Does it matter to you if you are a follower of the "right" religion?

[Dokimas]

Consciousness, and everything that you are conscious of forms your belief.

Are you conscious of having a soul? This is a subjective perception, and I cannot tell you what anyone who is not me perceives inside of themselves.

Is the counscous part of us on the inner part of us?

 

[Noesis]

Is the counscous part of us on the inner part of us?

The inner part of us is understood through consciousness. How it exists outside of consciousness, cannot be known to us in a way which is non-consciousness.

 

[StevenFrancis]

Does the only thing that really “matters” to you is that you believe in God? Or does it matter to be a part of the “right” religion?

Are you positive that you are a member of the one, correct religion? (Catholic, Mormon, Muslim, Baptist)

Does it matter to you if you are not?

What main points lead you to believe that you are a follower of the “correct” or “right” religion?

I was a new ager my whole life. “Christian/Buddhist” with heaping helpings of Carlos Castaneda, Jane Roberts, etc. etc. It was all good. Just a lovey peacey thing. Let’s all hold hands and love God. Look at our luminous egg- selves. Astral travel. I became most settled on Jodo Shinshu, which was founded my a man named Shinran in Japan. Part of my practice was to focus on an image of Amitabah Buddha, (The Buddha of Limitless Light and Life). I started also reading the Gospels, and focusing on a teaching of Jesus, who I started to fancy during meditation might be the same being as Amitabah. This goes on and on, so to wrap it up, the Gospels, and specifically Jesus Christ began speaking to me. I started getting tingly over my meditations. I threw in prayers to the one God that I was starting to finally beginning to feel in with my Nembutsu chants. I started talking to a Methodist friend of mine on a regular basis while he was going through a Bible study course at his church. During this time, I moved across the country, and had the occasion to drive by myself for several days. I stopped at a truck stop and bought an audiobook that said it was about Revelations, and how it linked to the Catholic Mass etc. It was “The Lambs Supper” by Scott Hahn. So here I am, a 47 year old former hippie, pure land Buddhist with highly ecumenical leanings driving across the country listening to Scott Hahn, who I’m sure is quite well known to the folks here. With prayer, quadruple listenings to this book, and a fertile planting ground prepared by the Holy Spirit who was already working on me, by the time I arrived at my new home, I knew I had to seek out a Catholic mass right away. I was jazzed about faith. For the first time in my life, I was really onto something. I spent weeks talking to my wife when I started going to mass. She thought I’d finally flipped. Neither of us has a Catholic in out entire family trees that we can trace. Our families still think we’ve flipped! We had very similar experiences once I got her to mass. We spoke with Father, and signed up for RCIA. On April 15, 2006, I was confirmed, and celebrated my first Eucharist, with tears of joy. (I’d been baptized Foursquare during my stint in parochial school during jr. High.

And my formerly atheist wife was baptized, confirmed at had first communion. That Easter Vigil was the summit of each of our existences!

All this is my way of saying that there is a right church. It is THE Church. It is the Church founded by Jesus Christ when He said to Simon, “you are Peter (Cephas - The Rock), and on this rock I will build my Church” I believe every word of the Nicene Creed, and I well up inside with indescribable feelings when I proclaim my belief during the Holy Sacrafice of the Mass.

I gave this background so you’d know I only thought that any old God would do, as long as you were nice, or some such thing as that. I don’t anymore. I think God has a plan for us. I think it was laid out 2,000 years ago. It took me 1/2 a century to find it, but I did, once I asked.

Ask, and it shall be given unto you. He stands at the door, knoking. Let Him in, and he’ll stay with you forever. You’ll die, and Christ will live on inside you. There is no other church, cult, idea system, philosophy, group, etc. that ever offered me eternal life before! That gave me such a wonderful road to take to heaven! That helped me understand my suffering, and that a greater good comes out of it!

God bless one and all,

Taste and SEE!!!

Steven

 

[ShortyLaRock_82]

Does the only thing that really “matters” to you is that you believe in God? Or does it matter to be a part of the “right” religion?

Are you positive that you are a member of the one, correct religion? (Catholic, Mormon, Muslim, Baptist)

Does it matter to you if you are not?

What main points lead you to believe that you are a follower of the “correct” or “right” religion?

If every religion lead to heaven and sincerity was all that was needed, then God made a terrible lapse of judgment. He sent Jesus into the world to die as a sacrifice for sin when we could have gotten to heaven sincerely believing something else.

