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Can people mix diffrent religions???

kai

ragamuffin
If you're interested in being a true Christian, then no you cannot. Christians are free to worship God any way they wish, within common-sense boundaries of course, but the nature of God, faith in Christ, and salvation are not debatable. The Bible clearly defines those things.
On the other hand, if you're not interested in what the Bible actually says, sure, you can make up your own religion. People do that all the time. Of course, you'd know that you just made it up and it isn't true, but I don't think you'd be asking in the first place if that was one of your concerns.


theres hundreds of religions based on the bible from copts to mormons from jews to jehovas witness one more wont hurt
 

Ben Dhyan

Veteran Member
yakov91
need some advice, I was wondering if people can mix different religions, because i cannot choose between Christianity or Buddhism, I love them both, their ideas, concepts, and different worshiping styles.

Hi yakov98, Jesus said the kingdom of God is within. Why do you go outside to find an answer that is already answered within. You said "I love them both, their ideas, concepts, and different worshiping styles."
Love is like electricity, it always passes through the path of least resistance.
As I stated on another thread this very day, my understanding of the christian teachings has been deepened due to the learning and understanding of the teachings of other religions I have been drawn to. But like you, it was a labour of love that moved me to go deeper into buddhism. Ultimately I love them all because the true followers of all religions love the source within from which our lives are derived,...call that source what you like,..a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet!
Oh..and yakov, do not be surprised if you drift away from the crowd you have begun your journey with, for once you have the prerequisite understanding to move on to experience and learn the deeper mysteries of existence,...destiny is calling!
 

Starfish

Please no sarcasm
people change religions to suit themselves all the time, look at how many different christian denominations there are start up your own


So true. Any religion started by a man, is a man's religion. Christ organized a church himself. I choose that one.
 

Magic Man

Reaper of Conversation
Of course you can mix religions. If you take too much from one, it might negate another, though. Religion is a set of beliefs, and since everyone is different, everyone is going to have slightly different beliefs. If something makes sense to you, go with it even if it doesn't fit a traditional set of beliefs.
 

Quiddity

UndertheInfluenceofGiants
I'm doing it now as a catholic. But I don't really know I'm doing it until someone from another faith tells me they agree with me. :D
 

Starfish

Please no sarcasm
Of course you can mix religions. If you take too much from one, it might negate another, though. Religion is a set of beliefs, and since everyone is different, everyone is going to have slightly different beliefs. If something makes sense to you, go with it even if it doesn't fit a traditional set of beliefs.

Then pray for a confirmation from God. Does he agree with your choice of beliefs?
 

Magic Man

Reaper of Conversation
Then pray for a confirmation from God. Does he agree with your choice of beliefs?

The Christian God difeinitely doesn' agree with my choice of beliefs considering I don't believe in Him. I'm not going to pray for a confirmation from a god who I already know in my mind doesn't exist. That's why I mix beliefs. I've found some things in many religions that make sense to me. The Christian God is not one of those things.
 

Starfish

Please no sarcasm
The Christian God difeinitely doesn' agree with my choice of beliefs considering I don't believe in Him. I'm not going to pray for a confirmation from a god who I already know in my mind doesn't exist. That's why I mix beliefs. I've found some things in many religions that make sense to me. The Christian God is not one of those things.

Then pray to whomever your God is.
 

Magic Man

Reaper of Conversation
Then pray to whomever your God is.

First of all, I'm sorry, i don't normally do this, but it should be "whoever" not "whomever". Again, sorry, it's one of my biggest pet peeves, and I can't help saying something. :sorry1:

I don't have a god. I might come to the conclusion that a god exists at some point, but as of now, I'm leaning towards no god, as I haven't heard of one that makes sense to me. I don't feel that you need a god to which to pray.
 

Kungfuzed

Student Nurse
It can be a healthy practice to try to learn something new from everyone. I don't think any of us would be here in this forum if we weren't looking for new ideas, inspiration, and to learn from each other. Mixing religions will help get new ones started. Perhaps a new sect of Chrudhists will start up.
 

BruceDLimber

Well-Known Member
Greetings!

>Can people mix different religions?

People can't, but God can, the more so since IOV ALL the great religions are successive stages in a single ever-evolving faith, the Faith of God!

Best, :)

Bruce
 

MdmSzdWhtGuy

Well-Known Member
So true. Any religion started by a man, is a man's religion. Christ organized a church himself. I choose that one.

From where do you derive this delusion? The Church was started by Jesus? The Church did not even articulate its beliefs until 325 A.D., some 3 centuries after the life and death of anyone who could possibly be held out as the "historical Jesus." And you would be hard pressed to find someone educated in the area who would denote Jesus, rather than Peter, to have been the first Pope.

B.
 

Izdaari

Emergent Anglo-Catholic
From where do you derive this delusion? The Church was started by Jesus? The Church did not even articulate its beliefs until 325 A.D., some 3 centuries after the life and death of anyone who could possibly be held out as the "historical Jesus." And you would be hard pressed to find someone educated in the area who would denote Jesus, rather than Peter, to have been the first Pope.

B.
According to my history books, Leo I was the first Pope. He wasn't the first Bishop of Rome of course, but he was the first Bishop of Rome to assert the universal jurisdiction of his office.
 

