Why does it matter if we are Christian or Hindu or Muslim if we believe in god and are good people?

Question

im a muslim, but recently i find myself questioning everything becuase each religion i research seems to be preaching the same thing: be good, love god, and youll go to heaven. so why are we all seperated into different religions? there is so much hate between religions nowadays because of terrorism, ignorance, and so many other things.

Answer 1

In order to understand why just being "good" is insufficient; you would need to understand the concept of a perfectly holy and righteous being. Such a being would hate ALL sin and would be bound by the being's perfectly just nature to render judgment for the unjust. Just as we expect justice in this world, albeit imperfect at times, so does this being, God. Fortunately, a perfect being like God will render perfect justice, too.

While it is hard to hear, there are none righteous in the perfect God's eyes.

So how is a perfect God's demand for justice for sin reconciled with our own imperfections? Here we find that God came up with a perfect solution. He became flesh, lived a perfect life, and acted as our representative in God the Father's court of justice. There He was judged and crucified, carrying all the past and future world's sins with his crucifixion. God the Son, Christ, became our sin bearer and we need only acknowledge that sacrifice to be made "justified" in God's eyes and in God's demand for justice for sin.

Think of it this way. Your son does something like breaking a neighbor's window. Yet your son is too young to be made to pay for his crime. Society demands that the parent then act in the son's role and pay for these crimes. Likewise, God the Father allows God the Son to be humankind's representative. Christ paid the price for us all; it is deposited there in the justice bank of God. We need only claim our "share" of that account's balance and present ourselves to God.

In summary, a perfectly just being, God the Father, requires that sin be punished. In the Old Testament, such punishments were the slaughter of an innocent animal, accompanied by prayers of adoration and contrition to God the Father. These lawful rituals drove home the point to mankind that there are consequences for bad behaviors. These lawful rituals also foreshadowed a more significant means of reconciliation before God the Father’s demand for justice. A perfect being, Christ, willingly went to His death. A perfectly just God the Father, knows that the Son’s death is not justice, for the Son was sinless. Therefore, the perfectly just God the Father credits anyone who will claim the Son’s death as payment for their sins.

As for the doctrine of hell consider the following:

1. Wouldn't everyone repent when faced with hell?
2. Would God let out people who repented?
3. Why was Hell created?

One argument against hell is this: No person in his right mind would choose eternal punishment in hell over heaven. Therefore everyone would repent when sent to hell. If God lets the repentant leave, hell will be empty (and therefore can be disregarded). If God doesn't let the repentant leave, God is unjust for continuing to punish them after they've repented.

The trouble with this line of reasoning is that repentance is not simply a matter of one saying, "Okay, I'll say whatever you want me to, just get me out of here!" Repentance involves acknowledging one's guilt, feeling remorse and the desire to change one's behavior, accepting Christ's sacrifice as substitutionary punishment for one's wrongs and agreeing to love and obey God (including Christ as God the Son). This includes by definition acceptance of eternal punishment in hell as just punishment for one's sins; while the skeptic may still object that continued punishment of the repentant is unjust, the repentant will respond that their continued punishment is deserved and could only end through God's mercy.

However, in reality people in hell won't repent, in particular not any skeptic who makes the above argument. If one thinks God is unjust for punishing people in hell, actually going there isn't going to make one suddenly decide that God is just and deserves one's love and worship after all. People are given their entire lives on Earth as an opportunity to repent and accept God; if they refuse each day of their lives to repent and believe they're justified in doing so, it's hardly conceivable that punishment in hell would change their minds. In other words, the gates of hell are actually locked from the inside.

Since hell is comprised of those who would never repent, the second question, “Would God let out people who repented?” is only a hypothetical one; it could be argued either way. In practice, someone who would repent in hell would be given the opportunity to repent on Earth and would presumably repent before they died, not after.

