Original Sin?

What proves you right and the Hindus wrong? What puts your god above all of the others, and not some other way around? Why must there have been only one supreme being before time?

Christianity is true because you like it best?

What about the next god or gods, still hidden, who reveal themselves as the true creators, with all before them only aspects of the next great current truth?

You liking the rules and answers that your religion provides does not prove you right.

What is your logic, such as there is a creation therefore there must have been a creator, that proves that your god was hidden and the revelation that he was here all along and is in fact the creator, is true?

"It is only logical and true that only one is true" is not complete - none of them may be true because we don't know the truth yet, none of them may be true because all of them may be wrong, or more than one of them may be true because they all see different aspects of the truth.

One of them is true because you prefer the society it inspires isn't proof at all.

Quote: Dalex64

Christianity is true because you like it best?

There is indeed truth in this. But there is also I believe some objective truth that we can discern about different religions. Hindus for example with their idea of reincarnation based on the merit of someone's previous life gives rise to discrimination of the poor and an awful caste system of rich and untouchables. The Mormons believe things that have been proven untrue archeologically and historically and their concept of Heaven puts Mormons at the top above everyone else and even gives faithful Mormons a chance to become god-like saviors of their own planets, like Jesus was for us. Islam obviously has a very difficult problem with how it regards the Koran, as not the inspired but dictated text of God delivered perfectly and without any error through Muhammad. I think those Muslims who strive to be moderate are trying to allow some parts of the Koran to be taking more figuratively, which is what Christians have always done with the Bible.

Christianity is the only religion that God becomes one of us, not content to cheer us on or dictate from Heaven above. He humbles Himself for our sake and becomes one of us. He teaches us how to live our lives such that still today the teachings of Christ are the almost unquestioned standard for morality. He tackles the question of suffering and death in a unique way, by bringing meaning to our suffering when we willingly serve others or allow ourselves to be served. He shows us that living a life for others is the source of true happiness and fulfillment for all of us and He witnesses to the unconditional love of God, as a Heavenly Father who is always ready to forgive and reconcile with us. He ultimately dies as the innocent victim for our sins and is Resurrected, showing not only is He truly God but that we too can conquer our ancient foe of death.

Through all of this Christianity shows that we are infinitely loved by God and made in His image and likeness. Every human being is worthy of respect and carries an invaluable and inviolable dignity. We are made to be good, loving, and holy but are weak and wounded in our efforts to do so. God both frees us from the guilt of our mistakes and failures and at the same time inspires and helps us to reach towards our potential - a potential eventually perfectly fulfilled in Heaven.

These are some of the many reasons I believe in Christianity and why I don't believe in the many other religions.

Granted this is not proof of its truthfulness, just like believing in no God is proof there isn't one, but it is a good exercise to ask yourself why you hold one position and not the other. Often you will find that either you are mistaken about some belief or you will realize that what you believe has nothing going for it; no evidence, no inspiration, no answers, and has proved the most destructive force in the world throughout the 20th century like Atheism.

Quote: Dalex64

Christianity is true because you like it best?
.

That's what the whole discussion comes down
to. FrG likes it so of course it must be true.
A total lack of real evidence doesn't bother
him at all. It's a matter of emotion, the
facts be damned. Christianity is all about constant
praise at the 'gift' Jesus gave, and also constant
guilt of what he went thru to give it. That's
why he's still hanging on that cross in every
Catholic church, and on a crucifix around their
necks. Guilt is a powerful tool, parental figures
have used it for eons. It's no accident that priests
are called 'father', it's makes it easy for them
to lay the guilt on with a trowel.

So if there is no logical way to choose which religion is the true one, choosing a religion to believe in is not logical. There is nothing that sets one religion above the rest, or validates its beliefs as true.

If someone is not indoctrinated into a religion by their upbringing, chooses to change their religion, or chooses to adopt a religion later, they do so by finding the religion that best matches their personal beliefs. None of this proves a religion to be true, or makes their teaching correct. If god guided someone in their choice, there is either more than one god, or many misinterpretaions of inspiration, or both.

If someone is choosing a religion based on how they feel about their beliefs, people are also choosing athiesm because of their personal beliefs.

