Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:
TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.
Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.
Acts 17: 22-25
When Paul visited Athens, he was moved by the many idols and the gods they represented. The council of elders (Areopagus) having itching ears and desiring to hear some new philosophy invited Paul to speak at Mars Hill. It is here that Paul attempts to reveal to the these men the true creator God from among the many false ones. His “sermon” was effective until he begins to talk to about the resurrection.
And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.” So Paul departed from among them. However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
Acts 17:32-34
Isn’t it interesting that the topic of the resurrection divided the people into three groups: Unbeliever (mockers), Apathetic (Will hear later), and Believers (they joined him and believed)
Click here to read the blog from Answer From Scripture called “Resurrection-How Important is it?”
The reality of the resurrection of Jesus is what separates Jesus from all the other religions, gods, and philosophies. Yet it is easy to understand why these Greek elders would not believe in the concept of resurrection. It is something that is difficult to understand. But, without the resurrection, Christianity is like any other faith.
As we look at the multitude of other gods, religions, and philosophies let’s watch for the other unique and powerful characteristics of Jesus.
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Below is a summary of the 21 different religions and their gods. Also included is a quick snapshot of their philosophy or teaching.
As I reviewed I noticed some common things among them and many things unique about Jesus.
Take a moment to look over this information and I will meet you on the other side of the table. 🙂
| Religion | God | Philosophy/Teaching (Snap Shot) |
| Christianity | Jesus | Jesus became a human and died to pay for the sins of the world started by the rebellion of Satan. Jesus died on a cross and arose on the third day. He is mediating for the ongoing sin of man until he returns. Jesus will come again and put an end to all sin and give those who trust Him eternal life. Salvation is offered as a free gift to those who will, by faith, accept it and follow Jesus. He will create a new heaven and a new earth for the redeemed. The new earth will become the home of the redeemed and the place where God will reside with His creation through eternity. |
| Islam | Allah. His prophet is Mohammed | There are six articles of faith in Islam. These are the basic beliefs that one must have in order to be considered a true Muslim. They are belief in: A) the One God. B) all of the true prophets of God. C) the original scriptures revealed to Moses, David, Jesus and Muhammad. D) the angels. E) the Day of Judgment and the Hereafter. F) destiny.These practices must be undertaken with the best of effort in order to be considered a true Muslim:A) Declaration of faith in One God and that Muhammad is a prophet of God.B) Formal prayer five times a day. C) Poor-due “tax” – 2.5% of one’s excess wealth given to the needy once a year.D) Pilgrimage to Mecca at least once, if physically and financially able.E) Fasting during the daylight hours in the month of Ramadan. |
| Hinduism | Brahman (Various forms) | The concept of the transcendent and immanent ultimate reality of the One Godhead or Supreme Cosmic Spirit in Hinduism; the concept is central to Hindu philosophy |
| Chinese traditional religion | Various religious philosophical traditions:4 Main traditions:1.) Chinese folk religion,2.) Confucianism,3.) Taoism, and4.) Buddhism | Traditionally Taoism and Confucianism provided ethical guides to the proper behavior of individuals and officials. Taoism sought to promote the inner peace of individuals and harmony with their surroundings. Confucianism, based on the teachings and writings of the philosopher Confucius, is an ethical system that sought to teach the proper way for all people to behave in society. Each relationship–husband-wife, parents-children, ruler-subjects–involved a set of obligations which, if upheld, would lead to a just and harmonious society. Following his teachings would also promote a stable, lasting government. |
| Buddhism | Buddha. Takes refuge in Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha | Elaboration and explanation of the delivered teachings of the Buddha as found in the Tripitaka and Agama. Its main concern is with explicating the dhamas constituting reality. A recurrent theme is the reification of concepts, and the subsequent return to the Buddhist middle way. Do not believe that this world is created and ruled by a God. |