As for eternal punishment for finite life of sin, the answer is that our sin bears an eternal consequence because it is ultimately against an eternal God. When King David committed the sins of adultery and murder he stated, Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight (Psalm 51:4). David had sinned against Bathsheba and Uriah, how could David claim to have only sinned against God? David understood that all sin is ultimately against God. God is an eternal and infinite Being. As a result, all sin is worthy of an eternal punishment.

An earthly example of this would be comparing attacking your neighbor and attacking the President of the United States. Yes, both are crimes, but attacking the President would result in far greater consequences. How much more does sin against a holy and infinite God warrant a terrible consequence?

In short, hell and heaven were created out of God's love for mankind as a consequence of free will. God could not have created a morally free creature who could not possess the potentiality to choose to sin. God, being perfectly righteous will righteously respect the choices a person makes and grant them the eternal life they sought through the exercise of their own free will. In short, we choose the behavior, and thus we have chosen the consequences.

Answer 2

One thing you left out of your list is Atheist, I am an Atheist and I am a good person, I live a good law abiding life, I do no harm to others, I am considerate of other people, I have no problem with others believing in whichever God they choose and I only wish they would accept that not everyone shares that belief and would live peacefully alongside them without the need to create hate and teach hate of other religions. I have watched Muslim programs on Sky television and the main theme was about the unbeliever and how wrong they were to not believe, it all seemed rather extreme to me because it seemed as though I should be punished for not believing, I on the other hand do not think you should be punished for being Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, or Pagan for that matter.
Chris.

Answer 3

i also asked before that same questions and the answer that convinced me is the fact that CULTURE/NATIONALITY dictates the religion of a certain Country.

According to some people I chat with about this topic, they said that if it happens that a current muslim grew up in a christian country, definitely, that person is not a muslim but a Christian and the same applies with other religions all over the world.

as we could see, we all convey same thought, but why different names or vocabulary?

it's because of the pioneers,leader, language barrier, culture and environment lived by a certain believer; that probably uses different terms although same meaning but was now misinterpreted as a different thing by the newer generation

and with that modification made by newer generation, the religions tend to become more specific as they modify the old belief that becomes inapplicable now a days due to the unstoppable change that everything/everyone undergone

Answer 4

The key factor is Jesus. If He is the only way to Heaven as He
said He is, then all other religions no matter how good they seem are deceiving everyone by teaching that He is not who He really is.

Christianity is the only group that teaches that Jesus is God and the only way to Heaven. The eastern religions such as Hindu, Muslim, Taoists, Confucians, Shinto, Sikhism and etc.
reject Him as their God.

We cannot combine all the teachings of the other religions into one because they would contradict one another. We do believe that in the end of time there will be a "One World Church" made up of everyone but Christians, and even some
who call themselves Christian will depart from the faith and join this ecumenical monstrosity.

I can love anyone irregardless of what they believe, but I can't accept what they believe as my belief because I know Jesus personally and know He is God.

Christianity is exclusive in that we believe we know God on a personal level. He communicates to us every day in many different ways. Religion knows "what" it believes, but has no god that actually can be heard or is recognized as a friend or close acquaintance.

So, in a very real sense, it does matter what we believe, but we can certainly agree to disagree without being disagreeable.

Answer 5

Well if you are a true Muslem you know that the Koran teaches that the only true path to God, (or Allah) is through the teachings in the Koran. Also Hinduism and the other Pantheistic religions do not believe in God as personality but as a life force that somehow became fragmented into its various forms and the path to Godhead is through the successive reincarnations to work offf all the bad Karma which decieves one into thinking of self as other than one part of a whole.
Christianity teaches that there is no other path to God but through Christ and His atoning work on the cross which is to be dependant upon Faith (trust) for Grace (unmerited favor) for salvation.
So then this makes most religions mutually exclusive of one another.
While it is true that man can know without God the concepts of benevolence that should pragmatically be followed, history has proven that left to His own devices man is encapable of acheiveing the peaceful co-existence he desires. This leaves it up to God to do for us what we have not been able to do for ourselves and I think Christaianity best exemplifies this concept than do most other religions which again, depend on man and his merits to work themselves to God and eternity.

