Sikhism vs Christianity and where I fit in

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MyNameIsChris

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I realize some people don’t think Christianity and Catholicism aren’t the same thing, but there are enough similarities for me to post this here. I’m confused and would like truthful answers. Here goes…

Hi all,

this is my first post on these forums and hopefully not my last. I have a lot I want to get off my mind so I hope you’ll stick around until the end of my post and be able to help me out. Please excuse any grammatical errors as well. It’s 4 in the morning and I really just wanna go to sleep, however, I feel like I need to get this out there before I do, as it’s been far too long.

I was born in Canada to a Sikh family. My father doesn’t wear a turban, and my mother doesn’t always prance around in a dress. Ever since I was a little kid, I remember going to the temple, usually once or twice a week. I was told that there were 10 gurus, and that the guru granth sahib (the holy book) was their gift to us. I was constantly reminded that god was watching me even if my parents weren’t, and I distinctly remember multiple times I opted to not do something bad out of fear that god may not like it. My parents taught me not to fear god, but rather keep him in mind when deciding whether or not something is bad or not.

As I grew older, my parents decided we needed to leave our small town and head on into a nice little suburb which had a ton of other South Asians. We are the majority here. We also moved near a temple, so it was easier for us to visit and we routinely started going more often. As I became a teenager, I started becoming fascinated by science and technology. Most notably, I wanted to learn everything I could about the universe, and why things behaved the way they did. At the same time, as my horizons on life broadened, my belief in God started to diminish. I had learned a lot about the Universe in a short period of time, and while I did, I would constantly question whether or not God existed. My parents are not your stereotypical mean, strict and conservative Indians. In fact, they are quite the opposite. My mother told me that it was fine that I did not believe in God, as you can’t force faith. I would always try to explain to her why things happened the way they did, and why God is a being created by man thousands of years ago to explain and answer some of the questions people had about the (at that time) scary and spontaneous world they lived in. Again, she said she was raised to believe in god, and she would continue to do so for the rest of her life. Although she typically agrees that science can explain a lot of things, she argues that her belief in god stems from the fact she has gotten everything she had ever asked him for; a good husband, nice children, and a very relaxing life in what she describes as “the best country in the world”.

Truth be told, I’m not a full-blown Atheist. Until the day science proves how the Universe was created without the need for a God, I never will be. Because of that, I consider myself your typical Agnostic; someone who really doesn’t know whether or not God exists or not. I can’t prove God exists, but I can’t disprove it either. I think each of us has a bit of skepticism on the subject of god existing or not from time to time, but in my case, it’s probably a lot more than the next guy.

That brings me to my next point: A large part of me genuinely believes that religion is a fictitious, man-made creation that will in no way bring you closer to god than being an Atheist will (assuming God exists). As I’ve previously stated, the world was a scary place 1-2 thousand years ago. People wanted answers to their everyday questions, and religion offered the answers and much more. I wholeheartedly believe that religion has been responsible for the inhumane deaths of thousands, if not millions of people since it’s creation. And the scary thing is that even now, in today’s day and age, these killings continue to take place in the 21st century. And unfortunately, because of a few mentally retarded people who really don’t have any business even being alive (see: Al-Quada, Taliban), these killings are not going to stop any time soon.

But then there is the other part of me; the part that believes that even if all religions and religious prophets are liars, that there is still some good to be taken from what it teaches. Despite having different attitudes and beliefs about a God that may or may not exist, most religions (and I think all major religions) share similar core beliefs of how a person should behave and/or live their lives. The most important part, in my opinion, is that they teach the importance of living a good life and being a generally positive person. In my quest for the truth, I started to look into and study the three biggest religions in the world: Christianity, Islam and Judaism. At first glance, Christianity and Judaism seemed quite similar. However, I quickly pushed it aside as Judaism does not recognize Jesus Christ as a prophet, whereas I do. I may be Sikh, and I may be skeptical about the existence of God, but taking into account what I know about prophets, I think you’d be hard-pressed to deny that Jesus Christ was among one of the greatest, if not THE greatest, to have ever walked the earth. This personal belief is also completely compatible with Sikhism beliefs, as the 10 Gurus were not prophets, but saints who were on earth to help people live a perfect life.
 
