Why so many religions?

Why am I being stubborn Rithkil?

Are you implying that Byblos hasn't been stubborn, or downright obstinate?

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]yeah take the time to read what I wrote... and what makes you think you deserve a secdon of my time?
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And you blame ME for carrying on the conversation?
 
I find that in other forums. I try to stop the conversation sevreal times and you carry it on. I say you are ACTING stubborn because you say you are searching for evidence for God but you constantly put what we say down by attempting to counter it.
 
Come on guys.

I started this thread to ask what the significance of so many religions was. If Christianity truly is the right way, why are there so many sects, cults,etc.(See page 1 for link)

You'd think if Christianity is so blatantly obvious, there wouldn't be so much division.

Any suggestions?
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Rithkil @ Oct. 17 2004,4:17)]I find that in other forums. I try to stop the conversation sevreal times and you carry it on. I say you are ACTING stubborn because you say you are searching for evidence for God but you constantly put what we say down by attempting to counter it.
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Wait a second, now I take offense.

When have I put your ideas down? If I don't give YOU respect, why should I expect you to respect me?

I do not attempt to counter what you say. I do, however, hold your feet to the fire and expect you to give me reason and evidence. You would expect no different from me, right?
 
well I just disagree with any sects or cults... so I guess youll have to ask someone who is a part of one why they think they are closer to God then the rest.
 
Well I ask you, Byblos, why do you think YOU are closer to God than anyone else?

Especially since you have very little biblical knowledge to back up yoru belief.

Why do you disagree with all Christian denominations?
 
I am closer to God because I am not supporting seperation of the Church as the denominations do... I support Unity.
 
A follower of Calvary chapel? lol No Im not a follower of Calvary chapel thats the name of a building...

I support unity by saying tear down the walls of denomination and unite in one church!
 
Calvary Chapel is also the name of the denomination.

So, I will ask again, do you consider yourself a follower of the teachings of Calvary Chapel?
 
Byblos, you might be interested in this information about Chuck Smith, the man that started Calvary Chapel:

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]One merely has to look at some of the other Biblically disobedient and false prophecies, by people such as Chuck Smith, to know that this date setting pastime is a common occurrence.

Chuck Smith has stated words that are in agreement with the Biblical truth of no one knowing the day or the hour of Christ's return. In fact he has condemned those who do date set to be false prophets.

"So Jesus is saying that no man knows the day, or the hour, only the father. So that anyone who presumes to know the day or the hour is making an unbiblical presumption. But there are many people who try to explain away," this, no man knows the day or the hour," and try to proclaim that they do know the day or the hour. But they fall in that category of false prophets."
[Matthew 23-24 (5189) >http://www.calvarychapel.org/library/smith-chuck/studies-books/00-ALL-1979/5189-frame.htm]

In the book "Dateline Earth: Countdown to Eternity," (1989) on page 26, Chuck Smith criticized Edgar Wisenant for predicting Jesus would return in September, 1988, although he doesn't name him. "A well-meaning Christian wrote a well-publicized book in which he explained why the rapture would occur in September 1988 . He had 88 reasons to support his contention, and backed up his claims by the fact that the was a former NASA engineer, accustomed to solving complicated mathematical mysteries. He was certainly well-intentioned --- including about his revised prediction of September 1989, when September 1988 came and went --- but he was also dead wrong."

That sounds a lot like the Watch Unto Prayer email and their "Timeline" and reasoning for the 'projected' March 31/April 1 date, which also was proven dead wrong. As were their prior calculations.

On the same page, Smith also wrote about the Jehovah's Witnesses:

The Jehovah's Witnesses, for example, thought the world was sure to end in 1914. When it didn't happen, they merely moved the date up a few years...In more recent times, the Witnesses picked 1975 as the year...'

On page 27 he states, "Anyone who presumes to give a specific date must be regarded with skepticism...Jesus Himself said that when He returns He will come like a thief in the night--but because of all the erroneous predictions and false prophets, there will be many who will disregard the legitimate signs of His coming."

Yet in typical hypocritical fashion, on page 35 of "End Times" (1978), written ten years prior to his Dateline Earth, Chuck Smith proclaimed, "I believe that the generation of 1948 is the last generation. Since a generation of judgment is forty years and the Tribulation period lasts seven years, I believe the Lord could come back for His Church any time before the Tribulation starts, which would mean any time before 1981. (1948 + 40 - 7 = 1981)."

Chuck Smith had taught that Jesus would return by May of 1981 in a number of his books and messages. When the May prediction failed the date was moved to December 31, 1981. Obviously the predictions were proven false, although many had believed with him and many remained with his Biblical disobedience.

In his book Future Survival, again from 1978 and published by Word for Today, on page 17 Chuck Smith wrote, "We're the generation that saw the fig tree bud forth, as Israel became a nation again in 1948. As a rule, a generation in the Bible lasts 40 years. ... Forty years after 1948 would bring us to 1988."

On pages 20-21, Smith expounded that, "From my understanding of biblical prophecies, I'm convinced that the Lord is coming for His Church before the end of 1981. I could be wrong, but its a deep conviction in my heart, and all my plans are predicated upon that belief...The Lord said that towards the end of the Tribulation period the sun would scorch men who dwell upon the face of the earth. (Rev. 16). The year 1986 would fit just about right. " [Bolding, underline added]

He doesn't end the hypocritical and false theology there. On Page 49, "...one of the reasons I believe that man has come to the end of his time is the rebirth of the nation Israel....So, the rebirth of the nation Israel marks the final generation of man upon the earth in this present order...."

