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This idea came to me when I was in a conversation with someone.

I was telling them about what I believe in. Or to be more accurate, my belief in Christianity. They said to me then, "Well, that matters only if you belive in it. I don't, so thusly it doesn't apply to me."

What bothers me is this. If you can simply say, "I don't believe in it." Does that mean that everything around us matters only if we believe in it?

I have a few questions that I would like to ask you.

1. What do you believe in?

2. Why do you believe it?

3. Do you believe it's true?

4. And if, what you believe in, might happen to not be true. How would you respond?

I'm going to add my comments a little later. I have to shut down my computer right now.

Untill then,
Please discuss.

1. I believe in Christianity.

2. It seems to me to be the most logical religion, really. That, and, sometimes I feel Jesus there. When I'm scared, His warmth and love calms me.

3. I believe, without a doubt, that Christianity is true. I can't prove anything to you, but I know it is. I just know.

4. If Christianity was proven false, which I don't believe will happen, but if it was, that doesn't mean that I would abandon my code of ethics. I would still refrain from stealing, murdering, etc. Also, Judaism would probably be my second choice of religion, if Christianity happened to not be true.

Hope this helps!

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1. What do you believe in? I am a Buddhist.

2. Why do you believe it? It allows me to believe in scientific devolopments while feeling that my soul is secure. Buddhism has held up throught the years, and is the only way of life that I feel could let me become in touch with myself.

3. Do you believe it's true? I believe that Buddhism guides you to enlightenment, and the soul can't really be at rest unless you have satisfied your moral code. Buddhism allows me to do this.

4. And if, what you believe in, might happen to not be true. How would you respond? I suppose I would go to atheism or agnosticism if it was disproven (although I can't see how anything but reincarnation could be disproven) because there is nothing else that would line up with what we have found of the world.

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1.

There is only one true God, the one who made us and continues to care for us and sustain us, even when we fail to acknowledge him.


This one true God is both Father and Son, not two Gods, but one God, manifest in both of these persons, who bear the name YHWH Sabaoth, along with the Third Person, the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ lives and reigns with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever.


This one true God took upon himself our human form and entered into his creation, specifically so he could reconcile his fallen creatures to himself by taking upon himself our human weakness. He is the Immanuel, God who is with us, God who is one of us, God who makes his dwelling among us, and God who is on our side.


This he accomplished by suffering the pain, the torment, the evil of all humanity. For the Christian, the problem of evil finds its solution in a God who was willing to take that evil into himself and bear it in death, suffering the consequences of our wrongdoing, and through this, offering us forgiveness and healing.


Yet this God did not remain dead. He is risen! Taking up his life again, he then reclaimed the heavenly glory that was his by right, and now from his heavenly throne, continues to watch over us, to hear our prayers, and to administer his mercy. Through his glorious resurrection, we, too, have access to eternal life in him.


Yet he has not abandoned us to be alone in this world, but has given us the promised Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity. God now dwells within us through Holy Baptism, through the ministry of the Word, through prayer, and through the Sacrament of Holy Communion. This Holy Spirit reveals to us the true God, our Lord Jesus Christ, and daily and richly forgives our sins, cleanses us from wrong, and strengthens us to live holy lives under God's caring provision.


We who are marked with Christ's name are one body. In him, we are a holy nation, a royal priesthood, a people chosen by God to proclaim his greatness here on earth. In this Christian Church, we hear the proclamation of God's Word and receive the ministration of his Sacraments, and through these, we are forgiven our sins and strengthened in faith.


In Holy Baptism, we are joined to Christ in his death and resurrection. In Holy Baptism, God writes his name upon us, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, marking us as his children, for whom he cares. Through Holy Baptism, we receive the promised gift of God's Spirit, who continues to strengthen us in faith, and enables us to bear fruit in Christ's name.


By the love of God, and through the Word and the Sacraments, we have the promise of everlasting life. When Christ returns, he will raise us up from the dead, and we will rule over creation with him.


This word means "truth," and by speaking it, we declare, "This is most certainly true." Truth is not relative, but is factual. We Christians hold our faith to be fact, not myth or philosophical conjecture, for Jesus Christ is indeed the way, the truth, and the life.

