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Author Topic:   Can many/all religions be true? (Mini_Ditka and Phat)
SuperNintendo Chalmers
Member (Idle past 5834 days)
Posts: 772
From: Bartlett, IL, USA
Joined: 12-27-2005


Message 1 of 15 (275013)
01-02-2006 2:25 PM


===============================================
GREAT DEBATE THREAD * MINI DITKA AND PHAT ONLY
===============================================
First off let me state that I am agnostic... However, I have been thinking lately that all religions could certainly be true. What if all religions are just a different way of reaching to a higher power? People will claim the scripture is contradictory... however, that is scripture, that is not a higher being.
Hindus have multiple gods and Jews have one. However, if god is truly omnipotent, omniscient, etc. etc. why can't it be many and yet also one at the same time? I mean, this doesn't make sense to the human mind, but isn't the whole point of god that it is beyond our understanding? Jesus could be the son of god to some and not others and both could be true because god is omnipotent and omnipresent....
So the topic is: Could many/all religions be true? (we could even discuss if this could include atheism... If god is truly unlimited couldn't he exist and not exist at the same time?
This message has been edited by AdminPhat, 01-13-2006 07:50 AM

Replies to this message:
 Message 2 by Faith, posted 01-02-2006 3:07 PM SuperNintendo Chalmers has not replied
 Message 3 by Phat, posted 01-02-2006 6:30 PM SuperNintendo Chalmers has replied
 Message 10 by alphablu82, posted 01-11-2006 11:37 AM SuperNintendo Chalmers has not replied
 Message 14 by Rommel, posted 11-30-2006 11:12 AM SuperNintendo Chalmers has not replied

SuperNintendo Chalmers
Member (Idle past 5834 days)
Posts: 772
From: Bartlett, IL, USA
Joined: 12-27-2005


Message 4 of 15 (275349)
01-03-2006 1:56 PM
Reply to: Message 3 by Phat
01-02-2006 6:30 PM


what is a god(s)?
How can something exist and not exist? It may be true that God can do whatever God wants to do, but I suppose that as a starting point, you and I have to agree on our respective positions of the definition of God as we each see it (Him).
To start, i would define god(s) as something beyond our comprehension and understanding. I'm not sure omnipotent is the right word, more just like "power beyond our ability to understand". In addition, this god(s) would have to be unlimited, at least from our perspective (limits we can not conceive of or comprehend seem irrelevant to me).
Maybe I haven't done a great job of defining god(s), but I think have listed some properties.....
This message has been edited by Mini_Ditka, 01-03-2006 02:06 PM

This message is a reply to:
 Message 3 by Phat, posted 01-02-2006 6:30 PM Phat has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 5 by Phat, posted 01-03-2006 6:40 PM SuperNintendo Chalmers has replied

SuperNintendo Chalmers
Member (Idle past 5834 days)
Posts: 772
From: Bartlett, IL, USA
Joined: 12-27-2005


Message 6 of 15 (275481)
01-03-2006 7:01 PM
Reply to: Message 5 by Phat
01-03-2006 6:40 PM


Re: Phats Reply#2
I have no problem going any way you want with this thread. I don't mind a little proselytizing! If I couldn't stand exporsure to other ideas I wouldn't be much of a free-thinker would I?
As to what my beliefs actually are. I might be considered more of an atheist. However, I do not disbelieve in the concept of a god, I simply don't buy any of the ones that have been presented to me. I used to be more of a deist... but eventually I realized that belief in a god(s) was irrelevant and settled on atheist/agnostic.
Interestingly enough, the bible has only made me less of a believer. It seems ridiculously contradictory... In addition, I am against organized religion... in fact, I think organized religion is all about taking the god out of spirituality. I have also read quite a bit about the existence of a historical jesus and found little to no evidence.
To me religion is just something that people created to control other people..... So that was very rambling and probably not well written, but you get the idea.
I would say, the only types of things that have ever made me really wonder about a god(s) are books like "A brief history of time" by hawking. I see far more sprituality in relativistic physics and evolution than I do in religious texts.
To get back to the OP:
My thought is, if god(s) is/are truly unlimited and beyond our understanding why couldn't it/them reveal itself to different people in different ways. We may think it illogical for judiasm and christianity to both be true, but god(s) is/are by definition beyond human logic and rules....
I had a conversation with a good friend the other day that your post reminded me of. He used to be a reasonably devout catholic growing up. Now he is more of a liberal x-tien or deist. We were discussing the lack of evidence for the existence of a historical jesus. He told me, "Honestly, whether he was the son of god or not, or even existed... it doesn't matter to me. What matters to me are his teachings and that following them is the right thing to do."
He is of the opinion that following the golden rule as jesus taught is what matters..... not arguing over whether a bunch of obvious parables are really true.
This message has been edited by Mini_Ditka, 01-03-2006 07:02 PM
This message has been edited by Mini_Ditka, 01-03-2006 07:03 PM

This message is a reply to:
 Message 5 by Phat, posted 01-03-2006 6:40 PM Phat has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 7 by Phat, posted 01-04-2006 4:02 PM SuperNintendo Chalmers has replied

SuperNintendo Chalmers
Member (Idle past 5834 days)
Posts: 772
From: Bartlett, IL, USA
Joined: 12-27-2005


Message 8 of 15 (276209)
01-05-2006 8:20 PM
Reply to: Message 7 by Phat
01-04-2006 4:02 PM


Re: Hawking and Relativism versus Organized Chaos
I have read quite a bit as well, and based on ONLY what I have read, there IS no conclusion, IMO. Of course, a lot depends on the preconceived bias of the reader. Lets take a guy who was raised around religion, saw the hypocrisies and politics of it, became educated in critical thinking, and concluded that 90% of organized religion was a giant lie and clever marketing ploy! I would be unable to convince this person that SOME people know about God and some people know God. My Belief would not persuade them...especially if they were convinced that a benevolant God loves everyone and has already saved everyone!
Phat, I think you bring up some good points here... and it sort of gets to my overall point. There is no certain way to know if one or any religions are true or correct. My idea is, since god is unlimited and beyond our understanding why couldn't the many world religions be different ways of reaching the same entity(s). Maybe Christians reach god(s) through jesus, Muslims through the Quran, Hindus through their deities, etc. Since god is beyond our understanding, it seems to me that certainly every religion could be true.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 7 by Phat, posted 01-04-2006 4:02 PM Phat has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 9 by Phat, posted 01-09-2006 6:21 AM SuperNintendo Chalmers has not replied
 Message 11 by Phat, posted 01-20-2006 1:24 PM SuperNintendo Chalmers has not replied

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