A few questions I keep stumbling over

[LadyNyx]

First of all, I’m not against Christianity, nor am I against any religion, that said, I’m not here to bash anyone’s beliefs. I just have some questions that keep coming to my mind.

How can one religion be the ‘true’ religion when every religion around the world has valid reasons to be the ‘true’ religion?

What makes Christianity more important and more impressive than all other religions?

If you believe that Christianity is the only true religion, why did you decide that?

What are your feelings toward other religions that proclaim that their way is the only way and that your belief is wrong?

Like I said before, I mean no disrespect, I’m just really curious about those questions.

 

[crossbones]

for me its because to follow christ causes me to look outside of myself and towards the needs of others. to be more like christ, i need to love others mre than myself. if the human race followed this mindset, we would have a great planet. it seems that many of the other 'mainstream' religions focus on bettering themselves or what they can get in the long run.
no offense taken and i pray you find what you're looking for.

 

[Merlin]

Hello,
Imagine for a moment, (and this is only a story for illustration purposes) imagine you wish to
travel to Pleadeus-heaven. It is in a distant galaxy. You have no means of getting there on your
own.
The ruler of the land, Jehovah, builds a vehicle which is called Jesus-I in order for you to come.
Jesus-I is the only possible way to get there.

Many people in many lands and many languages will have different pronunciations of Jesus-I
and many spellings too, but there is only one vehicle to get you there.

Jehovah (the ruler of Pleadeus-heaven) has made reservations in your name, but you must get
on board the vehicle yourself.

Now, many other (travel agents) want to make money selling you a ticket. But unless that
ticket is for Jesus-I, you won’t arrive where you want to.
A ticket on trans-global airlines will deliver you to Hawaii, not Pleadeus-heaven.

Many travel agents [religions] (perhaps called Catholicus, or Baptismus) will truly give you a
ticket to Pleadeus-heaven. But some charge higher prices. Sure you get your ticket, but they
burden you with other baggage.

The thing to be concerned with, is that Jesus-I only makes one trip, so you have to be on board
when it leaves.
If you get on board the wrong vehicle and miss the flight, it’s too late to belly-ache to your
travel agent.

 

[Bunn]

Hello,
Imagine for a moment, (and this is only a story for illustration purposes) imagine you wish to
travel to Pleadeus-heaven. It is in a distant galaxy. You have no means of getting there on your
own.
The ruler of the land, Jehovah, builds a vehicle which is called Jesus-I in order for you to come.
Jesus-I is the only possible way to get there.

Many people in many lands and many languages will have different pronunciations of Jesus-I
and many spellings too, but there is only one vehicle to get you there.

Jehovah (the ruler of Pleadeus-heaven) has made reservations in your name, but you must get
on board the vehicle yourself.

Now, many other (travel agents) want to make money selling you a ticket. But unless that
ticket is for Jesus-I, you won’t arrive where you want to.
A ticket on trans-global airlines will deliver you to Hawaii, not Pleadeus-heaven.

Many travel agents [religions] (perhaps called Catholicus, or Baptismus) will truly give you a
ticket to Pleadeus-heaven. But some charge higher prices. Sure you get your ticket, but they
burden you with other baggage.

The thing to be concerned with, is that Jesus-I only makes one trip, so you have to be on board
when it leaves.
If you get on board the wrong vehicle and miss the flight, it’s too late to belly-ache to your
travel agent.

Haha! I loved that.

Bravo on a good way to explain to non-believers. Maybe I can use this someday. Thanks for sharing!

 

[hungrytiger]

First of all, I'm not against Christianity, nor am I against any religion, that said, I'm not here to bash anyone's beliefs. I just have some questions that keep coming to my mind.

Welcome to CF, LadyNyx!

How can one religion be the 'true' religion when every religion around the world has valid reasons to be the 'true' religion?

There is only one truth. The different religions in the world may agree on some points but they contradict each other on certain points too. The truth does not contradict itself. So, if one religion contradicts another religion, they cannot both be totally true at the same time.

I don't see this as being different than the way we deal with anything else. Someone can say, "The shirt is blue."
Someone else may say, "The shirt is not blue." The two statements can't both be true at the same time.

Same thing with religion. For example, Christianity says, "Jesus is God." While Islam says, "Jesus is not God." Both Christianity and Islam can't be true at the same time.

I hope this addressed your question.

