What Does The Bible Say About Other Religions?

What does Jesus said about other religions?

Photo by suc / pixabay.com Ding-dong. As I head for the door, my daughter screams. “Dad! Do not open that door!” I turn to find my daughter peeking out the window. “Why not?” I ask. “It’s those people again. You know, the ties, the bikeswhy do they have to bother us?” Think about the last interaction you had with someone from a different religion—maybe the Jehovah’s Witness that knocked on your door, the Muslim woman watching her kids play at the park, or the New Ager who tried to sell you healing crystals.

1. Did you approach the interaction with any particular goal in mind? Were you successful in meeting that goal, or not? Think about the last interaction you had with someone from a different religion.
2. Did you approach the interaction with any particular goal in mind? Were you successful in meeting that goal, or not? I can recall many instances in my life when I worked up the courage to talk to someone from another religion, with the goal of helping them see the Truth.

More often than not, the conversation ended with me failing at my goal and very little chance that either of us would want to meet again. Jesus didn’t leave that kind of bad taste in people’s mouths, probably because he approached those of other religions very differently than we do.

1. Though most of Jesus’ ministry occurred in a small region of the world to a largely homogenous Jewish society, he still found opportunities to interact with those of foreign backgrounds, who probably carried either partially or fully their traditional religions with them.
2. Jesus spoke with Romans, who came from a polytheistic background; with Syrians and Canaanites, traditionally worshippers of idols including Baal and Ashtoreth; and with Samaritans, whose religion was similar to the Jews in that they followed the Torah and believed in a coming Messiah, but had differences in how they worshiped and looked to Mount Gerizim as their holiest site.

(The Samaritan religion is still around today,) The Gospels record Jesus’ interactions with specific foreigners such as the Roman Centurion with a sick servant (Luke 7); the Roman governor Pilate (John 18-19); the Canaanite woman with a sick daughter (Matthew 15); the Samaritan leper grateful for his healing (Luke 17); the sinful Samaritan woman at the well (John 4); the allegorical Good Samaritan (Luke 10); and many unnamed sick and demonized from the regions of Syria and the Decapolis who were most likely not Jewish (Matthew 4 & 8; Mark 3 & 7).

In all these interactions we find Jesus’ approach to be surprisingly different from how he approached the Pharisees or his own disciples. Surely Jesus would desire that all of these foreigners leave their false religions and embrace the truth. So how did he approach them? Reading each of the passages mentioned above would be highly instructional for those of us who claim to follow Jesus.

Here’s my summary of how Jesus interacted with those of other religions: What Jesus DID : – healed the sick – delivered the demonically oppressed – told people to tell others what God had done for them – praised people for their great faith – praised people as examples of what God wants – announced they would feast in heaven with the earlier prophets.

Only when he was asked did Jesus reveal himself as Messiah (John 4) and King (John 18). What Jesus DIDN’T do: – follow his own Jewish culture’s prejudicial norms – condemn or rebuke – warn of judgment or hell – argue theology, debate, quote the Scriptures, ask if people wanted to know the Gospel, or ask people to change anything,

Think about that for a moment. Jesus didn’t try to convince people to believe anything new, change any behavior, or join his group. He simply loved them, praised the good in them, and only answered the questions they were actually asking, A survey conducted in January 2017 by the Pew Research Center provides insight into how Americans currently feel about different religious groups.

1. Two results from this survey are particularly apropos: 1.
2. The young generation (age 18-29) feel more warmly toward Buddhists (+66), Hindus and Catholics (+64), and Jews (+62) than they do toward Evangelical Christians (+59).
3. Evangelical Christians in fact rank closer to Atheists (+59) and Muslims (+58).2.

Although Republicans have the warmest feelings for Evangelical Christians (+71), Democrats put Evangelical Christians near the bottom of the list with Mormons (+53 & +52 respectively), far behind Jews (+66), Catholics and Buddhists (+64), Hindus (+61), Atheists (+57) and even Muslims (+56).

1. The study also found that Americans tend to feel most warmly toward those who are like themselves.
2. No wonder Republicans and the elderly like evangelicals—they’re showing a preference for their own group.
3. But for the many out there who do NOT identify as evangelicals—whether they’re from the young generation, the Democratic Party, or another religious group—their feelings toward evangelicals are not so warm.

In fact, according to author Joseph Mattera, many American Muslims ” believe Christians hate them,” How can we change this negative perception? By changing the dynamics of our interactions. We need to leave behind some of the agenda-based dialogue and argumentative approaches that have neither achieved our goals of convincing others to change nor reflected the heart of our Savior.

It’s time we got back to doing what Jesus did—loving, healing, praising, and responding to what is truly on people’s hearts. We shouldn’t do these things so that people from other backgrounds will like us, or even so they will convert—we should do them because we claim to follow Jesus. The more we become like him, the more magnetically people will be drawn to us, and discover for themselves that Jesus is “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

What Does The Bible Say About Religion – Do Many Paths Really Lead to God?

Jim Baton’s 20 years living in a Muslim nation have birthed a series of novels that are transforming people’s perceptions on Muslims and how God would have us relate to them in love. His most recent novel, A Violent Light, was released in December 2016.

What does Christianity say about other religions?

Western Christian views – Some Christians have argued that religious pluralism is an invalid or a self-contradictory concept. Maximal forms of religious pluralism claim that all religions are equally true, or they claim that one religion can be true for some people and another religion can be true for others.

