Evidence God does not want all people to have the same religion

[Jainarayan]

God, the ultimate Winner of confusion authorship.

Not to mention shortsightedness. In his omniscience it should have occurred to him that at some point in the future man would break the language barriers and communicate with others who spoke different languages. Instead of seeing the story as an allegory or metaphor for why there are diverse human languages, so many Bible believers take it literally. God really didn't think this through. So 1,500 years later he sends his spirit to let the apostles' listeners hear their speeches in their own languages. He was effectively undoing his actions at the Tower of Babel, at least for that moment.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

I think the Bible is what God wants most for us now. But God also accept other religious scriptures. One religion is impossible. It is very unlikely that all humans will agree on one religion.

If there really were a God (and only one), and that God were known to us -- there would be no religion at all. Once we humans have incorporated something into our lives, and understand it, we have no need to worship it. We don't worship refrigerators, or phones, or tables and chairs, or anything else, for that matter. (Well, there's still a little worship of the internal combustion engine among certain males of the species, but let's just call that the exception that proves the rule. )

 

[Jainarayan]

That is my understanding and belief. All rivers lead to the same ocean.

ākāśāt patitaṃ toyaṃ yathā gacchati sāgaram
sarvadeva namaskāraḥ keśavaṃ pratigacchati

"As all rains falling from the sky reach the ocean;
so also the prayers to all gods ultimately go to the [One Lord]". - Srimad Bhagavatam

ekaṃ sádvíprā bahudhā́ vadanti

"That which is One, the sages speak of with many names". - Rig Veda

One must be careful with the second quote. It does not mean all views and images of God are the same or equal. Views and images, attributes and behaviors are ascribed to God based on cultural, societal, personal beliefs and contexts.

 

[Messianic Israelite]

The Bible is not the only scripture that God ever revealed. There are other scriptures that say other things.

What God wants for humans now is not in the Bible. The Bible represents what God wanted for humans thousands of years ago, not what God wants for humans now or in the future. Time does not stand still, and neither does God. People change and the world changes thus what God wants for humans also changes from age to age.

According to Baha'i belief, what God wants for humans is one religion that everyone will adhere to, one common Faith. Nobody knows when this will happen or what the religion will be called but since it was been ordained by God it will happen eventually.

“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.”
The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 91

Hi Trailblazer. Good evening. Well I can't agree with that. Malachi 3:6 says "I Yahweh change not...". I really don't understand how you can say what you have when you have scriptures like Isaiah 40:8. Anyone that thinks that they are lots of ways to getting in to the Kingdom are mistaken. Matthew 7:13-14 says:

"Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby. For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it."

​

Yahshua also says in Matthew 7:13-14:

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me."​

 

[Pete in Panama]

Outward it is different religions, but inward we all seeking the same thing. The highest truth we can realize through the practice (in my understanding)

Virually all humanity intrinsically shares the same understanding of right & wrong.

OK. so when we get into particulars we can be wildly different --like w/ say homosexuality, some area outlaw booze & others legalize pot. To me that's interesting but trivial next to the big things: essentially all jurisdictions outlaw murder, theft, fraud, child abuse, robbery, etc. To me that means pretty much all humans sense light, sound, taste, and morality.

Defining "God" as the essence of all moral good then we got all of human kind believing in God.

 

[Spirit of Light]

Virually all humanity intrinsically shares the same understanding of right & wrong.

OK. so when we get into particulars we can be wildly different --like w/ say homosexuality, some area outlaw booze & others legalize pot. To me that's interesting but trivial next to the big things: essentially all jurisdictions outlaw murder, theft, fraud, child abuse, robbery, etc. To me that means pretty much all humans sense light, sound, taste, and morality.

Defining "God" as the essence of all moral good then we got all of human kind believing in God.

In my understanding all humans have the ability to be fully morally beings, unfortunatly not everyone show it in this world.

 

[Trailblazer]

I believe no human is infallible. I believe only God is infallible.

I do not believe that any human is infallible, but I believe that Manifestations of God are more than human; they are God-men for lack of a better word, and that is why I believe they are infallible. If they were not infallible there would be no reason to believe they were any more than a mere philosopher, so I would have no reason to put all my faith in Them.

 

[Starlight]

Can we also consider the idea that all these different religions may represent not different religions w/ different gods, but rather be the result of our inherent diversity bringing out different denominations of one basic religion and one God.

