How can anyone say that their religion is true, and that another person's religion is not?

Question

I am a Christian. And I believe that the teachings of my faith contain truth. Yet I can't believe that this automatically condemns people of other faiths to h**l.

Isn't it possible that in some way, all faiths contain truth and all the necessary things for salvation?

Maybe God has some plan to sort it all out.

What do you think?

Answer 1

I like you. You're cool.

Answer 2

Or it could be(as I believe)that there is no god or gods.

Answer 3

I hope everyone who is good regardless of their beliefs or lack there of gets into heaven.  If they didn't I would truly rather cease to exist after i die because knowing so many people who are good are suffering would kill me on the inside and would be h**l even if i got into heaven.

Answer 4

I beleive that each religion is a fabrication of one main religion. If you notice a good many religions are conected in some way.

Answer 5

It's the ignorance and bliss school of belief. Many suffer.

Answer 6

That's the definition of religion - my faith is absolutely true and your faith is absolutely false.

...except when debating the subject on TV when it is necessary to concede certain points to the opposition in order not to appear too fanatical.

Answer 7

I believe all religions contain some of the truth, but none contain all of the truth. My religion is the RIGHT one for me, but it may not be the RIGHT one for anyone else.

Answer 8

Piece of advice to ponder:

Why do you call the TRUTH,"religious bias c**p?"

Because that's what it is, the TRUTH.

Deist

P.S.

I do like your thinking. This is the first step to an open mind.

Answer 9

You make a choice.  Do I believe the Bible is the word of God or don't I?

The Bible says over and over that you must believe in Jesus to have eternal life.

Answer 10

I believe the evidence shows that all religions are entirely man made and so all contain some truth we have learned about ourselves as a species. At the same time these religions contain claims that we instinctively recoil against because they were designed to provide their perpetrators power over others, from controlling who may mate with whom to what one may eat and when, things which a creator of the universe could hardly bother with. So the only way to get us to acquiese to what all of our intellect and instinct tells us is nonsense, is to back it up with threats, such as:

"God will punish you and the village for your unbelief."

And the next time there is a storm or flood or someone gets sick:

"See there. I told you God would punish us for your unbelief."

When our security is thus threatened we become irrational. That is why when everything from diarrhea to dyspepsia breaks out today in some African village they go hunting for the "witches" who caused it to kill them. And of course we have the Muslim way of simply killing anyone that doesn't go along with the madness, though they are hardly the first and only religion to do so. Christianity did so for centuries.

The truth you find in religion comes from us, and the falsehood also, but it's easy to tell which is which if we aren't brainwashed and culturally conditioned as children to accept and defend nonsense. Everyone can test this for themselves as they readily see identical features of other religions as ridiculous while irrationally defending identical nonsense in their own faith as "god-breathed." But by saying "thus saith the Lord" the purveyors or bronze age mythology hope to cut off rational examination of their claims and useful debate about their proof or lack thereof, and bully us all into bowing down before their false religions which they use to manipulate us into making them rich beyond the dreams of avarice.

You and I as rational beings have to step outside our cultural conditioning and search for objective truth and not accept the mere claims of our culture and of ancient books written by pre-scientific goat herders.

Answer 11

Well congratulations. You have cured yourself of the worst affliction of which 99% of all Christians suffer--arrogance.  

Answer 12

I think ... people can say whatever they wish to say !

your way of thinking is nice and logical .. but it's not religious .

isn't it possible that you are wrong ?

I think everything is true and everything is false . that's why all of us have a choice .

Answer 13

The truth hurts, no offense.

If you can't believe that people are going to be condemned.. then go out there and do something! Don't just sit here and complain!

And no, if you're really Christian, you should know that. It hurt my feelings too, but they had all their lifetime to follow God and they didn't... So do something! I plan to!

God gave us free will to test us in a way to see how we decide our fate

Many other reasons but too long to list them all.

Answer 14

I have no idea why... perhaps in group love and out group hate.

Answer 15

Guess what religion is BULLSHIT!

There is one god

one love

and one humanity!

Answer 16

Yahweh' gave us a guide book the scriptures. And Yahweh's love.

Its really all we need.

Man made religions.

Religions are good for making money and wars.

Religion is another form of Capitalism ideals.  

Answer 17

The religion Noah believed in was true and the religions the people who God drowned in Noah's flood believed in were not true.

Answer 18

the bible says at eph.4;5,13 there is only one hope,one faith,one baptism,13 says "oneness in the faith.the one true religion is commissioned to make disciples at matthew 28;19 and 20 and at acts 8;12 and acts 14;21,most important is this the one true religion will be known by its fruits matthew 7;19 says every tree not producing fine fruit gets cut down and thrown into the fire.20 really then by their fruits you will recognize those men.21 says "not everyone saying to me,"lord lord ,will enter into the kingdom of the heavens but the one doing the will of my father who is in the heavens will.22 goes on,keep reading it,its all in GODS word.the bible says there will be love,agreement among members at john 8;31,32.other religions are teaching false doctrine and have been since before and during JESUS day at matthew 23;15,23,24 and 15:4-9,JESUS condemned them he did for blinded ones,matth.15;14 the TRUTHmade them free to be JESUS disciples john 8;31 and 32 says and so  JESUS  went on to say to the jews that had believed him"if you remain in my WORD you really are my disciples 32 and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free"   and so it will you too.

GOD bless you,hope this helps

Answer 19

oh good lord.... someone with some sense!!!!!!!  Seems like the Devil needs a turtleneck and a parka now.

Same  beliefs as you my  friend.  The automatic condemnation of other religions is based on ignorance and arrogance.  Unfortunately there's a lot of that that goes around.

Answer 20

I agree

Even the Dalai Lama and the Pope had great respect for each other!

Answer 21

Ultimately religions are expressions of Truth as understood in different cultures, times, etc.

I would think that God would be more concerned with the heart of a person and their life and behavior than what expression they happen to belong to.

Answer 22

only muslims say this

Answer 23

Well,  the God of the bible says that He is THE only one.  There were no others.

And other religions have other Gods- so someone is wrong.  There can't be many Gods.

And Christ is the one who claims to be THE way the truth and The life- no one can earn or produce life, eternal life. That is God's domain only.

Us humans can't gain or make or earn eternal life- we have to get it from Life Himself, God.   No other religions on earth teach this. Only Christ.

But yes, I think you are right in thinking only God can judge people's hearts. He says he is a rewarder of those who seek him, and the Saviour of ALL men- 'specially of those who believe......

We will probably be surprised at how many are in heaven with us!