How do I know which religion is true?

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Sommer

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Not entirely sure Ive posted this the right place, but here we go;

A couple of years ago I came to the conclusion that there must be a God. Since then I’ve looked into catholicism and Islam, and the only thing I can conclude is that I cannot possibly know which religion (Islam, christianity, judaism etc) is the right one.

I am looking for guidance or/and information, to help me find the way and not feel utterly lost anymore.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance,

Sommer
 
Sommer said:
the only thing I can conclude is that I cannot possibly know which religion (Islam, christianity, judaism etc) is the right one.
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This is a blessed search, Sommer, and one that God Himself is guiding. The task, I think, would be to find where the fullest revelation of God about Himself resides. Naturally, those of us that are Catholic believe this is found in the Catholic Church.

You have come to the right place to get Catholic Answers! May the Christ Child be born into your heart today, when we celebrate His birthday. If you are near a Catholic Church, go to a Mass today!
 
Hi Sommer I pray you journey is frutful and painless as the God you recognize is a loving God.

Im sure you will receive many good responses and answers on your quest but would like to ask early on what it is that will determine for you the truth in the different answers you may get here or in the world in general? What rule do you use that will determing what this truth is you are looking for?

Peace!!!
 
Sommer said:
I am looking for guidance or/and information, to help me find the way and not feel utterly lost anymore.

Any ideas?
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There really is no way of knowing for sure, so my recommendation is to go with where you feel more at “home”-- maybe a form of “spiritual connection”.

As for myself, I prefer a slower and quieter service whereas I can meditate on what’s being said while the service is in progress, so the RCC is a good place for me. I have problems with pentecostal services, for one example, as they’re too “noisy” for me and strike me as being conducted more for entertaining than serious worship.

Hope I didn’t offend anyone with the above, but that’s my honest feeling.
 
Look into each religion. Eg for Islam/etc, look at its origins, consistency with morals and claims, etc. Apologetics are the way to go. Look at both sides too. No point learning about Christianity from Muslims with no Christian background and vice versa

Edit: also a little prayer for God to guide you to the truth never fails
 
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The one that infallibly teaches that it is the one is unlikely to be so.
It is a deep question whose answer is a life long joureny.
And the only teacher who knows the answer is found within not without.
 
Ultimately you want to stay because you know it’s the truth rather than emotions because emotions come and go.

It’s definitely a start but you should not stop there imo. There are huge differences between religions and churches and one of them can be right (eg is the eucharist Jesus) so it’s good to actually look into the issues and familiarize yourself with the history of the church etc
 
I think there are a number of sub questions with failry objective answers that lead you to a bigger answer:
  • was there a person called Jesus of Nazareth?
  • was he crucified and was his tomb found empty 3 days later?
  • did thousands of people risk their lives to follow him before Christianity was embraced by the Roman empire?
If you answer “yes” to those then you are not going to end up Jewish! I’m not going to slate Islam here but they have a take on Jesus and you can read and scrutinise it for yourself. I guess what I’m saying is that you are tackling a very big question so try and break it down into smaller questions so you can maintain objectivity.
 
Conaider also who they say God is. Is He Love? Is He utterly unknowable? Is He knowable? Islam comes 600 years after Christ, and most likely greatly influenced by Arianism, for they accept that Christ was Messiah but deny His divine Sonship.

They also deny His Crucifixion and of course His Resurrection. I do not see how His own apostles would be so mistaken.

It also changes the Law of the Jews while trying to say you should keep it, for instance, you can eat rabbit in Islam but not Judaism, but perhaps the biggest change is that you don’t keep Sabbath for the Muslims, something written in the 10 Commandments.

Mohammed himself is suspicious, he himself thought he was possessed and tried to kill himself multiple times. He owned slaves, started many battles, had more wives than his own revelations allowed. Lots of red flags.

If Judaism’s historical claims are true, that means Christianity may be true, and Islam may be true. It goes from there.
 
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My endorsement for the book “case for Christ” remains for non-believers. Read it and see what you find. The book of Romans is legitimate when it says there is nobody without sin, not one. And, Jesus embodied as a man who lived the perfect life and was still crucified in this world makes a lot more sense than reincarnation and all the other stuff you find in obtaining perfection in Hinduism. If you agree that we live in a world where you can try to strive for perfection and always fall short even in some instances being treated worse for being “on-point” Christianty is for you. I also respect Islam for their “feeling a need to stop and correct a great wrong among us when necessary.”

Historically, we are brothers like it or not.
 
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Prayer and personal revelation. And you must try for a period the prayers and rites of these religions.
God bless.
Not seeking to convince you either way.
 
Do you believe in the Resurrection? Is what followed after that claim persuasive on that topic?

Do you believe the Qu’ran was dictated word for word to Muhammad. Is what happened after that claim persuasive?
 
Start with trying to decipher what God is before who He is. For example: is He an infinite being, or Himself (or herself/itself) a finite being? Is the God which exists a personal God, or impersonal force?

Start trying to answer these questions. Once you answer the metaphysical questions to your satisfaction, you can rule out those faiths which don’t teach according to what you discovered, and go from there.

I wish you luck in your journey.
 
BlackFriar said:
The one that infallibly teaches that it is the one is unlikely to be so.
It is a deep question whose answer is a life long joureny.
And the only teacher who knows the answer is found within not without.
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And the rest that teach that there is no infallible way to know leaves the PO exactly where he started - utterly lost. And sense a loving God would never leave us in this state, you seem to answer the OP’s question better than I could.

Peace!!!
 
The loving God teaches the answer to this question from within not from without.

Is that a form of infallibility…yes it is.
But different from what most would conceive it to mean.
 
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BlackFriar said:
The loving God teaches the answer to this question from within not from without.

Is that a form of infallibility…yes it is.
But different from what most would conceive it to mean.
Click to expand...
I hope the OP and all of the unlearned can find solace in this form of truth. For those who cannot there is always a peacful alternative.

Peace!!!
 
Sommer said:
Not entirely sure Ive posted this the right place, but here we go;

A couple of years ago I came to the conclusion that there must be a God. Since then I’ve looked into catholicism and Islam, and the only thing I can conclude is that I cannot possibly know which religion (Islam, christianity, judaism etc) is the right one.

I am looking for guidance or/and information, to help me find the way and not feel utterly lost anymore.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance,

Sommer
Click to expand...
The Christian God definitely revealed Himself to be boundlessly good, trustworthy, merciful, kind, patient, and humble, amazingly-to be love in Person-by His own willingness to suffer excruciating humiliation and pain and physical death at the hands of His own creation if that’s what it took to prove His love to us in spite of our sin and even hatred of Him-even though He could squash us like a bug. To know our God is to know love. Totally at odds with so much of the world’s values which are based on pride, greed, selfishness. That’s the hero I want -and believe in.
 
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Sommer said:
Not entirely sure Ive posted this the right place, but here we go;

A couple of years ago I came to the conclusion that there must be a God. Since then I’ve looked into catholicism and Islam, and the only thing I can conclude is that I cannot possibly know which religion (Islam, christianity, judaism etc) is the right one.

I am looking for guidance or/and information, to help me find the way and not feel utterly lost anymore.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance,

Sommer
Click to expand...
The truth is no human being on this earth can know with certainty nor believe they do without a large dose of faith.
 
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