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One person in Massachusetts objected, "It is narrow minded to say that Jesus is the only way to God. Jesus, Muhammad, Krishna are all symbols of God. God isn't limited to Jesus Christ. All the major world religions point to the same God." If all religions point to the same God, one would imagine that they would say basically the same things about him, at least in their essential teachings.But if we examine these religions, we find that they in fact disagree over fundamental points. The Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads and other holy books of Eastern mysticism teach that God is one. Everything is God. You are god. I am god. The tree is god. The dirt is god. The insect is god. Good is god.Evil is god. They also teach that God is impersonal, that God is an it. Judaism, Christianity and Islam on the other hand teach that God is the Creator and that we are not part of him. Rather we were made by Him. They also teach that God is holy and just. He has defined the difference between good and evil. God is seen as a personal being who has a special relationship to humanity. But there is a sense in which Christianity is different from every other religion. All the other major world religions teach that you must get yourself together. You must pray five times a day, give alms, fast, take a pilgrimage,use a Tibetan prayer wheel, not eat certain foods, observe the sabbath, go to church or live a decent life or one of innumerable other possibilities.If you do these things, then maybe you will work your way to Nirvana or heaven or God. Christianity is different. God tells us we will never earn heaven ordeserve a right relationship with him. We simply cannot live up to God's standards. Instead, God has taken the initiative. Because of His great love for us, he came to earth as a man to rescue us from the penalty of death that our wrongdoing deserves. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died on the cross to take the punishment you and I have earned. He did something for us that we could not do for ourselves. He lived a perfect life. He did not deserve to die. He died as a sacrifice for you and me.He rose from the dead, is alive today and is offering us a gift- forgiveness and eternal life. No other religion can point to a moment in history and say, this is what God has done for you. No other religion tells how God has taken the initiative to save us. Religion is our attempt at finding God. Christianity is God's attempt at finding us. | ||
| mu sa New member Username: m_usa_2 Post Number: 1 Registered: 10-2004 Rating: N/A |
Hi, You say: Because of His great love for us, he came to earth as a man to rescue us... and then, you say: Christ, the Son of God, died on the cross... Again, you say: He died... Yet, you say: He rose from the dead, is alive... Now, these questions are bothering me. Who is God, who is son of God? If he has died so that we could be forgiven, then why should he be alive now? Doesn't him being alive now mean that we are not forgiven then? | ||
| Mary Dill Member Username: kazegpan Post Number: 32 Registered: 12-2003 Rating: N/A |
You are forgiven because Jesus, being God Himself, has the power to rise again! That is why the only way to God is through Jesus. Only Jesus lived a perfect life (only God is perfect) and was able to give his own life as a sacrifice to cover our sins. If he had sin then his death could only pay for his own sins, but not anybody else's. Also he has power over death. You know you will rise again after you die and go to heaven if you put your faith in Jesus because he proved he has power over death by rising again. He proved that He conquered death for us and therefore has the power to raise us from the dead too. If Jesus was not God in the flesh, if He was not perfect, and if he did not have power over death to raise Himself up from the dead, then we would have no Savior. kaze | ||
| Charles Koh New member Username: holmes Post Number: 1 Registered: 03-2005 Rating: N/A |
Contrary to what most churches believe, Jesus was actually not the only Son of God, and he never claimed himself to be the one and only. All this stems from misinterpretation of the bible. If you want a clearer interpretation of the bible, read books by the famous writers who spent their lives studying and examining the truth about the bible such as Thomas Troward, William Blake, Ernest Holmes, Charles Raymond Barker, Neville Goddard etc. God has done his/her creation, and we are made in his image. 'Image' meaning with the likeness of him, meaning having the same creative powers to shape our lives. "Do ye not know that ye are all gods?" God having given free will, creative power and dominion to man, has left man's destiny in the hands of his own choice, thoughts and action. That is what the bible is trying to teach in the story of the Prodigal Son. The prodigal son is man, having left the father's house. When he asked his portion to be given unto him, God did not argue, but to give to him his portion of power. But how he uses or squanders it is his own choice, and he will reap the fruits of his own choice. BUt as long as he sins by not knowing he is one with his Father (his true Divine identity -as the Son of God), he is bound to be separated and experience lack. The word 'sin' comes from the meaning of 'missing the mark', ie a marksman shooting an arrow and missing the mark. Evil can only come from the ignorance of man's Divine Origin. FOr if you know you are one with God, with his power, abundance, good, peace, health which are perfect, then you cannot produce any evil, because there wont be any 'sin' or missing of the mark. The 'stay at home son' in the Prodigal Son parable, in the son that is one with God, yet, he is self-righteous