Religion question... PLEASE READ?

Question

I am Christian.
In most cases, your parents raised you to be whatever religion you are, or aren't. You are raised to believe in God and whatever your certain religion says. You are strong in your beliefs, because it is what you have known your entire life. You know your religion is the "legitimate" one.
But what about the other people...
I will use Budhists for example.
They were born, raised to believe in reincarnation and everything. They believe in THAT as strongly as I believe in what MY Bible says. If we all believe what we were raised to believe, how can we know for sure what is the truth. I have my reasons in believing what I do, from what I have seen personally... but haven't the budhists also... this is really hard for me to explain and get to my point, but basically... if you were raised to believe one thing, what makes it the truth, and it isn't really fair for you to have faith in God your entire life and go to hell because you didn't know which was the truth...

sorry budhist guy, i know a foreign exchange student who is budhist and told me he believes in that.

and im not even thinking about becoming athiest, i believe in God, every religion does... but its all the rules. even small differences, like methodists and protestants, and catholics, there arent major differences there, but what makes which one right...

Also WilsonG...did you read my question. that doesnt really help

and i dont plan on becoming budhist lol...just using that as an example

not trying to sound like im denying my beliefs either... if anyone is even reading these dumb edits im making lol

Answer 1

Caleb, your questions are very good and honest. I understand your dilemma and I think you made yourself clear. As a Christian I have struggled with these issues in the past, too. My response is long, but I have poured my heart into it. I hope it helps.

You make three points I want to address. First, you started believing in Christianity because you were taught by your parents to believe. That is the natural way for parents to pass on to their children what they believe to be very important.

Unfortunately, most people continue to believe what they have been taught, never searching for the truth themselves when they are grown.

Have you heard that God doesn't have grandchildren? You cannot rest on your parents' faith. You can only be a true child of God when your faith is your own.

It is so important for you to do exactly what you are doing; asking honest questions about the things that confuse or distress you.

To answer your next concern, there are at least two answers I can offer to you. First, God has made it clear in His Word that everyone has the opportunity to see evidence of Him in creation. They may not know His name, but a person who acknowledges that there is Someone out there bigger than he is, Someone who deserves to be worshiped and even feared because of how holy and just that Someone is, and who understands that he needs to be forgiven is one who is saved.

Many tribal people were already worshiping the true God in whatever ways they thought were best before any person not of their tribe told them about Jesus. They were thrilled when missionaries told them more about the God whom they were worshiping and His name, Jesus.

You can read about one of those tribes called the Auca Indians here: http://www.maf.org/nate_saint. It is a wonderful story. I have personally met the leader of this tribe. He is a very strong Christian who travels the world telling people about the God who saved him and his tribe from destroying themselves through mass murders.

The second thing is that I finally came to accept the reality that God's intelligence, holiness, justice, love and ways are so far beyond my comprehension that I will not ever understand Him completely.

At some point I accepted that, even though I don't often understand His ways, I can always trust Him to do what is right and good.

Even after death, it is possible that God may offer His gift of salvation to each person. If that person is willing to bow to Christ and acknowledge his sin and his need for a Savior I am sure the Lord would save him/her. Will everyone choose to do that? Sadly, no.

However He does it, I do believe with all my heart that God is just and will not reject a person simply because he/she never heard the Gospel the way you and I have.

Finally, you ask about all the different Christian denominations. My answer to you is that each of those denominations are man-made religions.

People have always added to God's Word. Some were very sincere, like the Pharisees. They were trying very hard to figure out how to follow God's laws exactly so they made up hundreds of rules. Most were sincere and righteous in terms of following their rules.

Unfortunately, they were sincerely wrong in the ways they interpreted what God wanted from them (according to the Scriptures). They became very legalistic, which is exactly what happens to any religion when they add to God's Word and His rules for us.

When people disagree, they make new denominations and some leave, but some stay in the old one.

I remember hearing that a Lutheran pastor told his congregation that ONLY confirmed Lutherans would make it in to heaven. Many religions make that same claim.

There is no right religion because religions are man-made. Jesus did not tell people to join a religion nor did He ever make up a religion.

Although it is important for you to fellowship and worship God with other believers, you do not need to worry about which religion you should join. If the group you choose is worshiping God according to His ways and teaching the Word of God faithfully, you are in the right group for you.

Seek the Lord and He will be found by you. Love Him with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. And love others as you love yourself. Jesus said those are the two greatest commandments.

It is not a blind, ignorant faith that is asked of you, Caleb. God wants you to use your brain and your heart to find in Him everything you ever wanted or needed. He will be faithful to you. Always.