MdmSzdWhtGuy

Well-Known Member
All right Izdaari,

Whether we go off legend (Peter) or accepted historical fact (Leo I, based on the universal jurisdiction argument) I think we can agree, that in either case, it still was not anybody named "Jesus."

B.
 

Izdaari

Emergent Anglo-Catholic
All right Izdaari,

Whether we go off legend (Peter) or accepted historical fact (Leo I, based on the universal jurisdiction argument) I think we can agree, that in either case, it still was not anybody named "Jesus."

B.
Well, of course! Jesus used several different titles for himself, Son of Man being probably the most common, but Pope was definitely not one of them.

However, the Christian church existed and began to articulate its beliefs not long after the resurrection of Jesus. The surviving apostles along with Jesus' brother James, and Paul who also became accepted as an apostle, were collectively the authorities of the church. There was at that point no Pope. Of course, as one of the original Twelve, Peter was highly respected, but was not top dog by any means. At least, he accepted a public rebuke on a doctrinal matter from Paul, and didn't try to assert any authority. Nor was he accepting Paul as a superior authority. He accepted correction from Paul as an equal, being convinced that Paul had the right of the matter.

OTOH, if you're talking about the Roman Catholic Church, and not the catholic (i.e. universal) church, I agree that didn't exist until much later. I would say it didn't exist until Leo I. But of course I'm not a Catholic. I would expect Catholics to insist that Peter was the first Pope. The problem with that is that until Leo I, the Bishop of Rome didn't have authority over the other Bishops. Instead, like Peter himself, the office was respected as "first among equals."
 

Smoke

Done here.
According to my history books, Leo I was the first Pope. He wasn't the first Bishop of Rome of course, but he was the first Bishop of Rome to assert the universal jurisdiction of his office.
The title pope doesn't denote universal jurisdiction; in the Orthodox churches, the Patriarch of Alexandria is also a pope, but he has never claimed universal jurisdiction.

But all this talk about the Pope of Rome, who the founder of the church was, whether you should pray to God to which is the "right" religion, etc. -- all that underscores one of the fundamental differences between Christianity and Buddhism. Christianity is dogmatic; Buddhism isn't. Christians believe there is one correct set of beliefs and that everybody ought to conform to it. Buddhism doesn't.

The only real Christian parallels to Buddhism are the apophaticism of the Eastern churches and some (but not all) of the Western mystics. Once you embrace the apophatic approach, and once you understand that for the mystics "God" is more of a metaphor than the name of an anthropomorphic being, what do you really need Christianity for?

I do think that a Buddhist influence can make for a saner and more humane Christianity, and I can understand that for many of us in the West Christianity has a certain cultural and psychological resonance. If somebody thinks that combining Buddhism with Christianity is what works for them, I can't think of any reason I or anybody else should object. I'd just suggest that it be done honestly and mindfully.
 

gnomon

Well-Known Member
China has always been Godless. Name a Chinese deity. There are various dragons and other creatures, but nothing like Yahweh, Allah, Shiva, Zeus, Mars, etc. The only all-powerful force that is worshipped now in the Middle Kingdom is the so-called Communist Party.

This is a false statement.

Hu
Shun
Fuxi
Shennong
Huang Di

China has a long, eclectic history of worshiping a variety of Gods. Between Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism and perhaps the more predominant folk religion the Chinese have worshiped many Gods. Even a historical figure, Guan Yu, romanticized from a time of war was deified as a God of War who used his skill to avoid confrontation and seek peace.

Every time I hear a statement, like China has always been Godless, or even one I used to utter "Buddhism is atheistic" I like to run it across my Chinese/Thai sister-in-law who is a practicing Christian/Buddhist.

The Chinese have Gods. Buddhists have Gods. Taoists have Gods.

What Westerners know of traditional Asian religious practices might fill a thimble. Any remark on China's people has to be made carefully because they are not members of one single ethnic identity. Even one billion Han Chinese, the world's largest ethnic group, spread throughout southeast Asia are varied in culture as well.
 
So it does. But Buddhism has quite a bit of wisdom that doesn't conflict with any of them, nor does it require having anything to do with idols or other gods.
And examples of this would be...?

Your scripture quote is out of context. Paul isn't talking about borrowing philosophical concepts from another tradition. That passage is referring to marrying an unbeliever, which Paul strongly recommends against doing.
Yes, the passage is talking about not marrying an unbeliever, but the whole reason for not marrying unbeliever is so that you are not tempted to incorporate pagan beliefs into your own. This scripture is a perfect example for this situation, even without the context of marriage.

As Christians we believe we have more of the truth than Buddhists of course, else we'd be Buddhists ourselves, but Christian faith certainly does not require us to believe that Buddhists have no truth and are servants of the devil.
The concepts of Karma, Samsara, Enlightenment, ect..., are all incompatible with Christianity. Christianity is God centered, while Buddhism is man-centered. Buddhist teachings have no relevance to Christianity.
 

DallasApple

Depends Upon My Mood..
A Christmas "tree" and the lights on it are pagan..Trees had nothing to do with Christ..Nieither did hanging things on it..

And if you are talking about Buddah?.....He and Jesus had very similar minds...

Blessings


Dallas
 
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