Every major religion assures you that you should choose it and no other, because it is the one teaching the truth. Do you have a way of testing it? I propose one: No matter how benign the religion or a philosophy appears, if it discounts the present time, life and the earthly pleasures, and elevates some otherworldly place or experience, then the religion is false.
Whatever The Truth is, I'm pretty sure that living your life fully is a big part of it. Any religion promising a paradise after you die is not to be taken any more seriously than a bit of mythology. The whole point of life forming from atoms and molecules of simple chemicals whenever the conditions are right, whether by intelligent design or simply at random, should make it obvious that the experience of life is the goal. If it were not, then the appearance of life is an eruption of the evil life force like a pimple on your chin, like mold on the windowsills or the rust on your car fender, biting into the world with its filthy teeth and soiling it everywhere by its unclean eating habits and vulgar reproduction. Can you in all honesty look at a field of daisies and the woods beyond, and see all that green growth as a nasty revolting attack of disgusting evil life? Are you repelled when you have to step on rotting leaves under your feet in the fall instead of admiring the bright golds and reds? (Actually, many people seem to be - they cut their lawns short, pave everything or cover it with gravel or wood chips to stop the grasses and flowers from growing, and blow the leaves off the sidewalks...)
Some people are repelled by the sight of the fox eating a rabbit, but have no problem with the rabbit eating grass. So they invented a pretty ideal of a place and time where a lion lay down next to the lamb and wouldn't eat it, and said that God intended it. But the same people speak of how their same God preferred the smell of roasting meat to a plate of succulent fruits and vegetables.
I had a Buddhist argue with me that his religion is perfect, because it has no God problem and is all about peace and love. But then he said that the end goal is the Nirvana when you stop the cycle of rebirths. I argued with him that the life is the end goal and always has been, which he, of course, vehemently disagreed with, assuring me that Nirvana is way better. So, I guess, to him the green lush landscape is an unfortunate evil that needs to be overcome.
Whatever The Truth is, I'm pretty sure that living your life fully is a big part of it. Any religion promising a paradise after you die is not to be taken any more seriously than a bit of mythology. The whole point of life forming from atoms and molecules of simple chemicals whenever the conditions are right, whether by intelligent design or simply at random, should make it obvious that the experience of life is the goal. If it were not, then the appearance of life is an eruption of the evil life force like a pimple on your chin, like mold on the windowsills or the rust on your car fender, biting into the world with its filthy teeth and soiling it everywhere by its unclean eating habits and vulgar reproduction. Can you in all honesty look at a field of daisies and the woods beyond, and see all that green growth as a nasty revolting attack of disgusting evil life? Are you repelled when you have to step on rotting leaves under your feet in the fall instead of admiring the bright golds and reds? (Actually, many people seem to be - they cut their lawns short, pave everything or cover it with gravel or wood chips to stop the grasses and flowers from growing, and blow the leaves off the sidewalks...)
Some people are repelled by the sight of the fox eating a rabbit, but have no problem with the rabbit eating grass. So they invented a pretty ideal of a place and time where a lion lay down next to the lamb and wouldn't eat it, and said that God intended it. But the same people speak of how their same God preferred the smell of roasting meat to a plate of succulent fruits and vegetables.
I had a Buddhist argue with me that his religion is perfect, because it has no God problem and is all about peace and love. But then he said that the end goal is the Nirvana when you stop the cycle of rebirths. I argued with him that the life is the end goal and always has been, which he, of course, vehemently disagreed with, assuring me that Nirvana is way better. So, I guess, to him the green lush landscape is an unfortunate evil that needs to be overcome.
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