If there is a God, why can't God tell one religion that they are right or wrong?

Question

This has gone on for centuries. Why are there so many branches of Christianity for example, Lutherans, Catholics, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses. Any normal person would wonder why, if there was a God, let people know which one, assuming there is one, is right?

Answer 1

Jehovah's Witnesses have the true religion. They are Christian (of course), but they are unique for their rejection of paganisms, use of God's personal name, and global preaching by every active adherent. No other religious organization can claim such purity of worship.

These facts about Jehovah's Witnesses are perhaps relevant to this question. The more one compares this Christian religion with others, the more remarkable it is shown to be.

1. Jehovah's Witnesses have no paid clergy. Yet they remain tightly organized with more than 6.5 million active Jehovah's Witness preachers (about 16 million associate themselves with the religion). Even fulltime preachers and workers at their branch offices are unpaid volunteers.

2. There is no elite class among Jehovah's Witnesses. Even the few 'anointed' among them enjoy no special privileges in their congregations on earth. An anointed person (one of those relative few with a heavenly hope) is not elevated above his fellow congregants in any way, and he may not even qualify for appointment as a simple 'deacon' or elder. There are no titles; EVERYONE is addressed as 'brother' or 'sister'.

3. No person benefits economically from the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses. Even the 8 to 20 men who serve on their Governing Body receive simply room, board, medical care, and reimbursement for certain personal expenses according to the exact same provision as every other branch volunteer.

4. About a hundred men have served on Jehovah's Witnesses' Governing Body committee during the past 125 years or so. The vast majority of them have spent the vast majority of their adult lives volunteering for their organization's purposes, and the vast majority have died faithfully and near-pennilessly while still under their legal 'vow of poverty'.

5. Amazingly, Jehovah's Witnesses did not splinter as a sect from some other religion. Instead, a truly tiny but sincere group of bible students studied only the Scriptures to determine the will of God. Thus their religion remains absolutely independent of and not carrying the sins of Christendom's history, yet carries the authority of Christ's teachings.

6. Despite the distortions of anti-Witnesses, throughout their modern history Jehovah's Witnesses have refused to claim divine inspiration or infallibility for their teachings. They have pointed to the bible (and not any particular translation) as the only inspired infallible means of knowing God's thoughts. For over 125 years, their teachings have been presented as merely the results of sincere bible research by imperfect but godly humans.


Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm?article=article_07.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20040601/article_02.htm
http://jw-media.org/people/who.htm
http://jw-media.org/people/statistics.htm

Answer 2

He does, read your bible. All false religion comes from true religion. All the major religions of the world have certain similarities and tell the beginnings as originating in a Golden Age or Paradise like condition. Many also speak of a flood, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh. As the story goes, after God confused the tongues of the people at the Tower of Babel they dispersed to different areas taking their beliefs and stories with them. Over time, the stories and beliefs were embellished or changed based on new ideas or/and features of the different climates or locations. But they all still have basic similarities showing they came from the same pool of information. It has to be more than coincidence.

Scientists have been doing some research on the Epic of Gilgamesh since they were taught about it in school. They found that it was acceptable to research it since it was part of school curriculum, where as the story of Noah was not. You may be able to find it by doing a search on Epic of Gilgamesh. I came across it by accident while checking out a site given by some one answering a question. Anyway they found the way the layers of silt in various waters were deposited indicated that a huge flood at one time was possible.

Note: Found out there is a book entitled "Noah's Flood' by Walter Pitman and Bill Ryan, they are both world class scientists.

Answer 3

That is why the gospel is so wonderful! A person CAN know, directly from our Heavenly Father, what religion is correct. I have asked and I know. I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and I know it is the only true church on the earth and the gospel was restored for our day to usher in this last and great dispensation. Any person who truly wishes to know, can!

The many different religions: Think about it this way - Adam and Eve were taught the one true religion, directly from the Lord...they had lots and lots of children. One son didn't like one aspect of the gospel so he left it out when he taught it to his kids, another son or daughter didn't like a few aspects either... so as time went on, things were changed or left out because of personal preference.
After Christ was born, taught the correct gospel, was crucified, resurrected and returned to heaven, and after the diciples all died, there was no one to be teaching the correct gospel, so things were adapted or changed, added to or taken from the truth. That is why there was a need for a restoration of the gospel. That happened after Joseph Smith was visited by God the Father and Jesus Christ. They instructed him, the true and complete gospel was restored and is still taught in the LDS church. Other religions have bits and pieces of the gospel, but not the fulness.
What a wonderful blessing the gospel is and the knowledge that we have!

