How do you feel about other faiths?

[lovesong]

@Terese posted an interesting thread entitled "Your thoughts on other religions" recently, but since it's in the Christianity DIR it only allows Christians to share their thoughts. I found the variety of replies very interesting and wanted to find out what people of other faiths thought about this. Since posting the same thread in every DIR would be a bit redundant, I would like to open up the discussion to the whole community here and ask people of every faith, how do you feel about other faiths? It would be helpful to briefly describe your own beliefs first to get an idea of how different groups view others. What do the teachings of your religion have to say about other beliefs? What do you personally think? Do you treat all other faiths equally or do you view some as better than others?

Spoiler: Original thread by Terese

http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/your-thoughts-on-other-religions.186408/

 

[crossfire]

I like to use the Kalama Sutta as a guideline when it comes to considering other religious doctrines.

 

[Augustus]

My faith is 'none'.

As to other faiths, they sometimes make people do good things, sometimes they make them do bad things, sometimes they make them do normal and unremarkable things, sometimes they have no effect whatsoever.

Ultimately people are defined by who they are and not what faith they are as all faiths are just too diverse, and ultimately faiths are defined by what their adherents think and do, not by some normative text or theology.

Religions pretty much mean whatever people want them to mean, so best to view them on the individual level rather than as a collective entity.

 

[GoodbyeDave]

Firstly, I'll make a distinction between primary religions (aka paganism) that have grown up over the millennia and secondary religions that have been founded by one or more people claiming divine inspiration (Muhammad) or superior wisdom (the Sikh, Nanak).

Paganism I consider to be basically one, so I accept all its forms. I worship Athena rather than Oshun or Amaterasu, but that doesn't mean that I disbelieve in Oshun or Amaterasu, still less that I have any problems with their worshipers.

Secondary religions I judge by their (1) plausibility and (2) consequences.

None of them seem plausible to me: what evidence do I have that Buddha was wiser than I, or that Muhammad was visited by an angel? But that doesn't create a problem. The Muslim looks at me and sees a sinner destined for hell, but I look at them and just see some-one who's made a silly mistake, which is their problem not mine.

The consequences are a different affair, though. Religions created by thinkers like the Buddha and Guru Nanak seem harmless, even beneficial. The Abrahamic religions are a different kettle of fish though. They want the right to tell me what to believe and how to behave: over my dead body!

 

[George-ananda]

how do you feel about other faiths? What do the teachings of your religion have to say about other beliefs? What do you personally think?

I am a non-dual (God and creation are not-two) Hindu and I believe that what is important is the quality of our hearts and minds and not our beliefs on challenging super-physical questions. So I believe all religions (and that would include all the major religions and even humanistic-atheism) that espouse brotherly love are effective. I do have an issue with shouting exclusivist beliefs (salvation only comes through one path) and those with intolerance to other beliefs.

I can't comment on all the minor belief groups out there as there are certainly some with 'out there' ideas I think are damaging.

Do you treat all other faiths equally or do you view some as better than others?

I treat 'the people' of all faiths equally (with brotherly love). But I do believe the great masters/saints of the eastern/Indian tradition have gone and understood deeper into the nature of reality than any other of mankind's religious or scientific traditions.

 

[Mindmaster]

This is kind of hard to answer here as there are some faiths for which I have no kind words. Some rules are going to be broken if I was completely honest! ( I will twist around the rules, haha) Anyway, I basically look at religions in a couple of categories and I mostly judge them by their fruit. Do they encourage terrorism, intolerance, or cruelty to others in any conceivable way? (Even if that "way" is what is written in scripture, but not supposedly followed.) If the answer is, "yes or maybe", then I am pretty much done with them. I don't care what value they supposedly have when they hurt people in some way. They're a waste of space, talking time, and further just irrelevant in a modern context.

Other things I generally reject: Useless tradition, dietary silliness, specifying how clothing must be worn, etc... These are on the level of how to wipe your backside after using the toilet - they have nothing to do with anything important, rampant misogyny and rape culture, child abuse, etc. If you can see that that might include most primary religions well, you're right... It might.

I fully support religions that promote peace, tolerance, and good vibes.

