What to take into account when choosing a religion.
Are you looking for a religion and do not know which of the many is the closest to you? Or do you already have a religion but are you looking for another better way to tread?
Based on moral, ethical and religious values, I have prepared a list of attributes that I consider indispensable in a religion. So for a religion to bring people closer to God, in my opinion, it needs to:
Teaching to love God and keeping his commandments
Loving God is the basis of any religion. This love is usually expressed through prayers and the practice of what is taught in the church and the sacred scriptures.
Guide your members to treat others as they would like to be treated.
This is true love for others.
Teaching respect for differences
Their leaders should never use their pulpits or their ecclesiastical offices to promote persecution against other religions, creeds, groups, races or nationalities.
Create opportunities for members to actively engage in service projects that benefit the disadvantaged and those who suffer.
The purpose of a good religion must be the transformation of a person, helping to develop divine attributes. Charity is perhaps the greatest divine attribute. A serious religion promotes projects of aid to the needy where its adherents can work voluntarily. She is concerned both with those who suffer and with the spiritual growth of her interests.
Encourage your members to study and grow professionally
As truth liberates, blind ignorance. A good religion will encourage its members to study as much as they can and to be the best professionals in the areas they serve.
Guide your members to be good citizens and law-abiding
Have a centralized leadership and homogeneity in the teachings
Centralized leadership makes rules, rules, teachings, and practices the same in any church unit. That is, whether you attend a church unit in Portugal or Japan, the teachings are the same, the organization is the same and the practices are the same.
Teach about the importance of frugality
A serious church encourages its members to be modest, economical, and productive people, regardless of their fortune.
They have leaders who serve in the church for love rather than money
In my view, voluntary work is essential in a good religion. Tithes should be used to maintain the kingdom of God and not to enrich ecclesiastical leaders.
Emphasize the family
As I have already said in many articles, the family is the most attacked institution today. A good religion must do everything to preserve this sacred institution, preaching fidelity, loyalty, respect, and conjugal and family love.
Have instructions specific to each age group
At every stage of our lives we have specific needs. A serious religion will have classes for children, teenagers, single adults and married couples. Each group learning what it needs to meet their own needs.
Promote healthy fun
Anyone who thinks that a religious person can not have fun is seriously wrong. A good church needs to provide its followers with moments of leisure and fun. Camps, dinners, dances, sports activities are among appropriate activities.
Have local leaders who know each member of your congregation
The purpose of an ecclesiastical leader is to teach, to help, to comfort, to strengthen and guide. How will a leader help a person he or she does not know? Christianity, for example, teaches that the shepherd must “feed his sheep” (John 21:16) and seek the lost sheep (Matthew 18:12). For this, he must know his sheep, one by one, “by name” (John 10: 3 ).
Teach principles of industriousness and self-sufficiency
A serious religion must guide every married man to assume and fulfill the responsibility of supporting his own family. He must strive to grow professionally so he does not have to depend on the government or the charity of others.
Have a fund to help underprivileged members
Until new and needy members adapt to the new reality taught by religion (relative to work and self-sufficiency), and to meet contingencies of any member, a good religion needs to have a background from which resources are drawn to help them. Members donate their tithes, nothing is fairer than receiving help when they need it.
Promoting the preaching of the Gospel
The Gospel needs to be taught in every nation, people, tribe and language. How to invite nations to know God without missionary work? To fulfill this purpose, the Church needs to invest heavily in this work, and its members need to be prepared, after all, to travel to other countries to serve as a volunteer requires preparation (physical and spiritual), economy and self-denial.
These are some of the attributes that I consider indispensable for a religion claiming to be the Kingdom of God on earth. I will not go into doctrinal matters, for this is not the purpose of this article.
If you wish to serve God, not only with your mouth out, look for a religion that has attributes necessary to really draw you closer to the Lord.
