Do God really care about which religion people follow?

[firedragon]

Question: Do God really care about which religion people follow?

My answer: I believe that to have a good heart is what matters. Is our actions who matters to God , not which religion you follow

Whats your answer to this question?

My view is, God does care what religion you follow. BUT, salvation does not really depend on your religion. I believe it's your sincerity that truly matters.

 

[Paaras]

I think all paths Mislead to Him

 

[firedragon]

I think all paths Mislead to Him

All paths? Well some mislead to "them" and others to none as well. So even your derision is a composition fallacy.

 

[Trailblazer]

The Bible is crystal clear that good works will not get you into Heaven.

Th Bible or Jesus? Jesus was pretty clear that only the righteous will get into Heaven. Everyone else will go to Hell.

Matthew 25:35-46 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

 

[Trailblazer]

It doesn’t say they are going to Heaven though. Christ was very clear that the only way in was through Him.

That was true when Jesus said that and during His dispensation, but Jesus never said that He was the only way for all of time...
That was just an assumption made by Christians.

 

[Kfox]

Question: Do God really care about which religion people follow?

It is the people who invented God are the ones who care

 

[Kathryn]

Personally, I've said this before but I believe we are all in for some surprises on that final day. I'm OK with that, God knows I am a 21st century white woman living in the US.
,

 

[Trailblazer]

As Christians we are to emulate His works as much as possible but one MUST accept Him as the Savior. If you don’t do that first then nothing else you do matters.

Jesus did say that we have to believe in Him to gain eternal life...

John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

1 John 5:13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

To my knowledge, Jesus never said anything about accepting Him as 'the Savior.'
Jesus never spoke of any 'original sin' committed by Adam and Eve that we need to be saved from. That is a Christian doctrine, and add-on.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Question: Do God really care about which religion people follow?

My answer: I believe that to have a good heart is what matters. Is our actions who matters to God , not which religion you follow

Whats your answer to this question?

What's the point of being God if, when you don't like what's going on, you don't use your power to fix it?

 

[McBell]

What's the point of being God if, when you don't like what's going on, you don't use your power to fix it?

Why do you assume doesn't like what is going on?

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Why do you assume doesn't like what is going on?

The question in the OP is "Do God really care about which religion people follow?"

We can look around the world and see that many people follow many religions -- and many people follow none. That is the definition of "what is going on," so we're left with the question becomes "does God really care about what is going on?"

If God cared about that, being omnipotent He could presumably change it. Since He doesn't, I presume He doesn't care at all.

 

[Trailblazer]

The question in the OP is "Do God really care about which religion people follow?"

We can look around the world and see that many people follow many religions -- and many people follow none. That is the definition of "what is going on," so we're left with the question becomes "does God really care about what is going on?"

If God cared about that, being omnipotent He could presumably change it. Since He doesn't, I presume He doesn't care at all.

How do you know that God did not try to do something to change the situation?

As a Baha'i, I believe that God wants one common faith so God sent Baha'u'llah as the Divine Physician to unite all the religions.
However, the religious leaders of the older religions have acted as clouds and interposed themselves between Him and the world and that is why the sickness of religious division has persisted until this day.

“That which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the healing of all the world is the union of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith. This can in no wise be achieved except through the power of a skilled, an all-powerful and inspired Physician. This, verily, is the truth, and all else naught but error. Each time that Most Mighty Instrument hath come, and that Light shone forth from the Ancient Dayspring, He was withheld by ignorant physicians who, even as clouds, interposed themselves between Him and the world. It failed, therefore, to recover, and its sickness hath persisted until this day. They indeed were powerless to protect it, or to effect a cure, whilst He Who hath been the Manifestation of Power amongst men was withheld from achieving His purpose, by reason of what the hands of the ignorant physicians have wrought.”
The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, pp. 91-92

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

How do you know that God did not try to do something to change the situation?

As a Baha'i, I believe that God wants one common faith so God sent Baha'u'llah as the Divine Physician to unite all the religions.

And this all-knowing God, to satisfy His desire to "unite all the religions," sent a messenger to --- Persia, in 1844!

Persia, the obvious centre of world power, economic, philosophical and cultural advancement -- at exactly the time when the British Empire held sway over the largest empire ever known! An empire that might, possibly, have converted more people than any other power.

Daft.

 

[Trailblazer]

And this all-knowing God, to satisfy His desire to "unite all the religions," sent a messenger to --- Persia, in 1844!

