Christianity/Islam/Buddhism/Seikhism/Judaism

[ronniemonda8]

Are any of these close to the truth or are they all just a big pile of poo?

[vehelpfulguy]

But what is the truth ?

Nobody knows, so how do we know if any of the religions are near it.

I do not believe there is a god, so to me that is the truth, others do believe there is a god, so to them that is also the truth.

[lynneuk74]

I hate this idea of 'relative truth' which is becoming all too popular.

Obviously I wouldn't be a Christian if I didn't believe it to be the truth. However, in the same way, a Muslim wouldn't follow Islam if they didn't believe it was the truth.

It may be true to say that all religions contain some element of truth - but who is to say which is most genuine? And, as vehelpfulguy states, who is to say what is 'the truth'?

We cannot prove the authenticity of religion in the same way we would prove other things - in a scientific manner, for instance.

It interests me most to look at the similarities between different religions - as well as the differences - as this points me further towards a 'universal' idea of truth. Not to say this is correct or 'true', just that it seems to be a view that comes from several different sources.

Ultimately it is down to the individual to decide what they believe is true. This doesn't 'make' it true - just means that it is what you have decided makes most sense.

[ronniemonda8]

well truth is them sayin what happened not what didn't happen. christians say there are 3 gods, jews one, muslims one and he's real angry, buddhistms say there none. christians say jesus is god, jews say he lying, muslims hate those two and buddhists don't care. christians say u go to heaven if you get water on your head by some paedophile guy, jews if u stick together and chant some stuff and get your tickletackle chopped off, muslims if you blow youself up, and buddhismts if u keep making hummin noises. It all gets confusin. What's the right one? if the christians is right it makes the others liars an verse vica cos what one says means the others wrong. Innit?

[mibn2cweus]

The truth is what one would know if one knew everything; impossible! Regrettable? I doubt it. What is regrettable is all those people claiming to possess knowledge of things that are impossible from sources that do not exist. Even worse is that other people believe them and that is the only proof they need that they were right in the first place.
This is only possible because they all have fallen for the big lie, that knowledge is not something that one can gain by relying on ones own ability to reason; that it must be found elsewhere, through someone else with connections to, or divine gifts from, �the great omniscient one in the sky�! It�s all a big hoax but the most amazing and regrettable thing of all is that for so many, (those who would rather blame their misfortune on someone/thing else than take responsibility for their own lives), it is �the truth�!

[Chessman]

All depends on what you want to believe, the Jews took their religion from the Egyptions, the Christians from the Jews, the Muslims from both the Christians an the Jews, and an interesting parralell, when the god Krishna was born, the Raj had the new born sons killed, same as happened with Moses.

[mibn2cweus]

One more thing. Before someone says, �A person cannot know anything with certainty�, that is a contradiction!

[ronniemonda8]

are u sure about that, mib?

mebe some minds are made to know, some are made to be at peace with themselves by fabricatin some big story.

[KARL]

Who was it that said "All gods are manmade, good people make good gods, bad people make bad gods"? Ever since I came across this thought it has struck me as particularly observant.

[mibn2cweus]

Ronniemonda8, if by that you mean, �A person cannot know anything with certainty�, am I sure that is a contradiction; is it not self-evident? When a person makes such a statement, they are implying their certainty about the impossibility of certainty. What difference does it make whether I am sure about it? Does the statement not speak for itself? I�m not asking you to believe anything I say, simply because I say it. I am only asking that you come to the only possible conclusion based on your own judgment and rational evaluation assuming only that this is within the limits of your intellectual capability.
However, if by that you have something else in mind then please tell me what that something is. I might be intrigued by whatever it is you question my certainty about but first I need to know what that might be?

[mibn2cweus]

Funny thing about reasoning is that the process of phrasing a question in clear and meaningful terms often times reveals the answer to the question we are asking; or at the very least, makes the answer more accessible.

[jake-the-peg]

Personally I think that the word "truth" is difficult enough to assign to independantly verifyable things. Trying to assign it to "revelations" had by individuals or "magic" books is laughable.

However putting that on one side you might be interested in the Baha'i faith . Which is either a radical off-shoot of Islam or a heracy depending on your point of view. But they teach that there is truth in all of these religions - for a religious movement they're remarkably undogmatic

[mibn2cweus]

jake-the-peg, Yes, there are many truths cloaked in much of religious text, (thus their power to deceive), but the task is left to the reasoning of a rational mind to weed them out.