and condemns his brother. But God said "son, thou art ever with me, all that I have is thine". The 2 sons are aspects of man. One one hand because of his ignorance has 'ran away' with his power to be separated from God, the other hand the stay at home son does not recognize that if he is one with his father, then all the power and good is his to use. Many writers like the great William Blake and Neville Goddard, have written that the bible is not a real life story, but a story with hidden truths about man and his Divine Origin. It teaches the way to create what he wants is thru prayer and believing, because that is the only way we can use our creative power. BUt man's ignorance, greed, doubts, fears has caused man to misuse that creative power of God, for whatever he thinks and feels himself to be, he creates and reinforces that state. The story of the 3 servants and talents, why did God give more unto the rich, and take away from the poor? Because there is no other way our creative power is going to work other than manifest the current state and feeling of man's belief. If he beliefs in abundance, more abundance is automatically created unto him, if he believes in hardship and lack, then even what he has can disappear. The Bible teaches man that God is the "eternal I AM" (meaning god is omnipresent and in you, as Jesus claimed 'the father and I are one' and 'do ye not know ye are all gods?' as he said to the people). Jesus meaning the perfected enlightened man, who has let go of sin and evil, and realizes his Oneness with that I AM. As long as man does not realize this Oneness, he/she will act with ignorance and may use the creative power of God in himself in a negative way. Meaning, the difference between Jesus (or Buddha )and normal man is that they are enlightened and 'awakened' about their true identity, while man is still asleep with amnesia, living in a world not knowing the presence of God in him, using the powers wrongly, AND worshipping God (or Jesus, Buddha etc) in the external. How many times in the bible did they refer to God or the Son of God as "I AM", which is God's true identity. In the story of when the Jews came to jesus with their torch, in search the Son of God, Jesus in the bible responded with a dramatic and short "I AM". And the jews upon hearing that fell on the ground. This is of course not a literal event. It is a metaphor of man, searching for God or the Son of God in the darkness of the night(ignorance) with a torch of enquiry, in the end will find God within himself, man's own self-consciousness which he calls "I AM". And man will be so shocked with disbelief that he 'fell on the ground', and he shall ask again with disbelief, and the answer is always "I AM", do ye not know that ye are all gods?. Basically the teaching of the bible is in the core the same as many other religion such as Buddhism. It is telling man "awake, and know of your divine origin, for the Buddha and Christ you are looking for is within you, in the form of the enlighted man, the one and only begotten Son of God". FOr if God created man, then every man is the Son of God. Paul wrote, "Have in your the mind of Jesus, being the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal to God", meaning, if you have the same belief and awakeness as Jesus, that we are creation of God, and it is not blasphemy to say that God is in me, since he is the I AM of man. His power is my power, but the choice of how to use it (with ignorance/evil or with awakeness/good). The Buddha said the same thing "I was once asleep like you, but now I am awake. Awake from this ignorance and dream and know your true self". | ||
| amy Intermediate Member Username: amylc Post Number: 114 Registered: 06-2004 Rating: N/A |
Charles, I agree with you completely. | ||
| Wendy J.G. Member Username: wendyg Post Number: 39 Registered: 01-2005 Rating: N/A |
Dear Charles and Amy, Much of what you say is true. However...I do not believe for a minute that Jesus did not actually die and rise again. The Bible is history,geneology,parable,poetry,lament,songs, (PS 23 for eg.), records, phophecy, future and past events -especially for the Israelites. The New Testament tells us the Old Testament, particually the first five books, have been given for our enlightenment. The Children of Israel grumbled and complained and 3000 of them died in the wilderness. The Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years because they were faithful and then unfaithful. Despite God the Father telling them not to take wives from other people's with different religions they did so and again that brought pain. The New Testament says we read the Old Testament as an example of what not to do and also what is best for us to do. The Bible is amazing to me...written by mere men but still great enlightenment and leadings to joy ever-lasting. I agree wholeheartedly that Christians do not have full enlightenment and nor does Islaam or the Jewish people. But Jesus told us and it was written down for us...that "If He be lifted up...He will draw ALL men, (a.k.a. mankind including us women,) to Himself." Blessing someone is enlightening them. The Bible in its entirity has no new revelation but slowly each truth is illuminated to us. The Moslem belief has Jesus as a phophet only. Mohammed came after Jesus in time and so they conclude he brought further truth...but I believe Mohammed was enlightened and God spoke to him to draw the children of Hagar and her son Ismail...both lines of decent, Issac's and Ismail's, had Abraham as their Father so they were step-brothers and therefore, of course "family." However the Moslems do not claim Mohammed rose from the dead after being crucified. The New Testament tells us five-hundred people or more saw the risen Christ Jesus. Buddists too do