Some Christians hold the view that such pluralism is logically impossible. Catholicism believes that while it is the fullest and most complete revelation of God to man, other Christian denominations have also received genuine revelation from God, Although Calvinists believe that God and the truth of God cannot be plural, they also believe that those civil ordinances of man which restrain man from doing evil and encourage man to do good, are ordinances of God (regardless of the religion, or the lack of it, of those who wield that power).

Christians are obligated to be at peace with all men, as far as it is up to them, and they are also obligated to submit to governments for the Lord’s sake, and pray for their enemies. Calvinism is not pacifistic, and as a result, Calvinists have been involved in religious wars, most notably, they were involved in the French Wars of Religion and the English Civil War,

Does the Bible mention any religion?

Not long ago I read a report of an interview with a man of some national importance. In giving his views on a question of present-day concern he made this comment: “I am not a religious man, but there was something about the circumstances of the proposed action that did not strike me as being right.” His comment made me wonder why he associated religion with the social and political subject he was talking about, and it also made me wonder why he thought he was not a religious person.

1. The answer to these queries, I suppose, lies in the definition of religion.
2. The word religion has no one generally accepted definition.
3. Sometimes it is used in reference to worship, whether it be public or private, and sometimes to distinguish between things sacred and those that are profane or worldly.

Belief in the immortality of the soul is a concept that is looked upon by some as religious, and one of the most common uses of the term is the belief in deity or deities—a worship of God. The word religion is often associated with the pursuit of what is commonly called salvation, and sometimes with revelation from a divine source.

• Not long after the organization of the Church, Joseph Smith published answers to a long list of questions that had been asked of him.
• One of the questions was this: “What are the fundamental principles of your religion?” To that question, Joseph Smith replied: “The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that he died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.” ( History of the Church, 3:30.) On many subjects we are often able to find definitions in the scriptures, but it is interesting to note that even though we think of the Bible as a religious treatise, the word religion does not appear in the Old Testament, and in the writings of the New Testament it is used on three occasions only.

I would like to make reference to these three. The first use of the word religion is by Paul as he presented his defense before King Agrippa. He said to Agrippa: “After the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee” ( Acts 26:5 ). He was referring to the three sects of the Jews: the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes.

He said he lived a Pharisee—the sect of the three that was the strictest in religious practices. Paul was not talking about a religious creed or a belief, but rather the form of worship, because the Jews placed great stress on practice rather than doctrine—on ritualistic worship rather than a creed of belief.

The second use of the word religion was also by Paul, in writing to the Galatians. He made this statement: “For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church” ( Gal.1:13 ). We well know of the persecutions inflicted by Paul upon those who followed Christ and professed to be Christians and wonder why he did these things.

1. What caused him to take such a ruthless course? Paul answers these questions by stating that he had practiced the religion of his fathers—a religion of iron rules, laws, and traditions inherited from his Hebrew lineage.
2. These iron rules of practice are what caused him to relentlessly persecute the followers of Christ.

Thus, in writing to the Galatians he referred to religion in the same manner as he did before King Agrippa, as rules of practice rather than doctrine or a creed of belief. Now we come to the third instance in the New Testament of the use of the word religion.

It is in the Epistle of James, written “to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad” ( James 1:1 ), probably meaning to all Israel, in which he said: “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain” ( James 1:26 ).

James seems to be using the term religion in the manner used by Paul, as being ritualistic or ceremonial—that if a man is ritualistic in this manner, yet fails to be guarded in what he says, his rituals are in vain. James then very pointedly defines what he refers to as pure religion, as distinguished from forms of ritualistic worship and iron rules of practice as described by Paul.

James said: “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” ( James 1:27 ). The wording is simple and unpretentious, yet the meaning is profound and has deep significance. The words “visit the fatherless and widows” are a reminder that we should have compassion for our neighbor—our fellowmen.

This is the teaching of the Master in his frequent reference to love. The Lord said: “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” ( Matt.22:39 ). This is what James was expressing—a love for, and devotion to, God, by compassionate service to fellowmen. He used as examples the fatherless and the widows.

The second element of the definition of religion stated by James is to keep “unspotted from the world.” To be unspotted from the world simply means being unworldly and free from the pollution of sin and unrighteousness. Paul said something about this also in his writing to the Romans: “Be not conformed to this world” ( Rom.12:2 ).

In short, James tells us that true religion is a devotion to God, demonstrated by love and compassion for fellowmen, coupled with unworldliness. Such a statement seems too simple to be sufficient, but in its simplicity it speaks an important truth. Restated it may be said that true religion consists not only in refraining from evil (that is, remaining unspotted), but in deliberately and purposefully doing acts of kindness and service to others.

1. Ing Benjamin recognized this principle as he spoke to his people from the tower.
2. He reminded them that he had spent his days in their service and said: “I do not desire to boast, for I have only been in the service of God.
3. And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” ( Mosiah 2:16–17,) Matthew puts it this way: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” ( Matt.25:40 ).

The life of the Prophet Joseph Smith portrays these same attributes—service to friends, to his fellowmen, to all mankind, and to his God. It was during the last two hours of his life, confined behind bars in Carthage, that his close friend, President John Taylor, sang a song to cheer him on that melancholy occasion.

1. The song has a number of verses commencing with helping the unfortunate and sharing a crust with one perishing for want of bread.
2. These are some of the words: A poor wayfaring man of grief Had often crossed me on my way, Who sued so humbly for relief That I could never answer, Nay.
3. I had not power to ask his name; Whither he went or whence he came; Yet there was something in his eye That won my love, I knew not why.

