Board index ‹ Christianity

[Moriarty]

it’s just most of us are already born into families that already follow a certain religion so it’s like “if i had been born into a family of a different faith, would i have thought that my religion was ‘right’ then?“

[jimwalton]

At core, it's not different from anything else. One can arrive at truth by gathering information, considering alternatives, weighing the evidences, assess aberrations, discerning truth from error, see how such things corroborate real life, use all of the reasoning available, and infer the most reasonable conclusion.

[Tsunami]

And that conclusion is ? That the one you follow is the right one ? I was born in a muslim family and i wasn't Indoctrinated with Christian beliefs so i never lost my sleep to the fact that I will goto Christian hell when I was a Muslim, did you ever lost your sleep to the fact that you will goto islamic hell ?

[jimwalton]

> And that conclusion is ?

I have drawn the inference that Christianity is the most plausible conclusion of the criteria of truth.

> That the one you follow is the right one ?

I would never follow one that I knew or believed to be wrong.

> ... hell

I haven't made my decision based on fear. What I'm after is the truth, and the consequences are what they are. Consequences don't change based on my evaluations of things. If things are true, they are true and the consequences are real—regardless of what I believe about them or would like to believe about them.

[Bobby McGee]

What methodology did you use to arrive at Christianity?

[jimwalton]

As I said:

1. Gathering information: historical corroboration (where known), philosophical arguments, identity (where known) of authors, study the writings themselves, examine the effects in individuals and society

2. Considering alternatives: comparative studies in other religions as well as the logic of the atheist position.

3. Weighing the evidences: examination of the data at hand, looking for trends and patterns, evaluating what holds water and what leaks, make initial conclusions subject to further input.

4. Assess aberrations: Every movement has its weirdos and extremists, and they can plausibly be written off. There is also data that doesn't seem to fit the other patterns that has to be appraised.

5. Discern truth from error: If our human minds are incapable of rational thought and discerning truth from error, we are nowhere and even science itself is impossible. Instead, we presuppose on the basis of experience and evidence that we are indeed able to make such discernments on the basis of observations, logic, and experiences.

6. Corroboration to real life: Any religion that purports to be true has to align with real life in both realistic, factual, and practical ways.

7. Infer the most reasonable conclusion: Upon examination, comparison, and critique, Christianity in my mind is the truth.