OK, so this thread is about those religions which believe/teach that their religion is the only true religion and that the only way to get to "heaven" (how ever that is defined) is to be a member of that faith.
I have never understood this way of thinking. It seems that religions often teach of a kind and loving God, but then say that the "gates of heaven" will not be opened up to someone unless that person is of a certain religion, no matter how wonderful that person is. The thing that really makes me crazy is the argument that someone who is truly amazing, someone who dedicated their life to helping others (the mother teresa type) would be denied access to heaven while some lame schmo would be let in because he happens to be a member of some particular religion, even if that person never really did much of anything in their life to better society.
I grew up non-LDS surrounded by LDS, so I spent a lot of time as an adolescent and teen arguing about this point with mormons. I know that mormons are not the only people who believe that their religion is the only true religion, I use them as an example just because I know more about that religion than most. Anyway, they teach that the LDS faith is the only true religion and that only those who have accepted that the mormon faith is true can be let into the highest level of heaven. (there is more discussion about this in the "baptism for the dead" thread -- you can accept it as true after you die, if someone baptizes you after your death and gives you the “option” of accepting the religion).
I can’t tell you how many hours of arguments I had with my mormon friends about this. It seemed, and still seems to be absolutely wrong. I just couldn’t see how any one could believe that some random person who happened to be mormon, and who got married in the temple and paid their 10% tithing but who never really did anything good for the world would get a free ticket to heaven but someone who dedicated their life to helping the poor, or to some other worthwhile cause, would not.
What other religions have this? Do others think this thinking is as flawed as I do?
I have never understood this way of thinking. It seems that religions often teach of a kind and loving God, but then say that the "gates of heaven" will not be opened up to someone unless that person is of a certain religion, no matter how wonderful that person is. The thing that really makes me crazy is the argument that someone who is truly amazing, someone who dedicated their life to helping others (the mother teresa type) would be denied access to heaven while some lame schmo would be let in because he happens to be a member of some particular religion, even if that person never really did much of anything in their life to better society.
I grew up non-LDS surrounded by LDS, so I spent a lot of time as an adolescent and teen arguing about this point with mormons. I know that mormons are not the only people who believe that their religion is the only true religion, I use them as an example just because I know more about that religion than most. Anyway, they teach that the LDS faith is the only true religion and that only those who have accepted that the mormon faith is true can be let into the highest level of heaven. (there is more discussion about this in the "baptism for the dead" thread -- you can accept it as true after you die, if someone baptizes you after your death and gives you the “option” of accepting the religion).
I can’t tell you how many hours of arguments I had with my mormon friends about this. It seemed, and still seems to be absolutely wrong. I just couldn’t see how any one could believe that some random person who happened to be mormon, and who got married in the temple and paid their 10% tithing but who never really did anything good for the world would get a free ticket to heaven but someone who dedicated their life to helping the poor, or to some other worthwhile cause, would not.
What other religions have this? Do others think this thinking is as flawed as I do?