Let's remember the fact that Abraham was raised and came to differ w/ an area that was descended from Hindus from which came Buddhism. We may want to consider the idea that these --along with the "Abrahamic" religions-- are one from a proto-Abrahamic belief source.

iow, we're not talking different religions, we're seeing varieties of one religion.

The one God is behind many religions and different denominations. That I agree on. But i do not believe the many religions in reality is only one religion. God wants different religions to exsist.

God wants us to serve Him. Obey his commandments. And what is God's most important commandment? It is this:

Mark 12:30-31
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

So all religions from God has this as the most important commandment. So in that sense I agree It is like a "one basic religion".

 

[74x12]

God does not want all people in the world to have the same religion:

The tower of Babel
11Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.

3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

Some of the Abrahamic religions say "We are the only true religion". Many christians say "jesus is the only way to be saved", and many muslims say "only muslims go to heaven". This is false. The evidence is from the Bible itself.

For the longest time God made a Covenant with just the Hebrew nation but when Jesus came Paul says God commands everyone to repent. (Acts 17:30)

 

[Trailblazer]

Hi Trailblazer. Good evening. Well I can't agree with that. Malachi 3:6 says "I Yahweh change not...". I really don't understand how you can say what you have when you have scriptures like Isaiah 40:8.

I did not say that God changes, God is unchanging. However humans do change over time and the world we live in also changes over time, so what God wants for humans (God’s Will) changes over time. That is why I said:

“What God wants for humans now is not in the Bible. The Bible represents what God wanted for humans thousands of years ago, not what God wants for humans now or in the future.”

Moreover, the Word of God stands forever, because it came from God and it is the record of what God revealed, but that does not mean that everything in the Bible still applies to people living in the present age.

Anyone that thinks that they are lots of ways to getting in to the Kingdom are mistaken. Matthew 7:13-14 says:

"Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby. For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it."

Matthew 7:13-14 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

That was written and applied only to when Christianity was the narrow gate that led to life, when there were very few Christians in the first centuries, but Christianity is no longer the narrow road that leads to life because about 30% of the world population is now Christians. Given that Christianity is the largest religion in the world, Christianity is now the broad road.

I believe that just as Christianity was the small gate and the narrow road that led to eternal life in the first centuries when there were few Christians, the Baha'i Faith is now the small gate and the narrow road that leads to eternal life in this age. The Baha’i Faith and is the narrow gate because only a few people recognize God’s new religion in the beginning and enter through that gate.

I believe that in every new age, the religion at the narrow gate is the new religion God wants us to find and follow, and it is the gate that leads to eternal life. But it is not that easy for most people to find this gate because most people are steeped in religious tradition or attached to what they already believe. If they do not have a religion, most people are suspicious of the new religion and the new messenger. If they are atheists they do not like the idea of messengers of God or they think they are all phonies.

Jesus told us to enter through the narrow gate, the gate that leads to eternal life, and He said few people would find that gate... It is narrow, so it is difficult to get through... It is difficult to get through because one has to be willing to give up all their preconceived ideas, have an open mind, and think for themselves. Most people do not normally embark upon such a journey. They go through the wide gate, the easy one to get through – their own religious tradition or their own preconceived ideas about God or no god. They follow that broad road that is easiest for them to travel.

I believe that everlasting life now comes through Baha’u’llah:

“The Book of God is wide open, and His Word is summoning mankind unto Him. No more than a mere handful, however, hath been found willing to cleave to His Cause, or to become the instruments for its promotion. These few have been endued with the Divine Elixir that can, alone, transmute into purest gold the dross of the world, and have been empowered to administer the infallible remedy for all the ills that afflict the children of men. No man can obtain everlasting life, unless he embraceth the truth of this inestimable, this wondrous, and sublime Revelation.” Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 183

Yahshua also says in Matthew 7:13-14:
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me."

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

I believe that when Jesus said that it was true, and it remained true during the Christian dispensation.

Dispensation

1. the divine ordering of the affairs of the world.
2. an appointment, arrangement, or favor, as by God.
3. a divinely appointed order or age:

e.g. the old Mosaic, or Jewish, dispensation; the new gospel, or Christian, dispensation.

