What do Christians think of other religions?

[More_Cowbell]

Let’s try it out with the famous Love verses in 1 Corinthians:

God is patient and kind; God is not jealous or boastful; he is not arrogant or rude. God does not insist on his own way; he is not irritable or resentful; he does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. God bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

God never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. So faith, hope, God abide, these three; but the greatest of these is God.

You are right Joe_Cool, that just sounds so horrible. How could Lib make such outrageous claims! :rolleyes:

[Triskadecamus]

The OP asks what do Christians think of other religions. Lib, and Poly have spoken to the greater implied question, “What does Christ think of other religions?”

I will join them.

The Lord loves His children. Their religions are not the object of His love, even those among them who are Christians. It is their souls that He loves, and seeks to save beyond the end that comes to all on the Earth.

I will have to place myself among those who feel that Christians know who they are, and some who speak of themselves as Christians know in their hearts that they are not. But, you and I don’t know one from another. I know that I am a Christian. Christ knows who is a Christian. I don’t know if Polycarp is a Christian. I know he speaks here with a patient, loving heart, in support of the Love of Christ for all man. That seems to me to be something a Christian should do. But I could be fooled, and end up buying Poly’s tracts, and books, and pledging to his Foundation, as he sits at home, laughing and counting his filthy lucre.

Libertarian speaks out relentlessly that God is Love, and the path to love will, and must lead to God. Sounds true to me. Sounds tautological, in fact. But then, tautology is a common thing, when we try to put faith into words.

WV Woman speaks out often here, of the biblical precedent for her faith. I do not contend with her, on the matter of her faith. I do, when she applies that to others. She can find truth, and love, and God Himself in the Bible, if she seeks Him there. Many do. But those who seek self aggrandizement can find it as well. The mind is a dangerous place to place one’s faith. Words serve all who use them, for good or ill, whatever the source of the words might be.

You see, I know many people who have no clue about religion. They just aren’t smart enough to have a theology of any sort. A dear sweet friend always tells me, as he recalls his father, passed away many years ago, that “My father, art in Heaven, with Jesus, and Superman.” What religion is he? Religion won’t keep you out of Heaven. I don’t know if it will help you, though.

I don’t go to church all that often. I won’t discuss my charity in public. Anyone who wishes may form an opinion on whether I am a “True Christian.” Only two opinions on that subject matter at all: my Lord’s, and mine.

I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and Savior of Man. I believe that He shall judge the souls of men. Each one. And I believe that he will see the soul, entire, in every aspect, and with His infinite love. Every soul that will be saved, shall be saved. Sinners, pagans, priests, and fools, every one beloved of the Lord, the infinite spirit of Love. I doubt that religion will come up, in most cases, but that’s just my opinion. I am sure that my opinion won’t come up at all.

Tris

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength; loving someone deeply gives you courage.” ~ Lao-Tzu ~

[Joe_Cool]

*Originally posted by ThunderBug *
**You are right Joe_Cool, that just sounds so horrible. How could Lib make such outrageous claims! :rolleyes: **

Yeah, especially since they’re false.

God is not jealous or boastful;…God does not insist on his own way;…God bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

God does not insist on his own way? I beg to differ:

(exodus 20:2-17)
I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

God bears all things?

(John 2:14-16)
And [Jesus] found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise. [the other gospels say “a den of thieves”]

(numbers 16:29-33)
[Moses said] If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me. But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.
And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.

(acts 5:1-10)
But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it, at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.

God is not jealous?

(exodus 34:14)
For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God

(deuteronomy 4:24)
For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.

(deuteronomy 5:9-10)
Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

(deuteronomy 6:14-15)
Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you; (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.

Love is God’s nature, but so are Justice, Mercy, and Holiness. There is much more to him than just a big group hug.

[Guinastasia]

The problem with considering the Bible to be the infallible word of God is that it can run the risk of worshiping the Bible, and not the God that is supposedly behind it.

God is much bigger than some book.

