Hello Everyone,
How can a person tell if they have the right religion?
What could we do to know without a doubt that the religion we have is the right one?

BTW: Why so many religions if there is only one God to worship?

Take care,
Hope12

Hi, Hope! Nice to see another familiar face over here.

You've asked probably the most difficult question a human can ask. There is no definitive answer in the logical realm, so I'll just answer best I can.

To begin with, it's largely a matter of personal faith, as well as family upbringing and traditions. I also happen to believe that a number of personality and cultural factors may contribute to the development of a faith, or even the lack thereof. How to tell which one's "right?" Very difficult. It is possible to examine each religion objectively, examining its writings, and questioning its leaders, always looking for contradictions within itself. One can also look at the faith from a historical perspective by examining archeological sites for evidence of the truth of the writings. Do any of the major figures also appear in other contemporary writings of the day? Can the events portrayed in the religious writings be confirmed by means outside of the writings themselves? Does the faith run in a continuum smoothly, with no internal contradictions along the way? These are a few ways to determine to some degree the authenticity of one's faith.

Why so many, with only one God? First off, even though I agree with you on the monotheism front, many religions do not, so even that question would be tossed out by some faiths. However, I liken it to economic policy at times. There are bunches of theories out there on how an economy should be run, but there's only one BEST way. Some people know that best way, some don't. Some may know it at some level, but don't like certain aspects of the best way, and reject it for one of their own making that suits them. Any analogy will break down eventually, so that's as far as I'm taking this one. Humans can be incredibly selfish and arrogant creatures, refusing to submit themselves to another human, much less their Creator. But as I often say, disagreeing with God doesn't make Him any less God.

Myself, I come down on the side of Christianity pretty solidly for lots and lots of reasons. One of many is that all other religions have man seeking God. Christianity is the only one where God actively seeks men.

DK

Hello Everyone,
How can a person tell if they have the right religion?
What could we do to know without a doubt that the religion we have is the right one?

BTW: Why so many religions if there is only one God to worship?

Take care,
Hope12


I'll answer the last part of your question for now.


There are two explanations and both are equally valid and are not mutually exclusive.

First, there is the sociological explanation in which man seeks an explanation to the phenomenons of nature. Since nature can be threatening, man seeks to bring it under control somehow. So some groups of mankind imagined that the forces of nature were really either gods or under the control of some god who was displeased and needed to be assuaged. In this way they brought nature under control and felt more secure in their lives since they no longer felt as helpless as before.



Bible history tells us that after the Flood mankind again had only one religion
Under the patriarch Noah and his extended family.

Genesis 8:18
And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him:

20
And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

9:1
And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

But then there was again a turning away from true worship and which resulted in a confusion of languages and a dispersal of these false-worshipping groups throughout the earth. Once this happened the false ideas merely perpetuated other false ideas resulting in the vast babble of beliefs

Why did this second turning away happen? Essentially it's because mankind wants to govern itself and do as it pleases. If a false religion caters to the flesh by being morally permissive, then it is seen as preferable.

Ecclesiastes 7:29
Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

KJV

No one can answer that question for you. Absolutley no body. THe religion you follow is the religion you have faith in. That's why religion is NOT obligatory it's a choice!

This original post is a year old?

Many people have differing ideas about God no matter what the religion. Whenever a disagreement comes up and it always does they break off from whatever group their in and start their own church. In my opinion if you want to know God look within your own heart and watch what men do and if it doesn't meet with your understanding of right and wrong then do not follow blindly and never give up the choice that God gives us all to do the right thing to the best of our ability. :cool: :)

Hope,

Some believe that there is only one way to God, one way to acceptance and that is through Jesus. Why are there so many denominations? Different cultures, different backgrounds and different ways of teaching but all the same God.

There are so many other different religions and religions are based on culture and belief. Everybody has there own ideas and own thoughts about what is right and what is not. Many people are raised in certain religions.