Definition of dispensation | Dictionary.com

According to my beliefs by an arrangement of God the divine ordering of the affairs of the world is only according to one religion at a time. Thus each religion only applies to the age (dispensation) in which it is revealed.

Once a Manifestation of God has completed His Mission on earth, what He revealed is pertinent only until the next Messenger of God appears. Moreover, every time God sends a new Messenger, His Revelation abrogates all the Revelations that came before it and the divine ordering of the affairs of the world is according to the religion that He establishes.

I believe that the divine ordering of the affairs of the world is through the latest Manifestation of God and I believe that Manifestation is Baha'u'llah.

I believe that Baha’u’llah is the Manifestation of God for the present dispensation so He is the way to the Father.

“This is the Day when the loved ones of God should keep their eyes directed towards His Manifestation, and fasten them upon whatsoever that Manifestation may be pleased to reveal. Certain traditions of bygone ages rest on no foundations whatever, while the notions entertained by past generations, and which they have recorded in their books, have, for the most part, been influenced by the desires of a corrupt inclination.” Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 171

I am not God so I cannot say it there are other ways to get into the Kingdom of God, but I believe that the way God wants everyone to enter it in this age is through Baha’u’llah.

 

[sun rise]

God wants different religions to exsist.

To state the obvious, people are different. Because they're different, different paths to the same goal have come into existence.

It's like a flower garden. Having only one type of flower is boring. Having many in harmony with each other is beauty manifest.

 

[Trailblazer]

The one God is behind many religions and different denominations. That I agree on. But i do not believe the many religions in reality is only one religion. God wants different religions to exist.

I believe that the one God is behind all the revealed religions, but once religion split into many different denominations and it was man who is behind those, not God. God was only behind the religions as they were originally revealed to His Messengers.

God wanted different religions to exist because otherwise they would not have been revealed to different people in different ages, but that does not mean that is what God wants for all time. Nobody knows what the future holds but there will continue to be many religions for a long time although the religious landscape will change.

I believe that there is only one eternal religion of God which has been revealed in various chapters throughout human history, and these are represented by the different religions. Whenever a Revelation from God has fulfilled its purpose it is renewed. The way it is renewed is that God sends a new Messenger with a new Divine Revelation that is suited to the age in which it was revealed.

“As the body of man needeth a garment to clothe it, so the body of mankind must needs be adorned with the mantle of justice and wisdom. Its robe is the Revelation vouchsafed unto it by God. Whenever this robe hath fulfilled its purpose, the Almighty will assuredly renew it. For every age requireth a fresh measure of the light of God. Every Divine Revelation hath been sent down in a manner that befitted the circumstances of the age in which it hath appeared.” Gleanings, p. 81

What I believe God wants for the present age is that all the different religions come to realize there is only one God and learn to get along with each other in a spirit of harmony and unity.

“The Purpose of the one true God, exalted be His glory, in revealing Himself unto men is to lay bare those gems that lie hidden within the mine of their true and inmost selves. That the divers communions of the earth, and the manifold systems of religious belief, should never be allowed to foster the feelings of animosity among men, is, in this Day, of the essence of the Faith of God and His Religion. These principles and laws, these firmly-established and mighty systems, have proceeded from one Source, and are the rays of one Light. That they differ one from another is to be attributed to the varying requirements of the ages in which they were promulgated.” Gleanings, pp. 287-288

 

[sun rise]

“What God wants for humans now is not in the Bible. The Bible represents what God wanted for humans thousands of years ago, not what God wants for humans now or in the future.”...
Moreover, the Word of God stands forever, because it came from God and it is the record of what God revealed, but that does not mean that everything in the Bible still applies to people living in the present age.

I don't take scriptures such as the Bible entirely that way because I believe they've been changed by ordinary people for lower purposes. But I do believe that scriptures of various religions contain the truth.

Since I'm most familiar with the Bible, I often refer to the statement of the two "greatest commandments as the essence of not only Christianity but of religions in general.

So those commandments to me are what God wants from all of us: to do our best to work on being more loving not only in thought but also in word and especially in deed.

 

[Trailblazer]

To state the obvious, people are different. Because they're different, different paths to the same goal have come into existence.

I agree that people are different, but I believe the different religions have come into being because people and the world they live in changes over time, so God reveals new religions in every age to suit the needs of the people living in those times.