What makes Christianity more important and more impressive than all other religions?

If you believe that Christianity is the only true religion, why did you decide that?

I do believe that Christianity is the true religion. Everything I "know" is based on belief. For example, I "know" that I am sitting here at my computer, because I choose to believe my senses and my memories and all that. One can doubt anything. There have been philosophers who questioned their own existance. To function in life I have to choose to believe in things.

All that said, of course I have my reasons for believing the way I do. I don't know if they're the best reasons or even if they're all correct, but they're my current best understanding and I have to go with that. Anyway, here are some of them:

absolute truth (there is an underlying reality and it is not just subjective.)
good and evil (some actions really are good and some really are not good)
good is intrensicly stronger than evil
absolute good as a personal being (ie. God)
the greatness of God's love and goodness

Christianity is the system that seems to me to best fulfill these. I also believe that Christianity is self-consistent, and that it is historically credible.

What are your feelings toward other religions that proclaim that their way is the only way and that your belief is wrong?

I think they're wrong, of course.

But I try to respect them too, because I beleive that they also may be sincerly trying to understand the truth. I hope that we can gently point out whatever our respective flaws might be so that we can both grow closer to the truth. I wish us all well on our quest and hope in the mercy of God.

Like I said before, I mean no disrespect, I'm just really curious about those questions.

I hope I haven't been disrespectful or too long-winded or preachy or anything myself. I do that sometimes.

May you find answers to your questions.

 

[Reformationist]

How can one religion be the ‘true’ religion when every religion around the world has valid reasons to be the ‘true’ religion?

The "validity" of a claim cannot be based on how we perceive truth or we end up with a pluralistic viewpoint. There is some measure of truth in many different religions. Godly behavior is not exclusive to any religious group. That said, truth is not relative. Something is either true, or it is not. Therefore, we have only three possibilities when it comes to determining whether something is "true":

1. View "A" is true and all others are false.
2. View "A" is false and some other view is true.
3. All of the views presented are false.

It is incongruous and illogical to claim that two views about something which are in opposition to each other are both true.

What makes Christianity more important and more impressive than all other religions?

I cannot speak of how "impressive" something is for that is a personal thing. However, the truth of the Gospel is power unto salvation and that is of utmost importance.

If you believe that Christianity is the only true religion, why did you decide that?

I believe that the teachings of the Gospel are true, whether I fully understand them or not, because God has supernaturally blessed me with faith. I do not have faith in God because of a choice I made anymore than I have exist because of a choice I made.

What are your feelings toward other religions that proclaim that their way is the only way and that your belief is wrong?

I feel that any view that does not submit that Christ is Lord is heresy and should be rejected.

Like I said before, I mean no disrespect, I’m just really curious about those questions.

I hope my answers have helped you to have a better understanding of the Christian community.

God bless

 

[Mayflower1]

Hello there. Welcome to CF. Many Christians today look towards religion but that isn't really the important thing. Faith is. All believers have one faith. If you believe in Jesus Christ as the son of God and that He died for the sins of man, then it doesn't matter what religion you you belong to. Believers are all part of one body and that is the important thing to remember.

How can one religion be the ‘true’ religion when every religion around the world has valid reasons to be the ‘true’ religion?

Christianity is more "faith" then anything else. I have faith that what I believe in is real and true even though others feel their's is true also. There are valid reasons to everything in the world, gohsts even, but it is one thing to see with the eyes, another to see with the heart.

What makes Christianity more important and more impressive than all other religions?

Christianity is more important then other "faiths", not religions. Without faith in Christ, one will burn in Hell for eternity in everlasting fire and torment... Belief in Christ, my definition of Christianity. God is the most impressive of all, but that is just my opinion.

If you believe that Christianity is the only true religion, why did you decide that?

I believe Christianity is the only true faith because I feel God when I sing and pray... He is enlightened my entire life. You can hear Him also if you speak to Him... If you talk to Him and believe you can feel Him also.

What are your feelings toward other religions that proclaim that their way is the only way and that your belief is wrong?

As a Christian, I practice tolerance. I can't make people believe the way that I do nor can I. That has to be their decision. One of the biggest rights in America I believe is freedom of religion because you can choose to serve and worship God or not...

