Is there a right religion?

[Postmaster]

I like to see truth as a mirror that broke into a thousand pieces all shining different versions of what truth is. I believe in monotheism, I think this is the ultimate philosophy one can accomplish to comprehend, however I believe in divine beings and figures which shine different lights of truth from God.. So in this sense there are better ways and truths out there, but theres not any false ways.

Does anyone agree?

 

[path_of_one]

I believe there is a right path for everyone (the "narrow path" as Jesus put it), but no right religion for anyone. Religion is a social, organized attempt to help folks that are similar in spiritual development and growth, as well as fulfilling some functions for society. So a religion can only be judged on how well it helps any one person in their quest for spiritual growth, and socially on how well it helps the society function (inspiring generousity and morality, community bonding, etc.). Each person has to find the right path for themselves, and then carefully and diligently stay on it (the big challenge!).

 

[Saponification]

I believe that each and every human being is different. What is right for one person is not right another. There is no reality as such, there is no absoloute "right" - we all view the world in different ways. We have unique experiences, beliefs and upbringings that make the truth for each of us a very different thing.

For some of us the idea of a God and being saved is amazing. It's the truth. It's reality. I respect that. For me, however, I've had life experience tell me I won't be saved. Due to my experiences, beliefs and the relationships I've had with people, the Noble Eightfold Path is the path for me. For me, the dharma is the truth... actually, correction, the dharma points the truth.

 

[iBrian]

"Truth" does indeed seem very personal - though I decided a long time ago that what we regard as "Truth" is far less important than how we act on it.

 

[Bandit]

I like to see truth as a mirror that broke into a thousand pieces all shining different versions of what truth is. I believe in monotheism, I think this is the ultimate philosophy one can accomplish to comprehend, however I believe in divine beings and figures which shine different lights of truth from God.. So in this sense there are better ways and truths out there, but theres not any false ways.

Does anyone agree?

I think there are false ways, while like you say there are bits of truth in everything. I think we have to at least be open to understanding others & allow what we have to be expounded upon.


"There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Proverbs

 

[Nitai]

I would like to give my thoughts but in sutras or codes.

* all man are imperfect. they have 4 imperfections
* imperfect senses, commit mistakes, are illusioned, have tendency to cheat.
* on the stage when one is not enlightened how can one give perfect spiritual knowledge?

* God is the well-wisher of all the living entities
* He supplies to them everything necessary
* He also gives spiritual knowledge to them
* He is the most perfect since He hes no 4 imperfections like humans
* The spiritual knowlege given by Him is the most perfect
* CONCLUSION: the right religion can be established only by God

 

[Blessed87]

I like to see truth as a mirror that broke into a thousand pieces all shining different versions of what truth is. I believe in monotheism, I think this is the ultimate philosophy one can accomplish to comprehend, however I believe in divine beings and figures which shine different lights of truth from God.. So in this sense there are better ways and truths out there, but theres not any false ways.

Does anyone agree?

Well, this is an interesting topic to me. Yes, we aren't all the same, that there are individuals with individual responses.

Tell me, anyone, what are the implications of not having any false ways? What about the Holocaust? What about suicide bombers? What about forced slave labor? Were the concepts behind these acts based on are truth to those who performed the acts? But doesn't "no false ways" say that? Okay, those aren't the better ways, but can we say some things are absolutely always wrong?

I'm not trying to offend, I'm trying to discuss truth. Good luck, everyone

 

[earl]

"Truth" does indeed seem very personal - though I decided a long time ago that what we regard as "Truth" is far less important than how we act on it.

Oh so very true! Reminds me of the quote I found not long ago by Karen Armstrong, the religion writer who said religion isn't about having beliefs, it's about being changed. Blessed87, I'd add that the best judge I can think of as to determining if someone held false views, (no matter what comes out of their mouths), is the question, "how well do your views enable you to love?" No matter what our views, if we're not better human beings for them, they're not much good to anybody. Have a good one, Earl

 

[Nitai]

answers (A.) to following questions(Q.) - (all in codes)

Q. Tell me, anyone, what are the implications of not having any false ways?
A. * pure religion is nothing to do with politics and materialism
* practicing it one develops all good qualities - one becomes a saint
* no one can become angry on pure, wise person
* a person practicing the path of purification tries to encourage others to develop love of God.
* the test of how much one is pure is how much one developed compassion and mercy to other living entities.

Q. What about the Holocaust?
A. * This has to be understood in terms of karma - the law of action and reaction.
* if not then you come to the point of blaming god.
* one have to suffer reactions for bad activities from previous lives
* an impure soul cannot go to heaven
* suffering is a way of purification
* but it has the greatest effect when simultaneously one remembers God and takes shelter of Him
* if not one will develop irreligiousness and further keep himself far from heaven. That means rebirth.


Q. What about suicide bombers?
A. * Unfortunately, this kind of action is not mentioned in the pure religion by which one develops compassion and mercy to all living entities
* It is therefor, rejected as a religious action.

Q. What about forced slave labor?
A. * In the ancient times great monarchs, kings had many servants but not keeping them as slaves.
* The servants were taken care both materially and spiritually
* they ware very much encouraged to practice spiritual life so that they are spiritually peaceful and so happy
* the servants were happy to have a good master
* Nowadays, if there is anywhere forced slave labor it is the degradation of the ancient system
* it is demoniac

Q. can we say some things are absolutely always wrong?
A. * all things that have no any relation to God and are not beneficial for ones spiritual advancement are absolutely always wrong

Hare Krishna

 

[Blessed87]

Q. What about suicide bombers?
A. * Unfortunately, this kind of action is not mentioned in the pure religion by which one develops compassion and mercy to all living entities
* It is therefor, rejected as a religious action.

