What religion should i believe in?

Question

i was raised a catholic person, my muslim boyfriend has changed me.. i have checked into the muslim religion and not sure what to believe.. which one is the truth, how can i find out..

Please answer other open questions

Answer 1

The one Christ gave to Peter all others are for the purpose of division. Stay with your Catholic faith. Here is some insight for you.
Islam, the only other monotheistic religion that deals with final salvation, heaven and hell. While we ought to respect many aspects of Islam (believing in one God, a strong code of morality etc), I am very uncomfortable with those who have, with good intentions no doubt, tried to suggest that Islam is practically equivalent to Christianity, and that it is a very peaceful religion; certainly in the sense that Christians understand "peace," at least. There are some fundamental, irreconcilable differences and problems between Christianity and Islam, as the Church has pointed out since it became aware of this new religion of Muhammad (the 600s A.D.)

First, the fact is that Islam was the first direct, major religious contradiction of and attack on Christian revelation and belief. God went to tremendous effort and trouble to reveal Himself to mankind through His Son. He became man, taught, healed, laughed, loved, suffered and died for us. He wanted us to know Him personally, "I and the Father are one" (Jn 10:30) and "He who has seen me has seen the Father" (Jn 14:9). He did not just dictate another book, albeit a miraculous, perfect one, again. No, that wouldn't do. He became one of us, and handed on the faith to other HUMANS and told them to do likewise, calling us to genuinely become His children: "Through faith, you are all children of God in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:26)

On the other hand, this new "revelation" from Muhammad reverted mankind's relationship with God back thousands of years, arguably even more. Muhammad gave us another book, no Holy Spirit, and insisted we are not sons and daughters of the Father, but merely bondservants or slaves. "Islam" literally means "submission" or "slavery". It insists on pushing us away from God, holding Him at a distance, a distance He once lovingly bridged with outstretched arms. It is revealing that of all the Muslim names for God, none is "Father" or "Love".

There are also many direct and intentional contradictions of Christianity within the Koran (the Muslim holy book). For instance, Muslims do not believe that Christ was resurrected after His crucifixion. They believe he merely fainted and was revived later on. They do not believe that Christ was God. In fact, they consider Christians blaspheming idolaters for believing that. Muslims also do not believe in eternal punishment in hell. They believe that hell is a place of temporary punishment and purification. The Koran also teaches that it is not only right, but mandatory to forcefully convert non-believers, and to kill them if they absolutely refuse to convert. They do not believe that Christ is the Savior, the One Who opened the gates of heaven. These are a few of the major theological differences, many of which came about because Muhammad learned of Christianity from exiled heretics who lived in the region.

However, the most troubling aspect of Islam is in regard to its view of peace..."salaam" and war…"jihad." In regard to the belief now common in the secular press, i.e. that Islam is a very peaceful religion, and only extremists who are twisting Islam resort to violence, I find myself wondering exactly what history books or version of the Koran they have read. Because by this view, Muhammad himself, the very founding prophet of Islam, was a twisted extremist! Any half-way objective history of Islam will readily acknowledge that Muhammad himself led raids on many villages and towns (some of which were Christian or Jewish) and slaughtered or forcefully converted the inhabitants. He helped to plan dozens more for other Muslims before he died. He was more peaceful early on, when he didn't have sufficient numbers to force his will upon resistant populations.

If you pick up a Koran (not one with a modernist, toned-down translation, but a traditional translation that is faithful to the original), especially read the chapter entitled "Repentance." The call for violence against non-believers is blatant and undeniable (and in this chapter, Christians and Jews are clearly lumped in together with pagans). Some revisionists (perhaps well-meaning) have tried to tell the non-Muslim public that "jihad" is ONLY about the interior struggle for holiness. One wishes it were true, but "jihad" is much more than that.

Here are a few eye-opening verses from the Koran:


"It is not for any Prophet to have prisoners until he make wide slaughter in the land." (The Spoils, 67-68)
"I shall cast into the unbeliever's hearts terror; so cut their heads off, and cut off every finger of them." (The Spoils, 12)

"then, when the sacred months are drawn away, slay idolaters wherever you find them." (Repentance, 5)


Contrast the above with the approach of Jesus in the New Testament:


"You have heard it said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Heavenly Father." (Matthew 5:43-45)
"They crucified him and the criminals there, one on his right, the other on his left. Then Jesus said, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do.'" (Luke 23:33-34)

"As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.' Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice, 'Lord do not hold this sin against them.'" (Acts 7:59-60)


I find it particularly perplexing when the politically correct crowd, especially the feminists, praise Islam. If they find Christian society unfair to them, they ought to look a bit more closely at Islam:


Islam: "Men have authority over women because God has made the one superior to the other, and because they spend their wealth to maintain them. Good women are obedient...As for those from whom you fear disobedience, admonish them, forsake them in beds apart and beat them." (Women, 34)
Christianity: "As the Church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the Church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her; so husbands should love their wives as their own bodies." (Ephesians 5:25-29).