Persia, the obvious centre of world power, economic, philosophical and cultural advancement -- at exactly the time when the British Empire held sway over the largest empire ever known! An empire that might, possibly, have converted more people than any other power.

Daft.

Yup, Baha'u'llah had to come from Persia in 1844 order to fulfill certain Bible prophecies.

18. Lightning from the East

I now began an earnest search for clues that would tell me something about the place in which the Messiah would appear. Two interesting things came to light. For the first coming, Daniel had given the time and Micah had given the place. Daniel had prophesied exactly when the Messiah would appear the first time and when He would be slain. Micah had said of the place:“But thou, Bethlehem … out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel.” (Micah 5:2)

Daniel had also prophesied with even greater exactness the time of the second coming of the Messiah in 1844 (see p. 20). Therefore, I turned to Micah for a possible clue as to the place of His second appearance. I was richly rewarded. In Micah 7:7 and 12 I found:

“I will wait for the God of my salvation … In that day also he shall come even to thee from Assyria …” (Micah 7:7, 12)

The Assyrian Empire at one time covered the entire area in which both Daniel and Micah lived out their lives. Therefore, I chose to study those parts of the Empire, in which these two prophets traditionally lived and taught. To my surprise, I found that there were many other clues to follow as well. Gradually one led to another, until a definite picture began to emerge, and I knew at least in which direction to turn my gaze.

The book of Ezekiel spoke of a great Figure who would come in those days. He said:“And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east.” (Ezekiel 43:2)

This was clearly a reference to the second coming of Christ and not the first, for Jesus did not come from the way of the East, He came from north and west of Jerusalem. Isaiah in like manner spoke of the wondrous Figure who would come from the East. Isaiah said that it was God Himself Who had “… raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings.” (Isaiah 41:2) Even Christ Himself pointed to the direction from which He would appear in the day of His second coming. Speaking of that day, He said: “For as the lightning cometh out of the East … so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” (Matthew 24:27)

The Jewish Oracles, the Sibylline books, prophesied that the ‘King Messiah’ of the time of the end would come ‘from the sunrise’. (The Messianic Idea in Israel, J. G. Klausner, 1956, p. 376). Daniel had written his words of millennial prophecy while in the East. Infact, he was in Elam, a part of ancient Persia, when he foretold with such startling accuracy the exact time of both the first and the second comings of Christ. It was in the capital city of Persia, Shúshán, (Ancient Susa, Khúzistán, south-west Írán) that Daniel had the prophetic vision that revealed the year 1844 as the time for the return of the Messiah. Daniel not only gave the time 1844, but he also directed attention to the place, saying that ‘Elam’ (Persia) would be given as a place of ‘vision’ in the latter days (Daniel 8:2). The Prophet Jeremiah speaks of things that ‘shall come to pass in the latterdays’ and in the verse preceding this, he says: “And I will set my throne in Elam (Persia) … saith the Lord.” (Jeremiah 49:38). I came across a prophecy well known among the Arabs. Speaking of the time of the end, it said: “When the promised One appears, the ‘upholders of His faith shall be the people of Persia.’” (The Dawn-breakers, Nabíl, p. 49). All these prophecies clearly showed that the Messiah would come from the East, and they put a strong emphasis on the territory of Persia. It was something definite to go on. The circle was narrowing.

William Sears, Thief in the Night, pp. 73-75

1. The king from the sunrise

Bahá’u’lláh came from Persia, which is to the East of Israel, but to the west of India. His ministry from the time of its beginning until his last days on earth was forty years. The prophets of Syria and Palestine foretold the coming of the promised Messiah from the East. The prophets and seers from India and the Far East, said that he would appear in the West. Persia, the birthplace of Bahá’u’lláh lies in between these two, and fulfils the requirements of each.

In the book of Enoch, it is prophesied that the Messiah of the last days shall come from the East of Israel, and that He shall come from the land now known as Persia. Enoch foretells: “And in those days the angels will assemble, and turn their heads towards the East, toward the people of Parthia and Medea, in order to excite the kings, and that a spirit of disturbance came over them, and disturbed them from off their thrones.” (Enoch 56:5). Parthia and Medea make up what is now the land of Persia, the birthplace of Bahá’u’lláh. The Jewish oracles, the Sibylline books, also mention the coming of the Messiah from the East, saying:

“And then from the sunrise God shall send a king who shall give every land relief from the bane of war … nor shall he do these things by his own counsel, but in obedience to the good ordinances of the Mighty God.” (cited in The Messianic idea in Israel, p. 376).

