Census of the consensus

Normalfulla

A worldly friend of mine I grew up with at school has at the ripe old age of 40 just posted an honest question on his FB page..

"which religion or belief system is the truth?" be respectful please

Now this guy is a well liked educated person who has dabbled in politics and is at one with where his place is on this planet, he knows alot of people and therefore attracted ALOT of answers to his post..

I thought it was a fascinating look into the demographic of the people he knows from diverse backgrounds as to what they had to say... A census if u will

I was surprised!

There was about 5% preachy people talking about jesus but the majority about science being the only truth worth trusting as well as humanism, karma, being a good person and loving others!

1 comment from an active jw elder " where is the question coming from? As in why do u ask?" couldn't help but laugh a bit seeing a witnessing set up.

A few stand out comments I thought were.

"truth and religion do not belong in the same sentence"

"beware of any belief that promotes division between you and yr fellow human beings"

"My conscience is my belief system taught to me by my parents. I have no time for religion or any other belief. Trouble is most people might also follow this but not everyone is lucky enough to have good parents like mine"

Church of Fonzie - founded by Peter Griffin

"I tend to think the rational mind would lean towards weight of evidence as the best method of drawing the most probable conclusions, or highest likelihood of truth. ....which would all but disqualify religion as a source of truth of any kind imo."

So yes I was surprised by the logic of my generation,and the 2 that overlap it to the lesser and the greater, it makes me happy and positive to think that surely that type of thinking will eventually outgrow the mindset that we here once were burdened with.

stuckinarut2

Very interesting! Great post Normalfulla!

I think the biblical account sums it up best when Pontious Pilate supposedly said "What is Truth?"

It was meant in a rhetorical manner and not an actual question... Almost like "Whats the point?" There is no absolute Truth

smiddy3

Why does any belief system whether it be religious ,secular,political or otherwise have to be "The Truth" as though it is the ultimate that we all strive to attain ?

Their is no such thing.

Its an illusion , a fantasy , a pie in the sky ideal , it does not exist .

dubstepped

Interesting. I like the diversity of answers and that a vast minority pointed to Jesus. Lol @ that elder.

Phizzy

No religion or Belief System can be "true" unless you mean something different by "truth" than the Dictionary definition.

Religion and Belief are both simply opinions based upon emotion, the one that appeals to you most you choose.

Religion and Belief do not belong in the same sentence as " Truth".

Wake Me Up Before You Jo-Ho

Which religion or belief system is the truth? Your pal is barking up the wrong tree. The "truth" is overrated. I don't care what Jesus, Pilate or any confucian, feel-good belief system has claimed.

The truth alone has never set anyone free.

It is only DOUBT which will bring mental emancipation.

stuckinarut2

Very true point Wake!

Doubt is indeed what drives us to the pursuit of knowledge. Healthy scepticism is what helps us ensure we are not victims of credulity.

Anytime someone says they know something to be 100% true, they must have facts to back up that claim. Religions by their very nature CAN NOT back up their claims. That is what blind faith is....

Wake Me Up Before You Jo-Ho

I've always thought about it this way: If you're seeking the truth, then what you don't know is more important to you than what you know. That's a fundamental orientation. Some may consider this "analysis paralysis", but if you devote enough time to figuring out where you're wrong (I spend hours before hitting the "post" button sometimes), you strip away the ambiguity and falsehoods. Scientists operate under this principle when testing a hypothesis.

Any religion or belief system that claims to not only HAVE the truth, but to also BE it has committed a paradoxical flaw. That finalistic attitude is the ultimate shut down of the data window which prevents new information entering and contradicting (and therefore updating) the belief system.

Consider the staunch and dogmatic approach of religion. The Bible, for instance, was written when there was no concept of physics, chemistry, biology, meteorology or medicine. Yet, the arrogance of Christianity claims with absolute certainty that the virgin birth was a fact. Dead people being resurrected is conclusive. Sicknesses and disease were caused by divine plagues. Thunder and lighting were portentous signs of Yahweh's communication. This is not progressive. They say that the Bible has never changed and that God remains the same to the tests of time? That's not a virtuous sign of credibility.This is stone age defiance that warrants extinction.

Like language, truth is progressive. We live in error and strive toward the truth. Scientists are willing to rip holes in their own theories and arguments.That is why you'll find countless books on Darwin's Ghosts, Discarded Science, The Origins of Modern Science, and so on. I believe it's in this striving that the truth is most accurately embodied.

Vidiot

Dudeism, obviously.

Census of the consensus

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