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If that is the case more than 70% of the world population is going to hell, just like everybody is not going to follow the same political party or like the same flavor of ice cream or like the same food, not everybody is going to be a Christian or a Muslim or a Jew.
There's must be more than one way or God is not fair.
This pretty much hits the nail on the head as to what I am asking about in this thread.
But don't get me wrong: I don't claim to have the answer. So I wouldn't go so far as to say that if it IS this way then "God is not fair." Instead, I suspect if it is this way (one true religion) then this condition is due to humanity and not God.
Correct me if I am wrong, but Buddhism is not mutually exclusive to other religions, right? One can be Buddhist at the same time as belonging to another religion, so long as the beliefs are not inconsistent with each other. If this is correct, it seems to be a sort of religious compatibility that is consistent with what I am asking about.
One can also be Muslim and Christian as they both share the same God, yet people bicker as though the other party stepped on their cat. The point is, I'm not saying that you can't mix your religious beliefs (I believe there is an actual term for that where you take bits and pieces of different religions to form your mantra). All religion have very similar beliefs, but as a generalized whole, people like sticking up for their own beliefs.
As for me, I can see where other religions are coming from. I respect their choices even though I cannot follow their choices, but I also expect the same respect from them. And that means no veiled statements, hypocritical statements, telling me my religion is wrong, or guilt-tripping. A lot of religion has the underlying message RESPECT in their teachings, but many don't understand or grasp the concept
If that is the case more than 70% of the world population is going to hell, just like everybody is not going to follow the same political party or like the same flavor of ice cream or like the same food, not everybody is going to be a Christian or a Muslim or a Jew.
There's must be more than one way or God is not fair.
According to followers, God is fair, so long as you believe in him. If not, he will drop you to hell in a second.
And it'll be a party down in hell, that's for sure. I'll bring the marshmallows. Someone want to bring the graham crackers, skewers, and chocolate?
I can see where other religions are coming from. I respect their choices even though I cannot follow their choices, but I also expect the same respect from them. And that means no veiled statements, hypocritical statements, telling me my religion is wrong, or guilt-tripping. A lot of religion has the underlying message RESPECT in their teachings, but many don't understand or grasp the concept
At the risk of getting off topic I would mention that I believe there is a passage in the New Testament advising to not criticize others’ beliefs. I think it pertains to Christians not being critical of the more stingent Jewish laws.
At the risk of getting off topic I would mention that I believe there is a passage in the New Testament advising to not criticize others’ beliefs. I think it pertains to Christians not being critical of the more stingent Jewish laws.
So how many Christians have you met lately that did not use the word "unsaved" to another person? Or that they will "pray for your soul"? Or to hope that you "find God someday"?
That is not respect and they broke what the passage told them about not criticizing another's beliefs By telling(not even criticizing) me that I am an "unsaved", you are imposing your beliefs onto me, which are both unwanted and disrespectful, while criticizing my beliefs indirectly. By "praying for my soul", you rudely imply that my beliefs are unwanted and a bad person because I do not follow your own beliefs, which again, is indirectly criticizing my belief system. Finally, telling me to "find God someday" is slapping me with your beliefs and criticizing my own religion's deities because you do not think my deities are good enough to "find me". It might not seem obvious to those of that religion that speaks this, but it sure is obvious when you are on the other side of the fence
My own religious beliefs have no need to convert another person; yet other religions feel the need to do so. Respect? I don't think so.
Can faithful Christians, Muslims, Jews, etc ALL go to Heaven, each worshiping in their own way? Or is there just one true way to get there? And all the rest will end up roasting in hell.
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"Thou shalt have no other gods before me." ~Exodus 20:3~
Jesus saith unto him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." ~John 14:6~
There are 162 mentions of hell in the new testament...70 of them by Jesus. Once one has read all of them they will know that the writers fully intended to send a message. It's their way or the highway...so to speak.
Last edited by Melvin.George; 10-05-2009 at 03:44 AM..
Reason: addition
What I was taught is that there is no way to get to Heaven except through Jesus Christ, but that this means one of the following
1: Other individuals will go to a "limbo" of perfect natural happiness. In the most technical sense this is Hell, a separation from God, but it's pretty good once you get past that. You have an eternity with the greatest minds or noblest people of Neo-Confucianism, Zen, Islam, Baha'i, Sikhism, Shogun-era Japan, etc. (Picking eras that postdate Christ) Additionally you can say take painting classes from Hokusai, dance with pre-contact Maori, party with the Arawak, and trade jokes with the guys who built Great Zimbabwe. If that's even close to the concept it sounds pretty sweet.
2: Jesus Christ will not punish you for ignorance or respecting your family. He will save you somewhat "in spite of yourself", or in spite of your religion, provided you are not in a state of grave sin from a natural/universal perspective. (So ignorance is not an excuse if you've say devoted your life to raping and killing your kinfolk or something else universally deemed wrong)
It seems like there might have been other theories. However "burning hell for non-believers", although mentioned in the Council of Florence, is not what I was raised to believe or do believe. As I understand Catholic evangelism, not that I'm an Evangelical Catholic (my parents were though, at times), it is about spreading the good news and the Catholic faith being the fullness of the truth. It's not so much, or at all these days, about saving people from eternal torment.
"Thou shalt have no other gods before me." ~Exodus 20:3~
Jesus saith unto him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." ~John 14:6~
There are 162 mentions of hell in the new testament...70 of them by Jesus. Once one has read all of them they will know that the writers fully intended to send a message. It's their way or the highway...so to speak.
Very good reading, I suggest you take a look at it.
Your understanding of the bible is based on a KJV or a NIV, which was translated to English.
Just as one example of mistranslation. Moses didn't cross the "red sea" the actual hebrew translation is "reed sea". See how easy that would be to mistranslate? The reason this is important, is the red sea is massive, huge. The reed sea was a marshy area north of the red sea, close to where the modern day suez canal is. I'm sure you know that the Red sea didn't get to the mediterannian. It had swamp lands, that was the reed sea. So crossing the reed sea is a lot more believable than the red sea.
Yet Christians seem to hold on to a Charlton Heston movie as the gospel.
The word "hell" was mistranslated from was Gehenna in the new testament.
Why is this important? Well, the hebrew word for hell was Sheol. This was what was used in the old testament. Jesus never used that word, as quoted in the sermon on the mount, or any other non translated quotes from Hebrew associated with Christ. Christ used the word Gehenna. To Jews of the time, this was a valley, north of Jerusalem where many Jews had ben slaughtered after a battle.
So when Jesus said that if you didn't father him, you risked going to "Gehenna", it didn't mean hell. It meant that you risked being slaughted in a valley north of town. HUGE DIFFERENCE right?
If you are truely going to understand Christs words, and the bible, I strongly suggest you take a hebrew class, and a religious studies class. You'll be amazed at how much stuff the King James translators got wrong, as long as the original latin translators.
Gehenna was mistranslated to "hell" because it was also used by the Greeks, as a word for Hades.
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By telling(not even criticizing) me that I am an "unsaved", you are imposing your beliefs onto me, which are both unwanted and disrespectful, while criticizing my beliefs indirectly. By "praying for my soul", you rudely imply that my beliefs are unwanted and a bad person because I do not follow your own beliefs, which again, is indirectly criticizing my belief system. Finally, telling me to "find God someday" is slapping me with your beliefs and criticizing my own religion's deities because you do not think my deities are good enough to "find me". It might not seem obvious to those of that religion that speaks this, but it sure is obvious when you are on the other side of the fence