 

[PRmerger]

I was a new ager my whole life. “Christian/Buddhist” with heaping helpings of Carlos Castaneda, Jane Roberts, etc. etc. It was all good. Just a lovey peacey thing. Let’s all hold hands and love God. Look at our luminous egg- selves. Astral travel. I became most settled on Jodo Shinshu, which was founded my a man named Shinran in Japan. Part of my practice was to focus on an image of Amitabah Buddha, (The Buddha of Limitless Light and Life). I started also reading the Gospels, and focusing on a teaching of Jesus, who I started to fancy during meditation might be the same being as Amitabah. This goes on and on, so to wrap it up, the Gospels, and specifically Jesus Christ began speaking to me. I started getting tingly over my meditations. I threw in prayers to the one God that I was starting to finally beginning to feel in with my Nembutsu chants. I started talking to a Methodist friend of mine on a regular basis while he was going through a Bible study course at his church. During this time, I moved across the country, and had the occasion to drive by myself for several days. I stopped at a truck stop and bought an audiobook that said it was about Revelations, and how it linked to the Catholic Mass etc. It was “The Lambs Supper” by Scott Hahn. So here I am, a 47 year old former hippie, pure land Buddhist with highly ecumenical leanings driving across the country listening to Scott Hahn, who I’m sure is quite well known to the folks here. With prayer, quadruple listenings to this book, and a fertile planting ground prepared by the Holy Spirit who was already working on me, by the time I arrived at my new home, I knew I had to seek out a Catholic mass right away. I was jazzed about faith. For the first time in my life, I was really onto something. I spent weeks talking to my wife when I started going to mass. She thought I’d finally flipped. Neither of us has a Catholic in out entire family trees that we can trace. Our families still think we’ve flipped! We had very similar experiences once I got her to mass. We spoke with Father, and signed up for RCIA. On April 15, 2006, I was confirmed, and celebrated my first Eucharist, with tears of joy. (I’d been baptized Foursquare during my stint in parochial school during jr. High.

And my formerly atheist wife was baptized, confirmed at had first communion. That Easter Vigil was the summit of each of our existences!

All this is my way of saying that there is a right church. It is THE Church. It is the Church founded by Jesus Christ when He said to Simon, “you are Peter (Cephas - The Rock), and on this rock I will build my Church” I believe every word of the Nicene Creed, and I well up inside with indescribable feelings when I proclaim my belief during the Holy Sacrafice of the Mass.

I gave this background so you’d know I only thought that any old God would do, as long as you were nice, or some such thing as that. I don’t anymore. I think God has a plan for us. I think it was laid out 2,000 years ago. It took me 1/2 a century to find it, but I did, once I asked.

Ask, and it shall be given unto you. He stands at the door, knoking. Let Him in, and he’ll stay with you forever. You’ll die, and Christ will live on inside you. There is no other church, cult, idea system, philosophy, group, etc. that ever offered me eternal life before! That gave me such a wonderful road to take to heaven! That helped me understand my suffering, and that a greater good comes out of it!

God bless one and all,

Taste and SEE!!!

Steven

WOWW!! Thanks for sharing your faith journey, Steven!

Welcome home! :extrahappy:

 

[Zatzat]

Why Islam?

1. The Innate Nature that God has bestowed upon all of mankind called “The Fitra.” Regardless of our faith, even among pagans and atheists there is an innate nature within in us about things that are good such as establishing Justice, the Golden Rule that transcend religion and ethnicity. That same Nature has it programmed in us that there is a Creator which Atheists try to deny.
2. That Muhammad(saw) really is a true prophet of God and The Qur’an really and truly is a Book of Revelation and anyone who is sincere for the Truth will figue this out.

Good points. How could anyone argue with this?

 

[PRmerger]

Good points. How could anyone argue with this?

Well, on pont #1, no Catholic will argue with that one.

Point #2, to the degree that Muhammad’s revelation corresponds to Christian revelation, we are good to go!

 

[Zatzat]

Well, on pont #1, no Catholic will argue with that one.

Point #2, to the degree that Muhammad’s revelation corresponds to Christian revelation, we are good to go!

Perfect. Now, my having firmly rejected Christ. Can I become a Muslim and have just as good a chance of pleasing Jesus and just a good a chance of making to heaven as a devout Catholic?

 

[Marc_Anthony]

Perfect. Now, my having firmly rejected Christ. Can I become a Muslim, worship Allah and make it to paradise when I die?

Assuming you never repent, nope. Sorry.

 

[PRmerger]

Perfect. Now, my having firmly rejected Christ. Can I become a Muslim and have just as good a chance of pleasing Jesus and just a good a chance of making to heaven as a devout Catholic?