This left me with Christianity and Islam. I had my biases against Islam when I started, and unfortunately, a lot of them were reinforced by the end of my research. On the plus side, I learned that forced marriage is forbidden in Islam. I learned that not everyone involved is a bomb-strapping terrorist intent on spreading Jihad across the globe. And I learned that most Muslims want nothing more than to practice their religion in peace, just like the rest of us. But, I also learned that women were NOT considered equal in Islam. There are a lot of verses in the Koran that indicate that a man is much more important than a woman (whose life is apparently worth 1/2 that of a man’s), and that there is a lot of discrimination and unfair treatment towards them. There were certain parts of the Koran that highlighted the importance of killing the “non-believers” and not associating yourselves with them. On top of that, not to be offensive or anything, but their prophet doesn’t necessarily seem like the holiest man around. It’s known that he had well over 20 wives in his lifetime, including a 9 year old girl and his former daughter-in-law. He engaged in countless battles and took a lot of innocent lives because people didn’t believe in Islam. This, compared to Jesus, who never harmed another living soul, but instead spent his life healing the sick. What really sealed the deal was how Islam teaches to “fear” Allah, as opposed to loving him. Sure, there’s parts of the Koran which state the importance of loving Allah and accepting him with open arms, and how Allah is merciful and extremely forgiving, but as I was surfing through a lot of Islamic advice websites, the general feeling I got from them is that most people on there pray and follow Islam out of fear of Allah and what punishment they will be given, as opposed to loving him and doing it because it makes them happy. Because of this, I quickly crossed Islam off my list.

This left me with Christianity. Since I live in Canada, I’m constantly exposed to Christians and their beliefs, but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to do some research anyways. Now, there’s some differences between Sikhism and Christianity, but since pretty much all of these have to do with religious doctrines and the like, I will not mention them. Instead, I want to focus on the fundamental beliefs and ideas on what makes a good person, how life should be lived, and the attitude towards god. For starters, both religions have denounced the idea of a caste system. Both religions insist that it is important to honor your parents and put a lot of emphasis on it. Neither religion thinks it is acceptable for a man to have multiple wives. In Sikhism, I know that it is stated that women are 100% equal with men, and I have read countless Biblical verses which state the same thing. Sikhs are not allowed to hit their wives, as the Guru said that men and women are created equal. It is considered a major sin. Similarly, The Bible says in Ephesians 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it”. The Bible says in Ephesians 5:28 “In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself”. For that reason, I think it’s safe to say Jesus wouldn’t be pleased with people who abuse their spouse. But the thing that made me so attracted to Christianity was that Christians believe that God needs to be loved, not feared. Sure, there is some fear, sort of like how a child fears what his or her parents will think if he or she does something wrong. But I read a bit of The Bible. My heart filled with warmth because there was so much love within it, and not fear.

Now, you may be wondering why exactly an Agnostic-Sikh like me holds Jesus Christ in such high regards. And the answer is simple. My mother used to have this one picture of Christ she always kept beside her bed, even closer than the poster of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. One day, before she went to bed, I had asked her who this man was and why she would pray to him every night before she went to sleep. I saw her eyes light up. She told me that the strange man’s name was Jesus Christ and that he had lived thousands of years ago. She told me that although she didn’t know a lot of the details, she knew enough about his kindness and his good deeds to know he was special and truly someone sent by God to help people. I asked her why she was saying this despite the fact that she was a Sikh. She simply smiled and told me that you don’t need to be a Christian to be close to Jesus. This all happened before I became a teenager, and since then, I’ve thought very highly of Christ.
 