[Joe_Cool]

The problem with not accepting anything as the word of God is that without any objective reference, everything becomes subjective. And it runs the risk of worshipping self and experience, since that is then all you have to rely on.

[Liberal]

God is much bigger than some book.

Amen, Guin.

The problem with not accepting anything as the word of God is that without any objective reference, everything becomes subjective.

Jesus is the Word of God.

[More_Cowbell]

So Joe_Cool, if God is not love, then 1 John is wrong, then the Bible is not infallable and you have a problem. Of course, the way you describe God, he is an intollerable, unmovable, uncaring entity that is only interested in putting his will on the world instead of having people come to him freely. This is the being you want everyone to have an intimate relationship with? I’d get better treatment in prison than by the God you describe.

So is God Love or isn’t He? Is He infintely merciful as the Bible claims or is he bent on punishing all who don’t believe in words written on papyrus? Does He require us to love all or is he so jealous that we must love only him? If he is the same yesterday and tomorrow, how can you attribute these changes in his nature?

“His ways are not our ways”. But to explain God to people, you must attribute our ways to His. I believe that God is bigger than anyway we can describe him in words that can be misused and misunderstood.

Here I though Jesus taught all about looking beyond the words and look to the meaning. He taught to look beyond the wedding vows spoken to the love that sparked those very vows. He spoke out about people following the letter of the law instead of understanding the spirit and meaning of the law giver. And here we are, 2000 years later, and people are still using his words to oppress instead of using his love to embrace. How sad.

[Liberal]

And here we are, 2000 years later, and people are still using his words to oppress instead of using his love to embrace. How sad.

Sad indeed, my brother. Sad indeed. Saddest most of all for the man Who said, “Take my yoke upon you, for I am gentle in spirit, and you will find rest for your soul.”

[Feistymongol]

*Originally posted by Shodan *
** I think of the word “orientated” as dark, bestial and foreboding.

I think you might be confusing the ethnocentrism of all cultures with that found in Christianity.

True, but there’s quite a lot of that dogma imbedded in christianity. Pope II and his comments regarding various other religions etc. A lot of it is pure religious/cultural supremacy rhetoric at its root.

Witness the use of military force to expand Islam, not to mention the conquest of practically everybody by practically everybody else - and using any religion, or no religion at all, as partial justification.

No doubt, but if you look at it in terms of the big picture these religious wars have always been occurring.

Considering that the three major monotheistic religions (Judaism, Islam, and Christianity) all were founded in the Middle East, I cannot agree with you there.

I was referring to the Far east, I thought the whole confucianism comparison of morals would tip the reader off on that. Next time i’ll clarify…

[Joe_Cool]

*Originally posted by Libertarian *
**Sad indeed, my brother. Sad indeed. Saddest most of all for the man Who said, “Take my yoke upon you, for I am gentle in spirit, and you will find rest for your soul.” **

More waxing poetic, but still no answer, I see. What a surprise. I don’t know why you think you get to pick and choose the elements of God’s nature to the exclusion of the ones you don’t like.

Or why you refuse to respond to such a simple, straightforward question.

[More_Cowbell]

Pssst… Joe_Cool. Lib already answered your question on Page One when DJ brought it up. Just so you don’t have to look, here it is:

*Originally posted by Libertarian *
**Yes, I do see. I see that you had to look away from the discussion at hand to find that. But going where you’ve gone doesn’t get you anywhere. Immediately following the verse you gave are these:

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God. (19-21)

You can’t know whether you believe in Him until you come upon Him. How can you believe in something not even identified?. :eek:

Belief (or faith) isn’t our doing, but God’s. First is love. Belief merely follows. **

Do try to keep up.

[Triskadecamus]

Joe,

Do you really need someone to go to Hell for some reason?

Does it cheapen your salvation if the love of God is greater than you imagine it to be?

Look for the source of this need. It might be your own.

Tris

[Guinastasia]

Joe, does it not say that whatever you do to the least of our brothers, that you do unto Him?

