Will God judge me for this?

AfterThought

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I've always been a Christian
I found other religions are fascinating
I even collect different books of different faiths I believe in Jesus Is Our Savior
But I also feel the nudge to understand different beliefs
Do you think as a Christian I'm in the wrong for doing this?
Do you think God would judge me for this?
 

Winken

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I've always been a Christian
I found other religions are fascinating
I even collect different books of different faiths I believe in Jesus Is Our Savior
But I also feel the nudge to understand different beliefs
Do you think as a Christian I'm in the wrong for doing this?
Do you think God would judge me for this?
No. You won't appear before the GWTJ. You'll appear at the JSoC, where your witness for our Lord will be reviewed.
 
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amariselle

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I've always been a Christian
I found other religions are fascinating
I even collect different books of different faiths I believe in Jesus Is Our Savior
But I also feel the nudge to understand different beliefs
Do you think as a Christian I'm in the wrong for doing this?
Do you think God would judge me for this?

Desiring to understand other religions more fully is not a sin, perhaps one day it could allow you to minister the truth to someone of another religion.

However, if it does cause confusion and fear for you, I encourage you to take your concerns to the Lord and ask for His guidance.
 
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Shempster

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Be careful though. You might notice that all religions are similar in this way: regardless of the core teachings and beliefs, all religions will have some followers who are good and seek righteousness and others who use the religion for personal gain or conquest.

That's what I notice over religious doctrine differences. You'd be surprised how many adherents disagree with their own church's doctrines, but don't make anything of it to be nice.
 
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~Anastasia~

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I've always been a Christian
I found other religions are fascinating
I even collect different books of different faiths I believe in Jesus Is Our Savior
But I also feel the nudge to understand different beliefs
Do you think as a Christian I'm in the wrong for doing this?
Do you think God would judge me for this?

The question is not whether or not God will judge you for it. (And it is never our place to usurp the judgement of God.)

The real question is - what is it doing to you? How is it affecting you? Why are you drawn to it? And can you answer these kinds of questions honestly to yourself? Because we as humans are sadly prone to thinking our reasons are good ones, if we aren't careful.

If it confuses you, if you feel the wrong kind of attraction or fascination with alternate religions, it's something to step away from. If you find yourself discussing religion with people who have different kinds of beliefs, and you want to be able to speak to them with more understanding in order to share your faith, then study can be a good and necessary thing. Can you discern the real reason?

(Of course I can't do that for you, nor can anyone through a forum.) As for me personally, for an example, I have no real interest in such things, have gone decades with no interest in them. But I am sometimes asked questions about Christianity by Muslims, for example ... and I need to understand what they believe in order to clearly explain things to them in a way they can best understand. Now I don't own a Koran (though that wouldn't necessarily be a sin) and haven't read much of it. An awareness of their theology is what I need, and an understanding of their general ethos. I have no fear that it is any kind of sin for me to learn this. The same is true of various kinds of religions/beliefs. People will feel disrespected if you talk "at" them ... it's better to know what they believe rather than accepting superficial stereotypes.

But on the other hand, some people feel a fascination and draw of a different sort. If it is a matter of being drawn to other faiths for the sake of the religion itself, in a selfish motive or desire, that's very different and likely to be spiritually dangerous, and should be avoided.

Hopefully we can learn to answer these questions for ourselves, but if we cannot, then a trusted spiritual counselor or mentor can be invaluable. (And hopefully they would be teaching you to discern on your own.) It's often a good help to have such a person regardless, because we can be so prone to fooling ourselves about our real motives.

God be with you.
 
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RC1970

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I've always been a Christian
I found other religions are fascinating
I even collect different books of different faiths I believe in Jesus Is Our Savior
But I also feel the nudge to understand different beliefs
Do you think as a Christian I'm in the wrong for doing this?
Do you think God would judge me for this?
The Apostle Paul tells us to "beware of vain philosophies". But, in order "beware" of something, you need to first be aware of it. So, yes, it's okay to study other religions, but you need to be able to recognize where they go wrong.
 
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SkyWriting

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I've always been a Christian
I found other religions are fascinating
I even collect different books of different faiths I believe in Jesus Is Our Savior
But I also feel the nudge to understand different beliefs
Do you think as a Christian I'm in the wrong for doing this?
Do you think God would judge me for this?

I used to study the cults thinking my knowledge made me a better person.
I stopped doing that because it created "hostility" in me that had no value.
 
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Blood Bought 1953

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The question is not whether or not God will judge you for it. (And it is never our place to usurp the judgement of God.)

The real question is - what is it doing to you? How is it affecting you? Why are you drawn to it? And can you answer these kinds of questions honestly to yourself? Because we as humans are sadly prone to thinking our reasons are good ones, if we aren't careful.

If it confuses you, if you feel the wrong kind of attraction or fascination with alternate religions, it's something to step away from. If you find yourself discussing religion with people who have different kinds of beliefs, and you want to be able to speak to them with more understanding in order to share your faith, then study can be a good and necessary thing. Can you discern the real reason?

(Of course I can't do that for you, nor can anyone through a forum.) As for me personally, for an example, I have no real interest in such things, have gone decades with no interest in them. But I am sometimes asked questions about Christianity by Muslims, for example ... and I need to understand what they believe in order to clearly explain things to them in a way they can best understand. Now I don't own a Koran (though that wouldn't necessarily be a sin) and haven't read much of it. An awareness of their theology is what I need, and an understanding of their general ethos. I have no fear that it is any kind of sin for me to learn this. The same is true of various kinds of religions/beliefs. People will feel disrespected if you talk "at" them ... it's better to know what they believe rather than accepting superficial stereotypes.

But on the other hand, some people feel a fascination and draw of a different sort. If it is a matter of being drawn to other faiths for the sake of the religion itself, in a selfish motive or desire, that's very different and likely to be spiritually dangerous, and should be avoided.

Hopefully we can learn to answer these questions for ourselves, but if we cannot, then a trusted spiritual counselor or mentor can be invaluable. (And hopefully they would be teaching you to discern on your own.) It's often a good help to have such a person regardless, because we can be so prone to fooling ourselves about our real motives.

God be with you.


To each their own , but for me it’s like reading “ Jack and the Bean Stalk”..... lol
 
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~Anastasia~

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To each their own , but for me it’s like reading “ Jack and the Bean Stalk”..... lol

I can understand that. As I said, I have no interest. But what do you do when a Muslim stands before you asking you to explain the Holy Trinity, and they already believe in (a) God, but have no understanding of what you are saying? I don't wish those kinds of experiences on anyone though. It's not easy to make real connections to Christianity to people who have alternative views. It seems to be where God often places me though so ... glory to God. :)
 
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