So that leaves me where I am today. I’ve recently begun researching Sikhism more and more, and to be honest, I love it. The fact that the gurus can say that their religion isn’t the only right one, that there is more than one path to salvation, and that all religions are like rivers that lead into the same ocean (God) is truly inspirational to me, especially considering the gurus would of had no problems acquiring followers even if they had said that their religion was the one true religion, and all other religions would lead you to eternity in hell. But despite this, I continue to be inspired by certain aspects of Christianity and Jesus Christ himself. Guru Nanak said that men and women should not fear God’s anger but be afraid of not receiving all the benefits of his love. Sikhs strive to do things out of love and devotion to God, not because we simply fear God’s wrath. That, I believe, is the fundamental difference between Sikh philosophy and that of the Abrahamic doctrines. That is also the main reason why I will never leave Sikhism for any other religion.

It is my honest belief that the most important thing in life is to live it the way you want to. I can take the good from both Christianity and Sikhism and use it to my advantage. But I am also confused. I don’t follow any of the 5 K’s that the gurus taught, and neither do my parents. I was born and raised in Canada, so I’ve definitely been “westernized”. Does this make me a bad Sikh? Can I still be a good Sikh simply by respecting the Gurus and their teachings, and taking their KNOWLEDGE with me through life while leaving certain aspects (like the 5 K’s) behind? Also, can I continue to incorporate the teachings of Jesus Christ and Christianity without actually converting, or would that just make me a 2-faced loser who can’t commit to a religion?

And with all that being said, I think it’s important for me to once again mention that I am, as described by a lot of people, an “Agnostic”. I must be honest with myself and you people, and the truth is that I could never blindly believe in God without seeing him (or her?) with my own two eyes. That’s just the way I am and I’ll just have to accept it. So can I be an Agnostic-Sikh-Christian hybrid at the same time or not?

One more thing: I just turned 18. I’m going to University soon and have my whole life ahead of me. The most important thing for me is to one day, while I’m laying on my death-bed, to be able to look back and say “hey, I lived a good life and helped people. I may be dying, but I can take comfort in knowing that I never compromised my values, upheld my dignity, and most importantly, made a positive difference in the world. If I helped even one person, whether it be because I was a doctor, or a volunteer who went to a 3rd world country to aid poor people, if there is even one person who will thank me and have me in their prayers for the rest of their lives, well then, I am proud of the man who looks back at me in the mirror and proud to have lived my life the way I have wanted”. And, if there is a god, and he won’t let me into his eternal paradise because I did not wholeheartedly accept his existence but still helped people and lived my life to the fullest, well sir, that’s not the kind of God I would want to be praying to in the first place.

It’s now 6 in the morning and I doubt I’ll be able to wake up on time. However, it was worth it to be able to get my thoughts out there and for you people to be able to answer my questions. I await your responses.

And, since most people on here probably do believe in God, I think it’s safe to say…

God Bless
 
Personally, I was agnostic myself of a number of years. Perhaps unlike you, however, I found that scientific evidence and biblical evidence created and then reinforced belief in a God as opposed to undermining it. Eventually, I concluded that there was enough evidence to support a belief. If you have any specific questions, I’m sure we can help out. Moral behaviour is certainly a step in the right direction.

As for those who do not fully believe and their fate, we generally don’t truly know who are denied entry into Heaven. The Catholic Church defines “fences” of belief designed to be safeguards. Following the tenets and doctrines taught by the Church is intended maximize your likelihood of entry to Heaven. However, I will say that if you are (name removed by moderator)enitent about your iniquitous behaviour, you cannot expect Heaven’s gate to be open to you, regardless of how much of “good” person you believe yourself to be.
 
