| Jay520 said: A bit off topic: Faith is actually a component of most Christianity that contributes to my disbelief. Under the Christian philosophy, you have to believe that Jesus is the son of the Lord in order to be saved. And to believe that, then you need faith. But what if someone finds faith in another religion. If believing in something is based ultimately on faith, then what factor is there to encourage someone to one religion over another? If faith is a person's only means of believing, how can they ever hope to find faith in the 'correct' religion? With that said, how is it fair that God punishes people for finding faith in the 'wrong' religion? If there was a just and loving god, he would prove Himself. He wouldn't make a person's eternal life rely upon accurate guesses. |
Great question. I've wondered this myself.
If someone finds faith in another religion, but knows about Christianity and refused it, I would assume that they would not be saved. The reason for this would be the second commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me." The God of Judaism is the same God as in Christianity (Jesus was a Jew), but they have refused Jesus' sacrifice. The God of Islam is not the God of Christianity, because they do not believe in the Trinity. They have also refused Jesus' sacrifice and relegated him to a prophet, rather than the son of God.
The factor that should encourage someone to choose one religion over another is whether or not logic points you there. I believe that only one religion can be logically consistent, as to have multiple religions being logically correct is a contradiction. That's not to say that there must be a logically correct religion, though... and obviously many people don't come to their faith this way. However, in Christianity God is the truth and so if your logic is sound, it will lead you to him.
What seems most unfair to me is a person who was never exposed to Christianity, and so had no chance to accept Jesus' sacrifice. I can't answer how this is resolved, but I would guess that since they have not had the chance to accept or reject the sacrifice, they would be given that chance somehow.
Lastly, why doesn't God prove himself? First, Luke 4:12. Jesus answered, "It is said: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" So to ask God to prove himself is against the word of God. That's obviously only going to matter to someone who takes the Bible seriously. The answer you're looking for is again probably one you won't like. If God came down to Earth and started to show off his powers so that no one had any doubt, of course people would believe him. Perhaps some would rebel, but most would likely bow down in fear, or forced love. God wants us to choose to love him, not be forced into it.
