We don't know what's right or wrong.  In fact I highly doubt anyone is dead accurate.  The best we can do (in my opinion) is learn from everyone and guesstimate.  I always believed if we do what we feel is right, then we should be fine :P.  When I was young I kept getting told "if you don't awknowledge Jesus as the son of god you'll go to hell" and that's what made me decide I wasn't going to follow any one religion, but I still get a lot of good life lessons from reading from the bible, I just also happen to get good lessons from reading up stuff from Buddha and Mohammed and so on.

Basically there is no answer to who is right and who is wrong, we just plain don't know.  For all we know it's right to kill donkies by ripping their tails out and suffocating them with the severed hairs.  We just have things we aren't very fond of like murder and theft.  But the fact is we just don't know.

Faith. That might sound like a cop out but there it is. It's something inside.

we could all be right because there is simply no possible way that we could fathom what god is capable of. 

Hi Sebb:

I'm not "right." I'm into experiential spirituality, and the interpretations or explanations of my spiritual experiences are, at all times, speculative and/or metaphorical.

You seem to regard "faith" as doctrinal only. But there is an experiential side to faith that is beyond doctrine. Spiritual experience is also the root of all religious doctrines. Differences in mythology, teachings, and doctrines are due to culturally and individually unique interpretations of spiritual experience.

Spiritual experience seems to be the common ground on which all religions could meet.

If we regarded our religious expressions as artistic, then different expressions would not only be welcomed but become necessary artistic differences, and we could joyously share our respectice creations with each other.

Anything is true when it brings an end to suffering. Sadly, that makes nothing universally true, methinks.

Witch: I suspect that God is also saddened when God's children kill each other over the one "true" economic system or who their "true" leader should be. In fact such things are just masks for the real reasons for humanity's conflicts:  power, wealth or land.  When faith promotes "right" relationships (i.e., respectful, peaceful, non-exploitative), as many faiths do, that to me would be another test of the "rightness" of one's faith.

Instead of answering your question, let me just share some thoughts.

You may have known of the saying: "Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder." And so in the same manner, what is right or what is wrong depends on where you are, and what your concepts or beliefs are.

In your particular case, whatever is in accordance with your Buddhist beliefs must be right, otherwise it is not right.

Even among those professing Christianity, there are different interpretations of what is right and what is wrong, although, as Christianity is based on the Holy Bible, then the same Bible must be the sole basis to determine what is right and what is not right.

It is generally accepted that the word RELIGION comes from RE + LIGARE - meaning to bind, to tie, as in ligament.  On a wider concept, it includes a series of beliefs and corresponding practices about worship of a supernatural being usually called GOD, and the piety in complying with all the required services.

If, on one hand, you may want to try to study and compare most, if not all, of the religions now, you may still have to make a pre-determined set of standards or qualifications to come up to your desired results.

If you are, however, interested in Christianity, then I may be able to share with you some of the doctrines that I know of from the Holy Bible.

I'm afraid I'm not sure I understand completely. For my own clarification, are you suggesting that Christianity is not a religion?

I interpret the main question here as "why do some people assert they are right moreso than others? How can they justify it?" (I hope that's the question). My answer to this would be that some people have a greater need to believe than others. Some people have a greater fear of death, and therefore have a greater need for a belief in an afterlife, or another life, or what have you. These people are able to stand behind their beliefs despite obstacles that are hurdle at them, because they have a greater connection with those beliefs.

Now, the other question that is somewhat related (and was my first impression) is how can we know who is right? No religion out there says it's wrong, just like no politican says they are the bad choice. Everyone wants you to believe in them. In politics, we trust in the politican who matches our values. In religion, a lot of people do the same. But if you want to get an objective truth, I don't believe that is possible. That's why I'm agnostic and a Unitarian Universalist.

Unitarian Universalists embrace diversity of beliefs and accept that everyone might believe something different. They aren't worried about who has it right, or who is going to win the game. They are more concerned with sportsmanship, how we play, err, how we live our lives. Witch, you sound like you would agree with a lot of Unitarian Universalist thoughts.