2. I believe it because the Holy Spirit enlightened my mind and heart to hear God's Word. That's on one level. On the other, I believe it because history testifies that Jesus of Nazareth made some rather outlandish claims to deity, but then also demonstrated his claim by the life he led and the miracles he performed. While skeptics often present me with challenges to the historicity of the documents of his life, most of them appear to me very shallow and uncritical. For example, those who claim the Bible was written hundreds of years after Jesus' death, when we have manuscript evidence that indicates a much earlier date for them.

3. I believe it is factual. If I did not, I would have nothing to say on the subject. For this reason, I also believe that there are no other valid paths. If Jesus Christ was correct in saying that he is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one comes unto God except by him, then what room is there for any other way, truth, or life?

4. As St. Paul says, if Jesus Christ is not raised from the dead, then we are all still dead in our transgressions. There would be no hope for any of us. Frankly, even if it were somehow proven untrue, I'd follow ol' Puddleglum from The Silver Chair; I'd continue to live as a free citizen of God's Kingdom, and conduct my life as if it really mattered.

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1. What do you believe in? I believe in a god.

2. Why do you believe it? Because there is no way that this could all have happened just by chance

3. Do you believe it's true? yes... yes i do.

4. And if, what you believe in, might happen to not be true. How would you respond? I.. don't know, i've never really thought that i could ever be wrong anyway.
No, i mean, i don't know how i'd react. I'd just stop believing.. i guess.

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First off, I think your friend might have simply meant that since he does not believe in Christianity, using Biblical quotes in an argument is pretty much ineffective--it would be like trying to "prove" to a mathematician that 2+2=5 simply because of what you personally believe based on something someone else said a long time ago that the mathematician has already discredited. (Though, of course, this is an example using something that can be logically proven instead of something more ambiguous, as I'm guessing was the case between you and your friend.)

Now, as for your questions:

1. What do you believe in? I believe that there are many different paths to spiritual enlightenment and connecting with the spiritual realm which include all religious beliefs, and that different paths work for different people. As a friend put it, organized religions are to spirituality what microwavable TV dinners are to food: They come with specific instructions and cater only to a specific palate. They may fill you up, they may not. Therefor, to try to get everyone to eat your own preference of TV dinner is folly. I also believe that people get too caught up in the details anymore and should take a broader view of religion and spirituality instead of arguing over who said what about such-and-such tiny secular argument and what it means for us today.

2. Why do you believe it? Well, I was raised Christian (Methodist), but all my life I went through stages where I didn't really FEEL like Christianity was what was good for me. When I got to college, I was finally free of the social environment that had pressured me so much to conform to a set of beliefs that I didn't agree on, and I was, in a sense, awakened. I realized that I was being forced to think a way that I naturally didn't think nor want to think.

So, I did what I've come to realize I always do in these situations--I went to the polar opposite out of rebellious spite. I claimed myself Atheist, only to find shortly thereafter that I still FELT something spiritual about the world, and pursued it more. I asked what I believe is a crucial question when seeking out different religions: Which religion shows people having (or at least claiming to have) strong spiritual experiences? I discovered that ALL of them do!

Growing up, I was led to believe that the only way to have a spiritual experience was to follow Christianity. People would talk about how they feel the "love of God" or the "touch of Jesus" or the "presence of the Holy Spirit" while praying or doing anything connected with Christianity...but then why is it I would hear the same sentiments coming from Jews or Muslims or anyone else of any religious belief? I came to the conclusion that it was too far-fetched to believe that only ONE religion had members earnestly telling the truth, and even MORE far-fetched to believe that every last person was suffering from some sort of delusion...hence I realized that the logical solution must be that everyone claiming to have some sort of spiritual experience (with perhaps a VERY select minority) were telling the truth.

In this case, one cannot attribute such spiritual experiences solely to one organized religion, despite the claims of many that their own experiences solidify the "truth" behind their own religious beliefs. What seems to be more true is that each religion proffers a path for people to follow to lead them to some sort of connection with the spiritual world, and that each person must follow what suits them personally. After more soul searching on this, I found that my own beliefs do not fall under any specific organized religion, though they do draw from a few (such as Paganism, Shamanism, Hinduism, and Christianity) and incorporate them into my own personalized beliefs.

