With all of the different religions, how can I know which one is correct?

[Patriot]

What is Zoroastrianism?​

ANSWER

Zoroastrianism is based on the teachings of Zoroaster, a 6th-century BC Iranian prophet and philosopher. Zoroastrianism is almost identical with Mazdaism (the worship of Ahura Mazda, the supreme deity exalted by Zoroaster). Zoroastrianism survives today in isolated areas of the Middle East, primarily Iran, but more prosperously in India, where the descendants of Zoroastrian Persian immigrants are known as Parsis, or Parsees. In India the religion is called Parsiism. As with all false religions, Zoroastrianism is incompatible with Christianity.

For one thing, the claim that Zoroastrianism is perhaps the oldest monotheistic religion and that it had an influence on Judaism, Christianity, or Islam is simply not true. While Zoroastrianism is said to have had its origins in the 6th century BC, it only enters recorded history in the 5th century BC. This is in contrast to the Bible, where most historians and scholars put the writing of the Pentateuch (Genesis-Deuteronomy written by Moses) between 1446—1406 BC during Israel’s wanderings in the desert. This means the Old Testament pre-dates the Avesta (official religious text of Zoroastrianism) by close to 900 years.

While it is not surprising to see antagonists of Christianity on the internet and in books try to discredit Christianity by claiming the Zoroastrian influence on it, it is clear that the concept of one God and the need for a Savior was established much earlier by the Hebrew people. Even the prophet Isaiah spoke of the virgin birth of Christ and recorded it around 701 BC, which still precedes Zoroastrianism by 100 years.

Zoroastrianism states that active participation in life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay. There are various religious rituals that must be observed and a variety of deeds to be performed to ensure salvation. This is in stark contrast to Christianity, which teaches that Christ is the only way to salvation (John 14:6) and that our salvation cannot be earned (Ephesians 2:8–9). This is the difference between Christianity and all false religions. In Christ, salvation is a free gift from God apart from works, which save no one (Romans 3:20, 28). All other religions require works of some kind to appease God. Thankfully, our Bible is crystal clear on salvation, how to receive it, what is true, and what is not.

The prophet Zoroaster supposedly received what he recorded in the Avesta from a vision of Vohu Manah (moral enlightenment, possibly an angel of sorts) while drawing water from the Daiti River. Zoroaster is the sole author. This method of “enlightenment” is similar to that claimed by the prophet Mohammed of Islam, who received a vision from the angel Gabriel. His message was passed down for about three centuries by word of mouth before being recorded by scribes in the Qu'ran. Still, the source is only one man, and a person should question the accuracy of the recitations over a long period such as that.

Compare these “revelations” with Bible: 40 authors of 66 books over a span of 1,600 years (55 generations), and most of the authors were not acquainted with one another. They came from different backgrounds (judge, prophet, king, priest, shepherd, scribe, soldier, fisherman, physician) and different locations (tents, palaces, dungeons, cities, deserts), and they wrote under different circumstances in three different languages (Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic). Yet they ALL convey the same common theme about God. Their writings are accepted as the inerrant, true, and inspired Word of God recorded through men (2 Timothy 3:16). The accuracy of the original texts has been verified over and over each time an ancient biblical manuscript has been discovered, the Dead Sea Scrolls being among the most recent.

It is abundantly clear that Zoroastrianism is yet another religion where salvation is works-based. There is no evidence of any divine influence in their religious writings, and it is clearly not impacting the world and changing lives today the way our relevant, living, all-powerful God is doing. The Bible, which could not possibly exist and claim the things it does unless it truly IS the inspired Word of God, has the power to change lives on a massive scale. From a Christian perspective, we hope and pray that the few who still do follow the teachings of Zoroaster would be exposed to the truth of Christ and realize that the salvation they seek to achieve by their good deeds is actually a free gift through Him.

FOR FURTHER STUDY​

The Kingdom of the Cults, 6th edition: The Definitive Work on the Subject by Walter Martin

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[Patriot]

What makes Christianity unique?​

ANSWER

Is Christianity really unique, or is it just one of many roads on the path to Truth? Is Christianity truly unique among the many religions around the world? If it is, what makes it so? Unique among all religions, Christianity makes several claims that others do not. First, all other religions exhort man to reach up to God and grasp hold of Him through their own efforts. Christianity is the only religion where God reaches down to man. Second, other religions are systems of do’s and don’ts to appease God; whereas Christianity is a relationship with God. Third, Christianity looks to the Bible as the singular source of Truth. Finally, Christianity is based upon truly the most amazing event in all of human history—the resurrection.

