ABSOLUTELY !
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Do you think your religion is the only true way
- Thread starter robocop (actually)
- Start date
More than that.I'd say in only two sentences. "Love God. Love your neighbor as yourself". There you go.
In my religion, for instance, If you love God you believe in Him and trust Him. If you trust Him you get baptized. If you believe Him you keep His commandments.
Yes, it's the only true way for me.
Yes, there are other valid paths for others.
More than Jesus' commandment?
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." ~Matthew 22:37-39
He has stated that the entirety of the law of God is fulfilled in one single thing, Love. How then is making ritual sacrifices, performing religious rituals, etc., going to make one fulfill the law when it's done already though Love? "Love is the fulfillment of the law" Romans 13:8-13
I hear people say that this means you will perform all the necessary rituals, because of love, or as an act of love. Now while that may be a valid expression of their love for God for some people, it is not necessary or required. If baptism were necessary, then God's love is conditional, not unconditional, which is the nature of the Divine, or the Absolute. Someone may fulfill all the law of God, and not once be part of a religion and perform its various rituals.
I think the easiest way for me to explain this is to look at what Jesus was saying in his "two greatest commandments" teaching. I find this to be the core to all his teachings, and to all religions, everyone on this planet, and the whole of the cosmos itself. I believe this transcends all religions and goes to the heart of the nature of God and Truth.
The first commandment is to love God. This is not a "performance" based love, but an expression of the heart through desire for the essence and nature of the Divine in your life. It is that found in prayer or meditation, to connect your own soul to the Divine and let if fill you, and transform your mind, your thoughts, your feelings, your relationship with yourself and the whole world. Then the second commandment, "Love your neighbor as yourself," flows outward from that primary Source that is full in you, in expressions of love towards all others, everywhere. You cannot help but Love, since God is Love.
This becomes the fulfillment of the law of all religious teachings. "Love works no ill". If you are so filled with love in your heart, you cannot be outside the law of God. The law of God is already fulfilled in you. You literally will see your neighbor as your own self! You could no more hate them than you could the Divine.
This is beyond performing religious requirements. Those have little to do with the actual heart of religion, if it exists there, which is Divine Love.
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Jesus said "Love God and Love thy Neighbor." He also said, "If you love me, keep my commandments."
The Kilted Heathen
Crow FreyjasmaðR
Spiritual Enlightenment and closeness to the divine is the top of the mountain. There is not one single path up to the top. Some may be structured and paved, others wild and directionless, but all lead to the top.
sealchan
Well-Known Member
Christianity, my religion, is not the only way to find spiritual truth, social adaptivity and personal fulfillment amidst the demands of life.
Any true religion will have considerable respect for individual discernment and for the specific circunstances, so sure, there are multiple ones.
And right there you are effectively saying that your way is the right way..
Well, that's one view.
Yes. No religion addressed the whole world in a comprehensive way as does Islam. No religion presented a pure creed away from polytheism and Idolatry as done by Islam. No religion sets principle of equity as was done by Islam. In so many facets, Islam is superior.
Ellen Brown
Well-Known Member
It is the right way for me. You choose your own way. If you wish to be dominated and abused by mean jackasses, that is for you.
Fair enough!
Workman
UNIQUE
You have a strong heart I can’t tell!.
Follow it!..don’t think about it!. But feel what’s right!
To your question:
No!..it is NOT the true way!..
Like already mentioned by some!.
Love is the ONLY way(your heart)
Will guide you there!.
Everyone has of their own pathway to walk!
God leaves no-one behind!.
If one can’t see that! Than one has already left God! No Matter of how it’s circumstances! confusion will be in ones enemy!.But its from the one(himself) ONLY ‘JOB’ to break that(confusion) wall!.
This will determine if your TRUE or not within your pathway!
May God bless your heart in your journey!
Which is of course, "Love God with all your heart.... and Love your neighbor as yourself". Jesus' commandments to disciples is to love. Not all this other legalistic rites and rituals as the way to God. Someone can do that till the cows come home, and that isn't what opens the door to God.
Those who believe it is, are viewing those things as substitutes, for actually doing what Jesus commands, which is to love, not just say you love, but to be Love. You can do those if that is an act of devotion to God for you. But it's not necessary in order for you to say you are obeying Jesus. To love as Jesus commands, is to obey Jesus.
The door to God is not baptism, or confessions of faith, or being in the right religion. The Door, is Love.
It's Jesus' view. I think that means something, don't you?
Don't worry... I agree with a lot of the varied views on this thread.
Jesus said, "On this hang all the law and the prophets."
I'm just saying A is equivalent to B so that you can't say A and not B; that's all.
His view according to the Gospels. But I don't follow the Gospels.
No. A fulfills B. You don't have to practice animal sacrifices, dietary laws, circumcisions, and all of that, such as baptisms, communion, church attendance, etc. You can of course, but if you have A, whatever flavor of B there might be, is fulfilled in doing A.
B, or the law, is a school teacher of examples. Just doing the examples, does not mean you have Love. Nor, if you have Love, that means you are obligated to sacrifice lambs, and whatnot. That misses the entire point.
Love means you will not do evil, not that you will join a church.