“But at most one religion can be true. Therefore, all other religions are false.”
This is the single biggest reason why I can’t understand why anyone believing any specific religion. Dawkin’s classic response when asked “What if you’re wrong?” is simply to repeat the question.
The question religious people should ask themselves is this: of all of the thousands of religions there have been in human history, what is the probability that you just happened to be born in a family who just happened to believe in what just happens to be the correct interpretation of what just happens to be the specific version of what just happens to be the only holy book which gets you into heaven?
This point is made more valid by the fact that almost all religions are very clear that they are an exclusive club—if you pick the wrong religion (or even the wrong denomination within a religion) you don’t get Eternal Life.
This point is made more valid by the fact that almost all religions are very clear that they are an exclusive club—if you pick the wrong religion (or even the wrong denomination within a religion) you don’t get Eternal Life.
This is not universally true of any of the major contemporary religions (as practiced, and according to the scripture of at least some), and probably not true of most of the thousands of religions there have been. In fact, I believe many tribal pagan religions don’t claim the nonexistence of their neighbors’ deities—they’re just “not our way,” so to speak.
Also, nitpickingly, not every religious person has retained the faith they were raised with.
“But at most one religion can be true. Therefore, all other religions are false.”
This is the single biggest reason why I can’t understand why anyone believing any specific religion. Dawkin’s classic response when asked “What if you’re wrong?” is simply to repeat the question.
The question religious people should ask themselves is this: of all of the thousands of religions there have been in human history, what is the probability that you just happened to be born in a family who just happened to believe in what just happens to be the correct interpretation of what just happens to be the specific version of what just happens to be the only holy book which gets you into heaven?
This point is made more valid by the fact that almost all religions are very clear that they are an exclusive club—if you pick the wrong religion (or even the wrong denomination within a religion) you don’t get Eternal Life.
This is not universally true of any of the major contemporary religions (as practiced, and according to the scripture of at least some), and probably not true of most of the thousands of religions there have been. In fact, I believe many tribal pagan religions don’t claim the nonexistence of their neighbors’ deities—they’re just “not our way,” so to speak.
Also, nitpickingly, not every religious person has retained the faith they were raised with.
Of course, the general point is good.