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Do people choose their religion?

Abdulrahman Adel May 23, 2020 at 10:30 6225 views 20 comments
If most humans live and die with the religion that they are born with from their family or society that they didn't choose, how come God rewards/punishes us for something that we didn't even choose?

Comments (20)

TheMadFool May 23, 2020 at 10:46 #415172
I'm not completely sure about this but I do get the feeling that every religion has a low opinion of other religions; quite a natural state of affairs given that each religion claims itself to be the one true path to god, salvation, liberation, enlightenment, etc. Granted that some religions don't make a big deal about this but some do e.g. Christianity and it is well known that Christianity has a very active proselytizing arm/program - Christians probably feel that people need to know Christianity is the real deal and thus provide non-Christians an opportunity to "see the light" so to speak and freely choose Jesus Christ as their savior.
Outlander May 23, 2020 at 11:35 #415178
Who says God does that?

Older beliefs speak of a scale that weighs ones sins against ones moral actions.

Most people live in violation of their own professed religion's tenets anyway. Personally I wouldn't say it's impossible mainstream religions (and their texts) have been hijacked anyway and the "main figure" of each now serves as more of an ethnic figure than anything else thus making mainstream religion little more than a proxy race war. Which is reprehensible.

My understanding of the main differences in religions that acknowledge a single Creator. Probably incorrect.

Islam- we are to follow unquestionable instructions from an unquestionable source or face damnation.

Judaism- the same, except a Messiah will come to free us (forgive us when we sin/invalidate it) however this was not Jesus Christ and therefore by sinning we are still damned. 10 Commandments/Old Testament/Noahide laws all still in effect.

Christianity- the same, except Jesus Christ was the Messiah and now sin is forgiven so long as we believe in Jesus, repent, and live by the Great Commandment(s), love God and love others as you love yourself.

The rest:

Hindu- God is (presumably everywhere/anything) so God could be anything/is what you choose. Your reincarnation is dependent on the moral acts you perform. Karma. Many entities.

Buddhism- no God? Zen and inner peace is the way to enlightenment, life is suffering, desire is the cause.

Paganism- many entities that can be known through worship of nature.

To summarize, most or all of these are probably incorrect. Lacking, rather. Pretty sure they're factual.
Gnostic Christian Bishop May 30, 2020 at 16:04 #417805
Most do not choose their religions and just follow tradition and culture.

If that was not true, this kind of map would not exist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV2VjdpVonY

Regards
DL
Gnostic Christian Bishop May 30, 2020 at 16:06 #417807
Quoting TheMadFool
freely choose Jesus Christ as their savior.


Which is an immoral position of abdicating ones own responsibility for their sins. Right?

Regards
DL
Gnostic Christian Bishop May 30, 2020 at 16:09 #417809
Quoting Outlander
To summarize, most or all of these are probably incorrect.


+ 1

All supernatural or faith bases religions are garbage.

Regards
DL
Pantagruel May 30, 2020 at 16:38 #417813
Quoting Abdulrahman Adel
If most humans live and die with the religion that they are born with from their family or society that they didn't choose, how come God rewards/punishes us for something that we didn't even choose?


If a human being unreflectively and uncritically adheres to a set of beliefs aren't they, ipso facto, responsible?
Gnostic Christian Bishop May 30, 2020 at 17:03 #417819
Quoting Pantagruel
If a human being unreflectively and uncritically adheres to a set of beliefs aren't they, ipso facto, responsible?


Yes.

We cannot blame individual 100% though, because their/our instincts push us to conform to the ways of our various tribes. Status quo and peer pressure also most share the blame.

Regards
DL
Outlander May 30, 2020 at 19:06 #417839
Reply to Gnostic Christian Bishop

Just to clarify I was referring to my interpretation of each religion as being "probably incorrect".
Gnostic Christian Bishop May 30, 2020 at 20:32 #417866
Quoting Outlander
Just to clarify I was referring to my interpretation of each religion as being "probably incorrect".


I agree and the supernatural and faith based religions are likely more wrong and immoral than the religions that seek knowledge and wisdom instead of some invisible sky god.

Regards
DL
TheMadFool May 30, 2020 at 23:22 #417909
Quoting Gnostic Christian Bishop
Which is an immoral position of abdicating ones own responsibility for their sins. Right?