God bless you and I hope I helped you with your questions. Lily00

 

[LadyNRA]

Hello,
Imagine for a moment, (and this is only a story for illustration purposes) imagine you wish to
travel to Pleadeus-heaven. It is in a distant galaxy. You have no means of getting there on your
own.
The ruler of the land, Jehovah, builds a vehicle which is called Jesus-I in order for you to come.
Jesus-I is the only possible way to get there.

Many people in many lands and many languages will have different pronunciations of Jesus-I
and many spellings too, but there is only one vehicle to get you there.

Jehovah (the ruler of Pleadeus-heaven) has made reservations in your name, but you must get
on board the vehicle yourself.

Now, many other (travel agents) want to make money selling you a ticket. But unless that
ticket is for Jesus-I, you won’t arrive where you want to.
A ticket on trans-global airlines will deliver you to Hawaii, not Pleadeus-heaven.

Many travel agents [religions] (perhaps called Catholicus, or Baptismus) will truly give you a
ticket to Pleadeus-heaven. But some charge higher prices. Sure you get your ticket, but they
burden you with other baggage.

The thing to be concerned with, is that Jesus-I only makes one trip, so you have to be on board
when it leaves.
If you get on board the wrong vehicle and miss the flight, it’s too late to belly-ache to your
travel agent.

LOL! Now that is a truly wonderful way of explaining why you follow Jesus in order to get into heaven without all the theology behind it. I bow to your creativity...

 

[LadyNRA]

First of all, I’m not against Christianity, nor am I against any religion, that said, I’m not here to bash anyone’s beliefs. I just have some questions that keep coming to my mind.

How can one religion be the ‘true’ religion when every religion around the world has valid reasons to be the ‘true’ religion?

What makes Christianity more important and more impressive than all other religions?

If you believe that Christianity is the only true religion, why did you decide that?

What are your feelings toward other religions that proclaim that their way is the only way and that your belief is wrong?

Like I said before, I mean no disrespect, I’m just really curious about those questions.

To LadyNyx:

What makes Christianity more important and more impressive than all other religions?

If Christianity is practiced as taught in the bible, there is no other religion in the world like it as far as I'm concerned. It not only guarantees you eternal life (at least as I believe it) but also forgiveness for the stupid things I've done in the past, a guide to make amends and to live a better life, a life geared toward peace rather than "jihad", a life free from the penalty of not following a gazillion rules (I'm from a Jewish background and this is one reason I gravitated toward Christianity, cuz I'm too A.D.D. to remember to do all those rules and because I don't think doing a bunch of religious observances will make me 'clean' and righteous in God's eyes). I see it ultimately making me a better person while also pleasing God. I see it teaching me to be kind to my enemy or at the very least not to take revenge. And on a personal level, it teaches me that god is ALWAYS with me, holding me in his hands even if I'm going through the tough trials of life. He doesn't promise us freedom from trials but he does promise he'll be there with us going through them and since I'm heaven bound, even if I don't get physical healing here on earth, I will get it for sure in heaven.

If you believe that Christianity is the only true religion, why did you decide that?

Hard to say. God called me. I didn't do this on my own. I just know he steered me as he did. Like I said, I stayed away from Islam because they are just too crazed for my liking, too vengeful and too quick to anger and act out on that anger. All with the approval of their prophet. I didn't remain in Judaism because of the rules and because they didn't have good answers about the nature of the afterlife, and because I observed a few of the synagogues being far too caught up in money matters than in human matters. I wanted a relationship with God, not a "religion". I avoided Hinduism, too many gods to get straight. And I avoided Buddhism, because it made me responsible for my own growth. In a sense I was on my own and since I'm a faulty human being I'd never get there. I stay away from any religion that teaches me I can be a god myself because I'm occasionally ornery and occasionally quick tempered and I'd pity the poor souls I had to oversee in the future.

What are your feelings toward other religions that proclaim that their way is the only way and that your belief is wrong?

They are entitled to their beliefs. I enjoy listening to what they have to say whether I believe it or not just like I love learning about different cultures. I may not agree that theirs is the only way but I don't believe in persecuting them for their beliefs and I do expect that they have the respect not to persecute me for mine.

And in case you are wondering, I consider the bible inerant and to be taken literally where it calls for it (black and white issues), primarily conservative (though in some ways I lean more to moderate beliefs and at other times more toward fundamentalist beliefs depending on the issue).


Like I said before, I mean no disrespect, I’m just really curious about those questions.

