What can we conclude from this?

[Lucian Hodoboc]

Do you have any thoughts on the matter?

 

[Albion]

There are similarities between all religions because spirituality is a matter of men seeking higher truths. But none of that bothers me or causes me any doubts because what matters is which path, if any, leads to eternal life. If Christ is the Savior and the Bible true, then that's it.

If some other religion fosters a sense of self-satisfaction, brings inner peace, or seems to provide special insights, then that "works" for those people, but it doesn't really challenge the fact that one is true while others are incomplete, despite what the devotees of any of them may think.

In addition, a significant number of the testimonials that the video presented are of people who have "found" what they consider to be the truth through systems of belief that are offshoots of Christianity, so for those people and religions, no matter how confident the adherents think they are, they've merely bought into an ersatz version of Christianity, not some rival path to God.

 

[Josiah]

Some thoughts....


1. On the one hand, all this ME, ME, ME, ME stuff seems disconcerting. And quite unbiblical. Individualism is a factor of our Western culture (especially since the Enlightenment) but it seems to contrast with the very communal, family, US aspect we see in Scripture. God promised to lead and teach US - not just me.


2. EXPERIENCE is always a tricky thing. It's very hard to deny or denounce but also to confirm and affirm. Years ago, Dr. James Dopson wrote a book entitled "Feelings, can you trust them?" I'll save you the money and time and give you the bottom line: Nope. Feelings and experiences can come from God (insert examples from the Bible) but they JUST AS WELL can come from our sinful nature, the world and Satan himself. Dopson would say we need to TEST them (insert Bible quotes here), we need to check them out by searching Scripture and conversations with wise Christians (and I'd add, History).


3. I too made a conversion, from Roman Catholicism to conservative/confessional/traditional Lutheranism. It was a change I made reluctantly and carefully because I fundamentally asked myself what basis do I (personally) have to judge and decide? It helped that it was not a rebellion, not anything done with distain... I was and still am grateful for my upbringing in the Catholic Church, I still hold that church in esteem, I still agree with a vast majority of its teachings and practices. I didn't wander far. I simply disagreed with a few things... things I felt I was compelled to accept if I was a Confirmed, communing Catholic; I simply could not live a lie. My early embrace of Lutheranism was Catholicism minus the things I could not affirm but eventually I came to embrace Lutheranism on its own - the centrality of the Gospel, the Law/Gospel distinction, the Theology of the Cross, the crystal clear affirming of Jesus as the Savior, the fundamental humility found in Lutheran theology. But I never have repudiated Catholicism.... I hold my family (mostly Catholics) as my FULL, unseperated, entirely equal brothers and sisters in Christ and I affirm the RCC as a valid and good denomination.


4. So I suppose there is a balance here... but I put the great majority of the importance on community and history rather than my feelings or experience.




.

 

[Lucian Hodoboc]

2. EXPERIENCE is always a tricky thing. It's very hard to deny or denounce but also to confirm and affirm. Years ago, Dr. James Dopson wrote a book entitled "Feelings, can you trust them?" I'll save you the money and time and give you the bottom line: Nope. Feelings and experiences can come from God (insert examples from the Bible) but they JUST AS WELL can come from our sinful nature, the world and Satan himself. Dopson would say we need to TEST them (insert Bible quotes here), we need to check them out by searching Scripture and conversations with wise Christians (and I'd add, History).

If feelings and experiences from God are in no way discernable from those given by evil spirits, then I don't understand how anyone can know which religion is true, if any.

The most you can do is to start out with the assumption of a certain religion being true and further indoctrinate yourself (by reading the holy book, talking to people who share the beliefs of that religions etc.) through confirmation bias into thinking it is true.

 

[Faith]

Do you have any thoughts on the matter?

This video reinforces my thoughts that no matter who you talk to, they firmly believe their religion is THE one.

 

[Josiah]

If feelings and experiences from God are in no way discernable from those given by evil spirits, then I don't understand how anyone can know which religion is true, if any.

