Does the Bible say anything about respecting other religions?

Respecting other religions...
The bible is about people. Jesus said, "When a soldier asks you to carry his pack a mile, go with him two." He's telling these Jews to spend even more time with these defiled, pagan, gentile slobs when they have already been impressed into service to begin with. Love others and respect them as people who are just like you. If you disagree, respectfully disagree. The question is slightly loaded.

Every religion should be respected, because all of the (this is just my opinion) are precious in the eyes of God. At least all the ones that worship a being higher than themsElves. They all lead to the same God to me, just with different traditions.

Love the sinner not the sin....

I think respect of a person is more important than my respect of their religion.

I can not respect anything the Lord of the Christian Bible does not respect. There are so many aspects of religions outside Christianity that the Lord detests, in my own following, how could I do anything more?

Even within what some call Christianity this problem exists.

I do not live my life according to the dictates of a tribal religion formed in very different circumstances from today and with very different understandings of the world and of the people in it.

Take a close look at Jesus, he meets with a centurion who, as a part of his duty as a soldier, is probably a worshipper of Mithros. He spends time with Samaritans and Gentiles, does the NT EVER record him as saying " I don't respect your religious belief"?

It does not for the simple reason that you CANNOT, it seems to me, respect a person yet at the same time disrespect something as basic to who they are as their faith.

Kiwimac

Gerry said:

Well said!

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I'll second that

What does "respect" mean?
If it is to value the insights, traditions, wisdom, culture and world view as something that has internal integrity and cohesion then yes.

Many of the laws God gave to Moses were applicable to the alien (foriegner) because God gave them the same rights or privilages as his own people.

The new testament teaches us to respect all authority. If we make a stand against we have to live with the consequences even if we are doing right. If I were travelling to an Islamic country I would still have to obey their laws or be subject to prosecution.

The command God gave Isreal to take the promised land were for a specific purpose. That is not the way of the new covenant. When the people of the land trick the Isrealites into signing a treaty they had to stick with it.

Ultimately Gods law is the law of Love. Love requires respect even if we disagree about fundemental beliefs.

My 2 !/2p

The Midge said:

What does "respect" mean?

The new testament teaches us to respect all authority. If we make a stand against we have to live with the consequences even if we are doing right. If I were travelling to an Islamic country I would still have to obey their laws or be subject to prosecution.

Ultimately Gods law is the law of Love. Love requires respect even if we disagree about fundemental beliefs.

My 2 !/2p

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My dearest joy: Christ is Risen!

Excellent response.

Religion is man's attempt to please God as man understands God. Therefore many religions are false, because without God's revelation, man cannot know God.

The Church is God's attempt to save man. God who saves man cannot save man without his consent. Therefore, God doesn't force Himself upon us. We can freely accept Him or reject His salvation.

Truly we have to accept a legitimate governmental authority. Was the previous Iraqi government legitimate? I don't think so.

However, if a government, say - Saudi Arabia - has forbidden Christians to worship, then we can disobey that government, but it may mean our death, and we have to be willing to pay that price. If that government has adopted the Islamic religion and demands that we turn in Christian converts so they can be martyred, should we obey those laws? Certainly not.

I think we should love all people, as Christ commanded us. However, respecting their belief systems is another matter entirely, especially when their beliefs may call for human sacrifice as in the Mayan and Aztec religions! What is dangerous here, is that some people want to see a resurgence of the Aztec human sacrifices. God forbid.

I am not being anti-Muslim, anti-Aztec, anti-Jewish nor anti-Christian. I am against their use of murder in the name of religion. That means I am against murder and the death penalty in the name of Christianity also, such as the Crusades and the Inquisition.

Something to think about.

Yours in Christ,

Elizabeth

Gal 6:10 As we have there fore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

question is what is Good?

The Good News
Basicly 1cor 15:2-4 ,Eph 2:8-10 but more involved

God says division Luke 12:49-51

Not by us but By MEN OF THIS WORLD

2 tim 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution

Elizabeths quote "God who saves man cannot save man without his consent"

Please read

Eph 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through Faith; and that not of yourselfs: it is the gift of God;Not of works, lest any man should boast

John 6:29 ....This is the work of God, that ye believe on him[JC] whom he{FATHER} hath sent

1Cor 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea , the deep things of God.

Romans 3:10-11 As it is written,There is none righteous, no not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

1Cor 1:26-29 you look up



Eliabeth's quote"I thinkl we should love all people as Christ commanded us"


Please look at Galations 6:10 and notice how they put emphasis on especially unto the household of Faith.......extra attention and just be good to the others

John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another [the brethren] as I[Christ] have loved[Ro 5:8] you, that ye also love one another

1 john 2:15 #1 Stop loving the world neither the #2things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him

I pray that I do not Offend you however I thought you would like some verses to correct your thoughts / feelings

Elizabeths quote "God who saves man cannot save man without his consent"

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I forgot the author who wrote this but the full quote goes (and is probably a translation):

God who saved man without his consent,
will not save man without his consent.

In other words, Christ died on the Cross and set us free before we were born (without our consent).
However, God will not ultimately GRANT US SALVATION, unless we really want to be saved. He will not force Himself on others. So, if an atheist is given the opportunity to accept God's salvation, and refuses, God is not going to hit him on the head and force him. No, God respects our free will.

Does this make sense?

Elizabeth

1 cor 1:18-25 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent 20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of the world? hath not made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 22 For the Jews require a sign, and the greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block and unto the greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both jew and greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

It makes perfect sense, Elizabeth.

gqaggie04 said:

It makes perfect sense, Elizabeth.

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Thank you. Thank you Jesus.

kiwimac said:

I do not live my life according to the dictates of a tribal religion formed in very different circumstances from today and with very different understandings of the world and of the people in it.

Take a close look at Jesus, he meets with a centurion who, as a part of his duty as a soldier, is probably a worshipper of Mithros. He spends time with Samaritans and Gentiles, does the NT EVER record him as saying " I don't respect your religious belief"?

It does not for the simple reason that you CANNOT, it seems to me, respect a person yet at the same time disrespect something as basic to who they are as their faith.

Kiwimac

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AMEN! Kiwimac AMEN!
Jeff the Finn

I think this about sums it up. According to God's Word, we shouldn't cause offense to anyone, Jew or Gentile, straight or gay, Mormon or Baptist, man or woman, black or white. How can we show the love of God and Jesus Christ if you are offending others by trying to shove doctrine down their throats? Before you can begin to understand the fruits of the Spirit, you must first accept the fruit, and the Gift of God, which is Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 10: 32-33
32 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:

33 Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.