 

[crossfire]

This is kind of hard to answer here as there are some faiths for which I have no kind words. Some rules are going to be broken if I was completely honest! ( I will twist around the rules, haha) Anyway, I basically look at religions in a couple of categories and I mostly judge them by their fruit. Do they encourage terrorism, intolerance, or cruelty to others in any conceivable way? (Even if that "way" is what is written in scripture, but not supposedly followed.) If the answer is, "yes or maybe", then I am pretty much done with them. I don't care what value they supposedly have when they hurt people in some way. They're a waste of space, talking time, and further just irrelevant in a modern context.

Other things I generally reject: Useless tradition, dietary silliness, specifying how clothing must be worn, etc... These are on the level of how to wipe your backside after using the toilet - they have nothing to do with anything important, rampant misogyny and rape culture, child abuse, etc. If you can see that that might include most primary religions well, you're right... It might.

I fully support religions that promote peace, tolerance, and good vibes.

Oh, you follow the Kalama Sutta too?

 

[Mindmaster]

Oh, you follow the Kalama Sutta too?

Nope, but I'm guessing that great minds come across the same ideas eventually.

 

[Quintessence]

Well, my general response to all things is curiosity and fascination. My response when it comes to various cultural practices, including things called "faiths," is the same.

 

[Sultan Of Swing]

I am a Christian, I believe Jesus Christ is God in the flesh who died on the cross for the sins of His people, taking the punishment they deserved so that any who call upon His name may be saved from Hell and have new life with Him.

I find other faiths interesting, but am no relativist. I am called by God to love my neighbour and by His grace I try and do that but often fail. The greatest gift of love that a Christian can give another is the Gospel, the greatest news in history, that His people are not destined to be forever dead in their sins and condemned in judgement but that God came down to earth and paid the price we ought to have paid, that Jesus, fully man and fully God, died on the cross and took that punishment, and all who call upon His name, repent and believe and trust in Him will have eternal life, joy and peace with God.

 

[BSM1]

When it comes to faith I believe that no one knows any more than the next person (that's why it's called faith and not fact). However, I do believe that everyone has to find their own truth.

 

[Jainarayan]

Whatever blows your hair back is good with me. I just don't want to be preached at, evangelized or proselytized to.

• I don't believe one faith is better or worse than another. It's not the religion that's good or bad, it's what its followers do with it that make it "good or bad".
• I don't believe there is only one truth.
• I don't believe everyone has the same objective vis-á-vis soteriology. Heathenry doesn't believe in the concept of sin or salvation.
• I don't believe everyone has the same eschatology. Most Heathens, and I daresay Pagans (our Pagan friends here can correct me) believe in a cyclic nature of the universe. That is, many modern Heathens including yours truly, believe that Ragnarök has occurred, does occur, and will keep occurring. It's a metaphor for the cyclic nature of things.
• I don't believe there is "one mountain top" with many roads and paths to it.

There's a quote in the SyFy Channel adaptation of Childhood's End, in which Karellen says "all your religions cannot be true". I take that a step further with "all religions cannot be true all the time". I've come to feel as Gandhi said, along those lines: "After long study and experience, I have come to the conclusion that [1] all religions are true; [2] all religions have some error in them; [3] all religions are almost as dear to me as my own Hinduism, in as much as all human beings should be as dear to one as one's own close relatives. My own veneration for other faiths is the same as that for my own faith; therefore no thought of conversion is possible." M. K. Gandhi, All Men Are Brothers: Life and Thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi as told in his own words, Paris, UNESCO 1958, p 60.

 

[lovesong]

Other things I generally reject: Useless tradition, dietary silliness, specifying how clothing must be worn, etc... These are on the level of how to wipe your backside after using the toilet - they have nothing to do with anything important

I completely agree on this. I honestly loose some respect for a faith that dictates little things like this, at that point it makes the religion seem more like a control thing and less like a spiritual path. Self-dictated restrictions are fine, but when it comes to ones dictates to individuals from a book or religious authority I feel the same way you do.