Q. What about forced slave labor?
* Nowadays, if there is anywhere forced slave labor it is the degradation of the ancient system
* it is demoniac

Q. can we say some things are absolutely always wrong?
A. * all things that have no any relation to God and are not beneficial for ones spiritual advancement are absolutely always wrong

Hare Krishna

Okay, I see you put a lot of thought into that, and I respect that. You said the absolutes above. What do you base these absolutes on? Anyone else here, please answer this for yourself as well. Good luck!

 

[Nitai]

Q. You said the absolutes above. What do you base these absolutes on?
A. This one is not so difficult.
* They Vedic wisdom direct the conditioned souls on gradual elevation from material entanglement up to love of God that includes liberation.
* The Vedic scriptures are like the big boat on the ocean of material existence

* actually to explain about the Vedas is a big topic
* to say something in few sentences is not enough
* but basically they are God-given and so are perfect guidance
* Especially the Srimad Bhagavtam is considered to be the most pure teaching of the Vedas for those who desire to practice unmotivated pure spirituality
* is that mean that only these devotees will attain success?
* No. Other parts of the Vedas are meant for those who are materially attached but still like to make spiritual advancement.
* thus ultimately when properly followed the Vedas elevate one to ultimate perfection.

NOTE: * Many parts of the Vedas are difficult to follow,
* the rituals are complicated and expensive
* therefor, the most practical, simple and sublime instruction in the Vedas is to chant the Holy name of the Lord.
* any other instructions that help and encourage this chanting are beneficial

OK, I could go on and on but here I will stop.

Gaura premanande Hari Hari bol.
Hare Krishna.

 

[iBrian]

I find this a curious contradiction:

* all man are imperfect.


* God is the well-wisher of all the living entities
* He supplies to them everything necessary
* He also gives spiritual knowledge to them
* He is the most perfect since He hes no 4 imperfections like humans
* The spiritual knowlege given by Him is the most perfect
* CONCLUSION: the right religion can be established only by God

Surely God does not establish religion - only Man does, and in this way, all religion is subject to the imperfection of Man.

Or are you equating personal spirituality as "religion"? Seems like there may be a confusion of the semantics here, as "religion" is usually regarded as an organised form, yes? And all organised forms are subject to the imperfections of Man?

Or will this be a situation where one specific religion claims complete and perfect transmission of God's Will to one type of scripture, and therefore other types of scripture are wrong?

Simply trying to understand the argument being made here.

 

[Nitai]

Hare Krishna.

Here are some further statements from the Vedas.

YOU WROTE: Surely God does not establish religion - only Man does, and in this way, all religion is subject to the imperfection of Man.

** This would imply that in the past nobody attained perfection of love of God.
** REASON: the scriptures and religions are imperfect
** What a God, He is leaving us to rot in the material world speculating what is spirituality.
** Looks like he is a hedonist, He likes to see us suffering in this material world
** He let us here to be eternally doomed in the material world.
** FORTUNATELLY THIS IS NOT SO.
** Your above statement reflects a luck of knowledge of the Vedic literature.
** There are many Incarnations of God like Krishna, Rama, Narasimha etc. who come to reestablish the eternal pure religious principles - bhakti or devotion (also translated as devotional service because bhakti is a practical activity and not only an imagination)
** to accept that God has a spiritual form and that when He comes in this earth planet makes Himself visible for us, needs a certain level of faith
** faith that God can do anything He likes
** our speculations cannot stop Him to come
** Vyasadeva who wrote down the Vedic wisdom, before 5000 years ago, is one of the incarnations of God

I could go on and on on this topic but I rather would like you to ask some question so I will answer accordingly.

Q. are you equating personal spirituality as "religion"?
** the Vedas say as many people so many philosophies.
** the Vedas also describe two possible ways to God realization
** the ascending - when people try to understand and attain God by their small capacity of intelligence.
** Because they have imperfections (the four mentioned before) most of the time they do not come to the proper conclusions who is God and how to attain Him
** the Vedas say out of thousands of such speculators one might come to the point to admit the greatness of God and the value of Vedic literature (what includes the understanding that the the perfect spiritual knowledge is given by God)
** So. such person accepts the second method of God realization - the descending method
** it is called descending method because the spiritual knowledge and the method of attaining God realization comes from the most perfect person God Himself.
** to understand this needs a certain level of purity, piety and faith in God
** By studying the Vedas one can realize that pure pure spiritual knowledge can come only from God Himself
** it is valuable at all times places and circumstances
** it is the knowledge that describes and explains the eternal religion of the soul - sanathana dharma

Q. Seems like there may be a confusion of the semantics here, as "religion" is usually regarded as an organised form, yes? And all organised forms are subject to the imperfections of Man?
** this depend what certain group follows, the ascending or the descending method

Q. Or will this be a situation where one specific religion claims complete and perfect transmission of God's Will to one type of scripture, and therefore other types of scripture are wrong?
** in practicing ascending method of religion people might come to many similar points of knowledge like that given by God
** thus the Vedas say that they can even realize the Brahman-light feature of God
** but to realize other features of God, IOW to fully understand God is not possible by their mental speculation
** you can also naturally conclude that of the two types of knowledge mentioned above one is more perfect then the other.
** If one does not want to accept the descending method, the Vedas encourage one to at least practice the ascending method.