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Jesus was the ONLY ONE who claimed to be the TRUTH, John 14:6.
So follow Jesus if you love the truth.
But if you do not love the truth, then follow whatever you want.
But realise one thing... only those who have a love of the truth will be saved and given immortality in paradise.
2 Thessalonians 2:10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
There are a lot of religions that exist in this world. And even in that religion different groups exist like Christianity, many Christians group exist with different beliefs, they interpret the bible differently which leads them to these different beliefs, so just by saying that you're a Christian really doesn't mean anything until you are more specific about what parts of the bible you believe and practice and what's your interpretation about a topic or a verse in the bible. Many simply just continue the religious beliefs they were raised with as kids and end up as adults, saying it was their choice but if they were raised in another part of the world, their religion would be different. All of these books were written by man. Man makes errors and how are we suppose to know that what is written in the bible is what was actually written by the 1st person that wrote it? They could of changed some stuff in the bible and that means YOU ARE NO LONGER the entire truth. If I am NOT getting the entire truth, then why should I join this religion? If I am going to join a religion then I better know everything about it.
Did you just pick the religion you were raised in? The one you agreed with? The one you liked?
I have not joined a religion, and I no longer go to church, but I am a believer. This is my story.
I was raised Independent Baptist and brought up in a very conservative Church/school. I'm sure people around the world, for the most part, stick with whatever they grew up with. I did not. I harassed people with what I thought was the truth, but I did not believe it myself, as I found out much later.
Because of some major conflict in my family and chaos and darkness that started entering my life, I began looking high and low for the truth, and probably was leaning toward atheism at one point after becoming angry and disgusted with religion, and the system in general, and was headed off into a black hole of sorts. I began thinking night and day, night and day, becoming more and more depressed and hopeless. Nothing made any sense to me. The answers I got from the religious were just pat answers and made a joke out of Christ, to me.
I soon discovered how organized religion was really just paganism wrapped up in a much more diabolical system than the ancients could dream up. They wrapped a God who wanted to tell people that their sins were not being held against them, and that death would be life, into a god of chaos and confusion.
Anyway, I figured somewhere in the whole mess was a piece of light, and I desperately wanted it.
While the Old Testament can give off a rather nasty picture of God, I started finding a a great depth of love to it. I was reading a children's book that tells all the Old Testament stories, which could be easily understood by a child (and of course it was written with a much kinder tone than the King James and many other versions of the Bible), and my heart started to thaw. After reading the Old Testament??
From there I wanted to know more. The God of the Old Testament sounded much different than the ancient gods that the heathen would sacrifice their children to. Not only that, but I found out that most of the passages in the New Testament where Jesus is angry are directed at the religious of his day, not us heathen 2000 years later. Not only THAT, but I found out that "hell" means "grave," and it is actually a GOOD thing that we all have to die because otherwise we would be immortal in this filthy mess. Nothing wrong with dying (the New Testament said Christ freed us from the fear of death).
The more I studied the ancient religions and the more I studied where the Catholic church, and then the Protestant church, got their religion, the more confident I became that the Restoration of All Things was the truth. I started studying all the religions of the world, ancient civilizations, old languages, and mythology (and I'm still at it).
Anyway, I figured if Jesus existed, and he said the things he said, and he did what is recorded in the Bible, then he has to be the savior of the world. There is only one lamb who can take on the sins of the world, and grace and forgiveness are powerful things. He says he will one day deliver the kingdom (this world) to His Father, and the light would shine on us all, breaking up all the darkness and confusion in the Universe. No other religion on this planet can save you. There is absolutely nothing we can do to save ourselves from decay, perversion, and confusion. We are hopeless without the truth and the light.
I believe Christ (Yeshua, Jesus) is the light and He came to show just what it is that love does. It never gives up. It takes on your stupidity and my stupidity and allows itself to be crucified by the most heinous of men, and says from the cross, "Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing!" It wants to set souls free, and it will.
This world will never be a paradise through human cleverness. It does not know what it needs. The world and it's problems will just keep piling up as we each try to put a human band-aid on a colossal wound. Our wisdom is just scraps of light, not the whole, and you cannot force perfection and righteousness into human hearts; not by decrees or laws or following all the steps of a religion.
Your Creator has to put HIS love and compassion for HIS creation into you, and when it enters, your soul will never be the same. Love truly will conquer all.
I Corinthians 13:
1. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
2. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[2] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
9. For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
10. but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
11. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
12. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Last edited by herefornow; 07-02-2010 at 11:22 PM..
I was born into my religion, but I have read or studied other religions.
I traditionally think it's a bit of "heart" and a bit of "head/mind."
Heart: Has a religion inspired you or given you an emotional feeling of "rightness?" Have you seen it playing a positive role in others?
Head/Mind: Does the things it's teaching make sense to you? If you heard a non-member discuss its beliefs, like in a class, would you think "yeah that religion makes sense."
Not sure that's the right way to do it or if it even fits my current outlook. Still I generally think it has to be emotionally and intellectually satisfying. For me Catholicism was so I've stayed with it.
Did you just pick the religion you were raised in? The one you agreed with? The one you liked?
I picked the religion I was raised in, but I didn't pick it because I was raised in it. I picked it because its doctrines ring true to me. They answer the questions that are important to me: Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going when this life ends? It helps me to understand God (and I believe He really does want us to understand Him). It helps me to comprehend His plan of salvation for His children. It strengthens me when I'm discouraged and helps me to realize my true potential as His daughter. I don't believe it's possible to pick a religion simply by reading the Bible. As you pointed out, all of the Christian denominations disagree over some of its most fundamental teachings, and it's pretty much possible to find passages of scripture that back up any position you want to take. All you need to do is figure out which ones you want to focus on and which ones you want to ignore.
James 1:5 says, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."
There's your answer. Ask God. Ask in faith, believing that He will answer you and He will. (Patience helps, too. It may not happen overnight.)
Forget religion and follow God. I belong to the church that I do because they preach teach the Bible, they teach that Jesus is the only way to Heaven.
I AGREE WITH YOU 100%. The bible makes it quite clear, and these words came right out of Jesus' mouth. He said that he is the way, the truth, and the life, and no man can come to the Father but by Him. John 14:6
It just gets me when people debate about religion and whose religion is the right one to God. The JWs, Mormons, Church of Christ, SDAs, are just a handful of religions who strongly teach their members that if you are not in their flock, you are not truly saved or truly worshipping God. How sad. Jesus laid out the path for us to follow. Religion is just a PRACTICE, NOTHING MORE NOTHING LESS. Thank God he has revealed this truth to me. I used to think that religion saved you. ONLY GOD DOES THE SAVING THROUGH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST.
WE NEED TO STOP BEING CHURCHIANS AND DIVIDED OVER INTERPRETATIONS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR SALVATION, AND TRULY BE AND LIVE AS CHRISTIANS.
The JWs, Mormons, Church of Christ, SDAs, are just a handful of religions who strongly teach their members that if you are not in their flock, you are not truly saved or truly worshipping God.
I'm not even going to attempt to speak for the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Church of Christ or the Seventh Day Adventists, but the Mormons teach no such thing. As a matter of fact, we are probably the only Christian denomination with an official doctrine that is essentially universalist. Furthermore, we would never, ever tell anybody that if they weren't part of our Church they aren't truly worshipping God.
I'm not even going to attempt to speak for the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Church of Christ or the Seventh Day Adventists, but the Mormons teach no such thing. As a matter of fact, we are probably the only Christian denomination with an official doctrine that is essentially universalist. Furthermore, we would never, ever tell anybody that if they weren't part of our Church they aren't truly worshipping God.
Thanks for posting.
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