If people of all religions can be saved, why do we need Jesus Christ?

I was going to post a long rant about this, but this will suffice.
Why do we need Jesus Christ?
We don't if we aren't Christian.

How can Jesus be relevant to non-Christians?

Short answer - by being the example on how to live a life of service and devotion to mankind.

Long answer - The Bible is a collection of books that was first compiled in the 1611 by King James (hence the King James version). At that time most, if not all of the writings were in a language that was long dead, or had changed dramatically over the centuries. It was the task of those that compiled it to get at least two different language versions of each book and try and decipher what the text meant by comparing the two versions. Even in that time, there was great discussion on the meanings of different parts. For example some scholars took a word an interpreted it to mean "brother" while others interpreted it as "male family member", so that in the Gospels, where it talks about Jesus' brothers, some believe that it means that Mary had other children who were physical brothers to Jesus; while others believe that it refers to Jesus' uncles and cousins. There is no definitive answer because even in 1611 it was an educated guess on it's meaning. My point is that much of the Bible is up for interpretation based on the values, and needs of the individual. Did Jesus come to forgive sin, or abolish sin? I have read it both ways, in different versions, and it takes a totally different meaning depending on which version you ascribe to .

For me, my journey and search for answers led me to look, not at what is literally written, but what was the context of the passages when viewed from the perspective of the times that it portrays. If you look at the conditions and way of life in Judea at the time of Christ, you would see that there was massive corruption within the church. Each individual would have to go to the priest, and the priest would decide the level of atonement that was necessary; then you would have to go into the outer temple and purchase an animal that coincided with your level of atonement and present it to the priest at the entrance to the inner temple; who would then sacrifice said animal, and you would be forgiven. Most people spent their entire lives working to pay for the sacrifices demanded by the priests, and had forgotten what it was to really live the word of God. Jesus was born into these conditions; lived an immaculate life; then became the perfect sacrifice so that no other sacrifice was ever needed again. To me, this is line with the interpretation that He came to abolish sin, because he has paid the price for all sin, now and in the future; so that now we can free ourselves from the need to "repent" and can concentrate on the real message - living a life of service and peace.

So how is Jesus relevant to non-Christians? He leveled the playing field and set the example of how to live, not just for Christians (because Jesus was not Christian), but for all people!

Rick D wrote: The Bible is a collection of books that was first compiled in the [sic] 1611 by King James...

Here's an English translation from some eight decades prior to King James' birth:

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Bible_%28Wycliffe%29

It's not the first compilation nor the first translation, just the first full English version. Have fun.

i don't think christians need him either....just his lessons and example...

just like buddhists don't need the buddha, just his lessons and example....

people need the wisdom, not the person...

Cabur Senaar wrote:

Aqua wrote: If people of all religions can be saved, why do we need Jesus Christ?''

My experience has been that various scriptures from around the world are not intended to be presented as A truth, but as THE truth. Many religions promise some manner of salvation, but they stipulate that their own path is the only one that works.

The question looks like it has been written from the perspective of a comparative religion student. It implies that all paths work. It suggests that all people of all religions can be saved. Why then would any particular path be necessary if any one of them will do the job?

Except that, from the perspective of most any particular religion, their and only their path leads to salvation. You will often find individual practitioners that will allow for multiple paths to salvation, but I cannot think of a religious scripture that allowed for that. If someone knows of one, I'd be interested in giving it a read.

The assumptions don't coincide. Thus the confusion.

Just to throw my own hat into the ring, I'm not really interetsed in being saved. Beyond the immediate dangers of speeding cars, I see nothing from which I need be saved.

Because, if the paths are true, all religions could be a perspective of god. Different cultures would develop different ways to understand the perspectives of religion? So it would be necessary for god to create different religions to give cultures a way to understand the path to be saved at their own level of understanding?

Aqua... create is the correct word.
There is a created need that the creators fill. That's all. It fills from many different views. I as a Jedi don't have a need for salvation in the same religious way. My wisdom comes from within and the credit doesn't go to an individual but me...and that's where the path gets involved...the ,I know more I'm Jedi, mentality comes. The dark side lol feel free to pm of u like I graduated from Pensacola Christian College...name drop lol

We need jesus for food!

carlos.martinez3 wrote: Aqua... create is the correct word.
There is a created need that the creators fill. That's all. It fills from many different views. I as a Jedi don't have a need for salvation in the same religious way. My wisdom comes from within and the credit doesn't go to an individual but me...and that's where the path gets involved...the ,I know more I'm Jedi, mentality comes. The dark side lol feel free to pm of u like I graduated from Pensacola Christian College...name drop lol

''Creative thinker sees the invisible, feels untouchable, and achieves the impossible.'' :blush:

Aqua wrote:

Cabur Senaar wrote:

Aqua wrote: If people of all religions can be saved, why do we need Jesus Christ?''

My experience has been that various scriptures from around the world are not intended to be presented as A truth, but as THE truth. Many religions promise some manner of salvation, but they stipulate that their own path is the only one that works.

The question looks like it has been written from the perspective of a comparative religion student. It implies that all paths work. It suggests that all people of all religions can be saved. Why then would any particular path be necessary if any one of them will do the job?

Except that, from the perspective of most any particular religion, their and only their path leads to salvation. You will often find individual practitioners that will allow for multiple paths to salvation, but I cannot think of a religious scripture that allowed for that. If someone knows of one, I'd be interested in giving it a read.

The assumptions don't coincide. Thus the confusion.

Just to throw my own hat into the ring, I'm not really interetsed in being saved. Beyond the immediate dangers of speeding cars, I see nothing from which I need be saved.

Because, if the paths are true, all religions could be a perspective of god. Different cultures would develop different ways to understand the perspectives of religion? So it would be necessary for god to create different religions to give cultures a way to understand the path to be saved at their own level of understanding?

A comparative religion student would say that religion is created by people, not by a God. It is a social system. And there are people who would agree with you statement of different messages for different people. But no religous text says so. The basic premises of the question don't line up. A person standing on the outside of a given religion, or religions in general, operates on a different set of assumptions than a person squarely within a particular religion.

According to the Apostle Paul:

Romans 2:6-8 New International Version (NIV)

6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.

So you only need to be a good person to be saved. Yes Paul does state that salvation is through Jesus, but it's more meant for Christians than the rest of us.