical account. We don't believe only we would go to heaven if there is one, but that any righteous person would.

Likewise, Buddhists, Wicca, etc. are about behavior and decisions, not convincing yourself you have the only truth.

Third, 6,000,000,000 people on earth and you think it's possible for all to agree on something??? You way underestimate the complexity of human beings. There are a lot of religions because (for instance) when Shinto was developing in Japan and Buddhism and Confucianism were developing on the mainland, and Hinduism was developing in India, and Judaism was developing in the mideast and paganisms were developing in Europe and the Native Americans and the people on the Pacific islands were all developing their own religions they didn't exactly have the chance to compare notes and arrive at compromises. Everyone was very attached to their religions by the time they started mixing with others.

-Glenn O.

Answer 3

Scientists have reasons for not coming out for creation. They can forget about any funding if they do. Any hope of promotion is also gone.

As for true religion, the Bible tells us most will prefer the selfish and lazy way of life from false religions. After all, does not just thinking of Jesus seem easier than actually doing God's will? The reward is better as all believe they go to heaven no matter what they do. The inane belief doesn't make sense. Why bother with earth? Why not stay in heaven if we all get there anyway? Why not suicide and get there faster? Just in the last bit of life "praise Jesus" and go straight to heaven.

This is contrary to both the Bible and common sense.

Everything God has done shows order, a certain way of doing things. Is it not reasonable that God would have a certain method He approves to be worshiped? Would it not be in the Bible clearly marked? It is.

His way contains worship of Him purely. He tolerates no unclean acts of worship involving pagan beliefs. That rules out most of the worlds religions right away. To gain the benefits of pure worship, we must follow His standards.

Answer 4

well first you have to define WHAT A RELIGION REALLY IS ,, would you agree that a religion is an organized way of worshipping someone or something? that being the case why would you want a religion?
I have a religion because I want my worship to my specific God to be approved, He has promissed me everlasting life in a paradise earth if I merit his approval.

You made the comment that all "reasonable" people , "just who are reasonable under whoses standards?

Do you mean that they have to agree with you?

How about if they come to have a correct understandig of the Bible, Do you know the THEME OF THE BIBLE? most people don't, & thats elementary

Do you think thats a good reason? & what God do you worship? remember there are many Gods take for instance Moses was a GOD (Exodus 7:1) . . . Consequently Jehovah said to Moses: “See, I have made you God to Phar′aoh. . .

Many follow the religion of thier parents, IS THAT A GOOD REASON? How do you know they are right?

would you like a real Bible study & find out for yourselves (like I did) go to www.watcthower.org & request a visit

Answer 5

Because your neologism, "multichotomy", describes how what I might call the Law of Variety works out. We all live in houses of various different styles; drive various different models of cars; choose various different kinds of friends, mates, and co-workers. So why should we all be stuck with only ONE "True Religion" ? As long as the faith someone has fulfills its function, and only varies in a few details from others, why not allow that?

Remember that science is only as detailed as it can MEASURE. Spiritual ideas are vague and unmeasurable. So there are bound to be many different viewpoints. There might even be a Law like I alluded to above, a Law of Individuality. Snowflakes, fingerprints, etc. Nature abhors a vacuum, but also seems to abhor sameness. Nothing is or looks exactly like anything else.

Answer 6

You're assuming that "a legitimate reason" would have to be the same reason for all believers. Lots of believers have what I consider legitimate reasons for their beliefs, even though I disagree with their beliefs and they disagree with mine.

Imagine a unicorn showed up in your back yard. You saw it and petted it. It ate some of your garden vegetables. This would be a good reason for you to believe in unicorns. However, then you tell me about the unicorn. The unicorn has left so you cannot show me the unicorn and the garden looks like it might have been chewed up by rabbits. I don't have a good reason to believe in the unicorn, but does that somehow invalidate your reason?

Answer 7

Reasonable people would believe that evolution is the real deal, eh?

So you are saying that most of the people in the western hemisphere are unreasonable (or stupid)?

Nah, you did. Read your question again. The one YOU wrote. The one you wrote where you say that evolution is the real deal to any reasonable person. Then take a look at the fact that 80% of the western hemisphere disagrees with you.

That would be like disagreeing with people who say that "water is wet" and calling them "unreasonable".

Answer 8

Given that religion is "suppose to be" the most important decision that a person can make - you would assume that god would have made one of the so obvious that only an insane person would doubt it.

And - to the first person who said something to the effect that "nothing compares to Jesus" - how do you explain the fact that there are 10,000's of Christian denominations. Some of which seriously contradict the others and several that are actively at war with each other ?

Answer 9

Except if the implications of the one true religion is unpopular, as Jesus said to the unbelievers, "The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil." John 7:7

"This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed" John 3:19,20

Answer 10

Most believe in High morals. But believe one must work to get to heaven. They don't know how much though. In the beginning there was God and one religion since then it has taken on many forms and become distorted.Salvation equals faith plus nothing.
Without a god mankind might not have survived.