Christianity

Buddhism was founded nearly 600 years before Christianity, by a man named Gautama, who late became known as Buddha. He believed that man has no soul, and that the world we live in is unreal. Christians believe that we each have a personal relationship with God and that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. When we accept him as our Savior, He gives us the power and authority to live the kind of life that pleases God and we are forgiven of our sins when we confess them to God.

Buddhists do not believe it is possible to have a personal relationship with God, and that Jesus was only a teacher who was mediocre to Buddha, and believe sin is overcome by their own efforts.

The Jewish people descended from the ancient Hebrews. They can be traced back to Noah's son, Shem, which the word "Semitic" comes from. Judaism is one of the world's oldest religions, and their history is recorded in the Old Testament. There are four different forms of Judaism being practiced in the world today: Orthodox, Reform, Conservative and Messianic.

Jews believe that the Lord God is one person. Christians believe that God is three persons in one: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, or the Holy Trinity.

Many Jews claim to believe in Jesus only as a teacher, and reject him as Messiah (excluding Messianic Jews). Most Jews are still waiting for their Messiah. Christians believe that Jesus was not only a man, but the Son of God, our Savior, sent to earth to redeem and justify us from sin.

Jews also believe that man is not born good or evil, and that man is free to choose which way he will be. Christians believe that we are all born with a sinful nature and fall short of the glory of God.

Jews believe that anyone in the world is able to gain salvation by works, moral living and believing in the one God. Christians believe that man is saved by grace and faith alone. Christians believe that Jesus Christ purchased our salvation by his death on the cross and rising from the dead.

Islam is one of the largest religions in the world today, and is also one the youngest major religions of the world. This religion was founded by Mohammed (or Muhammad, born 570 A.D.) whose God is also the God of Abraham (like Judaism and Christianity) but is known as Allah, meaning "One God". While the Hebrews (Jewish ancestors) are descended from Isaac, Abraham's son of his old age with wife Sarah, Muslims are descended from Abraham's son, Ishmael, with his Egyptian slave girl, Hagar. Muhammad was the son of Abdulla, who was the son of Ishmael.

Believers are known as Muslims. The scripture of Islam is known as the Qur'an (or Koran), which Muslims believe was taken by dictation from the angel Gabriel (Jibraeel) by Muhammad. Muslims believe the only God is Allah.

Christians believe the only scripture is the Holy Bible, the inspired word of God, and that God is three persons in one, revealed in the Bible as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Islam teaches that Jesus was only a man, a prophet and teacher, inferior to Mohammed, and that Jesus was not crucified for our sins. Christianity teaches that Jesus Christ is the Savior, the Son of God, who lived a sinless life, was crucified for our sins, raised from the dead and ascended back to heaven.

Muslims believe that they are born sinless and that each person must overcome the sins committed during their lifetime on their own, and earn their salvation through works. Christians teach that God loves us and sent his son, Jesus, to redeem us, because we are born with a sinful nature, and are saved by faith in Jesus and the awesome grace of God.

Mormons are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Although many people consider the Mormons to be a cult and not a religion, Mormons insist they are not. Mormonism was founded by Joseph Smith in 1830. In 1847, the Mormons led by Brigham Young, settled in the area now known as Salt Lake City. Mormons believe in the Bible, but insist that scripture continued to be revealed to Joseph Smith, and other leaders, in the form of the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenant, and the Pearl of Great Price. Christians believe that the Holy Bible is the only scripture, the true and authentic, inspired Word of God.

Mormons are taught that God is a being who has followed a path, (which believers are taught they may follow), to reach his holy, exalted level. The Mormons say that "as man is, God once was, as God is, man may be". In contrast Christianity teaches that God is creator of the universe and humanity, that he is sovereign, that only He is God, no other God has come before him, and no other God will ever be.

Mormons believe that full salvation comes only through the Latter Day Saint's Church. Christians believe that salvation is a gift, provided by God's grace, for anyone who believes in Jesus Christ, his crucifixion, and his resurrection to save us from our sins.