Answer 4

God is the word all religions use to describe the life force that emanates through all living things in the universe.
Religion means - way of life.
All ways of life are lived through the single life force.
The need to "Pick a side" is a human condition.
Most religions start with one great messenger who has a way of explaining things that had been until that time beyond our understanding.
All religion has truth, all have something to teach.
Individuals become bogged down with one religion or another but this is not necessary.
All things are judged by how you behave towards your fellow man regardless of your religion.
Believe in humanity. Act with dignity. Use tolerance in all things. Do not judge others. Treat others as you would be treated. This is the common thread. Jesus said " just love one another" Buddha said Just as a mother would protect her only child at the risk of her own life, even so, cultivate a boundless heart towards all beings. Let your thoughts of boundless love pervade the whole world.

Answer 5

Actually the first church fathers warned about the splitting of the congregation and when the last of the disciples past away then false teachings would split it even further.

1 Th 1:3 - "Let no one seduce YOU in any manner, because it will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness gets revealed, the son of destruction."

To tell the difference Jesus said True worshipers will be found worshiping only his father.

Jhn 4:23 But the time is coming and is already here when true worshipers will worship the Father

Exd 34:14 for thou shalt worship no other god: for Jehovah, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:

Answer 6

Hi Bob...But is there a correct or 'right' religion? God when creating man/woman gave each one of us a brain to learn of knowledge. And to make our own choices in life. With this in mind, I imagine God knew that with this knowledge that different religions would be formed. As Gods children we were all born in different cultures and countries. Society has changed through the centuries and has formed different religions on their beliefs. Now the Catholic religion was formed centuries ago and the Jewish Christian religion was formed soon after Jesus death. One of the oldest religions formed for what I understand. It was also Roman Catholic Scholars and 'others' alike that decided what to place in the Bible and what to delete from the Bible. So take that into consideration. The Lutherans as what I understand is similar to the Catholic Church such as a branch off the main stream. But different in other aspects. Mormons remind me of the 'Quakers' in one sense but in ways that I don't understand. But I do not judge them for what they believe. Jehovah's Witnesses mostly refers to God Himself not necessarily Jesus. God is the Creator, The main Man. so do speak. In some ways I can relate to what they believe in but in other views I don't. All religions have their own point of views in what they believe in so one can't say which one is right or wrong. Have a blessed day!

Answer 7

God is not the author of confusion, there was at one time one correct religion to be followed. This religion was set up when Christ walked the earth. What happened to it, as the apostles died so did the religion, there where no longer prophets and apostles walking the earth to guide the people and they fell into darkness. The Bible/ teachings of the old prophets then became open to people's interpretation. Practices of Christ time were abolished by the First Council of Nicaea and the Nicene Creed was brought forth.
If you gave 3 men one scripture or a passage and ask them to tell you what they understand from it you would wind up with 3 different meanings. So it is easy to see how so many different religions have come forth. God will let you know which religion is right, all you have to do is ask of him, in faith and he will let you know what is right for you.

Answer 8

Read Eph. 4:11-17 God has a 5-fold ministry & all down through all of the 7 churh ages God has had someone telling people to get back in line with God's word, Any True minister according to Ephesians 4:11-17 will preach or teach the same doctrine, & faith as the Apostles of old. But I am afraid to say that every church age has missed their time of visitation from God. Not we are in that time frame where Rev. 19:7 is being fulfilled, Where it says The Bride Hath(Hath is a pass tense word & a on going process word) that over a time frame God has a people on this earth that will know what to believe & how to believe it. Accorinding to Isa. 52:8 They will see eye to eye.

Answer 9

God does not force anyone to submit to Him. He has layed out a clear path and then made it known to them the two ways (Heaven or Hell). The person is always free to make his or her own choice. There is not complusion in the way of "Islam." Whoever choses to worship God without partners and is devoted to Him and is obeying His commands as much as possible, has grasped the firm handhold that will never break. Whoever denies God and choses some other way to worship or not to believe at all, for them there is an eternal punishment that is most horrible (Hell).

All religions originated with God and then people began to add or take away from the teachings so as to take control over each other. Man made religions are an abomination before the Lord and will never be accepted. He will only accept true submission, obedience and in purity and peace to His commandments.

Answer 10

Why do people always blame God and not point the finger at man. It is little rotten sinful man that causes these things today not God. If man lived according to God the world would be perfect but man is a sinner and can not live perfect. Even Christians are just sinful people that have accepted Jesus Christ as the savior for there sins, nothing magical or mystical about it.

Answer 11

It seems to me that a lot of non-religious people think of God as a person who mysteriously goes around micro-managing every aspect of life upon the earth He created. Actually, it's not like that at all. God started the ball rolling and gave man the free will to determine the direction it takes. This is not to say that He doesn't, or can't, intervene. However, we are the masters of the life we lead by virtue of the free will to which I just referred. We make our own interpretations about God trusting that we are in the center of His perfect will for each of us. God is greater than the religions that worship Him and His greatness is sufficient to encompass a wide range of beliefs about Him. As a Christian, I would be vain to say that it is only those of my faith who worship Him, for we all worship and serve in differing capacities.