Do All Religions Teach Their Way Is The Only Right Way?

[King Phenomenon]

I know Christians say the only way to God is through Jesus and Muslims say that everybody is born a Muslim and other religions are wrong. Are there any other religions that believe their way is the only right way?

 

[dybmh]

Are there any other religions that believe their way is the only right way?

Yes. Most religions do that. The exceptions are not so much religions as "ways of life" which include optional religious / devotional / spiritual practices.

Daoism and Hinduism are the ones that come to mind. There's probably others. UU might also qualify as an exception.

 

[King Phenomenon]

Yes. Most religions do that. The exceptions are not so much religions as "ways of life" which include optional religious / devotional / spiritual practices.

Daoism and Hinduism are the ones that come to mind. There's probably others. UU might also qualify as an exception.

So does Daoism and Hinduism say their way is the only right way? UU?

 

[dybmh]

So does Daoism and Hinduism say their way is the only right way? UU?

No, they're the exceptions. Almost all religions say their way is the only way.

 

[I Am Hugh]

I know Christians say the only way to God is through Jesus and Muslims say that everybody is born a Muslim and other religions are wrong. Are there any other religions that believe their way is the only right way?

Well, I know that no religion believes it's the wrong way.

 

[dybmh]

Well, I know that no religion believes it's the wrong way.

That reminds me of teaching my son to drive:

"Son. See what I'm doing? Don't do that. This is not what you're supposed to do."

 

[Tamino]

I know Christians say the only way to God is through Jesus and Muslims say that everybody is born a Muslim and other religions are wrong. Are there any other religions that believe their way is the only right way?

Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern polytheists did not believe that.

Egyptians, Canaanites and Assyrians exchanged gods among each other, integrating some foreign deities into their Pantheon or sending god statues abroad to their allies. They may have considered their own gods and practices to be superior, but they acknowledged other people's gods and religions as valid and real.

The Greeks where of the opinion that all humans worship the same gods and just call them by different names. They were also open to the idea of new, formerly unknown deities revealing themselves and establishing a following and cult.

The Romans respected the "Gods of the Place" in foreign lands and the Roman Empire fostered an inclusive and multicultural approach to religion that sparked a number of syncretic cults

 

[sun rise]

There's what the theology says and what people who identify with the religion believe. There was this survey result specifically about what evangelical Christians believe.

More than half (58 percent) believe that God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.

The State of Theology: What Evangelicals Believe in 2022

A new survey reveals that many evangelicals hold unorthodox and heretical beliefs. Here's how to fix that.

www.thegospelcoalition.org

 

[Quintessence]

Contrary to what's been asserted, exclusivism is the exception to the general rule, not the norm. It's just that exclusivist religions due to their nature have come to dominate the awareness of English-speaking cultures.

"One of the most frequently asked questions to arise from the 2007 Landscape Survey findings is how the 70% of religiously affiliated respondents who said “many religions can lead to eternal life” interpreted the phrase “many religions.” For example, do Christians who express this view have in mind only Christians from denominations other than their own, or are they thinking more broadly of non-Christian religions? To shed light on this issue, the new survey asks those who believe that many religions can lead to eternal life a series of follow-up questions.​

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Taken as a whole, these responses reveal that most American Christians, including evangelicals, have more than just other Christian denominations in mind when they say there are many paths to salvation. For example, among white mainline Protestants (85%), black Protestants (81%) and white Catholics (88%), more than eight-in-ten of those who say many religions can lead to eternal life cite at least one non-Christian religion that can do so."​

Heaven: Not a Gated Community

Most Americans who claim a religious affiliation think many religions, not just their own religion, can lead to eternal life.

www.pewresearch.org

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[Quintessence]

There's what the theology says and what people who identify with the religion believe. There was this survey result specifically about what evangelical Christians believe.

More than half (58 percent) believe that God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.

The State of Theology: What Evangelicals Believe in 2022

A new survey reveals that many evangelicals hold unorthodox and heretical beliefs. Here's how to fix that.

www.thegospelcoalition.org

Nice to see some more recent data - the PEW study I linked to is a bit old though they probably have done the analysis for their more recent religious landscape survey too. Considering Evangelicals tend to be the most hard line exclusivists of the lot, it's pretty telling that a good chunk of them have abandoned exclusivism.

 

[King Phenomenon]

Contrary to what's been asserted, exclusivism is the exception to the general rule, not the norm. It's just that exclusivist religions due to their nature have come to dominate the awareness of English-speaking cultures.