As to the first issue, other forms of religion subscribe to a system of works—those we should do and those we should avoid—which will make us “good enough” to please God and merit His favor. Christianity, on the other hand, is based on the biblical principle that we can never be good enough to be in the presence of a perfect, holy God. The Mosaic Law was given to mankind to prove to us that we can’t keep it. Galatians 3 describes the purpose of the Law. It is a “tutor” or “schoolmaster” to lead us to Christ because “…by observing the law no one will be justified” (Galatians 2:16). The impossibility of keeping the Law is revealed in what Jesus called the “first and greatest commandment” in Matthew 22:37: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This would mean loving God with every fiber of our being 24/7, with never a thought for ourselves, an impossible task for anyone. But rather than condemning us as law-breakers and leaving it at that, God provided a substitute—Jesus Christ—who obeyed the Law perfectly for us. By faith in Him and accepting His work on our behalf, we are justified and made righteous. Here is the crucial difference between Christianity and all other religions.

As to the second point, Christianity is not a religious system, but a relationship with God, one that He initiated and maintains. Christians believe that mankind was created specifically to have a relationship with God, but sin separates all men from Him (Romans 3:23, 5:12). Christianity teaches that Jesus Christ walked this earth, fully God, and yet fully man (Philippians 2:6-11), and died on the cross to restore the relationship that was broken by sin. After His death on the cross, Christ was buried, He rose again, and now lives at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for believers forever (Hebrews 7:25). The intimacy of this relationship is revealed in two poignant pictures. Now no longer seen as law-breakers, we have been adopted into God’s own family as His children (Ephesians 1:5). Even more intimately, believers are the very “body of Christ” of which He is the head (Ephesians 1:22-23), having been purchased by His blood (Hebrews 9:12). No other religion makes assertions that even begin to approximate this incredible truth.

Another thing that makes Christianity unique is its source of information. All religions have some sort of basis of information that outlines its beliefs and practices, but none have one source of information that makes the claims Christianity does about the Bible—it is the written Word of God, and it is infallible and inerrant and all that is necessary for faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16). Christians believe that the Bible is the inspired—literally “God-breathed”—Word of God and that its teaching is the final authority (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21). Though there are other religions that use prophecy, none are 100% accurate, as are those in the Bible, and none of them point to someone like Jesus who made incredible claims and performed incredible deeds.

Perhaps the most defining principle of Christianity that makes it truly unique in every way and provides its fundamental basis is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Within Christianity, the resurrection is vitally important, for without it, Christianity does not exist, and our faith is useless (1 Corinthians 15:14). It was Jesus’ resurrection that changed the lives of the disciples. After Jesus was crucified, the disciples ran and hid. But when they saw the risen Lord, they knew that all Jesus had said and done proved that He was indeed God in flesh. No other religious leader has died in full view of trained executioners, had a guarded tomb, and then rose three days later to appear to many people. The resurrection is proof of who Jesus is and that He did accomplish what He set out to do: provide the only means of redemption for mankind. Buddha did not rise from the dead. Muhammad did not rise from the dead. Confucius did not rise from the dead. Krishna did not rise from the dead. Only Jesus has physically risen from the dead, walked on water, claimed to be God, and raised others from the dead. He has conquered death. Only in Christianity do we have the person of Christ who claimed to be God, performed many miracles to prove His claim of divinity, died and rose from the dead, and claimed that He alone is “the way the truth and the life” (John 14:6) and that no one comes to the Father except through Him.

FOR FURTHER STUDY​

Encountering World Religions by Irving Hexham

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[Patriot]

What makes Christianity unique? | GotQuestions.org​

Got Questions Ministries




What makes Christianity different from other religions? What can we tell people who ask how is Christianity unique, and why should I believe it over other religions? In this video, Pastor Nelson with Bible Munch answers the question, “What makes Christianity unique”.

*** Source Article: https://www.gotquestions.org/Christia...

*** Check out, Bible Munch! @BibleMunch / biblemunch

 

[True Believer]

Avoid the religion that blows up believers of other faiths in the name of God!

 

[True Believer]

No religion should force women to cover
the beauty God blessed them with.
Munah Bagharib will agree with that.

 

[johndoeneo]

Avoid the religion that blows up believers of other faiths in the name of God!