 

[Jim47]

This may sound like a cheap shot, but I have to make this point some where.

All other religions are a copy of Christianity. Just study them if you doubt my word.

All other religions are about what we have to do to be saved, in other words we have to do all the work of making ourselves righteous and holy.

Christ did all the work for us. He paid the price in full. All that is required of us is to believe in Him as Our Savior.

Now if we are to be saved by our own works as the other religions teach, who and what are we being saved from? If God, The Christian God, made the heavens and the earth why does He need some other religion for us to follow so's we can be saved and get to Him????? He doesn't! God provided the way, that way is Jesus.

All other god's are man made. Can they save you? If they could, how did man impart power to them and where did man get that power?

I'm sorry of that sounds like an over simple post or a poor explaination, but to answer your question I can think of no other way.

Now if you want to know more about Jesus just ask.

 

[Rafael]

The only way to find the truth is to ask God to show you. If you live in America, you have already been shown advantage in life, and then you have to ask if there is purpose even in that fact. I believe that God speaks directly to us with life - even in the midst of a fallen world that is cirsed with suffering and death. He holds out to us the eternal things of hope, faith, and love, and bids us come and seek Him.
If a person seeks God, they will have to also read the Bible. It is the best selling and most read book of the world. Many of the religions that came after the faith of the people of Israel or those wrongly identified as "Jews" and the Christians, are just plagerisms of the Bible's verses and other folklore. The only way to compare is to taste each one for truth. The Bible is the only book I ever read that "tasted" true to me even though I did not understand everything I read the first time. The longer I live and study, the more truth has been revealed to me from God's word. He says, Jesus, that His words are spirit and they are life to those that hear them and apply them to their lives. I have seen His words lived out as truth in my own life and believe it is the only real truth in the world today.
One must not forget that the Bible teaches us that the enemy of God must still be present until the return of Jesus, and we are warned many many times that false prophets and counterfeits to the real truth will become very great in the last days. His prophecies in the Bible are very true and accurate when one studies them and takes that closer look.

John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

Jer 29:13 ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

 

[Key]

First of all, I’m not against Christianity, nor am I against any religion, that said, I’m not here to bash anyone’s beliefs. I just have some questions that keep coming to my mind.

Hello and welcome to CF!

How can one religion be the ‘true’ religion when every religion around the world has valid reasons to be the ‘true’ religion?

I'm still trying to figure out how "Vanilla Cream Oreo" gets away with an "original" stamp on it..

What makes Christianity more important and more impressive than all other religions?

More important? More Impressive?
Nothing.


Being right, is not about being Impressive or Important.
It's about security, there is a sense of Peace in being right, that eliminates the need to try and bolster an image of seeming to be more important or impressive.

If you believe that Christianity is the only true religion, why did you decide that?

Funny you should phase this like that, see I didn't decide that, This Dude in heaven Called “God” made that decision, I am just agreeing with them.

What are your feelings toward other religions that proclaim that their way is the only way and that your belief is wrong?

I respect their right to express their opinion. It's only when they don't want to let me express my opinion that they peeve me off.

Like I said before, I mean no disrespect, I’m just really curious about those questions.

No Disrespect taken.


Hope my answers helped you on your search.


God Bless


Key.

 

[Reformationist]

All other religions are a copy of Christianity. Just study them if you doubt my word.

All other religions are about what we have to do to be saved, in other words we have to do all the work of making ourselves righteous and holy.

Christ did all the work for us. He paid the price in full. All that is required of us is to believe in Him as Our Savior.

Um...if "all other religions" are based on a works based theology and you are submitting that Christianity is not a works based religion, how can they be copies of Christianity?

It seems like you're saying that a view that is completely different from Christianity is a copy of Christianity.

 

[Jim47]

[/color]

Um...if "all other religions" are based on a works based theology and you are submitting that Christianity is not a works based religion, how can they be copies of Christianity?

It seems like you're saying that a view that is completely different from Christianity is a copy of Christianity.

Obviously they have departed from the truths of Christianity or there would be no reason for them to found their own religion. They reject Christ AND God's Word, and seek their own. This is the whole reason why Jesus gave us the parable of tghe wedding banquet, right?

I am a liitle surprised you have never heard this before. Which of the world religions does not follow a works based salvation? None that I know of, in fact many people try to change Christianity into a works based salvation, that is human works in place of God's work.

