Which Christianity is the real thing?

[barts]

Full disclosure, I am an atheist. However that being said if I came to believe in the Christian God I would have no idea--and no way to find out with any certainty--which Christian religion is the true religion. Some Christian denominations preach that failure to believe in their dogma would bar me from heaven, and damn me to hell or its equivalent.

So, I wonder, how does any Christian know with any certainty that they are on the right path to salvation? It seems to me no Christian can be even reasonably sure that, despite their belief in God and Jesus, that they can be assured of anything after death like everlasting life, given the enormous disagreement between Christians. If Christians can't agree on how to be a Christian and honor, worship, and serve God, how is a converted atheist supposed to choose (and choose one must some Christian denominations claim) which is the correct path?

How, I wonder, can any Christian be believed? How can one know who is right and who is wrong?

It seems to me that every Christian, no matter how true their faith, is condemned to their own insoluble Pascal's Wager. They cannot know the true faith. How awful, it seems to me, to know that despite a belief in God and Jesus and faithfully serving them both that a Christian can still suffer internal damnation for merely failing to choose the right Christian religion.

[Peter]

I say go with the christian flavor your parents like. It makes for a much more harmonious dinner experience.

[xx_mortekai_xx]

I say go with the christian flavor your parents like. It makes for a much more harmonious dinner experience.

there was a quote I heard that I am going to badly paraphrase now:

"give me a child until he is 7, and I will give you the man."

and its true to a large extent, and is a major reason so many people are indoctrinated like they are.

[Angry Citizen]

There's a flaw in your argument. What if they're all right? If the central pillar of the Christian faith, and the road to salvation, is solely through belief in the resurrection and salvation offered by Jesus Christ, then all denominations lead to the same endpoint.

[xx_mortekai_xx]

There's a flaw in your argument. What if they're all right? If the central pillar of the Christian faith, and the road to salvation, is solely through belief in the resurrection and salvation offered by Jesus Christ, then all denominations lead to the same endpoint.

they cant be all right. Many make claims that are directly contradictory. Like the claims that one can only get to heaven through faith that christ is the savior, and the contradictory claim that one can get to heaven through living a virtuous life and being a good person. I have heard both, from christians. besides, it seems as if the various denominations cant agree on a lot more than that, which is why there are so many.

they can all be wrong, though.

[Angry Citizen]

Like the claims that one can only get to heaven through faith that christ is the savior, and the contradictory claim that one can get to heaven through living a virtuous life and being a good person.

I think the point was that the two go hand-in-hand. Doing one implies the other.

[barts]

There's a flaw in your argument. What if they're all right? If the central pillar of the Christian faith, and the road to salvation, is solely through belief in the resurrection and salvation offered by Jesus Christ, then all denominations lead to the same endpoint.

The issue is "What if...". You may be right, only God knows, and whether one is right or not in their choice of religions won't become apparent until it's too late to correct and honest error. The "What if...", of course, is not a view that some Christians would agree with. So, for the poor converted atheist the issue remains which, if any, Christian religion to choose. And, it seems one can never be sure if they have made the right choice.

Another "What if...", of course, is that God really doesn't care what one's religious beliefs might or might not be, and extends His love unconditionally to all his "children" regardless of their beliefs or lack of beliefs. After all, He knows all are sinners and all are flawed.

[iolo]

Isn't this the equivalent of asking which is the 'right' descendant of my gt-gt-grandfather? I am, naturally, in my own view, if he was worth identifying with, but none of us ARE that largely-imagined figure. What you can do, I think, is look at the earliest texts and compare with current behaviour: unless you believe in constant divine intervention the 'tradition' argument implied in the apostolic succession seems untenable.

[Robert]

there was a quote I heard that I am going to badly paraphrase now:

"give me a child until he is 7, and I will give you the man."

and its true to a large extent, and is a major reason so many people are indoctrinated like they are.

Like Dawkins with his atheist camps for children

[xx_mortekai_xx]

Like Dawkins with his atheist camps for children

better to teach them how to think rather than what to think. giving them tools instead of giving them a coupon to a mechanic.

[xx_mortekai_xx]

I think the point was that the two go hand-in-hand. Doing one implies the other.

bullshit.

Are you seriously implying that one can only be virtuous and good because they have jesus in their life? REALLY?

if so, you need to explain Atheist helping the homeless.

Atheists Helping the Homeless

they help homeless people because they can, and do so without forcing them to sit through a sermon.

[Angry Citizen]

I'm implying that, according to the doctrine, one is virtuous and good BECAUSE they have Jesus in their life.