Straight and narrow....which path will you follow?

For this blog I will discuss some of the major worldwide religions/practices.  My goal is to get a clear understanding of each practice, provide accurate information for each, and of course try, with all my ability, to lead any lost souls to Christ. Let’s get to it: 

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

Jehovah’s witnesses were founded by Charles Taze Russell. His own study of the bible led him to deny the existence of hell and doctrine of the Holy Trinity. People who follow him believe in the only “true God” whose name is Jehovah, though they deny the Holy Trinity (God as the Father, Holy Spirit, and Son Jesus Christ). They believe Jesus was God’s first creation, is an immortal spirit being, and inferior to Jehovah; and the Holy Spirit is merely a force of Jehovah. Their text is the bible, not in its entirety but specific translations. Each witness is to evangelize or convert others to become witnesses. To them, heaven is another worldly kingdom where Jehovah dwells; while hell is mankind’s “common grave”, not a place of torment. They believe only 144,000 people will go to heaven (Rev. 7:14), the saved others will live on a new and restored earth forever.

Judaism

The people we now call Jews were Hebrews. The word “Jew” came from Judah, one of Jacob’s (son of Isaac and Rebekah, Abraham’s grandson) sons. “Judaism” literally means “Judah-ism” or the religion of Yehudim (Jews). They believe there is only one God. This God is beyond our comprehension and every person’s relationship with God varies. Judaism teaches that every human being was created “in the image of God”. The Torah is the text of Judaism which includes the 10 commandments in addition to 613 commandments or mitzvoth. The 10 commandments are considered most important in the text. They believe God will send a Messiah who will bring peace and unity to the world. While traditional Judaism believes that death is not the end of human existence, the belief of heaven/hell, reincarnation, or any afterlife also varies. The Judaism practice focuses on life and how to live it best, rather than on the afterlife.

Atheism

The word atheism means “no god” (root word theos – god, a – no). Atheism is the lack of belief in a god or the belief that there is no god. It’s history dates back as far as the 16^th century; Epicurus, Democritus, and Lucretius are considered the first atheists writers. There is no known universal atheist organization; one atheist’s beliefs, or lack thereof, can very well differ from another’s. There are atheists who will outright say “there is no god” and the idea that there is a god is illogical. There are also others who deny God’s existence based on lack of evidence. The supernatural world does not exist; when a person dies, their soul dies also (the human soul is merely functions of the brain and when a person dies their brain ceases to function). A quote from gotatheism.com website “do you remember what you felt like before you were born? Of course not... you had no brain function. Death is exactly like that.”

Christianity

Greek word Christianos means “follower of Christ”. Those of this faith believe the man called Jesus was, and is, the Son of the Living God, Creator of all things seen and unseen. He and His Father are one and by faith in Him, and faith alone, will any soul be granted eternal life in His presence. Those who have not accepted the name of Christ will have sentenced themselves into eternal punishment, separated from their Creator forever. What makes Jesus Christ so important? Why He’s God in the flesh of course! Here are a few examples of Him revealing His deity or "Godness":

·         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?