Do any of you ever stop and ask.."What If..."?

Question

This is for all faiths.

Do you ever stop and ask "What If..." when you hear what other Religions follow? I've come across alot of very well stated and explained opinions that I ask myself the same thing.

For Example: Muslims believe in the existence of Jesus Christ. They hold him up as one of the Purest of Messengers of God, a Prophet, a Holy Man. "What if this could be true, could Jesus Christ really have existed if the Muslims acknowledged his existence? and if so, are the Christians worshipping a false God without even realizing it?"

Another Example: Christians believe that Christ died on the Cross for all of our Sins and the Bible is the True word of God.
"What if they were right? could everyone else really be in trouble when the end does come?"

Another Example: Atheist don't acknowledge a God. "What if there really isn't one and there is no life after death? Could those, who believe there is, be living a life in Religious Control? and if so, how much of their current lives and attainable pleasures are sacrificed to reach something that doesn’t exist?”
These are the types of questions that always have interested me and have opened me to possiblities. Now don't get me wrong, I’m not asking you to question your own faith, although it may sound like it, but don’t you ever wonder…”What if…?”
I still and will always follow what I do because I truly believe in my path, but man…to search for “The Truth” is fascinating!

These are just Generalized questions but they always lead to more and more questions.

Answer 1

you know. i think we all wonder from time to time.
I am a Christian.. and you know this reminds me of a quote I heard once
"I'd rather believe there is a God and have him not exist, than to not believe and find out I was wrong"

the thing is, you have to follow your heart. If you believe there is a God, then do that. If you believe there is 87 gods.. then do that.
One day you'll see the truth in your heart and you have to believe it 100%. Don't let the "what ifs" get you down. Just believe.. .

Answer 2

Jesus was a Prophet! Prophets are those that have a message from on far about the days of their lives. Jesus was also a man! How could God understand the nature of man without living as a human being and experiencing human life and death? Would his Son not interrupt human life and death to his Father?
Why can't Jesus be a Messenger both ways, to mankind and to God his Father.
Why is the simple minded literal definitions of the Bible, preached by very earthly Ministers and Priests, necessary to Mankind's redemption?
You can do better than them because you are a woman, a creator in your own right. You by your nature understand the limitations of life and the beauty of life also.
This is a wonderful question, thanks.

Answer 3

I think "what if" questions are very meaningful, but maybe these might be more helpful to ask:

What if Adam and Eve had not fallen in the Garden of Eden? Did they have free will or not? Would sin have entered the world if the first ancestors had obeyed God and formed a perfectly God-centered family who transmitted God's love fully to the children? Would this now be a sinful world?

Another: What if the people of Jesus' time (who had been prepared for his coming) had accepted him instead of rejecting? Did those people have free will or not? Would the ideal God-centered world that Adam and Eve lost have finally come about?

We live in a world in which good and evil are constantly at odds, but that state cannot continue forever. Good must eventually win.

Answer 4

Not any more. I used to do that, about 35 years ago for a few years I was in the same position you are. But I found the truth and I'm sticking to it. I don't have to question whether someone else is right or has a valid point. You need to find the truth and then no one's opinion will matter.

And if you think I'm being very narrow minded, I'll admit that I am. I'm being just as narrow minded as we all are about truth. For example, I don't ask people's opinion about whether the earth is round or flat. Don't ask about whether the sun revolves around the earth or the earth around the sun. I don't ask what your opinions about gravity are, because I know the law of gravity. When you know the truth you don't need to hear opinions.

Answer 5

You can "what if" all day long if you want. However, eventually you have to make a stand somewhere. Someone is probably going to be right (the only reason I say "probably" is because the truth could be a possibility no one ever considered), and you have to make a stand somewhere, even if you say you're not making a stand.

Is it good to consider the other possibilities? Yes, it is. It helps challenge your faith in what you believe, and can either strengthen what you already believe in or open you to a different possibility that you might not have considered before. However, eventually you just have to stop asking that and just focus on what you believe.

Answer 6

Those "people" you refer as muslims, christians have a really strong faith and they dont ask "what if".

Same god with different names for different cultures.

I was raised christian but i dont go to church or do religous stuff i just believe in God and Jesus Ive wondered the question "What if". But im just so sure that God exists and that what they taught me is right, that I dont take that question so seriously. You might be on your way to be atheist, that's cool if it makes you happy....but

Answer 7

It's interesting to consider "What if they are right?" - this essentialy is a variation of "Pascal's Wager".

But a more interesting question is what evidence is there for their claims. When you you apply this to the Greek mythos, it's pretty easy, fossils buried as hero's bones and explainations for natural occurances like lightening. When applied to Islam, we find that there is no evidence for Mecca or other religious sites prior to the 3rd or 4th centurys CE. With Christianity, the evidence is barely better in only that locations are there dating back to the 12th century BCE, but that's the extent of it.

Answer 8

I have asked myself all of these questions and many more like them. It's all part of living an examined life. In the end, I decided that it makes sense to go with what we know to be true, not what people are comforted by or wish for. I prefer reality, warts and all, to even the most comforting fantasy.

Answer 9

What if God exists, demands to be worshiped, and either sends or allows everyone who doesn't believe in him to be tortured for eternity?

Since that God is blatantly evil, he should be worshiped by no one even if he does exist.

Answer 10

I have said it before and I'll say it again. I would rather live believing there was a God and die and find out there wasn't than live like there was no God and die and find out there was...I Believe there is a God and Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior...I will not be swayed.....