"You're only a *insert religion* because you were born in a certain place"?

noubliezjamais

I wonder what world religions, specifically Christianity and Islam say on this. 150 years ago, my ancestors in Africa would have scoffed off Christianity as a religion. They had their own traditional religions and had full conviction in them. Today, my family has the same conviction in Christianity as being the "right religion" as my ancestors.

If religion is mainly determined by colonization/geography/what family you're brought up in then how do we determine according to theists which is the correct one?

smacl

noubliezjamais wrote: »

If religion is mainly determined by colonization/geography/what family you're brought up in then how do we determine according to theists which is the correct one?

Each theist will tell you their religion is the correct one, that's kind of what it means to be a theist. As an atheist I don't believe any of them. Another way of looking at it is that if you want a religion, and find one the fits well with your own world view, then that's the correct religion for you. That other people believe different stuff is really their own business as they're simply picking what is correct for them. The problem comes when people try to force a religion on you and your family that you don't want.

Hotblack Desiato

smacl wrote: »

Another way of looking at it is that if you want a religion, and find one the fits well with your own world view, then that's the correct religion for you.

As someone once said, "Isn't it convenient that your god hates all of the same types of people that you do."

smacl

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

As someone once said, "Isn't it convenient that your god hates all of the same types of people that you do."

Yes indeed. One person's omniscient, omnipresent all powerful deity is no more than the figment of another's imagination. If we're getting to pick our own god from those imagined by others, I'll take Ah Pook.