Random study of alternate faiths.

[The_Patriot21]

all three holy books? seems to me theres more then 3 out there. If your well founded in your faith, then doing research into others beliefs can be very satisfying and help you grow in your faith. I do have a copy of the Quran laying around that I sometimes toy with. But if your not well founded, then its best to leave them be until a time that you are.

[kwikphilly]

Blessings freeinnocentspirit,

      I do think reading anything other than the Word of God can have a negative impact & one should be very careful and selective in what you take in.......unless you are very well grounded in your faith & well versed in the Bible there is nothing to gain by exploring elsewhere,what would be the purpose in doing so?

       Every time you open the Bible you are reading the Living Word,God is revealing Himself to you to bring you closer and closer into an intimate relationship with Him......what other reading offers such a wonderful experience,none of course!

                                                                                                                           With love,in Christ-Kwik

[freeinnocentspirit]

Fundamentally the wider back story to why seeing a family friend explore so many religious texts bothered me is due to the fact that I see a lot people out there pick and choose what they follow. I even met someone who recently declared themselves a part time Christian but their attitude and behaviour doesn't represent us well at all.

I was at this relatives house and I kind of goes to show that it's never worth taking people at face value (and to also be wary of outside influences!)

[OakWood]

Everybody is different. I studied Islam intensively before I studied the Bible, in fact I studied it before becoming a Christian.. All I found in Islam was lies, deceit and hatred. I found out that Mohammed had twisted Bible scripture and felt compelled to buy my first ever Bible to find out what words he had twisted. I needed to cross-reference the two scriptures. The lies of Islam led me to believe that the Bible was the truth. It was especially  Islamic Antisemitism that led me to believe that the real God is the God of the Jews (or that's how I see it).

 

I'd examined other religions but was never repulsed by them, I just found them empty and false. I believe that is because Hinduism and Buddhism are pre-salvation religions, they were developed before Christ. Islam is a post-salvation religion (created around 600 A.D.) and therefore cannot  use ignorance as an excuse.

I'm not saying that Hinduism and Buddhism are not Satanic, all I am saying is that they were developed at a time when nobody but the Jews communicated with the real God. Man was desperately doing what he could to find some meaning in life and false religions at that time were an attempt to do so.

 

I believe that I was meant to learn about Islam in order to find the real God. It's a dangerous thing to do for some people, but for me it worked differently. In fact, I still study Islam now and I keep finding more lies in it - the more I find, the more I understand Islam's real purpose is to undo Christ's work on Earth.

 

Never once did I feel that Islam offered any truth. I never felt comfortable with it and it never convinced me in any shape or form. I only kept studying it out of an urge to discover the real evil behind it. I hate it more now than I ever done (I hate Islam, not Muslims - just for the record). The only difference is that although I still study Islam, I study it a lot less, and I study the Bible a lot more!

 

Although it can be dangerous to study lies, somebody has to do it. How can you know the enemy and what his plans are, if you don't listen to what he is saying? This one of the essential tools of warfare, being able to understand the enemy - and believe me, that includes spiritual warfare too!

There are Christians who know nothing about Islam and believe (because of Muslim claims to Jesus) that Muslims worship the same God as they do. Anybody with Common sense can see that this is not true. If Christian leaders took the time to learn a bit more about Islam, then they might just see it for what it really is.

 

I would never advise just anybody to study other religions (especially if their faith is weak), and I would advise Christians to stay away from Islam unless they have strong stomachs, but for some people it may be a duty so that they can warn others!!!

We have a few people here on Worthy who are very well-versed in the lies of Islam and they have enough knowledge of it to expose it for what it really is. They appear to have strong faith and hopefully they are protected against it.

[Willa]

I know of strong Christians that have read the holy books of other faiths so thay they could witness better to these people that they knew or were going to as missionaries. But on the other had we are told to be innocent of evil. So I would never read a satanic bible to be able to witness to satinists. Most people just need to know the truth. No place else will you find a God of love who came to us to forgive sin.

I also learned a little bit about other religions--just enough to know I didn't really want to know any more. Knowing that many buddahs are demons is enough to make me not want to go there. We are told as much in the Bible, however, that the power behind idols is demonic. Knowing that most other religions are of fear and hatred is also pretty much a downer. And that many religions are an attempt to escape life instead of embracing the fullness of life? We really do stand apart.

[ryanmercer]

Understanding other faiths only helps to strengthen ours and helps us to share the Word with members of those religions. Being ingorant of other religious beliefs only hurts us when we are questioned by non-believers. If we are familiar with their practices then we can better answer their questions and explain what we believe.

[HumbleThinker]

I'm really searching for your opinion here actually do you think the study of other faiths is a negative impact of your own faith?

I have found faith what two years ago and this was due to searching for truth. However I stumbled across a relatives book shelf at Christmas lunch yesterday and there was almost a religious shelf with all three holy books and more. In your own opinion Is this not a negative impact on your own faith?

Not at all. Despite what a small minority of some I've encountered have warned (not speaking of here) , my faith has only been enhanced by the study of other faiths. I've read at least one major work/scripture (some faiths don't have "scripture" in the strictest sense or at least in the same sense as us) for most of the major faiths. I couldn't get through the Quaran, though, due to the massive amounts of repetition and it seems like the longest book is first which makes entry difficult. Speaking in purely objective terms, learning itself is never a bad thing as everything is part of God's Creation. From a subjective point. my faith has been enhanced by exploring different perspectives through which to view my own faith and relationship with God.

You may be interested in looking up information on Thomas Merton who actually used Buddhist ideas to rediscover a very spiritual discipline that had all but been forgotten (the meditative techniques of the Desert Fathers) that, IIRC, revitalized his faith. Hopefully I got the details right here as I'm just running off of memory.

[HumbleThinker]

I don't need to read, study or watch on TV about other faiths. I know the one True GOD; there is NO OTHER. Why let Satan plant seeds of doubt; not that it would cause you to lose your faith, but it can sure make you miserable and take away your joy. That is the only thing that Satan can do to a child of the Living GOD!

But is this the inevitable conclusion of studying other faiths? From my experience, it isn't.

[Guest]

Understanding other faiths only helps to strengthen ours and helps us to share the Word with members of those religions. Being ignorant of other religious beliefs only hurts us when we are questioned by non-believers. If we are familiar with their practices then we can better answer their questions and explain what we believe.

 

~

 

Beloved, Although The Power

 

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Isaiah 55:11

 

Of God's Words Boggles The Teeny Tiny Minds Of Men

 

By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. Psalms 33:6

 

The Truth

 

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

 

Will Out

 

For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. Romans 3:3-4

 

And All Others Will Not

 

And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

 

Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

 

For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. Revelation 22:12-15

 

You See

 

The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. John 3:35-36

[Guest]

I don't need to read, study or watch on TV about other faiths. I know the one True GOD; there is NO OTHER. Why let Satan plant seeds of doubt; not that it would cause you to lose your faith, but it can sure make you miserable and take away your joy. That is the only thing that Satan can do to a child of the Living GOD!

But is this the inevitable conclusion of studying other faiths? From my experience, it isn't.

 

~

 

The LORD's Conclusion

 

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8

 

Trumps Man's Philosophies Every Time

 

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Colossians 2:8

 

And You Are Correct, For Standing In The Truth

 

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17

 

Comes From Studying God's Holy Word

 

Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever. Psalms 119:160

 

And Not From Eating Satan's Lies

 

And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. Luke 4:4

 

You See?

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. John 1:1-3