| African Traditional & Diasporic | Believe in a supreme being, as well as in spirits and other divinities, veneration of ancestors. | The indigenous religious beliefs and practices of African peoples include various traditional religions. While generalizations of these religions are difficult, due to the diversity of African cultures, they do have some characteristics in common. Generally, they are oral rather than scriptural, include belief in a supreme being, belief in spirits and other divinities, veneration of ancestors, use of magic, and traditional medicine. The role of humanity is generally seen as one of harmonizing nature with the supernatural. |
| Sikhism | The concept of God in Sikhism is uncompromisingly monotheistic, as symbolized by “Ik Onkar”(one Creator), a central tenet of Sikh philosophy. | The philosophy of Sikhism is covered in great detail in the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy text. Detailed guidance is given to followers on how to conduct their lives so that peace and salvation can be obtained in this life, rather than the afterlife. The holy text outlines the positive actions that one must take to make progress in the evolution of the person. One must remember the Creator at all times – it reminds the follower that the “soul is on loan from God, who is ever merciful”, and that the follower must dedicate their life to all good causes – to help make this life more worthwhile. |
| Juche | Kim Il-sung, North Korea’s first dictator who died in 1994 | Juche Idea into a set of principles that the government uses to justify its policy decisions. Among these are a strong military posture and reliance on Korean national resources. Juche has been accused of being a form of political religion despite North Korea’s formal commitment to state atheism. |
| Spiritism | Recognizes all prophets | Spiritualism is a religion that is not based on a relationship with a particular savior. Any attempt to personalize the idea of God only limits the totality of that Intelligence, which is the reason that Spiritualists sometimes refer to that idea of God as “Infinite Intelligence” or “Infinite Spirit.” |
| Judaism | YHVA. The common pronunciation is “Jehovah.” More accurate pronunciation is “Yahweh” | Jewish tradition teaches that the true aspect of God is incomprehensible and unknowable, and that it is only God’s revealed aspect that brought the universe into existence, and interacts with mankind and the world. In Judaism, the one God of Israel is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who is the guide of the world, delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt, and gave them the 613 Mitzvot at Mount Sinai as described in the Torah. |
| Baha’i | God (Supreme Being) | The Bahá’í belief in one God means that the universe and all creatures and forces within it have been created by a single supernatural Being. This Being, Whom we call God, has absolute control over His creation (omnipotence) as well as perfect and complete knowledge of it (omniscience). Although we may have different concepts of God’s nature, although we may pray to Him in different languages and call Him by different names–Allah or Yahweh, God or Brahma–nevertheless, we are speaking about the same unique Being. |
| Jainism | None | Jainism rejects the idea of a creator deity that could be responsible for the manifestation, creation, or maintenance of this universe. According to Jain doctrine, the universe and its constituents (soul, matter, space, time, and principles of motion) have always existed. All the constituents and actions are governed by universal natural laws and an immaterial entity like God cannot create a material entity like the universe. Jainism offers an elaborate cosmology, including heavenly beings (devas), but these beings are not viewed as creators; they are subject to suffering and change like all other living beings, and must eventually die. |
| Shinto | Indefinitely large number of deities | Shinto today is a term that applies to the religion of public shrines devoted to the worship of a multitude of gods (kami) suited to various purposes such as war memorials and harvest festivals, and applies as well to various sectarian organizations. Practitioners express their diverse beliefs through a standard language and practice, adopting a similar style in dress and ritual, dating from around the time of the Nara and Heian periods.In modern scholarship, the term is often used with reference to kami worship and related theologies, rituals and practices. In these contexts, “Shinto” takes on the meaning of “Japan’s traditional religion”, as opposed to foreign religions such as Christianity, Buddhism, Islam and so forth. |
| Cao Dai | Cao | Caodaists accept the idea of âm (yin) and dương (yang) duality constituting the harmonious balance of the universe. Before the creation of the universe there was the Tao, the infinite, nameless, formless, unchanging, eternal source. The negative and positive principles of the universe are the components of the eternal nature. |
