People who listen to culture tend to get their values bent up. They want to say sweeping grand generalizations about complicated issues. One such generalization is the statement: You should respect everyone’s religion no matter what it is or you’re ignorant. Let us examine this.
Is every religion worth respecting? Some religions are made up of control, fear, and terrorism. Should we respect terrorists?
Some religions are about exploiting the opposite sex by the spirit world in order to get in bed with them. Should we respect predators?
Some people worship money instead of God. They’ll use and abuse people just to get more money. Should we respect those who worship greed?
Should we respect polytheistic religions when it is clearly evident that if their gods were warring, the powerful one would have won in an instant a long time ago? The battle would not rage eternally if they were real. Should we respect religions that academia rejects?
You have Jehovah’s Witnesses and Scientology which are cults, sex cults even. They try and get you in their system, get your resources, money, and property, and exploit you how they can. Should we respect some random Joe’s cult?
Remember the Vikings? They didn’t want to farm themselves so they just raided people for their goods and raped their wives. Should we respect Vikings? Heh, some of you are probably like, “Yeah, because if we don’t they’d kick our butt.”
Ashtoreth. “This is the name of Astarte, goddess of the Zidonians [1 Kings 11:5, 33], and also of the Philistines [1 Samuel 31:10], whose worship was introduced among the Israelites during the period of the judges [Judges 2:13; 1 Samuel 7:4], and was celebrated by Solomon himself [1 Kings 11:5], and was finally put down by Josiah [2 Kings 23:13]. She is frequently mentioned in connection with Baal, as the corresponding female divinity [Judges 2:13]; and from the addition of the words ‘and all the hosts of heaven,’ in [2 Kings 23:4] … it is probable that she represented one of the celestial bodies. …“… The most prominent part of her worship, consisted of those libidinous orgies which Augustine, who was an eye witness of their horrors in Carthage, describes with such indignation. … Her priests were eunuchs in women’s attire and women … prostitutes [Hosea 4:14], … who, like the Bayaderes of India, prostituted themselves to enrich the temple of this goddess.” (Fallows, Bible Encyclopedia, s.v. “Ashtoreth,” 1:168.)
Are we to respect the religions of mass orgies, with even little kids being raped and executed afterward?
How about:
Chemosh. “The god of Moab (1 Kgs. 11:7); also of Ammon (Judg. 11:24). … Chemosh was worshipped with human sacrifices (2 Kgs. 3:27)” (Bible Dictionary, s.v. “Chemosh.”)
Are we to respect the religions where people kill their family, friends, and children to appease your false god? You’d never know if your friend who follows this practice wouldn’t turn on you and kill you to try and gain power. Again, another religion not to respect.
You can think of many many more religions you would not respect. Remember a fake religion is a man-made religion. So if you invent a religion that is false, why should others respect it? Since this is how it goes, you can imagine a religion that worships anything disgusting, evil, or contrary to human civility or peace. They too should not be respected.
Try and respect people, but it is a highly offensive logical fallacy to say that “All religions should be respected.”
Exodus 20:1 God spoke, and these were his words: 2 “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, where you were slaves. 3 “Worship no god but me. 4 “Do not make for yourselves images of anything in heaven or on earth or in the water under the earth.
Looks like God knows what he is talking about. Either you follow love, or you’re going to be misguided and harm your fellow man.
“This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You saw what I did to Jerusalem and to all the towns of Judah. They now lie in ruins, and no one lives in them. Because of all their wickedness, my anger rose high against them. They burned incense and worshiped other gods – gods that neither they nor you nor any of your ancestors have ever known. “Again and again I sent my servants, the prophets, to plead with them, ‘Don’t do these horrible things that I hate so much.’ But my people would not listen or turn back from their wicked ways. They kept right on burning incense to these gods. And so my fury boiled over and fell like fire on the towns of Judah and into the streets of Jerusalem, and now they are a desolate ruin.” (Jeremiah 44:2-6 NLT)
Here you have it that following The God of Love, the God of Israel, the Father of Jesus, your Creator is the ONLY WAY. All other ways are falsehood, in fact, you become so spiritually deprived that you literally lose blessings, gain curses, and can eventually be ultimately destroyed in hell. This is how important it is to not follow a false religion.
When people say that there are so many religions, none can be right, remind them that there is one right answer to a math question and infinitely wrong ones.
Really though, can you think up any other path to Heaven than the God of Love, Father of Jesus Christ? No. Only perfect love and goodness lead to Heaven. Even the slightest residue of imperfection can easily result in hate which results in harm, which results in hell. God can give all the beings who reject his love and goodness a paradise, but it would rapidly become hell as they fight for resources, harm each other, and bear long term grudges.
Remember, disagreement is not equivalent to hate. The only religion to have God come down from Heaven to suffer and die for humanity’s sake is Christianity. All other religious leaders are rotting in their graves today, but Jesus reigns in Heaven. You’ll see Him someday and get a hug if you accept Him now and follow the ways of love.
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