Folks from Other Religions

[SalixIncendium]

In strict terms, Catholicism teaches that all other religions are false. However, this is nuanced by the recognition that other religions do nonetheless contain varying degrees of truth.

I never heard this growing up as a Catholic. I was taught nothing more than other religions were false. Nothing was mentioned about their containing any degrees of truth. Is this a more recent development?

IAgain in strict terms, no other religion is salvific. And yet, the Church does not preclude the possibility of salvation of those outside the visible Church. Only God can know for sure a soul's standing.

Again, there was no mention of any sort of any possibility of salvation outside the Church. It was stated to me quite plainly that if one wasn't baptized Catholic, one faced eternal damnation.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Hi,

"All religions are true"
That would mean that a religion claiming that it is the only true religion is true as well.

Infinite are the paths "God can be realized by means of all paths"
But Jesus said that he is the "only path" to God. Can they both be right ?

"It is enough to have sincere yearning"
Thus a religion claiming the opposite is wrong, but Sri Ramakrishna claims that all religion are true.

Does anyone see the illogical reasoning here.
Are we to accept that God is illogical?

Or perhaps logic is not a strong point of most religion, and this comment from the Ap Paul is applicable.
1 Cor 3:19 "The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God"​

Ramakrishna also said:

“You may say that there are many errors and superstitions in another religion. I should reply: Suppose there are. Every religion has errors. Everyone thinks that his watch alone gives the correct time. It is enough to have yearning for God."
​

From Jesus' perspective at the time, he may have genuinely thought that his path was the only one to God. The important take-away is that he had a yearning for God.

 

[Deeje]

You know I would like to know personally about what others think about the afterlife.

It seems strange to me now, after growing up in Christendom and never questioning the validity of belief in an afterlife.....like it was a foregone conclusion to me....but the death of someone very close to me changed all that.

My father died very suddenly, and he had promised that if there was a way to communicate after death, (if that ever happened) that he would contact us.....but there was only a very long and empty silence.
It didn't make sense, so I started investigating what the Bible taught about death....and to my complete surprise, there is no mention of an immortal soul anywhere in the scriptures. There is no invisible, spiritual part of humans that leaves the body to go somewhere else. I discovered that this is a Platonic Greek notion....nothing to do with the Bible at all. The ancient Jews did not have any belief in an afterlife...they believed in resurrection. That is not the release of a soul to go to heaven or hell, but a return to life in the same way that Jesus raised his friend, Lazarus. (read John 11:11-14 and see where Jesus said Lazarus was) Jesus returned Lazarus to this life and gave him back to his family and friends.

Like what are your thoughts about the afterlife ~~ In extraction of using anything else, but your mind and thoughts.

Since an afterlife requires a 'life' and the Bible does not say anything about an invisible part of us living on, my whole concept of death changed.....I came to realize that death is the very opposite of life. The dead are resting in peace in their graves, safe from the bad news of what going on with their families and the sad state of the world in general.

That is rather comforting to me actually because it struck me that those who lost their family members or friends would be in distress at the loss, but the one who had passed away would also be in distress at the separation. How could heaven be a happy place if they are up there wanting to be back with the people they left behind, or if they are watching what is happening to us down here and being unable to stop us from being hurt?

The thought that the dead were "sleeping" was so much more of a comfort. (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10)
Jesus promised to call them from their graves but only after the establishment of his Kingdom. (John 5:28-29)

I personally believed a long time ago before God came into my life that I personally was God. I would created my own universe when leaving this realm of reality of the flesh.

This was because I hated God, and desired my own ways to go about things. Found out that I was wrong, and not thinking correctly, and hated everyone while in this mentality.

This sounds like mental illness, and it is sadly common, but it seems as if you have found yourself, and if you have received help now, and have given God an open heart to work with, you will be much happier.

The Bible is a treasure chest just waiting to be opened and explored. I am really glad you came here.....its a good site to compare faiths and interact with those who want to help you get the best out of your time here.
Keep knocking....keep seeking.....the answers are all there....

 

[Glaurung]

I never heard this growing up as a Catholic. I was taught nothing more than other religions were false. Nothing was mentioned about their containing any degrees of truth. Is this a more recent development?

