For Abrahamic religions: we know how when the day of judgement comes, we will be judged by our good deeds and bad deeds, entering paradise if the good outweighs the bad.
For Athiests: Morals show us that we should do good deeds and stay away from bad ones, we have emotion to help us with this via compassion, empathy, guilt etc.
This weight of good and bad also applies to whether something else is good or bad, not just us. For example, stealing may help one person get something they want, however it will always come back negatively to another person, so this is bad.
Anyway, I heard from someone I work with this day:
"I wonder how religion can be good when there is much bad that comes with it, yes religion can guide people and bring many together, but it also causes so much war and injustice because of those who use their religion in the wrong way."
Do you think the bad outweighs the good in religion? Or likewise? Why?
List some points for good and bad in religion.
salams
Muhktar,
The generally accepted idea is that we are all going to stand before God's throne and be judged on our previous actions. Think though, does that actually make sense???
How could all mankind be judged on the information in the Bible, when the vast majority of people who have lived on earth have not learned anything about the TRUE God. This is not God's purpose!!!
In Revelation we are told of a thousand year Judgement Day, Rev 20:1-7. During this thousand years people who God judges as worthy to be resurrected will be judged on the things they do during that Judgement Day, and not on their past deeds. Jesus said that there is going to be a resurrection of the ones in the memorial tombs. They are the ones who are not deemed WICKED by God, Ps 9:5, Prov 11:7. Also, in Acts we are told that there is going to be aresurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous, Acts 24:15. The one resurrected will learn righteousness during the judgement day, and also the ones who Come out of the Great Tribulation, Rev 7:14. This means that when Jesus comes to earth, which will be very soon now, the people who survive the Great Tribulation have the opportunity of living forever, without having to die at all, John 11:25,26.
You point out a very important truth about religion. Is religion a force for good or bad in this world??? Most of it is certainly BAD!! But not all!!
Consider this point, the Bible tells us to change our mind over so that we can do Dod's will, Eph 4:17-19, 22-24. Then at Heb 4:12,13 we are told that God's word is ALIVE and has power. This means that God's word will change our ways if we want it to.
Consider what Jesus said about people who claimed to be his followers, Matt 7:21-23. Notice that these people were doing all kinds of thing that people thought would mark them as Christians, but Jesus said for them to get away from him, because they were workers of lawlessness, even their supposed powerful works, and the expelling of demons. Later Paul wrote that these very things are not Christian activities, but are from Satan, 2Thess 2:9,10. Consider the scriptures 2Thess 2:3-12, which point out that it is truth that God wants not powerful works. Jesus pointed out that God is looking for ones to worship Him with spirit and truth, John 4:23,24.
Many people claim to know God, but are they footstep followers of Jesus, Titus 1:16, 1Pet 2:21. Notice also that Jesus said to look out for false prophets, Matt 7:15,16, 20,you can recognize them by their FRUITS.
This all means that; If the major religions of today were teaching the truth of God's word the world would be steadily getting to be a better place. Since the world is declining every day, this proves thay are not teaching God's truth.
If you get a concordance and look up the foundation doctrines of the major churches of today, you will find that none of these doctrines are supported by Bible truth. This is the reason for our slipping down every day, and faster and faster.
The Bible tells us that there is ONE religion that He favors, Eph 4:3-6. What makes the true religion difficult to recognize is the fact that people think that the true religion will be the most popuar. The truth is, it is the most unpopular, just as Jesus and the early disciples were, Luke 6:21-26, John 15:18-21. Jesus said that his people would be hated by all the nations, Matt 10:22, 24:9.
All who love God will be helped to find that one religion if they are sincere.
