Christianity and World
Religions
John Oakes June, 2007
One Point of View:
“Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and
many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that
leads to life, and only a few find it.”
-Jesus of Nazareth (Matthew
7:13-14)
I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me.
Jesus of Nazareth (John 14:6)
Another Point of
View: Different
Paths to the Same
Goal?
God
Islam
Mysticism
Ba’hai
Buddhis
m
Outline
► Theology:
► World
ideas about God
View: What is man’s place in the world?
► Scripture:
What is the source of authority?
Definitions
►
Animism: Anima = spirit. A religious system which includes
the belief that spirits inhabit inanimate objects and
phenomena
►
Polytheism: Poly = many. A belief that the universe is
governed by many gods.
►
Pantheism: Pan = all. A belief that a spirit fills the
universe. God is the universe, and we are part of God.
►
Dualism: A belief that the universe is governed by nearly
equally matched forces of good and evil. (Zoroastrianism)
Biblical Theology
►
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1
►
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at
God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of
what was visible.
Hebrews 11:3
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only
son….
HINDUISM
►
The principle religion of India.
►
Approximately 900,000,000
adherents.
►
Began as animism/polytheism
►
Evolved into
polytheism/pantheism
►
Syncretistic. Hinduism is not
really a single religion.
Ganesh: a Hindu deity
God of wisdom and
intellect
Principle gods of Hinduism
Lakshmi
►
Brahma Chief god of the pantheon.
►
Shiva God of destruction. Worshipped
as a male phalus.
►
Vishnu Preserver and protector.
►
Krishna
►
Rama Seventh incarnation of Vishna. Hero of the Ramayana.
►
Devi Chief female deity. The power (shakti) that animates the
cosmos.
►
Lakshmi Female consort of Vishnu. Godess of prosperity.
The eighth emanation of Vishna.
Buddhism
►
Principle religion of Korea, Japan,
Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma
Sri Lanka and China?
►
400,000,000 adherents.
►
A reaction against the rigid priestly
system of Hinduism.
►
Pantheistic, or arguably non-theistic.
A philosophy, a psychology.
Jainism
►
Founder: Mahavira ~600-540 BC
►
Last of 24 gurus. Parshva 750 BC?
►
Location: India mostly.
►
About 5,000,000 practitioners
►
A reaction to worldly, priestly
Hinduism
Jaina Theology
The Svastika
a symbol of
samsara
(rebirth)
►
Very strong emphasis on asceticism
►
Siddhartha may have been a follower before
finding a middle way.
►
We are souls trapped in a body. The goal:
escape the body to reach nirvana through
ascetic practices.
►
Reincarnation
►
Karma
►
Pantheistic
Sikh Teaching and Theology
►
Reject polytheism but keep
ideas of maya (illusion),
samsara (reincarnation), karma
►
Reject priestly system. All are
equal before the “True Name.”
►
Opposition to idolatry and to
asceticism.
►
Sikhs do not try to escape the
world, but to participate in it.
►
Works salvation: “Sin and
sorrow are destroyed by
hearkening.”
The Golden Temple
Amristar, India
Taoism (Daoism)
►
Founded by Lao Tzu—a contemporary of Confucius.
►
Scripture: The Tao Te Ching. Tao = way Te = power Ching =
teaching
►
Basic doctrine: Through non-involvement and withdrawal, we come
to know god/deity. Emphasis on self-interest. “The religion of
selfishness.”
►
Pantheistic. Experience God by contemplating nature.
►
Emphasis on mysticism and magic.
“He would not pluck so much as a hair out of his head for the benefit
of his fellow man.”
Ba’hai Theology
►
Salvation through keeping the law as handed down by
Baha-Ullah
►
Emphasis on good deeds, helping the poor, education
►
Jesus did not die for our sins, because he did not have to.
We are imperfect, but not lost.
►
Scripture: The writings of Baha-Ullah. There are many!
New Age: A Very Confusing Religion
Is it:
Palm reading?
Channeling?
Seances?
Meditation?
Reincarnation?
Occultism?
Gurus?
Paganism?
Gnosticism?
Mother Goddess worship?
Yes… all the above.
So, What is New Age, Really?
►
You are God, I am God, the trees are God, we all are
God!
►
New Age is Western pantheism
►
New Age is a syncretistic blend of Gnosticism, Hinduism,
Spiritualism, Mysticism, Buddhism and Paganism.
►
New Age is Monism! God is everything I am God!!!
“Once we begin to see that we are all God, then I think the whole
purpose of life is to re-own the God-likeness within us.”
Islamic Theology
►
Like Christianity and Judaism, Islam is monotheistic
►
But there are several differences in the theology of these
religions.
►
In Islam God is more like the neo-Platonic idea of God—
very distant and removed from man.
Islamic Theology
“Surely good deeds take away evil deeds”
(11:114).
