"Major World Religions" - by Rev. Weldon Bares

We live in a world that is so diverse. That diversity can be clearly seen in this country, especially in the area of religion. While Christianity is the predominant faith in the U.S., those involved in other religions are growing.

Christianity has been the largest religion in the world for a long time. But according to the New York Times, the population of Muslims is growing so fast that they will match Christians by the year 2070.

The third largest religion in the world is Hinduism, with 1.16 billion followers. Next is Buddhism, with 507 million.

What should be the response of a Christian to other religions? An obvious answer, of course, is that of tolerance.

Bill Bouknight was a United Methodist pastor in Tennessee. He pointed out that tolerance is a wonderful virtue if it means respecting someone’s right to disagree. But for many, tolerance means something that is not true: that all values, beliefs, and claims to truth are equally valid.

What are those claims to truth? What are the similarities and differences? For the next six Sundays, I will present messages during our morning worship services at First United Methodist Church on “Christianity and Other World Religions.”

My prayer is that we will learn much in the process and come to see the unique claims of Jesus of Nazareth. You are invited to join us.