As opposed to Islam, we must also remember that Catholicism celebrates a WOMAN as the highest created creature, the Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, the Blessed Virgin Mary. I suggest reading Islam Revealed by Dr. Anis Shorrosh, The Life and Times of Muhammad by Sir John Glubb and Answering Islam by Geisler and Saleeb if you want to learn more. There are several more recent books out as well.

Now, people may point out that Christians have at times resorted to violence wrongly, including the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition. But the comparison is off. First, Christ Himself NEVER advocated forced conversion and slaughter of unbelievers. Muhammad not only advocated it, but personally cooperated in it. Second, in the case of the Crusades we have to be careful not to buy all of the anti-Catholic propaganda out there. Do you know why Christians fought the Crusades? Because Muslims FIRST forcefully took over Christian lands and persecuted the Christians living there, and controlled Christian holy sites.

It is true that some Crusaders did some despicable things in a spiteful, vengeful way. But the Church never condoned, let alone ordered, these excesses. And as for the Inquisition, if it was as bad as some anti-Catholics claim, it is odd that there are records of people requesting transfers of their cases to the Inquisition from the secular Spanish courts! No doubt, some horrid things occurred, but that was the unfortunate result of the weaknesses and sin of individuals, not the official teaching of the Church.

Additionally, the Inquisition NEVER asserted authority at all over non-Christians, unless they were pretending to be Christians. The Inquisition was aimed at eliminating heresy within the Church, not at the conversion of non-Christians. Conversely, Islam has taught and practiced slaughter and forced conversion of non-Muslims from the beginning. It is not the case of an isolated historical event or period here or there. Even now, we have Muslim "mullahs" and "imams" (highest level religious authorities) who emphatically agree that suicide bombers are martyrs for the faith of Islam; entitled to 72 virgins and all; basing it all on the Q'ran and the traditions related to it.

Considering the violent beginnings and spread of Islam, one is hard pressed to discount the current violence as an "aberration" or perversion of Islam. Quite the opposite, it would seem that those Muslims who support religious freedom and tolerance today are at odds with their own prophet, holy book and history. We all ought to pray that Muslims one day reject the violent essence and genesis of their faith and make it truly peaceful. Even more, we ought to pray for the intercession of Our Lady of Fatima, that they come to accept Christ, Who is true peace.

I also think it's worthwhile to discuss the nature of Mohammad's revelation (Koran). As even Muslims acknowledge, Muhammad himself believed that these "revelations" were coming from the Devil for quite some time. It was only after being persuaded by his wife, Khadija, that he came to finally believe God was speaking to him through the Archangel Gabriel. I don't know about you, but I can't think of anyone who wrote Old Testament or New Testament scripture who couldn't tell whether it was God or the devil talking to him.

Have you ever heard of the "Satanic Verses"? Remember a guy named Salman Rushdie? He wrote a book by that title and some Muslim leaders called for a jihad against him, promising paradise (replete with 72 virgins) to anyone who managed to kill him. Well, just what are these "Satanic Verses"? To make a long story short, Muhammad supposedly took dictation from Gabriel in regard to allowing certain pagan gods of some local peoples to be honored as "working with" Allah (the Muslim name for the one God), as lesser gods of a sort. These local people resisted Muhammad because their gods were not being recognized within Islam. According to Muhammad, Gabriel subsequently revealed that God was totally "okay" with this, and these local gods could be honored, etc. A bit "convenient", you say?

Well, some time later (interestingly, well after the local leaders who supported these "gods" agreed to accept Islam as a result, and convinced the others to as well) Muhammad received a "new" revelation that totally contradicted the first revelation. These pagan "gods" were NOT okay, now. And the reason for this turn around, you ask? "The devil made him do it"...seriously. He claimed that the first revelation about this was from Satan, and that he had been tricked! And thus, they are called "The Satanic Verses" to this day. Well, I don't know about you, but fool me once, shame on you....fool me twice......you know the rest.

As a last note, it is interesting to note that Muhammad died almost exactly 6 centuries after the death and resurrection of Christ. The number six denotes imperfection, sin. This understanding of the number "6" is best known in the book of Revelation, wherein the antichrist (the man of deepest imperfection) is identified by the number "666." The number seven is related to completeness and goodness, as in the "7" days of creation. Is the timing of this supposed prophet who contradicts and mocks of the Gospel of Christ a mere coincidence, or is it a Divine sign for us to discern? I'm not sure.

Answer 2

With any two or more competing hypotheses-es, where one is correct and the others aren't, over sufficient time it will become evident which one is correct . If a particular religion was "correct" there would be numerous subtle advantages to it that over time would allow it to emerge as such. Just one example: if Catholics and Muslims both believe in prayer and we assume that when they have a serious illness their families pray for them, which group statistically fares better. The answer is neither, you fare just as well when your an atheist. There are a thousand different statistics that show no advantage to any particular group that thinks they are the 'right' religion.Since after two thousand years no particular group has emerged, it is pretty safe to say (assuming one is working with a logical, un-indoctrinated mind) that no religion is the truth.

