I don't understand how someone can declare they adhere to a particular religion, yet not even know the tenets of the religion they claim to practice. At the very least, they should know what the main text of the religion says.
Thats why I say taught faith is not real faith. Basically people regurgitate what's been oft repeated to them and learn to say what they think they are supposed to say. They don't really feel it in their heart. Also, you can tell a person what you think they should believe all day long but until they have their own experience, and come to their OWN conclusion they are just going through the motions to appease you.
As such, this is why people have to choose the faith that is right for them. Muslim, Christian, J witness, etc. The point is that they lead lives that contribute to the continuous improvement of self, community, and the world at large. If a person finds that motivation in, say, Islam, then that is the religion for them. I would much rather someone practice Islam and be a positive, generous, loving person because of those beliefs, than for someone to be a Christian, misinterpret scripture(b/c of corrupt teaching) and go on a killing spree in the name of Jesus. I am sure God would much rather that as well.
I guess my perspective is a bit unique. The bible says God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son and whosoever shall believe in him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life.
It doesn't say for God so loved only christians. Jesus was God's sacrifice to the WORLD and the sins of MANKIND.Therefore, Christians do not have a monopoly on Jesus, nor on salvation.
Now, I will take Islam as an example b/c I am a little more familiar with it. (Comparative Analysis)
The basic tenets of Islam are the same as Christianity. Islam is like Christianity, a Monotheistic religion. Allah and God are the same. We both worship the same God. So it's not like it's a pagan religion with a different Idol, it's the same God. Now where as Muslims acknowledge Jesus as a prophet and not necessarily the literal Biological son of God, Christians believe he is the biological son of God. Okay let's break that down.
Muslims believe Jesus was a prophet. That is true, he was a prophet - no contradiction.
Muslims believe the message that Jesus taught, I have never heard any muslims say we shouldn't love our neightbor, do good deeds, be an upstanding honest person. again, not in contradiction.
In truth we are ALL God's children so whether Jesus was literally God's son or not is irrelevant. Muslims and Christians both believe the message Jesus taught, they both believe Jesus existed, they both believe Jesus was a prophet. To me that amounts to Muslims and Christians alike, believing in Jesus.
Whether Jesus was or wasn't the biological son of God is irrelevant becasue of these reasons.
1. We are trying to apply HUMAN characteristics to God, and we can't do that. In order to understand the point of the son/father phenom, we must think deeper and take it out of Human context. Jesus is not the BIOLOGICAL son of God because God is NOT a BIOLOGICAL Being. Biological Characteristics apply to our HUMANITY. God isn't bound by the rules of Bilology because God is the ARCHITECT of Biology.
2. i guarantee Jesus had 46- 23 sets of chromosomes just like all humans. He also had DNA from Mary and Joseph as all humans have the DNA of their physical parents.
3. We know God did not impregnate Mary the same way we human's do.
4. Jesus never claimed to be God. Jesus also always refered to God as his father. We all refer to God as our father because God is indeed our spiritual father. So Jesus WAS the Son of God.
5. The focus on Jesus' origin, is a diversion tactic instituted by the evil force in the world to get our attention AWAY from the MESSAGE of Jesus. Believeing whether or not Jesus was a physical son of God is Not what gets one salvation. Believing and living by what he TAUGHT is what will get us salvation.
6. Jesus was the spiritual son of God. That CANNOT be disputed. a "SON" is not limited to the physical definition. Is a spiritual SON, not a Son? Is a Spiritual son any less of a son? I argue that a spiritual son is MORE important.
So we have established, Jesus was indeed the son of God. To acknowledge Jesus' existence, believe in the message he taught, and apply what he taught to our lives ....means that you BELIEVE IN HIM!!!!
So what's the fussing and fighting about? I can tell you, Salvation is such an awesome gift and we know it is valuable. Our human nature drives us to want to make salvation exclusive, so we are the only ones with access to it. Much like membership in a country club, or a clique. We want to be unique and the only ones to have something someone else doesn't.
Again I say God is so amazingly simple, we MAKE God complex. All of this is laid out in black and white right in front of our faces but we overanalyze and look straight past it when we don't need to.
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