Joseph Klausner, in The Messianic idea in Israel, writes: “The ‘king from the sunrise’ is, without any doubt, the King-Messiah.”

The prophet Ezekiel also foretold that the Messiah would come to the Holy Land, Israel, from the East. He even gave the title by which He would be known in that day: The Glory of God [or the Glory of the Lord]. Ezekiel recorded his vision of the last days, saying: “And behold, the Glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east

…” (Ezekiel 43:2).

In another place, Ezekiel says:“And the Glory of the Lord came into the house by way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.”(Ezekiel 43:4).

I had already learned that the name Bahá’u’lláh was Persian, and when translated into English means, The Glory of God or The Glory of the Lord. His herald was called the Báb. This is also Persian, and translated into English means, The Gate.

The Báb was the Gate by which Bahá’u’lláh, the Glory of God, entered into the hearts of men.Bahá’u’lláh had come to Israel in exile from Persia which is to the East. I was more than satisfied by my findings. I learned that Bahá’u’lláh had completed the prophesies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Micah, Zoroaster, Buddha, Muhammad, and many secular prophesies as well—all of which pointed to the time and the place from which the Shepherd of the day of the ‘one fold’ would come.

I marked the first proof: Fulfilled.

William Sears, Thief in the Night, pp. 109-111

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Yup, Baha'u'llah had to come from Persia in 1844 order to fulfill certain Bible prophecies.

18. Lightning from the East

I now began an earnest search for clues that would tell me something about the place in which the Messiah would appear. Two interesting things came to light. For the first coming, Daniel had given the time and Micah had given the place. Daniel had prophesied exactly when the Messiah would appear the first time and when He would be slain. Micah had said of the place:“But thou, Bethlehem … out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel.” (Micah 5:2)

Daniel had also prophesied with even greater exactness the time of the second coming of the Messiah in 1844 (see p. 20). Therefore, I turned to Micah for a possible clue as to the place of His second appearance. I was richly rewarded. In Micah 7:7 and 12 I found:

“I will wait for the God of my salvation … In that day also he shall come even to thee from Assyria …” (Micah 7:7, 12)

The Assyrian Empire at one time covered the entire area in which both Daniel and Micah lived out their lives. Therefore, I chose to study those parts of the Empire, in which these two prophets traditionally lived and taught. To my surprise, I found that there were many other clues to follow as well. Gradually one led to another, until a definite picture began to emerge, and I knew at least in which direction to turn my gaze.

The book of Ezekiel spoke of a great Figure who would come in those days. He said:“And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east.” (Ezekiel 43:2)

This was clearly a reference to the second coming of Christ and not the first, for Jesus did not come from the way of the East, He came from north and west of Jerusalem. Isaiah in like manner spoke of the wondrous Figure who would come from the East. Isaiah said that it was God Himself Who had “… raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings.” (Isaiah 41:2) Even Christ Himself pointed to the direction from which He would appear in the day of His second coming. Speaking of that day, He said: “For as the lightning cometh out of the East … so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” (Matthew 24:27)

The Jewish Oracles, the Sibylline books, prophesied that the ‘King Messiah’ of the time of the end would come ‘from the sunrise’. (The Messianic Idea in Israel, J. G. Klausner, 1956, p. 376). Daniel had written his words of millennial prophecy while in the East. Infact, he was in Elam, a part of ancient Persia, when he foretold with such startling accuracy the exact time of both the first and the second comings of Christ. It was in the capital city of Persia, Shúshán, (Ancient Susa, Khúzistán, south-west Írán) that Daniel had the prophetic vision that revealed the year 1844 as the time for the return of the Messiah. Daniel not only gave the time 1844, but he also directed attention to the place, saying that ‘Elam’ (Persia) would be given as a place of ‘vision’ in the latter days (Daniel 8:2). The Prophet Jeremiah speaks of things that ‘shall come to pass in the latterdays’ and in the verse preceding this, he says: “And I will set my throne in Elam (Persia) … saith the Lord.” (Jeremiah 49:38). I came across a prophecy well known among the Arabs. Speaking of the time of the end, it said: “When the promised One appears, the ‘upholders of His faith shall be the people of Persia.’” (The Dawn-breakers, Nabíl, p. 49). All these prophecies clearly showed that the Messiah would come from the East, and they put a strong emphasis on the territory of Persia. It was something definite to go on. The circle was narrowing.

