People who believe their religion is the only true religion

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why bother believing in a religion if you do not think it is the right one?
If another religion or faith is right, then why are you wanting your time with that one instead of the other

My middle school religion teacher said something that has stuck with me all this time.
We're all just people wandering through the forest, hoping to find our way out without getting eaten by bear or something. We have a map - our religion's teachings. We are confident that this map is correct, and if we follow this map we'll end up out of the woods and into heaven.
But just because we firmly believe our map is right, and we will continue to follow our map, that doesn't mean that other people's maps are wrong. Some people (ie, other denominations of Christians, in our case), seem to be walking on nearly identical paths and trails through the woods. Other people (even some with a map labeled the same as mine!) seem to be walking in circles or backwards.
I can, and should, share my map with anyone who wants it - and even invite people to follow me and my map, especially if they seem lost in the woods.
But it's really not my place at all to be snatching maps from other people or to be denigrating other maps.
I'm deep in the woods. I can't see the exit. Maybe their maps get to the exact same place, just on a different path. Maybe there path is more direct and easier. Maybe it's more circuitous and harder.
All I know if that I believe my map will get me out of the woods, so follow my own map, invite anyone who wants to join me on my trails, and leave everyone else to follow their own map without my making things harder for them.

I like this too, but the problem is that most religions, doctrine-wise, are mutually exclusive. Catholics, for example, believe that Christian baptism is necessary for salvation. It's unclear whether this means Catholic baptism, but let's just say any Christian baptism will work. This means that anyone not baptized will go to hell. It's not fashionable to talk about this right now, but that's the deal. Of course, there are many other religions, mutually exclusive from Catholicism, that believe the opposite when it comes to their rituals. Therefore, one of three things is true:

1. One of the religions is right, therefore everyone other than that religion's adherents are going to suffer eternally in hellfire, and only their people get to go to heaven;
2. All of the religions are right, therefore everyone is going to simultaneously be in heaven and hell at the same time for eternity (doesn't seem likely);
3. None of the religions is right, therefore no one is going to suffer eternally in hellfire or go to heaven, or maybe if there is an afterlife, it's open to everyone, or at least to people who didn't totally suck in their time on Earth

I tend to go with (3.)

[Anonymous]

Christianity is the only religion that is fundamentally based on faith instead of works

That's a key difference and why I believe in Christianity over other religions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know some very intelligent people who are Christian and believe that Christianity is the only religion that is “right”. — all other religions are wrong and followers of those religions are going to hell. How can anyone honestly believe this? It seems incredibly ethnocentric to me given so many ancient religions, billions of people who follow other religions, and the fact that there is no proof that any religion is superior. I respect those who have faith and believe that all have the right to their own beliefs, but why so judgy? What makes your book more credible than other texts?

Once at a garage sale a woman handed me a pamphlet about her church. I declined saying I already attended a church. She said I should check out hers because it was a better church.

I then told her that church is not a competition or a popularity contest and God doesn't factor in like one church better than another. Also that the bible says "when 2 or more are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst" so really church can be anywhere at anytime, God doesn't care. She was taken aback and said little more. I could see that she never had it framed to her in a way that what she was advocating was actually competition vs. actually inviting. At least I made one person step back and think about their methods.

[Anonymous]

Why are you judging them for judging? They have been brainwashed and its a cult.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Christians are hardly the only groups who believe this.

Look at fighting between Buddhist, Hindus, and Muslims in Asia.

Do Buddhists really believe their religion is the only true one and that everyone else will go to hell? I don't think so.

Don't paint these religions with such a broad brush.

yes- ask hindus living in sri lanka. Buddhism is just as varied in how it is interpreted as any other faith, there is just as much violence and intolerance and denigration of women in certain pockets of the buddhist world as in any other. just b/c they don't believe in hell-doest mean anything since certain groups think non buddhists lives are not as evolved and can be erased without any karmic consequence which is frankly more dangerous than evangelicals saying ppl are going to hell if they don't believe in jesus. I'm speaking from a cultural anthro background and am neither christian, hindu or buddhist. hindus in general are incredibly laid back and tolerant but there are some who kill people suspected of killing cows or unscheduled caste members who try to marry into a higher caste. There are extremists in all religious groups b/c religion is used to control people and create order in societies.

ps he map thing is amazing !!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know there are other religions who believe this. I want to hear from all religions- anyone who believes that they are right and the rest of mankind is wrong- what convinces you that this is so?

