Here, I don’t think we are framing the question correctly. The way it is asked implies that there is one set of beliefs that is correct, and a multitude that are wrong. The question takes into consideration what is believed. I don’t think that is the intent of our question though.
When considering which religion is correct, we are making an intellectual and emotional assessment of the objective truth of differing sets of beliefs. But we are ignoring the utility of and the motivations to create such beliefs.
When most people question the validity of a belief system, it is inextricably linked to the human need to make sense of and have a sense of control over the things we experience. Understanding that, we can see how the answer to the question of “Which religion is correct” will inevitably be a motivating factor in our belief system. Thus, though the question starts as an intellectual endeavor, it is only the first step to a question buried deep in our psyche. Which is “What should I believe that will fill this nagging feeling in my gut driving me to make sense of and have a sense of control over the things I experience in my life?”
The answer to that question is simple, if you only consider a single individual. “Whatever helps you grow from the point you are on your path now to the next point of your path.” When we take into consideration that we are part of a society, and need to at least maintain our societal ties, then the answer gets the addition of “…as long as those beliefs don’t cause conflict or harm to you or others.”
Yet, in light of our burning desire to “know” the “real” or objective truth, these answers just don’t feel as if they are enough. Do they? We want to know, with as little doubt as possible, that we are doing, or believing, correctly. That is, that we are doing, or believing, that which is the best action or belief.
This desire is motivated by many factors. One of the most basic is biological. We have a need to conserve resources. Thus, we want to expend as few resources as possible in a task, and we want to be as sure as we can on the necessity of a task. This manifests, as all biological motivators do, as a feeling. A desire. A biological deviation from homeostasis. One of the ways our subconscious and unconscious processes convey information to our conscious mind.
This biological motivator, coupled with the myriad of possible personal and social motivators makes the number of motivations to the desire to do the best action or belief combinatorially explosive. …Which is to say, there are a lot of things in each person motivating that desire. And if you take into account the things motivating a bunch of people, the number of different motivations grows exponentially.
So this brings us to the point in our exploration where everyone is probably asking… “what the hell is he talking about?!” …fair question at this point.
We are coming to an understanding that when we ask “Which Religion is correct?”, the answer is going to have an impact on what beliefs we hold. So we better understand the inevitable tag along questions and motivations that come with the answer.
Seeing these motivations, we can frame the question correctly, and therefore understand more of ourselves.
We want to understand and have a sense of control over the things we encounter in our lives. Presently, religion.
Understanding what’s motivating us, we reworked the question so its answer will address what we really want.
Feeling unsatisfied with the answer, we took a look at what motivators were causing that feeling.
Religions (belief systems) do many things for us. It helps us make sense of the things we experience that we otherwise cannot make sense of. It provides a social structure that we can belong to. It provides the feeling that we are making the best choice in a situation. And it provides a guide to growth, something for us to strive against.
So which Religion is correct depends on what point you are on your path, and where you want to go from here. Because what satisfies that sense in me of what is correct depends on my point of view. …And that point of view changes over time.