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Religion - why i should choose you instead of literally anything else?

If you are deal with people which want force their opinions i found way to force people to either explain their apologetic mission or reject it completely - here on example religion: gets to the heart of how belief systems compete, not just spiritually but psychologically and socially.

when i ask question from the title here's how religious people often try to convince others:

  1. Exclusive Truth Claim

    • "Our religion is the only one with the real truth."

    • Many religions claim to have the final or ultimate revelation — like:

        1. Christianity: “Jesus is the only way” (John 14:6).
      • Islam: “The Qur’an is the final and perfect word.”
      • Hindu sects may say their specific path (e.g., Bhakti Yoga) is the most direct.
    • This is a bit like a product saying: “There are many drinks, but we’re the only one with pure water .”

  2. Prophecy Fulfillment / Historical Evidence

    1. "Our founder did what others didn’t — miracles, prophecies, resurrection, etc."

    2. Some argue historical accuracy or fulfilled prophecies proves legitimacy. For example:

      • Christians point to Jesus’s resurrection as a unique, documented event.
      • Muslims argue that Muhammad's illiteracy and the linguistic perfection of the Qur’an is miraculous.
      • Jews refer to the survival and history of their people as evidence of divine favor.

  3. Moral Superiority or Lifestyle Results

    • "Look at the people who live by our faith — they’re kinder, happier, more fulfilled."
    • This appeal is often emotional: “Don’t you want peace? Structure? Meaning?”
    • If the religion produces better life outcomes, that’s taken as evidence it’s true (even if that’s a fallacy).

  4. Personal Testimony (“I was lost, now I’m found”)

    • “I used to be depressed / addicted / directionless, and this saved me.”
    • This is extremely common in evangelical settings. They don’t argue logically — they tell stories that make the religion feel powerful and real.

  5. Fear of Missing Out / Afterlife Stakes

    • "If you're wrong and we're right, you’ll suffer forever."
    • This is Pascal’s Wager-style logic: “You lose nothing by believing, but you risk everything by not.”
    • It's not proof, but it’s persuasive — like threatening infinite consequences if you pick the wrong lottery ticket.

  6. Cultural or Ancestral Loyalty

    • "This is the faith of your family, your people, your ancestors."*
    • Sometimes the message is: “Choosing another is betrayal or disrespect.”*
    1. Spiritual Experience / Mysticism
    • "Try praying, meditating, reading our scripture — you’ll feel the truth.”
    • This is like a “trial offer” — they say truth will become self-evident once you engage.

Why none of this works universally:

Because every religion uses similar arguments, and they can’t all be right. It's like competing brands all claiming:

  • "We're #1."
  • "Our founder was a genius."
  • "We have testimonials."
  • "Others copied us."
  • "You’ll feel better after trying us."

From an outsider perspective, religions are closed systems:

  • Each interprets evidence through its own lens.
  • Each has internal logic that makes it feel true to followers.

So how do they actually win followers?

Mostly through:

  • Social pressure (family, friends, marriage).
  • Early exposure (childhood indoctrination).
  • Crisis moments (vulnerability, need for answers).
  • Charismatic individuals (leaders, lovers, mentors).
  • Matching your current needs (structure, forgiveness, community, rebellion, etc).

What Actually Persuades People (Not What They Say)

Despite all these arguments, most conversions happen due to:

  • Relationships (someone close follows the faith).
  • Crisis (death, depression, addiction).
  • Social belonging (community, rituals, identity).
  • Mystical experience (prayer, meditation, psychedelics, visions).
  • Moral clarity or structure (especially in chaotic times).

Rarely does anyone switch religions after reading theology debates. They switch because something felt more real, safe, beautiful, or transformative.

So how do they try to be the “one you should choose”?

Each offers a different hook:

  • Christianity: Unconditional love and forgiveness.
  • Islam: Order, purpose, and submission to the One God.
  • Judaism: History, resilience, covenant.
  • Hinduism: Spiritual freedom and cosmic complexity.
  • Buddhism: Suffering has a solution — through awareness.
  • Atheism: You don’t need gods to be moral or happy.
  • New Age: Find your own truth; follow the energy.

it reveal a core problem in religious truth claims: If everyone says, “Only we are right,” then logically, they can’t all be right — but they can all be wrong. This is called the "mutual exclusivity problem" in philosophy.

so, where religion people will be argue, gere’s a calm, disarming reply you can try: “I’m not trying to insult your faith. I’m just trying to understand how anyone outside of it is supposed to see that this belief is true, and the others aren’t — when they all make the same claims. How would I know which one to trust?”

So if they says eg: “I know my religion is true” you can push further: “But so does every believer in every other religion. Unless you're saying all of them are deluded, you have to admit at least one of you is wrong — and maybe all of you are.”

  • But my religion has miracles / prophecy / scripture!

    • So do many others. How do I know yours is true and not theirs?

  • You just need faith.

    • That’s exactly what a Muslim, Mormon, or Hindu would say. So how do we test faith if everyone claims theirs is special?

  • Ours is different.

    • Everyone thinks theirs is different.

And when someone hears it honestly, without defensiveness, it can open the door to real thinking — the kind most religions try to shut down.