MyNameIsChris said:
It is my honest belief that the most important thing in life is to live it the way you want to. I can take the good from both Christianity and Sikhism and use it to my advantage. But I am also confused. I don’t follow any of the 5 K’s that the gurus taught, and neither do my parents. I was born and raised in Canada, so I’ve definitely been “westernized”. Does this make me a bad Sikh? Can I still be a good Sikh simply by respecting the Gurus and their teachings, and taking their KNOWLEDGE with me through life while leaving certain aspects (like the 5 K’s) behind? Also, can I continue to incorporate the teachings of Jesus Christ and Christianity without actually converting, or would that just make me a 2-faced loser who can’t commit to a religion?
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Really, it’s all up to you. Are you willing for other people to call you a “2-faced loser who can’t commit to a religion”? Or do you merely want to be held in esteem by other people, who may not even know you, or care about you? Would being a “bad” Sikh be something you would want to avoid? Do you want to be a “good” Sikh, even if that took you further from the Truth?

As far as Jesus is concerned, Jesus is not just for Christians anymore.
 
hey i would try going to a Mass one day if you get the chance for the best and only way to please Jesus is to be Christian God bless
 
I am so happy you decided to join us here, Chris! The love you described in the Sikh religion, is also what I feel in the Christian religion. There is an old Christion song that says, “God is love, and he who abidess in love abides in God and God in him.”

You sound very mature and thoughtful. I admire your ideas for a good life. I think you can admire some things about different religions without embracing that religion. I believe the Catholic Church is the true Church, meaning that it is the actual religion decended from Jesus and his followers. You mentioned the “Churches of Abraham”. I acknowledge that we are decended from Abraham and the Jews. However, I believe that when Jesus came He made sure the emphasis on love was stronger. It was there in the old testament of the Bible, but it took me some thought and study and prayer to reconcile parts of the old testament with the God I knew from the new testament. I think the new testament is full of Jesus’ teaching that we should love one another. He went from “Love your neighbor as yourself.” to “Love one another as I have loved you.” He has loved us so much that He died a terrible death for our sins. I think we have a lot in common with the ideas you quoted as important to you from the Sikh religion. May god bless you and his Holy Spirit guide you in your search for truth.

P.S. I don’t think you have to be Catholic to be “saved” I think you just have to be convinced that you are folowing the truth and living your life according to your beliefs.
 
Friend,

God is as near to you as your breath. God will honor any sincere search for Him…I agree with you that all rRivers flow to the same Ocean.

John Woolman a Quaker in the 19th century wrote…"The end of words (even of Christ’s own directions in the days of His flesh) is to turn men to the holy life and power from whence the words came.

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. "

Your search will be honored…faith is a gift AND a choice as is love.

You will need to find your way…but there is One willing to be with you each step…I will hold you in the Light.

Peace to you friend.
 
Love your neighbor as you love yourself. Without a doubt is the message and the truth.
 
I visited a gurdwara as part of a field trip in university, and I found the people there to be very welcoming and willing to answer our questions. I was especially moved that they shared prasad with us, in contrast to the closed communion I was used to when I was Catholic.
 
Well, the argument becomes…when one has found truth, they can no longer turn back. Obviously this would stand true for many moral models.

The debate then becomes…“What is Truth”?
 
Lokabrenna said:
I visited a gurdwara as part of a field trip in university, and I found the people there to be very welcoming and willing to answer our questions. I was especially moved that they shared prasad with us, in contrast to the closed communion I was used to when I was Catholic.
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There is a significant difference. Prasad is a food offering to a deity that can be later consumed by the celebrants. The Eucharist is considered to be literally body of Christ by the Catholic Church. Consequently, it is only suited for those that profess the faith that is it the body of blood of Christ as it’s an outward expression of faith. Limiting communion to believers not meant to be a judgment on the person that does not believe.
 
Just a quick note:

Chris, I’m tremendously impressed by your intellectual honesty: you are doing the kind of work that many just blather about but never do. I terribly respect anyone willing to do the hard work of studying these things. The Catholic Church is a very good place to study Christianity simply because its members have thought harder and longer about these issues than many Christian denominations.

I don’t think atheism or agnosticism necessarily is conjoined to “science.” Read a book called Cosmos, Bios, Theos, which consists of Nobel Prize winning scientists discussing belief. It’s good.

I view myself as much more plugged into science than the average guy, and I think there’s a big place in the picture for God.
 
