Organized religions such as Islam and Christianity are already established in the world with millions of followers. Surely there is no need to compile your religion when you can simply join one of the established ones and have the entire belief system already created for you. Most people receive their religion from their parents and adhere to it for life, passing it on to future generations as the true path to God.

But what is the true way to God? Is it Islam or Christianity? Muslims and Christians will tell you that their ways are correct, but they both have different teachings. The Christian will tell you that the only way to God is through salvation through Jesus Christ, while the Muslim will tell you that it is by doing good works. Due to the many differences and arguments that arise, it is not surprising that most people adhere to the family religion or ignore it completely.

There is a common belief that you should choose a religion and stick only to its teachings. To find one with all the answers. Actually, there is no such religion, and this is why.

Religions have different sects. Islam, for example, has Sunnis and Shiites. Both sects follow Islam but there are differences in their beliefs. Added to this are the fatwas (religious rules) that are established to deal with various situations, such as Can Women Drive. One sect will call something Halal (permitted) while another will call it Haram (Forbidden). The average Muslim takes the easy solution simply by accepting what his imam tells him to believe, whether he agrees with the decision or not. Christianity has the same problem with many churches, such as Protestants and Catholics, who have similar teachings and differences on certain topics. So with so many paths on offer, how can you find the right one?

On several occasions, I have been asked questions about religion for which I usually have a fixed answer. That is why I am usually prepared. However, I have been surprised by unexpected questions that have caused me to panic. Questions that have made me doubt my faith. Questions for which I have not been able to find a logical answer in my inherited beliefs. This was because I never tried to find errors in my beliefs, nor did I want to accept that there were errors. Here are a couple of sample questions.

1. For a Christian: Why does a kind and loving God need to torture and kill his son to forgive sins? Why can’t you just forgive those who repent?

2. For a Jehovah’s Witness: If your child needed a blood transfusion to save his life, would you let him die to obey the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses that blood transfusions are prohibited?

These are difficult questions to answer. A Jehovah’s Witness would likely say yes to the question of the blood transfusion rather than admit that part of their religion is wrong, and secretly hope that their child never needs it.

Now we see the problem of sticking to the beliefs of a religion. Therefore, the best solution is to compile your own beliefs, those that you can accept as true without error. Ignore all these teachers who tell you that you must stay with a religion and what they say. Take time to compare the different teachings and select the ones that appeal to you. This does not mean that you should stick with that teaching forever. Finding the true path means always adjusting the parts of your beliefs that you find fault with. Here you have an example.

I am a Muslim, but there are things in Islam that I do not accept. This does not mean that he will leave Islam. It simply means that I reject certain teachings until someone convinces me that the teaching is correct. I accept teachings from both the Bible and the Qur’an and choose the most accurate teaching of all those that contradict the others.

One teaching of Islam that I do not accept is apostasy. I don’t think anyone should be killed for leaving Islam. The reason is that there is always the possibility that a person will return and killing them makes it impossible. The Bible teaches the parable of the lost sheep that not only does it allow people to return to God, but there is great rejoicing in heaven when they do. As you can see, this is a more acceptable and logical answer.

Therefore, there is no need to leave your current religion if you prefer to remain in that community, but I recommend that you do not blindly follow things that you do not accept as true. Of course, ask questions until you feel like you can accept or reject that teaching. Remember that it does not mean that you have to give up all your religion, only certain beliefs. You will probably find that there are many people in your community who can honestly say that there are things that they do not accept. So, start compiling your religious belief system and begin your journey towards the truth.

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