William Sears, Thief in the Night, pp. 73-75

1. The king from the sunrise

Bahá’u’lláh came from Persia, which is to the East of Israel, but to the west of India. His ministry from the time of its beginning until his last days on earth was forty years. The prophets of Syria and Palestine foretold the coming of the promised Messiah from the East. The prophets and seers from India and the Far East, said that he would appear in the West. Persia, the birthplace of Bahá’u’lláh lies in between these two, and fulfils the requirements of each.

In the book of Enoch, it is prophesied that the Messiah of the last days shall come from the East of Israel, and that He shall come from the land now known as Persia. Enoch foretells: “And in those days the angels will assemble, and turn their heads towards the East, toward the people of Parthia and Medea, in order to excite the kings, and that a spirit of disturbance came over them, and disturbed them from off their thrones.” (Enoch 56:5). Parthia and Medea make up what is now the land of Persia, the birthplace of Bahá’u’lláh. The Jewish oracles, the Sibylline books, also mention the coming of the Messiah from the East, saying:

“And then from the sunrise God shall send a king who shall give every land relief from the bane of war … nor shall he do these things by his own counsel, but in obedience to the good ordinances of the Mighty God.” (cited in The Messianic idea in Israel, p. 376).

Joseph Klausner, in The Messianic idea in Israel, writes: “The ‘king from the sunrise’ is, without any doubt, the King-Messiah.”

The prophet Ezekiel also foretold that the Messiah would come to the Holy Land, Israel, from the East. He even gave the title by which He would be known in that day: The Glory of God [or the Glory of the Lord]. Ezekiel recorded his vision of the last days, saying: “And behold, the Glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east

…” (Ezekiel 43:2).

In another place, Ezekiel says:“And the Glory of the Lord came into the house by way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.”(Ezekiel 43:4).

I had already learned that the name Bahá’u’lláh was Persian, and when translated into English means, The Glory of God or The Glory of the Lord. His herald was called the Báb. This is also Persian, and translated into English means, The Gate.

The Báb was the Gate by which Bahá’u’lláh, the Glory of God, entered into the hearts of men.Bahá’u’lláh had come to Israel in exile from Persia which is to the East. I was more than satisfied by my findings. I learned that Bahá’u’lláh had completed the prophesies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Micah, Zoroaster, Buddha, Muhammad, and many secular prophesies as well—all of which pointed to the time and the place from which the Shepherd of the day of the ‘one fold’ would come.

I marked the first proof: Fulfilled.

William Sears, Thief in the Night, pp. 109-111

Um, okay. Any thoughts of your own?

 

[MayPeaceBeUpOnYou]

Question: Do God really care about which religion people follow?

My answer: I believe that to have a good heart is what matters. Is our actions who matters to God , not which religion you follow

Whats your answer to this question?

So from a Islamic perspective god is independent so obviously if you decide to follow the wrong or the right religion, this won’t effect him in any way. God is also all loving and if this life is a test as we Muslim believe, he want us to accept the truth so we can be grateful to him for the things we have and we repent when we sin, so we have a relationship with him. So it all depends on the attributes of god you believe in.

To reply your answer to the question. I understand your point that’s it important to have a good heart, the issue only what is considered to have good head according to god?
And if 2 religions contradict each other on what is considered to be a good heart then the question is who is right or are they both wrong?

 

[Trailblazer]

Um, okay. Any thoughts of your own?

I see no issues with Baha'u'llah coming to Persia. God does whatever He wills.

 

[Tinkerpeach]

Jesus did say that we have to believe in Him to gain eternal life...

John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

1 John 5:13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

To my knowledge, Jesus never said anything about accepting Him as 'the Savior.'
Jesus never spoke of any 'original sin' committed by Adam and Eve that we need to be saved from. That is a Christian doctrine, and add-on.

Well I guess the guys who nailed Him to the cross are going to Heaven also since they believed in him.

If you want to play that word game that is your choice.

 

[Tinkerpeach]

Th Bible or Jesus? Jesus was pretty clear that only the righteous will get into Heaven. Everyone else will go to Hell.

Matthew 25:35-46 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

And how do you define righteousness?

Do some things you believe are required but you can also do anything else you want also, as long as you do those listed things.

Seems like a job to me. Wake up in the morning and do your righteous stuff really quick so you can go out and do stuff you really enjoy.

 

[Trailblazer]

Well I guess the guys who nailed Him to the cross are going to Heaven also since they believed in him.

If you want to play that word game that is your choice.

No, those who nailed Jesus to the cross did not believe in Him, not by my definition of believe.
They might have believed that He was who He claimed to be but they did not love Him.