In the case of Christianity, because the Bible is the most infallible in a historic and archeological sense.

Infallible? How do you figure that.

Probably was learned in Church

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know there are other religions who believe this. I want to hear from all religions- anyone who believes that they are right and the rest of mankind is wrong- what convinces you that this is so?

In the case of Christianity, because the Bible is the most infallible in a historic and archeological sense.

Infallible? How do you figure that.

Probably was learned in Church

It's the inerrant word of God. He wrote books in Hebrew and Greek. But I guess decided against Sanskrit and Chinese where most of the people in the world lived.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Christians are hardly the only groups who believe this.

Look at fighting between Buddhist, Hindus, and Muslims in Asia.

Do Buddhists really believe their religion is the only true one and that everyone else will go to hell? I don't think so.

Don't paint these religions with such a broad brush.

yes- ask hindus living in sri lanka. Buddhism is just as varied in how it is interpreted as any other faith, there is just as much violence and intolerance and denigration of women in certain pockets of the buddhist world as in any other. just b/c they don't believe in hell-doest mean anything since certain groups think non buddhists lives are not as evolved and can be erased without any karmic consequence which is frankly more dangerous than evangelicals saying ppl are going to hell if they don't believe in jesus. I'm speaking from a cultural anthro background and am neither christian, hindu or buddhist. hindus in general are incredibly laid back and tolerant but there are some who kill people suspected of killing cows or unscheduled caste members who try to marry into a higher caste. There are extremists in all religious groups b/c religion is used to control people and create order in societies.

ps he map thing is amazing !!

Sometimes it's used that way. Not always. Religion can be a force for good.

[Anonymous]

I love the map description. I wish everyone could follow that and accept that some don’t want a map at all.

There are extremists in all religions so singling out one is not helpful. I just don’t understand how intelligent people can be so tunnel visioned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why bother believing in a religion if you do not think it is the right one?
If another religion or faith is right, then why are you wanting your time with that one instead of the other

My middle school religion teacher said something that has stuck with me all this time.
We're all just people wandering through the forest, hoping to find our way out without getting eaten by bear or something. We have a map - our religion's teachings. We are confident that this map is correct, and if we follow this map we'll end up out of the woods and into heaven.
But just because we firmly believe our map is right, and we will continue to follow our map, that doesn't mean that other people's maps are wrong. Some people (ie, other denominations of Christians, in our case), seem to be walking on nearly identical paths and trails through the woods. Other people (even some with a map labeled the same as mine!) seem to be walking in circles or backwards.
I can, and should, share my map with anyone who wants it - and even invite people to follow me and my map, especially if they seem lost in the woods.
But it's really not my place at all to be snatching maps from other people or to be denigrating other maps.
I'm deep in the woods. I can't see the exit. Maybe their maps get to the exact same place, just on a different path. Maybe there path is more direct and easier. Maybe it's more circuitous and harder.
All I know if that I believe my map will get me out of the woods, so follow my own map, invite anyone who wants to join me on my trails, and leave everyone else to follow their own map without my making things harder for them.

The problem with analogies is they only work if the thing they are describing is true. What you are positing is as much a system of theological belief -- namely universalism -- as is Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, etc. You are stating categorically that your belief in this is true, which is what the OP is having a problem with in regards to Christianity. How do you know this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why bother believing in a religion if you do not think it is the right one?
If another religion or faith is right, then why are you wanting your time with that one instead of the other

