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| Questions about: Apologetics and Theology |
| Mike: (03/20/07) Why are there other religions? The founders of other religions were people created by God, but they are obviously people going against God. Did God know those people were going to create other religions when He made them?. Since God is sovereign, couldn't he just eliminate the other religions? So many problems of the world today seem to revolve around different religious beliefs. |
| Jack: Mike, I think the best biblical answer is found in Romans1:18ff. Here Paul gives some concrete answers to your question:
1) He gives the impression that since the first time that humans walked on the earth, there has been a knowledge of God (as we see in the opening chapters of Genesis) or at least obvious reasons to believe in Him (because we see the things He has made, which reveal his power and divine nature).
2) He declares that though people knew God they didn’t glorify Him or give thanks to Him, but responded in pride.
3) Claiming to be wise, they actually became fools (made foolish choices developed foolish answers to fundamental questions). Instead of worshipping God in all His glory, they substituted other things, such as images of all kinds, ideas of others, experiences, etc.
4) The result was not only wrong thinking and wrong worship, but immorality.
In essence, Paul says that either through “natural revelation” (that is the reality we see all about us) or “special revelation” (what God has given to us through His prophets, the Bible, and especially His Son, Jesus) He shows us the Truth. But almost since the beginning, individuals have either turned from Him, invented their own religion, or tried to find Him. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament describe God’s servants proclaiming His truth in a context of pluralism. “Problems of the world today” don’t so much as revolve around “different religious beliefs” as they do around the self centered and egotistical responses of individuals. Religion is only one of the ways through which people express their ethnocentricity and egoism. Did God know? Yes, He does, for He knows all things. As to why He does what He does, He doesn’t always tell us. Through Peter, however, He reminds us that “He is patient…not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Jack |
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