I'm reading The Battle For God right now.  The writer says that whenever a nation or tribe gors through cultural changes rapidly, they collectively get scared, and hang onto religious constucts with a death grip.  They are anxious and need the assurance that we're all on the same page!  At the same time, there are people with progressive vision, who, inevittably, come into conflict with the frightened ones.  I've tried a new ploy since reading this book.  When a frightened one needs me to join them in their beliefs, I just reflectively reply to them.  "Things are changing so fast, I know!  You must be so scared."  "It is scary......I think I'd go crazy, if I didn't just get into God's plan for my life and enjoy it as much as I can!"  Using their jargon gives them relief....they de-escalate.  They start feeling safe around you.  They will violate your feelings and boundaries.....but that's because they're excalated emotionally with fear.  There have been a few bi-polar people I've run into too, who can be exasperating.  Anyway, de-escalating the fear of the frightened ones has been successful move on my part.

That was a thoughtful answer Arminius. I appreciate your wisdom, as usual.

Spice, I wouldn't say that suffering gives us more faith, per say, but maybe it gives us more hope. Faith can sometimes be easy to kill. Hope, however, always remains silently buried deep inside the heart, even when it is perceived gone.

Yes! (I'm  about  2,900,000) short of saying this, but

om mani padme hum

What religion "makes sense"?  By what criteria does one religion make more sense than another?

Ahhh...OK.  So you're redefining "makes sense".  Which religions "enslave", and which do not? 

I'm perfectly in line with you there.

I thought it was the other way 'round?  Doesn't God lead to peace and contentment?  It's so confusing.  Does belief in an imaginary friend lead to happiness, or does happiness lead to belief in an imaginary friend?

That's probably one of the best answers to the question: right religion comes from a place that is beyond good and evil.

Hello everyone God bless You...

I just finished with my answer of this on my asking discernment help...this is what I have learned...

Although I am a firm believer in the Father, the Son Christ, the Holy Spirit & the angels who carry His will this is what I have learned when it comes to this question...

The Truth can only be Truth to each man/woman according to their inner understanding , because we have found a certain Truth or a Certain Path that is right , we should never endeavor to force our sister/brothers to walk this way..The wise man/woman , the Seekers after Truth say to others upon the Journey this is what I have Seen, this is what I have Heard, this is what I have Experienced..but not all Souls who are taking life's experiences have the same thought for some need to learn the ways of Simplicity, some learn by Sacrifice, for some the way of Creation & Beauty, for others the pathway lies in the giving of themselves to others in Sacrifice & Healing Service, of some the way of Silence, I believe there are individual ways of the Soul, some will find understanding in Christian Churches, some by the wise ways of Chinese & Buddha Teachings, some through listening to teachers who teach in small quiet rooms of Spiritualism..

For each Soul & Seeker there is a way which is right to them..I believe we who do have some degree of understanding should share with others what we have learned, I do believe this wisdom & understanding comes from within all persons seeking & searching for God...

Love the Lord God with all Your Heart , with all Your Soul, with all Your Strength, with all Your Mind and Love Others as You want to be Loved...

If we do this in our lives then we carry the Divine Love and Will Of God in our lives in many different ways and paths...

IJL: BJ

Which is why, for the people you describe - those needing certainty - a black and white religion ends suffering, and is, therefore, "right religion" for them. For those who would feel imprisoned by such an approach to belief, it is anything but.

You know you are in the right religion, when it makes you so angry that you curse it on a regular basis.  If you are not angry with it then shows you do not really care about it, and if you are in the right religion you should care very much about it IMHO.  Either that or that you have reach a level of  couciousness where you belong to everyone.

That makes me wonder when you know you've married the right person.  After they've taken out a restraining order?

At midlanding of my stairs (which I climb at least ten times a day) I have placed a small statue of you..(.if you look exactly like the  photo ..) And say it going up and down while touching it...I confess this is not so much a recognition that there are spiritual ruminations to be made...a more secular thought...of respect for those who dip more deeply than I into the implications....I recently read that every sylable contains a part and the sentence the whole.teaching of Buddah.

I don't quite get what you're saying :P  elaborate?