Once, when my scanty meal was spread, He entered—not a word he spake. Just perishing for want of bread; I gave him all; he blessed it, brake. And ate, but gave me part again; Mine was an angel’s portion then, For while I fed with eager haste, The crust was manna to my taste.

The verses continue to tell of a drink given to quench the thirst of a sufferer, clothing and rest for the naked and weary, caring for the injured and wounded, sharing the condemnation of a prisoner. Then the last verses recognize the appearance of the Master: Then in a moment to my view, The stranger started from disguise: The tokens in his hands I knew, The Savior stood before mine eyes.

He spake—and my poor name he named— “Of me thou hast not been asham’d; These deeds shall thy memorial be; Fear not thou didst them unto me.” ( History of the Church, 6:614–15.) Poor, indeed, and destitute is the man who disclaims being religious because he does not have sufficient love for his fellowmen to be concerned and have compassion.

The Lord will say: “Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” ( Matt.25:45–46,) President Joseph F. Smith, a former president of the Church, wrote these words many years ago: “Do not say that you are not naturally religious, and so make that an excuse for evil deeds and forbidden acts.

Be rather religious both in appearance and in reality, remembering what true religion means. Even as the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy, so is the possession of the knowledge that you love purity, righteousness, honesty, justice and well-doing, an indisputable evidence that you are naturally religious.” President Smith continued: “Search your hearts, and you will find deep down that you possess this knowledge.

Then encourage its growth and development, to the gaining of your own salvation.” (“Not Naturally Religious,” Improvement Era, Apr.1906, p.495.) I pray we may serve our fellowmen and remain unspotted from worldly influences, so that we may be worthy to be considered truly religious and receive the approbation of the Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ.

Amen.

What does King James Bible say about other religions?

2Chr.7 –

But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them; And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them.

What religion did Jesus say he was?

Jesus’ identity cannot be understood apart from his Jewishness. Harold W. Attridge: The Lillian Claus Professor of New Testament Yale Divinity School What was the dominant religious influence on ? Jesus was certainly subject to the influence of the traditions of Israel, there’s no doubt about that. But in what form those traditions came to him in Galilee at the beginning of the first century is somewhat unclear.

• He certainly would have known of the Temple in Jerusalem, and probably, as traditions report., would have gone up to Jerusalem for the major pilgrimage festivals.
• He would have known of the rituals of the Temple, their atoning ignificance.
• He would have celebrated Passover, I suspect, with his family, and would have known of the hopes embedded in Passover for divine deliverance.

He probably was aware of the growing Pharisaic movement which preached a notion of purity that was available to all Jews, not simply those who were officiating at the Temple cult. He certainly would have known Jewish scripture, And we can see in some of his parables how he plays on images from scripture.

• For instance, the great Cedar of Lebanon from Ezekial probably plays a role in his description of the mustard seed, which becomes a tree, and there’s probably an element of parody there.
• So his relationship with the scriptural heritage is a complex one, but it certainly is an important one in his formation.

Shaye I.D. Cohen: Samuel Ungerleider Professor of Judaic Studies and Professor of Religious Studies Brown University Was Jesus Jewish and, if he was, how would that have influenced his experiences as a young man growing up in Galilee? Was Jesus a Jew? Of course, Jesus was a Jew. He was born of a Jewish mother, in Galilee, a Jewish part of the world. All of his friends, associates, colleagues, disciples, all of them were Jews.

He regularly worshipped in Jewish communal worship, what we call synagogues. He preached from Jewish text, from the Bible. He celebrated the Jewish festivals. He went on pilgrimage to the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem where he was under the authority of priests. He lived, was born, lived, died, taught as a Jew.

This is obvious to any casual reader of the gospel text. What’s striking is not so much that he was a Jew but that the gospels make no pretense that he wasn’t. The gospels have no sense yet that Jesus was anything other than a Jew. The gospels don’t even have a sense that he came to found a new religion, an idea completely foreign to all the gospel text, and completely foreign to Paul.

That is an idea which comes about only later. So, to say that he was a Jew is saying a truism, is simply stating an idea that is so obvious on the face of it, one wonders it even needs to be said. But, of course, it does need to be said because we all know what happens later in the story, where it turns out that Christianity becomes something other than Judaism and as a result, Jesus in retrospect is seen not as a Jew, but as something else, as a founder of Christianity.

But, of course, he was a Jew. Paula Fredriksen: William Goodwin Aurelio Professor of the Appreciation of Scripture, Boston University Was Jesus Jewish? Why is it so important to us and why would it have colored his perceptions? What astonishes me when I read the stories about Jesus in the New Testament, is how completely embedded he is in this first century.

• Jewish world of religious practice and piety.
• We tend to get distracted by the major plot line of the gospels, because we’re waiting for the story to develop up to the crucifixion.
• But, within that story, and the stories that are told by the evangelists that fills in the gap between the Galilee and Jerusalem, Jesus presented continuously as going into the synagogue on the Sabbath.

He is presented as going up to Jerusalem for the pilgrimage holidays, specifically in John, for any number of pilgrimage holidays, and in the synoptic gospels, most importantly, for Passover. Jerusalem at Passover is not the sort of place you’d want to be in unless you were really committed to doing an awful lot of ritual activity with tremendous historical resonance.

hat we’ve learned from the gospel stories is not that Jesus was not Jewish. Quite the opposite. He’s completely embedded in the Judaism of his time. What we learn from the gospels is that he’s not a member of one of the groups whose identifying characteristics Josephus gave to us. He’s not a Sadducee. He’s not a Pharisee.