Kabira (big sins)—murder, adultery, drunkenness, disobeying
parents, neglecting Ramadan or Friday prayers, gambling,
dancing, shaving the beard, forgetting the Koran after
reading it, usury… Forgiveness with repentance.
Saghira (little sins)—deceit, anger, lust. Forgiveness if greater
sins are avoided and good deeds are performed.
Shirk—association (of other gods with Allah). No forgiveness.
Salvation by own effort
(40:9, 39:61, 7:43)
Charity atones for sins
(2:271,277)
►Earn
grace.
►Earn favor of Allah.
►Earn salvation.
►Earn paradise.
Islam: Salvation is earned through the
efforts of those who were pre-selected by
Allah to inhabit a very sensual paradise.
Christianity: Salvation is granted by
the grace of a loving God to those who,
through faith and repentance and
baptism accept that love.
A Question: Who reaches out to whom?
Initiative
Human approach
God
Mankind
Truth
God
Mankind
Works Salvation: Man
reaches out to God.
Salvation by Grace: God
reaches out to man.
Islam
Judaism
Hinduism
Christianity
Jaina
Sikkhism
Gnosticism
New Age
Buddhism?
World View: What Is My Place in the World?
► What
is my purpose?
► What
is my relationship with creation?
Definitions (cont.)
►
Asceticism: a belief that enlightenment, or a close
relationship with deity is obtained by an extreme denial of
worldly pleasures and possessions. Associated with
monasteries, monks, nuns, and the like.
►
Mysticism: a belief which has been incorporated in all
world religions which sees enlightenment and spiritual
powers coming through contemplation/meditation/direct
experience of God.
Hindu World View
►
Maya. The physical world is an illusion.
►
Brahman. Universal soul.
►
The goal: Nirvana; oneness with the universal soul which
is within yourself.
►
The Hindu world view has man looking inward, not
outward.
The eight-fold path to bodhi/dharma/nirvana/lack of
suffering
Right
► Right
► Right
► Right
► Right
► Right
► Right
► Right
►
viewpoint (the four noble truths).
values.
speech.
actions.
livelihood
effort
mindfulness
meditation
The Four Noble Truths of Siddhartha
►
Suffering is not getting what one wants.
►
The cause of suffering is desire which leads to rebirth.
►
The way to end suffering is to end desire.
►
The way to the end of desire and of suffering is the eightfold path.
►
Buddhism encourages dispassion, not compassion.
Jaina Worldview
►
►
►
►
►
A very strange cosmology. The universe is an infinitely repeating
pattern of cycles of time.
One of the gurus lived 70 trillion years and was 3000 ft. tall.
The earth is the center of the universe
The universe has existed forever.
Five Mahavrata or rules of ascetic living
 Ahimsa. Non-harming (fly-whisk, strain liquids, etc…)
 Satya. Truthfulness
 Asteya. Non-stealing
 Celibacy
 Non-attachment
Islamic Worldview:
God is very distant from mankind
In Islam, Allah determines everything, even
who will choose to follow him.
2:142, 6:39 6:125
Inshallah God willing. It is God’s will that
people suffer.
.
The Biblical World View
►
The physical world is real and it is good. Genesis 1:31
 Only Islam agrees with this conclusion.
►
This world is not our home.
►
But, compassion…
►
Christian groups are responsible for virtually all the world’s
efforts to deal with poverty and human suffering in general
and to work for social justice.
James 1:27 Micah 6:8
Scriptures of World Religions
►
And we also thank God continually because, when you
received the word of God, which you heard from us, you
accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is,
the word of God. 1 Thess 2:13
Important concepts
►
Scripture: The list of primary authoritative writings for a
particular religion.
►
Inspiration: The belief that a particular writing, edict or
tradition comes by direct communication from divinity, and
is therefore perfect and authoritative.
►
Myth: A story, presumably fictionalized, about a divine
interaction with human beings which teaches an important
religious truth.
Scriptures of Hinduism
►
Vedas Poems. Ritualistic, priestly. 1500-1000 BC. Include the
Brahmanas.
►
Upanishads Highly philosophical essays about brahman, atman,
transmigration of atman, karma and so forth. 800-600 BC.
►
Epics (Ramayana, Mahabarata, Bhagavad Gita) Mythic adventures
of Rama, Krishna and others.
►
Puranas Largely local legends, myths, many local deities. AD 4001000. This is the “scripture” of most local Hindus.
►
Tantras Religious discussions/teachings.
Buddhist Scripture
►
The Tripitaka Three sets of the supposedly original
sayings and teachings and philosophy of Buddha. These
were oral only for about 400 years.
►
Disputes over the content of the Tripitaka led eventually
to the Theravada, Mahayana and other sects.
►
Jatakas Mahayana stories of previous incarnations of
Siddhartha Buddha. Buddhism is a striving through
many lives to come to a bodhisattva state.
