Richard Swinburne - Can Many Religions All Be True?

Conflicting religions fill the world. Doctrines about God contradict one another.
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[@mordec1016]

Sad to see so many ignorant and arrogant comments here. Swinburne is a brilliant philosopher, his arguments for theism are well crafted and continue to be discussed in academia. It's just scary to see how so many people are completely oblivious and seem to think people like Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas and Leibniz (to name a few) were complete "fools" who made "obviously unsound arguments". It's extremely naïve -- to say the very least -- to think that a tradition as long as that of Natural Theology has got nothing going for it, or nothing substantial. So many ignorant atheists can't even understand stuff like the PSR and contingency cosmological arguments, let alone Swinburne's inductive arguments. Yet they feel like they can badmouth world-renowned philosophers (without ever engaging with the arguments, of course). It's just sad.

[@sevven1]

+Mordec 101 Bullshit. If "God" actually existed there would be NO unbelievers - and only ONE religion.

[@mordec1016]

+sevven1 that's just an assertion, not an argument. It doesn't follow logically that if God exists then there should be only one religion and that absolutely no one would doubt God's existence. It simply doesn't follow. People doubt things for all sorts of reasons.

[@sevven1]

Mordec 101 Bullshit. If the god of the bible (or any god like 'Him') actually existed, EVERYONE (but the insane) would know it. It would be as clear as day to all.

[@mordec1016]

+sevven1 What's your argument for that? That's a very bizarre assertion and the vast majority of people would disagree with you -- be they christians, atheists or anything else. It simply doesn't follow logically that there could not be doubt of the existence of God if He exists. People can doubt anything for a wide variety of reason; God can exist without having to reveal Himself to anyone, some people find His existence obvious from the very fact that there is anything contingent at all, that there are natural laws, and so on and so forth; and some people don't think His existence is obvious and even doubt He exists. Whatever side you pick on this, it is simply not true that if God exists His existence should be obvious and indubitable by everyone. There's no necessary logical implication between these ideas. So if you want to back that up, you have to provide some arguments.

[@sevven1]

Mordec 101 Lol. Look, in all seriousness, if ANY god(s) that mankind has concocted ever existed there would be evidence. And, if the god of the bible actually exists the same would hold true. But, instead, we have OVERWHELMING evidence that that god ONLY existed in the minds of a relatively small group of people and originated in a VERY small part of the world - while ALL other cultures throughout the world were simultaneously concocting their own unique, and local, belief systems..!! Smh. Want proof that "God" doesn't exist? [I dare you to] pay a visit to the Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center.

[@Mathswart]

This is very good. Very interesting. Thanks.

[@darkknightsds]

Where is the rest of the interview?

[@Shiraz687]

interesting.

[@dynamic9016]

Interesting..

[@guywholivesforart]

Wow, these are polarizing comments. I can't help but think that most of them would be retracted if those who voiced them did just a little bit of research regarding the rest of Swinburne's work.

[@aisaketakau7824]

Christianity has never made any "only true claim " .it is the WAY ,THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE .

[@matthewb9621]

He has had many discussions on religion. Religious?

[@tufail1823]

Much of what Dr. Swinburne said here has been the default position of so many theistic religions for so long. It is coherent. But unfortunately, most vocal voices seem to be either ignorant or dishonest.

[@tufail1823]

@@Hhjhfu247 who?

[@rainaveedsultan4422]

I respect all religions but believe in Sahada meaning "there is only one God-Allah". Christianity and Judaism are also true religions until they believe in oneness of Almighty.

[@ShahirNaga]

A textbook example of the incoherence of the philosophers. Swinburn uses philosophy to deduce things about God but then argues the resurrection makes Christianity unique. In other words, the death of God. God doesn't die in the first place. God is independent. Jesus is always dependent on the Father... ironically he was supposedly brought back to life because of the father

[@TheGuiltsOfUs]

Where is the evidence?

[@blessedamerican3541]

That you exist.

[@espnallin1]

Nonsense

[@1godonlyone119]

Hindu is an ethnicity, not a religion.

[@1godonlyone119]

The ones that God revealed are all true. The man-made ones, such as atheist Dogma, are false.