Yeah. Just like how Samson died in the book of Judges lol

 

[True Believer]

Yeah. Just like how Samson died in the book of Judges lol

The Philistines blinded and enslaved Samson like how Hamas murdered and raped unarmed Israeli civilians on 7 Oct 2023, so in the logic of "an eye for an eye", Samson's ultimate act of retaliation was seen as a proportionate response; like what the IDF is doing now.

 

[johndoeneo]

The Philistines blinded and enslaved Samson like how Hamas murdered and raped unarmed Israeli civilians on 7 Oct 2023, so in the logic of "an eye for an eye", Samson's ultimate act of retaliation was seen as a proportionate response; like what the IDF is doing now.

Hold on don't change topic. You said blowing up believers of other faith, correct? Did samson kill himself at the same time killing others around him? Yes or no?

 

[sannoh]

Avoid the religion that blows up believers of other faiths in the name of God!

Be careful with that argument. The Bible itself records mass killings commanded in Deuteronomy 20:16-17 and Numbers 31:17-18, and history shows the Crusades were done in Jesus’ name. Extremists exist in all religions blaming Islam alone is inaccurate and unfair.

 

[True Believer]

Be careful with that argument. The Bible itself records mass killings commanded in Deuteronomy 20:16-17 and Numbers 31:17-18, and history shows the Crusades were done in Jesus’ name. Extremists exist in all religions blaming Islam alone is inaccurate and unfair.

The issue is not the religious texts themselves, but the interpretation and application of the texts by extremists. Islamic terrorists cherry-pick verses that support their violent agenda while ignoring the broader context of their faith. Contemporary global terrorism is linked to extremist interpretations of Islam. If your only examples about violence by so-called Christians, goes back to ancient history about the Crusades, which occurred in the medieval period (when violence was a widespread method of resolving conflict), then it shows that modern religious violence appears to be perpetuated by Muslims. It is important to differentiate between historical events and current issues.

 

[True Believer]

Hold on don't change topic. You said blowing up believers of other faith, correct? Did samson kill himself at the same time killing others around him? Yes or no?

Why are you changing the topic? Did Hamas (Muslim terrorists) kill, kidnap, torture and rape unarmed Israeli civilians during and after the 7 Oct 2023 invasion of Israel? Yes or no?

 

[sannoh]

The issue is not the religious texts themselves, but the interpretation and application of the texts by extremists. Islamic terrorists cherry-pick verses that support their violent agenda while ignoring the broader context of their faith. Contemporary global terrorism is linked to extremist interpretations of Islam. If your only examples about violence by so-called Christians, goes back to ancient history about the Crusades, which occurred in the medieval period (when violence was a widespread method of resolving conflict), then it shows that modern religious violence appears to be perpetuated by Muslims. It is important to differentiate between historical events and current issues.

You claim modern violence is mainly Muslim, but that ignores recent Christian-inspired terrorism.

For example:

• Anders Breivik (2011) – Killed 77 in Norway, calling himself a defender of ‘Christian Europe.’
• Christian militias in the Central African Republic (2014–2017) slaughtered thousands of Muslims.
• U.S. abortion clinic bombings and killings are done by groups citing the Bible.

And your scripture itself contains commands of violence, see Luke 19:27, Exodus 32:27

Extremists exist in all religions. To single out Islam while ignoring Biblical passages and Christian extremists is neither fair nor historically accurate.

 

[True Believer]

You claim modern violence is mainly Muslim, but that ignores recent Christian-inspired terrorism.

Violent Islamist groups in northern Nigeria remain 1 of the deadliest and most formidable jihadist groups operating in the world today. Groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa Province has resulted in the deaths of more than 37,500 people since 2011; these groups have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. There are more violent Islamist groups operating in northern Nigeria today; the religious freedom violations they have committed in the past year are staggering.

 

[sannoh]

Violent Islamist groups in northern Nigeria remain 1 of the deadliest and most formidable jihadist groups operating in the world today. Groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa Province has resulted in the deaths of more than 37,500 people since 2011; these groups have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. There are more violent Islamist groups operating in northern Nigeria today; the religious freedom violations they have committed in the past year are staggering.

Boko Haram and ISIS are condemned by the majority of Muslims and by the Qur’an itself: ‘Whoever kills one innocent soul, it is as if he has killed all mankind’ (Qur’an 5:32).