Mormons believe in three levels of heaven, of which the highest is celestial heaven, where only Mormons can live an eternal life. Christians believe in only one heaven, the eternal home of God, where all believers in Christ will dwell in peace for eternity.

The beginnings of Jehovah's Witnesses are traced back to a very young man named Charles Taze Russell, who first published the now widely known " The Watchtower" magazine in 1879. The religion (man call it a cult) continued to develop over several years and now has nearly six million members worldwide.

Jehovah's Witness (JW's) believers must not study the Bible on their own, they must do and believe as instructed by the Watchtower Society. Christians believe that we must study the Bible for ourselves and rely upon the guidance of the Holy Spirit for understanding, and to obey God.

JW's believe that the one true God is Jehovah and that Jesus is not the Almighty God, (three co-equal persons in one holy being) that Christians believe in. Nor do they believe that Jesus Christ was bodily resurrected, they believe that Jehovah "re-created" a body for his spirit to enter. Christians have the witness of his disciples who actually touched the resurrected body of Jesus.

JW's believe that salvation is earned by works, while Christians believe that our salvation is freely given by the grace of God, who sent his Son to save us from our sins.

JW's believe that men don't have souls, that when they die they no longer exist and they also believe that Jesus Christ returned to earth in 1914 and rules invisibly. Christians believe that Jesus will return bodily and when He does every eye shall see him. Christians also believe that man has an eternal soul, which upon death, goes to Heaven to be with Christ eternally, or on Judgement Day is sent to Hell to exist there eternally.

Christianity

The best way I can differentiate between being a Christian and prescribing to a particular religion is to remember that living as a Christian requires following CHRIST, but religion follows the edicts of MAN. This is a very important distinction to understand. I know many individuals who stopped attending a particular church/religion because they felt like the things the priest, elders, pastor, minister, preacher or their parents expected them to do did not feel right to them. For example, many people (including myself) do not feel comfortable confessing their sins to another human being, no matter how educated in the Bible they may be.

Some religions require this type of confession to a person who is supposed to act as a mediator between you and God! Jesus did not teach this! To the contrary, Jesus said, "The only way to the Father is through me." This verse means two different things: 1. The only way to be with God (in heaven) is through salvation in Christ Jesus, God's son. It also means that: 2. The only mediator you need when talking/praying to God is his Son, Jesus. That's why we pray "in Jesus' name, Amen."

The apostle John explained it this way in 1 John 1:8, 9: "If we say that we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves (everyone sins) and refusing to accept the truth. But if we confess our sins to Him (God), he can be depended on to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong." (Emphasis mine) Isn't that wonderful?! God can forgive us anything if we believe in Christ Jesus, because He died to wash away our sins!

We all sin and there is nothing we can do to earn His forgiveness...not a million "hail Mary's", not a trillion prayers, not any amount of good deeds, so God gave his Son to die in our place! What an awesome gift! When Christ died on the cross, all the sins of ALL people were placed on His shoulders and when we believe in Him and accept His awesome gift, our sins are forever washed away! After accepting His gift of forgiveness, God then wants us to turn from sin and try our best not to.

While there are many wonderful churches and congregations of loving Christians that we can attend for purposes of worship, singing praises, praying, fellowship, guidance, bible study, and inspiration, we do NOT need to abide by any MAN's religion to claim our gift of Christ's salvation! God loves ALL of us, not just the Jews or the Catholics or the Muslims or the Hindus or atheists (yes, God still loves us even if we don't believe in or love Him) or agnostics or Methodists or Jehovah's Witnesses or members of any other religious sect!

There is a wonderful saying that I think says it all: "Christians are NOT perfect, just FORGIVEN." If you are not a Christian, I urge you to accept God's awesome gift by praying, confessing your sins directly to Him, professing your belief in Christ as your savior and asking Jesus into your heart and life. This is the ONLY way and THE way God grants us His forgiveness, provides His Holy Spirit to guide us and grants us eternal life.

My prayer is that you will accept Christ as your savior and keep Him in your hearts DAILY as you grow in your personal relationship with your Heavenly Father.

God bless, Hope