confusing religions?

Question

I'm confused about all the religions there are in the world. Does each group believe only their own religion's followers go to their own God, or do they think everyone in the world will? And if there are all these Gods why is it Christianity only believe there is one? Is there a God/Jesus, Buddha, Messiah, Allah, etc. for each of these groups when they die? It's SO confusing!

I actually wanted some unbiased opinions, but obviously I should have expected some ppl trying to 'sell' their religion to me. This is why I don't answer my door to certain ppl. sorry, but I want to know where I'm going before I'm led like a sheep.

Answer 1

The universe is far vaster and varied than we can comprehend. Our everyday worlds would soon overwhelm us if we had to think about every single act we did, re-evaluate every person we met. So we take shortcuts just to keep up with our experience. We iconize, stereotype and file everyone and everything into categories and constellations of our own design. Occasionally we encounter an anomaly, often traumatic, that forces us to revise our system. But every such system is an artificial arrangement, a compromise with reality.

But some people don't see the compromise. They want truth, certainty. The notion that there may be more than one way to interpret the world makes them anxious. Even the idea that one's understanding may be allegorical implies that it is false, wrong, evil.

The world does not provide "answers", so people have to seek them out. When someone comes up with a profound, resonant insight about life, one that other people can apply in their own lives, a new philosophy or religion is born. But we are limited beings. We don't all start from the same place. Our experience, as in dividuals, in families and in cultures, affects our formulation of the "meaning of life". So we don't all agree.

Some people can take the "blind men and the elephant" view, seeing their own path as one of many, good for them, perhaps not for others. Other people seek the certainty: one true path among many false ones.

The world is a dangerous uncertain place. Our religion provides security, "salvation", reassurance that there is a point to the system and that things are being taken care of. But "salvation" can mean different things. For some, it's rescue from corruption and destruction. For others, it's "enlightenment", a realization that everything is artificial and allegorical and can be transcended by deeper understanding. And for still others, it is acceptance of things as they are and a resolve to make the best of it.

Each religion adopts heroes, founders and examplars of the practice of their faith. Each faith satisfies the needs of its adherents. The problem is in encountering another faith that "works". The certainty seekers get nervous. The existence of a successful, contradictory system undermines their own faith in THE solution. So they set about finding the flaws in the other religion, demonizing the heroes and creeds as necessary to justify their own doctrines. In the process, they often turn themselves into the opposite of what they profess. But when one is talking about the framework of one's entire existence, one can do strange, fear-filled things.

What does "God" think about all this? No unambiguous answer is forthcoming, everyone interprets, in the light of their own beliefs. A system has to make some kind of sense to endure, but it doesn't have to be exactly correct. We cannot tell how many "gods" might exist or what their "names" might be. We only have faith. Reason can expose inconsistencies and effect repairs to faith, but it can't reach directly to the supernatural. Does "God" care what name you use? Some say no, some yes. Some say God is "immanent", very interested in specific human affairs. Others say God is "transcendent", so beyond our comprehension that our only option is to try to conform to God's standards rather than seek divine favors. And still others say that God is a metaphor for what we are ultimately trying to understand about the world of existence.

Does tolerance of other faith paths weaken one's own faith or strengthen it? Scholars, zealots and ordinary practitioners do not agree. A person needs to choose the path that works, not the one that others insist on. We each find our own way, sometimes sharing paths, sometimes diverging, sometimes blazing a new trail for ourselves. "Correct" or not, if you believe or practice for the sake of another, your faith is not authentic.

