There are many different religion out there; as I found out while studying world religion and even reading recently the book, “Faith to Faith.”  My mother was on to something when she would say it’s not her religion.  The only thing different she was referring to denomination at the time.  There are many different denominations out there.  This is not to discuss denomination.  I will choose to discuss religion as a whole.

There is one heart, many hands!  There is so many different religion out there; but they all worship God in their own way.  All these religions are connected.  Yet these so-called religious leaders doesn’t want to see it.

There are too many to name, but I will name a few.

Hinduism is a religion that originated in India.  To them, the cow is sacred.  They also believe when one pass away from this life, they will have the opportunity to move on to a better next life.  Until they are one with God.

This sound familiar to the Catholics belief in purgatory.  The Catholics believe that when a person dies, they entered purgatory first and the church and family pray for them to get to heaven.  People don’t become saints until they get out of purgatory.  To me or anybody else, Mother Theresa was already a saint for the great works she done in Calcutta.  Now to the Catholic, it was a few years after she died before she was considered a saint.

Buddhist is a religion that has it’s origin in the Asia’s country.  There is some similarity to Hinduism.  They have a statue of a Buddha .

This is similar to the Christian faith.  The Christian has a cross which stands for Jesus death on the cross.

There is Confucius.  This religion also has it’s home in the Asia country.  The leader or founder was a prophet.  He had a bunch of wise sayings to live by and follow.

Once again, the Christians has the Bible and even the book of Proverbs, that is similar to Confucius.

Now let us talk about the 3 religion that everyone knows about, because of being in the news.  First, the Muslims has it’s origin to Abraham and through Ishmael.  Ishmael was Abraham’s son through Hagar, who was a maidservant of Abraham.  He was Isaac’s older brother.

Now the Jews also saw Abraham as their father and father of all nation.

Even the Christians recognize Abraham.  Even though Christians came about from the New Testament and through Jesus Christ.

So you see, Muslims, Jews, and Christians are very much connected.

Even though the radical Muslims doesn’t want to see it that way.  Then again, even the Jews and some Christian leaders doesn’t want to see it that way.

Not all Muslims are terrorist. It is the radical Muslims that are the terrorist.  They are reasons that the Muslims gets a bad rap.  A true Muslims are peaceful loving people.  They are just upset with the Jews because they felt that they got left out of God’s promise.

It was the Jews that crucified Jesus.  Even though, He was the promised Messiah, they feared Him and had a hard time in believing He was the one.

There are Christians out there that gives Christians a bad name.  Some Christians can be as bad as the radical Muslims.

We now comes to the part of many religions but only one God.  We all worship God in our own way.

Jesus Christ was accused by the Jewish leaders of His days of being friends with the lowest of the low.  The Jews had nothing to do with the Samaritans, because they felt that they were beneath them.  Yet Jesus sat and talk with a Samaritan woman at the well.  Jesus ate with tax collectors and other sinners that the Jews considered to be unclean.  Remember, Jesus came not just for the healthy, but for all.  All have sinned and fallen short of the grace of God.

If Jesus was here, flesh and blood, I believe that today’s religious leaders will still have problems with Him.  He would be continuing doing what he did back in His days. Jesus would sit with a homosexual or someone who practice a different religion and be criticize for it.

Remember Martin Luther start the Reformation; which was the start of the Lutheran church, that broke off from the Catholic church.  The pope at the time was very upset with Martin Luther.

This was the start of many different denominations out there.

I think this why churches today have a hard time in keeping and getting young people in the church.  The so-called religious leaders are playing god.  They are making rash judgement.

The church as a whole needs another shakeup like the Catholic church did because of Martin Luther.

Young people today are searching for something or spiritual answers.  They are just not finding it in the church.  It’s like the book, “Siddartha,”  by Herman Hesse.  Siddartha was a young man searching for answers.

The so-called religious leaders are scaring the young away from the church, instead of welcoming and accepting them.

I believe that is why all these cults are taking our young people.  They are giving them the answers they are searching for.  Even though, it’s a false hope.

These so-called religious leaders makes people feels like ballerina. You got to dance around on your tiptoes.  They are quick to judge, if you don’t live up to their expectation.  I knew a former pastor who was that way.

This is not what Jesus wants for His followers.

I may be a Christian, but I’m not happy with organized religion and these so-called religious leaders out there.  I almost left the church I was going to because of  this.  I still believe in Jesus and in God.  I just didn’t want much to do with the church.

So you see, some these Christians are no better than the radical Muslims.  The radical Muslims even attack their own people.  Just like some Christians attack their own people.  We all grows in our faith differently.

As I said in last week blog, these so-called Christian leaders would disapprove with something if they don’t agree with it.  What they don’t understand, they disapprove of.

Don’t get me wrong, there are Christians out there that is very open and less judgmental.

I think the reason why Prairie Heights is doing as well as they are is because they are trying to follow the principles of Jesus and the Bible.  I believe that Bridgepointe Community is now trying to do the same.

I could go with this topic because it’s so broad.  I won’t though.  I will leave some for a later date and a different blog in the future.