How Can Any Religion Be True When They're All So Divided?!"

[modeller]

There are thousands of relgions and cults in the world.
Christianity alone has 41,000 How can any of them claim any validity. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christian_denominations

[woofgang]

quote from lazygun
"If you believe in god for example, then you believe in the bible or the koran, don't you? And since your worldview and belief is affected by such holy dictats, that is surely why you are slow to adapt, not just because you have not been shown proof."

I have no view about the adaptability of science vs religion, just wanted to point out that your argument is not true.

[woofgang]

jim, I know what you mean about high moral ground....some days R and S seems to be full of mountaineers or different faiths and belief sets...me? I get nosebleeds if I try to climb a ladder!

[jomifl]

They claim validity because they rely on faith as a tool to ignore reality.
It is a cop out for the mentally lazy or timid who don't want to face facts that they don't like. Belief has never made anything more or less true than it already is. Since no one religion has ever been successful in demonstrating the validity of it's assertions it is almost certainly safe to assume that they are all nonsense to varying degrees depending on the extravagance of their claims.

[gordyagusta]

I'd just like to thank God I'm an atheist.....

[naomi24]

Society and Woofgang seem to be saying they have their own brand of religion, so that's two more to add to the ever-growing list.

[woofgang]

Only one more Naomi, I suspect actually there's quite a few of us about (including possibly the religious scientists) it's just that we see no need to shout about it.

[society]

Would you care to be a follower, Naomi? We don't collect 'offerings'. :)

[naomi24]

Yes, of course. My mistake. Careful, you and Society are almost a cult. ;o)

Actually, I think you're right. There are a lot of people who make up their own religions - but whatever they think of the bible, that's the inspiration for their belief and the foundation.

[naomi24]

Society, Ha ha! You really are trying to found a cult!

[joko]

if there is one true god - why would he allow all these other ones to exist?
why wouldn't he have noticed when they were starting up and come down and show the people the error of their ways?
why doesn't he ensure people believe only in him?
he is so intent on people worshipping him etc, so why not make sure it happens?

why make it so difficult for people to believe in him?
why not just appear and prove he exists and rid the world of all doubt and therefore a lot of conflict...


im pretty sure I know why he doesn't do that ... and why he just allows 'his creation' to argue and fight and kill in his name etc, but i'm just wondering how the religious people here will respond to this...

[jomifl]

Joko, they won't, they don't need to, they have faith. If you had faith you too wouldn't need to answer difficult questions, perhaps they are on to something. I wonder if it works for tax returns?

[modeller]

May I add a question to my original one. Why are 41,000 Christian denominations listed but only 150 in Islam and 5 in Judaism.
In fact the Jews say its only 3 and Islam say 5
I know they use different words like , movements, communities but you get my point .

[naomi24]

Well, modeller, no response to that for a couple of days. I think the answer has to be 'pass'.

Actually, I do think that figure is inflated - but it is true that Christianity is divided to a far greater degree than the other two religions. One reason could be new revelations given to Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc. Christianity is accustomed to that. ;o)

[modeller]

I'm not surprised Naomi when it comes to the crunch the Theists fail to justify their branch of fantasy.

Incidently the number of denominations is estimated to increase to 44,400
by 2025 but the total number of adherents is decreasing. In the UK by 750,000 annually. This would indicate Christianity is becoming even more divided. Less adherents but more denominations. Why ?

[RATTER15]

Woofgang //I settled on my religious beliefs on the basis of what makes me "best", strongest, kindest (that one was a struggle) most creative, most able to live in the world and make the world better.//

I just want to change one word!

I settled on my *atheist* beliefs on the basis of what makes me "best", strongest, kindest (that one was a struggle) most creative, most able to live in the world and make the world better.

:-))

[jim360]

Perhaps the number of denominations is increasing partly as the Church grows in countries newer to Christianity, and also as the established major denominations of Catholicism and CoE are suffering a minor crisis of confidence -- Catholics due to sex abuse scandals, and the Anglican Church from the debates over women bishops and gay bishops/ priests.

I remember way back in 2002 our school was visited by some US Christians who called themselves a "non-denominational Church". Presumably never quite seeing the irony that this made them a separate denomination from everyone else. Let alone some of their crackpot beliefs about the age of the Earth, etc.

[woofgang]

that's fine RATTER, whatever works....I absolutely accept that i wont know if I was right until I die...maybe not even then but for now what I believe is a good working hypothesis for me

[seadogg]

Religion has always been a form of social control. People accept the restriction it imposes on the individual for the benefits of being in a supportive group. Belief in god on purely rational terms hardly comes into the equation for many.

From this angle all religions are true to their adherents and to the believers, all others walk in obscurity, as Milton has it in Samson Agonistes.