ISLAM
Islam is Arabic (root word Salema) and means submission. Those of this religion are centered with their
submission to Allah (also Arabic, translates to God, The One and Only Eternal God). The prophet Muhammad received
revelations from Allah and recorded them in the sacred text of Islam, the Quran
(or Koran). Those of the Islamic faith believe the world will be destroyed on
the Last Day and Allah will raise all people and jinn (supernatural creatures) and all Allah’s creation will be
judged. Those judged will either be granted entrance into Paradise or Hell
(Jahannam). They agree all non-Muslims will be sentenced to hell. However, any
Muslims sentenced to hell may or may not
be rescued by Allah at some point. The sacred text of Islam, the Quran,
both permits and forbids murder and violence, depending on the recipient: “Make
war on them until idolatry is no more and Allah’s religion reigns supreme”
(Koran 8:39), “It is not us who slay them but Allah…” (Koran 8:17). It also
teaches that men have authority over women: “Good women are obedient…….whom you
fear disobedience send them to beds apart and beat them” (Koran 4:34). There are 5 pillars (or obligations) of Islam that each
Muslim must fulfill in his/her lifetime. Here are a few: recite prayers 5 times daily while facing
Mecca (the holiest city), fast (sexual intercourse, all food & drink, any
tobacco substances) for one entire month per year, and making an annual trip to
Mecca.
Hinduism
Hinduism comes from the word
“India” and is a wide variety of religious traditions and philosophies
developed over thousands of years. What’s interesting to me is this practice
has no known founder. It is a culture based out of India, which later took a
form of religion. Hindus believe in one Supreme Being who is both immanent and
transcendent. They believe the universe goes through countless cycles of
creation, preservation and dissolution. Our thoughts and attitudes about life
direct our actions; our actions then determine our destiny. When a person dies,
their soul reincarnates, evolving through many births until all karma (the law
of cause and effect) has been resolved. Hindus believe that all religions,
faiths, paths, etc., are facets of God’s light, deserving tolerance and
understanding. Their sacred text, Sanatana Dharma (the eternal law), is their
codes of ethics, how one receives enlightenment.
Buddhism
The word Buddhism comes from ‘Budhi’ and means to enlighten. It
originated when the Buddha, Siddhartha Guatama was awakened, or enlightened. Siddhartha Guatama was born
into a royal family. While in his twenties he realized wealth and luxury did
not guarantee happiness, so he spent 6 years exploring different
religions/teachings of his day. He then found the “middle path” and was
enlightened. He spent his remaining years walking the earth teaching what is
now known as Buddhism. Three basic principles of this practice can be summed up
as: 1) to lead a moral life, 2) to be mindful and aware of thoughts/actions,
and 3) to develop wisdom and understanding. After death a person is either
reborn into another body (reincarnation) or enters Nirvana (transcendent state
in which there is neither suffering, desire, nor sense of self, and the subject
is released from the effects of karma and the cycle of death and rebirth). Jehovah’s Witness
Judaism
Atheism
Christianity
·
He prophesied his own death-Matthew 12:40 “For
just as Jonah was 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of the great fish, so will
the Son of Man be 3 days and 3 nights in the heart of the earth”
·
After being dead for 3 days, He resurrected-John
20:27 “Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put
out your hand and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe”
·
He forgives sins-Mark 2:5 “And when Jesus saw
their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son your sins are forgiven”
·
He is omniscient or all-knowing-John 16:30 “Now
we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this
is why we believe that you came from God”
·
He is omnipresent or everywhere at all times-Matthew
28:20 “…And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” and 18:20 “For
where 2 or 3 are gathered in my name, there I am among them”
· He is omnipotent or having all power-Matthew
28:18 “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth
has been given to me.’
·
He is unchanging-Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is
the same yesterday and today and forever”
·
He accepted worship-Matthew 28:9 “And behold,
Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his
feet and worshiped him”
·
Jesus Christ will judge all humanity-Matthew
25:31-32, 34, 41 “When the Son of Man comes in his
glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one
from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats…Then the King
will say to those on his right, ‘Come you who are blessed by my Father, inherit
the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’…Then he will say
to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire
prepared for the devil and his angels’ “
·
Our eternal destinies depends on our response to
him-Mark 8:35 “For whoever would save his life will lose it but whoever loses
his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it” 8:38 “For whoever is
ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him
will the Son of Man also be ashamed when
he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels”
The very fact that Jesus is God/Lord of all/the Creator/Messiah makes Christianity what it is. Without Christ, there’d be no Christianity. It’s a good thing to follow a man of God, a man who has heard directly from his Creator. The Old Testament told of such blessed men: Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Noah to name a few. The thing is, and I want you to read this carefully, this was BEFORE the Lord revealed the path of salvation. Of all the ways in which Christ revealed his deity, the most important by far is His resurrection. The people who may or may not have founded the religions above are all long gone by now. They’re dead. And there’s no way for them to come back and confirm what religion they’ve organized.
Historians, theologians, and even non-Christians agree a man named Jesus lived and walked the earth. Bart D. Ehrman and John Dominic Crossman are New Testament scholars, who have a reputation for attacking Christianity. However, both are “certain” of Jesus’ existence. History doesn’t lie about Jesus’ existence. The question, and what has been debated since His time on earth, is whether He truly was/is the son of the living God. Interestingly enough, history points to His existence and it’s been over two thousand years since he’s been here; yet there is no burial ground for Jesus. Muhammad, Buddha, Confucius, Barnabas, etc. were buried upon death and stayed there. Jesus died, but where is His body? There is no burial ground for Jesus because His body is not here.
All religions/faiths/practices have one thing in common; they all agree that at the root of every human being there is something wrong. That we all are inherently bad and our very nature is wicked. To fix this problem, all belief systems (outside of Christianity) have a list of works or obligations for one’s faith, as described above. Whether five or 100; there are do’s and don’ts for the world’s religions; i.e. praying 5 times a day, thinking positively, doing good deeds, etc. Things we must or can do to help cleanse us, make up for what humanity lacks, and help us to appear righteous in the next life. The goal for religion is to have peace and not suffer when we die. Christianity picks up what every other religion lacks. Works are dead; there isn’t ANYTHING any one can do to make up for their sins or the evil in humanity. It is only by accepting and believing in Jesus Christ that a person can become righteous in God’s eyes. Once a person sincerely accepts Jesus as their Lord and Savior their slate is wiped clean. Even as a Christian I sin against God daily and do things I know that are contrary to His will. And THIS is why any works are void, because they will always be infected with our transgressions. How can I possibly say enough prayers, do enough good deeds and think enough positive thoughts to make up for all the bad I do and/or think? My bad deeds still need to be punished right? Jesus Christ took OUR punishment for us on the cross and through his death and resurrection we are redeemed. For this reason and this reason alone do Christians serve and worship Him.
Matthew 7:13-14 says “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few”. There are countless ways (or roads) this world has people thinking will lead to peace, eternal bliss, to God and/or to heaven. The way, however, is narrow because there’s only one way to the Lord; through Christ Jesus. Why not take God at his word?
