Why Be Interested In Other Religions?

[goodlife]

Regardless of where you live, you have no doubt seen for yourself how religion affects the lives of millions of people.

[mibn2cweus]

//So, the only universal human condition I can identify, across all faiths, is self-rightiousness. I'm sure that's a pre-requisite for the eternal spit-roast routine.//

Some seem to have little trouble accepting the justice of such a fate having been reassured that they've personally been spared through an admission of their own guilt and acceptance that they deserve nothing less . . . and to hell with those of us who choose to acknowledge responsibility for our own actions, without the stain of a blood sacrifice of the innocent on our heads.

[wildwood]

//Why Be Interested In Other Religions?//

Religions other than what?

Do you believe that your own religion - whatever that may be - is the only true one? Do you believe that the vast majority of religious people are following the wrong teachings? How selfish that would be.

[waterboatman]

Religion. The biggest con ever.

[mikey4444]

100% agree Boaty !

[waterboatman]

Also the biggest cause of blood letting in history.

[david small]

The worst thing about all religions is mans interpretations of them...
Spirituality is an individual inner yearning. It requires NO man or woman's perspective. It is a deeply personal journey. Some people are not inclined to travel yet. A balance of spiritual, mental, and physical is the ideal. To each his/own.

[-Talbot-]

I treat religions like I treat people. Don't interfere with my life and just get on with your own and I can very easily ignore you. Unfortunately one religion in particular seems to be *** atm.

[goodlife]

Now there are thousands of religions, only the Bible can quickly helps us to cut through the confusion.

First who advocates God’s Kingdom as the only solution to the problems of humankind. ( 2 Peter 3:13) Do any of Christendom’s churches or any organization do that? When is the last time that you heard a clergyman explain God’s Kingdom and what the Scriptures show that it will accomplish? Does the organization to which you belong encourage you to talk to others about God’s Kingdom, and if so, does the membership as a whole share in doing it? Jesus did such witnessing; his early disciples did..—Matthew 24:14.

David-Interpretations, Well Jesus repeatedly cited the Scriptures as authoritative, often prefacing his points by saying: “It is written.” ( Luke 19:46) Indeed, when Jesus spoke about man’s marital situation, he drew, not upon Greek philosophical or man conjecture, but upon the Genesis account of creation. ( Matthew 19:3-9) Clearly, Jesus considered the Scriptures to be inspired by God and factual. In prayer to God, he said: “Your word is truth.”—John 17:17.

The early Christians were noted both for their adherence to the Bible and for their self-sacrificing love. Today, however, many people have “a form of godly devotion but [are] proving false to its power.” (2 Timothy 3:5)
So any form of Christianity today that is not faithful to the original cannot have genuine love for good in people’s lives. Could this help to explain why, in the greater part of Christendom, we see increasing violence, immorality, family breakdown, and materialism?

[goodlife]

And for the joker on here, People in Noah’s day thought it was a joke. Citizens of Sodom in Lots day thought it was a joke. Jesus indicated that people today would think it a joke. Where do you stand?

[-Talbot-]

I'm firmly in the 'it's a joke' camp

[Peter Pedant]

// ou aren't interested in other religions, Catholics aren't interested in other religions, Muslims aren't interested in other religions, and so on and so on. You're all the same.//

well there is the usual well argued answer I have come to expect of AB contributors

but one can fairly ask: why be interested in other religions when christians seem so ignorant of their own ?

AB threads are stuffied with appallingly ignorant comment about Islam written by the usual slew of christians ....

[waterboatman]

It's certainly not a joke. It's far too dangerous to be funny. Trying to impose your beliefs on others is just plain wrong. You believe it if you wish, that's up to you, but I, for one, do not want it shoved at me at every chance. I can see it for the rubbish it, and any other religion is!

[douglas9401]

If I wasn't interested in 'other' religions (high ground nicely occupied there) I'd have missed the chariot dragging the sun over the horizon this morning.
It's predicted that Thor will be swinging his hammer about the place in the west later.
It's a great big wonderful world out there.

[Peter Pedant]

joke isnt a word I am used to seeing in the Bible Good life
any references ?

[naomi24]

Peter Pedant, you think there's a difference? Do please elaborate.

[Hypognosis]

@Goodlife

//So any form of Christianity today that is not faithful to the original cannot have genuine love for good in people’s lives. Could this help to explain why, in the greater part of Christendom, we see increasing violence, immorality, family breakdown, and materialism? //

Possibly not. I can only survive as many seconds of Songs of Praise as it takes me to find the remote but, at a glance, I'd say the age profile (UK) is 40s and up. People who have either lost friends or family to premature death or ate thinking of their own, as they advance in years.

Do the Witnesses ever knock on doors in conspicuously "gangsta"-like neighbourhoods, or would that just get your doorsteppers killed?

Perhaps stick with tidying up safe, suburban, middle class immorality?

[waterboatman]

Well put hypo. :o}

[Hypognosis]

…the moving finger moved just a little too fast, to type "are" properly. Must be ten times, this year, so far.

[goodlife]

Peter Pedant@ No the word “joker” is not used in the Bible, but if you understand the Bible that you will realize from the context that there were those who laughed at Noah, Elijah, Jeremiah even at Jesus considering their words to be a “joke”.

There is a touch of absurdity about dusty Bibles in Christian homes that borders on the humorous. Supposed Christians who do not read their basic textbook are a joke to some. They are about as funny as an engineer who never studied his engineering books, but it is no joke to cross one of his bridges. They are about as funny as a surgeon who never read his books on anatomy, but you would stop laughing if he came into the operating room and started a haphazard probing into your body with a knife in search of your appendix.(Genesis 19:12-14)

[goodlife]

Waterboatman@ I am not, nor do I wish, to force anyone to accept my beliefs. I was commissioned by Jesus to tell the Good News of God’s Kingdom. Read Matthew 28 v 19 & 20. Every individual has a choice.
Hypo@ True, Christendom has a lot to answer for. They advocate war, genocide and they even commit fraud. However True Christianity does not. As to gangsters etc.

They have all had the opportunity to hear the word. Even the Pope, the Queen and members of the Royal Family have had a witness in one way or another. In fact, Catholic priests and nuns have changed, left Catholicsm and become witnesses. There are those in prison, they too are witnessed to and some have changed.