So about that One True Faith ....

[unixronin]

This Freefall strip pretty much sums up my viewpoint on the subject:  It is unreasonable to stipulate that any one religious faith is true unless you're willing to grant that ALL of them are simultaneously true.

Comments

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

I can go along with that.

[otherbill.livejournal.com]

I believe in the equivalence of religions, which leads to the corollary that it doesn't matter what you believe, as long as you believe something.

[cymrullewes.livejournal.com]

which the atheist replies with "Why do I have to believe something? I'm quite happy without belief."

[brownkitty.livejournal.com]

The atheist is believing that there is nothing to believe in. It may just be semantics, but that's how I look at it.

But then, I've been known to ask "If God is all-powerful, why are you saying he couldn't do it that way?" Usually in reference to creation/evolution/alien seeding arguments.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

I've repeatedly made the comment that I'm a meta-agnostic.

The deist of whatever flavor says "I am certain beyond any doubt that there is a god or gods."
The atheist says "I am certain beyond any doubt that there is no god."
The agnostic says "It isn't possible to know whether or not there is a god."
I say, because we don't know the nature of any hypothetical god, we don't know what would constitute proof of the existence or non-existence of gods, therefore it isn't possible to know even whether it is possible to know whether there is a god. Beyond that, much as Arthur Clarke stated that any sufficiently advanced techology is indistinguishable from magic, I propose that any sufficiently enlightened and evolved intelligence is indistinguishable from godhood.

[brownkitty.livejournal.com]

I have what I consider sufficient proof that there is something out there that fits the definition of god. I do not expect my proof to be sufficient for anyone else.

[mrmeval.livejournal.com]

It is a choice that I have no faith or belief in the existence or absence of someone/thing/other that created/spokeintoexistence/made/fumbled the universe.

I don't have a belief that any such thing exists or does not exist.

I can't test it and if I heard their voice in my head I'd seek psycological help.

If they appear before me I'd be wondering how they did that more than I'd care what they said. I'd treat them the same as anyone pulling parlor tricks.

If they hurt me they'd be my enemy and a criminal under our laws.

[otherbill.livejournal.com]

It's important to believe something, even if the something you believe is nothing.

Or something like that.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

I don't grasp why so many people have a need to believe in something intangible that tells them how they should live their lives.

[otherbill.livejournal.com]

-scratches head-

I'm not sure how to interpret that. Are you implying that I am one of those "so many people"?

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

I'm not making any implication either way about you (or anyone else in particular) personally. I'm just making the generalized observation, with no-one specific in mind, that I can't understand why people why people go to all the trouble of inventing a deity to tell them what they want to be told about how to live their lives, when they could just decide to do that anyway without the need to involve a deity.

[ithildae.livejournal.com]

I am not certain I am comfortable treating truth as a two dimensional object that can be directly grasped. I believe that most religions have a photograph of a three dimensional truth. Facets of the real thing, but not it's entire essence.

I believe that it takes a lifetime to understand the truth. Religion acts as a guide. That means that some religions are better than others for individuals. What is your best guide based on who you are?

[kayre]

All true, all flawed in practice-- pretty much sums up my view.