3. Do you believe it's true? Would anyone truly believe something if they didn't think it to be true? Yes, of course I believe it to be true.

4. And if, what you believe in, might happen to not be true. How would you respond? I would ask for substantial evidence to prove my beliefs wrong--including a way to explain the spiritual experiences I have already had since becoming strong in my own beliefs and PROVE that they did not happen as I believe--before I rescinded anything. Until then, I will use the same old addage that many Christians (and I'm sure many people of other religions, too) have used: I know in my heart that it is true.

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The meaning of life is 'bucket.'

FOR PONY!!!

Why do you think that truth is what 'feels' right then? That would be like saying... I feel like 2 + 2 should be 5, so it is for me (this situation is also using something that can be logically proven and something about ambiguous that you said). That doesn't mean it 'works'. I believe there can only be one ultimate truth, just like 2 + 2 can only be one number.

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1. What do you believe in?
I believe in the God of Christianity, the Trinity.

2. Why do you believe it?
Because it is true. I see no other reason to ever believe anything.

3. Do you believe it's true?
Yes.

4. And if, what you believe in, might happen to not be true. How would you respond?
I would seek out what actually was true, and believe in that.

I think I've had similar experiences with people making statements like that, Alexander. Someone I know often laughingly states that "I don't believe in Hell, so I can't go there." Were she not aproximately 20 years my senior, I would point out that that doesn't make any sense. I might disbelieve in prison, but I could still be sent there. It's still a real place.

A notion some people I know have adopted is that, somehow, all religions are correct, and that if you believe in something, say, the Christian Heaven, you will go there when you die. While a very nice sentiment, this is impossible; the majority of religions are mutually exclusive; their teachings are all contradictory. For example, Christianity preaches that there is but one God. This obviously makes it incompatible with any other religion.

Our personal beliefs don't change what matters; it doesn't affect the universe in any way. We don't gain 'immunity' from things by disbelieving them, much like how we don't become invisible to others by closing our eyes.

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You're a moron if you think I'm not.

I edited my post to make sure people understood I considered the Holy Spirit to be God along with the Father and Son. I think the Nicene Creed makes that clear, but I just wanted people to be sure I believed that also.

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Perhaps a better way for me to put it would be to say if you're a Christian and you get in an argument with a Muslim, the Muslim could say, "Well, I know that my position is correct because the Qu'ran says this about!" But you being Christian, that would have absolutely no bearing on you, would it? It's because you don't accept that doctrine to be "correct" or "true," therefore the Muslim quoting the Qu'ran is a pointless argument to you as you don't see it as any sort of valid evidence. The same goes for when Christians cite the Bible in an argument with a non-Christian.



Really? I thought that other religions such as Judaism and Islam were also monotheistic. I didn't know that Christianity was the only monotheistic religion...

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The meaning of life is 'bucket.'

FOR PONY!!!

Yeah, true, but I was only questioning your beliefs that truth can vary from person to person (would that be relativism?). Whatever the ultimate truth is, it is a fact for everyone - only one can be right. Like, people might have different opinions on how dinosaurs became extinct, but only one can actually be correct, whether it can be proved or not.

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I meant that because Christianity preaches that there is only one God, it cannot accept the god(s) of any other religions as legitimate. Even if the other religions only have one god, as well.

Unless, of course, the God of two religions are one and the same. But that isn't the case; Christianity's triune god doesn't mesh with Judaism or Islam. There are a massive number of other incompatibilities as well.

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You're a moron if you think I'm not.

Ultimate truth is something very tricky to find when discussing matters that aren't quantifiable by science and mathematics, simply because for someone to discover the ultimate truth, that person would have to have 100% objectivity in their views, and NO ONE is ever 100% objective, no matter how hard we try. Our own upbringings--our personal life experiences, individuality, and sociolization within a culture--will always have a deeply profound impact on our most basic and fundamental views on life and the universe. Hence, we will always see something with at least a little subjectivity. And yet, despite this insurpassable barrier, we struggle every day with finding truth just as people have been doing for so many centuries.

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The meaning of life is 'bucket.'

FOR PONY!!!

