Confused About Different Religions

> I am very confused about all the different types of Religon? When you have
> done something wrong, and you know it was wrong, will you be forgiven there
> are some more questions, but I let you answer these first.riginal

I think there could be almost as many religions as people in that the Word of God and God himself are infinite that they can potentially be interpreted differently as let us say unbelievers interpret life itself. Some religions may focus on this, others on that. I think the important point is to focus on God and use his Word as guidance. When you read the bible regularly, I believe it opens your eyes to God (referred to in the bible symbolically as given “sight”, or, “I was blind and now I see”, for example). The bible also says, “Seek and you shall find”. Therefore, if you seek God, I believe you will find God. If you seek the real truth, you will find the real truth. If you seek to satisfy your own pride and bodily pleasures, that is what you will find.

Sinning is how we might be separated from God. “Your sin separates you from your God.” God offered reconciliation, through the death of Jesus Christ, as a means to near ourselves to him in light of our sins.

If you did something wrong and you know if was wrong, the bible says that you will be punished more than if you did not know it was wrong.

If you did something wrong and ask for forgiveness through Jesus Christ, you will be forgiven.

I think the important point is that if you live your life for yourself and outside the realm of God, serving your own self and not helping for example those that are weaker than you, whatever, at the end of your life, you will be “judged according to what you have done,” in a just way, according to your circumstances, personality, everything, for “God is just.”

But “both the righteous and the wicked will be judged”. I can only or only want to encourage you to seek God.

Here is my marketing pitch (cause that is the way my brain works) of why you should seek God:

1) He loves you, he is your father, and wants to hold you in his arms and care for you;

2) He knows what’s best for you and if you listen to him, you will be better off;

3) if you pray to receive the spirit of Christ, you will get a beautiful Spirit of Love that will fill every crevasse in your heart and there will be no more reason to be sad. You will glow with love, which will pour out of you onto those surrounding you. You will never lack it. You will be happy and glad and willing to serve others. Serving others will even charge you and you will receive more than you dish out;

4) you will probably get a purpose in life, a life producing purpose that makes you feel real good about yourself. It will empower you and you will thrive on the work of your hands (assuming of course you are following the purpose assigned to you);

5) by seeking God and striving to get closer and closer to you, you will be benefiting your future life too.

Something like that. Of course, it does not have to be all a bed of roses.

Negative points:

1) God loves you and knows what is best for you and is your loving father, and if you take the challenge or ask him to act in you life, he WILL act in your life and quite probably discipline you like a loving father. He might take away things that you believe you need. You might go through suffering for a cleansing of you soul. You might be prosecuted and ridiculed on behalf of Christ by unbelievers and friends around you.

Something like that. As Christians, I or we can only tell you it is worth it. It is difficult to explain the beauty and peace one feels after going through serious suffering by God. We instinctively wrap our hearts in protection so that we cannot get hurt. Perhaps we amass for ourselves a mountain of money and insurance plans so that we feel safe, independent of anyone. We surround ourselves with toys that may entertain us and eventually lead to a callousness of our hearts. Just imagine the rich guy who toiled his entire life, working working and working to build up his kingdom. Eventually one day he looks around him and asks himself, “What was it all for? Can I take my pride and wealth with me after death? What was the purpose of my life?”

There is something truly beautiful in humility of life. Christ’s life was very simple and it was meant as an example for us. All I can say is that I am thankful that I have fallen into the family of God (I was a devout Atheist for 10 years of my life) and can only testify that God acts in my life and is out for the best for me. I will also admit that I am by no means made perfect just because I have ‘fallen’ into the family of God. “We all fall short of the glory of God”, and we will never attain perfection in our lives. But we will definitely be better off if we seek to attain this perfection and do what is necessary to go into that direction. God will always guide us (He provides us with the Holy Spirit for specifically that purpose) and we will help us in our daily lives, not to have us near for his own personal accomplishment but because he loves us and wants the best for us.

Well, hopefully this at least made you interested enough to ask more questions.

By the way, can I ask you how you found this site? You are my first response and I have not had much opportunity yet to post my site on many search engines.