Are denominations beneficial?

[Peds nurse]

Colossians 3:15-"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace."

Do all the different denominations help or hinder this verse?

[Peds nurse]

[Replying to post 20 by JehovahsWitness]

I believe the entire bible to be the word of God and the standard by which all religions must be measured.

I also believe the entire Bible to be the word of God, but we differ in this: I cannot, claim any certain theology or doctrine of a religious group to be the only truth, because I don't believe we find truth in theology or doctrine. I believe that truth is found in God, and we live that out in our lives, not perfectly, but rather with humbleness and humility, being patient with everyone, as we represent the love He has so graciously given us.

Thanks for your reply JW!!

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 21 by Peds nurse]

You're welcome.

So PD, if someone asked you "There are so many thousands of religions, are all of them true? Do they all have God's approval" what would you say?

[Peds nurse]

[Replying to post 21 by Peds nurse]

You're welcome.

So PD, if someone asked you "There are so many thousands of religions, are all of them true? Do they all have God's approval" what would you say?

All religions cannot be true. I am not speaking of other religions, as much as the differences of beliefs in Christianity. I would direct people to the Bible, not a doctrine, or a theology. I would also explain the meaning of passages, which can vary, and perhaps have someone else give a different perspective. I just cannot believe that God would deny His people into eternal life because we had a glass of wine, made poor choices as teen, or had a blood transfusion.

[JehovahsWitness]

All religions cannot be true.

Did I understand you correctly, because it seems to me (I will stand corrected) that you are indicated that thousands of religions cannot be true because they are non-christian? If so your one statements here has indicated that millions maybe billions of people belong to a religion that "cannot be true". If something cannot be true, its is probably false.

Are you comfortable indicating that there are possibly billions of people are in a religion that "cannot be true"?


But okay, so what if someone said, there are thousands of "Christian" religions, does it matter which one I join or even if I join any as long as I believe Jesus is Lord?

JW

[Elijah John]

All religions cannot be true.

Did I understand you correctly, because it seems to me (I will stand corrected) that you are indicated that thousands of religions cannot be true because they are non-christian? If so your one statements here has indicated that millions maybe billions of people belong to a religion that "cannot be true". If something cannot be true, its is probably false.

Are you comfortable indicating that there are possibly billions of people are in a religion that "cannot be true"?


But okay, so what if someone said, there are thousands of "Christian" religions, does it matter which one I join or even if I join any as long as I believe Jesus is Lord?

JW

Can all religions have elements of the Truth, and none perhaps the whole Truth?
Complementary if not overlapping bits of the whole Truth?

If one is claimed to have the "whole Truth" how does one go about proving that the religion in question is "God's religion" and has the monopoly on Truth?

[Peds nurse]

[Replying to post 24 by JehovahsWitness]

Are you comfortable indicating that there are possibly billions of people are in a religion that "cannot be true"?

If I believe that the Bible is the word of God, then how can I believe that Hinduism is true? More importantly however, is that didn't you say that Jehovah Witnesses have the one true religion, which prompted my reply?

[postroad]

[Replying to post 26 by Peds nurse]
How would you have responded to John if you existed in his day?

1 John 2:18-19New International Version (NIV)

Warnings Against Denying the Son

18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.

Would you have believed that the end of the world was about to come because the unthinkable was happening?

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 24 by JehovahsWitness]

Are you comfortable indicating that there are possibly billions of people are in a religion that "cannot be true"?

If I believe that the Bible is the word of God, then how can I believe that Hinduism is true? More importantly however, is that didn't you say that Jehovah Witnesses have the one true religion, which prompted my reply?

Yes I did. I'm just seeking common ground, sentiments we can both share. Would it be fair to say that you, like Jehovah's Witnesses recognize there are false religions and in fact (since the majority of people on the planet are not Christian) are comfortable saying that the majority of people on the planet are in a religion that you don't believe to be true.

We JW, like you, also believe that the majority of people are in a religion that we don't believe to be true. The only difference between our belief and yours is WHICH religions we are referring to.


JW

[Youkilledkenny]

[Replying to post 8 by JehovahsWitness]

I will say what I believe to be true and truth will appeal to those that love truth.

Interesting
I'm all about truth and facts but I'm not sure I can say your truth appeals to me in any way, as seen thus far. So what does that mean, exactly?
Am I being less than truthful (irony?)?
No
Is it your truth isn't real?
Maybe
Do I subscribe to a different truth than you?
Probably

There are countless people that see the conflict and disaccord in so-called Christian religions, while at the same time they claim that all christians religions are pleasing to God. This not only makes God appear incapable of keeping his own house in order...

This and other things as well. Let's not put all the blame on the imperfect, flawed people whom are trying to understand a perfect being and what it wants. Fact is, if God is the god of the modern bible, all responsibility for everything rolls up to this god.

There can be no harmony between true and false religion.

Nor does there seem to be harmony among most any religion. All it takes is to look at the individual 'church' and its congregation and the conflicts that arise there. Even these close to Jesus in the biblical stories weren't living harmoniously. How much closer can you get than being right there with the guy and still live un-harmoniously?

by far the majority of atheists with whom I have spoken, that believe that true religion cannot possibly exist in the first place

As that's unfortunate, I would say, based on my experience, you misunderstand based on the definition of an atheist and their POV. Perhaps a better understanding and active listening is in order?

[Blastcat]

[Replying to post 23 by Peds nurse]



[center]
The outsider's test for faith[/center]

So PD, if someone asked you "There are so many thousands of religions, are all of them true? Do they all have God's approval" what would you say?

All religions cannot be true.

Hi Peds.
We agree on something.

As an outsider to ALL faiths , I can also say that logically, since JUST ONE religion CAN be true, if they are mutually exclusive like that, it's logical to say that they can also ALL be false. Just because we call all of the OTHER religions "false" doesn't mean the one we promote is true.

ALL religions worth their salt think of themselves as TRUE.
The two of you are struggling here with the idea of the "Outsider's test for faith".

There's this excellent book about it:


"Depending on how one defines religion, there are at least thousands of religions in the world. Given such religious diversity, how can any one religion claim to know the truth? Nothing proposed so far has helped us settle which of these religions, if any, are true--until now.

Author John W. Loftus, a former minister turned atheist, argues we would all be better off if we viewed any religion--including our own--from the informed skepticism of an outsider, a nonbeliever. For this reason he has devised "the outsider test for faith." He describes it as a variation on the Golden Rule: "Do unto your own faith what you do to other faiths." Essentially, this means applying the same skepticism to our own beliefs as we do to the beliefs of other faiths. Loftus notes that research from psychology, anthropology, sociology, and neuroscience goes a long way toward explaining why the human race has produced so many belief systems, why religion is culturally dependent, and how religion evolved in the first place. It's important that people understand these findings to escape the dangerous delusion that any one religion represents the only truth."



Peds, as an agnostic, an atheist and a skeptic, I'm an outsider.
I can guide you on how to think like an outsider to your faith.

Skepticism is a good thing.
But we also have to apply it to our OWN beliefs, and NOT just the others.