If One God, Why So Many Religions?

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Jun 01, 2006
All the religions before Islam were regional religions due to the limitations of human communication.

Islam teaches that all peoples were sent messengers/prophets from God, with the same basic message.

However, man has evolved in terms of civilization and social interaction and the requirements required of God has changed over time to take into account this social evolution.

All religions before Islam emphasise that that particular message/religion is not the final one - that future prophet will come to fulfil the current scripture. Jesus clearly says this in the Bible, as does Krishna, Confucious, Zoroaster, Moses and Buddah.

Krishna only preached to Indians - as that was the physical limit of the people his message could reach in his lifetime. Jesus specifically said that he was the messiah for the Jews and only preached to the Jews.

At the end of the day - Islam says that all previous religions were from God and therefore at its core all have the same values. Of course over time there has been corruption of the beliefs and practices (to the extent of idol worship in some cases), but this is despite the fact that the original founders of the religions all taught the unity of God, the necessity of worship and how we need to interact with other creations of God.

Islam teaches that each person will be judged by God alone - and God will be fair in the judgment.

Cheers,
Shafique

shafique
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Jun 01, 2006
Thanks for the honest question.

To start the answer of this, let me please illustrate some points and definitions for the sake of having solid bases for the discussions.

I will try here to be straight forward, so please don’t consider this as flaming.

Judaism and Christians say:

Chapter 9, verses:

[30] The Jews call 'Uzair a son of Allah, and the Christians call Al-Masih the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the Unbelievers of old used to say. Allah's curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth!

[31] They take their priests and their anchorites to be their lords in derogation of Allah, and (they take as their Lord) Al-Masih, the son of Maryam; yet they were commanded to worship but One God: there is no god but He. Praise and glory to Him: (far is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him).

In Islam we say:

Chapter 112, verses:

[1] Say: He is Allah, the One and Only;

[2] Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;

[3] He begetteth not, nor is He begotten;

[4] And there is none like unto Him


This is basically why the arguments keeps happen. Why people do that?? Ok, let me put some light on a word that we use frequently in arabic and in english which is (Cover)

In Koran, Allah Calls the unbelievers as (Koffaar) it’s a word which came from the word (Kaffar) which start to be used after that in English as (Cover) which means the same thing in both languages: conceal completely underneath


The mean reason of (Koffor) is arrogance or following the person’s own desires and that hence not admitting the truth.

If I would put it in any simpler way then I would say, Islam is the last version of all religions (it may not be the right words, but I am trying to make the picture clearer)

Chapter:3, verses:

[81] Behold! Allah took the Covenant of the Prophets, saying: "I give you a Book and Wisdom; then comes to you a Messenger, confirming what is with you; do you believe him and render him help." Allah said: "Do ye agree, and take this my Covenant as binding on you?" They said: "We agree." He said: "Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses."

[82] If any turn back after this, they are perverted transgressors.

[83] Do they seek for other than the religion of Allah? While all creatures in the heavens and on earth have, willing or unwilling, bowed to His Will (accepted Islam), and to Him shall they all be brought back.


Chabter: 7, verse:

[157] "Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own (Scriptures) - in the Law and the Gospel - for he commands them what is just and forbids them what is evil; he allows them as lawful what is good (and pure) and prohibits them from what is bad (and impure); he releases them from their heavy burdens and from the yokes that are upon them. So it is those who believe in him, honour him, help him, and follow the Light which is sent down with him, it is they who will prosper.


Hope that’s was clear.
Intimacy
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Jun 09, 2006
as long as u believe in a "higher power" and live your life as well as you can, then why limit yourself to labels of religion! i do not mean this to offend any devout religous people, but these holy books that people follow have been passed down over thousands of years, surely u have heard of the game chinese whispers?!
dave_w_uk
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Jun 09, 2006
I am going to ask this crucial question outside FC to get more answers:

WHY THE **** IS S.E.X CENSORED???
Nick81
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Jun 11, 2006
Nick81 wrote:I am going to ask this crucial question outside FC to get more answers:

WHY THE **** IS S.E.X CENSORED???


my guess is, because in many places its a taboo word and topic.
raidah
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Jun 14, 2006
s.e.x is taboo? :roll:

Good thing this isn't the case everywhere or the closest thing we'd have as a mother would be a ****in test tube! :lol: :lol:
Nick81
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Which Religion Jun 14, 2006
Hi All,

I detest people who say "My religion is better" and "yours is bad".

To me they are insecure people.

I feel ok with those who say, "this is my religion", "do not know much about yours".

God is mostly used to wipe of sins. WHich i hate. I would rather face up to the sins i might have committed.

To me God is the unknown creator who has not given us the powers to comprehend him.

I am more aware of God, on a new day, a fresh and sunny day.

God is more obvious when we realize that today we can discuss openly with people who have finer and better minds like some people. Which tells me that God did not make us all same nor equal in many ways.

But, to me God is evident in the following incidents:

a.My Mother was operated upon in USA in 1977 in NIH, free of cost (expenisve surgery) and extended her life for 14 yrs. We used no influence, nor belonged to any backward category or minority nor bribed anyone.

b.When the Immigration authority in Provo, USA, accepted my explanation that i did not feel comfortable in an University in NJ, and allowed me to shift college within six months (it was actually 1 week). It is agaisnt law to shift F1 Visa holders from one college to another within six months of landing in US>

c.When my son (who is just 8 yrs) promised me that he will keep up his high grades even if we shift him from Bangalore (the worst city to live today given the pollution and high traffic and rampant corruption) to a smaller city. He is a youung boy playing all the time...

d.When a Bus driver in Provo, (1991), in mid winter at night 11 PM, asked me to sit in the bus to be warm, till the Bus which was coming in the opposite direction arrived.

e.When my friend Gary (like a typical old world American) stood guarentee for me to so that i could buy a Car, without battling an eyelid.

and many such good incidents which make us realize that God is here in our fellow human beings. It is a pity we search for him in books or idols or prayers.

Regards
kris
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Re: if one God, why so many religions? Jun 26, 2006
raidah wrote:all these religions say that we all have one God. if so, why do we need and have so many religions? all arguments sideing with one religion have contra-arguments from an other one. if we gather in a room lets say 5 ppl of different religions to start talking about their faith and what they believe in, and all have good arguments and solid knowledge, at the end of the dicussion, who is to decide which one was right?


that because pple lost direction ie.when god sent prophet jeus(pbuh) to tell his pple to wprship god, they belived in him but they started worshiping him and they said he is the son of god (did jeuses tell them that he is the son of god ) so god sent prophet mohamed(pbuh) to guid the ppl again.to worship him i mean god ..and the same thing happend to the jews .. and sorry for my bad english.a
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