Christianity continued....

Oh yeah I've been watching and reading documentaries.  On the historical relevance of the bible for many years now.  Actually the natural geographic I read while on the toilet has detailed pictures of the remains of solomons temple, the court and everything the bible describes.  The exact same unit of measurements as well. 

Jesus is Lord

So what happens to me if I don't believe that Jesus is my Lord and Savior?  If I try and live a good life and do right by my fellow human beings on this planet but have the belief that Jesus was a human and nothing more, where does that put anyone who believes the same?  Is "heaven" closed off to people like that?  If God's love is unconditional, but yet there is no guarantee of heaven unless you accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, does this not make God's love conditional?

No one here can answer this. As us human beings are NOT the judge.

No one knows each persons heart like God.

But i will ask this, how can you live a good life if you dont believe in God?

Drizle, I hope that I have answered your questions clearly and thoroughly. If not, please just let me know and hopefully I can explain it in another way. Thanks again for commenting. What I am going to do is split up your comment into a few individual questions; not changing the words up or anything, but instead of me giving one, over-arching answer, I am going to split it up and answer them one by one 

"What happens to me if I don't believe that Jesus is my Lord and Savior?"

The most important question that a person must face is how he will spend eternity. One question might be, what are we saved from? We are saved from the wrath of God, the dominion of sin, and the power of death (Romans 1:18, 3:9, 5:21, 1 Thessalonians 5:9). If somebody's answer is that they expect to go to heaven because they are basically a "good" person, that fails the test. Man is separated from God because of his sinfulness. Christianity is unique in teaching that man is sinful by nature, not good by nature. This certainly does not mean that man can do no good whatsoever, but that every aspect of our lives is touched by sin. We are guilty before God and deserve his wrath. 

Some religions suggest that surely we must be able to do enough good for a loving God to let us in to heaven. Others suggest its living a decent life, loving your fellow man, born into a Christian family, attending church, performing religious rituals, etc. But the Bible makes it very clear that nobody is good enough. The Bible says that no one can even begin to stand before a holy God and proclaim self-sufficient adequacy. 

If one truly believes in Jesus and receives him as Savior, he will also accept him as Lord - that is, Master - of his life. Belief will manifest itself. For example, true remorse for one's sinful condition will lead to repentance. The believer will acknowledge his sinful condition, will forsake his sins, and will put his trust in Christ for his whole life. 

-Salvation is a free gift from God. 

-When the Bible says we are not saved by "works" it is generally referring to works of the Mosaic Law (aka Old Testament). But this does not mean that obedience to God's moral commands is unimportant. Jesus, in fact, strengthened biblical commands for Christian living. 

-When the Bible says that we are saved by believing in Jesus (John 3:16, etc), it is implied that to believe "in" Jesus means more than just intellectual assent. It means to believe "into" Jesus. In other words, it means to accept what Jesus says so fully and completely that you will obey his commands, however imperfectly we humans are able. 

-An important passage is James 2: 14-26, which says we are not saved by faith alone. It suggests that there is a correct faith and an incorrect faith. "If someone says he has faith (but does not have works)" implies that just because someone says they have faith it does not mean that they have a sincere saving faith. James says that even the demons have what we might call head knowledge of God, but they do not have the type of faith that trust in God. James goes on to explain that faith without works is "dead." Thus, James is telling us that an empty faith does not save us, that we can tell is someone has a true faith by their good deeds which are evidence of a true saving faith.

The belief that saves us can be defined as "putting your trust in," which has a deeper meaning than merely believing a few facts about Jesus. Again, the demons also believe. In other words, they know that Jesus is God. However, they are not saved because they do not "put their trust" in Jesus. 

A saving faith will produce good works. This is not to say that it is the works themselves that produce salvation. Nor is it to say that we can boast about our good works, which will always be inadequate. 

Because of man's sinful nature, it's a wonder that God provided a way for anyone to be saved. There are no innocent people. But the Bible makes it quite clear that anyone who has heard of Jesus and then rejects him is doomed. That is tantamount to rejecting God and his offer of salvation.

We simply can never be good enough to be saved by our own efforts. Rather, in regards to justification, Ephesians 2: 8-9 is quite clear: "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not of your own doing; it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." We are saved by grace through a living faith in Jesus Christ alone, while warning that anyone who thinks that they are saved by a mere profession of faith without seeking to be obedient to Christ and his church has a false sense of security. 