Remember, it is the truth that sets you free.

I do hope this helps. Feel free to contact me by email if you want to talk further.

Take care,

Gayle

Answer 2

Not sure exactly what you are getting at, but this is how it went for me. Was raised a very strict Christian. Never seemed like it all fit together. All that stuff about hell and everything, the more I read the Bible, the more I knew it was not right. God was in my heart, but the stuff I was learning about God did not feel right to me in the bottom of my soul. So I went searching around... tried Buddhism, even Wicca for awhile.. was willing to try anything to see if there was a religion that fit what my heart told me was true. And finally in the end, I realized I learned some of the truth from each stop along my way. None of them were all bad, none were all good. But I know now with no doubts that the path I am on now is right and correct. And I also know those who haven't found my path are really okay. I dislike all the hate and pain caused by religion, but the majority of the people are really basically good and just afraid to question because they have been warned that they will suffer if they do. But again, the way I know the nature of God and my purpose here is when I found it, there was no doubt in my heart. I didn't have to be convinced. There is a feeling of exhileration when you come to the truth and you just 'know'. It is waaaay better than reading it in a book and having it drilled into your head by threat of punishment but never quite being sure.

Answer 3

You are right, there are many religious groups out there that all believe theirs is the true religion. I am a traditional native american. I am not christian. Our religion is the way we live our daily life. We believe that there are many pathes to the same destination. If you truly believe what you are taught and you live it daily not just once a week at church then you will reach the Creator just as I hope to. We will just be traveling different roads. Each culture has a name for the Supreme Being. It is the same God, just called by a different name. Budda is your God, Jehova is your God, Great Spirit, Grandfather,Great Mystery is your God. Yes there are some differnces attatched to each belief system but no one has the right to say one religion is better or more true than another. Many religions today were created by man. Do some research on the Mormons and Jehova Witness, the Lutheran, the Baptist. Evan the bible is not as old as Native beliefs. We were here long before Christ was on earth yet some tribes have stories that he walked among us in the years that are missing from the bible.If you truly believe in your teachings and you treat everyone as you would like to be treated. If you have respect for all of God's creations and treat all with respect , if you try very hard to love and not hate, if you feel compassion and act on it, if you share what you have with those less fortunate, if you do not judge someone when you don't know the whole story, you will be living your religion daily not once a week. If you do not focus on being greedy and taking without giving back, you will be living as you should.

Answer 4

I do not believe or follow the religion of my parents or family. In my teens and twenties I searched for truth in religion. For a time I considered myself Confucian. But I was challenged about the Bible and had to find the truth for myself. What I found was that NONE of the popular religions really had much truth in them.

The world is FULL of deception, most especially in regard to religion.
Revelation 12:9 -- So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Matthew 24:5 -- For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Matthew 24:11 -- And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

The Bible itself challenges people to find, and then live by, the truth.

Proverbs 23:23 -- Buy the truth, and do not sell it, Also wisdom and instruction and understanding.

It is the truth that Christians are established in:
2 Peter 1:12 -- For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth.

And most importantly, salvation is gained through acceptance of the truth:
2 Thessalonians 2:10 -- and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

Those who reject it will perish.

But, ... one must know the truth before he can accept of reject it. And God is just. EVERYONE who has ever lived WILL know the truth BEFORE they are judged. All Buddhists, Confusists, Hindu, Muslim, Catholic, Protestant, Shinto, Wiccan, Jew, Atheist, etc., etc., etc., whether living or dead, will be taught the truth after Jesus returns to this earth.

But it is a Christian's duty to study so that they will be well grounded and sure of the truth:
2 Timothy 2:15 -- Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
John 8:32 -- And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
.

Answer 5

You live by what God says. And He said that Heaven and Earth will pass away, but His word will never pass away. Knowing this we also know that God keeps His word. Anything that He said is what will come to pass.

So as I read what you wrote I remembered what Jesus said. Concerning what the truth REALLY is:

13 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
( John 4 )

So, if you think that some other religion has a point, then what about the points that God makes? When did they become so invalid, or even equal to those arguments made by those who do not recognize Him?

And then there is this: All those who were born in other religions didn't necessarily stay that way. If God wanted them, they appeared odd and 'off track' to their comrades. They were the one's who appeared to not be of the same material as the others. God has chosen people from all nations to be a part of His kingdom, and it would do us well to remember that.

Answer 6

Your point is correct. But God has given us the brain, which helps us to differentiate between Right and Wrong. I dont mean to say, all religions are worng except mine. Infact all religions came from God, but the people after their Prophets made changes in the Sacred Books.

