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When I was a very young adult, one of my friends was getting married in the Methodist church. I was asked to be one of the groomsmen. I was told by a relative that I had to ask permission from our local priest to attend a service in the Methodist church. And the priest refused to allow, and told me that if I participated in the Methodist wedding I would be banned from taking the sacraments. I told him, "Just watch me". I did the wedding and was never refused communion. Just plain stupidity.
And I was raised in the Reformed Church and was asked by a Catholic friend to be a bridesmaid when we were 19. As it turned out, all the groomsmen were Catholic, but none of the bridesmaids were. The priest had the wedding party sitting up near the altar on the platform, and at the rehearsal, he came over to us and asked if any of us would have a problem taking communion at the wedding because it would look nicer if the whole wedding party partook of the Eucharist with the bride and groom. We all said sure. Then he waved the sign of the cross over each of us, and we all took Communion at the Catholic wedding of our friend.
There’s different religions we all practice, whether it be Catholic, Protestant, Judaism, Islam, Hindu, Buddhism, etc. All but one will end up being the “right” religion, if any are indeed right. So in the end, most of us will be wasting our life practicing a faith that is “wrong.” So whatever religion we practice, how can we be sure we picked the right one and we’re not wasting our life?
True this sort of question has been asked and answered many times in this forum, but the question is obviously a good one given so many of the varied answers that always follow. I for one think the better foremost question is why practice any religion at all?
If one really considers this question thoroughly, one can invariably find other ways to accomplish just about every goal that religion is said to help people achieve. Substitute God or a god with truth, and you are off on the path of realizing that for all the reasons people don't choose other religions over their own, so too are the many reasons not to follow any religion at all.
This is how I've gone about not "wasting" my life so far anyway. For a good many decades now after first wasting a good amount of time as a devout practicing Catholic. Too much time. Now I'm an atheist, and as I no longer wear a younger man's clothes, I'm all the more focused on not wasting a bit of life that remains for me.
Time spent in this forum one of the few exceptions...
But it's not exactly God's Word. It's the words of many men who set down what they believed God wanted them to say in the context of the times and environments in which they lived. Some things are no longer applicable or relatable, while other parts of the writings have stood the test of time. Just accepting it all as literal and as actually "God's Word" simply by virtue of the fact that a group of men once sat down and included it in a collection called "The Bible" can be foolish and harmful.
I know this is what you believe, and that you hold the Bible to be of an elevated status, and I'm not writing this to try to change your mind, but rather for the benefit of those who might not be aware that this is not a hard and fast belief of all Christianity.
True this sort of question has been asked and answered many times in this forum, but the question is obviously a good one given so many of the varied answers that always follow. I for one think the better foremost question is why practice any religion at all?
If one really considers this question thoroughly, one can invariably find other ways to accomplish just about every goal that religion is said to help people achieve. Substitute God or a god with truth, and you are off on the path of realizing that for all the reasons people don't choose other religions over their own, so too are the many reasons not to follow any religion at all.
This is how I've gone about not "wasting" my life so far anyway. For a good many decades now after first wasting a good amount of time as a devout practicing Catholic. Too much time. Now I'm an atheist, and as I no longer wear a younger man's clothes, I'm all the more focused on not wasting a bit of life that remains for me.
Time spent in this forum one of the few exceptions...
Maybe the question should be: Is the ______________ religion 'a right' religion. Instead of 'the right' religion.
Maybe the question should be: Is the ______________ religion 'a right' religion. Instead of 'the right' religion.
Perhaps better, but I'm thinking the initial question or starting point should be a little more fundamental, and not necessarily include the word religion...
For example, rather than the question from a bar tender be what kind of booze you would like, why not instead start by asking what kind of drink you would like?
Well, here's the issue... take my religion, for example. I'm a Catholic. In my religion, it's an absolute MUST that you attend mass every Sunday, and Holy Day of Obligations. If not, it's a mortal sin! If you want to get married, you MUST get married in the Catholic Church. Or else, you're not considered married in God's eyes and thus, you are just "living together." And living together outside marriage is a mortal sin! And also, we MUST go to confession regularly in order to absolve ourselves of our sins, especially mortal sins. So, if these three things are not followed, it's considered pretty serious. But other religions will not follow these. Does that mean non-Catholics are all serious sinners?
And this is just examples based on my religion. I'm sure there are "rules" in other religions that my religion isn't following and therefore, I'm living a "sinful" life based on their religion.
And I think that's the problem here. A lot of religions go beyond just living a "good and helpful life." There are firm, hard-set "rules" that need to be followed.
My beliefs don't encompass all the "rules" and practices of my religion as followed by others. But I still believe in the basic tenets of the religion and am comfortable with that. My religion is basically concerned with daily living and our role in our society. Rabbi Hillel summarized the whole of it with: "What is hateful to you, do not do to another." I believe G-d is just and merciful. If I follow Rabbi Hillel's words, I'm pretty sure I'll be OK with G-d.