MyNameIsChris said:
So that leaves me where I am today. I’ve recently begun researching Sikhism more and more, and to be honest, I love it. The fact that the gurus can say that their religion isn’t the only right one, that there is more than one path to salvation, and that all religions are like rivers that lead into the same ocean (God) is truly inspirational to me, especially considering the gurus would of had no problems acquiring followers even if they had said that their religion was the one true religion, and all other religions would lead you to eternity in hell. But despite this, I continue to be inspired by certain aspects of Christianity and Jesus Christ himself. Guru Nanak said that men and women should not fear God’s anger but be afraid of not receiving all the benefits of his love. Sikhs strive to do things out of love and devotion to God, not because we simply fear God’s wrath. That, I believe, is the fundamental difference between Sikh philosophy and that of the Abrahamic doctrines. That is also the main reason why I will never leave Sikhism for any other religion.
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Hi My

All religions don’t lead to the same ocean and Jesus pretty much says this in Jn.14: 6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

I think the point you are missing in your research is that in all other religions salvation is attained through works. IOW you aquire salvation through the things that you do. Salvation then becomes something that is owed to us because we earned it by our works. Christianity on the other hand teaches that salvation is a gift from the Father through His Son Jesus Christ. It cannot be earned by us it can only be accepted and that is done by faith in what Jesus did FOR us on the cross.

Jn.3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
It is my honest belief that the most important thing in life is to live it the way you want to.
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This may be your honest belief but it is an erroneous one.

Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

The bible shows us that we are wicked our proclivity is towards evil. So the only remedy for this is to lead our lives the way God wants us to lead them.
I can take the good from both Christianity and Sikhism and use it to my advantage. But I am also confused. I don’t follow any of the 5 K’s that the gurus taught, and neither do my parents. I was born and raised in Canada, so I’ve definitely been “westernized”. Does this make me a bad Sikh? Can I still be a good Sikh simply by respecting the Gurus and their teachings, and taking their KNOWLEDGE with me through life while leaving certain aspects (like the 5 K’s) behind? Also, can I continue to incorporate the teachings of Jesus Christ and Christianity without actually converting, or would that just make me a 2-faced loser who can’t commit to a religion?
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You certainly can do all of these things, but I think you need to ask yourself to what end. After all isn’t the purpose of all this salvation?
And with all that being said, I think it’s important for me to once again mention that I am, as described by a lot of people, an “Agnostic”. I must be honest with myself and you people, and the truth is that I could never blindly believe in God without seeing him (or her?) with my own two eyes. That’s just the way I am and I’ll just have to accept it. So can I be an Agnostic-Sikh-Christian hybrid at the same time or not?
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Jn.20: 29Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
One more thing: I just turned 18. I’m going to University soon and have my whole life ahead of me. The most important thing for me is to one day, while I’m laying on my death-bed, to be able to look back and say “hey, I lived a good life and helped people. I may be dying, but I can take comfort in knowing that I never compromised my values, upheld my dignity, and most importantly, made a positive difference in the world. If I helped even one person, whether it be because I was a doctor, or a volunteer who went to a 3rd world country to aid poor people, if there is even one person who will thank me and have me in their prayers for the rest of their lives, well then, I am proud of the man who looks back at me in the mirror and proud to have lived my life the way I have wanted”. And, if there is a god, and he won’t let me into his eternal paradise because I did not wholeheartedly accept his existence but still helped people and lived my life to the fullest, well sir, that’s not the kind of God I would want to be praying to in the first place.
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Well, seems to me you have created god in your own image and likeness and will accept nothing less. See My as I have stated before our salvation is based on who we BELIEVE in not what we do. If you go to your death bed having done all these noble things that you mention without faith in Jesus Christ, You will be just another self righteous sinner who dies outside of the Grace of God.

Matt.7
21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
 
Hi Chris: In view of your circumstances, you have asked what is your place, and where do you fit. I would offer you my advice if I may. I would say that you cannot be something other than what you were meant to be. Likewise, you cannot occupy a place that you weren’t meant to occupy. So it has come to pass that you had a mother who was or is a Sikh who loved or loves Jesus. You probably had this mother for a reason. Therefore you are a Sikh who loves Jesus. I would say that you should be a Sikh who loves Jesus.