He’s always arguing with the Pharisees. He’s not an Essene. He’s not an insurrectionist. And the fact that he’s arguing with other people who may be members of these other groups just simply signifies that he’s a Jew, because that’s what these Jews all did with each other – argue with each other all the time.

What is the oldest religion?

Hinduism () is an Indian religion or dharma, a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world’s third-largest, with approximately 1.2 billion followers, or 15% of the global population, known as Hindus,

1. The word Hindu is an exonym and while Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, it has also been described as sanātana dharma ( Sanskrit : सनातन धर्म, lit.
2. ”the eternal dharma”), a modern usage, based on the belief that its origins lie beyond human history, as revealed in the Hindu texts,

Another endonym is Vaidika Dharma, the dharma related to the Vedas, Hinduism is a diverse system of thought marked by a range of philosophies and shared concepts, rituals, cosmological systems, pilgrimage sites, and shared textual sources that discuss theology, metaphysics, mythology, Vedic yajna, yoga, agamic rituals, and temple building, among other topics.

Prominent themes in Hindu beliefs include the four Puruṣārthas, the proper goals or aims of human life; namely, dharma (ethics/duties), artha (prosperity/work), kama (desires/passions) and moksha (liberation/freedom from the passions and the cycle of death and rebirth ), as well as karma (action, intent and consequences) and saṃsāra (cycle of death and rebirth).

Hinduism prescribes the eternal duties, such as honesty, refraining from injuring living beings ( ahiṃsā ), patience, forbearance, self-restraint, virtue, and compassion, among others. Hindu practices include worship ( puja ), fire rituals ( homa/havan ), devotion ( bhakti ), fasting ( vrata ), chanting ( japa ), meditation ( dhyāna ), sacrifice ( yajña ), charity ( dāna ), selfless service ( sevā ), learning and knowledge ( jñāna ), recitation and exposition of scriptures ( pravacana ), homage to one’s ancestors ( śrāddha ), family-oriented rites of passage, annual festivals, and occasional pilgrimages ( yatra ).

Along with the various practices associated with yoga, some Hindus leave their social world and material possessions and engage in lifelong Sannyasa ( monasticism ) in order to achieve moksha, Hindu texts are classified into Śruti (“heard”) and Smṛti (“remembered”), the major scriptures of which are the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Purānas, the Mahābhārata, the Rāmāyana, and the Āgamas,

There are six āstika schools of Hindu philosophy, who recognise the authority of the Vedas, namely Sānkhya, Yoga, Nyāya, Vaisheshika, Mimāmsā, and Vedānta, While the Puranic chronology presents a genealogy of thousands of years, starting with the Vedic rishis, scholars regard Hinduism as a fusion or synthesis of Brahmanical orthopraxy with various Indian cultures, having diverse roots and no specific founder.

1. This Hindu synthesis emerged after the Vedic period, between c.
2. 500 –200 BCE and c.
3. 300 CE, in the period of the Second Urbanisation and the early classical period of Hinduism, when the Epics and the first Purānas were composed.
4. It flourished in the medieval period, with the decline of Buddhism in India,

Currently, the four major denominations of Hinduism are Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism, and the Smarta tradition, Sources of authority and eternal truths in the Hindu texts play an important role, but there is also a strong Hindu tradition of questioning authority in order to deepen the understanding of these truths and to further develop the tradition.

What is God according to different religions?

God This article is about the belief in a supreme being in monotheistic thought. For the general faith in a supreme being, see, For God in specific religions, see, For other uses, see, Principal object of faith in monotheism Representation (for the purpose of art or worship) of God in (left to right from top),,,,, and the In thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being,, and principal object of,

1. In thought, is “a spirit or being believed to control some part of the or life and often worshipped for doing so, or something that represents this spirit or being”.
2. Belief in the existence of at least one god is called,
3. Regarding God vary considerably.
4. Many notable theologians and philosophers have developed arguments for and against the,

rejects the belief in any, is the belief that the existence of God is unknown or, Some view knowledge concerning God as derived from faith. God is often conceived as the greatest entity in existence. God is often believed to be the cause of all things and so is seen as the creator and and the ruler of the,

• God is often thought of as and of the material creation while holds God is the universe itself.
• God is sometimes seen as the, while holds that God is not involved in humanity apart from creation.
• Some traditions attach spiritual significance to the relationship with God and see God as the source of all, with acts such as and,

God is sometimes described without reference, while others use terminology that is gender-specific. God is referred to by different depending on the language and cultural tradition with titles also used to refer to different attributes.

How does the church view other religions?

What does the church teach about people of other faiths? Growing up, I assumed that the Catholic Church taught that people who were not Christian could not go to heaven. That view never sat well with me, so it was a relief to learn later in life that my assumption had been wrong.

1. In fact, the church teaches that the “plan of salvation” includes all people, regardless of their religious affiliation.
2. The Second Vatican Council declared this most clearly, and it remains the position of the church today.
3. It means that those who do not profess faith in Jesus Christ may—by following the dictates of their conscience and embracing what is true and good—”attain eternal salvation.” This is not to say that everyone is guaranteed to be saved (even Christians), but it means that God labors tirelessly to bring all people—Christian or not—to salvation in Christ.

