There are more than 200 version of the Bible in more than 300 Languages. How can anyone possibly know what religion he or she should truly believe in? Did God in any version ever name a religion as the one we should follow? Every religion, bible state, which they are the true religion, and in order to get the true word of God you must follow their beliefs. Really, how can any of them really say that? As of today, there hasn't been any proof submitted that when Moses returned from the mountains carrying the Ten Commandments, it said, Jehovah Witness, or Seventh Day Adventists or even Mormon was the only and the righteous religion.
While researching and studying the path of the 10 most practiced religions, I found that they all practice the very word that is big in the Bible. Thou Shall Not Judge, for Judgment is mine, said the Lord. While offering help their follow neighbor, not just your fellow church member. While doing my research, more of the people of non-religion followed the word of God than the actual die-hard religious people that had taken the survey during the interviews.
The surveyed showed that, most people believed in all or part of the bible. Most others do not believe any part of the bible. Many of the comments were the same. Although worded differently. Religion is totally overrated and made too much of a big deal, when it comes to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Most considered the act of believing in God is to believe in ones self.
Others believed getting into heavens was simple a plan that they have no control over, like dying, you never know when it is going to happen? Where it is going to happen? How it is going to happen? You just know it is going to happen.
While passing no judgment on any one religion, it is widely acknowledged that there are five main religions practiced in the United States and those religions widely criticizes any other religious practiced in the United States and Worldwide. People must try to remember that religions by name are just titles to what each and everyone believes. While true belief needs no title, true belief is in the heart mind and soul of everyone that lives his name as God.
Xian ethics is irrational, otherworldly, and impractical. It promises much, and delivers nothing. Jesus' "interim ethic" couldn't outlast one generation of true believers.
Chinese culture was far luckier. From that very rational, this worldly, and practical book, The Analects, attributed to Confucius (500 BCE!):
6:20 Fan Ch’ih asked what constituted wisdom. The Master said, “To give one’s self earnestly to the duties due to men, and, while respecting spiritual beings, to keep aloof from them, may be called wisdom.”
15:23 Tsze-kung asked, saying, “Is there one word which may serve as a rule of practice for all one’s life?” The Master said, “Is not 'reciprocity' such a word? What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.”
[trans. S.R. McIntyre 2003]
No god is needed to police human behavior. All ethics is irreducibly social. Harming others can not be generalized; otherwise, no culture could exist.
There's no need to invoke evolution (or memes) -- unless they're Lamarkian -- each generation of persons teaches the next.
bipolar2
copyright asserted 2007