How do you decide what to believe?
 

Do you believe what makes sense to you? Do you believe what certain people you trust tell you to believe? Do you believe what makes you feel good? Do you believe what you see?

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

These questions were inspired, if you're wondering, by, among other things, the Universal Reconciliation debate. Does UR make more sense to some people than eternal torment?

Whenever I point out that something doesn't make sense, it is often pointed out to me that God's ways are not our ways. In other words, God doesn't have to make sense to us.

Does that make sense?

:D

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

I believe whatever my Truthometer 1000 tells me. Sometimes it leads me to believe what makes sense and sometimes what trustworthy people tell me and sometimes what feels good and sometimes what I see. It's been known to be wrong before though. However, my Truthometer 1000 comes with a self correction feature so that even when its wrong it eventually will correct itself and lead me to believe the truth given enough time. However, I'm unsure that there is enough time in my lifetime for my Truthometer 1000 to correct all its mistakes. So, I just trust that it'll lead me to be closer to the truth instead of further away from it when all is said and done ;)

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

I gotta get me one of those! :woot

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

lol. There is something I find interesting. There are some algorithms for solving problems that after the first few iterations may actually appear to be further away from the correct answer than they were previously. However, after more iterations they actually get really really close to the correct answer.

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

I believe the Bible is true. It's my truthometer.

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

But the problem is, I believe the Bible is true, and we believe differently. THAT is why Timothy asked the question. How do you come to the conclusion that what you believe the Bible is saying is true and what I believe the Bible is say is false? ( :beatdeadhorse I know!)

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

No - that's is not why Timmy asked. If I am correct, Timmy does not believe the Bible is true and infallible.

Infallibility of the scripture is a good starting point. All disagreement stemming from two who affirm is due to human error on their part.

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

First, I focus on what everyone agrees that the Bible says. Ummm, everyone that claims they believe the Bible is true that is. LOL The ten commandments, love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and your neighbor as yourself, etc. Things that different "Christian" religions do NOT argue about.

The stuff everyone argues about, I believe that God would have made absolutely and completely clear if He wanted to make sure we didn't miss anything. He even had men write examples where Christians could believe differently and they were not supposed to judge each other about it. What is good for me, may not be good for you, but those things do not contradict the things that everyone agrees on. :thumbsup

For instance, if I go to a country wear women cover every part of their body, I will cover up my body to love them. But if I go to a village where they don't practice marriage and someone wants to sleep with me, I will not commit adultery because that would go against a clear passage of scripture.

I pray and follow what I feel peace about. I don't believe God is a big ugly deity that makes following Him so complicated that people will spend eternity in hell even though they loved Him to the best of their ability but joined the wrong church.

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

Amen.

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

What if you didn't have a Bible?

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

It makes sense to me that God does not fit human logic.

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

For me I say "WWDAD?" What Would Dan Alicea Do? Then I ask "WWBD?" What Would Bono Do?"

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

I tank up on binaural stimuli and smoke the poppy seeds I've scraped off of several Whopper Junior buns (I'm gluten intolerant). Painting half my face with blue henna dye, I charge screaming into one of the local tony malls and over turn the sunglasses kiosks.

This always ends up giving me plenty of time to ponder things philosophically at the county's expense.

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

What if you had never been introduced to the Bible? I know some people abhor hypotheticals on here, but sometimes that is the only way to get a specific answer to a question that has been posed.

Scenario: Let's say you are 30 years old, were raised on an island without any religious contact or influences of any sort but somehow knew how to read and could comprehend what you were reading...

Catalyst: You've just been informed that if you do not choose a theology and then subsequently adhere to it, then you will spend eternity in everlasting torment.

Tools:

1. You are presented with one modern day KJV bible (which seems to be the most commonly accepted version, at least until the last decade or so)
2. You are presented with the Koran (not sure how many versions there are of that, so let's assume the most commonly accepted one.)
3. You are presented with the Torah (and someone explains to you that the rules for this theology are different than the rules of people who follow the New Testament)
4. You are presented with the most commonly accepted Buddhist Sutra (if there even is one)

You are told that unfortunately since you have now been exposed to theology, your eternal soul (which you didn't even know existed until a moment ago) is in danger of everlasting torment and you are liable for your choice from this moment on... and if you choose correctly you have a chance at not spending eternity in torment (still only a chance because you may interpret things incorrectly).

Solution: ?

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

:popcorn2

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

Hit yourself on the head enough times to develop amnesia and then you won't have to choose?

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

Brad, you left out the Book of Mormon. Just sayin'.

:popcorn2

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

Oops! My bad... just watch "Big Love" on Showtime for Mormon theology. ;)

I didn't even want to get into the complexities of once you choose one of the listed choices,then you have to choose one of 7 billion anointed men of God to submit to, each of which will have subtle variations from the other which may be crucial to your salvation...

(this is all how I see religion by the way. lol)

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

You also forget to list the cult of jfrog.

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

I'm sorry, but religions must have had a Southpark episode about them to be considered valid...

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

Blasphemy! :P

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

No, he has a point. Sorta.

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

Nah, its just South Park is telling you which religions to avoid ;)

Ya ever see the South Park episode where Jesus fights Satan?

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

I missed that one, but the one on Scientology as well as the one on Mormonism were both hilarious...

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

Not certain. There are some things I refuse to watch. I know the SP boys deliberately go for the gross out stuff, but I draw a line.

I would like to see the unedited "Mohammed in a Bear Suit" two-part episode, but it looks like we'll have to wait for that. Meanwhile, Comedy Central is bravely floating a "Jesus" spin-off. Hypocrites.

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

Yep.

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

Well, at least they're only blaspheming the Son, and not the HG. There's hope for forgiveness. So far.

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

The thing is, they weren't really even being disrespectful of Mohammed. And the stuff that got edited was just a long preachy diatribe by the "kids" on how "we" need to be something, something... (beeeep!)

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

Yeah, I know. Just sayin'.

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

I print out all the popular doctrines of the week, pin them on the wall, and then I throw darts while being blind folded...:bliss

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

Great post and so true!

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

Is there anything that the different Christian religions do not argue about?

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

I guess my thought is... if God leads each of us towards truth, then wouldn't it follow that as people get more religious (ie- closer to God), they would be LESS divisive and have more in common with each other?

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

Yes there is one thing that all Christians agree on and that would be Jesus!However most other topics are debatable.Makes you wanna pull your hair don't it :pullhair :toofunny

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

Are they all agreed on who Jesus is?

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

Well I look at the world and reality of what is really happening in the world to come to my conclusions.

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

I make those decisions based on my perceptions and experiences for the most part.

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

I think that happens only as people get more spiritual (NOT religious).

Re: How do you decide what to believe?
 

Not necessarily. They may actually appear to have less in common with each other for a long time. If given enough time then they would eventually start to have more and more things in common. I think the time required for that is longer than any individual human lifetime.

EDIT: I think the biggest difference is this: We can conceptualize a "truthline" that is kind of like a number line where the things further left aren't as true as the things further right. It seems reasonable to assume that if two people are getting closer to the truth then eventually their views will start to converge. It is even true that they will EVENTUALLY converge. However, before their views begin to converge they can actually diverge and jump all over the place and yet still both be seen as getting closer to the truth. I want to make it clear that they are not getting physically closer to the truth in this instance, but if by going through these diverging steps the two people eventually get to a place where their views start converging then it can be said that by physically diverging from each other was all part of the process that eventually led to those two peoples beliefs converging. So, even by physically diverging they can be said to be converging ;)