To judge a religion, we can make use of Science and see if it contradicts with our Books or not.

In my religion, the concept of God is too clear. We are asked to worship God as though we see Him, but while we do not see Him, He truly sees us.

The things mentioned in the Book contain many of the things of Science, which has been found by science in recent years only.

For more information about God or religion, plz click on the following website:

http://www.sultan.org/articles/QScience.html

God is real, and He loves you (even if you are the most naughty child in the world, or the most wicked adult). He knows all your weaknesses and struggles, and even if you go wrong (even in a big way) He still loves you. What He does not love is the wrong you have done – but He still loves you. He will never ‘turn His back’ on the person who is sorry and asks for help to be put right again – never! Even if everyone else does, and nobody else understands, He does, and He will never leave you even if you leave Him from time to time.

But don’t forget – Islam is much more than keeping the disciplines of praying and fasting. Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) made it quite clear that honesty, and courage, and generosity, and modesty, and being helpful, kind and unselfish were more important. If you broke those on a fast day, then you have broken your fast even if you never ate or drank anything! If you tell lies, or steal, or use obscene language etc etc, then thinking you are a good Muslim because you say prayers at the exact times five times per day looks a bit of a joke.

Answer 7

As you can see, Christians will stop at nothing to see that you STAY a Christian.

The post above, with all the scriptures... Why didn't he just send you a link to the entire Bible?

I was raised a Christian and after a PhD in Comparative Religions and a professorship at Oxford, where I was a researcher in Christian Apologetics, I discovered that you can "prove" or "disprove" a religion by researching the evidence.

I could prove this to you, if you had eight years of intense scholarship I could share with you but none of that is really needed.

All that is required is for you to continue to ask the honest questions you are asking right now. If you seek the truth, you will find it.

Religious people will try to manipulate you emotionally with scripture, sermons and music, whatever...

You see, they need as many people as possible to agree with them that they have the "truth" because they themselves have not sought the truth honestly. If they can get a mass of people surrounding them that all agree with them then they will not have to put the effort into finding answers to questions they feel are blasphemous.

Have you ever wondered why the Bible is so very adamant that you keep your mind "pure" and that you avoid philosophy, vain babblings and fellowship with non-believers?

But in the end, you know if you really, really know something or not.

I believe that you will, like me, never stop questioning, and that you will not settle for answers, but demand them.

Answer 8

I am a Buddhist. Reincarnation is a Buddhist belief. It was taught by Shakyamuni Buddha as is even discussed in the Lotus Sutra. Tibetan Buddhism is a sect of Buddhism. As is Zen Buddhism, Vietnamese Buddhism, Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism, etc.

A Buddhist believes what he believes just as a Christian will believe what has been taught him/her. The main difference is that a Buddhist will let you believe what you will and will respect you for your beliefs. Many Christians will not. Many have told me that I will burn in hell for my beliefs.

The basic core lessons of all the major religions teach love and compassion. In this we are all the same. This is the universal truth of all the worlds great religions.

We, as humans, get into trouble when we want for force our beliefs and practices on others under the false belief that one is greater than the other. If both teach love and compassion how can one be better than any other?

Answer 9

Don't know. I was raised atheist.

However, I do thank God that neither myself nor my family were the kind of atheist's that seem to be the majority on here...the evangelical atheist that obsesses over something they claim to have no belief in.

Oh, and my parents are atheist and I am a Christian. Actually the only Christian in my immediate family.

One thing I have found in life is that truth is subjective. To the person practicing Shinto, reincarnation is truth, to the Christian God and Jesus are truth, to the Muslim Mohamed is truth...etc.

Answer 10

After reading a few responses I found it interesting that some are congratulating you for arriving at a conclusion which you never state. Beware of such people because they are either fools who clearly lack a basic understanding of things, or worse, are trying to bribe you into accepting their opinion by offering congratulations instead of using sound reasoning. Hopefully you weren't entertained.

As for your comparison and questions, Buddhism and Christianity are not equivalent as is evident by the historical achievements of the nations that follow them. Believing otherwise follows the typical modern day multicultural thinking that is missing a natural understanding of things.

My challenge for you is to get a closer relationship to nature by observing it, and then studying the Bible on your own. Make a conscience effort to note how certain cultures (not races) and religions have flourished over time and the extent to which they follow the laws of nature, and those of the Bible. This may take years, but I have found that one of Gods greatest witness is his creation, and that through observing it and its laws, you can gain a much greater understanding him. Many Scientist can also attest to this.