Please explain your religion.......only serious answers please!?

Question

This forum is NOT to start any debates, NOT to offend anyone, and NOT to push any particular religion on anyone. I am just curious about a few religions. I would like to know what different religions believe so I can understand why we have so many religions out here.

The main ones that I am interested in are Catholic, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, and Jehovah Witness.

The reason I decided to ask this question is because I am baptist, but I recently went to a catholic wedding, and that was the first time I was in a catholic church. The service was very different from what I was used to, and I didn't understand what was going on.

The experience just made me wonder what the differences are in our religions.

Answer 1

I am a born-again Christian......baptist if you will....

We believe in Jesus Christ for salvation.
We believe that mankind is sinful and lost and in need of a Savior.
We believe that scripture is God-breathed and inspired by Him alone and is accurate in it's entirety and original autographs.
We also believe in total depravity...in that mankind cannot save itself from sin.

So it's official....I'm a Tulip...

Answer 2

I am Roman Catholic, but do not claim to be an expert. I can help a bit with the Roman Catholic Mass. First of all, only in recent years can Catholics be married during lent. Lent is the forty days (excluding Sundays) before Easter. Lent is a time of somber preparation for Easter. A wedding is a celebration. In the old days wedding were not allowed at all during lent.

The Catholic Mass has two main parts, the liturgy of the word and the liturgy of the Eucharist. During the liturgy of the word we listen to an Old Testament reading, a New Testament reading and a Gospel reading. The Priest will then give a homily (we Catholics use the term homily as opposed to sermon) usually about the readings of the day, but the homily can be about current events or basically anything the Priest wants to talk about.

The liturgy of the Eucharist includes the Eucharistic Prayer, which is when we Catholics believe bread and wine become, through the power of the Holy Spirit, the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Then we receive communion, say a closing prayer and go home.

You said you were at a wedding, which is a specialized Mass. The readings and the homily will be specially tailored to a wedding. Commonly the couple will light a unity candle. This is, strictly speaking, not part of the Mass. Some very strict Priests will not allow a unity candle during the Mass, but most are not such sticklers. It is also common during a wedding for the bride and sometimes the groom to say a prayer and/or bring flowers to the Virgin Mary. This is not part of the ordinary Sunday Mass.

Hope this helps. Feel free to contact me for more specifics. I am not an expert but am willing to help.

Answer 3

I'm from the republic of Ireland, where Roman Catholicism is the predominate religion, when i was three my parents cut all ties with the church, there were many reasons that i wont go into. My parents decided to teach my sister, brother and i about all belief systems of all cultures, telling us both sides to every argument, they never forced any religion on us, instead allowed us to make up our own minds. I guess you could say i was raised agnostic.I'm forever grateful my parents raised me the way they did, with complete open mindedness, to have respect for people of every race, ethnicity, sexual orientation etc and what ever beliefs they hold, its allowed me to have a very full and cultures life.
Believe what you want to believe as long as you don't impose those beliefs on others, harm others and that your intentions are good and pure.
My advice to radical believers in all religions, is to simply show a little humility, none of us know the true meaning to this at times crazy world of ours, so cut out the preaching, your words cannot be proved or disproved, so the hold little weight, but your actions do, so treat everyone with the utmost respect.

Answer 4

As you know most Baptist Church's try and follow the bible.
I've studied the Roman Catholic church and they do not.
They put man's tradition over the bible. They started out right but were lead astray. They teach many things that are contrary to the bible including;
Mary worship.
Prayer to Mary. They say they are asking Mary to pray for them when the bible says there is only one mediator between God and man, Jesus the Christ. The bible also says the "dead" (physically) no not what goes on under the sun, the dead don't hear us.
I went also to a R. Cath. wedding and saw the bride and groom light candles in front of a statue of Mary asking her to bless their marriage. Which leads us to Idol worship/no graven image.
They also say Mary stayed a virgin even though in Matthew it says Joseph did not "know her UNTIL" after Jesus was born. They also say Mary was sinless and she did not die a physical death but was taken up to heaven like Elijah. They say she didn't have more children but our church history (Eucebias, church historian) and our bible says Jesus had 4 brothers and at least 2 sisters.

Call priests father. Jesus said, concerning spiritual leader, to call no man father except our heavenly father. They go so far as to call the pope "holy father".
There's a lot more. One lie upon another upon another.
God judges the heart and I am not condemning people who attend the RCC. I am just stated facts. The RCC claims they were the first church when actually the church was in hiding around 300 ad when Constantine stopped the persecution of the Christians.
†

Answer 5

Catholocism and other christian churches believe the same thing but they have different rituals. Jesus warns of religions in Matthew 6. Therefore, the best church would be one who teaches the bible only and studies it word for word. The added rituals are often misleading and not biblical.
Muslims follow the teachings of Muhammed. Jews follow the Old Testament and do not accept Jesus Christ as the Savior and Son of God. Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe in the trinity but that there is only God, Jehovah.

Answer 6

I am a Jew-by-choice. We are a community of people (Israel) working together as partners with God to bring peace, justice, and harmony for all of humanity. When that happens, we will recognize the messiah because he (an ordinary human, not divine) will be King of Israel. Our God doesn't condemn His children to eternal punishment for their beliefs. Judaism is a religion of action, not belief. We separate ourselves into groups (denominations?) according to actions.