Does that not mean, that God is a part of everyone-whether or not we think that is so?

[Joe_Cool]

Tris, where in this entire thread did I say anything relating to hell or anybody going there? No place that I am aware of. I don’t believe I even alluded to the possibility. In fact, I have no desire whatsoever for anyone to go to hell. However, the OP asks what Christians believe about other religions. As a Christian, I feel well qualified to answer that - I believe they are false.

Additionally, I am absolutely certain that God’s love is far, far greater than any of us is even capable of imagining. However, I do have a problem with an image of Him that is contrary to what He has revealed to us.

I have a further problem with “creative interpretation” of plain text that has plain meaning. If I made a statement as plain as that, and people who know me told others that I meant something other than what I said, I would not be pleased. Jesus made, in no uncertain terms, claims of exclusivity in salvation.

Thunderbug, What you quoted does not answer my question, which, since I guess it’s not as clear as I had thought, is: What indication is there in the text that when Jesus said ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the father but by me,’ he in fact meant anything other than Himself?

[Guinastasia]

What indication is there that he even said that? Other than John?

[funfan]

Curiously, does anyone really know how many times the term “Christian” is used in the Bible? As far as what christians think of other religions, what do christians think of other “christians”? I’ve already read from several different responsed from people who consider themselves christian, yet there are well over 1000 different christian denominations. I know of many Christian denominational churches that practice things that are made up from men, not God. And many who leave critical stuff out.

Just because you attend a church that considers themselves a christian denomination, you really need to compare it the the bible to determine you are following God the way God intended.

[Ben]

*Originally posted by Joe_Cool *
**The problem with not accepting anything as the word of God is that without any objective reference, everything becomes subjective. And it runs the risk of worshipping self and experience, since that is then all you have to rely on. **

But when you choose what book to consider to be the word of God, or when you read the Bible and try to figure out what it’s saying, what do you rely on?

Self and experience?

Personally, my objective reference is reality.

Here’s a link to my FAQ:

http://costello.cnf.cornell.edu/~ben/atfaq.html

[More_Cowbell]

*Originally posted by Joe_Cool *
**
I have a further problem with “creative interpretation” of plain text that has plain meaning. If I made a statement as plain as that, and people who know me told others that I meant something other than what I said, I would not be pleased. Jesus made, in no uncertain terms, claims of exclusivity in salvation.

Thunderbug, What you quoted does not answer my question, which, since I guess it’s not as clear as I had thought, is: What indication is there in the text that when Jesus said ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the father but by me,’ he in fact meant anything other than Himself? **

Creative interpretation?! Most of Christian theology is based on creative interpretation! Jesus as Messiah, the Devil opposing God only to be cast out of Heaven and the Trinity are all examples of “creative interpretation”. What makes your “interpretation” any more correct than that of Libertarian or Polycarp’s? Why do you think Jesus, who spoke constantly in riddles with deeper hidden meanings, could not have been doing so here. Why do many Christians take the parable of Lazarus and build an everlasting torturous hell from it instead of seeing it as it is, a parable, yet when Jesus says something as metaphoric as “I am the way, the truth and the light, no one comes to the father but by me” claim the message is perfectly clear? Was Jesus literally a walking yellow brick road (the way), or a philosophical statement (the truth) or a halogen lamp (the light)? It’s a metaphor open to interpretation. You interpret it as some exclusive club with set rules. Seems to me Poly and Lib interpret it in the context of Jesus’ overall message.

[Liberal]

My favorite accounts of Jesus are by Kahlil Gibran, in Jesus the Son of Man, available in its entirety online.

[Captain_Amazing]

*Originally posted by funfan *
**Curiously, does anyone really know how many times the term “Christian” is used in the Bible? **

I count 3. Two in Acts, one talking about the growth of the new religion in Antioch:

And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

and one in a passage where Paul describes his beliefs to King Herod Agrippa:

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.”

and one in the first letter from Peter:

But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify G-d in this matter.