Moreover, I do not believe that what God reveals is about what people want, it is according to what people need.
Religion is not a shoe store where people go shopping to find a pair of shoes they like and what fits their personality.
Religion should be about what God wants for us which is what we need collectively, not about what is comfortable.

If you give people what they want and find comfortable they would never change, they would just keep believing that the religion they were taught is "the only way." That belief can never lead to anything but divisiveness.

 

[Trailblazer]

I don't take scriptures such as the Bible entirely that way because I believe they've been changed by ordinary people for lower purposes. But I do believe that scriptures of various religions contain the truth.

Since I'm most familiar with the Bible, I often refer to the statement of the two "greatest commandments as the essence of not only Christianity but of religions in general.

So those commandments to me are what God wants from all of us: to do our best to work on being more loving not only in thought but also in word and especially in deed.

I agree that scriptures of various religions contain the truth because the first part of religion refers to spiritual truth and it is the same in every religion.

Moreover, spiritual truth is eternal and it will never be abrogated; it is faith, knowledge, certitude, justice, piety, righteousness, trustworthiness, love God, love your neighbor, benevolence, purity, detachment, humility, meekness, patience and constancy.

I believe that these spiritual truths are renewed in every age because the human virtues disappear and only the form of religion subsists.

“These divine qualities, these eternal commandments, will never be abolished; nay, they will last and remain established for ever and ever. These virtues of humanity will be renewed in each of the different cycles; for at the end of every cycle the spiritual Law of God—that is to say, the human virtues—disappears, and only the form subsists.” Some Answered Questions, p. 47

So whenever I say I believe that religion has to change in every new age to suit the times I am referring to two things:

(1) The primary message God reveals in every age which is correlated to the mission of the Prophet/Messenger.

Jesus focused on a high standard of morality and discipline into man, as the fundamental unit in human society. Muhammad focused on nation building, and Baha’u’llah focused on world unity and the oneness of mankind.

2) The social teachings and laws that pertain to the material world.

The second part of the religion refers to material things and it is different in each religion. It changes in each prophetic cycle to accommodate the needs of the times.

“The second part of the Religion of God, which refers to the material world, and which comprises fasting, prayer, forms of worship, marriage and divorce, the abolition of slavery, legal processes, transactions, indemnities for murder, violence, theft and injuries—this part of the Law of God, which refers to material things, is modified and altered in each prophetic cycle in accordance with the necessities of the times.” Some Answered Questions, p. 48

 

[Pete in Panama]

...God wants different religions to exsist...

huh, He hasn't said directly anything to me about this today, when did He say this to u?

 

[Starlight]

Evidence in the Bible that many religions leads to the one God. Evidence that christianity is not the only way to God:

God is love, whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him, 1 John 4:16

 

[Starlight]

Almost correct.....humans were told to spread abroad in the earth, but Noah’s great grandson Nimrod, had other ideas. He wanted to make a name for himself and so he set about encouraging people to build cities and to stay put, to build an empire and a great tower “with its top in the heavens”......not trying to “find God” but trying to outsmart him. Legend has it that they figured if God ever flooded the world again, they would escape to their tower and be out of reach of the water.

Now, because the humans were again disobedient, God thwarted their plans by confusing their language. (Genesis 11:1-9) This forced them to leave off their building work and to congregate in language groups....all those who could understand one another migrated to different parts of the earth, not only taking their language with them but also the false religious ideas planted by Nimrod, who was the first rebel after the flood. Babylon became the springboard from which all false religion sprang....this is why they have so many core beliefs in common.....multiplicities of gods, immortal souls that survive death, a heaven of bliss for the good people, but a hell of fiery torment for the wicked....most adhere to some or all the those ideas, none of which are found in the Bible.



Well said. The God of the Bible demanded exclusive devotion from his worshippers......anyone worshipping false gods was dealt with harshly. The God of Abraham was a “jealous God”, so he would not tolerate the worship of any other gods.....much like a husband would not tolerate his wife taking up with another man. Adultery was a capital crime in Israel...and so “spiritual adultery’ was also punishable by death.

Evidence in the Bible that many religions leads to the one God. Evidence that christianity is not the only way to God:

God is love, whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him, 1 John 4:16

 

[Starlight]

huh, He hasn't said directly anything to me about this today, when did He say this to u?

Because I think it is common sense

 

[Starlight]

There is only one truth however.

And what is that truth?