| Zoroastrianism | Ahura Mazda | Basic three principals: good reflection, good word, and good deed |
| Tenrikyo | God, known by several names including Tenri-O-no-Mikoto | Followers of Tenrikyo believe that God, known by several names including Tenri-O-no-Mikoto, expressed the divine will through Nakayama’s role as the Shrine of God, and to a lesser extent the roles of the Honseki Izo Iburi and other leaders. Tenrikyo’s worldly aim is to teach and promote the Joyous Life, which is cultivated through acts of charity and mindfulness called hinokishin. |
| Atheists | None | Do not believe in God. Atheism can be narrow or wide in scope. The narrow atheist does not believe in the existence of God (an omni- being). A wide atheist does not believe that any gods exist, including but not limited to the traditional omni-God. The wide positive atheist denies that God exists, and also denies that Zeus, Gefjun, Thor, Sobek, Bakunawa and others exist. The narrow atheist does not believe that God exists, but need not take a stronger view about the existence or non-existence of other supernatural beings. One could be a narrow atheist about God, but still believe in the existence of some other supernatural entities. (This is one of the reasons that it is a mistake to identify atheism with materialism or naturalism.) |
| Neo-Paganism | Some believe in a supreme being. Many believe there are countless spirit beings, gods and goddesses | Contemporary pagan religious movements are diverse, sharing no single set of beliefs, deities, creed, ritual practices, or texts; nor do any claim to be absolutely authoritative. However, there is a great deal of overlap amongst pagan movements and there are a number of beliefs commonly shared by many pagans, including pluralism, pantheism, polytheism, and a general belief that divinity is found in mind and nature. |
| Unitarian-Universalism | Some are Atheist and others use the term “God” to convey different ideas. | The theology of individual Unitarian Universalists ranges widely, including Humanism, Atheism, Agnosticism, Pantheism, Deism, Christianity, Judaism, Neopaganism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and many more. |
| Rastafarianism | Haile Selassie | At the core of their belief is the re-interpretation of the Hebrew Bible with a focus on Blacks as God’s chosen race, and the belief that the true Messiah comes to us as Emperor Haile Selassie I (Ras Tafari) of Ethiopia. Through extensive spoken discourse, the Rastafarians aim to clarify the Western misinterpretation of the Bible, so as to spread the true word and fight against the unjust hierarchy of Western culture (collectively called Babylon). In the meantime, Rastafarians await a time of repatriation of Blacks and a return to Ethiopia, qua Africa, of its rightful ruling status. |
| Scientology | A concept of God with no set dogma. Believer reaches a relationship to the Supreme Being at the Eighth Dynamic (infinity) | Scientology teaches that people are immortal beings who have forgotten their true nature.Its method of spiritual rehabilitation is a type of counselling known as auditing, in which practitioners aim to consciously re-experience painful or traumatic events in their past in order to free themselves of their limiting effects |
Here are are a few of my observations:
1.) Some have many different gods and/or philosophies.
2.) Almost all are nationalistic. The religions have their origin and purpose for primarily their culture only.
3.) Most appear to be created by individuals in a relatively recent time. The newest religions are the last three on the list.
4.) Most religions focus on the “worshiper” and not on others.
5.) Many have no absolute truths. The believer is able to believe as their mind choose.
Here is a quick list of things I saw unique to Jesus:
1.) He claims to be God and the creator (We will look at this in depth when we talk about the 10 things every Christian should know about Jesus and the Trinity)
2.) Grace and sacrifice of God
3.) The Resurrection
4.) A literal return to create a new heaven and a new earth
5.) While Christianity has its roots in Judaism, its mission is for everyone.
6.) The Old Testament contains hundreds of prophecies about the 1st and 2nd coming of Jesus. This study is the one that convinced me that Jesus was all that He claimed to be.
In our next study, we will continue our comparison and look closely at the similarities and differences of the two biggest religions: Christianity and Islam. We will also attempt to answer the question of why their is so much confusion.
“for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:12
Click here for a worship song my Robin Mark. Have a great weekend!