Is it wrong to be multi-religious? - Page 3

All religions are valid as all lead you to God, what makes you think that christianity is nay more valid than Hinduism or islam?

No that is false!

All religions are definately not all correct. It is possible for all to be wrong but it is not possible for all to be right.

All have exclusive truth claims at there core and that makes it impossible for all to be right!!!

The 3 you mention are in stark contrast to each other.

In Hinduism, you just do what good you can and eventually you may achieve oneness with the devine.
In Islam, God balances your good works agains you bad works. You can never be sure of your salvation
In Christianity it is by grace and faith in Jesus that we are saved.

How can they all be equally valid?

So Pete - should we believe that Christianity (of today) is more valid because you think so or are you going to prove to us that Christianity is more valid.

Give me a religion that stops world hunger, global warming and creates world peace and I'll claim it true in a heart beat - but there is none, and it is my belief that the true church has been taken from this earth long ago, we are all just searching.

Prove me wrong.

Firstly, If you believed that the true church has already been taken you then have 2 problems. What about the people been born today? Did God just ignore them - how do they get salvation? How do you explain that. Secondly on a more personel level, what then are you doing following mormanism if you know that it is false!

Taken from www.carm.org.
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Yes, Christianity is the one true religion. That may sound awfully dogmatic and narrow-minded, but the simple truth is that Christianity is the only true religion. Jesus said that He alone was the way to the Father (John 14:6), that He alone revealed the Father (Matt. 11:27; Luke 10:22). Christians do not go around saying Christianity is the only way because they are arrogant, narrow-minded, stupid, and judgmental. They do so because they believe what Jesus said. They believe in Jesus, who claimed to be God (John 8:58; Exodus 3:14), who forgave sins (Mark 2:5; Luke 5:20; 7:48), and who rose from the dead (Luke 24:24-29; John 2:19f). Jesus said that He was the only way. Jesus is unique. He was either telling the truth, He was crazy, or He was a liar. But since everyone agrees that Jesus was a good man, how then could He be both good and crazy, or good and a liar? He had to be telling the truth. He is the only way.
Christianity is not just a religion; it is a relationship with God. It is a trusting in Jesus and what He did on the cross (1 Cor. 15:1-4), not on what you can do for yourself (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Buddha didn't rise from the dead, nor did Confucius or Zoroaster. Muhammad didn't fulfill detailed prophecy. Alexander the Great didn't raise the dead or heal the sick. And though there is far less reliable information written about them, they are believed in.
The scripture is right when it says in 1 Pet. 2:7-8, "This precious value, then, is for you who believe. But for those who disbelieve, 'The stone which the builders rejected, this became the very corner stone,' and, 'A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense'; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed." (NASB).

The Mathematical Odds of Jesus Fulfilling Prophecy

"The following probabilities are taken from Peter Stoner in Science Speaks (Moody Press, 1963) to show that coincidence is ruled out by the science of probability. Stoner says that by using the modern science of probability in reference to eight prophecies, 'we find that the chance that any man might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in 1017." That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. In order to help us comprehend this staggering probability, Stoner illustrates it by supposing that "we take 1017 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man."
Stoner considers 48 prophecies and says, "we find the chance that any one man fulfilled all 48 prophecies to be 1 in 10157, or 1 in 10,00,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 000,000,000."

(This information was taken from the book Evidence that Demands a Verdict, by Josh McDowell.)

The estimated number of electrons in the universe is around 1079. It should be quite evident that Jesus did not fulfill the prophecies by accident. He was who He said He was: the only way (John 14:6).

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Jesus was making a most reasonable statement when he said "I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the father except through me". As I said before it is not possible for all religions to be true. Truth by definition is exclusive.

I could explain why I believe Christianity to be the truth, but unless you do your own impartial investigation nothing will change in your life. You need to seek Jesus yourself to see if he is the truth. When we seek with all our heart we will find the truth - and it will set us free.

Pete - First off, I'm glad that we can have this discussion and that we can express our point of view and neither one of us will go to prison for it.

We are not so far apart on our beliefs except that I have broadened my beliefs to validate other opinions who I feel is just as valid.

If there is a heaven and you're trying to get there and you follow the teachings of Jesus most likely you will get there, call it whatever religion you like. Give Jesus whatever title you want, from whatever book it may be written down in. What's important is what was taught and what's important is if you follow it or not.

I can believe that the true church has been taken and be scriptural AND still believe in salvation, my dream helps me believe, I just don't have to understand how that works inorder to believe.

Concerning the Mormons - they believe they are the Restored church for the end of time. I think they are right about one thing - I believe this is the end of times, especially when I here Bush today claim we are in world war III, and I am only investigating the Mormon church.