Eph 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
Eph 2:9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

 

[LadyNyx]

I love that so many people responded! Thank you But something made me a bit more confused like….

This may sound like a cheap shot, but I have to make this point some where.

All other religions are a copy of Christianity. Just study them if you doubt my word.

All other religions are about what we have to do to be saved, in other words we have to do all the work of making ourselves righteous and holy.

That didn’t help me because it’s my understanding that Zoroastrianism was actually the first monotheistic religion, which then influence Judaism and Christianity with the concepts of one supreme god, a dualistic conflict between good and evil (god and satan), heaven and hell, a savior and a final judgment day.

Plus, Hinduism, a polytheistic religion, was around a lot longer than Christianity and the two religions weren’t even near each other, geographically speaking, to be influenced by each other. Both religions have almost nothing in common.

Buddhism doesn’t even believe in a god and it sprung out of the Hindu religion.

I’m not trying to start a debate it’s just I don’t understand how I can believe completely in Christianity when faced with other religions which, what I understand, came before Judaism and Christianity. Maybe I'm not understanding it right.

Thanks for putting up with me though! I hate being annoying or difficult. It’s just I can’t seem to grasp a few issues.

 

[Jim47]

I love that so many people responded! Thank you But something made me a bit more confused like….




That didn’t help me because it’s my understanding that Zoroastrianism was actually the first monotheistic religion, which then influence Judaism and Christianity with the concepts of one supreme god, a dualistic conflict between good and evil (god and satan), heaven and hell, a savior and a final judgment day.

Plus, Hinduism, a polytheistic religion, was around a lot longer than Christianity and the two religions weren’t even near each other, geographically speaking, to be influenced by each other. Both religions have almost nothing in common.

Buddhism doesn’t even believe in a god and it sprung out of the Hindu religion.

I’m not trying to start a debate it’s just I don’t understand how I can believe completely in Christianity when faced with other religions which, what I understand, came before Judaism and Christianity. Maybe I'm not understanding it right.

Thanks for putting up with me though! I hate being annoying or difficult. It’s just I can’t seem to grasp a few issues.

When looking at things from your perspective, Yes, You could be right, so I'll explain.

It wasn't long after God created earth and man that man sought out man made gods. At this point Christ had not yet been brought into the world, at least in the physical sence, but of you read the gospil of John you will see that Christ has always been around.

The reason the Christian faith goes back before Christ was born is because God foretold many, many, many times in the old testament of His coming, and promised to those who believed Him and looked forward to His coming that they would be saved from their sins. This may sound strange to you, but modern day Christians haven't seen Christ either, except through the eyes of faith. That faith is what God has rewarded with salvation.

I had to look Zoroastrianism, below, I had never heard of it.

ancient Persian religion: an ancient religion founded by the Persian prophet Zoroaster, the principal belief of which is in a supreme deity and a cosmic contest between two spirits, one good and one evil

 

[Lisa0315]

Hi LadyNyx,
First, Welcome to CF! I hope we will become great friends. I truly appreciate the respect you have shown in your post, and questions like this are always welcome.

I believe that Christianity offers the one thing that no other religion offers. Grace. Unwarranted, unsolicited, abounding grace. Grace is the gift of salvation that whosoever will accept this gift, God will give abundantly. No other religion offers the forgiveness of sins by grace. Instead, all other religions require you to work towards a reward like Heaven. Christianity, on the other hand is quite the opposite. We do nothing. Christ does it all. What works we accomplish, we accomplish through Him. Grace > Faith > Works (symbols meaning to point to rather than greater/lesser) This cycle of Grace, Faith and Works is constantly regenerating. By Grace, we have faith, and by faith we perform works which generates more grace which generates more faith and then more works. It is a continuous process of growing and learning until we are perfected in Christ Jesus.

Also, we are given a Comforter which indwells every believer. This Comforter bears witness to the Truth found in Scripture. We have an internal confirmation of the truth through the Holy Spirit. This internal confirmation bears out in external witness.

Finally, this truth can be received by anyone who is open to it. May I suggest a reading of the Gospel of John? This gospel reflects the great love that God has towards us and the love that we should have towards others.

Lisa

 

[Everyday]

Hey LadyNyx,

I won't bother boring you with all the talk on the accuracy of the Bible in scientific, prophetic, and historical fields but to say that if you are interested, I suggest that you look at Answers in Genesis <answersingenesis.org> and Christian Answers Network <christiananswers.net> among other Internet sites that will show you how what we see in God's world matches exactly what we read in His Word and that the Bible is the only book which best explains what we see.