[@waywed]

But Christianity isn't alone in claiming an event ouside the laws of nature (ie Jesus resurrection). Doesn't the Quran claim Mohammed took an overnight trip to heaven on a winged horse (Buraq)? Both are supernatural anecdotes - neither of which are provable. Not a very convincing argument for a God Professor Swinburne!

[@ast453000]

it's just a coincidence that I believe the one true religion is the one I was born and raised in. Just a pure coincidence.

[@ast453000]

@@No_bread-and-circuses Way to miss my point entirely. Would you like to try again?

[@ast453000]

@@No_bread-and-circuses That was my point. But it has nothing to do with whether there is "a truth" or not. Most religious people believe the religion they were raised in is the one true religion. If they were born into a different religious community, they would believe that is the one true religion. I'm assuming you're Christian? If you were born in Saudi Arabia, you would probably be a devout Muslim, you would have excellent arguments for why Islam is the one true religion, and you would probably see absolutely no reason to believe in Christianity. After all, what is the evidence for Christianity? Some stuff written in an old book? There are lots of old books. Each one seems so true to those raised to believe it. And all the others are dismissed as not even worth reading.

[@ast453000]

@@No_bread-and-circuses Ok, I didn't read your whole screed, because it was obvious from the beginning that you're not telling the truth. If you were not religious, you wouldn't have felt you were a "sinner". Being a "sinner" is only something Christians or Muslims or Jews believe. Also, unluckily for you, I have actually read the Koran, and it is many things, but it is not a plagiarism of the Bible. And no one who has actually read it would think it is. I don't know why this is, but in my experience Christians are the least honest of any religion. They either don't care about the truth or seem to see no problem in making up obvious lies. Maybe it's because they think their god will forgive them for anything. But in my experience they have a great deal of difficulty being honest and saying the truth. As for the Christian god, it's usually difficult to prove that a god doesn't exist. But we know the Christian god doesn't exist, because the Trinity is an obvious self-contradiction. Christians call it a "mystery", but everyone else can see that it is just an obvious self-contradiction that early Christians backed themselves into because they were stuck with inconsistent scriptures. They painted themselves into a corner, and now they're trying to sell it as deep wisdom, instead of what it is: a rather silly self-contradiction. While we're at it, I might as well point out that Christianity is a religion of human sacrifice. It celebrates a human sacrifice as effective, and tries to re-enact it every Sunday. And, if you believe in transubstantiation, it is a religion of cannibalism, as well as vicarious atonement. Human sacrifice, cannibalism, and vicarious atonement are some of the most immoral ideas humanity has ever thought up. Christians cannot see this, because they dress it up in flowery language. Finally, there is zero evidence for any of Jesus' "miracles". And there is zero evidence for the resurrection. Zero. It just says these things happened in an old book. But anyone can say anything in an old book. But don't let that stop you from basing you whole life on it :)

[@thomaskubicki1365]

The circumstances of our upbringing can have a profound influence on our beliefs and values. While it may appear coincidental that you believe in the religion you were born and raised in, I believe it's essential to consider the broader context of our life experiences. The true measure of one's character and growth lies in their ability to embody the values and teachings of their chosen path, regardless of religious affiliation.

[@IR17171717]

@@ast453000 So what? A lot of people raised under a dictator are indoctrinated into thinking that leader loves them. Does he? No. You have to look at the evidence. And Swinburne presents arguments and evidence for his claims. Whether you think them plausible or not is another story.

[@1godonlyone119]

God states clearly that he is perfectly unary in all of his revealed scriptures. The Bible does not state that God is a trinity -- not in any book, not in any chapter, not in any verse.

[@luvdomus]

Of course many religions can be simultaneously true. Ever read the poem, "The Blind Men and the Elephant?"

[@mrbeastvlogs9635]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/np6qaXRjiMaCldk

[@mrbeastvlogs9635]

That Argument was already destroyed by frank turek.

[@luvdomus]

@@mrbeastvlogs9635 All religions say the same basic thing but they come at it from different directions like the spokes of a wheel that all lead to the same hub. Only when you take different metaphors too literally do you miss their underlying meaning and create false contradictions between them. When you point to something an intelligent person can look beyond your finger to what you are pointing at rather than focusing on the finger itself.

[@mrbeastvlogs9635]

@@luvdomus by that reply I can 100% say you did not see the video. Come back when you have watched it

[@luvdomus]

@@mrbeastvlogs9635 By your reply I can tell that you did not understand my post. Re-read it.