The very best to you in school!

Your friend
Sufjon
 
Firstly, let me start off by saying that you guys have all been great! I posted this exact same thing on two other forums, a Christian one and a Sikh one. I have so far gotten no replies on the Christian one. I have gotten one answer on the Sikh one, and the man that answered told me this: "The answer should not be so difficult. Follow a path where you feel closest to God. If you are agnostic then your attempt to choose a religion is a little premature.
It is much easier for a child to follow the mother’s belief. Your mother already has better luck with Jesus. You appear to be more familiar with the bible than with gurbani. I would lean towards giving Jesus a chance.
The religion we follow does not matter in most cases. We fret over petty differences when, it is our inner intention towards God and towards our fellow beings that determines our future. The labels we adopt are unimportant to God. Only the preachers want us to believe that they are.
I do not believe that Jesus and Guru Nanak disagreed at all, over anything. They may appear different to us with our superficial understanding, because they came to save us, during different periods and in different cultures. Thus, their lessons were given in a different context.
By the way, we Sikhs believe that Guru Nanak and all the Gurus are incomparable, to any prophet. So kindly do not compare them with Jesus or the ‘prophets’ because they were not, and this is not important at this point. Such comparisons are not allowed on this forum. But feel free to ask questions.
Guru Nanak accepted diversity. One can be a good Christian and continue to learn from other paths. Things start to turn rotten when we start regarding other paths as losers. In that case, the religion we follow will not matter.
Yuktanand Singh

I really liked his answer and took it to heart. At the same time, I appreciated that he was not pressuring me to stay a Sikh and told me to do what made me feel closest to God, even if that meant leaving Sikhism and becoming a Christian.

You guys have also been tremendous. I got a lot of answers and as I suspected, different people have different opinions on the subject. I’ll try to respond to what some of you posted and clear some things up.
@Soldier of God: I found your answer interesting as you claim that you were once in the same boat as me. If you can, please elaborate on how science brought you closer to God.
@Ahimsa: I don’t want to be a “good” Sikh if it takes me further from the truth. I’d even go as far as saying that the majority of Sikhs these days don’t follow the 5 K’s. Personally, I feel it is not the most important part of the religion. There are other aspects far more important. Please elaborate on what you meant by Jesus is not just for Christians anymore.
@CountrySteve: I’m a bit unsure of what mass is. Could you please explain it to me? Also, do I need to be a Catholic to go to a Church?
@Hecares: I really liked your answer 😉 You sound like a really nice guy. I agree that Sikhism and Christianity/Catholicism have a lot in common, which is what attracted me so much to this particular religion. And I share the same belief as you that you do not need to be a certain religion to be “saved”.
@Publisher: Thanks for the kind words, they’re truly appreciated! If you too believe that all rivers lead to the same ocean, then it just goes to show that we aren’t so different after all.
@Gary Taylor: Definitely one of the most important verses from The Bible. Good words to live by as well.
@Lokabrenna: I’m glad you enjoyed your visit! One thing about Sikhism that I’ve always been proud of is that you don’t need to be a Sikh to come into the temples and experience everything an ordinary sikh would experience as well.
@Captain America: Thank you for the kindness! And I’ll definitely give that book a read, thank you. And I’m glad there are other people out there who can be religious yet search for scientific truth at the same time.
 
@Richard Kastner: Wow you replied a whole bunch! But here’s what I have to say:
I’m sure Jesus says that not all religions lead to God, which is an opinion also shared by all other Abrahamic religons (I’m pretty sure). This is one of those things that I took from Sikhism and not The Bible. My parents also raised me to believe that no one religion is superior to another and that they all accomplish the same task, which, ultimately, is to bring us closer to God. Your opinion is completely justified, but I feel mine is too.