Ultimately, we are saved not by membership in an institution or by our ideas or good deeds but by God. The church also recognizes that other religions very often contain “true and holy” elements—”rays of the same Truth” that the church professes. Because of this, people of other faiths deserve our admiration and respect, and the church calls on all people to engage in dialogue and collaboration around our shared values.

At Vatican II, the church highlighted many positive aspects of other religions that are similar to those of the Catholic faith and practice. In Nostra Aetate (Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions), the church praised specific aspects of Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

Written in the wake of the Holocaust, Nostra Aetate was originally conceived as a declaration on the church’s relationship with the Jewish people and a repudiation of anti-Semitism. But the document also includes a paragraph on aspects of the Muslim belief and practice.

It affirms that Muslims and Christians (along with Jews) worship the same God. Since Vatican II, the church has also been clear that all people have the right to religious freedom and that Catholics should stand up against religious discrimination, even when it targets those outside our fold. Going back to its earliest days, the church has recognized that the Holy Spirit “blows where it wishes,” even outside the walls of the church.

How might we go about identifying where the Spirit may be at work in other religions? One way is by looking for the “fruits of the Holy Spirit.” In his letter to the Galatians (5:22–23), St. Paul lists several qualities in the Christian community that are evidence of the Holy Spirit at work: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Of course, Christians do not have a monopoly on these qualities. People of other faiths (or no faith) exhibit them just as well as—and sometimes better than—we do. With this in mind, we should be on the lookout for these “fruits of the Spirit” and recognize with gladness the many ways God is present and active among people of other faiths This article also appears in the January 2023 issue of U.S.

Catholic (Vol.88, No.1, page 49). to subscribe to the magazine. Image: Wikimedia Commons/AlmaKrese : What does the church teach about people of other faiths?

What religions fit under Christianity?

Major branches – Worldwide Christians by denomination as of 2011 Other (1.3%) Christianity can be taxonomically divided into six main groups: the Church of the East, Oriental Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and Restorationism,

• Protestantism includes many groups which do not share any ecclesiastical governance and have widely diverging beliefs and practices.
• Major Protestant branches include Adventism, Anabaptism, Anglicanism, Baptists, Irvingianism, Lutheranism, Methodism, Moravianism, Quakerism, Pentecostalism, Plymouth Brethren, Reformed Christianity, and Waldensianism,

Reformed Christianity itself includes the Continental Reformed, Presbyterian, Evangelical Anglican, Congregationalist, and Reformed Baptist traditions. Anabaptist Christianity itself includes the Amish, Apostolic, Bruderhof, Hutterite, Mennonite, River Brethren, and Schwarzenau Brethren traditions.

1. Christianity has denominational families (or movements) and also has individual denominations (or communions).
2. The difference between a denomination and a denominational family is sometimes unclear to outsiders.
3. Some denominational families can be considered major branches.
4. Groups that are members of a branch, while sharing historical ties and similar doctrines, are not necessarily in communion with one another.

There were some movements considered heresies by the early Church which do not exist today and are not generally referred to as denominations. Examples include the Gnostics (who had believed in an esoteric dualism called gnosis ), the Ebionites (who denied the divinity of Jesus), and the Arians (who subordinated the Son to the Father by denying the pre-existence of Christ, thus placing Jesus as a created being), Bogumilism and Bosnian Church,

Is Muhammad mentioned in the Bible?

Is Muhammad mentioned in the Bible Quoted from the “” THE LIFE OF MUHAMMAD IS MUHAMMAD MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE? Is Muhammad Mentioned in the Old Testament? Christ’s coming is foretold in the Old Testament in many different places. If, therefore, the Most High God intended to send into the world a prophet far greater than Christ, we should find predictions concerning this future prophet in the Old Testament, and still more in the New Testament.

It is natural, therefore, for Muslims to seek such prophecies in the Bible regarding the founder of their religion. If Muhammad was the Seal of the Prophets-the person on whose account God created the universe-it would be very strange for God not to have told us to look for and obey the coming Prophet.

Those who believe in Muhammad tell us that clear and unmistakable predictions regarding him are found in the Bible. Muslims also say that other predictions of Muhammad’s coming were once there, but were removed by Jews and Christians. The appeal to the Bible in this matter implies that the Bible is (1) divinely inspired, and (2) uncorrupted.

Otherwise o\, of what use would it be to refer to such a book as authoritative? If our Muslim friends admit these two points, then an inquiry into the alleged biblical prophecies regarding Muhammad may be very interesting and instructive. But if they do not admit these points of fact, it is difficult to see what use it is for them to refer to the Bible at all in seeking proof of their prophet’s mission.

Of course, many learned Muslims-all, in fact, who have carefully studied the matter-do admit these two facts. Genesis 49:10

The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people.

It is asserted that this passage refers to Muhammad, since “Judah” comes from a Hebrew verb meaning “to praise,” the same meaning for the Arabic name Muhammad. But the context of Genesis show that Shiloh was to be born among the descendants of Judah. Muhammad, however, came from the Arabian tribe of the Quraish.

The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.

Muslims assert that the prophet predicted in Deuteronomy is Muhammad. Since “from your midst” does not appear in either the ancient Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint) or the Samaritan Pentateuch, the original text must state the prophet would come from the relatives of the Israelites, the descendants of Ishmael, the Arabs.