Answer 3

The answer for myself is "Don't believe in religion - Believe in Christ. All the things that relgion are, as in a system or institution, are not nessecarily Christ. Jesus Christ is a person that people can know intmitately. Whether i bow my head when a certain man walks by in a certian building is extra things that are probably added by man."
My answer for you is just to be seeking. To be open. To even say "God if you are ou there - be real to me. Show me yourself"
For me, that's the best place to start.
Education is also important. I would say researching different religions, faiths, philosophies, is a very practical task. I would, however, suggest making sure that what you are reading is a reliable source.
Well, I wish you well on your journey.

Answer 4

Religion is man's way of trying to reach God.

Relationship is God's way of reaching us, through Jesus Christ.

Only the living God seeks and pursues us for a personal relationship. With His gift of salvation we are guaranteed a place in Heaven. We can not earn it.

Jesus was fully man and fully God.

Confused?

Jesus answered, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me. John 14:6.

There is a reason the Scriptures tell us to be equally yoked. When you don't have the same core beliefs...you could be lead down the wrong path.

I would recommend praying about this...ask the living God to reveal His truth...

Answer 5

You should not believe in any religion but you should believe in a person and what He done for you. The Lord Jesus Christ died for your sins, He was buried and took away your sins and He rose again the third day for your justification. He did it all for you believe and trust in that and you can go into heaven. Remember He is alive today because He came out of the grave all the other religions the gods are dead and in the grave. 1 Corinthians 15: 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 1 Corinthians 15: 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: Romans 4: 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Answer 6

‘DIFFERENT religions are simply different roads leading to the same goal. After all, there is only one God, is there not?’ That sentiment is shared by many who feel that although religious affiliation is important, it does not really matter which religion one chooses to follow.

At first glance, this argument may seem plausible, since it is true that there is only one God, the Almighty. (Isaiah 44:6; John 17:3; 1 Corinthians 8:5, 6) However, we cannot overlook the obvious differences—even contradictions—among the many religious groups who claim to serve the true God. They differ greatly in their practices, their beliefs, their teachings, and their requirements. The differences are so great that those belonging to one religion or group find it difficult to understand or accept what the others teach or believe.

On the other hand, Jesus said: “God is a Spirit, and those worshiping him must worship with spirit and truth.” (John 4:24) Does worshiping God with truth allow for a range of contradictory ideas about who God is, what his purposes are, and how he wants to be worshiped? Is it logical to believe that it is immaterial to Almighty God how we worship him? You must Pray To him For what you are looking for.

Answer 7

I would say christianity, in general. Not a particular denomination. The jews beleive, for the most part, in the first five books. The muslims take strories that are in scripture and read it from the koran. Read the whole bible and get a clearer picture.

You will see that no where in there and if anyone has any logic, does it say to spread the word by force. Nor does it say to split up into sects or deniminations.

Muslims do not believe in the divinity of Christ and the only way to GOD is through the son. Best to read yourself or best of all things, to ask GOD directly.

Answer 8

Watch the movie "Dogma", and listen to Rufus (Chris Rock).

I personally believe in Jesus and that he was God, and that he sacrificed himself to deliver us from sin. And the way to Heaven is to return God's love by respecting him (and loving him) and his creations.

However, as for everything else; I have ideas, not beliefs. Ideas are malleable and can be changed, which is more fitting as the world around us is changing and new discoveries are being made all the time.

By creating a belief, people would start to dedicate their lives to that belief and debate against other contradictory beliefs, which starts wars, conflict, and divides the human race. Which contradicts our creators intention of unity, which is love.

Answer 9

What so ever is true to your heart and never change your beliefs for a man. Even if you should want to become muslim don't do it for him but because in your heart you know it to be right. Pray God will answer you. look within your self and investigate both to the fullest backround and all

Answer 10

Well first of all alot of people go through that so basicly dont feel like ur the only one in this situation. my best friend is in the same problem and then chose to be muslim since being a muslim istoors her lifestyle from before she was muslim. she feels great about converting and take my word for it, there is no feeling like being muslim its a chosen gift from allah and you will feel like the propthet mohammed and allah always take your side and will always be there for you. inshallah you take my word and convert to a beautiful religion that millions of people thank god for evey morning PEACE!

Answer 11

please for your self read on both but give your self More tI'me to read im Muslim i could tell you Islam but because its a matter of live read and concentrate and choose by your own no one can help you to get a religion and visit
www.sultan.org
that's an Islamic sit and i hope it will help you and i think you know where to buy a catholic books or find a site and read and learn then choose
take care