We could say salvation has 3 components:

1) Believe: "Truly I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life." - John 6:47

2) Repent: "...repentance for forgiveness of sins." - Mark 1:4

3) Follow: "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." - John 3:36

Again, it is faith that is the tool that links us to God. But it is not the amount of faith, but the object of your faith - Jesus Christ - that is important.

"If God's love is unconditional, but yet there is no guarantee of heaven unless you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, does this not make God's love conditional?"

Let me first ask a question to this question. If God is a totally just God, while establishing that we as humans are all guilty of sin, then that would guarantee nobody getting to heaven. But because of God's love for us, He has given us the opportunity to choose to accept his unconditional love, or to reject it.

It is important to recognize that God did not give us moral laws (rules by which to live) because He is mean or hateful or arbitrarily restrictive. He gave us rules precisely because He loves us so much that he wants us to be safe and happy. There are many statistics to verify the validity of the effects of following the lifestyle espoused in the Bible. For example, studies show that monogamous married heterosexual couples report greater happiness and "overall life satisfaction" as well as greater sexual fulfillment than any other lifestyle. And people living a Christian lifestyle are significantly healthier and live significantly longer on average than other groups. 

God loves us enough to give us free will. Thus, our own choices sometimes produce evil over good. It is impossible for God to have created man with free will and evil not be a consequence. The Bible makes it clear that suffering can be a result of God's discipline in our lives - similar to the discipline a loving parent has for a child. A loving parent stops a child from putting his hand on a hot stove. The child "suffers" at the moment by being denied access and by the temporary pain of a spanking. But the parent sees the "big picture" and disciplines the child. So, too, can God discipline us. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. 

Some of God's characteristics are omnipotence, omniscience, faithfulness, eternal, unchangeable, self-existent, self-sufficient, infinite, transcendent, sovereign, longsuffering, wise, good, truthful, jealous, and the list goes on and on... However, there are a few other considerations to God's nature that are especially important to understanding Christian theology:

1) God is holy - The word holy is used hundreds of times in the Bible to describe God. Some synonyms are that God is distinct, upright, true, and unique. It suggests God's perfection. It is also closely associated with his righteousness and being set apart from the common. The Bible says man should be in awe of God's holiness. If you read Isaiah 6: 1-8, it's written in descriptive for that may seem surreal or symbolic, but it is set in the context of actual history. Here Isaiah gets a glimpse of God. While Isaiah notices how holy God is - so much so that he repeats the word in a chant - "holy, holy, holy." The realization for Isaiah is this - that the difference between the Creator and the created is so distinct that Isaiah can only say that he is "undone" or "ruined" or "lost" (depending on the translation). The result for Isaiah in this realization is that he can do nothing else but submit to God's will. "Here I am. Send me!" exclaims Isaiah. Anyone who begins to understand who God is will realize how weak we are in His sight. 

2) God is just - God's holiness dictates that He cannot just wink at sin. God himself says, "I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked" (Ezekiel 33:11). God insists on allegiance, which does not seem unreasonable given that He created us. A God who is not just and holy is not worthy or our worship. But a God who isboth just and holy demands our worship. 

3) God is merciful - God promises mercy by restoring Israel after punishing them (this happened many times in the Old Testament). Mercy and covenant faithfulness always triumphs. Beyond the judgment would come restoration and renewal.

4) God is loving - 1 John 4: 7-11 says "God is love." The theological question is, how is it possible for God to mete out sometimes harsh punishment and still be considered a loving being? The answer comes in Jesus Christ. The fact that God is both perfectly just and completely loving is resolved by his sending his only son to suffer and die for the sins of the world.

While the Bible does not tell us exactly what heaven and hell are like, it does make it clear that hell is a place to be avoided at all costs and that heaven is a most desirable place to be. There are several reasons why we believe that heaven and hell really do exist:

1) Mush of the information we have about them comes from Jesus himself. Interestingly, hell is the third most recorded topic from the lips of Jesus. 

2) If a just God really does exist, ultimate justice really must exist. It is obvious that many people do not receive justice here on earth. So, a just God would make sure that everyone receives his due reward after life here on earth. 