Well, that’s like saying, “Perfect. Now that I have firmly rejected your marriage proposal, can I still get married to you?” :whacky:

 

[Zatzat]

Assuming you never repent, nope. Sorry.

So it does matter if you’re a follower of the right religion?

You’ve confused me.

On one hand, you agree that Islam is truth and leads directly to God.

On the other, you seem to assert that Islam will lead to my doom?

So which is it?

Will islam save me or damn me from Gods righteous justice?

 

[Dokimas]

So it does matter if you’re a follower of the right religion?

You’ve confused me.

On one hand, you agree that Islam is truth and leads directly to God.

On the other, you seem to assert that Islam will lead to my doom?

So which is it?

Will islam save me or damn me from Gods righteous justice?

Religion, IMO, is the wrong word. What matters is following the right Savior, Teacher, Lord, God.

Speaking for myself, I can’t see that Islam lead to God. It it did it would agree Jesus is God.

 

[Zatzat]

Religion, IMO, is the wrong word. What matters is following the right Savior, Teacher, Lord, God.

Speaking for myself, I can’t see that Islam lead to God. It it did it would agree Jesus is God.

I appreciate your honesty. I’m still rather confused. If I possess full knowledge of Catholic teaching and make the conscious, educated and informed decision to deny that Jesus is the Son of God.

Can I then become a Muslim and still have just as much and just as easy a chance as a devout Catholic with regards to receiving the promises of Jesus Christ? I remind you, all while completely rejecting that Jesus is Lord?

 

[Dokimas]

I appreciate your honesty. I’m still rather confused. If I possess full knowledge of Catholic teaching and make the conscious, educated and informed decision to deny that Jesus is the Son of God.

Can I then become a Muslim and still have just as much and just as easy a chance as a devout Catholic with regards to receiving the promises of Jesus Christ? I remind you, all while completely rejecting that Jesus is Lord?

My advice is DON’T reject Jesus. Pascal had great wisdom and it’s know as ‘Pascals Wager’.

 

[SteveVH]

I appreciate your honesty. I’m still rather confused. If I possess full knowledge of Catholic teaching and make the conscious, educated and informed decision to deny that Jesus is the Son of God.

Can I then become a Muslim and still have just as much and just as easy a chance as a devout Catholic with regards to receiving the promises of Jesus Christ? I remind you, all while completely rejecting that Jesus is Lord?

I would think long and hard about rejecting Jesus Christ, especially since you claim that you possess the “full knowledge of Catholic teaching”. You are held to an even higher standard than one who is simply ignorant. Concerning your becoming Muslim and wishing to receive the promises of Jesus Christ, your logic is absolutely baffling. I have a hard time believing you’re serious here.

 

[Zatzat]

My advice is DON’T reject Jesus. Pascal had great wisdom and it’s know as ‘Pascals Wager’.

You do realize that Pascal’s wager is also applicable to Hinduism, Judaism, Sikhism, Islam…well you get my point. Why does Pascal’s wager assume that the Christian God is the correct God in which to wager eternity?

Secondly, if you’re worshiping the Christian God, for the simple reason of hedging your bets, God will see right through your scam.

All that aside, I’ve asked a pretty clear question. Do you have an answer?

 

[SteveVH]

If every religion lead to heaven and sincerity was all that was needed, then God made a terrible lapse of judgment. He sent Jesus into the world to die as a sacrifice for sin when we could have gotten to heaven sincerely believing something else.

And… He started A Church. Wonder if He hoped that people would belong to it?

 

[Dokimas]

You do realize that Pascal’s wager is also applicable to Hinduism, Judaism, Sikhism, Islam…well you get my point. Why does Pascal’s wager assume that the Christian God is the correct God in which to wager eternity?

Secondly, if you’re worshiping the Christian God, for the simple reason of hedging your bets, God will see right through your scam.

All that aside, I’ve asked a pretty clear question. Do you have an answer?

Pascal wagered on the Resurrection of Jesus.

BTW, the Jewish God is the same as the Christian God. Most Jews don’t realize it.

Correct, God sees through scams. I’m pretty sure Pascal spoke from the posture of checking things out then he made the final choice by faith. That’s when, I guessing, his wager took over, not scamming, not blindly, but rationally.

 

[Dokimas]

All that aside, I’ve asked a pretty clear question. Do you have an answer?

I believe I’ve answered it. My answer is do not reject Jesus as God, Savior and Lord.

 

[joe254]

I love my catholic faith but at the end of the day i believe god loves all the same