[b]Poll Question - Can all religions be right?[/b]

[bocablkr]

Can all religions be right (in what they believe)?

Which of the following concerning the major religions is more probable?

All religions are right.
Some religions are right.
Only one religion is right.
None of the religions are right.

Below is a brief description of some of the major religions taken from the following website http://www.omsakthi.org/religions.html. Based on the differences, is it logical to assume that they all are correct. For example, if Christians believe that Jesus is the son of God and the Jews and Muslims do not, can they be believing in the same God? If I know a man with a son and you know a man without a son, can they be the same man?
If all the religions are not correct then you open the door that they may all be incorrect. Is it more likely that only one is true and all the rest are wrong or that they are all wrong?


Jews believe in one creator who alone is to be worshipped as absolute ruler of the universe. He monitors peoples activities and rewards good deeds and punishes evil. The Torah was revealed to Moses by God and can not be changed though God does communicate with the Jewish people through prophets. Jews believe in the inherent goodness of the world and its inhabitants as creations of God and do not require a savior to save them from original sin. They believe they are God's chosen people and that the Messiah will arrive in the future, gather them into Israel, there will be a general resurrection of the dead, and the Jerusalem Temple destroyed in 70 CE will be rebuilt.


Since Christianity and Judaism share the same history up to the time of Jesus Christ, they are very similar in many of their core beliefs. There are two primary differences. One is that Christians believe in original sin and that Jesus died in our place to save us from that sin. The other is that Jesus was fully human and fully God and as the Son of God is part of the Holy Trinity: God the Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit. All Christians believe in heaven and that those who sincerely repent their sins before God will be saved and join Him in heaven. Belief in hell and satan varies among groups and individuals.
There are a multitude of forms of Christianity which have developed either because of disagreements on dogma, adaptation to different cultures, or simply personal taste. For this reason there can be a great difference between the various forms of Christianity they may seem like different religions to some people.


Muslims follow a strict monotheism with one creator who is just, omnipotent and merciful. They also believe in Satan who drives people to sin, and that all unbelievers and sinners will spend eternity in Hell. Muslims who sincerely repent and submit to God will return to a state of sinlessness and go to Paradise after death. Alcohol, drugs, and gambling should be avoided and they reject racism. They respect the earlier prophets, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, but regard the concept of the divinity of Jesus as blasphemous and do not believe that he was executed on the cross.


In general, Buddhists do not believe in any type of God, the need for a savior, prayer, or eternal life after death. However, since the time of the Buddha, Buddhism has integrated many regional religious rituals, beliefs and customs into it as it has spread throughout Asia, so that this generalization is no longer true for all Buddhists. This has occurred with little conflict due to the philosophical nature of Buddhism.


Though believed by many to be a polytheistic religion, the basis of Hinduism is the belief in the unity of everything. This totality is called Brahman. The purpose of life is to realize that we are part of God and by doing so we can leave this plane of existance and rejoin with God. This enlightenment can only be achieved by going through cycles of birth, life and death known as samsara. One's progress towards enlightenment is measured by his karma. This is the accumulation of all one's good and bad deeds and this determines the person's next reincarnation. Selfless acts and thoughts as well as devotion to God help one to be reborn at a higher level. Bad acts and thoughts will cause one to be born at a lower level, as a person or even an animal.

[BluffTHIS!]

You should have been more rigorous and made the first option say "partially right". However only the last two, i.e. only one or none can fully make logical sense since. And regarding only one, you would have to provide for the situation where that one has not yet been started/revealed.

[bocablkr]

I did not say 'partially' right because I do not think most people that believe in their religion think that to be the case. You are correct, there could be one true religion that we have not yet discovered. I also agree that based on the differences in the religions that only the last two options are viable.

[Georgia Avenue]

Well I voted for Option 1 along with some other joker because I added the "partially" in my little head. My religion and several others like mine believe that all religions are "right" insofar as one can be right about something which can only be known in parts. I believe very stongly in my religion and think it is the only one that is right. I have confused myself and I'm now gong to convert to Jainism out of spite.

Cheers!