As for the right one. What does it matter. There are some people or organizations that I believe exploit people and take advantage of the belief and I believe that there are some that could be considered cults and that actually twist around what the holy bible says.

God has written the law in our hearts and spirits. We have God within us and it is up to each and everyone to find out what is the true belief for us. I think religion is highly overrated. Highly.

So in ending. What might be right for you may not be right for somebody else, but that does not mean that one is right over the other.

Joe

Yes it is a year old but very interesting indeed!

I understand there are many different religions because people love variety and used to be mistakenly competitive in some things. . And the one God all these different religions propose to worship knows we have been provided everything we need to work it out, just like you say Hope, and love all people. I see a greater tolerance of one religion for another happening these days, a kind of spiritual maturity that releases the need to compete and so it seems hopeful to me too. Think of the security the world would reap!

Since religion is the basis of where we will spend eternity, none of the answers I see here are of any value. You have to start with something proveable. Blind faith is an oxymoron. Read the Bible and find all the fulfilled prophecies that you can, especially about Messiah (Jesus Christ). Fulfilled prophecy is one of the major proofs that the Bible is true. Once you have detemined that the Bible is the Word of God, the rest is easy. Read it and let God talk to your spirit. He will tell you that Jesus is the only way. (His words, not mine.)

Great Comments
:)

Let me address the other part of your question as I promised.

First, I agree that God requires people to worship him the right way. In terms of Christianity, I would say that the right way of worship would be the one which comes closest to the original Christianity of the first century before the apostasy began to take hold.


However, simply being a member of what might very well be the right religion doesn't automatically make one superior to a person who might be worshipping in not so accurate a way but who is perhaps far more sincere than the one who is in the right religion. For example, suppose I go through all the motions required of by the right religion but I am fuming inside because of the impositions on my life which this requires. In contrast, suppose someone isn't in the right religion and does everything he believes God wants him to do with a cheerful heart?

Do you actually believe that God doesn't see that difference simply because
He gives more importance to people going through the motions? In short, the right religion or way to worship involves far more than mere ritual. Rituals, will not guarantee salvation. In fact, salvation cannot be earned by going through rituals of preaching, attending church or congregation, or attending assemblies, revivals or conventions. Actually, we can't earn salvation in any way at all because it is beyond our capacity to do so. It is a free gift given those who avail themselves of it.

But that doesn't mean that everyone in the wrong religions will be automatically destroyed at Armageddon. God doesn't destroy indiscriminately but searches hearts in order to give people who have good disposition but haven't had a fair opportunity to learn the ritualistic part of religion will grant the opportunity they deserve. This he will do either via the resurrection of the dead or else by letting those persons pass through Armageddon even though they at present might not be in the right religion

If we insist that this is not so, and that God destroys everyone at Armageddon because, well, because they are not doing things in such-and-such a way, and insist that he takes no note of motives, or of lack of opportunities, and chooses to ignore potential for future repentance, teachability and so forth, then we are not only defaming God's character but are also not practicing the right religion since we are taking upon ourselves the role of judges and handing out wicked decisions.

So yes, in my viewpoint the right religion is the one which comes closest to first-century Christianity. But that is qualified by all that is said above.


BTW

Notice that Cain was given an opportunity to correct himself if he wanted to and worship correctly. It was the wicked condition of his heart which prevented it-not his misunderstanding concerning right worship.

Jesus said something that must have been shocking to the Jews who believed in Him when He told the Samaritan woman that it was not necessary to worship God at Jerusalem nor in Samaria, but God wanted worship in spirit and truth. The first commandment is to love God, but in order to do that you must first get to know Him. Any honest person who starts to meet God will find that He is already waiting for him/her.

Perhaps I should mention that god is a generic name, and means many things to different people, so what now? The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the best documented occurrence in history, and those who knew Jesus best were willing to die for Him. People are not usually willing to die for something unless they are totally convinced of the truth of it, and the Apostles (and others) were in a position to know all the facts, and indeed most did die as maryters.