Why do some people not see religious things the way we see them? Why is there so much difference between what we teach and what the denominations profess? Do we not all have the same Bible? Are we not all trying to serve the same God? Do we not all believe in the same Savior? These are perplexing questions, and they are not easily answered to everyone’s satisfaction.<\/p>\n
Basically, our understanding of the Scriptures differs from the majority of the religious world because we operate on a different principle of interpretation. To most religious people, “truth” is relative, adjusting freely to different times and circumstances. For us, however, truth is truth. It is unalterable, unchangeable, and everlasting. But did “we” just arbitrarily decide this would be our regard for truth? Not at all. God’s own word boldly claims “thy word is truth<\/em>” (John 17:17) and “the word of the Lord is right; and all His works are done in truth<\/em>” (Psalm 33:4). While there are scoffers at the idea of absolute truth, we accept Bible teaching that such does exist, and we are determined to know it. Pilate’s piercing question, “What is truth?<\/em>” (John 18:38) was prompted by these words from Jesus: “I have come into the world that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.<\/em>“<\/p>\n This, then, is the basis upon which we may come to see religious matters alike. There must be a commitment to the same standard of truth. No one would ever attempt to use differing standards of measurement if building a house, marking off a football field, or sewing a garment. This would guarantee error and disaster. Twelve inches must equal one foot on all our rulers if we desire uniformity. There must be a healthy regard and respect for the Bible on the part of every religious person in order for understanding to occur. Without this common devotion to God’s word, all efforts to see things the same will fail. In order to come to an agreement on matters essential to salvation, we must begin where we agree. From this point, we must study the Scriptures, resolving differences as we go along. Major problems of difference are solved in small steps, and then we can be united in Christ. But we will never see things the same if we cannot agree on the existence, necessity, and location of the truth.<\/p>\n No Bible discussion is profitable unless every participant is a truth seeker. If everyone concerned really wants the truth, then reaching an agreement and understanding it will be achievable. Believe it or not, it is possible to discuss religious differences without becoming rude or creating hurt feelings. People who love the truth are not concerned with who is right, but with what is right. Every truth seeker is willing to surrender any position if it is false. There is no other honorable course for an honest man. An honest man will seek the truth, and when he finds it, he will believe it. “Buy the truth, and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding<\/em>” (Proverbs 23:23).<\/p>\n\t\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Mark M. White via Seeking Things Above, Vol. No. 4, July 2026 Why do some people not see religious things the way we see them? Why is there so much difference between what we teach and what the denominations profess? Do we not all have the same Bible? Are we not all trying to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[300,441],"class_list":["post-96374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-denominations","tag-truth"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":87294,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/are-all-denominations-false\/","url_meta":{"origin":96374,"position":0},"title":"Are all denominations false?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 28, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Are all denominations false? Did Jesus ever command anyone to create denominations? To me, it seems that denominations are man-made religions, not something the Lord initiated. I don't believe God leads people to follow a particular denomination or to find their identity in one. Many people proudly call themselves\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":17508,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/my-pastor-smokes-and-teaches-falsely-and-i-dont-know-what-to-do\/","url_meta":{"origin":96374,"position":1},"title":"My pastor smokes and teaches falsely, and I don’t know what to do","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 22, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Do you think a pastor's smoking is a sin? My pastor smokes and I went to him in love; sharing with him that his smoking hurts his testimony as a believer. He preaches on bondage yet he smokes a pack or more a day. He has preached many things\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":7091,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-do-you-have-an-article-about-john-hus\/","url_meta":{"origin":96374,"position":2},"title":"Why do you have an article about John Hus?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 19, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Why would the La Vista Church of Christ have an article about John Hus? Answer: Because it gives some history of religious beliefs and practices. In particular, it shows that many of the ideas from the New Testament that we often think died out with Catholicism only to reappear\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":14428,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-do-you-think-about-reading-books-by-denominational-authors\/","url_meta":{"origin":96374,"position":3},"title":"What do you think about reading books by denominational authors?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 23, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: What do you believe about reading books on Christian topics by authors that have a Calvinistic background? What does the Bible say? Can we take their word for their particular subjects that they discuss? For example, Josh McDowell has a book on Christian apologetics, yet he works with Campus\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":63469,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-denominations-be-refuted\/","url_meta":{"origin":96374,"position":4},"title":"Should Denominations Be Refuted?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 18, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 119:97-104 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Some brethren are, well, squeamish when denominations are publicly refuted \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0There is a fear that visitors, their friends and relatives, will be offended by such plain language \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In the end, there is more allowance for sin to continue unchecked. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Is it possible\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":93053,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-do-you-know-you-are-in-the-right-church\/","url_meta":{"origin":96374,"position":5},"title":"How do you know you are in the right church?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 6, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello there, I am getting on here as I have many questions about God, the church, salvation, and the Bible. I was baptized into Christ just over a year ago, and while I understand that Jesus built one church and when I was baptized the Lord added me to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96374","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96374"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96374\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96374"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96374"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96374"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}