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How can you tell what "God's true religion" is? I'm sure you would get very different answers from a Buddhist or Scientologist.

umvi 7y ago
> How can you tell what "God's true religion" is? Are you asking my opinion? My opinion is that the only way to tell is to ask God directly, study it out in your mind, and follow your gut. If God exists, he should be the only one that can tell a person what His true religion is and will confirm his true religion in a way that you recognize. I believe it is also possible to have reproducible spiritual experiences/impressions confirming your choice.
- mikeash 7y ago
  The trouble is that many Buddhists and Scientologists and others would say exactly the same thing.
  - umvi 7y ago
    I actually doubt it in those two cases. Most religious people believe only because of tradition; they haven't confirmed it for themselves. Many religions convert people with fellowship (i.e. they are converted because they like the new friends they have made) or by using confidence tricks on vulnerable people to tell them what to believe. I doubt there are many that tell prospective converts to go out on their own and ask God and decide for themselves. At any rate, I believe it worked for me and I believe anyone would come to the same conclusion given enough earnest searching.
    - mikeash 7y ago
      There aren’t many Christians who tell prospective converts to go out on their own and ask God either. That sort of thing is in a minority everywhere. Of course you believe anyone would come to the same conclusion. And the fervent Hindu/Buddhist/Scientologist/Sikh/Zoroastrian who went through the same process believes the same thing about their religion. I imagine you’ll say that such people didn’t do it right... because they didn’t reach the conclusion you did?
      - umvi 7y ago
        > And the fervent Hindu/Buddhist/Scientologist/Sikh/Zoroastrian who went through the same process believes the same thing about their religion. You are just assuming here. Like I said before, I think you would be extremely hard pressed to find a Scientologist who was converted by praying to the Eighth Dynamic, studying it out, and then receiving an answer that they recognized, confirmed Scientology is true. As long as we are throwing out assumptions, I would assume nearly 100% of Scientologists are converted by: birth (tradition of parents), peer pressure/fellowship (esp. in celebrity circles), or confidence tricks ("auditing"). > I imagine you’ll say that such people didn’t do it right... because they didn’t reach the conclusion you did? Well that's the thing about religion. People can say anything they want. They might even tell a little lie and say "yes" if you asked them if they received an answer from God that their religion is true, hoping it will convince you to join. There's no way of knowing if they are telling the truth or not. More generally, there is no empirical evidence someone else can present to prove their religion is correct. The only evidence to be had is anecdotal, and thus religion is a very personal and individual journey. You have to actually go through the process yourself if you want your own anecdotal evidence that God exists, etc.
        Bakary 7y ago
        Every personal journey takes place in a world that already influences your thoughts. Every person has their own set of past experiences that continually color their present experiences. Do you think that if you were born in a region where Christianity is non-existent, you'd somehow come to it on your own?
        umvi 7y ago
        > Do you think that if you were born in a region where Christianity is non-existent, you'd somehow come to it on your own? If I were earnestly searching for religious truth, I think God would lead me to it eventually, yes. It might take many years. More likely, though, I would live and die without discovering Christianity because I'm too busy just trying to survive, (like if I were born in poverty in some remote location in China).
        7y ago

umvi 7y ago

> How can you tell what "God's true religion" is? Are you asking my opinion? My opinion is that the only way to tell is to ask God directly, study it out in your mind, and follow your gut. If God exists, he should be the only one that can tell a person what His true religion is and will confirm his true religion in a way that you recognize. I believe it is also possible to have reproducible spiritual experiences/impressions confirming your choice.

mikeash 7y ago
The trouble is that many Buddhists and Scientologists and others would say exactly the same thing.
- umvi 7y ago
  I actually doubt it in those two cases. Most religious people believe only because of tradition; they haven't confirmed it for themselves. Many religions convert people with fellowship (i.e. they are converted because they like the new friends they have made) or by using confidence tricks on vulnerable people to tell them what to believe. I doubt there are many that tell prospective converts to go out on their own and ask God and decide for themselves. At any rate, I believe it worked for me and I believe anyone would come to the same conclusion given enough earnest searching.
  - mikeash 7y ago
    There aren’t many Christians who tell prospective converts to go out on their own and ask God either. That sort of thing is in a minority everywhere. Of course you believe anyone would come to the same conclusion. And the fervent Hindu/Buddhist/Scientologist/Sikh/Zoroastrian who went through the same process believes the same thing about their religion. I imagine you’ll say that such people didn’t do it right... because they didn’t reach the conclusion you did?
    - umvi 7y ago
      > And the fervent Hindu/Buddhist/Scientologist/Sikh/Zoroastrian who went through the same process believes the same thing about their religion. You are just assuming here. Like I said before, I think you would be extremely hard pressed to find a Scientologist who was converted by praying to the Eighth Dynamic, studying it out, and then receiving an answer that they recognized, confirmed Scientology is true. As long as we are throwing out assumptions, I would assume nearly 100% of Scientologists are converted by: birth (tradition of parents), peer pressure/fellowship (esp. in celebrity circles), or confidence tricks ("auditing"). > I imagine you’ll say that such people didn’t do it right... because they didn’t reach the conclusion you did? Well that's the thing about religion. People can say anything they want. They might even tell a little lie and say "yes" if you asked them if they received an answer from God that their religion is true, hoping it will convince you to join. There's no way of knowing if they are telling the truth or not. More generally, there is no empirical evidence someone else can present to prove their religion is correct. The only evidence to be had is anecdotal, and thus religion is a very personal and individual journey. You have to actually go through the process yourself if you want your own anecdotal evidence that God exists, etc.
      - Bakary 7y ago
        Every personal journey takes place in a world that already influences your thoughts. Every person has their own set of past experiences that continually color their present experiences. Do you think that if you were born in a region where Christianity is non-existent, you'd somehow come to it on your own?
        umvi 7y ago
        > Do you think that if you were born in a region where Christianity is non-existent, you'd somehow come to it on your own? If I were earnestly searching for religious truth, I think God would lead me to it eventually, yes. It might take many years. More likely, though, I would live and die without discovering Christianity because I'm too busy just trying to survive, (like if I were born in poverty in some remote location in China).
      - 7y ago