What I'm asking. Doesn't have to do with who's right and who isn't. You see, there are things in this world that we don't know about. Things we cannont prove. Like the creation of the world, or life after death. These things take faith. Or even our emotions in the real world. And I believe that, one day, all of us will find out what the truth is about our world. It's someting my own religion has stated again and again. That one day, everyone will know what is the truth, without a single bit of doubt.

That's why I'm asking this question.

And now for me.

1. Christianity.

2. The prime reason is because I believe it's true. It's always fit me best. I also believe in it because with God was always watching and taking care of me, gives me a feeling of safety. Death has also been a reason I believe in it. The idea, for me, that there isn't anything after death would leave me trembling. That's why I believe in Heaven. And another immense reason has to do with my personal sin. I have never belived that my own strength can save me from it. So without God, I don't think I'd be feeling very well with myself.

3. Yes.

4. I would first feel shattered with it. I would need quite a bit of time to try and heal from the idea. I think that I would still follow my religion even if it wasn't true. Perhaps because it's what I put all my faith into.

Please continue, I think this is a grand way for all of us to learn more about each other.

Yes, I agree that no one can be 100% sure, but your beliefs were that all the religions are true and people can chose whatever they want. I disagree with that part, there can only be one ultimate truth. And also no one can be 100% sure, but I have sufficient evidence in my religion that I believe it as fact. Like, I can see a couch on the other side of this room, but even though there is no way to be 100% positive that there really is a couch there (it could be a 3-d picture, a hologram, a dream, or my eyes screwing up), I'll still go sit on the couch, believing as fact that it's there.

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Let me clarify a bit: I think the main concern you have is that the differing religions are not compatible to my all-inclusive belief because they have details that make them exclusively different from each other. However, my main idea is that the details of religions pretty much don't matter, except for the some details that, when followed, may help the followers of that particular religion attain a spiritual experience. I believe that people get way too caught up in the details when in fact the details don't matter. On a much broader scale, each religion can lead to spiritual experiences, if that religion appeals to the individual in question. But then again, this is just all my own opinion and my own belief...

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The meaning of life is 'bucket.'

FOR PONY!!!

Simply because such things unprovable and does not mean we should believe in something without reason. There are many logical paths to follow in this world that lead to God. I highly recommend you read Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, if you ever get the chance; it's an excellent book that clearly illustrates one of those logical paths.

Faith, rather than being the belief in things that are unreasonable, should be the ability to hold onto belief of that which is true.



I would like to place extra emphasis on the word 'mind'.

I, personally, find emotions to be very burdensome and fairly useless. They are so fragile and easily manipulated – your mood could change entirely just by listening to different types of music – that I find them to be a very unreliable thing to base your decisions on. I'm sure they have some use... somehow... but keep their everchanging nature in mind before you use them as a foundation for anything.



Why come spiritual experiences matter? People at my Youth Group get all solemn and peaceful as they pray at the altar, but almost none of them are ever affected by it for more than that night. The next morning it's like nothing happened.

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You're a moron if you think I'm not.

I disagree. Have you ever read a book called The Cry of the Soul? God created us human beings with emotions, and God himself is an emotional being. Don't believe that? Visit Gethsemane sometime. That being the case, and considering my own experience in ministry, I cannot concur with your dismissal of emotions. We are not Vulcans; we are human beings.

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What's the point of following a religion if not for the spiritual experiences it can provide? Even if brief and fleeting, a connection to the spiritual world--at least in my own personal experiences--can be something entirely profound, even life-altering; there's so much I've come to learn through such experiences, and I believe myself to be a much fuller human being because of it. And as for your Youth Group, it sounds like they just go through the motions more than actually believing it and feeling it...which is all too common of so many people of so many different religions.

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The meaning of life is 'bucket.'

FOR PONY!!!

I'm afraid I haven't read that. And I do understand that God created us with emotions for a reason. What reason, I could not specify, but I can see that they bring beauty... and also weakness... to the world. In my life, emotions have been more a burden than anything, and a great part of me wishes I could be without them. But I also know it'd make my life very empty were I bereft of emotions. Though I'm sure that I'd be a lot wiser in my actions without them.

Either way, I still find emotions to be a bad foundation for decisions and/or beliefs.



I agree with you fully there. I'd not be surprised if at least half the world knew next to nothing about the religions they profess to follow.