1. However, there is earlier ancient Hebrew manuscript evidence supporting the customary reading.
2. In addition, “brethren” naturally and commonly refers to one’s closest relative (e.g., the Israelite tribes).
3. It is said that Muhammad was like Moses in many points.
4. Both were brought up in their enemies’ houses, appeared among idolaters, were at first rejected by their own people and afterward accepted by them, each gave a law, fled from their enemies (Moses to Midian, Muhammad to Medina, a name of a similar meaning), marched to battle against their enemies, wrought miracles, and enabled their followers to conquer Palestine.

These correlation’s prove nothing. God Himself has explained in the Gospels that this prophecy referred to Christ, not to Muhammad. Compare Deuteronomy 18:15, “Him you shall hear,” with Matthew 17:5,”. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

1. Hear Him!” (See also Mark 9:2 and Luke 9:35.) Jesus explains that this and other passages refer to Himself (John 5:46; Genesis 12:3; 24:4; 18:18; 22:28; 28:14).
2. He was descended from Judah (Matthew 1:1-16; Luke 3:23-38; Hebrews 7:14), was born in Israel, and spent almost all of His life among the Jews.

In Acts 3:25-26, this prophecy is cited as referring to Christ Jesus. Psalm 45:3-5

Gird Your Sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One, With Your glory and Your majesty. And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness; And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things. Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies; The peoples fall under You.

In Islam, Muhammad is called “the Prophet with the sword.” However, a close study of the context of these verses easily refutes the claim that they refer to Muhammad. Verse six declares, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.” Muslims never claim that Muhammad was God. Furthermore, Hebrews 1:8-9 clearly states that verse six is an address to Christ. Isaiah 21:7

And he saw a chariot with a pair of horsemen, A chariot of donkeys, and a chariot of camels.

Muslims think that the words “a chariot of donkeys” in this verse are a prediction of the coming of Christ, who entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, and that :a chariot (or troop) of camels” refers to Muhammad, since he always rode on a camel. In fact, the context shows that this chapter refers to neither Christ nor Muhammad.

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

“The kingdom is at hand” is the call of John the Baptist, repeated by Jesus (Matthew 4:17), and said by Muslims to be a prediction of the establishment of the power of Islam, the Quran being the Law of the Kingdom. but “the kingdom of heaven,” or as it is also called, “the kingdom of God,” does not refer to the Islamic kingdom, since the heaven and God of Islam are not the heaven and God of the Bible.

The biblical kingdom of God has temporal and spiritual aspects, present and future implications. Long before the rise of Islamic power, Christ announced the presence of the kingdom, saying, “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Matthew 12:28). In Mark 9:1, Christ told His disciples that some of them would not taste death until they saw the kingdom of God present with power.

Did they see Muhammad and the “kingdom” of Islam? Certainly not. Mark 1:7

“There come One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.”

The Muslim Injil (gospel) of Jesus is not the same thing as the New Testament or the Gospels. Muslims maintain that the gospel of Jesus is the record of God’s Word given through Jesus. The New Testament Gospels, they say are the words of man-the recollections of Matthew, Mark, and those compiled by Luke and John.

Only occasionally can we find Jesus’ gospel buried in the midst of man’s words and opinion. One of the preserved lines of Jesus’ gospel, they say is in Mark 1:7, where Jesus supposedly prophesied of Muhammad, “There cometh after Me he that is mightier than I.” This shows how hopelessly impossible it is for Muslims to find any prophecy regarding Muhammad, for verse six of this chapter tells us that these words were not spoken by Jesus but by John the Baptist.

The context clearly shows this to be true (see also Matthew 3:11-14; Luke 3:16-17; and John 1:26-34). It will not do to say that Christ was already in the world, and that therefore He could not be said to come after John. Christ began to preach only after John had been cast into prison and beheaded (see Mark 1:14; also compare Matthew 4:12, 17), thus ending the forerunner’s ministry.

Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.”

This is supposed by some Muslims to be a declaration that Jerusalem would no longer be the Holy City and the “Qiblah” (focus of prayers), but that its place would be taken by another city, which, the Muslims say, must be Mecca. Yet in verses 23-24, Christ Himself explained the meaning of His own words, saying that true and acceptable worship does not depend upon the place where it is offered by upon the state of the worshipper’s heart.

“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor know Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in ;you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

Muslims assert that the Greek paracleton (helper) mentioned by Christ is Muhammad, whose name they believe to be a translation of the term. They contend that the prophecy in this passage was fulfilled in Muhammad, since he received the Quran from the angel Gabriel (whom Muslims believe to be the Holy Spirit) and bore witness to Christ (John 14:26), acknowledging Him as a prophet (John 16:14), as born of a virgin, as a worker of miracles, as having ascended up to Heaven without dying but not as God’s Son (having never claimed to be such), and as having had the Gospel brought to Him.

But the Paracleton could not possibly refer to Muhammad for these reasons: First of all, the word paracleton does not mean anything at all like Muhammad. Paracleton means helper, comforter, sustainer, and advocate. The first of these titles is clearly not suited to Muhammad, the “Prophet with the Sword,” and the Quran itself denies the title of Advocate to all but God Himself.

Second, in the New Testament, the title Paracleton is directly applied only to the Holy Spirit (John 13:16, 17, 26; 15:26; 16:13) and by implication to Christ (John 13:16; 1 John 2:1). The Paracleton of whom Christ speaks is not a man but the invisible of Spirit of Truth, who was then dwelling with Christ’s disciples and would soon be in their hearts (John 14:17; 16:14).