[@ast453000]

The so-called "evidence" for the resurrection is truly laughable. Mark doesn't even talk about it. The most important "event" in the religion, and Mark doesn't even talk about it. A fact so embarrassing, that later editors forged new endings into Mark. The other accounts of the "resurrection" conflict with one another, are entirely nonsensical, and conveniently written decades after the "event" -- long after anyone could check on it. But even if the gospels were roughly consistent with one another on the details of the "resurrection," and even if there were some point to the resurrection -- you know, like Jesus came back to actually do something, other than star himself in his own magic act: "Tada I'm alive again. Okay bye." -- even if all that were true, there still wouldn't be a shred of evidence for it other than "it says so in an old book" -- which is no evidence at all. Maybe think about that before investing a lot of time in this garbage. Think about the fact that there is zero evidence for this belief, other than "it says so in an old book." Anyone can say anything in an old book.

[@fiazmultani]

O FOLLOWERS of the Gospel! Do not overstep the bounds [of truth] in your religious beliefs, [180] and do not say of God anything but the truth. The Christ Jesus, son of Mary, was but God's Apostle - [the fulfillment of] His promise which He had conveyed unto Mary - and a soul created by Him. [181] Believe, then, in God and His apostles, and do not say, "[God is] a trinity". Desist [from this assertion] for your own good. God is but One God; utterly remote is He, in His glory, from having a son: unto Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth; and none is as worthy of trust as God. - 4:171 (Asad)

[@luvdomus]

Virgin birth and rising from the dead certainly overstep the bounds of truth.

[@blessedamerican3541]

Jesus was the divine son of GOD.

[@elsoil3387]

The Qur'an? Really? Read up on the latest research about the different qira'at, culminating into 30 different texts with thousands of different meanings from one to the other. Oh yeah, and the commandments to war and slavery which we are still reeling from today...

[@nlusher91]

Swinburne farts at 1:15

[@ammaranwer867]

Lol

[@mugsofmirth8101]

Typical atheist comment... Nothing of substance whatsoever while reeking of juvenile attempts at humor.

[@endoalley680]

Very odd proof for the existence of god. Good thing he made short work of it and moved on briskly before any questions regarding the proof were asked.

[@HaecceitasQuidditas]

+Endo Alley Perhaps you would prefer his book "The Existence of God". It has 376 pages and it's published by Clarendon Press which belongs to Oxford University and is reserved for Oxford publications of particular academic importance.

[@mrnessss]

this may be the worst logic I've ever heard

[@krisc6216]

Jesus wasn’t a catholic. Mohammed wasn’t a Muslim, Jahwe wasn’t a Jew… Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, Krishna, and many many others were here to present us the truth. They were not here to start a religion. Religion has been initiated and constitutionalized afterwards by people, upon this message, but over the years the original message got very much distorted and poisoned by all kinds of silly dogma’s that caused diversification.. And THAT’s the problem with religion. You don’t need to be good on Earth to gain access to heaven. You don’t need to do good for your Karma in the afterlife. You don’t need to kill atheists in a ‘holy war’ to get offered 72 virgins in the hereafter. Whatever you do here is to help you grow, to learn lessons. Earth is a school, you can learn every lesson you want, you are allowed to make mistakes. And you can come back as many times as you need. What we are in essence, transcends every religion.

[@Griffith8]

In Islam, there is nothing about 72 women or killing atheists.

[@JontoDickens]

One long series of erroneous premises leads to one extremely shaky conclusion that wouldn't get the time of day if spoken by someone outside of academia. It's disheartening that some people are given a platform to air such rubbish based solely on reputation instead of the credibility of his argument.

[@blessedamerican3541]

The British have gone from the heights of missionary work to the depths of atheism in a few sad short years.

[@shaneharrington3655]

Knob.

[@riadhvet]

The most fallacious argument from a world class philosopher !

[@NationalPK]

Just get the hell out of here.. edgy athiest

[@Andrefelipelopes1]

Notice that as he talks, he looks down. Just like if some part of him is ashamed of saying all that shit, that no sane person would take seriously. If i were in his position, saying all the things he said, i would be in eternal shame. How can an intellectual person make all that effort to his faith fit?

[@1godonlyone119]

Hindu is an ethnicity, not a religion.

[@mugsofmirth8101]

FALSE!