The most you can do is to start out with the assumption of a certain religion being true and further indoctrinate yourself (by reading the holy book, talking to people who share the beliefs of that religions etc.) through confirmation bias into thinking it is true.

Here's what I shared:

2. EXPERIENCE is always a tricky thing. It's very hard to deny or denounce but also to confirm and affirm. Years ago, Dr. James Dopson wrote a book entitled "Feelings, can you trust them?" I'll save you the money and time and give you the bottom line: Nope. Feelings and experiences can come from God (insert examples from the Bible) but they JUST AS WELL can come from our sinful nature, the world and Satan himself. Dopson would say we need to TEST them (insert Bible quotes here), we need to check them out by searching Scripture and conversations with wise Christians (and I'd add, History).

I didn't say FEELINGS are "in no way discernable" I shared that they can be very tricky.... such can come from our own self (I think that's the typical case), from others, even from Satan. I'm saved because I'm baptized (I have a certificate to prove it - all signed and sealed - and testified by my parents) and I have faith. "He who believes and is baptized...." I've covered. Sometimes I FEEL saved, I FEEL close to God... and sometimes I don't feel much (I may just feel tired or hungry) but I don't lean on my feelings or emotional experiences but on something objective - the Cross, my Baptism... the acts and promises of God.

That's how I view it.



Blessings!


Josiah



.

 

[Albion]

If feelings and experiences from God are in no way discernable from those given by evil spirits, then I don't understand how anyone can know which religion is true, if any.

The most you can do is to start out with the assumption of a certain religion being true and further indoctrinate yourself (by reading the holy book, talking to people who share the beliefs of that religions etc.) through confirmation bias into thinking it is true.

It looks like you're bumping up against the answer but still uncertain about claiming it. The Bible is the key to such a choice. What does it say about itself? Are its contents convincing and have they stood the test of time? What other sacred writing from any other religion competes against the Bible?

 

[Lucian Hodoboc]

It looks like you're bumping up against the answer but still uncertain about claiming it.

I don't understand what you mean by this. What answer am I bumping up against?

Are its contents convincing and have they stood the test of time?

I don't find that they have, no. If at least half of the promises from the New Testament came true, healing the sick and raising the dead would be frequent occurrences among Christians.

 

[Albion]

I don't understand what you mean by this. What answer am I bumping up against?

Well, you talked about the "holy book," but then passed onto something else as though that wasn't important. And what you appear to the reader to retain is uncertainty about which spirits lead which way, and whom to believe, etc.

I don't find that they have, no.

Okay then, here you've confirmed the point above about the Bible and your view of it.

If at least half of the promises from the New Testament came true, healing the sick and raising the dead would be frequent occurrences among Christians.

How do you know that they aren't?

Anyway, the main point was that the Bible is the key to appreciating Christianity. It is a remarkable historical text in addition to all that is spiritual in it. It has also been challenged by all manner of skeptics over the centuries and stood the test again and again. No other significant religion has anything like it, and before you seize upon something like "healing the sick and raising the dead would be frequent occurrences" there are many items of history, geography, predictions, and so much more that once were doubted but turned out to be true.

Now...that statement doesn't require you to believe anything, but since you made reference to other religions as though there's no way to decide, there is nothing of the equal of the Bible among them, which is why more people have been led to Christianity than to any other theistic religion. Don't sell it short.

 

[Lucian Hodoboc]

No other significant religion has anything like it

Have you read every single sacred book of all the religions in the world?

 

[Albion]

Have you read every single sacred book of all the religions in the world?

:sigh: If there's one that you think rivals the Bible in content, just tell us. I can think of none, and I'm not just saying that I believe the Bible but not any of those other sacred texts.

Most of them are based on the Bible or else are simply inspirational-poetic-philosophical musings that are nothing like the careful unfolding of the work of God and his relationship with us done over the course of millennia, which is the Bible.