Third, the Paracleton was to be sent by Christ (John 15:26; 16:7), which Muslims cannot admit concerning Muhammad. Fourth, the Paracleton’s work was not to gather armies and gain victories with earthly weapons, but to convict men of sin, the very essence of sin being disbelief in Christ (John 16:9). Fifth, His teaching was to glorify not Himself but Christ and to do the work Christ sent Him to do (John 16:14-15).

NO! These are some of the important biblical passages which Muslims emphasize contain prophecies concerning Muhammad. Quite clearly not a single one constitutes a prediction about him. Muhammad is not mentioned explicitly or ;implicitly in the Bible, God’s oldest written revelation (and the only written revelation as far as Christians are concerned).

What is the main religion in the Bible?

The Bible is the holy scripture of the Christian religion, purporting to tell the history of the Earth from its earliest creation to the spread of Christianity in the first century A.D.

Do Muslims read the Bible?

Gospel ( Injil ) – When the Quran speaks of the Gospel, Muslims believe it refers to a single volume book called “The Gospel of Jesus”: supposedly an original divine revelation to Jesus Christ, Accordingly, Muslim scholars reject the Christian canonical Gospels, which they say are not the original teachings of Jesus and which they say have been corrupted over time.

What did Jesus say about other gods?

In the Catholic Church – God revealed Himself to His people Israel by making His name known to them God has a name; He is not an anonymous force. The Catholic Church teaches that the first commandment forbids honoring gods other than the one Lord who has revealed Himself, for example, in the introduction to the Ten Commandments: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” Through the prophets, God calls Israel and all nations to turn to him, the one and only God: “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

• To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
• Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength.’ (Isaiah 45:22-24, see also Philippians 2:10-11)” Because God’s identity and transcendent character are described in Scripture as unique, the teaching of the Catholic Church proscribes superstition as well as irreligion and explains the commandment is broken by having images to which divine power is ascribed as well as in divinizing anything that is not God.

“Man commits idolatry whenever he honors and reveres a creature in place of God, whether this be gods or demons power, pleasure, race, ancestors, the state, money, etc.” The Catechism commends those who refuse even to simulate such worship in a cultural context and states that “the duty to offer God authentic worship concerns man both as an individual and as a social being.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church notes that this commandment is recalled many times throughout the Bible and quotes passages describing temporal consequences for those who place trust elsewhere than in God: Scripture constantly recalls this rejection of “idols, silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.

• They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.” These empty idols make their worshippers empty: “Those who make them are like them; so are all who trust in them.”(Psalm 115:4-5, 8; see also Isaiah 44:9-20; Jeremiah 10:1-16; Daniel 14:1-30).
• God, however, is the “living God” (Joshua 3:10; Psalm 42:3; etc.) who gives life and intervenes in history.

—  Catechism of the Catholic Church 2112 While recognizing that God communicates with people, including prophets, the Catholic Catechism teaches that the first commandment forbids the practice of all attempts to tame occult powers as contradictory to the honor, respect and loving fear that is owed to God alone.

Such practices are forbidden even if one has “good” motives, such as seeking to restore someone’s health, and “recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another’s credulity.” All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to “unveil” the future (see for example, Deuteronomy 18:10; Jeremiah 29:8).

Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers.

  Catechism of the Catholic Church 2116 Irreligion, in the specific forms of tempting God, sacrilege, and simony, is also considered a violation of the first commandment. The Catechism states that atheism is often based on a “false conception of human autonomy” and all forms of atheism are viewed as violating the first commandment in their common denial of the existence of God.

Agnosticism as a way of life is portrayed as a lazy flight from the ultimate question of existence and as “all too often equivalent of practical atheism.”

Which 3 religions are based on the Bible?

One of the most elaborately illuminated copies of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible created in the Middle Ages, the Rothschild Pentateuch is the first Hebrew manuscript to be added to the collection of the Getty Museum. Its acquisition allows the Getty for the first time to represent the medieval art of illumination in sacred texts of the three Abrahamic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, founded in that order.

These religions trace their belief in the singular God to a common patriarch, the figure of Abraham (Ibrahim). Practitioners of all three religions have been called people of the book for their shared belief in the primacy of the divine word as conveyed through sacred scripture. Copies of the Torah, Christian Bible, and Qur’an are among the most beautifully illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages, represented in this exhibition by three remarkable examples.

The Rothschild Pentateuch was acquired with the generous support of Jo Carole and Ronald S. Lauder.

Where in the Bible does it say not to judge other religions?

Matthew 7 1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, `Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs.

If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.9 “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.13 “Enter through the narrow gate.

For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.16 By their fruit you will recognize them.

Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.21 “Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.22 Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you.

Away from me, you evildoers!’ 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” 28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

What religion was Adam and Eve?

Gnostic traditions – Gnostic Christianity discussed Adam and Eve in two known surviving texts, namely the ” Apocalypse of Adam ” found in the Nag Hammadi documents and the Testament of Adam, The creation of Adam as Protoanthropos, the original man, is the focal concept of these writings.

• Another Gnostic tradition held that Adam and Eve were created to help defeat Satan.
• The serpent, instead of being identified with Satan, is seen as a hero by the Ophites,
• Still other Gnostics believed that Satan’s fall, however, came after the creation of humanity.
• As in Islamic tradition, this story says that Satan refused to bow to Adam due to pride.

Satan said that Adam was inferior to him as he was made of fire, whereas Adam was made of clay. This refusal led to the fall of Satan recorded in works such as the Book of Enoch, In Mandaeism, “(God) created all the worlds, formed the soul through his power, and placed it by means of angels into the human body.