Answer 2

Each religion believes that only their own religions followers will go to "the after life" (depending on the religion). Some people like to believe that everyone goes there. Also each religion believes that the other gods are false. For example, christians believe that if you believe that Jesus Christ (God's son) came to die on the cross so you can be with God forever (long story made very short) then you will go to heaven to be with god for eternity when you die. There are some christians however that believe that everyone goes to heaven. They also believe that Allah is a false god and that Islamic people are going to go to hell (opposite of heaven). Muslims belive that Allah is the one true god and that all christians will go to hell. I am not sure about the religions like Buddhist and Hindu, where there are many other gods within the one religion, but i know that Christianity Islam, and Judaism all have a God/Jesus and that they believe in heaven and hell. The only difference between Christianity and Judaism is that Christianity believes that Jesus Christ was the Messiah and Jews dont think that. I personally am a christian and I personally believe that all the other religions are wrong. I also believe that not everyone goes to heaven. I wish that happened but it clearly says in the bible that it doesnt. So, yeah i hope that helps. feel free to email me if you have questions. glad to answer at anytime. [e-mail]

Answer 3

Starting at the top. Why so many ? You have to realize that religions were dreamed up by people who couldn't face the fact that their lives were going to end.
Some came up with the "soul" rising up from the body at the time of death and sailing off into this land of milk and honey ( heaven )
Because in primitive times, there was little communication between groups living long distances apart, others solved the no-death problem in different ways. To the Oriental people the "soul" left the dead body and showed up in the body of some other living thing ( reincarnation ).
The religions broke up into denominations over exact ideas of how to go about achieving the goal.
The religions that believe in one god are the Christians, Jews and Muslims. Hindus and older groups like primitive people, the Greeks, Romans, and others of their times worshipped many gods.
The Christians, Muslims, and Jews believe in the same god under different names.
Buddah is not a god, and is not worshipped, The name means The Enlightened One. His right name was Sithara Gautama. Buddhists have no god.

Answer 4

It varies. Some acknowledge that each individual needs to follow their own path, and therefore can respect other beliefs and traditions than their own.
This generally comes with the assumption that all beliefs are more-or-less partially true, and that with increasing understanding they will increasingly draw together.
This is the "Different paths up one mountain" model.
It isn't necessarily true, as a professor of Eastern Religion at Oxford University once pointed out:
"The great religions are talking at cross purposes."

Many other religions insist that with truth comes falsehood, and that different incompatible views cannot all be right.
Jesus died on the cross, or he didn't.
(Christianity's, and Islam's views, respectively)
There is reincarnation or there isn't...
I cannot conceive of a universe where your fate is as you believe: the Buddhists go round again, the Christians pass into heaven and the atheists go nowhere. (apologies for the caricature to make the point)
Therefore I conclude some views more nearly represent reality than others. And so deciding on that is a serious issue, not a choice merely of lifestyle or convenience.

Answer 5

Muslims and Christians believe in the same God and believe in him.
A lot of religions have things in common like:
1-don't steal
2-don't kill
To answer part of your question; Allah meand God in Arabic.
Muslims believe in Jesus( in arabic; messiah) : he is God's messenger.

Answer 6

well yes it can be confusing, satan can make things appeling and want people to not want to believe god because then he gets those people. jesus says he is the one TRUE god and that is true he is the only way to go to heaven, he loves you pick p a bible and start some reading, or talk to someone who you know who goes to church and then talk to a pastor there you will find some answers! god bless you!

Answer 7

Generally i think they are just different names for the same thing:

God, Brahma, Allah, etc.

but Messiah and Buddha are a bit different that would be equivalent to Christ i believe.

Answer 8

As a catholic I can say, that it is believe that unless you are fully void of the truth (catholicism) then you will be sent to hell.


If you would like to know about catholicsm I recomend reading the Catachism of the Catholic Church.

Answer 9

I am Baptist, and I believe that ONLY the ones who believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ ALONE by FAITH will go to heaven... I don't care if you are Mormon, Catholic, or pink with purple polka-dots, you can only enter heaven by FAITH in Christ...
NOT BY WORKS

Ephesians 2:8-9, Galations 2:16 & 21... refute that, those of you who believe in salvation by works!

Answer 10

Believe in God what you perceive him to be, and forget the rest, because that's all that really matters