Almost all the major religions contain some truth. For example, both Judaism and Islam have truth in that as they recognize the God of Biblical revelation. Dvaita Vedanta has truth in that it recognizes God as distinct from and transcendent of creation. Buddhism has truth in that it recognizes the ephemeral nature of worldly goods. We could go on but you get the idea.

Again, there was no mention of any sort of any possibility of salvation outside the Church. It was stated to me quite plainly that if one wasn't baptized Catholic, one faced eternal damnation.

That is an error known as Feeneyism. The Church teaches:

This affirmation is not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church: Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience—those too may achieve eternal salvation. - CCC 847​

This is not to deny the necessity of the Church for salvation. It's just that the Church also believes that God's grace can reach those outside its visible confines. In other words, the Church is willed by God as the instrument of grace by which we are saved. But God himself has no obligation to act only within the confines of the visible Church.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Almost all the major religions contain some truth. For example, both Judaism and Islam have truth in that as they recognize the God of Biblical revelation. Dvaita Vedanta has truth in that it recognizes God as distinct from and transcendent of creation. Buddhism has truth in that it recognizes the ephemeral nature of worldly goods. We could go on but you get the idea.

So what you're saying here is the truth the Catholic Church sees in other religions are those beliefs the Catholic Church posits as truth.

 

[Glaurung]

So what you're saying here is the truth the Catholic Church sees in other religions are those beliefs the Catholic Church posits as truth.

It would be incoherent for the Church to affirm claims contrary to Christian teaching. Commitment to the Gospel is commitment to certain claims about God, his identity and what he has revealed.

 

[SalixIncendium]

It would be incoherent for the Church to affirm claims contrary to Christian teaching. Commitment to the Gospel is commitment to certain claims about God, his identity and what he has revealed.

This is the greatest flaw I see with Christianity. Rigid and inflexible beliefs and refusal to entertain other claims ultimately leads to stagnation of spiritual growth.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Ramakrishna also said: ..

Ramakrishna or Vivekananda were not messengers of any God. They alone do not define Hindu thought. They expressed their views, and people may have differences with them. To me, it is irritating when people deify the leaders of their religions.

Dvaita Vedanta has truth in that it recognizes God as distinct from and transcendent of creation.

Well, Advaita Vedanta in Hinduism finds that God and humans, animals, vegetation or non-living substances, all are not different in reality.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Ramakrishna or Vivekananda were not messengers of any God. They alone do not define Hindu thought. They expressed their views, and people may have differences with them. To me, it is irritating when people deify the leaders of their religions.

I was responding to the OP. It asked what my religion teaches. I am a follower of the Advaita Vedanta school of Hinduism, and this is what that school teaches. I stated that many believe Ramakrishna was an incarnation of God. This is a matter of fact, and I see no reason this should be irritating to anyone, especially one that claims to be liberated.

I made no comment in this thread about my personal views regarding the deification of Ramakrisha, nor did I make any mention of Vivekananda whatsoever here.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Yeah, I know. Part of my post was a response to OP too. Irritations are common in Vyavaharika and even the enlightened have a right to be irritated at times. A SamyakasamaBuddha or a Maharshi will not be irritated, but a PaccekaBuddha or a Rajarshi can get irritated (don't take it too seriously ).

 

[SalixIncendium]

Yeah, I know. Part of my post was a response to OP too. Irritations are common in Vyavaharika and even the enlightened have a right to be irritated at times. A SamyakasamaBuddha or a Maharshi will not be irritated, but a PaccekaBuddha or a Rajarshi can get irritated (don't take it too seriously ).

Sure everyone has a right to be irritated. But in my understanding, a display of irritation by someone who is enlightened is more for the benefit of others rather than that person actually being irritated.

Maybe that's what you were doing?

 

[Aupmanyav]

You got me there.

 

[Vinayaka]

The thing about the Ramakrishna story that can be misleading is that what he said about other religions, he said after he was realised. So he was looking at the whole thing from that realised perspective, from the top of the mountain. From that POV, he can see the big picture, and the path may now be 'fuzzy' some distant memory.

What got him there? Which religion took him to that place? Hinduism! The question remains is if whether or not he'd had practiced another faith from the beginning if he'd have been able to arrive at the same conclusions from the realisations within that religion. Personally, I think not, because the Abrahamic religions don't have doctrine of a path to enlightenment within them, as far as I know.

