The "One True" religion

Discuss philosophical questions regarding theism (and atheism), and discuss religion as it relates to philosophy. This includes any philosophical discussions that happen to be about god, gods, or a 'higher power' or the belief of them. This also generally includes philosophical topics about organized or ritualistic mysticism or about organized, common or ritualistic beliefs in the existence of supernatural phenomenon.
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LuckyR
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Re: The "One True" religion

Post by LuckyR »

Steve3007 wrote:Lark_Truth:
What if there were such a thing, could that be a true religion?
You seem unwilling to define the term "True Religion". It's difficult to discuss whether one thing is equal to another thing if that second thing is undefined.

Do you define a "true religion" as a mono-theistic religion in which God's message is unambiguous to everybody and therefore impossible to misunderstand, misrepresent or corrupt? (Yes or No will do.)
I like your phrasing: "True Religion". Everyone knows the definition is: overpriced jeans. But seriously, even clothing marketers know that the phrase is an oxymoron. Sort of "Real Magic Trick".
"As usual... it depends."
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Rr6
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Re: The "One True" religion

Post by Rr6 »

Each of has our own personal religion that evolves over time.

For some their religion does not involve truth, for others it does.

Metaphysical-1, mind/intellect/concepts
is composed of two kinds of truths

....1a} absolute ex cosmic laws/principles,

.....1b} relative ex the sky is blue.

Our finite, occupied space Universe is our church ergo we are in church all of the time.

We practice our religion some of the time.

Religion is our tool kit to help us maneuver our life's experiences with least amount of emotional and psychic damage.

r6
"U"niverse > UniVerse > universe > I-verse < you-verse < we-verse < them-verse
Belindi
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Re: The "One True" religion

Post by Belindi »

One of your intelligible posts, Rr6.
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Papus79
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Re: The "One True" religion

Post by Papus79 »

Would it be jumping too far off the wagon to suggest that religion at its core is a method of organizing and hopefully improving internal subjective health?

Really I think it's that extended out to a population, as a scaffold for comradery, community, moral organization, and if it's a religion really worth its salt it gives guideposts to people as to how they can increase their own virtues and integrities which is something that sells itself to any person thoughtful enough to realize that integrities and virtues are the core of what makes life and societies worth existing in.
Lone Wolf
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Re: The "One True" religion

Post by Lone Wolf »

Religion is our tool kit to help us maneuver our life's experiences with least amount of emotional and psychic damage.

r6
Or, more simply, a crutch to help us rationalize our circumstances.
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Lark_Truth
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Re: The "One True" religion

Post by Lark_Truth »

Perhaps, Lone Wolf, perhaps.
Maybe such things can be said for an untrue religion, but a true religion should do more than that.

Question for anyone to answer: Is this post just trying to solve what the "One true religion" is or what would make up a "true religion"?
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Lone Wolf
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Re: The "One True" religion

Post by Lone Wolf »

As I said in an earlier post on this thread, religion is a creation of man and is therefore doomed to be less than "true" or perfect since we make it fit our own experiences and biases.
Belindi
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Re: The "One True" religion

Post by Belindi »

Lark_Truth, when you say "true" do you mean absolutely true or do you mean relatively true as in e.g. "it's true that the best way to cook eggs is soft scrambled"?
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Lark_Truth
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Re: The "One True" religion

Post by Lark_Truth »

The example that you gave seems more like an opinion. I mean "true" as in a literal statement of fact that was not defined by opinion, but was absolutely real. For example: "this is a forum meant for philosophy discussion."
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Papus79
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Re: The "One True" religion

Post by Papus79 »

Any story of the solar logos and the cosmic mother, in the west at least, is a story about as old as stories seem to get. You could vet that as fatty acids and proteins compounding into cells, from the Mother's substance, and fueled and given wisdom by the seminal power of the Sun. You could consider the active and passive principles from top to bottom of the universe as well as the Son getting reestablishing his contact with the Father unto the point where he can say that I and the Father are One or that If you have seen me you have seen the Father. The later of course doesn't quite wax as scientific but it's been the experience of every mystic whose said the words 'It is not I who do these things but the One who sent me'.
Belindi
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Re: The "One True" religion

Post by Belindi »

Lark_Truth wrote:The example that you gave seems more like an opinion. I mean "true" as in a literal statement of fact that was not defined by opinion, but was absolutely real. For example: "this is a forum meant for philosophy discussion."
I agree that the example I gave was an opinion. However sometimes cookery experts especially those who are TV celebrities offer expert opinions which their audiences tend to regard as gospel truths.