Although a post by another user (Lisa0315) dipped into the love of God, she more concentrated on grace which I will try not to dwell on too much as I thought she dealt with it perfectly. I believe that what makes Christianity more "impressive" apart from the logical arguments that one can use is the fact that the Creator - Almighty God - would willingly give up His life for me. He was willing to humble Himself to take a punishment that He did not deserve such that He could be an atonement for my sins. Isn't that amazing? I mean, just ponder this for a moment, God, the Great I AM, the Alpha and Omega, the all powerful and holy God loves me that much that He would die just for me - one of His creations. To me, that kind of love is just indescribable.

Perhaps just as unique is the fact that unlike the founders of all the other religions, Jesus Christ is alive! He is no longer rotting in His tomb because the stone was rolled away and He was raised from the dead. This fact is the basis of the hope that Christians have as Paul outlines in 1 Corinthians 15.

More than that, I - like many other Christians - have both felt and experienced the love of Jesus and the blessings that He pours out on us. His love has changed my life for the better, as well as many others. The Gospel message has literally transformed the blood drinking "babarians" of the British Isles to decency, as well as transforming the traitors of the Bounty and the natives on the Pitcairn Islands into a mini-utopia from a darkened state where drunkeness, sexual immorality, murder, and crime were once rampant. It is still transforming the lives of prostitutes, drunkards, and ordinary people today. I do not know of any other book that has the ability to change people's lives like the Bible does.

Just go into a church and ask the people there to stand up if their lives have been changed through their faith in Jesus Christ - that is your evidence. You see, unlike other religions, Christianity offers hope and joy here and now - even the darkest times of trials and tribulations - as well as hope in heaven. Jesus promises that He will never leave us by His Spirit and that when we choose to follow Him we will have life to the fullest - what we term the abundant life.

Also, I would encourage you to read the book called The Heavenly Man by Brother Yun and Paul Hattaway, see: <amazon.com/gp/product/082546207X/002-9271381-7016014?v=glance&n=283155>. It is truly a blessing to read and should show you beyond all reasonable doubt that God is real and that He is still personal and working in people's lives today.

As to how I decided on Christianity, well I was brought up in the church so it is only natural that I too believe in Jesus. However, as I grew up I found more and more evidence that supported what I believe. And as the old saying (modified) goes, "If it ain't wrong, then don't change." As I continued with my spiritual journey, I also experienced this awesome love of God.

Although most people say "show me and I'll believe," God is more like "believe and I'll show you."

I hope that the responses in this thread have helped you to answer your question.

From,
Everyday.

 

[Reformationist]

Obviously they have departed from the truths of Christianity or there would be no reason for them to found their own religion. They reject Christ AND God's Word, and seek their own.

If "they have departed from the truths of Christianity" and "reject Christ and God's Word" then they "obviously aren't "copies" of Christianity...right?

This is the whole reason why Jesus gave us the parable of tghe wedding banquet, right?

Well, the parable is actually about the elective purpose of God to show His will in salvation by extending the merit for the atoning work of the Lord to the Gentiles.

I am a liitle surprised you have never heard this before.

I didn't say I hadn't heard of it before. What I asked was, why you make the illogical statement that other religions are a copy of Christianity if they're different. That's like saying, "Hey, those two people look exactly the same, only different." To that, and to your illogical statement, I offer a resounding, "huh?"

Which of the world religions does not follow a works based salvation? None that I know of, in fact many people try to change Christianity into a works based salvation, that is human works in place of God's work.

Eph 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
Eph 2:9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

In case you are unaware, I am a reformed Christian. I regularly argue against the anthropocentric notion of works based salvation. You, being a Lutheran, are probably very familiar with reformed doctrine so it should suffice to say that I reject works based salvation views as well.

Again, just to clarify, I was merely inquiring as to how other religions can be a copy of Christianity if they're completely different than Christianity. Such a claim is rather nonsensical.

God bless

 

[Jim47]

Again, just to clarify, I was merely inquiring as to how other religions can be a copy of Christianity if they're completely different than Christianity. Such a claim is rather nonsensical.

God bless

I already answered this in a previous post, but perhaps not to your liking.