 

[nPeace]

What does your religion teach about other religions?

JWs follow the Bible’s advice to “respect everyone”, regardless of their religious beliefs. 1 Peter 2:17
We teach that other religion have good and noble motives. Many do an admirable job of caring for the sick, the elderly, and the poor.
We also teach that there are good people in all religions - kind-hearted, honest, and sincerely wanting to please God.
However, we teach what the Bible says about religion. Hence, it matters to us to teach what Jesus Christ, one of the most respected religious teachers in history, says on this subject.

What does it teach about what will happen to folks from those other religions in the afterlife?

JWs teach what the Bible says regarding life after death - that is resurrection, or a standing up again to life.
All who receive a resurrection, will be taught pure worship. - Revelation 20:12, 13

What does it teach about folks from other religions living among you if yours is the dominant religion?

JWs teach that many folks living among us may yet begin to serve God, and they too will gain salvation. In any case, it’s not our job to judge who will or won’t be saved. That assignment rests squarely in Jesus’ hands. - John 5:22, 27.
Hence their ministry is not limited to any particular people, or selected individual. They call on everyone, including people of all religions, to share the kingdom good news.
This ministry has helped millions to obey the command found at Revelation 18:4 - to get out of Babylon the Great?

 

[John1.12]

What does your religion teach about other religions?

What does it teach about what will happen to folks from those other religions in the afterlife?

What does it teach about folks from other religions living among you if yours is the dominant religion?

There's nothing good in ' religion ' .

 

[Neuropteron]

Ramakrishna also said:

“You may say that there are many errors and superstitions in another religion. I should reply: Suppose there are. Every religion has errors. Everyone thinks that his watch alone gives the correct time. It is enough to have yearning for God."
​

From Jesus' perspective at the time, he may have genuinely thought that his path was the only one to God. The important take-away is that he had a yearning for God.

Hi,
The bottom line is, why should I believe Ramakrishna.
"every religion has errors" is only true if the religion in question is man made. However a form of worship that God requires is perfect since it is handed down from a perfect God.

Ramakrishna is wrong in assuming that yearning is the most important thing.
What is important is yearning for the right things AND acting upon it.
If I yearn for rubbish I will get sick.
I can yearn for food, but if I do not eat, I will starve.

Ramakrishna is putting the emphasis in the wrong places and seems to have an incomplete understanding of spiritual truths.

 

[Neuropteron]

Sorry. I assumed that you believed death was a negative like so many others.

Death isn't bad. It's life without contentment that's hard. Love life fear not death, I always say.

Hi Viker,

Allow me to clarify what I said.
Although I didn't qualify it at the time my personal opinion aligns with the bible in clearly identifying death as something evil and calls it an enemy.

I agree with your comment about loving life and not fearing death
The reason we don't need to fear death is because God wants us to live not die and promises us this life through the resurrection made possible by Christ.
Cheers.

 

[Rival]

The reason we don't need to fear death is because God wants us to live not die and promises us this life through the resurrection made possible by Christ.

It's possible in Judaism. No Jesus needed.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Hi,
The bottom line is, why should I believe Ramakrishna.

I don't recall ever suggesting that you should.

"every religion has errors" is only true if the religion in question is man made. However a form of worship that God requires is perfect since it is handed down from a perfect God.

All religions are man-made. Humans created the religions to understand and explain their existence, their purpose, and to understand what divinity is.

Ramakrishna is wrong in assuming that yearning is the most important thing.
What is important is yearning for the right things AND acting upon it.
If I yearn for rubbish I will get sick.
I can yearn for food, but if I do not eat, I will starve.

Ramakrishna is putting the emphasis in the wrong places and seems to have an incomplete understanding of spiritual truths.

You're drawing conclusions based on assumptions. Why would you assume that Ramakrishna meant yearn for God at the exclusion of action.

Tell me, do you know what karma yoga is?

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

This is the greatest flaw I see with Christianity. Rigid and inflexible beliefs and refusal to entertain other claims ultimately leads to stagnation of spiritual growth.

So your biggest problem with Christianity is...that it has its own unique beliefs, like literally every other religion in existence???