by Susie M. Arviso

Created on: December 11, 2010   Last Updated: March 19, 2012

The essential principles of Christian doctrine is relative to man since there are many religions that claim to be "Christian" and various denominations of Christians.

One thing we should take into consideration, is that neither Buddha, Mohammad, Joseph Smith, or even the Disciple Peter accomplished what Jesus did for us. Yet, they all had a world religion started - with them as the founders.

World religions that identify themselves as Christian may contain similarities, but one doesn't need to look too hard to see that they possess great differences.Some do not even contain the most basic Christian doctrines.

There are many these world religious organizations that refer to themselves as "Christian" but who's doctrines show otherwise. It can be very misleading and confusing.

God showed us in the scriptures what He thinks of man's religious ideas in the story of the Tower of Babel, and when Jesus openly rebuked the religious.

Denominations of Christians are divisive as well, borne out of disagreement over interpretation of scripture, and more. Some of the differences are huge and important. We can be sure of this, though ... Jesus never endorsed or condoned breaking up into denominations.

The thing is, that genuinely born-again Christians have the Holy Spirit within them, to give the Christian perception, insight and discernment.

So I have trouble understanding why there would be "interpretation" problems if a person is spiritually reborn, studying the scriptures, and looking to God for understanding." If a son asks his father for bread, will his father give him a stone?" (Luke 11:11)

Psychology calls it "information bias". That's when a person has their own idea and looks for ways to support it, rather than looking objectively. The Holy Spirit doesn't tell one follower one thing, and then tell another Christian something else. He doesn't work that way.

He is always aligned with the scriptures, and when studying the scriptures by looking up the original words and their definitions, not only will the message be clear, but it shows us if it's figurative, literal, a metaphor, analogy, or allegory, etc.

What some do not realize however, is that regardless of which it is, there are conceptual messages for us in all of scripture.

Collectively, all who claim to be Christian could probably agree that Jesus was here, and what He did and said are true. Common break offs from this are disagreements on what Jesus meant, whether Jesus is God and what we're supposed to do

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>