Firstly, I'll make a distinction between primary religions (aka paganism) that have grown up over the millennia and secondary religions that have been founded by one or more people claiming divine inspiration (Muhammad) or superior wisdom (the Sikh, Nanak).

Paganism I consider to be basically one, so I accept all its forms. I worship Athena rather than Oshun or Amaterasu, but that doesn't mean that I disbelieve in Oshun or Amaterasu, still less that I have any problems with their worshipers.

Secondary religions I judge by their (1) plausibility and (2) consequences.

None of them seem plausible to me: what evidence do I have that Buddha was wiser than I, or that Muhammad was visited by an angel? But that doesn't create a problem. The Muslim looks at me and sees a sinner destined for hell, but I look at them and just see some-one who's made a silly mistake, which is their problem not mine.

The consequences are a different affair, though. Religions created by thinkers like the Buddha and Guru Nanak seem harmless, even beneficial. The Abrahamic religions are a different kettle of fish though. They want the right to tell me what to believe and how to behave: over my dead body!

Agree completely. I really like the way you break religions up into two categories and I feel very similarly about both types.

Going on from both of your comments I would like to share my views on other religions, you may or may not agree but the ideas seem similar. I've collected what I call my seven deadly sins of religion, seven things that make a religion "bad" or "harmful." Religions that break any of these rules generally sit negatively with me. I can't speak for everyone in a particular religion but simply the religion as a whole (if someone's religion violates the rules but they personally do not then I would think highly of their individual faith, but still see the religion in itself in bad light).

Lovesong's Seven Deadly Sins of Religion:

A religion is "bad" or "harmful" if...

1. it teaches un-acceptance or hate towards a certain group.
2. it preaches complete and total submission to a leader or prohibits individuality or free through.
3. it denies science or discourages medical, scientific, or technological advancements.
4. it promises eternal torture if followers don't obey the rules.
5. it shames sex or the body.
6. it makes people feel bad for, or stops people from, doing things they want to do.
7. it makes people do, or makes people feel bad for not doing, things they don't want to do.

 

[crossfire]

I like to use the Kalama Sutta as a guideline when it comes to considering other religious doctrines.

Kalama sutta demonstrates how a doctrine that preaches greed, hatred, or delusion leads to long term harm, not matter how much pretzel logic they try to use to justify it. Reject those doctrines. Doctrines that teach about how to achieve a lack or greed, a lack of hatred, and a lack of delusion lead to long term benefit, so accept them.

 

[Mindmaster]

I completely agree on this. I honestly loose some respect for a faith that dictates little things like this, at that point it makes the religion seem more like a control thing and less like a spiritual path. Self-dictated restrictions are fine, but when it comes to ones dictates to individuals from a book or religious authority I feel the same way you do.

Also, I feel it creeps into a religions legitimacy. I mean, if it cannot survive a modern view how valid ultimately is it? We're past women's lib, and LGBT tolerance and our religion should be able to adapt -- if it is true, then it should never hobble us as we attempt to move forward. As far as these sorts of activities, in my view, these are exactly the type of things you make people focus on to avoid having any legitimate spiritual awakening whatsoever. Drowning folks in tedium is a great way to crush any hope of inspiration they'd ever have... Pray five times a day, get up at silly hours of the night to do it, etc. These are just things designed to dull the mind and harden the heart. I would be an insufferable wretch if I did any of these things.

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

How do I feel about other faiths? Well I feel that all faiths need to be kept out of the corridors of power. Religion & government has always been a toxic mix.

I'll start off with my religion: I view Paganism as an umbrella term for a myriad of different systems which all share similar features: ancestor worship, animism, reverence for nature etc. to name a minor few. I take most other religions depending on

• their doctrines;
• how the religions address issues of rights, protections etc;
• how much of a person's life said doctrines seek to control;
• how receptive it is to change;
• whether they proselyte or not;
• and their ability to directly influence the geo-political landscape; both immediately around me and in the wider world.

I often find myself struggling to say nice things about intolerant monotheist religions which, if given the chance, would neuter or remove my rights to practice as I see fit - and whose followers invariably describe my gods as false despite having never bothered to make any effort for themselves in finding this out; always relying on one holy book or another. Their attempts to influence politics on a local, national & international level induce eye-rolling & disgust more often than not. That said, I am able to sympathise, sometimes even empathise with the plight of minorities a great deal. Indeed, being a Pagan has given me an almost instinctual empathy for the underdog.