I should think the point of following a religion would be because the religon is true. I've felt the spiritual elation what comes from a spiritual experience, but it fades with time. It gets you on a spiritual high, so to speak. If one lives only for that experience, then they become disillusioned and easily swayed.

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You're a moron if you think I'm not.

I abstain from religion entirely. I suppose if I had to say anything it'd be Agnosticism, though even that doesn't accurately describe how I feel.

I do find theology to be a fascinating topic, especially from the "outside view" that I have.

I can't really answer questions 2 & 3. As to number four, if any religion were proven to me to be true I would accept it and follow it. Not that that's ever likely to happen.

1. I'm Lutheran, So I believe in the Holy Trinity.

Good Job. The Nicene Creed Sums it up well.

2. I wasn't raised to believe anything. My parents didn't give me the bible and raise me with the ten commandments like my friends' parents. They taught me to be nice and study. That's pretty much it. When I was about 13, my friends introduced me to Christ. I found it pretty interesting and decided to start going to church to see what it was about. I was athiest up until then. On my 14th birthday, I decided I wanted to be baptised. A month later, I was baptised. Nobody can believe without the Holy Spirit. It was He who brought me to know the Lord.

3. Well, why would I believe something I thought was false? When I chose to be baptised and chose to receive communion, I proclaimed my faith to the Lord.

4. There's no way to know until we die. If Jesus didn't rise, neither can we. That would be a bummer.

1. What do you believe in?
I believe spiritualtiy is something each individual needs to find on there own. I think that real spirituality is not about conencting to a certain religion, but conencting to yourself in such a way that you figure out what is right and what is wrong. I was raised catholic and many of my morals are based off of that faith even though I choose not to accept it for many reasons. I have come to believe that using logic and what I know about people that I will try my hardest to make this place better for others. I personally have no beliefs when it comes to the afterlife. But I have a few ideas.

2. Why do you believe it?
I believe everyone should find their own set of morals and what they believe using logic because I have always been a logical thinker. But when you are younger is good to have some sort of moral guidance from parents or religion, for most religions do teach love and repect its the finer thigns they need to figure out on their own. Ever since I was young I would think everything out before following something blindly. I also believe that the people before us tried to make this place better for my generation, so I should, in turn, return the favor and do all I can to preserve what I was givin and give something else along the way.

3. Do you believe it's true?
I believe it is true, yes. I am also sure there are many flaws in what I believe in, mainly because I am too young to have figured everything else out already.

4. And if, what you believe in, might happen to not be true. How would you respond?
Being logical, logically I would shift my beliefs to what ever is proven true! Since my beliefs are more similar to ideas. [/Roofus]

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TIRES TIRES TIRES

YAY! Another Lutheran!

*does Martin Luther dance*

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Nothing against you Didy or any of the other Lutherans on here, but all a Lutheran is a Catholic using an alias.

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That sentence needs a verb! I don't know if I dare ask what the Martin Luther dance is though...

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(There needs to be another "is" after the first "is")

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'Using' is a participle (adjective), you n88b!
Well, the only verb in there is 'is' but it doesn't count because it's part of a dependant clause and [size=9]doesn't complete the thought th no one is listening anymore

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1. What do you believe in? Well, I would say I'm Buddist, but I only follow the code of morals and pretty much replaced "enlightenment of the soul" with happieness, since I don't beleive in a soul or heaven (well, I wouldn't have any problem with those two things exsisting, life after death seemes pretty sweet! ), unless by soul you would mean like, emotion or the mind or something like that. So I guess you could say I'm Buddist/Agnostic.

2. Why do you believe it? Uhhh... It makes more sense than there being a god or a heaven or whatever. Ever since you know, they came up with this thing called science. (SCIENCE AGAIN!!! I SAID SCIENCE AGAIN!!! )

3. Do you believe it's true? I imagine so, seeing as I wouldn't beleive in it any other way!!!

4. And if, what you believe in, might happen to not be true. How would you respond? I don't think that this really can be proven false, since I beleive in more of a philosophy than a religion. I guess if it somehow was proven wrong, I would just be agnostic (for those of you who don't know what that is, it's just where I don't really care one way or the other about religion.)

There. Hope I didn't make your brain implode from complexity TOO much!!!

Rofl, you do the Cabbage Patch 95 times...

TOTPMLD!