Buddhist
Cosmology
Scriptures of Sikkhism
►
The Adi Granth Compiled by the fifth guru Arjun in 1604
►
The Ganth of the Tenth King: Written by the last of the
ten great gurus of Sikhism Gobind Singh.
►
The Janamsakhis Legends. Obviously mythical accounts of
the life of Nanak, including miracles. (Nanak never claimed
to be a miracle worker).
Works salvation: “Sin and sorrow are destroyed by
hearkening.”
The Qu’ran; the Scripture of Islam
Based on “revelations” from Gabriel to Mohammed.
Compiled in the 7th century AD (the 600s).
Contains 114 chapters, or suras, arranged from longest
to shortest. Quite repetitive.
About 80% the length of the New Testament.
• Early Period in Mecca. Muhammad sees
himself as following tradition of Judaism.
Muslims pray toward Jerusalem.
• Early Medina period. Mohammad begins
to be politically powerful. The idea of Jihad
introduced.
• Later Medina and Meccan period.
Muhammad strongly opposed to Jews and
Christianity. Islam definitely a distinct
religion.
Historical errors in the Qur’an
►
►
►
►
►
►
►
Ishmael = Isaac
37:102
2 trees in Eden = 1 tree
20:120
Noah’s 4th son drowns
11:43
Zechariah silent 3 days (not 9 months) 3:41
Pharaoh’s magicians repent
20:70
Judges 7 / 1 Sam 17 conflated
2:249
Jesus’ childhood miracles 3:49, 5:110, 19:30
Scientific errors in Qur’an
(I)
23:14—Creation from the clot of blood
“Then we made the sperm into a clot of
congealed blood; then from that clot we made
a lump; and we made out of that lump bones
and clothed the bones with flesh.”
18:86—Traveling west…
“… till, when he reached the setting-place of the
sun, he found it setting in a muddy spring.”
Scientific errors in Qur’an
(II)
21:33—Sun and stars orbit the earth
12—11 planets
34:9, 52:44—Piece of sky falls and kills someone
36:4, 23:14 Man deposits child into the mother
Christianity: The Inspiration of the Bible is
Confirmed By:
Historical Accuracy
► Fulfilled Prophecy
► Scientific Accuracy
► Internal Consistency. Many authors, one theology.
► Types, prefigures and foreshadows in the Old Testament
which are fulfilled in Jesus Christ
► The public miracles of Jesus which confirm his claims
► The resurrection of Jesus from the dead
►
For Example: Fulfilled Messianic Prophecy
► Psalm
Isaiah 53:1-13:
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of
sorrows, familiar with suffering. (v. 3)
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was
crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought
us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are
healed. (v. 5)
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open
his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter and
as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not
open his mouth. (v. 7)
Micah 5:2
But you, Bethlehem Ephathrah, though you are small
among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one
who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old,
from ancient times.
Isaiah 9:1,6
In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of
Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the
Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan…. For to
us a child is born… And he will be called Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of
Peace.
Psalm 22:16-18
Dogs have surrounded me;
a band of evil men have encircled me,
they have pierced my hands and my feet.
I can count all my bones;
(John 19:3-37)
people stare and gloat over me.
They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing. (John 19:23,24)
Zechariah 11:12,13
I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if
not, keep it.” so they payed me thirty pieces of silver.
(Matthew 26:14-16)
And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the
handsome price at which they priced me! So I took the thirty
pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord, to
the potter. (Matthew 27:3-8)
Daniel 9:24-26
Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your
holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone
for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal
up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.
Know and understand this: From the issuing of the
decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until the Anointed
One, the ruler comes, there will be seven ‘sevens’ and sixty
two ‘sevens’
Decree of Artaxerxes (Ezra 7:12-26) 458 BC
458 BC + 490 years = AD 33!!!
(no zero BC)
According to the Old Testament, the Messiah must:
►
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►
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Be born in Bethlehem
Be raised in Galilee near Nazareth
Be despised and rejected by men
Be meek and silent before his accusers
Be “pierced”
Be crucified
Have his garments divided and gambled over
Be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver
Come to Jerusalem to make atonement for sin in about AD 33
And many more….
Was all this an accident, or did God plan all along for the Passion of the
Christ for forgiveness of sins? What do you think?
Summary
►
The theologies of world religions are fundamentally and
diametrically opposed to one another. Many paths to the
same God is a ludicrous philosophy.
►
The world view of Christianity is radically different from
any other religion. They cannot both be right!
►
The truth of the Bible is confirmed by
 Clear evidence of inspiration (fulfilled prophecy, types and
foreshadows, historical accuracy, scientific evidence, etc…)
 Public miracles worked by Moses, Elijah and others, and
especially by Jesus Christ (Hebrews 2:3,4).