The Ahmadi shopkeeper murdered in Glasgow for being an Ahmadi is a good example. I don't like Ahmadi Islam. Based on the tactics I've seen practised by Ahmadi members here, and the doctrine I've read, I've come to the conclusion that the nicest word I can say about the faith is 'disingenuous'. Be that as it may, people in the UK should be able to practice their religion as they will as long as it doesn't infringe the rights of others. The prick that killed the Glasgow shopkeeper should be stripped of his citizenship and deported to whatever country his immediate family came from. I'll bet it was Pakistan - they've got a habit of stepping on Ahmadis. Christian sectarianism causes enough problems up here without Muslims bringing their baggage over as well. If Ahmadis want to settle here instead of places they'll be killed for their faith then they should be welcome - and it's ****ing disgusting that places like Pakistan are chasing them all the way here to continue this nonsense instead of leaving them alone.

Anyway. That turned into something of a rant.

 

[bobhikes]

I think all faiths and non-faiths have value. I believe the problems to be caused by the closed minded of each. Unfortunately a lot of them are closed minded.

 

[First Baseman]

How do you feel about other faiths?

I don't trust in them and believe all of them to be lies.

How do I feel about people of other faiths?

I am to love them as myself without fail.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I looked at @Terese question and thought Rats! cant answer it.

how do you feel about other faiths? It would be helpful to briefly describe your own beliefs first to get an idea of how different groups view others.

The closest I can define my practice is religious witchcraft. Using spells etc in a manner of religious pratice rather than a tool within a given set of religion/s. All practice is nature and ancestral veneration oriented. Religious and spiritual.

What do the teachings of your religion have to say about other beliefs?

Nature says everything is equal. There is a push and pull. We (all living) are born, age, become sick, and die to go on in the same cycle witin other all living beings. When you see nature, you see animals taking only what they need. Other animals sit and observe in peace. Its simple.

Most my ancestors are Christian. Most likely Protestant, Vodou (as so told) and Native American. The closest family I know living dont take care for religions near Catholicism and like faiths. Same arguments you hear here on RF. Bible Belt. Others are Episcopalian with varied viewss.

The spirits (nature, ancestral, and recently deceased collectively), have their little bugs about other religions. I dont think many of my family knew anythign about other religions. I mean, I havent heard of the internet until I was, what, 14 or 15.

What do you personally think?

Through the teachings, I see a lot of nastiness. Its not just Christianity, which is predominate in my area, but all religions that use taking a life as part of anything other surviving and helping others to survive. I dont like religions that take titles place people lower than someone else. No husband and wife. No slave and master. Wearing a Burka is alright but to get arrested for not wearing one especially if you are a tourist unfamilar with the customs goes to far.

Punishment within a religious framework I dispise greatly. Indirect authority. Unequal statue between people and tearing down our environment. Pushing from our past and making things modern, those things I dont like. Whatever religions fall in those categories, are ones I have strong opinions about. The teachings not so much as the people who make up the teachings and their influence on environment, laws, etc.

Do you treat all other faiths equally or do you view some as better than others?

I treat people the best I can equally. I dont know much about other religions other than Christianity. I respect Catholicism because I am a Catholic. Im disappointed in what I learned from the Church compared to what it teaches. I dont associate myself in protestant churches anymore sense I went into the church. I dont get the same "love" as I do in a Catholic Church or even a Liturgical non Catholic Church.

What is better are those religions who treat each person equal no matter their positions as brothers or sisters within their faith. No one has to look up when you are in a spiritual religion of love and peace.

 

[YmirGF]

I like to use the Kalama Sutta as a guideline when it comes to considering other religious doctrines.

@crossfire

I just had one of those "seniors" moments. When I first read this I thought you had said "I like to use the Kama Sutra as a guideline when it comes to considering other religious doctrines."


That was followed by the thought that that certainly must be entertaining, LOL...

I'll go back and hide under my rock now....