14 Jun 06
1 edit
and who can prove that any religion was in fact divinely revealed ?
schizophrenic patients talk with God, angels, and demons , too !
David Koresh really talked with God ? or Victor Houdeff ? or Benjamin Roden ? or Joseph Smith ?
its the Book of Mormon a sacred scripture ?
20 Jun 06
Originally posted by drjegcHe did speak to all humans in many diferent ways but with Christianity he was saying "This religion is the closest to the truth right now and this is the way I want to talk to humanity right now" So in a sense you could look at it like this. Men have come up with many different ideas about God some of which are closer than others tothe truth. So if God picks one of them as being the most accurate then it's not to say that everything in every other religion is completely wrong.
organised or not , religion is a human invention ! How could you expect that God speaks only to a single group of human beings ??? Why God would do that ???
23 Jun 06
"This religion is the closest to the truth right now and this is the way I want to talk to humanity right now" So in a sense you could look at it like this. Men have come up with many different ideas about God some of which are closer than others tothe truth. So if God picks one of them as being the most accurate then it's not to say that everything in every other religion is completely wrong.[/b]how do you know which one is closer than others to " the truth " ?
why God limits " the truth " to a single group ?
01 Jul 06
apostasy !!!
" is a term generally employed to describe the formal renunciation of one's religion ... the term refers to renunciation and criticism of, or opposition to one's former religion. One who commits apostasy is an apostate, or one who apostatises. "
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostasy
01 Jul 06
Originally posted by knightmeisterPray tell, can I ask how we know that God has picked Christianity over other religions?
He did speak to all humans in many diferent ways but with Christianity he was saying "This religion is the closest to the truth right now and this is the way I want to talk to humanity right now" So in a sense you could look at it like this. Men have come up with many different ideas about God some of which are closer than others tothe truth. So if God ...[text shortened]... st accurate then it's not to say that everything in every other religion is completely wrong.
10 Jul 06
Originally posted by amannionYou can say he 'picked' Christianity by inventing it or establishing it himself. He 'embelished' one religion with himself (the incarnation) . No other major religion claims that God himself has visited the earth in human form. Also , the evolution of Christianity is interesting in the sense that it is a split from the older religion of Judaism. God himself comes along and puts us straight on what he is really like and this means some go with it and some stick with the old received wisdom. God did not incarnate himself in India within the Hindu tradition , if he had then it would have meant that Hinduism was the closest reflection of what God was like. Presumably one of the reasons he chose Judaism (and turned it into Christianity) was because of it's strong emphasis on moral behaviour and service to community , both very relevant messages for mankind. Also , there is an emphasis on how men might find God . Islam teaches that we find God and holiness by our own moral actions , Hinduism/Buddhism professes self awareness and meditation. It is only Christianity that places emphasis on how God can save us rather than what humans can do to save themselves which makes it distinct. Ultimately it's the unique presence of Christ within Christianity that makes it different , but we can't 'know' . You will either find the arguments compelling and then go on to find out more or you won't.
Pray tell, can I ask how we know that God has [b]picked Christianity over other religions?[/b]
10 Jul 06
Originally posted by drjegcFirst of all you have to have an idea that there is such a thing as truth. In terms of religion this means that you accept God has certain characteristics and not others. This is like saying that a tree is a tree and not a rock. My starting point for this is the assumption that God cares passionately about us and is extremely interested in our lives. If I accept this as true (and lets face it who would be interested in a God who was only 'mildly interested' in whather we knew about him or not) then I have no option to pay extremely close attention to Christianity. This is because binding himself with the earth and men by coming and living amongst us is EXACTLY the sort of thing I would expect a God who really cared to do. I would expect him to appear in front of us and proclaim "I am God , I love you to bits , this is the truth , I'm laying it all out for you , follow me , I am the way".
how do you know which one is closer than others to " the truth " ?
why God limits " the truth " to a single group ?
As for singling out any particular group I think you will find in the NT that Christ was constantly pushing back the boundaries of inclusivity throughout his life. Anyway , Christianity went round the world to all groups in the end.