Specifically regarding hell, rejecting our creator God must surely demand the harshest punishment imaginable. Further, to be "saved" implies that we are saved from something to something. Reward in heaven only makes maximum sense as a reward if the punishment is very much worth avoiding. The Bible makes it clear the God is just and that heaven and hell are real. 

God created everything good, which was spoiled by man's sin, whereby a loving and holy God sent his son to pay the penalty for our sin. Does it make sense in light of how an omnipotent and loving God would be expected to deal with his imperfect creatures of free will? 

Here's a story: It is said that there were two boys who grew up together as fast friends. But as time went by, one of the boys became a criminal. The other boy went to law school and eventually became a judge. As it happened, the wayward fellow was arrested and appeared in the court of his old friend who was the judge. The judge heard the case, and found his dear friend guilty. He sentenced his friend to a fine of $1,000,000 - an amount that the man could never, ever pay. As the trial came to a close, the judge said to his friend, "While I find you guilty as charged, I want you to know how much I still love you." He then stepped down off the bench, walked over to the bailiff, and wrote a personal check for $1,000,000 to satisfy in full the penalty of his friend.

So it is with God. As man rebelled against him, an insurmountable chasm separated man from his maker because of his sin. While the debt had to be paid somehow, God sent his only son to suffer and die a horrible death on the cross for our sin. Our debt has been paid.

I hope this helps Drizle, thanks again and have a great night 

Appreciate the response.  Its a lot to take in and I'll probably have to read it a couple more times to digest all of it.  Obviously, you are a Christian, so do you believe that the god written about in the bible is the only true god?  Say a person was a Hindu or Buddhist or any other religious belief.  They have differing belief systems from christians.  You spoke of the concepts of heaven and hell.  Where would they fit in?  Clearly they wouldn't believe in the christian concept of god or believe that Jesus was sent down to sacrifice himself for all of humanity.  So after death, where would these people go?  I'm genuinely interested in the answer because I've never heard one that is satisfactory.  It always seems that organized religions draw lines at some point.  Doesn't make any of them good or bad, just something I choose not to partake in.  For me, spirituality is important in my life.  I believe in a higher power but have no concept of what it is.  It works for me.  I believe in energy and what you put out there.  Whether positive or negative, the positive or negative will come back to you.  In the end, I would think the belief systems we have parallel more than they vary.  Its just more of how they are constructed in our minds.  Feel free to disagree.    The religion topic is always great discussion.

Hope you had a great weekend bro. Had to work at the golf course this weekend; it got colllllllllld in NC this weekend... I love to talk about my faith, as well as hear what other people's religious beliefs are as well. Helps me to understand them and the people that have the same beliefs, better. I am going to break down your comment, like I have done, and answer them that way 

So now we are left with only 2 choices; an eternal universe vs an eternal Creator. To date, all key scientific and philosophical evidence points away from an eternal universe an toward an eternal Creator. From a scientific standpoint, whatever has a beginning has a cause, and if the universe had a beginning, then it had a cause. The fact that the universe had a beginning is underscored by evidence such as the second law of thermodynamics, the radiation echo of the big bang discovered in the early 1900s, the fact that the universe is expanding and can be traced back to a singular beginning, and Einstein's theory of relativity. All prove that the universe is not eternal. 

The laws that surround causation speak against the universe being the ultimate cause of all we know for this simple fact: an effect must resemble its cause. This being true, how can one explain how an impersonal, purposeless, meaningless, and amoral universe accidentally created beings (us) who are full of personality and obsessed with purpose, meaning, and morals? Such a thing, from a causation standpoint, completely refutes the idea of a natural universe birthing everything that exists. So in the end, the concept of an eternal universe is eliminated. The only rational and reasonable conclusion is that an eternal Creator is the one who is responsible for reality as we know it. We can break it down logically:

A) Something exists.

B) You do not get something from nothing.

C) Therefore a necessary and eternal "something" exists.

D) The only two options are an eternal universe and an eternal Creator.

E) Science and philosophy have disproven the concept of an eternal universe.

F) Therefore, an eternal Creator exists.

There is also the Teleological Argument. This idea is that the design in the universe implies God. This can be proven scientifically, but with common sense it can also be proven with 100% certainty - without calling on faith or the Bible - that God exists. There is evidence of intelligent design all around us. If one sees a bird's nest, he concludes that a bird made it. If one sees a computer, he must acknowledge the evidence of an intelligent computer designer. A painting proves that there is a painter. Information does not derive from non-information. Intelligence does not derive from non-intelligence. The fact of creation proves a creator. 