The example you gave "this is a forum for philosophy discussion" is more authoritative than my example about the best way to cook eggs. That is because the website belongs to an individual who by virtue of how our society is conducted has the right to affirm what the website is to be about. I have no such authority about the way to cook eggs.

I put it to you, Lark_Truth, on whose authority do you assert which is the one true religion?
Steve3007
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Re: The "One True" religion

Post by Steve3007 »

Lark_Truth:
The example that you gave seems more like an opinion. I mean "true" as in a literal statement of fact that was not defined by opinion, but was absolutely real. For example: "this is a forum meant for philosophy discussion."
A proposition can be true or false. I don't see how a religion can, unless it contains propositions. In that case we need to examine those propositions.

When you talk about a statement of fact, as opposed to an opinion, do you mean statements like: "It is sunny outside"? I believe this statement to be true because I have just looked out of the window and can ask others to look out of the window and tell me if they agree. In order to either by "true" or "false" in the way that you suggest this religion would need to contain similar empirical propositions, would it not? Religions that I know of say things like "it is wrong to kill" or "There is only one God" or "I am the resurrection and the life". Do you think this ideal true religion would contain statements like that, or different kinds of statements?
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Lark_Truth
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Re: The "One True" religion

Post by Lark_Truth »

Belindi wrote:Lark_Truth, on whose authority do you assert which is the one true religion?
That is a question that puts me between a rock and a hard place, Belindi, and really the only option that I can see for me to answer is that it is my own authority that I say which is the one true religion, but then I would merely be stating an opinion not or not yet determined to be true, because generally truth has to be accepted by all those involved with the determining of it, which right here includes you, me, and all those who include themselves in the conversation. That is really the only option that I can see to answer such a question without sounding as if my head is as large as a hot-air balloon in saying "Oh I know this and you don't!" So if you consider your question unanswered Belindi, just acknowledge that I tried and that I tried to make myself seem not as much of a bigot as I probably am.
Steve3007 wrote:When you talk about a statement of fact, as opposed to an opinion, do you mean statements like: "It is sunny outside"? I believe this statement to be true because I have just looked out of the window and can ask others to look out of the window and tell me if they agree. In order to either by "true" or "false" in the way that you suggest this religion would need to contain similar empirical propositions, would it not? Religions that I know of say things like "it is wrong to kill" or "There is only one God" or "I am the resurrection and the life". Do you think this ideal true religion would contain statements like that, or different kinds of statements?
The way that I've heard it, that in the world, science explains the "how" of phenomenon, and religion explains the "why". It would stand to reason in explaining the "why", religion would also give proof as to why the "why" is true. A true religion might very well include statements like your examples, Steve3007, and with those statements, a true religion would offer explanation as to why those statements are indeed true.
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Steve3007
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Re: The "One True" religion

Post by Steve3007 »

Lark_Truth:
a true religion would offer explanation as to why those statements are indeed true.
What does the word "why" mean?

How do you think a true religion could explain why there is only one god in a way that would make the statement "there is only one god" true?

If I say "it is sunny outside" and somebody says "why?" and I reply "because there are no clouds in the sky", is this a proper use of the word "why"?
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Lark_Truth
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Re: The "One True" religion

Post by Lark_Truth »

If a religion says the statement "there is only one god" they have to give an explanation why there is only one god. They just can't throw it out there and leave it at that.
I would think that your last sentence is a proper use of the word "why", but we're here to talk religion, not English grammar.
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