Is there anything all religions have in common?

[Sunstone]

Well firstly there will be defining and non-defining characteristics for religions. The prior will be things that all religions share but are not present or at least not abundant elsewhere. The latter will be things that all religions have in common, but refer to things also found elsewhere.

There will be a whole host of things that are non defining characteristics that all religions have in common.
Defining characteristics (common yet exclusive to religions) will be far less numerous.


Further to this I doubt that it’s really useful or insightful or even very fruitful to search for some solitary ‘characteristic’ that is present and defining of all religions.
Because religions are heavily integrated in human life, social and cultural circles it is inherently quite complex entity. Rather I think the question is what pattern of characteristics seem to be present across all religions, thus defining them so. So any one characteristic is not in itself exclusively descriptive of religion, but its relative expression in relation to a number of other identifiable characteristics will be unique. This way you can construct a sort of bar code for what is common among all religions.

(High five for unnecessarily complicated replies that dont quite answer the question! )

Good points, though.

 

[Skwim]

1) Faith.

2) As Kilgore Trout alluded to, most have the notion of exclusive authenticity.

 

[Caladan]

Perhaps in our prehistoric past world religion had similar basic functions and expressions, for example strong collective psychological practices such as ancestor worship, and animism.
However, its possible that as human history developed and world religions became more social, literary, temple oriented, and organized, different regions, cultures, groups and individuals started to express themselves religiously in distinct ways. In this broader picture, religion was also used in social and political statements, for example Roman religion in the service of the Imperial social order, or early Christianity in the service of a popular cultural movement which touches and resonates with the simple folk who sought comfort.
If we look at world religions throughout history we can see several basic commonalities, for example right and wrong, family values and traditions, gender roles, but even in this regard there are exceptions and social relativism. For example patriarchies or matriarchies, puritanism or expressions of lust, boldness or humbling oneself before a saviour.
Perhaps one almost universal commonality is uniting a group of people around a bonfire, around a city, around a civilization, around an idea, and today some people don't need to express this unity in temple but even express it around the internet and computers.
Religion in a way functions in prehistoric and historic times as the internet, people passed ideas and ideals through rituals, social gatherings, and shared beliefs and values. They related to their environment and to the relation between their group and their environment through ideological expressions we can call religion.

 

[Ouroboros]

Is there anything all religions have in common?

The idea/concept of something/someone existing outside ourselves that is more powerful than us, and that we have some meaningful part of what that is.

I would propose that ritual might be a characteristic common to all religions. But I'm no authority. What do you think? Are there common trait(s) to all religions? If so, what are those traits?

Rituals. Yes. That's probably one of them. Then there are myths, concepts, special vocabulary/language to describe experience, ideas to explain the world, a community which brings group think, and more.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

..., most have the notion of exclusive authenticity.

Where is this notion found in Judaism, in Hinduism, in Buddhism, or in the Sikh and Bahai religion?

 

[BSM1]

Really? I was also picturing Willamena in a short French maid's dress,
while she brandished a wicked looking feather duster. You too?

I wasn't but I am now. Hmmm....

 

[dust1n]

They all rely on language.

 

[Revoltingest]

They all rely on language.

....except when speaking in tongues.

 

[dust1n]

....except when speaking in tongues.

Yeah, but even that needs an entire religion backed by language.

 

[MEMNOCK]

Is there anything all religions have in common??

Absolutely...They have spiritually limiting Dogma that often mislead their followers from finding their true path or ever knowing God. Some are much worse than others when it comes to this but I would say the majority of them have that to one degree or another.

 

[starlite]

a desire to worship...

 

[Skwim]

Where is this notion found in Judaism, in Hinduism, in Buddhism, or in the Sikh and Bahai religion?

That's why I said "most."

 

[Twilight Hue]

Is there anything all religions have in common?

I would propose that ritual might be a characteristic common to all religions. But I'm no authority. What do you think? Are there common trait(s) to all religions? If so, what are those traits?

Fraternal kinship and identity.

 

[Straw Dog]

Is there anything all religions have in common?

I would propose that ritual might be a characteristic common to all religions. But I'm no authority. What do you think? Are there common trait(s) to all religions? If so, what are those traits?

Most religious traditions tend to teach compassion, gratitude, and mindfulness.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Where is this notion found in Judaism, in Hinduism, in Buddhism, or in the Sikh and Bahai religion?

That's why I said "most."

I've listed five religions. I could list others. What six or more (i.e., "most") religions were you referring to?

 

[steeltoes]

A collection plate. They all need your money, fanciful beliefs don't come cheap.

 

[SageTree]

Sure. They're all wrong.

In a manner of speaking I agree with this.....
but I'm going to assume with a very different spin

 

[sandandfoam]

Is there anything all religions have in common?

I would propose that ritual might be a characteristic common to all religions. But I'm no authority. What do you think? Are there common trait(s) to all religions? If so, what are those traits?

I believe that all religions flow from experience/awareness/understanding of the same thing - that which is Real.
I also think that all the religions (that I know of anyway) are polluted by literalism which serves to hide the truth that the religion is trying to point towards. Law replacing reality.

 

[BruceDLimber]

Do they all have some sort of devil?

No.

The Baha'i Faith teaches that God is One, Supreme, and has no rival or equal! There is thus no "devil" out there trying to "get us."

And "satan" is simply our own lower (animal) nature when we give it control instead of our higher (spiritual) nature.

Peace,

Bruce

 

[maxfreakout]

All religions are precisely identical to each other, in that they all centre around depictions of individuals undergoing religious psychological transformation.

Jesus is transfigured, Buddha is enlightened, Arjuna is rescued by Krishna, Mohammed is revealed to by Gabriel etc etc

Religions provide many different descriptions and allegories, but they are all pointing to the same experience, religions are united by the commonality of human neuroscience.