Why do so many people believe that their religion is the only true religion?

Hi, This is the planted seed that you can not undo even if you try. Those who think theirs is the best religion or faith are the utterly ignorant people who are pu0shed to the twinkling darkness. I really take pity on them who are of the opinion that without applying their own thought and reasoning they start believing that their religion is the best. This is simply stupid.

I think the issue between which christian denomination is right is quite different from which religion is right. Even among Christians there are some groups who think that the other groups are equally right as they are, though on certain issues they may have difference of opinion. But groups like Mormonism or Jehovah Witness, the rest will agree that they have deviated from what Christianity in the past has always been. Of course the question which religion is right is not an easy one. But if religion is to do with truth, then I believe all religions cannot be equally true. Because there are religions that claim opposite things as true. Truth has to be just only one. Wrong ones can be many. For example, the sum of two and two is four. But the wrong ones can be five or three or twenty or many many numbers. Suppose one were to argue that religion has nothing to do with truth, then I won't want anything to do with non-truth.

Oh, I know what you mean!! I married a Mormon!!! I'm Presbyterian, and he's Mormon. He's not the door-to-door type, but there are those in his church. We alternate, going to eachother's church every second week. Anyway, the first fight of our marriage was when he thought I was too harsh on some Missionaries who tried to convert me after I told them NO. I told him that no one should mess with another's religious beliefs, and that they pushed me way too hard. After a few minutes he understood. It's just that I'm more confrontational than he is, but also more assertive. I don't just go along with the program to stop fights, I can be as sincere as they are. A couple of Mormon missionaries were surprised that I wouldn't be happy if the whole world was Presbyterian. I just told him that if I tried to convert the world, after a while people would really start to resent me, and isn't that what I DON'T want to happen? What ever happened to LIVE AND LET LIVE?

I don't know about that! But if someone totally believes in something, they will plough into it! They believe everything that the religion tells them. On the other hand, the things that are different from their religion are lies, so far as they concerned.

Here i would also like to add that its important to love and be confidant about your religion unless you dont practice "shirk". As long as you dont do "shirk" other things really dont matter Let me tell you what "shirk" is There are 3 types of shirk, shirk in worship, shirk in personality and shirk in attributes.... 1. shirk in worship-----accepting anyone or anything other than allmighty as being worthy of worship 2. shirk in personality-----considering anyone equivalent to allmighty 3. shirk in attributes-----Considering another's attributes similar to the attributes of allmighty. If we can understand this all and practice i think we will have a better understanding of allmighty and all the religion. thanx

If someone didn't feel their religion was right, of course they would switch to one they felt was "more" right!Another way to look at it.. at least the fact that we all think we are right... is something we still have in common!

Because that is what they have been taught and what they believe, but whether it is the true religion only those who follow it will know and that is because God reveals it. However there are points to know if it is the only true religion and it does not matter if you sing the hymns before the service, whether you evangelize the neighborhood in October, whether you go do to do with tracts, whether you attend church service at 10 or 11 am, whether you have an afternoon or evening service, whether the preacher is called a pastor or minister, whether you believe in this catechism or that. What makes a true church is the belief in the Bible, that Jesus is the Son of God and came down to earth, that HE saved HIS elect from sin, and that you have to live a godly life and be moderate in all things. Also that you have to hate what HE hates and this is not popular. I will not get into this in detail, but I am sure you know what I am talking about. It is what happens at the end of life and how closely one sticks to the Ten Commandments and how one lives.

Is really confusing if you really start noticing that every religion claims that they have the correct path to salvation. I consider myself a roman catholic ,but in my opinion there is so much that we don't know yet. I really believe that the sun comes out for everybody ,and we all have the ability to better ourselves regardless of our religion. Let's be judge by our actions and not by our words.

Good question......I imagine it has something to do with a scripture that encourages us to find new lambs for the fold....I have had a few that come to the door trying to convince me that their church is on the right path....I simply say.....I have my own church...and most of the time they leave happy.....I am not one who tries to convince my church is best....I also took my kids to church and Sunday school then later let them decide what they wanted to be.....one is catholic.....two lutheran....but one studied other cultures and religions too....

People think that way because they are brainwashed into thinking that way.

Most atheists believe that by having a religion, a person will stop enjoying life and be devoted to something that is not true and thus not having a life that is enjoying. Actually, I disagree with this. having a belief will only serve it's purpose to calm our minds that some things are unexplainable by science or logic. People with religion are convinced that theirs is true because that is the way they live their life and religion is their saviour.

