| 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 of 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. |