• Discussion Forum

  At the beginning of this program we learned: “People have many reasons for rejecting the Christian faith. Some may admire Christ but dislike His followers. Others find it difficult to accept any faith that claims to be the only way to God. Why would anyone limit themselves to only one of the world’s great religions?” How valid are each of these objections? What is your response to each?

  Karen Wilhelm replied 1 month, 1 week ago 110 Members · 112 Replies

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  James Hoffman

  Member

  09/24/2021 at 11:16

  Both objections are valid, in my opinion, because people come to these objections based on what they see and can’t see. I think anyone could read the biographical accounts of Jesus at the start of the New Testament, and conclude that He was amazing man and that the world would be a better place if people loved like He did. However, when those same readers walk away from the book and see, in the world around them, a good number of people who profess to believe and follow Jesus but don’t look like they’ve been changed by Him or are trying to look like Him, that’d create a huge hurdle to get over. What’s the point in buying into a mission if those claiming to be a part of it don’t see to show fruit? Obviously, those who are saints through Jesus are still sinners in the present times, and I know a fall back is “we are all hypocrites,” but I think people today – especially in America – see “Christians” who are primarily driven by personal rights and gains, and sometimes politics, and those “Christians” then tie scripture into their reasonings. And, I don’t say all that guilt-free… I’ve seen it in me as I get older. I wonder, if I were able to see myself as another person might, would I be drawn into the faith being claimed.

  I think the second objection is valid because it is based on what we can’t see. As believers, we obviously know and believe the claims of our scriptures, and hopefully the Spirit continues to train our senses to see God at work and as our source, but if a person has a buffet of the different faiths and all their practices/commands/etc, in front of them, it wouldn’t be easy to say, “Yeah, that’s the only right one.” It takes a humility and willingness to allow the Spirit to work.

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  Cory Kettleman

  Member

  09/14/2021 at 22:55

  I believe that the unbelievers do not believe because they don’t want to follow Jesus, they want to keep their own free will. People make up reasons why they would reject Jesus teaching. Not liking someone is no reason to not follow Christ. Why leave eternity to chance because you dislike someone. Others don’t like that Jesus claims he is the only way. What other religious leaders have done what Christ did, taught as Christ or prophesy so accurately as Christ did. He is the only way to the father.

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  Terry ann Hegglund

  Member

  09/14/2021 at 07:51

  1. For those who admire Christ but dislike His followers: It is a sad esstate for us believers to misrepresent out God. There is a scripture that says, ‘they will know the Father by our love for eachother’. With all of the hyprocosy, judgement and arrogance in our lives at times, we give the wrong impression to the unbeliever of who our God’s character is like. Why would they want to have anything to do with a God, with people, followers, children like that? They have plenty of that from the world. I totally understand their assesement.

  2. Why would anyone limit themselves to only one of the world’s great religions? I believe that many are not relying on truth and are liberal in their thinking. That everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, their own God. They don’t understand nor accept that there is 1, absolute truth, 1 God who created all there is. The world has taught us to be accepting of all opinions and beliefs that this is the right thing to do, thus… not impose our views upon them… a lie to keep our faith to ourselves and the truth hidden.

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  Kevin Menear

  Member

  08/12/2021 at 11:06

  Some may admire Christ but dislike His followers: Paul, one of the greatest pillars of the history of Christianity, admitted that we are all sinners, and proclaimed that he was the worst. Though we are followers of Christ, we are not Christ himself. We strive to be pure vessels for His Spirit, but we are not pure. My failings, our failings, are not the failings of God, but the failings of the fallen world from which He sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to save us.

  Others find it difficult to accept any faith that claims to be the only way to God: If you believe that there are many ways to God, then ultimately you are believing in one way (the way of many ways), which in itself is paradoxical. Furthermore, either there is only one way, a limited number of ways but more than one, or an infinite number of ways to God. If you believe that there are a limited number of ways to God, then you run into the same issue of only one way to God: how would you choose which ways are true ways to God? Maybe you would say that it is only “good” ways that lead to God, but how do you define good? Ultimately, you will find that your many, limited ways to God are really just the one way to God in which you currently believe. If you believe there are an unlimited number of ways to God, then you would likely go against your own sense of what you describe, in that you would admit unrepentant serial killers and psychopaths as journeying towards God.

  Why would anyone limit themselves to only one of the world’s great religions?: Each of the “great” religions proclaims itself as the one, true way to God. It is either one or none. If you believe you can follow all/multiple of them, you run into the same issues described above.

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  Merle Caraballo

  Member

  08/12/2021 at 00:17

  My response: I believe that each of these objections are valid. Because People always want to be free and to do what they desires. For me growing up in a different religious back ground I needed to understand and ensure that the Christian faith and it’s belief is serving the same God as I did, even though all followers of Christ are not always believers, I need to experience Christian Apologetic for myself and others in a great religion. I believe The Christian faith because it has been defended, supported and proven with historical facts and is in agreement with living righteous lives that represent what the Bible teaches.

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