You must find peace within your own guidelines and strictures.
My beliefs don't encompass all the "rules" and practices of my religion as followed by others. But I still believe in the basic tenets of the religion and am comfortable with that. My religion is basically concerned with daily living and our role in our society. Rabbi Hillel summarized the whole of it with: "What is hateful to you, do not do to another." I believe G-d is just and merciful. If I follow Rabbi Hillel's words, I'm pretty sure I'll be OK with G-d.
You must find peace within your own guidelines and strictures.
And that is what I find more reasonable. It's the swallowing of things hook, line, and sinker (so to speak) that shows no real intellectual effort on the part of many religionists.
There’s different religions we all practice, whether it be Catholic, Protestant, Judaism, Islam, Hindu, Buddhism, etc. All but one will end up being the “right” religion, if any are indeed right. So in the end, most of us will be wasting our life practicing a faith that is “wrong.” So whatever religion we practice, how can we be sure we picked the right one and we’re not wasting our life?
One simple rule for me.
If a religious philosophy does NOT hold me accountable of my day to day actions and how do I deal and treat other people - and/or if this religious philosophy gives me a 100% assurance to go to heaven, then such a religious philosophy does not sit well with my logic.
In my option, religious doctrine should provide me with the guidance on how to live a morally cautious and peaceful life, be honest and just in my day to day dealing with other people, be kind to elderly, women, children, animals and environment - avoid wasting resources and be a generous and a forgiving person who is patient and have good manners. This religious doctrine should also warn me of my evil actions and the consequences if I choose to take that path of doing injustice to others, regardless of the fact that I am a subscriber and a believer in that religion.
Once these guidelines are set, and do's and donts are explained and the boundary lines are set, then it's time for the rubber to hit the road.
My faith in God, and then my daily life ACTIONS and WORKS should be the base of my judgement in the hereafter.
This religious doctrine should also provide good hopes for the here after.
And if you think honestly, "good hopes" is TRUELY all what we can have after putting our best effort.
Fact of the matter is, there is NO WAY to verify the guarantee of going to heaven provided by any religion. So I will be very cautious of any such religion that gives a little to no questions asked, red carpet cosmic welcome and a guaranteed spot in heaven if you are a member of that religion. No, that's sit well with my logic and common sense.
No body has seen God and no body has came back from the dead to tell us what's on the side.
"Putting in our best efforts of living a morally good and peaceful life and having good hopes" is all what we can truly have. Nothing more.
And from what I know, Islam is the only religion that ticks all the check boxes.
All other religions are primarily NOT based on works. It's mostly faiths that are not supported by actions, "Believe in this religion and you are through. Nothing much to worry about anything else on how do you practically live your 80 odd years of life".
However, in the Islamic faith, you can very well end up in Hell and face the consequences of your evil actions, even if you are a Muslim.
Islamic heaven also has Jews, Christians and others who were obedient to God, had faith in him, and they supported their faith with good actions.
If a religious philosophy does NOT hold me accountable of my day to day actions and how do I deal and treat other people - and/or if this religious philosophy gives me a 100% assurance to go to heaven, then such a religious philosophy does not sit well with my logic.
In my option, religious doctrine should provide me with the guidance on how to live a morally cautious and peaceful life, be honest and just in my day to day dealing with other people, be kind to elderly, women, children, animals and environment - avoid wasting resources and be a generous and a forgiving person who is patient and have good manners. This religious doctrine should also warn me of my evil actions and the consequences if I choose to take that path of doing injustice to others, regardless of the fact that I am a subscriber and a believer in that religion.
Once these guidelines are set, and do's and donts are explained and the boundary lines are set, then it's time for the rubber to hit the road.
My faith in God, and then my daily life ACTIONS and WORKS should be the base of my judgement in the hereafter.
This religious doctrine should also provide good hopes for the here after.
And if you think honestly, "good hopes" is TRUELY all what we can have after putting our best effort.
Fact of the matter is, there is NO WAY to verify the guarantee of going to heaven provided by any religion. So I will be very cautious of any such religion that gives a little to no questions asked, red carpet cosmic welcome and a guaranteed spot in heaven if you are a member of that religion. No, that's sit well with my logic and common sense.
No body has seen God and no body has came back from the dead to tell us what's on the side.
"Putting in our best efforts of living a morally good and peaceful life and having good hopes" is all what we can truly have. Nothing more.
And from what I know, Islam is the only religion that ticks all the check boxes.
All other religions are primarily NOT based on works. It's mostly faiths that are not supported by actions, "Believe in this religion and you are through. Nothing much to worry about anything else on how do you practically live your 80 odd years of life".
However, in the Islamic faith, you can very well end up in Hell and face the consequences of your evil actions, even if you are a Muslim.
Islamic heaven also has Jews, Christians and others who were obedient to God, had faith in him, and they supported their faith with good actions.
In my opinion it's very fair.
Except, of course, to people who have different beliefs.
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