What religion was Moses?

Moses
משה
Moses with the Tablets of the Law (1624), by Guido Reni
Personal
Born	Goshen, Lower Egypt, Ancient Egypt
Died	Mount Nebo, Moab, Transjordan
Nationality	Egyptian Israelite
Spouse	Zipporah / Cushite woman
Children	Gershom Eliezer
Parents	Amram (father) Jochebed (mother) Pharaoh’s daughter (adoptive mother)
Known for	Prophet Delivering the Ten Commandments to the Israelites
Relatives	Levi (great-grandfather) Aaron (brother) Miriam (sister)

Moses () is considered the most important prophet in Judaism and one of the most important prophets in Christianity, Islam, the Druze faith, the Baháʼí Faith, and other Abrahamic religions, According to both the Bible and the Quran, Moses was the leader of the Israelites and lawgiver to whom the authorship, or “acquisition from heaven”, of the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) is attributed.

According to the Book of Exodus, Moses was born in a time when his people, the Israelites, an enslaved minority, were increasing in population and, as a result, the Egyptian Pharaoh worried that they might ally themselves with Egypt’s enemies. Moses’ Hebrew mother, Jochebed, secretly hid him when Pharaoh ordered all newborn Hebrew boys to be killed in order to reduce the population of the Israelites.

Through Pharaoh’s daughter (identified as Queen Bithia in the Midrash ), the child was adopted as a foundling from the Nile and grew up with the Egyptian royal family. After killing an Egyptian slave-master who was beating a Hebrew, Moses fled across the Red Sea to Midian, where he encountered the Angel of the Lord, speaking to him from within a burning bush on Mount Horeb, which he regarded as the Mountain of God.

God sent Moses back to Egypt to demand the release of the Israelites from slavery. Moses said that he could not speak eloquently, so God allowed Aaron, his elder brother, to become his spokesperson. After the Ten Plagues, Moses led the Exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt and across the Red Sea, after which they based themselves at Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments,

After 40 years of wandering in the desert, Moses died on Mount Nebo at the age of 120, within sight of the Promised Land, Generally, the majority of scholars see the biblical Moses as a legendary figure, whilst retaining the possibility that Moses or a Moses-like figure existed in the 13th century BCE.

Is the Quran older than the Bible?

The Quran, the central religious text of Islam, contains references to more than fifty people and events also found in the Bible, While the stories told in each book are generally comparable, there are also some notable differences. Knowing that versions written in the Hebrew Bible and the Christian New Testament does predate the Quran, scholars recognize the similarities found in Persian, Jewish and Christian texts.

1. Muslims believe the Quran to be direct knowledge from the Creator of existence.
2. As such, some Muslims believe that the earlier versions are distorted through flawed processes of transmission and interpretation over time, and consider the Quran’s version to be more accurate.
3. Often, stories related in the Quran tend to concentrate on the moral or spiritual significance of events rather than the details.

Biblical stories come from diverse sources and authors, so their attention to detail varies individually. The Islamic methodology of tafsir al-Qur’an bi-l-Kitab ( Arabic : تفسير القرآن بالكتاب ) refers to interpreting the Qur’an with/through the Bible.

Who is the most powerful religion in the world?

Largest religious groups

Religion	Followers (billions)	Cultural tradition
Christianity	2.4	Abrahamic religions
Islam	2.0	Abrahamic religions
Hinduism	1.2	Indian religions
Buddhism	0.5	Indian religions

Does Buddhism mention Jesus?

Although Buddhist teachings don’t specifically mention Jesus — Buddha predates the birth of Jesus by hundreds of years — Buddhists acknowledge the gods of other religions, including Jesus, as alternate manifestations of Buddha.

How many religions are mentioned in the Bible?

Asserts that the Bible is a succession of twelve relatively separate religions, eight in the Old Testament and four in the New: the SumeroAkkadian religion of Genesis 1-11; the Aramaean religion of the patriarchal nomads; the EgyptoMidianite religion of Moses; Joshua’s religion of genocide; the Canaanite-Hebrew

What does God say about other gods?

You shall have no other gods. As the one true God of heaven and earth, Yahweh cannot and will not tolerate the worship of any ‘other gods’ (Ex.22:20; 23:13, 24, 32); in other words, monotheism, the worship of the one true God, is the only acceptable belief and practice.

What does the Bible say about marriage in different religions?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia A Lutheran priest in Germany marries a young couple in a church, An interfaith marriage, also known as an interreligious marriage, is defined by Christian denominations as a marriage between a Christian and a non-Christian (e.g. a marriage between a Christian and a Jew, or a Muslim), whereas an interdenominational marriage is between members of two different Christian denominations, such as a Lutheran Christian wedding a Catholic Christian, for example.

Almost all Christian denominations permit interdenominational marriages, though with respect to interfaith marriage, many Christian denominations caution against it, citing verses of the Christian Bible that prohibit it such as 2 Corinthians 6:14–15, while certain Christian denominations have made allowances for interfaith marriage, which is referenced in 1 Corinthians 7:14–15, verses where Saint Paul addresses originally non-Christian couples in which one of the spouses converts to Christianity after the marriage had already taken place.

Certain Christian denominations, such as the Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection, discourage or prohibit interfaith marriage, basing this caution on passages from the Christian Bible, such as New Testament verses 2 Corinthians 6:14–15 and the Old Testament verses Deuteronomy 7:3 and Ezra 9–10.