Why I'm Still a Christian

[robvalue]

If you were born in an Islamic country, you would almost certainly be a Muslim, saying all these exact things about how Islam is absolutely totally true and Christianity is false. Does that bother you?

Yeah. I have thought about that and about all the other religions in the world. But none of them have the continuing revelation through different authors over many centuries that christianity has. Also, neither Mohammad nor any of the other instituters of other faiths have claimed to be God in the flesh or have risen from the dead. I view all those who are searching for God as searching for the same God, of which there is only one. That doesn't mean that I think all religions are equal paths to God, or even that their vision of who he is the same, but rather they contain some elements of truth. I believe that if a person is truly searching for God and he is of a non-christian religion, but has not had the opportunity to know of Christ, then God will judge him based on his heart. But if anyone knows of Christ and rejects him for the "god" of another faith, then he doesn't have salvation.

Sure, you may have what you consider reasons for "knowing" Christianity is right and other religions are false. (Let's face it, according to Christianity, muslims are not going to heaven). But, if you were born in an islam country, the reasons you state would mean nothing to you. You'd find other reasons for "knowing" that islam is true and christianity is false (this time, christians not going to heaven). Or are you saying you still think you'd end up christian? Statistically that's incredibly unlikely.

So what I'm saying is, at least one of these religions is wrong. How can you be sure yours is the right one, when it's an accident of birth that put you into Christianity and not Islam? To me, the only honest response is that you simply cannot know if you are right or wrong. Because they both require faith, and not evidence, there is no way to actually discover which is true and if you are part of the right one.

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There are only three interpretations here, as far as I can see:

1) Islam or Christianity is correct, but not both. Those who happen to be born in the "correct" country go to heaven, those in "wrong" countries do not. Is that a fair system? Statistically people follow the local religion, that's just a hard fact. God would be expecting them to reject the religion they have been indoctrinated in since birth and somehow convert to a different religion based in a whole other country based on... what? Based on them saying they are right instead?

2) Islam and Christianity are both correct; followers of both religions go to heaven. The differences between them are not important to god / gods.

3) God doesn't mind what religion you follow, as long as you don't hear about jesus and then still follow another religion. In that case, you must convert or you don't go to heaven, regardless of how good your actions are and how much you are devoted to your religion.

4) Both of them are wrong and no one goes to heaven.

Which do you think is the case? You seem to be saying it's 3. Is there an option I have missed? You seem to be saying that if a Muslim ever hears about jesus but remains a Muslim, then they don't go to heaven. If you were born into an Islam country, and you happened to hear about "jesus" do you think you'd abandon Islam for Christianity? I think that is wishful thinking. Muslims are as serious about being right beyond all doubt as you are. This is why I say that claiming you could never be wrong about something it dangerous. Expecting someone to abandon their childhood indoctrination is far fetched... considering you have said you are never going to abandon yours. Why should they feel any different about their religion?

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Please give it some thought. But consider this:

You can't convince us atheists to "accept jesus as god", and you've been talking to us in detail for months.. So how do you expect a Muslim, who is as sure in his faith as you are in yours, to drop their religion and accept jesus? It's not like anyone around him will be giving him that option. And they can't accept jesus and stay a Muslim. So I think this idea that if they hear of jesus (which they almost certainly will) but don't convert they lose, is rather an unfair system as that's almost every Muslim scuppered.