| Baptist / Protestant |
Buddhist |
Hindu |
Jehovah's Witness |
New Age |
Mormon |
Muslim |
|
| What do
they believe about God? |
One God revealed as Father,
Son & Holy Spirit. |
Irrelevant or Buddahood. |
Many gods, including Brahma,
Shiva, Vishnu. |
Jehovah, an impersonal force. |
Everything is god. |
God the Father is a glorified
man with a physical body. |
One god called Allah. |
| What do
they believe about Jesus? |
God's eternal and sinless Son,
the supreme example for living and of God's love for people. Died and rose
from the dead to provide forgiveness of sin for all who believe in Him. |
A teacher who may possess Buddahood. |
A great religious teacher. |
Was once the archangel Michael;
then became Messiah, and after His resurrection became Michael again. |
A great teacher or prophet. |
Jesus is the physical child
of God. |
A major prophet who is not
God's Son. He did not die on the cross but was taken into heaven. |
| What are
their holy writings? |
The Bible (Old & New Testaments)
recognized as the inspired Word of God - authoritative, unique, and without
any mixture of error. |
Sutras. |
Vedas, Upanishads, Epids, Puranas. |
Bible as interpreted by The
Watchtower Society. |
Many recognized writings. |
Bible (except for supposed
errors), the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price. |
Quran (Koran), dictated to
the prophet Muhammad by an angel. |
| What do
they believe about sin? |
Willful rebellion against God. |
A desire that results in suffering. |
Ignorance of oneness with god
- failure to observe caste (social class) rules. |
Willful rebellion against Jehovah. |
No real concept of sin, only
ignoring the divine within. |
Disobedience to God's laws. |
Not willing to submit to Allah's
will. |
| What do
they believe about salvation? |
Salvation
is God's gift, made possible through Jesus' death and resurrection.
Forgiveness of sin and eternal life are received through personal faith in
Jesus as Lord and Savior. |
Find truth in four "Noble Truths"
and follow the Eight-Fold Path. Some include faith in Buddha. |
Freedom from reincarnation
through knowledge, works, or love for a chosen god. |
Faith in Jehovah plus good
works. |
Discover ultimate knowledge
through channeling, yoga, psychic energy and other practices. |
Can become a god through obedience
to Mormon teachings. Baptism for the dead saves some non-Mormons. |
Works of repentence and submission
to Allah through perfect faith, prayer, giving, fasting, pilgrimage. |
| What do
they believe about life after death? |
Believers in Jesus live in
God's presence forever (heaven). People who reject faith in Christ Jesus are
separated from God's presence forever (hell). |
No life after death, or life
in "Pure Land." |
Union with god achieved through
cycles of reincarnation. |
One hundred forty-four thousand
Witnesses will be with Christ in heaven. Other Witnesses will live in a paradise-like
earth. Those who reject Jehovah will be destroyed. |
Reincarnation (multiple lifetimes)
until soul is reunited with the divine. |
Celestial kingdom where men
become gods or angels; terrestrial kingdom, a planet for righteous non-Mormons;
telestial kingdom, a planet for the wicked. |
Paradise or hell. |