What it all comes down to is people choosing to live their lives in a manner that they themselves agree with. Surrounding yourself with like-minded people for sharing and support is natural.

You pointed out flaws in these other religions. Your religion is certainly not flawless. So, these individial flaws are not a logical reason to choose one religion over another.

It is not logical to choose a religion that is false. No religion can prove that theirs is true. Is it therefore logical to choose any religion at all?

Additional: the Greek and Norse believed their gods walked among us, had children with us, and died for us.

Quote: Dalex64

So if there is no logical way to choose which religion is the true one, choosing a religion to believe in is not logical. There is nothing that sets one religion above the rest, or validates its beliefs as true.

Why would you say there is no logical way to choose which religion is the true one? Is it not logical to examine the evidence, teachings, and practices of a religion and evaluate it. There is plenty that would set one religion above the rest. Which ones are historically accurate, what contributions have been made to the world, what do the teachings tell us about who we are and why we are here?

Quote:

If someone is not indoctrinated into a religion by their upbringing, chooses to change their religion, or chooses to adopt a religion later, they do so by finding the religion that best matches their personal beliefs. None of this proves a religion to be true, or makes their teaching correct. If god guided someone in their choice, there is either more than one god, or many misinterpretaions of inspiration, or both.

I think you would run into problems applying this reasoning to things like global warming, government systems, or other moral issues. You might choose to be on one side of these things or desire this approach because it matches your personal beliefs, but that does not make it true. Both sides of the global warming issue can't be right. Based on the evidence which one do you feel to be correct?

Quote:

If someone is choosing a religion based on how they feel about their beliefs, people are also choosing athiesm because of their personal beliefs.

This exactly shows why choosing a religion based on personal beliefs or desire is not logical and one of the worst things you can do. Atheism is the height of believing just based on personal beliefs without a scrap of historical or scientific evidence. It is just a desire to place ourselves as God and to imagine that we can do anything we want and no one is above or can tell me what I can or cannot do or what is right or wrong. Everyone in the world, including myself, would be an atheist if we decided what to believe in based on our personal beliefs or what we feel like. Christianity is not easy and knowing that there is a God who will hold me accountable for my selfishness is not always a comforting thought, yet I believe it to be true.

Quote:

You pointed out flaws in these other religions. Your religion is certainly not flawless. So, these individial flaws are not a logical reason to choose one religion over another.

Please feel free to share these flaws. I am very open to hearing about if there is some flaw in the fundamental teachings of Christianity. If there were it would be a logical reason to choose one over another.

Quote: Dalex64

Additional: the Greek and Norse believed their gods walked among us, had children with us, and died for us.

While people like to point these similarities out in very simplistic and generic terms if you really look at them they are not anywhere close to what Christians truly believe.

Quote: FrGamble

Atheism is the height of believing just based on personal beliefs without a scrap of historical or scientific evidence. It is just a desire to place ourselves as God and to imagine that we can do anything we want and no one is above or can tell me what I can or cannot do or what is right or wrong.

You constantly demonstrate you have no idea
what atheism is. You keep trying to turn it into
something it's not. It's like you think we read
about a religion, and then reject it because we
don't want to do what the religion requires of
us.

You have it completely backwards. We don't
see any evidence of a god, so we look at any
religion as being nonsensical for us. And silly.
Why would I waste my time on any religion
when the reason for it's existence is based on
something that doesn't exist. You have
over-thought this whole thing, you seem
incapable of seeing the forest because all the
tree's are blocking your view.

Quote: FrGamble

While people like to point these similarities out in very simplistic and generic terms if you really look at them they are not anywhere close to what Christians truly believe.

You were implying that the son of a god living among us was a uniquely christian concept, and it is not.

Quote: Dalex64

You were implying that the son of a god living among us was a uniquely christian concept, and it is not.

Of course it's not. Reminds me that my wife
went to a Christian college and was forced
to take a course in comparative religion. Even
she saw it was nothing more than a reason
to look at other religions thru the rose colored
glasses of Christianity. The class was just an
excuse to raise their beliefs by smearing the
beliefs of others. She found it quite offensive.