Perhaps God, in his wisdom, realized that we are incapable of redeeming ourselves and so had to sacrifice his son for our sins.
Brett May 31, 2020 at 04:26 #417965
Reply to Abdulrahman Adel

Quoting Abdulrahman Adel
If most humans live and die with the religion that they are born with from their family or society that they didn't choose,


It could be argued that most humans don’t live with a God that they didn’t chose, but that they chose every day whenever they think about God.
Gnostic Christian Bishop May 31, 2020 at 14:02 #418084
Quoting TheMadFool
Perhaps God, in his wisdom, realized that we are incapable of redeeming ourselves and so had to sacrifice his son for our sins.


Which shows him to be an immoral coward who would bury his son instead of stepping up to do the right thing and die for his child.

There is no way to justify Yahweh as a good god.

Gnostic Christians pointed that our 2,000 years ago and Christians are still to immoral to reject that genocidal prick.

Fascist Christians love genocide.

Regards
DL
TheMadFool May 31, 2020 at 15:17 #418121
Quoting Gnostic Christian Bishop
Which shows him to be an immoral coward who would bury his son instead of stepping up to do the right thing and die for his child.

There is no way to justify Yahweh as a good god.

Gnostic Christians pointed that our 2,000 years ago and Christians are still to immoral to reject that genocidal prick.

Fascist Christians love genocide.

Regards
DL


I thought Jesus came back from the dead, whole and not as a zombie, and subsequently went to heaven to be seated beside his father, god as part of the Holy Trinity?

Gnostic Christian Bishop May 31, 2020 at 16:08 #418146


Quoting TheMadFool
I thought Jesus came back from the dead,


Sigh. Then you are a fool withoiut the mad.

I did not think you were of that type but read the following if you are.

I hope you can see how intelligent the ancients were as compared to the mental efforts that modern preachers and theists are using with the literal reading of myths.

https://bigthink.com/videos/what-is-god-2-2

Further.
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/03132009/watch.html

Rabbi Hillel, the older contemporary of Jesus, said that when asked to sum up the whole of Jewish teaching, while he stood on one leg, said, "The Golden Rule. That which is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the Torah. And everything else is only commentary. Now, go and study it."

Please listen as to what is said about the literal reading of myths.

"Origen, the great second or third century Greek commentator on the Bible said that it is absolutely impossible to take these texts literally. You simply cannot do so. And he said, "God has put these sort of conundrums and paradoxes in so that we are forced to seek a deeper meaning."

Matt 7;12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

This is how early Gnostic Christians view the transition from reading myths properly to destructive literal reading and idol worship.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR02ciandvg&feature=BFa&list=PLCBF574D

Regards
DL


TheMadFool May 31, 2020 at 16:16 #418147
Reply to Gnostic Christian BishopYou're guilty of double standards here. You begin by taking the Bible literally. In your own eloquent words below:

Quoting Gnostic Christian Bishop
Which shows him to be an immoral coward who would bury his son instead of stepping up to do the right thing and die for his child.


Then you accuse me of "literal reading" of "myths".

:chin:

Gnostic Christian Bishop May 31, 2020 at 16:34 #418158
MadFool

If I am to engage with literalists, I have to play in their ball park and by their rules.

I cannot correct their poor thinking if I do not let them or cannot get them to engage.

Regards
DL

Gnostic Christian Bishop May 31, 2020 at 16:37 #418161
Quoting TheMadFool
Then you accuse me of "literal reading" of "myths".


My quote.
"I did not think you were of that type but read the following if you are."

That is not what I would call an accusation. but then I am French. Perhaps my being what I term, in your face, you see as accusation.

Regards
DL
TheMadFool May 31, 2020 at 16:49 #418174
EnPassant May 31, 2020 at 17:37 #418245
Religions are only echoes of the original revelations given to mankind. Through the years they have accumulated all kinds of secondary and sometimes dangerous teachings. Taoism is the essential teaching of religion; namely that there is a Way ("I am the way"). It is the way we practice religion that counts. Established religions are only different contexts in which people practice their faith. That is, what we believe is not very important. They way we live is.
Gnostic Christian Bishop May 31, 2020 at 20:10 #418396
Quoting EnPassant
It is the way we practice religion that counts. Established religions are only different contexts in which people practice their faith. That is, what we believe is not very important. They way we live is.


Hi Frenchi

I like your thinking but it is the beliefs that the mainstream sheeple hold that has them adoring a genocidal prick of a god and his homophobic and misogynous teachings that Yahweh and Allah's sheeple practice with much zeal.

Immoral people all.

A prochaine mon ami.

Regards
DL