There is also the anthropic principle, which is the fact that the universe is based upon several fundamental constants of physics. Even non-Christian Stephen Hawking admitted, considered the best known scientist since Einstein, said, "...the universe and the laws of physics seemed to have been specifically designed for us. If any one of about 40 physical qualities had more than slightly different values, life as we know it could not exist."

Why are biological systems demonstrably so complex that they could not have arisen by slight successive modifications that evolution postulates? And why do they exhibit purpose? 

Here is one more argument for the existence of God. It is called theMoral Argument. Consider this: 

1) If God did not exist, there would be no objective moral standards. 

2) Objective moral standards do exist.

3) Therefore God exists.

So without God, doing something immoral would be an illusion - even nonsense, or something merely unfashionable. All moral statements would be arbitrary. To build on that, William Lane Craig said, "Thus, if atheism is true, it becomes impossible to condemn war, oppression, or crime as evil. Nor can one praise brotherhood, equality, or love as good." This line of reasoning not only points to the existence of God, it begins to explain who God is; that is, what attributes God has. We can begin to see that God is not some evil monster, but rather is a loving and rational God, consistent with the God of the Bible. 

"Obviously, you are a Christian, so do you believe that the god written about in the bible is the only true god?"

Almost every major religion teaches that Jesus was a prophet or a good teacher or a godly man. The problem is that the Bible tells us that Jesus was infinitely more than just a prophet, a good teacher, or a godly man. 

So, who did Jesus claim to be? Who does the Bible say that He is? In  John 10:30, Jesus says, "I and the Father are one." On the surface, it may not look like Jesus is claiming to be God. But look at how the person responded to Jesus' statement. "'We are not stoning you for any of these,' replied the person, 'but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.'" The person understood Jesus' statement as a claim to be God. Following the person' accusations, Jesus never corrects them by saying that He was not God, thus indicating that Jesus was truly saying that He was God. The same thing happens again a little later on in the Gospel. Why would the person again want to stone Jesus if He had not said something they believed to be blasphemous, namely, a claim to be God?

John 1:1 says, "the Word was God." John 1:14 says, "the Word became flesh." This clearly indicates that Jesus is God in the flesh. The disciple Thomas declared to Jesus, "My Lord and my God," in John 20:28. Jesus does not correct him. The apostle Paul describes Him as, "...our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ," in Titus 2:13. The apostle Peter says the same, "our God and Savior Jesus Christ," in 2 Peter 1:1. 

Jesus clearly and undeniably claimed to be God. If He is not God, then He is a liar, and therefore not a prophet, good teacher, or godly man. The most important reason that Jesus has to be God is that if He is not God, His death would not have been sufficient to pay the penalty of the sins of the whole world. Only God could pay such an infinite penalty. Jesus had to be God so that He could pay our debt. Jesus had to be man so that He could die. Salvation is available only through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus' deity is why He is the only way of salvation. Jesus' deity is why He proclaimed, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).

Unique among all other faiths, Christianity is more about a relationship than religious practices. Instead of adhering to a list of "do's" and "don'ts," the goal of a Christian is to cultivate a close walk with God, which is made possible because of the work of Jesus Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. 

5) Jehovah's Witnesses - Similar to Mormon's, Jehovah's Witnesses teach different levels of heaven. The anointed are 144,000 who receive salvation by the blood of Christ and will rule with Him in paradise. They must learn about Kingdom history, keep the laws of Jehovah, and be loyal to "God's government" - the 144,000 leaders, some 9,000 of whom are currently on the earth. Upon death, they will be resurrected during the millennial kingdom where they must continue a devout life. Only afterwards are they given the opportunity to formally accept Christ and live for eternity under the rule of the 144,000.

6) Judaism - person believe that as individuals and as a nation, they begin reconciled to God. Through sin (individually or collectively)they can lose their salvation, but they can also earn it back through repentance, good deeds, and a life of devotion.

