Best reason for choosing a particular religious world view?

[MaskedOne]

Re: Best reason for choosing a particular religious world view?

C, I think. I can find truth and untruth in a number of beliefs so until I find one that convinces me it's demonstrably more true than all the rest, I'm stuck with going for what I like. Other things come into play but at end it's what feels most appropriate or least innapropriate (depending on my mood).

[B. de Corbin]

Re: Best reason for choosing a particular religious world view?

I can understand finding some truth in different religions, but my problem is with finding non truth in religions. Why would you follow that religion (or all of them) if there are clear non truths in them?

Well, speaking for myself, I find that a lot of religions have creation stories which are clearly untrue, based on an honest examination of the evidence. I have no problem with this, because I understand that cosmology got mixed in with religion at an early date. I do, however, have a problem with those who claim that, despite clear evidence to the contrary, the origin stories are still literally true. These people tend to be a small minority within most religions though.

I also agree with you in that the pursuite of truth and of real knowledge (knowledge based on observable and testable data) is a worthwhile goal.

---------- Post added at 05:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:11 PM ----------

I voted "feels right", but I don't care for that wording.

Most people who follow something that appeals to them spend years, if not a whole lifetime, studying it, researching, praying, meditating, etc, etc. "Feels right" seems slightly flippant at that point, if unintentionally so.

Yes - it was unintentional. What I was trying to get at is the idea that certain things seem to fit in with one's own distinct and unique self. When one finds something like this, it creates a definite feeling of "this is right for me," which I shortened to "it feels right." To speak metaphorically, when you find the key that fits your lock, you know it because it feels right. It's always a good idea to develop depth, but one is less likely to do that if that "right" feeling isn't there.

---------- Post added at 05:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:16 PM ----------

I'm somewhere between B and C...like "feels right"= (personal) "truth"

...so...other?

I also picked "other," for a similar reason, but I have to include B, C, D, and E.

Here's my reasoning:

It's popular - I think most people, even those who tend to jump on the band wagon, sense that this is a poor reason to pick something like a religion. A pair of jeans, maybe, but not a religion. I doubt if many people, even those who do this, would publicly pick this choice. The only advantage I can see in choosing something popular is that one is more likely to find out about a popular religion than one is to find out about an obscure one.

It is true - For obvious reasons, a person who is looking for a religion seriously would not pick one which is obviously false. So I look for one which, by my lights, is "true."

It feels right - I find lots of truth in many different religions. the one I choose will be the one which seems to work best for me, under my particular and unique circumstances. I can feel that.

It is good for society - I would never choose to follow a religion which is bad for society, because what is bad for the group is also bad for the individuals which make up the group. I don't care if the deity shows up in my bedroom, speaking in a Morgan Freeman type voice, demanding that I obey - if the dictates of that religion involve hurting family, friends, neighbors, or even people I don't know, I will not follow it, even under penalty of some kind of eternal damnation.

That would be a good reason for rebelling against the gods - at least to me.

The depth of it's metaphysics - This goes hand-in-hand with "it is true." The only way to find out if a religion is "true" or not is to understand it's metaphysics. While there are always choices as to what set of metaphysical assumptions are ultimately correct, if a particular religion's metaphysics do not (at least) match up to observable reality and/or provide a reasonable degree of explanatory power, it's a foolish religion.

For instance, the question "why do people suffer" is a metaphysical question. If the only response a religion makes is "because the deity wants it that way," that is shallow metaphysics - it really explains nothing at all. Or, if the answer is "doo wop she walla wop," it's stupid metaphysics and not worth considering... unless you are a Zen master, in which case the reason for saying that is related to that belief system's actual (deep) metaphysics.

[AuroraWinters]

Re: Best reason for choosing a particular religious world view?

I said "it feels right" because it's difficult to follow a religion that doesn't feel right to you. People can do it, but I wouldn't consider following a religion just because you're too lazy to delve into any sort of spiritual development, the "best reason" for choosing that religious view. I also agree that it lends itself to being able to follow parts of different religions to create your own view on how the world/cosmos work. Maybe you feel that no one religion has it all right but that no one has it completely wrong either - that there are parts of every religion that feel right to you, but not all of it - that doesn't mean you should just ditch the idea altogether simply because it's the belief of a religion you don't agree with wholeheartedly. I'm very much a "this feels right to me" sort of person religiously. I don't dismiss the entirety of religions - I feel I can learn something from them all even if I'm not a follower of that specific path.

[Ophidia]

Re: Best reason for choosing a particular religious world view?

It's popular - I think most people, even those who tend to jump on the band wagon, sense that this is a poor reason to pick something like a religion. A pair of jeans, maybe, but not a religion.

It's not even a good reason to pick a pair of jeans. I mean, right now the most popular brands would leave my ass hanging out in public. Which is also what happens to a lot of people who pick a religion because everyone else is doing it.

[ChainLightning]

Re: Best reason for choosing a particular religious world view?

It's not even a good reason to pick a pair of jeans. I mean, right now the most popular brands would leave my ass hanging out in public. Which is also what happens to a lot of people who pick a religion because everyone else is doing it.

True but on the other hand if it's that UN-popular, there's not a lot of likelihood that you can find anything like it to study, follow or adopt.



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For the record, I went with B. It's "true".

For all the rest: how it feels right, makes the most sense, benefits society, the depths of it's metaphysics; I just see them as symptomatic of the truth.

Also, I already possess the understanding that truth is perspective, and solely based on one's perception of it. Making it highly subjective, controversial and particularly personal.

[B. de Corbin]

Re: Best reason for choosing a particular religious world view?

For the record, I went with B. It's "true".

For all the rest: how it feels right, makes the most sense, benefits society, the depths of it's metaphysics; I just see them as symptomatic of the truth.

Although we say it in different ways, I think we're on the same page about this, Chain. Those four things can be listed as if the are seperate or independent concepts, but, in reality, they are all parts of one continuum. Beginning with any one of them, a careful thinker would inevitably be led to the other three, I think...

---------- Post added at 03:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:39 PM ----------

It's not even a good reason to pick a pair of jeans. I mean, right now the most popular brands would leave my ass hanging out in public. Which is also what happens to a lot of people who pick a religion because everyone else is doing it.

LOL - I love the randy analogy.

[ChainLightning]

Re: Best reason for choosing a particular religious world view?

Although we say it in different ways, I think we're on the same page about this, Chain. Those four things can be listed as if the are seperate or independent concepts, but, in reality, they are all parts of one continuum. Beginning with any one of them, a careful thinker would inevitably be led to the other three, I think...

That's probably it. Rational minds, careful thinkers... once (or IF) one thing falls apart there's no continuation on that particular avenue, and another "path" is sought, chosen or whatever. But as long as all the pieces fit, it's gotta be true. (In context.)

"G. All of the above"? Not exactly, though.

[Yazichestvo]

Re: Best reason for choosing a particular religious world view?

I don't know if they're all the same thing. What feels right isn't necessarily what we find plausible- they are related, but in practice can be two different things. However, these different approaches easily intermingle. Even for those of us who chose a path because it "feels right", in the process of narrowing down what path we wanted to take, each of us probably at some point dismissed one path by saying "That seems unlikely- that's not true". For instance, many of us would dismiss Scientology in that manner- just because it seems such an unlikely candidate for the true or truest religion. Or vice-versa- some of us who say our religion is "true" have probably dismissed other religious options because they just didn't seem right for us.

I guess what I'm saying is that our final decision is ultimately a combination of what feels right, what makes sense or seems believable, what path seems to embody what we believe society needs, and of course, the degree to which we are attracted to or repulsed from the majority world-view.