not claim Budda rose from the dead. Budda's message was enlightenment and I think He came after Jesus in history too. I pray that every person on this planet, those who have passed away, those yet to be born, will come to be enlightened and to see the Truth. That they will find their Way to God, that His Life-force in every living thing that breathes, multiplies,and moves...will be manifest to God's glory and for His name-sake. I believe we are all on the road to God but we are not all at the same place on the road to God. As recorded in the New Testament, Jesus Himself said, "No-one comes to the Father except through the Son," It is not recorded that He said..." A person may come to the Lord God through all God's sons." Yes, each one of us is a child of God...every single one of us in every land, speaking every language, every one who is on the road to finding Truth...has been created by Father God with the help of Jesus...who is the spoken Word of God manifest in the flesh. John 1 verse 1 says..."Before the World was created, the Word already existed: He was with God, and He was the same as God." Verse 2 says..."From the very beginning the Word was with God." Verse 3... "Through Him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without Him. The Word was the source of Life, and this life brought Light to mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out..." (All verses from the "GOOD NEWS" translation) That to me is a beautiful picture of the eternally existent Son of God. Then the New Testament also tells us that in Jesus...we live and move and have our being. Awesome stuff! | ||
| Jon Allen New member Username: sarcasmo Post Number: 1 Registered: 04-2005 Rating: N/A |
The question to be moderated is "Is Jesus the ONLY way to God?" but the question is never really addressed. In fact, its only slightly hinted at in the "answer." If the tree is god, and the dirt is god, then, in fact, Jesus is not the way to god, but my keds sneakers are! (Actually, the keds would be god too, so my socks would be the only way to god... and so on.) You haven't addressed what God is, or made any effort to explain why your God is the "right" one. If you accept Christianity, then yes, Jesus is the only way to God; don't worship keds... but that is explicit of accepting christianity in the first place. The question is poorly stated to begin with, and the "answer" doesn't make any attempt to answer it, define it in a more rigorous manner, or address it. Quite asinine. So, as the name of the site implies, give me an answer! | ||
| William Lloyd Gwynn Junior Member Username: playpsyche Post Number: 20 Registered: 01-2005 Rating: N/A |
Jon Allen, I apologize , as no one, save God, truly has 'The Answer'. This site is named, 'Give me AN answer'. Mayhap on the path to true enlightenment, you may have many discussions where noone gives you THE answer, but as the Father says, 'Seek and ye shall find!'. If you listen much, with your heart-mind-body-soul, and see much, with your eyes-heart-body-soul, and pray much, with your heart-mind-soul, enlightenment MAY come. As we all seek true enlightenment- and few of us reach said state, we gain experiences and insights that allow us to make leaps of logic and faith. You must digest the information you glean from life- (with prayer, that digesting invites God into your heart-mind to bless you with understanding)- and make your own decisions as to what is THE answer I, myself, once dabbled in Black Magic, was once a Baptist, a Protestant, Jehovah's Witness, Grapevine, etc.. and my enlightenment came thru trial and error. I saw much, experienced much, and eventually prayed much- and now I understand that He was always there, I just never looked or listened. | ||
| Wendy J.G. Member Username: wendyg Post Number: 61 Registered: 01-2005 Rating: N/A |
Yes, Jesus is the only way to come into God's presence. There I've said it and I believe it. But it can be a long road to Jesus. He promised to draw ALL people to Himself and then if we are willing and really seeking the TRUTH we will find out the truth about Jesus and the Truth that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. However the drawing of us all to Him can take a moment or a lifetime. Jesus was sinless. Was Mohammed sinless from birth to death? Was Budda sinless from birth to death? Was or is the Dalai Lama born sinless and has he always been free from sin? The difference is that the spotless Lamb of God was sacrificed to make atonement for everyone born on this planet. And we only need seek and we will find. To satisfy a Holy God we are cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. Then we can draw near with full assurance of Faith. And faith is Firmly And Intimately Trusting Him. Trusting that Jesus has made a Way for sinful man to fellowship with the Holy Almighty God. I am standing on that finished work of Christ...without Him I don't have a leg to stand on...with Him I can know God and begin to be shaped to be more like Jesus. Do any of us have a living breathing relationship...continual communion with that which is fully Love and fully truth and goodness? If we know His still small voice and follow His perscription for living and loving and letting Him change us bit by bit...then we have found the Way. All our journeys will be different but the same destination and His name is the Lord Jesus Christ. | ||
| Kiwiboy New member Username: kiwiboy Post Number: 1 Registered: 06-2005 Rating: N/A |
When we stand before Jesus I guess the question will be answered! | ||
| smae New member Username: thisisnotanexit Post Number: 2 Registered: 06-2005 Rating: N/A |
check out this site, it can answer the question better than i http://www.everystudent.com/menus/forum.html or http://www.reasons.org http://wwww.reasons.org |