7) Mormonism - Believe their religion to be a derivative of Judeo/Christianity, but their reliance on extra-grace works belies this. To reach the second heaven under "general salvation," one must accept Christ (either in this life or the next), and be baptized. To reach the highest heaven, one must believe in God and Jesus, repent of sins, be baptized in the church, be a member of the LDS church, receive the holy ghost by the laying on of hands, obey the Mormon "Word of Wisdom" and all God's commandments, and complete certain rituals including marriage. This "individual salvation" leads to this worshipper and his/her spouse becoming gods and giving birth to spirit children who return to earth as the souls of living.

8) Roman Catholicism - Originally believed only those in the Roman Catholic Church could be saved. Joining the church was a long process of classes, rituals, and baptism. Upon death, the souls of those who rejected Christ are sent to hell. The souls of those who accepted Christ and performed sufficient acts to be purified of sin go to heaven. Those who died in faith but did not complete the steps to be purified are sent to purgatory where they undergo temporary, painful punishment until their souls are cleansed. Purification by torment may be lessened by suffering during life and the offerings and prayers of others on the sinner's behalf. Once purification is complete, the soul may go to heaven.

9) Baha'i - Like many other religions, Baha'i does not teach that man was born with a sin nature or that man needs saving from evil. Man simply needs saving from his erroneous beliefs of how the world works and how he is to interact with the world. God sent messengers, including Abraham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Moses, Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed, and Baha'u'llah, to explain to people how to come about this knowledge. Upon death, a person's soul continues its spiritual journey, perhaps through the states known as heaven and hell, until it comes to a final resting point, united with god.

10) Confucianism - Concentrates on appropriate behavior in life, not a future heaven. The afterlife is unknowable, so all effort should be made to make this life the best it can be, to honor ancestors, and to respect elders.

11) Scientology - Salvation is achieved through knowledge of self and of the universe. The soul travels through several different lifetimes, attempting to expel painful and traumatic images that cause a person to act fearfully and irrationally. Once "cleared" of these harmful images. he/she is able to control thought, life, matter, space, time, and energy.

12) Unitarian-Universalism - Are allowed to and encouraged to believe anything they like about the afterlife and how to get there. Although in general, they believe people should seek enlightenment in this life and not worry too much about the afterlife.

13) Wicca - Most seem to agree that there is no need for salvation. People either live in harmony with the Goddess by caring for her physical manifestation - the Earth - or they don't, and their bad karma is returned to them three-fold. They don't believe in sin or anything they need saving from. 

14) Zoroastrianism - May be the first religion that stated that the afterlife was dependent on one's actions in life. There is no reincarnation, just a simple judgment four days after death. After a sufficient amount of time in hell, however, even the condemned can go to heaven. To be judged righteous, one can use knowledge or devotion, but the most effective way is through action. 

15) Christianity - Is the only religion that teaches man can do nothing to earn or pay his way into heaven. Man, a slave to the sin nature he was born with, must completely rely on the grace of God in applying Jesus Christ's sacrifice to the sins of the believer. Upon death, the spirits of Christians go to a temporary paradise, while the spirits of unbelievers go to another temporary holding place. At the final judgment, Christians are given a new body and spend eternity with God in paradise, while unbelievers are separated from God for eternity in hell. 

Christianity is a very unique religion, as it makes several claims that others do not:

1) All other religions exhort man to reach up to God and grasp hold of Him through their own efforts. Christianity is the only religion where God reaches down to man. 

Other religions subscribe to a system of works - those that we should do and those that we should avoid - which will make us "good enough" to please God and merit His favor. Christianity, on the other hand, is based on the Biblical principle that we can never be good enough to be in the presence of a perfect, holy God. The Mosaic Law was given to mankind to prove to us that we can't keep it. Galatians 3 describes the purpose of the Law. It is a "tutor" or "schoolmaster" to lead us to Christ because "...by observing the law no one will be justified" (Galatians 2:16). 

The impossibility of keeping the Law is revealed in what Jesus called the "first and greatest commandment" in Matthew 22:37: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This would mean loving God with every fiber of our being 24/7, with never a thought for ourselves, an impossible task for anyone. But rather than condemning us as law-breakers and leaving it at that, God provided a substitute - Jesus Christ - who obeyed the Law perfectlyfor us. By faith in Him and accepting His work on our behalf, we are justified and made righteous. 

2) Other religions are systems of do's and don'ts to appease God; whereas Christianity is a relationship with God. 

