Here are a few questions to help your group process Pastor Marks message from this morning.  There are probably more than you'll actually need - feel free to be selective.  Thanks to Steve, Bill, Kim, Diane for sending me suggestions.  What a great topic!  Feel free to connect with Pastor Mark or myself with questions your group members come up with.  This is a great topic!

Here's a link to a PDF of the questions below:

JG Discussion Questions - World Religions

Thanks so much!

Tim Perry - timp@cccomaha.org

 Discussion Questions

1) What did you think of Pastor Mark’s example of taking an entire year to research just one major world religion? Have you ever personally done research on Jesus and other religions or do you tend to believe what you are told?

2) Today’s message compared Christianity to Buddhism, Confusion and Islam. Which faith system were you most familiar with?  Least familiar with?  What did Pastor Mark’s comparative approach help you discover?

3) What is the consensus in your group about which religious community (other than Christianity) is the most numerous and visible in our town? What could your group do to reach out to and learn about them?

4) If Christianity were so obviously superior to all the other religions, why are there still so many followers of Buddhism or Islam? Why do so many non-Christian faiths continue to grow in numbers?

5) Pastor Mark talked about miracles as a way of comparing religions. Why can’t Christianity’s miracles be swept under the same rug as all the miraculous claims of all the other religions?

6) How can Christians claim more validity for their scriptures than the Muslims – aren’t they both products of special divine revelation that can’t really be proven?

7) Buddhists have interesting ideas about the relationship between desires and suffering in our world. In what ways do Christianity and Buddhism agree on this?  In what ways to they sharply disagree?  Have you ever met a Buddhist?  What is one thing you’ve observed about his/her way of life?

8) Which aspects of Christianity do your non-believing friends have the greatest struggle with? How did today’s message help you see that?

9) In summary, Pastor Mark compared these four faiths on the basis of their founders, their central teachings, their morality, the claims of their founding figures, their validating miracles and their deaths. Based on these categories, what makes Christianity utterly unique?

10) As a group, brainstorm a list of ways you can continue learning about world religions that are present in our city? Challenge each member to take action on one simple idea (reading a book on Buddhism or taking an international friend to lunch and asking about their faith, etc).  Think about one idea or cultural event your group could explore – put it on the calendar and make it happen!  Process the learning together.

11) Have people share about a friend from another faith and any related prayer requests. Pray as a group for opportunities to share the Good News!