Answer 6

The answer to this questions there are some relative factors ; where we could see there seems to have more relationships to every religions. 1. Christians & Muslims has a same forefather who is called as Abraham & Ibrahim in corresponding books ( Bible & Koran) for that reason Israel & Palestine war still exist ;whereas in Hindu system there is Deva & Asura's referred as children of same father and mothers Thidi & Adithi - Is this a coincidence. 2. We could read in Bible Noah is asked to prepare a big boat as huge it could serve him,his family & collective earth living beings for the catastrophic flood . As per Hindu books in Malsyaa Avathar; Manu is asked by Vishnu( in the form of Fish) to take all the beings in this earth to a huge boat as he going to create a pralay( catastrophe) to kill Aygreevan (An Asura) who has captured every rishies,Deva's & Vedas. - Is this a coincidence. 3. Early Testament of Bible says that Moses conveys of Ten Commandments whereas in Hindu philosophy there is a teaching to human beings by Lord Vishnu as Dasa Avathars( Ten incarnations). Is this a coincidence we have more and more relative and coincidental factors.So could we conclude religion is only medium or a communicator for us human beings to see & understand the truth and live in harmony.

Answer 7

"He who does not realise his inner disease, should never expect to be cured" -- Ethopian proverb.

It is not important if i am a muslim, christian, buddhist, jain, atheist or hindu -- but what is more important is, with the path that i have chosen, i shouldnt be embarassed when i am facing God.

One should stop blaming God or another human for our misdeeds and wrong actions. No one is born perfect but we can all be one by looking at our indifferences and negativities in the same light as our potentialities.

Also, religion doesnt tell you to fight, though some of the verses from every Holy Book are misinterpreted throughout ages. Fights and wars occur due to personal indifferences and grudges. They result as a part of our wrong intentions and actions and failing to face our internal incapabilities. Also the major factor contributing to unrest is the fact that we have given extremists and fanatics of all religions the power and authority to divide us. the thruth is Divide and Rule strategy still works becoz we let it work.

Answer 8

You're asking a question that I've asked many followers of multiple faiths, and never received a clear answer on. The only thing I can discern is that people feel the instinctual need to be better than others. I think it traces back to mating rights of cavemen.

Answer 9

You are not alone in your thoughts on that :)

I have said it before and will say it again....I believe that because of language, environment, culture, etc.,. the discovery of God will be written in the ways that the writer understands....so.....though diff names were applied to the content of the Belief, the content basically has the same principals, and God was the source of all.

(lol....can't get away from that character question, what with the meme's and all)

Also, has anyone seen or read the book "Anna and the King of Siam"/(The King and I) Good example of how people of different cultures break down the language to ways THEY can understand it...sometimes things get lost in the translation

Remember what Jesus said to the disciples when they wanted Jesus to stop people from doing "miracles" or whom CLAIMED to be followers of Jesus from doing things in His name? If they aren't against us, they are for us, leave them be.....(my own translation)

Peace be with you :)

Answer 10

It matters because everyone has gone wrong at one time or another and therefore no one deserves to go to heaven no matter how good we may be later. It is only by having our slates wiped clean by Jesus, and relying on his goodness, that we can enter heaven. That is the answer. Whether or not you choose to believe that is up to you.

Answer 11

Not Christianity...

Christiany says that man can't get to to heaven alone because we have all sinned(or done wrong) but Jesus Christ(The perfect man in the form of God) died and payed the penalty for the our sin so we could reach God and Heaven.
An If you believe in our hearts and confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord you shall be saved.

So we are all different in our beliefs...and If we have to be good to get to heaven, Its pretty empty.


And terrism is about beliefs...

Osama Bin Ladin said "This war not Islam against the world" its Islam against Christianity.