"One of the most frequently asked questions to arise from the 2007 Landscape Survey findings is how the 70% of religiously affiliated respondents who said “many religions can lead to eternal life” interpreted the phrase “many religions.” For example, do Christians who express this view have in mind only Christians from denominations other than their own, or are they thinking more broadly of non-Christian religions? To shed light on this issue, the new survey asks those who believe that many religions can lead to eternal life a series of follow-up questions.​

​

...​

​

Taken as a whole, these responses reveal that most American Christians, including evangelicals, have more than just other Christian denominations in mind when they say there are many paths to salvation. For example, among white mainline Protestants (85%), black Protestants (81%) and white Catholics (88%), more than eight-in-ten of those who say many religions can lead to eternal life cite at least one non-Christian religion that can do so."​

Heaven: Not a Gated Community

Most Americans who claim a religious affiliation think many religions, not just their own religion, can lead to eternal life.

www.pewresearch.org

​

​

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That’s awesome that they said Many religions can lead to eternal life and salvation

 

[The Hammer]

Yes. Most religions do that. The exceptions are not so much religions as "ways of life" which include optional religious / devotional / spiritual practices.

Daoism and Hinduism are the ones that come to mind. There's probably others. UU might also qualify as an exception.

Paganism is definitely practice over belief. We aren't the only right way. That's not how Pluralism works

 

[dybmh]

Paganism is definitely practice over belief. We aren't the only right way. That's not how Pluralism works

Thank you. I should have included that. I struggle to consider Paganism a religion. It's a way of life? It's a collection of religious practices?

 

[The Hammer]

Thank you. I should have included that. I struggle to consider Paganism a religion. It's a way of life?

Absolutely a way of life imo. If one is doing it right.

 

[shunyadragon]

Yes. Most religions do that. The exceptions are not so much religions as "ways of life" which include optional religious / devotional / spiritual practices.

Daoism and Hinduism are the ones that come to mind. There's probably others. UU might also qualify as an exception.

Daoism is sort of an odd out, in that Lao Tzu may not have ever existed like Confucianism was not possible founded by Confucius. Daoism does not consider other beliefs in line with "no comment," and blends with Buddhism and Confucianism. Confucianism represents a collection of documents from the ancient kingdoms likely compiled by s group at communal school like a monastery blended culture evolved from the standards of behavior and hierarchy in family, community and government.

Hinduism is another rather unique case that cannot be compared to the Abrahamic religions of the West, It is a very diverse varied religion that in a way is part of the same blended Vedic tradition with Buddhism another likely more tolerant religion. Nonetheless despite their tolerance they do consider their way humans reach the ultimate goal often defined as extinction into oblivion, or nothingness, Such as everybody will reincarnate to the ultimate goal.

The Baha'i Faith does recognize a more universal view of the relationship between all the religions and spiritual beliefs of the world with a high degree of tolerance in a sense of unify, but nonetheless the Baha'i Faith does believe in their religion as ultimately the hope of humanity. The differences in the religions reflect the human culture, influence, and time in an evolving spiritual nature of humanity.

 

[The Hammer]

It's a collection of religious practices?

This needs some clarification on what you mean by "collection of religious practices".

 

[Quintessence]

Absolutely a way of life imo. If one is doing it right.

To add, I tend to regard religion in the non-modern sense of lifeway also. The idea of religion being some box you can check that's somehow separate from who and what you are, or whose you are in terms of culture and society and the land itself, is fairly modern. And... just kind of weird. An academic artifice, in some regards.

 

[Heyo]

I know Christians say the only way to God is through Jesus and Muslims say that everybody is born a Muslim and other religions are wrong. Are there any other religions that believe their way is the only right way?

As a rule of thumb, only monotheistic religions are exclusive. It goes together with authoritarianism, strict hierarchies (only one ruler at the top), and a general black-and-white world-view. Polytheists have pluralism right in their theology and tend to be more inclusive.

 

[RestlessSoul]

 

[PearlSeeker]

The Romans respected the "Gods of the Place" in foreign lands and the Roman Empire fostered an inclusive and multicultural approach to religion that sparked a number of syncretic cults

I don't think they were so inclusive and respectful.

According to Josephus in his The Jewish War (2.9.2) and Antiquities of the Jews (18.3.1), Pilate offended the Jews by moving imperial standards with the image of Caesar into Jerusalem. This resulted in a crowd of Jews surrounding Pilate's house in Caesarea for five days. Pilate then summoned them to an arena, where the Roman soldiers drew their swords. But the Jews showed so little fear of death, that Pilate relented and removed the standards.[60] Bond argues that the fact that Josephus says that Pilate brought in the standards by night, shows that he knew that the images of the emperor would be offensive.[61] She dates this incident to early in Pilate's tenure as governor.[62] Daniel Schwartz and Alexander Demandt both suggest that this incident is in fact identical with "the incident with the shields" reported in Philo's Embassy to Gaius, an identification first made by the early church historian Eusebius.[63][57] Lémonon, however, argues against this identification.[64]...​

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In another incident recorded in both the Jewish Wars (2.9.4) and the Antiquities of the Jews (18.3.2), Josephus relates that Pilate offended the Jews by using up the temple treasury (korbanos) to pay for a new aqueduct to Jerusalem. When a mob formed while Pilate was visiting Jerusalem, Pilate ordered his troops to beat them with clubs; many perished from the blows or from being trampled by horses, and the mob was dispersed.[70]​

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Not to mention the persecution of Christians throughout the Roman Empire, beginning in the 1st century AD and ending in the 4th century...