So, what do Christians REALLY think of other religions, such as Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Taoism, Pagan, Wiccan…? Do they think these religions are jokes and that these believers are all going to the Christian Hell? Or, do you think they are really worshipping the Christian God in their own way, but they just don’t know it?
Note that this is only in regards to Christianity vs Other Religions, not Christianity vs Atheism or Agnosticism, so please keep those arguments out of here…
I don’t think any religious beliefs are “jokes”. I’m not the judge of anyone so I can’t say who might or might not go to “Christian Hell”.
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I don’t think people who believe in other God’s are worshipping the “Christian” God. They are worhiping their God, or the Gods or Goddesses their particular religion teaches to worship.
As in all other things, it depends on what flavor of Christianity you’re talking about. There are Christians who are at either extreme you mentioned in your post, there are Christians outside of those extremes, and there are Christians everywhere in the middle. You’re not going to get one coherent answer here.
Hmmm, well, I’d have to agree with Ultrafilter - ask 1000 christians this question, and you’ll get 1000 different answers. If you’re interested in my personal view - I’ve been a Christian for many years, and I regularly attend a Church of England church - I would say that I respect other people’s views and beliefs, but I also think they are wrong, . Jesus is quite clear that ‘No-one comes to the father except through me.’ To me, this means that other religions are worshipping false gods, and are therefore destined for hell. However, I also believe that God loves us all very deeply, and isn’t going to send anyone to hell without giving them every chance to get into heaven.
Just my tuppence worth
Don’t each of the various Christian denominations have an official position on this?
What ultrafilter said. There are Christians who beleive that members of other Christian denominations are going to hell, and there are Christians who don’t believe in hell at all.
For what it’s worth, I think most mainstream Christian denominations see considerable value and merit in non-Christian religions. So, for example, the Catechism of the Catholic Church has this to say: The Church’s bond with non-Christian religions is in the first place the common origin and end of the human race: All nations form but one community. This is so because all stem from the one stock which God created to people the entire earth, and also because all share a common destiny, namely God . . . The Catholic Church recognizes in other religions that search, among shadows and images, for the God who is unknown yet near since he gives life and breath and all things and wants all men to be saved. Thus, the Church considers all goodness and truth found in these religions as “a preparation for the Gospel and given by him who enlightens all men that they may at length have life.” (The quote is from one of the documents of the Second Vatican Council.)
And, for the record, membership of the Catholic church, or of any Christian denomination, is not essential for individual salvation: Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation. (The Catechism again.)
What UDS said for the Catholic Catechism, cited here.
Personally, as a Catholic, I can only see Catholicism as the one true religion; it would be a betrayal to say that any other religion had as much validity. At the same time, I have my hands full trying to follow God’s will for myself and don’t have a lot of time to worry about who’s going to hell.
From the Holy Father’s own work, well in short
Buddhism: More than a little comparison to Christianity, and their wish to elimate desire itself is honorable, if perhaps somewhat impossible in the application.
Hindu: Very honorable religion. The mystical traditions stem from the same source of human need as ours.
Islam is kind of like our close cousin with whom we keep fightin over the remote control.
“In my father’s house are many mansions.” — Jesus
What do Europeans think of other countries?
What do men think of women?
What do children think of food?
Generalizations never make for answerable questions!
Reminds me of a joke:
A guy named John who was an agnostic dies and goes up to heaven. He meets a kindly old man at the gates who invites him in and gives him a tour. They come to a giant room. The old man explains this is the room where all of the buddhists stay. He invites John to mingle. John finds a giant feast and wonderful conversation. He is welcomed, hugged, and has an all around wonderful time.
After a while, the old man continues the tour. They come to another great big room. The old man tells him this is where the Jews are. John socializes, has some of their food, makes many friends, and has an all around great time.
They continue the tour into a third room. This time it is the Wiccans. They have great music playing, great food, great conversation, and welcome John as he mingles. Again, John has a splendid time all around.
Now the old man leads John to a fourth room. Before they enter, he tells him to be very very quiet when they go through this room. The old man leads him through a room with thousands of people. None of the people greet him or even look at him. They make their way through the room. John starts to speak and the old man shushes him. When they finally get out, John asks the old man what the deal was with that last room:
“Oh, those are the Southern Baptists. They think they are the only ones here.”
DaLovin’ Dj
Old joke, DJ. And purt near every religion and denomination has been the punchline of it.
Have you considered the context of that quote? I don’t think there’s anything in that statement which suggests any particular attitude toward other religions.
I’m a Catholic.
My belief, which I think is not entirely dissimilar from how Jews take it, is that God’s arrangement with people of other religions is between them and God, and really has nothing to do with me. If God has chosen to reveal Himself to people in different ways, who am I to say He’s wrong?
What religion is Jesus?
How is that relevant to the topic at hand? We are, after all, discussing whether Christ’s comment regarding “many mansions” pertains to other religions. This is something which should be ascertained based on the context of said quote.
Yeah, Lib. I have heard it applied several different ways. I brought it up not really to single out Southern Baptists, but to illustrate how foolish it is to insist that one’s own belief (in an unprovable set of theories) concerning the unknown must be the absolute and infallible truth. Particularly when used to exclude and demonize other human beings.
DaLovin’ Dj
Other religions than what? His? How can we discuss that if we don’t know what His is?
Amen. Jesus did not say, for example, “No one comes to the Father except by the Southern Baptists.”
I wish the Christian denominations believed that. I was raised Southern Baptist/Methodist and I can tell you that MOST Christians I have met in my lifetime are not this lax. In the Southern Baptist faith I was brought up in, it is believed that their way is the ONLY way, and anyone not going their way is not going to heaven. This includes Methodists, Pentacostals, LDS’s, etc. as well as Buddhists, Hindus, etc. I was told as a child that (the Christian) God always makes himself known at some point, even to all the poor little children in non-Christian third-world countries, and if they don’t follow Him, then they won’t go to heaven. Pretty tough stuff to tell a 5-year-old.