Power in numbers

[Youkilledkenny]

Some people think that the more members a belief system has, the more likely it is to be true.
If so, can't the 'opposite' of that be true? In other words, if a belief system has a lot of 'former believers', does that make said belief less true?
In other words, is it a two-way street, or strictly a one-way boulevard?

[marco]

Some people think that the more members a belief system has, the more likely it is to be true.
If so, can't the 'opposite' of that be true? In other words, if a belief system has a lot of 'former believers', does that make said belief less true?
In other words, is it a two-way street, or strictly a one-way boulevard?

Einstein was unimpressed by numbers of physicists who thought his theory was rubbish. "One would have done," he said, "if I am wrong." Islam is growing - obviously a knife is a wonderful persuader - but I don't think truth has anything to do with it. South America glows with Christianity where before it glowed with the burning captives of the conquistadors.

I don't think numbers entering or leaving have anything to do with the truth value of a religion. Christ gave us a clue: by the fruit shall ye know the tree. That's easy, then, with Islam; but the vast numbers of different sects with varying opinions suggests Christianity is full of rotten fruit as well.

[Wootah]

Some people think that the more members a belief system has, the more likely it is to be true.
If so, can't the 'opposite' of that be true? In other words, if a belief system has a lot of 'former believers', does that make said belief less true?
In other words, is it a two-way street, or strictly a one-way boulevard?

Numbers shouldn't matter to the truth - other than it becomes hard to express the truth when the numbers are against you.

[Inigo Montoya]

[Replying to post 3 by Wootah]


Also interesting is that Christians in particular are possibly feeling somewhat better about their leap of faith since so many took the plunge with them. 2 billion or so at present. Dominates in membership.

However, when compared to the rest of the world, which is to say nonbelievers and other religious folk with no use for the Jesus story, their numbers are in the vast minority.

It's a two way street. What I find most alarming is that..... well, TWO BILLION PEOPLE can't let go of this particular and mostly related superstitious nonsense.

[oldbadger]

[Replying to post 3 by Wootah]


Also interesting is that Christians in particular are possibly feeling somewhat better about their leap of faith since so many took the plunge with them. 2 billion or so at present. Dominates in membership.

However, when compared to the rest of the world, which is to say nonbelievers and other religious folk with no use for the Jesus story, their numbers are in the vast minority.

It's a two way street. What I find most alarming is that..... well, TWO BILLION PEOPLE can't let go of this particular and mostly related superstitious nonsense.

Very interesting....
I heard recently that some famous person (unknown to me) said something like, 'Billions of people believe in a tale which, if a single person spoke it he would be considered to be insane.'....... or something like that.......

I don't think that Christians, for instance, are insane..... indeed many Creeds and Churches are quite beautiful communities, and the JWs show this strongly in most ways, imo. But their beliefs leave me quite baffled.

[Inigo Montoya]

[Replying to post 5 by oldbadger]

"but this to me is the true horror of religion. It allows perfectly decent and sane people to believe by the billions, what only lunatics could believe on their own."

-Sam Harris

[OnceConvinced]

Some people think that the more members a belief system has, the more likely it is to be true.
If so, can't the 'opposite' of that be true? In other words, if a belief system has a lot of 'former believers', does that make said belief less true?
In other words, is it a two-way street, or strictly a one-way boulevard?

I think it's more about trends in numbers more than simply numbers. ie, the way majorities and minorities change.

Truth surely must be more profound and more of an influence than untruths. So if we look at the trends we can definitely make a judgement.

For instance, supposedly a third of the world's population are Christian (although most Christians will argue it's a lot less as many of them aren't true Christians.) That means that more than 2/3s of the world's population does not believe in Christianity. This number is growing. The number of Christians is actually decreasing rapidly in may countries and that trend seems to be set to continue.

That would surely show that Christianity is not truth? Truth is surely more influential than that?

Truth seems to be very influential. For instance a long time ago most people believed the world to be flat. However once it was revealed that the world was not flat, truth eventually won out.

Likewise, with other false beliefs eg Black people are lower than white, homosexuals are gay because they choose to be, women are not capable of doing the things men do... These things, which were once believed to be true are now being shown not to be true. Truth is winning out yet again.

Truth always wins in the end it seems. It's way more profound and influential than fantasies or lies. Thus is something starts to lose it's strength and begins to weaken. Surely we can determine that it's not truth?

[OnceConvinced]

Einstein was unimpressed by numbers of physicists who thought his theory was rubbish. "One would have done," he said, "if I am wrong." Islam is growing - obviously a knife is a wonderful persuader - but I don't think truth has anything to do with it.

It seems that the world is finally getting wise to the lies of Islam as well as Christianity. Is not the truth finally winning out and the majority, by rejecting them, representing the truth?

South America glows with Christianity where before it glowed with the burning captives of the conquistadors.

These days even Christians believe that these guys were evil. Truth once again is taking a foot hold. It may take us a while to learn our lessons as humans but it seems that we eventually get there in the end.

I don't think numbers entering or leaving have anything to do with the truth value of a religion.

It may be hard sometimes when the majority hold on to untruths, but it seems that eventually the truth prevails and the majority finally get it.

Christ gave us a clue: by the fruit shall ye know the tree. That's easy, then, with Islam; but the vast numbers of different sects with varying opinions suggests Christianity is full of rotten fruit as well.

There appears to be very little good fruit in the majority of Christians out there. This would once again seem to indicate that Christianity does not represent truth.

[OnceConvinced]

Some people think that the more members a belief system has, the more likely it is to be true.
If so, can't the 'opposite' of that be true? In other words, if a belief system has a lot of 'former believers', does that make said belief less true?
In other words, is it a two-way street, or strictly a one-way boulevard?

Numbers shouldn't matter to the truth - other than it becomes hard to express the truth when the numbers are against you.

Should not the truth be way more influential and powerful than untruths? Do we not see throughout history that it is?

[Wootah]

Some people think that the more members a belief system has, the more likely it is to be true.
If so, can't the 'opposite' of that be true? In other words, if a belief system has a lot of 'former believers', does that make said belief less true?
In other words, is it a two-way street, or strictly a one-way boulevard?

Numbers shouldn't matter to the truth - other than it becomes hard to express the truth when the numbers are against you.

Should not the truth be way more influential and powerful than untruths? Do we not see throughout history that it is?

My understanding of history is that it is quite bleak and not much truth going on at all. Which parts give you confidence that the truth wins out. I believe that the truth will win on faith - but not on facts. Or to put it another way since God will win and God is truth then yes the truth will win.