Christianity is not a religious system, but a relationship with God, one that He initiated and maintains. Christians believe that mankind was created specifically to have a relationship with God, but sin separates all men from Him. It teaches that Jesus Christ walked this earth, fully God, and yet fully man and died on the cross to fully restore the relationship that was broken by sin. The intimacy of this relationship is revealed in two poignant pictures. Now no longer seen as law-breakers, we have been adopted into God's own family as His children (Ephesians 1:5). Even more intimately, believers are the very "body of Christ" of which He is the head (Ephesians 1: 22-23), having been purchased by His blood (Hebrews 9:12). No other religion makes assertions that even begin to approximate this incredible truth.

3) Christianity looks to the Bible as the singular source of Truth. 

All religions have some sort of basis of information that outlines its beliefs and practices, but none have one source of information that makes the claims Christianity does about the Bible - it is the written Word of God, and it is infallible and inerrant and all that is necessary for faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16). Though there are other religions that use prophecy, none are 100% accurate, as are those in the Bible, and none of them point to someone like Jesus who made incredible claims and performed incredible deeds.

4) Christianity is based upon truly the most amazing event in all of human history - the resurrection. 

Possibly the most defining principle of Christianity that makes it truly unique in every way and provides its fundamental basis is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Christianity, the resurrection is vitally important, for without it, Christianity does not exist, and our faith is useless (1 Corinthians 15:14). No other religious leader has died in full view of trained executioners, had a guarded tomb, and then rose three days later to appear to many people. The resurrection is proof of who Jesus is and that He did accomplish what He set out to do: provide the only means of redemption for mankind. Buddha did not rise from the dead. Mohammed did not rise from the dead, Confucius, Krishna, and all other religious leaders did not rise from the dead. 

Only Jesus has physically risen from the dead, walked on water, claimed to be God, and raised others from the dead. He has conquered death. 

4) Jesus Christ transforms mankind - Righteousness is better than wickedness. Other religions may impose conformity to a certain code of behavior, but they have no power to change the heart. Christianity teaches that the believer is "dead to sin" and now lives "in newness of life" (Romans 6:2, 4). The authenticating mark of a Christian is his transformation from practicing sin to having a zeal for good works (Titus 2:14, 2 Corinthians 5:17).

The Christian's zeal for doing good has resulted in the founding of countless orphanages, hospitals, clinics, schools, homeless shelters, and emergency relief agencies - all in the name of Christ. The Christian religion is unique in that it does not force change from without but revolutionizes lives from within. 

5) Jesus Christ is loving - Love is better than the absence of love. God is love (1 John 4:8, 16). Love is the greatest of His gifts to us (1 Corinthians 13:13) - not the fickle, so-called love of the world, but the selfless, unconditional love which always seeks to benefit the  one loved. God showed His love for us in sending His one-and-only Son. Jesus showed His love for us in providing for our salvation by dying on the cross. 

Jesus gave His followers a new command: "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love others. By this all men will know you are my disciple, if you love one another" (John 13: 34-35). 

There is no doubt in my mind that the number of different religions in the world makes it a challenge to know which one is correct. The challenge of different answers to a particular issue is not unique to the topic of religion. For example, you can sit 100 math students down, give them a complex problem to solve, and it is likely that many of them will get the answer wrong. But does this mean that a correct answer does not exist? Not at all. Those who get the answer wrong simply need to be shown their error and know the techniques necessary to arrive at the correct answer.

From there, how do we arrive at the truth about God? I am going to use a systematic methodology that is designed to separate truth from error by using various tests for truth, with the end result being a set of right conclusions. Here is the framework:

1) Logical consistency - The claims of a belief system must logically cohere to each other and not contradict in any way. As an example, the end goal of Buddhism is to rid oneself of all desires. Yet, one must have a desire to rid oneself of all desires, which is a contradictory and illogical principle.

2) Empirical adequacy - Is there evidence to support the belief system (whether the evidence is rational, externally evidential, etc)? Naturally, it is only right to want proof for important claims beings made so the assertions can be verified. For example, Mormons teach that Jesus lived in North America. Yet there is absolutely no proof, archaeological or otherwise, to support such a claim. 

3) Existetial relevancy - The belief system must conform to reality as we know it, and it must make a meaningful difference in the life of the adherent. Deism, for example, claims that God just threw the spinning world into the universe and does not interact with those who live on it. How does such a belief impact someone in a day-to-day manner? In short, it does not.