You feel that living your life the way you want is not the most important thing in life, whereas I do. Again, I understand your reasoning. I’m familiar with the part of The Bible that states that humans have a tendancy to be wicked and sin, which is why we must lead our lives the way God wants us to. My opinion differs for a few reasons. Firstly, like I’ve already stated, I am not sure whether or not God exists (but who truly is?), so don’t think that that’s the right idea. Additionally, your opinion is supported by your belief that your religion is the one true religion, and that we must follow it. I think if God exists, then all religions, in one way or another, are correct. Since there are religions out there who promote different beliefs on how to live life, I can’t blindly follow any one religions teachings. Also, as Sikhism teaches that humans ARE NOT inherently evil, I see no reason why living life the way I want would be a bad thing, especially considering my goals revolve around helping others.

Salvation in the afterlife starts with salvation on earth. Any man who can reflect back on his life and be proud of the good that he has done will, in my opinion, have salvation in the afterlife (if there is one).

I do believe in Jesus. I do think he is the messiah and the son of God (if God exists).

Like I said before, I do believe in Jesus Christ. I may not pray to him every night like all you other guys (I don’t pray to anyone at night), but the faith is there. I fail to see how that would make me a sinner. Every man on the face of this earth will die a sinner. We have all done at least one thing we have regretted, or we will do before our deaths. If the time ever comes where I ackwnoledge that I have done something horrible, I will know who to turn to.

Another thing that attracted me to Christianity over Islam: Christians believe that we are all created in God’s image, whereas Muslims do not. As far as I know, they think that they(the believers) are in someway superior to the non-believers. Of course not all Muslims feel this way, but Islam does teach it to some degree. Contrarily, Christianity does believe that we are all created in God’s image. I do not know whether or not this superiority-complex exists among the Christian/Catholic community, but what I do know is that us all being created in God’s image is another way of saying every man is created equally, which is something I do wholeheartedly believe in, even if God doesn’t exist.

Thanks to everyone who replied and any and all other comments are welcome. I look forward to hearing from you.
 
MyNameIsChris said:
So that leaves me where I am today. I’ve recently begun researching Sikhism more and more, and to be honest, I love it. The fact that the gurus can say that their religion isn’t the only right one, that there is more than one path to salvation, and that all religions are like rivers that lead into the same ocean (God) is truly inspirational to me, especially considering the gurus would of had no problems acquiring followers even if they had said that their religion was the one true religion, and all other religions would lead you to eternity in hell. But despite this, I continue to be inspired by certain aspects of Christianity and Jesus Christ himself. Guru Nanak said that men and women should not fear God’s anger but be afraid of not receiving all the benefits of his love. Sikhs strive to do things out of love and devotion to God, not because we simply fear God’s wrath. That, I believe, is the fundamental difference between Sikh philosophy and that of the Abrahamic doctrines. That is also the main reason why I will never leave Sikhism for any other religion.

It is my honest belief that the most important thing in life is to live it the way you want to. I can take the good from both Christianity and Sikhism and use it to my advantage. But I am also confused. I don’t follow any of the 5 K’s that the gurus taught, and neither do my parents. I was born and raised in Canada, so I’ve definitely been “westernized”. Does this make me a bad Sikh? Can I still be a good Sikh simply by respecting the Gurus and their teachings, and taking their KNOWLEDGE with me through life while leaving certain aspects (like the 5 K’s) behind? Also, can I continue to incorporate the teachings of Jesus Christ and Christianity without actually converting, or would that just make me a 2-faced loser who can’t commit to a religion?

And with all that being said, I think it’s important for me to once again mention that I am, as described by a lot of people, an “Agnostic”. I must be honest with myself and you people, and the truth is that I could never blindly believe in God without seeing him (or her?) with my own two eyes. That’s just the way I am and I’ll just have to accept it. So can I be an Agnostic-Sikh-Christian hybrid at the same time or not?

