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EBC
Guest
How should we Catholics respond to the statement “We all worship One God; only that we take different way. That’s why we should respect one another (i.e. Religious Tolerance).”?
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thomasf
Guest
What did Jesus say? Narrow is the path, narrow is the gate. Not everyone who says ‘Lord, Lord’ will be saved. There is only one God, and one way to Him, through Jesus. And that way is the Catholic Church that He founded.
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Claire_from_DE
Guest
As a Christian, I believe that God came to earth and revealed to us truths about himself, how to live, to pray, etc. I need to be faithful to this revelation. I respect other people who seek God and worship Him but I wish that they would come to know his full revelation of himself. He has given us the Catholic church to teach us his revelation and the sacraments as the means to be united to him.
po18guy
Well-known member
Given the eyewitness testimony regarding the observed miracles of Christ, the scriptural evidence both predicting and supporting His actions, the inherent wisdom of His words, and the positive change He causes in the human heart, His claim to be “the Way, the Truth and the Life” must be seriously considered by anyone seeking a belief system. Buddha, for example, taught similar things, but offered no salvation. All other beliefs have some flaw or lack that leaves a human desire unanswered.
Truth is not flexible. Only one path is correct, leading to the narrow gate.
Christ’s peace.
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Hastrman
Guest
Um, in Buddism…the whole point is release from the cycle of reincarnation–from hell and any other consequences of one’s actions/beliefs–which, guess what, they usually call salvation.
No it’s not the same salvation, but it’s definitely salvation in essentially the sense Christians mean, allowing for the different cosmology involved.
I’d argue that the only problem with Buddhism is it’s not that great a philosophy–and it’s kinda quitter-y, considering salvation is achieved by not desiring anymore.
po18guy
Well-known member
Point well taken. However, can you lose Buddhist salvation by ceasing to be released? Or ceasing the desire to be released?
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Hastrman
Guest
Not permanently; they tend to view reality as cyclical.
But my point was they do offer salvation, even if they happen to be mistaken.
po18guy
Well-known member
Thank you. My knowledge of Buddhism is obviously limited, and comes from conversations with Korean Christians, who know a lot more about it than I.
Christ’s peace.
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Hastrman
Guest
Not necessarily; Buddhism was brutally suppressed in Korea for three hundred years, and most Koreans, especially in the cities, still look down on it as a “hick religion”–and the equivalent of “hick” is one of the nastiest insults in Korean. Shamanism, too; the two religions tend to go together in what the Japanese call Shinbutsu-shugyo or “Gods and Buddhas together”. It’d be “Shinbul-seunhap” in Korean, but I don’t think the term actually exists.
They might not know anything about Buddhism, I wish I was kidding–think Americans or Englishmen and Catholicism.
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angelusm
Guest
Expressing different beliefs (without using force or violence) is not intolerance. The only thing that matters in this case is: what is God’s will? God never says: there are different ways to me or believe in whatever you want. He says that we can be saved only in Jesus’ name; and we should try to get to heaven through the narrow gate as the Sccripture says.
Some people just don’t want to do what God wants them to do, they think they know better. As Catholics we should say: the Catholic Church is the only God’s church on earth and pope is the vicar of Jesus, he is the person we should obey.
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puzzleannie
Guest
there is indeed one God who has revealed truth about Himself, and who has revealed how he desires to be worshipped and obeyed. To construct one’s own version of this revelation and make up one’s own truth and one’s own worship is to deny God.
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Joe_5859
Guest
Here is a fantastic article by Peter Kreeft that specifically answers this very question:
The Uniqueness of Christianity
This is how I would respond! I highly recommend it!
The Uniqueness of Christianity
This is how I would respond! I highly recommend it!
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AgnosTheist
Guest
All of you, you have completely missed the point. The point being that religious affilitiation is mainly an accident of birth and that there are no objectively compelling evidences that sets one religion above the rest.
You are a catholic because you were raised in a catholic environment.
You are a muslim because you were raised in a muslim environment.
You are a buddhist because you were raised in a buddhist environment.
Religion is a matter of opinion, rather than fact.
So how can you say there is only one God when people had no choice in their beliefs? Thats why people come to believe that there is One God but many different ways.
So when you respond to this question, make sure you consider the reason why people say it.
You are a catholic because you were raised in a catholic environment.
You are a muslim because you were raised in a muslim environment.
You are a buddhist because you were raised in a buddhist environment.
Religion is a matter of opinion, rather than fact.
So how can you say there is only one God when people had no choice in their beliefs? Thats why people come to believe that there is One God but many different ways.
So when you respond to this question, make sure you consider the reason why people say it.
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Publisher
Guest
“There is a principle which is pure, placed in the human mind, which in different places and ages hath had different names. It is, however, pure and proceeds from God. It is deep and inward, confined to no forms of religion nor excluded from any, where the heart stands in perfect sincerity. In whomsoever this takes root and grows, of what nation soever they become brethren in the best sense of the expression.”
John Woolman
John Woolman
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Beofuse
Guest
“So how can you say there is only one God when people had no choice in their beliefs?”
People have no choice in their beliefs? Is this what you claim as your religious dogma?
People have no choice in their beliefs? Is this what you claim as your religious dogma?
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AgnosTheist
Guest
No, thats what I call a logical observation.
85+% of people born & brainwashed into islam, “chooses” to remain a muslim. Is that a genuine choice? Or has the choice been programmed in them already?
Same with 85+% of people born & brainwashed into Catholicm.
Same with 85+% of people born & brainwashed into Hinduism.
etc, etc etc.
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Daniel_Marsh
Guest
Ten Philosophical Mistakes by Mortimer J. Adler
Truth in Religion by Mortimer J. Adler $.91 on amazon
Basically, “all religions” contradict each other. Therefore, all of them can not be right. In fact, all of them could be wrong. Look at how each defines God.
Truth in Religion by Mortimer J. Adler $.91 on amazon
Basically, “all religions” contradict each other. Therefore, all of them can not be right. In fact, all of them could be wrong. Look at how each defines God.
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Beofuse
Guest
Ok. Have you been brainwashed? How did you come up with your agnostic beliefs?
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AgnosTheist
Guest
I was. I used to be Catholic.
Disillusionment (the only way out of brainwashing) and research.
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Joe_5859
Guest
And that is your opinion, not a fact…
Your post seems quite condascending towards, pretty much anyone with any religious convictions. Accusing the vast majority of the world’s population of being brainwashed is not a good way to make your point.
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