Nick_Tarleton comments on Rational Defense of Irrational Beliefs - Less Wrong

2 Post author: cleonid 12 March 2009 06:48PM

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Comment author: Nick_Tarleton 13 March 2009 04:21:46AM *  4 points [-]

This point is made more valid by the fact that almost all religions are very clear that they are an exclusive club - if you pick the wrong religion (or even the wrong denomination within a religion) you don't get Eternal Life.

This is not universally true of any of the major contemporary religions (as practiced, and according to the scripture of at least some), and probably not true of most of the thousands of religions there have been. In fact, I believe many tribal pagan religions don't claim the nonexistence of their neighbors' deities - they're just "not our way," so to speak.

Also, nitpickingly, not every religious person has retained the faith they were raised with.

Of course, the general point is good.