But if we’re pointing to numbers, Christian extremists have also caused mass deaths:
• The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a Christian group in Uganda, murdered over 100,000 civilians.
• Bosnian War (1990s): Christian militias massacred over 8,000 Muslims in Srebrenica.
• U.S. white supremacist militias, many invoking Christian identity theology, have carried out deadly attacks.

And the Bible itself contains commands like Deuteronomy 20:16-17: ‘Do not leave alive anything that breathes.’ Extremists exist in all faiths. Singling out Islam while ignoring Christian violence and scripture is inconsistent.

 

[True Believer]

Boko Haram and ISIS are condemned by the majority of Muslims and by the Qur’an itself: ‘Whoever kills one innocent soul, it is as if he has killed all mankind’ (Qur’an 5:32).
But if we’re pointing to numbers, Christian extremists have also caused mass deaths:
• The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a Christian group in Uganda, murdered over 100,000 civilians.
• Bosnian War (1990s): Christian militias massacred over 8,000 Muslims in Srebrenica.
• U.S. white supremacist militias, many invoking Christian identity theology, have carried out deadly attacks.
And the Bible itself contains commands like Deuteronomy 20:16-17: ‘Do not leave alive anything that breathes.’ Extremists exist in all faiths. Singling out Islam while ignoring Christian violence and scripture is inconsistent.

Focusing solely on a few groups ignores a much broader and complex issue. It is crucial to distinguish between the actions of extremists and the beliefs of the majority and their texts, which often condemn such violence.

 

[sannoh]

Focusing solely on a few groups ignores a much broader and more complex issue. It is crucial to distinguish between the actions of extremists and the beliefs of the majority of followers and their sacred texts, which often condemn such violence.

Are you using Chatgpt?

 

[True Believer]

Are you using Chatgpt?

No. Are you? This stuff can easily be googled. Where do you get your info from? Straits Times?

 

[sannoh]

Focusing solely on a few groups ignores a much broader and complex issue. It is crucial to distinguish between the actions of extremists and the beliefs of the majority and their texts, which often condemn such violence.

I completely agree that we must distinguish between extremists and the majority who follow their faith peacefully. That’s exactly why blaming Islam for the actions of groups like Boko Haram or ISIS is unfair, because the Qur’an explicitly condemns killing innocents (Qur’an 5:32), just as the Bible does: ‘Thou shalt not kill’ (Exodus 20:13).

By your own logic, if we separate extremists from the faith, then the same must apply consistently whether it’s Boko Haram, the Lord’s Resistance Army, Crusaders, or white supremacist militias who also use scripture to justify violence. Singling out one religion while excusing the others would be inconsistent =)

 

[True Believer]

I completely agree that we must distinguish between extremists and the majority who follow their faith peacefully. That’s exactly why blaming Islam for the actions of groups like Boko Haram or ISIS is unfair, because the Qur’an explicitly condemns killing innocents (Qur’an 5:32), just as the Bible does: ‘Thou shalt not kill’ (Exodus 20:13).
By your own logic, if we separate extremists from the faith, then the same must apply consistently whether it’s Boko Haram, the Lord’s Resistance Army, Crusaders, or white supremacist militias who also use scripture to justify violence. Singling out one religion while excusing the others would be inconsistent =)

There is a big difference because mainstream Christian churches do not recognise, condone or support cults like the Klu Klux Klan while "moderate" Muslims for the most part, still support, fund and do not report Islamic extremist groups to the authorities. The goal of radical Muslims is to seek change in society in the long run, so their ultimate aim is to establish a social and political system that is based on sharia. This is why many so-called moderates actually support extremists.

 

[sannoh]

There is a big difference because mainstream Christian churches do not recognise, condone or support cults like the Klu Klux Klan while "moderate" Muslims for the most part, still support, fund and do not report Islamic extremist groups to the authorities. The goal of radical Muslims is to seek change in society in the long run, so their ultimate aim is to establish a social and political system that is based on sharia. This is why many so-called moderates actually support extremists.

That claim is incorrect. Independent surveys, including Pew Research, show that most Muslims globally reject violence by extremist groups. To assume ‘moderate Muslims’ secretly support terrorism is not supported by evidence.

If Christianity is not defined by the KKK, Crusades, colonial violence, or Christian militias, then Islam should not be defined by Boko Haram or ISIS either. Consistency matters.

Even your scripture warns against double standards:

Matthew 7:5 — ‘First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.’

Extremism is a problem of people, not the core teachings of any faith. Is that understood?