What’s the difference between all the religions?

What an awesome question!!! But, it’s also a very complicated question because there are so many different religions out there. It would be impossible to discuss every individual religion and show you the various differences of each belief in a short post.

So, instead, I think I’d like to tell you about our religion: Christianity. Let me first start by saying that there are a lot of different religious beliefs that use words that sound like they are Christians when, in fact, they are not. For example, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are the Mormons. They do not believe the same thing we do. The Jehovah’s Witnesses use a name of God for their religion but they do not believe that Jesus is God. There are Buddhists, Muslims, Taoists, Shintoists and a whole bunch of other religions that have their own belief system that may recognize Jesus as a teacher or a prophet but not as God. There are groups that use names that sound official, like Scientologists, that make them sound like they use scientific methods to prove God’s existence. There are even certain denominations of Christian-based religions that may have different rituals or beliefs than our church. Names such as Seventh Day Adventists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Catholics and a whole host of others believe that Jesus is the Son of God but may differ in their beliefs on certain parts of the Bible.

The important thing for us to remember and to be able to tell people is what we believe in and that is: Jesus Christ, is the Son of God and is God and died an atoning death on the cross so that we could be saved. He is the only person in history or any other religious belief system who overcame death, being resurrected three days after His crucifixion. We believe that the only way to Heaven and God, the Father, is through the salvation offered to us by Jesus Christ through the forgiveness of sins. (John 14:6) We believe in one God, who reveals himself in three separate persons: God, the Father; God, the Son; and God, the Holy Spirit. That is a very difficult concept to grasp but it’s true. Did you know that no other religion can make the claim that, “It is by grace, you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves but it is the gift of God – not by works so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) This means we can’t earn God’s grace. We can’t work our way to Heaven by doing good things! God saves us through grace and He gives it to us freely. All we have to do is accept it.

And how do we do that? “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) By confessing our sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are saved! “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.“ (John 1:12)

And why would God do this? “For God so loved the world that He gave his One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) It’s because God loves us. No other religion can make that boast either. Our God loves us so much, He freely sacrificed His Son for us and all we have to do is accept Jesus as our Savior and repent, or turn away, from our sins and we become saved. We become God’s children. Isn’t that awesome?

What is the difference between Christians and Catholics?

I have thought about this often because I have both family and friends that are Catholic.

First, I want to say that the Catholic Church is a Christian denomination. There are two important questions that we should look at when regarding other religions that help us understand their differences. The first question we should ask is “What does that religion think about Jesus?” The second question is “Is the Bible the final authority?” Catholics do read the Bible and do believe Jesus is the Son of God, that He died on the cross for our sins, and rose again. Who Jesus is and what He did for us is the most important issue in being a Christian and is what all Christians have in common.

The difference between other Christian churches and the Catholic Church is that the Catholic Church puts authority in the Bible and church tradition. It is in the church traditions that we differ. While we respect church tradition, we don't put authority in church tradition, meaning we don't consider the edicts (official statements) of the church equal with the words of the Bible.

We can talk about churches and our difference all we want but it all has to come down to a personal level. Each person must recognize that we sin and our need for a Savior in order to be right with God. Going to church every Sunday or following church traditions doesn’t make a person a Christian, it is that personal relationship we have with Jesus that makes us a Christian and make us right with God.

Why do Catholics pray to Mary and to God?

That is a great question! First, we need to understand that Catholics are Christians and believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins and was resurrected and lives today in Heaven with God. The difference is that they have certain practices that have become tradition based on their interpretation of certain parts of the Bible.

Let me start by asking you a question: Have you ever asked a parent or friend or even your pastor to pray for you? Or, have you ever prayed for someone asking God to help them? Well, when someone prays for you, they are interceding for you. Interceding is just a big word that means “acting on behalf of someone.”

When Catholics pray to Mary, they are asking Mary to intercede for them and to pray to Jesus for them. It’s like asking your pastor to pray for you.

Catholics are not worshipping Mary; they are simply praying to her and asking her to pray to Jesus for them. Catholics absolutely do not believe praying to Mary is a direct petition to God.

I know…it’s very confusing. But, if you look at the definition of “pray” in the Dictionary, most definitions never use the word “worship” to define prayer. In fact, Webster’s Dictionary defines the word “pray” this way:

• To utter a petition to God
• To make a fervent request or plead
• To beseech or implore
• To make a devout or earnest request for

That’s why Catholics pray to Mary…they are pleading, beseeching, imploring her to pray to Jesus for them.