There is very little emphasis on the afterlife, but generally it is thought of as something akin to the Catholic purgatory -- a short period of cleansing.

There is much more emphasis on "community" rather than "personal" salvation. Salvation (whatever that is) plays no part in Judaism. We have always received forgiveness/atonement from God whenever we ask.
.

Answer 7

The beliefs of the Catholic Church are summarized in the Nicene Creed that is proclaimed at every Mass:

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of Life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

We also believe that jesus instituted seven sacraments for the purpose of bestowing grace upon those people who receive the sacraments -

Baptism
Reconciliation (the priest has the power and uthority to forgive sins in the name of Jesus Christ)
Eucharist (the bread and wine are made into the Body and Blood of Christ)
Confirmation
Matrimony
Holy Orders
Anointing of the Sick

Please contact me if you have any questions about what you experienced in the Catholic wedding.

(It is very sad that the Baptist person said, "we follow the Bible" then proceeded to state everything she thought was wrong with the Catholic Church. The question was "Please explain your religion" I would like to ask that person "Is your religion find fault with the Catholic Church?"

Answer 8

I'm Catholic by choice. I visited other groups but I found myself to have a better relationship with God through the Catholic faith.
We as Catholics believe in Trinity, one God in three different manifestations if you will. This can be hard to understand without proper explanation. But in short, we believe in God Father, Son, and the Holly Spirit being the same, and acting in conjunction for our salvation.
God himself came to rescue us from sin (anything that hurt us and hurt our relationship with others, therefore with God himself) through Jesus Christ.
There is a vast explanation for each of our beliefs and trying to enlighten all of them in such a short time would be impossible.
We also believe in Virgin Mary (which can be a remarkable difference between Catholicism and other beliefs), and in Saints, who help us remember -trough their example of life- what being a Christian is supposed to look like.
We believe that through Communion (the Body and Blood of Christ) we also are saved.
This is just a short version of we, Catholics believe.
But above all we believe in a loving Father who has created everyone equal, and calls us to love them and respect them too as his Creation.

Answer 9

Christianity!

God Has Made A Unique Way

God has provided a way that individuals may know Him. This is through the person of Jesus Christ.

Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture (John 10:7-9).

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

The Apostle Peter made it clear that a person could know the true God only through Jesus Christ:

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

There Is No Salvation Apart From Christ

According to the New Testament, religions that offer the individual a way to know God other than through the person of Jesus Christ are false religions. They offer incorrect ways of knowing ultimate truth. The claim of Scripture is clear—Jesus Christ is the only way through which a person can know the living God. Jesus said.

If you do not believe that I am he you will die in your sins (John 8:24).

Summary

The Bible says there is only one God who actually exists. God has provided a way by which people may know Him, through the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus said that nobody is able come to God except through Him. If His claims are true, then, by definition, all claims to ultimate truth by other religious leaders are false. There is no other way in which the one, true, God can be experienced.

Answer 10

Jehovah's Witnesses understand the Scriptures to teach that God's Kingdom will soon replace all earthly governments.
(Daniel 2:44) God of heaven will set up a kingdom... It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite

That Kingdom will rule over the vast majority of mankind, most of whom will have been raised from the dead after Armageddon.
(John 11:23,24) Jesus said to her: “Your brother will rise.” Martha said to him: “I know he will rise in the resurrection on the last day.”
(Acts 24:15) There is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.

Until that resurrection, there is no suffering in "hell", or the grave. Sometime after the resurrection, death and "hell" will themselves be destroyed.
(Ecclesiastes 9:5) For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all
(Ecclesiastes 9:10) there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol ["hell"]
(Revelation 20:14) And death and Hades ["hell"] were hurled into the lake of fire

While a limitted number of humans will be resurrected to heaven to share in ruling over mankind, the vast majority (literally more than 99.9%) of Jehovah's Witnesses expect an EARTHLY hope, the same hope given to Adam and Eve.
(Genesis 1:28) God blessed them and God said to them: “Be fruitful and become many and fill THE EARTH and subdue it [caps added]
(Genesis 2:17) You must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die [so never eating from that tree means never dying]

Interestingly, the Scriptures are full of references to this earthly hope.
(Psalms 37:11) 'the meek will possess the earth'
(Proverbs 2:21) 'upright will reside in the earth'
(Isaiah 45:18) 'God formed the earth to be inhabited'
(Matthew 5:5) 'the mild will inherit the earth'
(Revelation 21:3) The tent of God is with mankind

Answer 11

I consider myself to be a true Christian. I'm not perfect, but I try my best to be perfect as a human can be in God's eyes.

I study the Bible and live by it's teachings. I follow in Jesus' footsteps and do as he commanded us to do. I do as he told his disciples to do and his followers today. (Matthew 28:19,20) I try to live my life morally and follow the counsel in the Bible. I don't smoke or take recreational drugs or anything like that. I abstain from blood by not getting blood transfusions.

I'm a Jehovah's Witness. I could write all day about my belief and why I believe it's the truth. But to learn more about it from the official site, click the link in source.