Getting back to what you believe about Jesus, you get this information from a handful of handpicked scriptures from books chosen by a group of people after throwing out hundreds of other books and none of those scripture prove that he was God. When they asked Jesus about it he never confirmed or denied it so it can only be a matter of opinion and what difference does it make. People who believe that he is God have chosen war when he TAUGHT peace - so what does that tell you. And yes some who believe this have chosen to protest for peace. So what is most important is not is not what you believe about Jesus, but will you do as he says?

You do not know what is true or not true, you are simply taking another man's opinion and calling it your own, and just because there may be a great number of you that does not make it anymore true.

petesmith-Every single thing you said is what almost every single religion says.

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Jesus is unique. He was either telling the truth, He was crazy, or He was a liar. But since everyone agrees that Jesus was a good man, how then could He be both good and crazy, or good and a liar? He had to be telling the truth. He is the only way

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Muhammad and Buddha amongst others were also extremely good and trusted men, how then is Christianity any better?

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Buddha didn't rise from the dead, nor did Confucius or Zoroaster. Muhammad didn't fulfill detailed prophecy

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Muhammad supposedly flew up to the skies, some Buddhists have supposedly walked on water-how is Christianity the better religion.

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The scripture is right when it says in 1 Pet. 2:7-8, "This precious value, then, is for you who believe. But for those who disbelieve, 'The stone which the builders rejected, this became the very corner stone,' and, 'A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense'; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed."

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Almost evey single religion in the world uses these exact same words.

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The Mathematical Odds of Jesus Fulfilling Prophecy

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Buddhists had claimed the existance of atoms long before the discovery, the Quran has mentioned the relativity of time-how is christianity the true religion.

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Jesus was making a most reasonable statement when he said "I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the father except through me". As I said before it is not possible for all religions to be true. Truth by definition is exclusive.

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Again, every religion says stuff like this-wat u have said has done nothing to show that Christianity is the only true religion.

I am not against Christianity btw, infact I beleive in it so don't take this as a idiotic 'beleivers against non beleivers' kinda thing. I just want to point out the fact that contrary to what u said-truth is not exclusive, you can reach God through other methods as well, with or withought religion-through Christianity or through Hinduism.

First off - Truth is always exclusive! It excludes other possibilities! If I have a red car it excludes the possibility that it can be blue.

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Muhammad and Buddha amongst others were also extremely good and trusted men, how then is Christianity any better?

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While Muhammad and Buddha showed or demonstrated the way to get to God, Jesus came AS the way to God. He is God - part of the trinity. This is in stark contrast to every other religion. All other religions give us a set of rules to follow, which if followed diligently may get you to God. In Christianity it is by GRACE and FAITH in Jesus that we can be certain of eternal life. Every other religion is a works based religion. In Christianity Jesus did the work and gives freely to all who ask.

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Muhammad supposedly flew up to the skies, some Buddhists have supposedly walked on water-how is Christianity the better religion.

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You will need to provide some proof of these. Most knowledgeable Muslim scholars will tell you that the only miracle Mohammed performed was the writing of the Koran. It is stated that he had no need to perform any others. Let me ask you a question – if the Koran is the only miracle he performed how can a person who does not read the particular version of Arabic that the Koran is written in, attest to the miracle? – Again Muslim scholars will tell you that a translation of the Koran is not holy and not recognized.

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Almost evey single religion in the world uses these exact same words.

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Can you tell me who the capstone is referring to in other religions? - Try Hinduism and Islam?

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Buddhists had claimed the existence of atoms long before the discovery, the Quran has mentioned the relativity of time-how is Christianity the true religion.

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I don't think you have grasped what prophecy is - these are things that have always existed. Prophecy is talking of the things that have not yet occurred.

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I am not against Christianity btw, infact I believe in it

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If you believed in it you would believe in Jesus and what he taught and that he is the only way to God.

It is good to raise questions like the ones you have raised. It is only by examining a religion that you can truly find out which one is the truth and which ones are false. BTW Christianity is the only religion that I know of where the doctrine tells us to test it and see if it is the truth. - When you search for the truth with all your heart, you will find it and it will set you free.

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All other religions give us a set of rules to follow, which if followed diligently may get you to God. In Christianity it is by GRACE and FAITH in Jesus that we can be certain of eternal life.

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The teaching of grace has only been widely taught in the last hundred years, before that repentance was always required along with baptism and going to church every sunday and following the ten commandments.

The early church taught grace alone gets one saved. I agree that some branches of the christian churh have deviated from the orginal teaching in the bible - particularly the catholic church and various other sects. But grace has always been in the Bible and has always been taught. You miss that part of the christian faith, you miss it completely. it is what separates it from every other religion.

The bible was written by someone therefore it hasn't always been there, therefore it is not the ONLY correct religion. A religion is something made up by the brain. Because when people just evolved from monkies they didn't even consider there was a god.