One more thing: I just turned 18. I’m going to University soon and have my whole life ahead of me. The most important thing for me is to one day, while I’m laying on my death-bed, to be able to look back and say “hey, I lived a good life and helped people. I may be dying, but I can take comfort in knowing that I never compromised my values, upheld my dignity, and most importantly, made a positive difference in the world. If I helped even one person, whether it be because I was a doctor, or a volunteer who went to a 3rd world country to aid poor people, if there is even one person who will thank me and have me in their prayers for the rest of their lives, well then, I am proud of the man who looks back at me in the mirror and proud to have lived my life the way I have wanted”. And, if there is a god, and he won’t let me into his eternal paradise because I did not wholeheartedly accept his existence but still helped people and lived my life to the fullest, well sir, that’s not the kind of God I would want to be praying to in the first place.

It’s now 6 in the morning and I doubt I’ll be able to wake up on time. However, it was worth it to be able to get my thoughts out there and for you people to be able to answer my questions. I await your responses.

And, since most people on here probably do believe in God, I think it’s safe to say…

God Bless
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I cannot imagine writing this at the age of 18. My mind was elsewhere at age 18 and it was not where your mind is. I understand some of what you write. You write of science, your write of searching, you sound pretty happy. I for the life of me do not see a specific question. I would rather not respond to anything you write without you asking a specific question.

I have a science degree. I understand science. It is just a language about discovery. I understand many religions. There is a man named Huston Smith. He has a book and a video series. He is a methodist. He traveled and studied many religions. I learned lots from him. You may try to get hold of his stuff from the library and see what journey another human being took as you are taking.

Joseph Campbell is a mythologist. He has lots and lots of stuff about religion and in particular indian religions. You may find what he has to say interesting.

St. Thomas as you know went to India and established Christianity. You may want to investigate the history of Christianity with St. Thomas and India. This should prove valuable to your experience.

I would like a question from you so as to answer and if you have no questions then I wish you well.
 
MyNameIsChris said:
Please elaborate on what you meant by Jesus is not just for Christians anymore.
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One could follow Jesus, or be inspired by Jesus, or be intrigued by Jesus, or devote oneself to Jesus, without labeling oneself a “Christian” or formally joining a Christian “church”. Many Hindus take this approach. If Jesus is an avatar (as many Hindus believe), then He is an avatar for everyone, not just for Christians. If Jesus is a buddha (as some Buddhists may believe), then His wisdom is available for anyone who has ears to listen.

Some say that the original version of Matthew 7:7 had Jesus saying, “Ask, and it shall be given to you. Sikh, and you shall find.”
 
@Ahimsa: Thank you for clearing that up. I also believe that you do not need to be Christian to be inspired and intrigued by Jesus. I am just somewhat confused on whether or not I need to be a Christian for Jesus to love me.

@CopticChristian: Although you provided no specific answer, your reply was actually quite helpful. I’ll definitely have a look at Joseph Campbell and St. Thomas.

I probably should of been a bit clearer, so here are all the questions I can think of:
  1. Considering what you’ve read about me in my posts thus far, how exactly should I label myself?
  2. Do I need to be a Christian/Catholic to come to church? If not, do you think that people will find it weird that a non-christian/catholic has decided to come to church out of pure joy, just to enjoy himself and experience something new, even if he isn’t all too interested in converting?
  3. Let’s say I die. I’ve spent my life helping people, not in a Jesus-wandering-the-earth-healing-the-sick kind of way, but by just generally being a positive person who maybe became a doctor or a rescue worker. I don’t even need to save lives; I’d take making positive differences in peoples lives any day. So I’m dead, and I wake up. I’m standing there, and all I see is a Golden Gate stretching in each direction as far as the eye can see. Turns out that the Christians were right, and The Bible told the truth. I know Christians believe in a final day of judgement, but I don’t know all the details. Do you think that the person who decides whether or not someone is accepted in heaven would let me pass through the gates or not?
I generally believe that if there is a God up there, then this is what would be used to determine your fate: youtube.com/watch?v=2fHdsI7H8EE

Or at least, something similar.
 
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