[Kitana85]

Originally Posted by Xantar

There's a difference between religion and Religion. One is the actual teachings according to sacred texts, stories and other such things passed from generation to generation. The other is the human interpretation of what it means.

Originally Posted by Xantar

So if you're satisfied with your beliefs after thinking about them closely, then so be it. I'm happy for you. But if you really are so confident in your beliefs, you will also have realized that you have no need to convince anybody else to see it your way.

You totally missed the point of my post, or of yours. You are saying that people shouldn't try to convert others, and what I'm saying is that those who do DON'T HAVE A CHOICE. We may disagree and believe they do have a choice, however, they KNOW with all their heart, and all their soul, and all their mind, and all their strength, that they must HELP other people. It isn't always an issue of being confident-- this might be hard for what I'm assuming is an antheist Buddist-- to understand, but this is their duty-- its not an issue of Religion vs religion.

Your definition of Christianity also leaves me baffled. Christianity is (according to a few dictionaries I checked):"a religion based on the Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ."
By asserting that it is Jesus CHRIST, it implies to to belong you assume Jesus is Christ, or he would not be called as such. Assuming now, that the belief holds that Jesus is Messiah, thus, he frees all from sin, and his own comments that "all who believe in me shall have eternal life," as well as many others that I could quote Chapter and verse, there is a theme of the necessity of taking Christ as ones personal savior.

HOWEVER, as you pointed out, many, including, many RC's, Episcopalians (me), E. Lutherans, etc, are more tolerant, however, they (we), will most often admit that thought that is what the scripture says, we basically aren't listening to that part. Take that as you will.
Christianity teaches, at its core, that Christ Jesus is THE way, THE truth, and The life (I can quote c:v if you like). Though many of us in these groups believe in many paths to the one end, that is personal preference NOT religious teaching.

What I'm basically saying is that its not an issue of what's been passed down, or what was originally there, its what one has to do to achieve the ultimate closeness with God (and ridding others of being farther away). What various people believe are different, but some of them believe converting others is both necessesary, and the ultimate compassion.