My middle school religion teacher said something that has stuck with me all this time.
We're all just people wandering through the forest, hoping to find our way out without getting eaten by bear or something. We have a map - our religion's teachings. We are confident that this map is correct, and if we follow this map we'll end up out of the woods and into heaven.
But just because we firmly believe our map is right, and we will continue to follow our map, that doesn't mean that other people's maps are wrong. Some people (ie, other denominations of Christians, in our case), seem to be walking on nearly identical paths and trails through the woods. Other people (even some with a map labeled the same as mine!) seem to be walking in circles or backwards.
I can, and should, share my map with anyone who wants it - and even invite people to follow me and my map, especially if they seem lost in the woods.
But it's really not my place at all to be snatching maps from other people or to be denigrating other maps.
I'm deep in the woods. I can't see the exit. Maybe their maps get to the exact same place, just on a different path. Maybe there path is more direct and easier. Maybe it's more circuitous and harder.
All I know if that I believe my map will get me out of the woods, so follow my own map, invite anyone who wants to join me on my trails, and leave everyone else to follow their own map without my making things harder for them.

The problem with analogies is they only work if the thing they are describing is true. What you are positing is as much a system of theological belief -- namely universalism -- as is Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, etc. You are stating categorically that your belief in this is true, which is what the OP is having a problem with in regards to Christianity. How do you know this?

Not so sure that pp "knows" this, but rather likes it. It's definitely not CHristian - which is my way or the highway -- like a lot of religions, but not all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know there are other religions who believe this. I want to hear from all religions- anyone who believes that they are right and the rest of mankind is wrong- what convinces you that this is so?

Because our prophet Joseph Smith said so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know some very intelligent people who are Christian and believe that Christianity is the only religion that is “right”. — all other religions are wrong and followers of those religions are going to hell. How can anyone honestly believe this? It seems incredibly ethnocentric to me given so many ancient religions, billions of people who follow other religions, and the fact that there is no proof that any religion is superior. I respect those who have faith and believe that all have the right to their own beliefs, but why so judgy? What makes your book more credible than other texts?

I'm a Christian. I believe that Christianity is the most "complete" religion but that many religions offer truth and that Christianity as it is understood currently in American society is limited. I believe in heaven but think there will be people there from all parts of history, geography, etc. I think that we are all accountable for the knowledge we do have. A baseline for me (and I may be wrong) is recognizing that there is a loving creator, that we live in a "broken" world, that we need God and that there is hope for us as individuals/humanity/earth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know some very intelligent people who are Christian and believe that Christianity is the only religion that is “right”. — all other religions are wrong and followers of those religions are going to hell. How can anyone honestly believe this? It seems incredibly ethnocentric to me given so many ancient religions, billions of people who follow other religions, and the fact that there is no proof that any religion is superior. I respect those who have faith and believe that all have the right to their own beliefs, but why so judgy? What makes your book more credible than other texts?

I'm a Christian. I believe that Christianity is the most "complete" religion but that many religions offer truth and that Christianity as it is understood currently in American society is limited. I believe in heaven but think there will be people there from all parts of history, geography, etc. I think that we are all accountable for the knowledge we do have. A baseline for me (and I may be wrong) is recognizing that there is a loving creator, that we live in a "broken" world, that we need God and that there is hope for us as individuals/humanity/earth.

When you say that people from all geographies and parts of history will be in heaven do you include people from other faiths?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know some very intelligent people who are Christian and believe that Christianity is the only religion that is “right”. — all other religions are wrong and followers of those religions are going to hell. How can anyone honestly believe this? It seems incredibly ethnocentric to me given so many ancient religions, billions of people who follow other religions, and the fact that there is no proof that any religion is superior. I respect those who have faith and believe that all have the right to their own beliefs, but why so judgy? What makes your book more credible than other texts?

I'm a Christian. I believe that Christianity is the most "complete" religion but that many religions offer truth and that Christianity as it is understood currently in American society is limited. I believe in heaven but think there will be people there from all parts of history, geography, etc. I think that we are all accountable for the knowledge we do have. A baseline for me (and I may be wrong) is recognizing that there is a loving creator, that we live in a "broken" world, that we need God and that there is hope for us as individuals/humanity/earth.

When you say that people from all geographies and parts of history will be in heaven do you include people from other faiths?

Yeah, that poster you're quoting left out the most controversial parts of Christianity. Can we get into heaven by some way other than through believing in Jesus?