It's the old need for power, the I'm better than you so that means I rule and your serve. In all the animal kingdom this applies, we thinking, reasoning animals have just taken it many steps further.

Answer is in your question... It is atmost faith that each one has in his/her religion. This is pretty natural and very difficult to make people to understand. And yes... as you said, there are much that is good in all religions. And it is more that enough that each tries to keep up that good values and morals in ones life. That is more than enough to be a good human.

I guess it boils down to the selfish nature of man, when they want their only belief to be the only true one, which explains how "holy" wars are being constantly fought. If only everyone remained as free-thinkers...

How is it that so many people can look at the same book and read it so differently? LOL yea I've often wondered that myself...and IMO its just a one more thing that says though the bible MAY be "inspired by god" the fact that 10 people can read/hear or see the exact same thing DOES NOT mean they will interpret it the same SO that said, the bible most likely IS NOT REALLY the word of any god...(make sense?) There is much that is good in all religions but why must one be always trying to convert the other to their way of thinking and why do they feel that they alone are right? Straight up arrogance...that and some ridiculous desire to gain brownie points..

I don't know about religons outside the USA, but I have always wondered how each church has a different way of teaching. It is all one book, so how can anyone be the right one. I know Catholics pray to the virgin mary and I though that was praying to a graven image. I heard a paster tell a friend of mine she was going to hell for praying to mary, instead of to god. I guess it is what ever you fall into as to where you go to church and start to believe. NO matter what we should all believe there is one god, and I would assume that goes for all over the world. As for you trying to change me, I have really stopped going to church, as it seems that they are there to look down on you if you aren't dressed as nice as they are, or if you can't fill up the collection plate every week. And I will not watch any precher on TV other than the one woman.

Well personally, I am a Roman Catholic but you see, I am really open about other religions.. in fact, I often attend to some churches by other religions as invited by my friends. However, I don't entertain debates among religions and I don't really want to convert myself to them because I stick to what I believe in. What I mean is that I respect their own faith but I also want others to respect mine. You see, the thing is that somewhere inside of us, we individuals are actually in need of something vital in our lives--what will drive our lives or the purpose of it. I believe that no matter who we preach or believe in, it is still the same person, the same absolute being we are believing which in fact unites us all. -- How does God talk to you? Find out at http://rightfulliving.blogspot.com

Well, my friend for me, faith isn't what religion you are in right now, it's how you project to other people what the religion has been doing to you. Words are not enough to say that you are in a good religion. Everyone has their own way of thinking and to be honest, I don't judge them through what they are in. Honestly, I am a buddhist and I am proud to say that I am though I don't encourage other people to be like me, I want people to decide for themselves whether to like it or not. People has the right to choose and nobody has the right to tell them what to do. Thanks!

Pose- It's the universal question, isn't it? I don't feel anyone is 100% right or wrong. I feel that each has validity, and valued. We're all spiritual beings on a journey and are connected through the Divine regardless of practice or name. Namaste-Anora

Ok just think about this....... If I place a glass of water half filled and I ask two different individuals to tell me what do they see ??????? One may see a glass which is half full with water And The other may say it is half empty but if you see both the sentences mean the same, that answers your question as to why people read the same book and still can interpret it so differently..... I fell this entire thing about this accepting thing and telling people that their faith is the right one is approved by psychology...... Whenever we experience something good in our lives and we feel that it is cut from the rest......you are always anxious to tell the next person that you meet......I feel that god has done such good things for me, when I fasted,did my confession,attended retreats that god did this for me......now when I look at this, I will say that it was because I did all the above mentioned things and hence god was so gracious to me..... So this chain is very normal.....whatever people do and something works for them they try to tell other people to do this and god with be merciful to them..... This very thing has resulted so many sects within the same church......nobody is wrong or right here.....everybody worships the one same god, but when we look at certain things in a different way we tend to change our minds..... I am a Roman Catholic by birth and still I am.....but I really don't like the way the church is going about its evangalisation work......there are many things which I disapprove of......but that does not mean I should leave this sect and join some other sect of Christianity....... I feel I was baptized once and I am really happy with it......why don't you bring about a change without any sect or religion.......JESUS never came about with a different church although the same people killed him he still used to worship in synagogues.....he could have come up with his own little sect if he wanted to...... So my question is when Jesus did not bother to divide Christians into small small groups then why are we as humans so interested ????