Prior to those predictions, Smith's 1976 book, Snatched Away, defined that a generation related to the "generation that was living in May of 1948 shall not pass until the second coming of Jesus Christ takes place and the kingdom of God be established upon the earth." p. 23.

Like many other false prophets, Smith changed the 1948 generation date to 1967 and then proceeded to expound that the year 2000 had to be the date for the rapture. In his 1978 book End Times, Smith allows for the change of date by saying, "However, it is possible that Jesus is dating the beginning of the generation from 1967, when Jerusalem was again under Israeli control for the first time since 587 B.C. We don't know for sure which year actually marks the beginning of the last generation." [pp35-36]

According to a former adherent to Calvary Chapel, on a December 1996 Radio program, Smith denied ever setting a date.

"A caller to the To Every Man An Answer radio program on KWVE, on 12-27-96 asked Chuck Smith a question about date setting and Calvary Chapel.

... at some point there was a prediction of Christ's return via Calvary Chapel - is that real; some years ago? is that; did that happen?

Smith responded with:

No. Uh, never, we all, we do believe he's going to return soon, and, uh, but, and but never any date. No. No. No. Never any date. Because no man knows the day or the hour. I believe he's going to come this next year, but [laughter] you know..." [CC >http://members.tripod.com/ccfuaq/cc2ndcom.htm]

Since the date setting was publicly published in printed books, we know that to deny the date setting is wrong. That same article relates the following very sad information.

"Chuck Smith was out of town Sunday Morning, 22 June 1997. In his place was David Hocking. From the Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa pulpit on David Hocking admitted that:

"I was in a conference in New York with Dave Hunt recently and he said something very provocative about the lack of interest in prophecy. He went back a few years especially in the early days when Calvary Chapel was beginning. How excited we were. Oh, some of the prophecy preachers got a little out of hand and those plagues like Revelation 9 were Vietnam helicopters and you know we sort of started dating things and we were even told that a generation is fourty years, and when Israel became a nation in 1948 it would be fourty years and then the Lord would come. So we back it up seven. So the rapture is coming in 1981. I've met people all over this country who believed that, followed that, anticipated that. It did not come and as a result many of them bombed out, dropped out, copped out; they're not around anymore."

"What was the response of the church members to 1981 date?"

"Lot's of people were with Chuck on that final midnight New Year's Eve at the end of 1981 who went home disappointed. Some of our friends were there and they left the faith not long after that." [CC>http://members.tripod.com/ccfuaq/cc2ndcom.htm]

Is God the author of lies? Does He set Himself up to be proven false, so that shame is brought upon our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Hardly.
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From: http://www.seekgod.ca/raptured.htm

I'd be interested to know what Pastor Joe has to say about that.
 
http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/hall.htm
I wonder about this one myself.  Good question!  A good study in church history could answer it.  I suspect that it is simply because none of them can agree.  Thus church splits!  (notice how the topic causes contention?) I think that is why many have branched off; making for many religions and that grows daily!  John Wesley was strongly Methodist and very close to my fundamental beliefs, not so for the Methodist today. Therefore, even certain sects have changed their stand.  The bottom line, God uses men and women to preach and teach the Word.  Humans, infallible as they may be!  

As for me, I have looked into other churches and I like some things about other religions.  The tolerance of the Hindu's and Buddhist.  The formality of the Catholics.  The fact that the Charismatic believes in Salvation of Jesus. But I do not feel comfortable with all their practices nor agree with them.  (I have good friends in each sect.  Therefore, please believe that I do not intend to downgrade anyones belief system:)  

I made my choice for a church simply by seeing if the preaching lines up with Scripture and if the Preacher is doing His best to live in line with what he is teaching.  I Timothy 3 is a guide on what a minister should be. In addition, it is the love shown by the congregation that will keep me.  The most important thing is Salvation via Jesus Christ (my definition for Christianity) and there are many denominations that believe that.  The bottom line is God hates religion as witnessed by the VERY religious Scribes and Pharisees.  He is only interested in our heart.

Not to worry!  Soon, in readying for the LORD's return, all these religions will come together! I will give this link then I am changing my identity and running for my life!  I wonder if this man is in need of armed guards?  lol

Come to papa!!!!! I think the membership in this church will be wearing a mark! I feel that Christian martyrdom is just around the corner with this type of strong stance!
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Calvary chapel is not the name of a denomination....

lol... we dont have any doctrine or regulations... just the Bible..

What just because MOST of our buildings are called Calvary chapel we are now a denomination?

Chuck Smith started Calvary chapel and helped fund the construciont of our building... Joe was a pastor way before that.. and once again I dont go by what Joe or Chuck say, I go by what God says.

Yeah Marcy, in heacven there is no seperation because we will all know the truths!
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (ByblosHex @ Oct. 18 2004,4:57)]Calvary chapel is not the name of a denomination....

lol... we dont have any doctrine or regulations... just the Bible..

What just because MOST of our buildings are called Calvary chapel we are now a denomination?

Chuck Smith started Calvary chapel and helped fund the construciont of our building... Joe was a pastor way before that.. and once again I dont go by what Joe or Chuck say, I go by what God says.

Yeah Marcy, in heacven there is no seperation because we will all know the truths!
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Sorry Byblos, but the truth is the truth.

Ask Pastor Joe, he'll tell you.
 
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