Is there such a thing as a universal religion?

[Link]

As in, not attached by language, concept, geography etc to any one culture/people.

I'm asking a rhetorical question. The answer is no, obviously not.

So can a universal religion exist, or would it just be a philosophy. For instance, even legends have to take place somewhere, be written in some language with certain concepts etc.

Samson only makes sense in the Middle East, for instance, as does Abraham. No Japanese would have written these stories.

Salam

Quran allusions to what is in the Tao makes me believe Tao is from God. I should make a thread about it.

 

[Alien826]

Oh I gotcha. I guess the closest universal religion we have to this is Scientology, but even then the historical and contextual roots of L Ron Hubbard's writings are rooted in the world that he established himself in: 1950s post WW2 America. I feel that any religion will eventually solidify and become a relic of a past time and location even if it's intentions are to be relevant to peoples from all nations for all times. Over time the cultural baggage surrounding a religion's founding stays locked in time and becomes more perceivable as the world around continues to change and evolve. The religion itself then has to change to try and catch up, or it just digs it's feet in more deeply and entrenches itself in spite of that change

Then I suggest LDS. It operates quite well (for its members) so far as they look after each other. It's not stuck with dogmatic beliefs, as they believe that new revelations can occur as required. Polygamy OK? Yes, until it isn't.

 

[Link]

There is a book “Tao in Islam” I think by someone who converted from Taoism to Islam.

 

[Link]

I have not studied all books as I don’t know many languages but some of the songs by natives which are deemed sacred and revelations also seem to be from God. I think truth is found everywhere.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

Or will every religion always be considered from a particular culture and carry those marks?

Is Christianity a universal religion? Islam? Given their Middle Eastern focus, their almost exclusive interest in a limited geographical area, Semitic language and concepts not known by those outside that culture, limited view of history etc.

Is it possible to have a truly universal religion that doesn't just end up being a bland, sterile philosophy?

This is the goal of God given Faith.

"That which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the healing of all the world is the union of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common faith. This can in no wise be achieved except through the power of a skilled, an all-powerful and inspired Physician." – Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 255.

The foundations of that universal cause is being built. It was rejected in the 1800's so we have been advised a lesser peace will be required, built on the union of Nations, before we can acheive a most great peace based on a universal cause, one common faith.

All the Holy Books have promissed of that age and it is great that we are part of it.

Regards Tony

 

[TransmutingSoul]

This is the goal of God given Faith.

"That which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the healing of all the world is the union of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common faith. This can in no wise be achieved except through the power of a skilled, an all-powerful and inspired Physician." – Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 255.

The foundations of that universal cause is being built. It was rejected in the 1800's so we have been advised a lesser peace will be required, built on the union of Nations, before we can acheive a most great peace based on a universal cause, one common faith.

All the Holy Books have promissed of that age and it is great that we are part of it.

Regards Tony

I will add this thought from Abdul'baha.

"The Promised One of all the world’s peoples hath now been made manifest. For each and every people, and every religion, await a Promised One, and Baha’u’llah is that One Who is awaited by all; and therefore the Cause of Baha’u’llah will bring about the oneness of mankind, and the tabernacle of unity will be upraised on the heights of the world, and the banners of the universality of all humankind will be unfurled on the peaks of the earth". – Abdu’l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha, p. 101.

It will happen.

Regards Tony

 

[PearlSeeker]

Replacing components of someone else's culture with your own is not maintaining cultural diversity, it is fundamentally transforming it into another culture.

It's not replacing. I would call it creative fusion. See examples below.

 

[Soandso]

Then I suggest LDS. It operates quite well (for its members) so far as they look after each other. It's not stuck with dogmatic beliefs, as they believe that new revelations can occur as required. Polygamy OK? Yes, until it isn't.

Meh, I'm not really impressed with the notion that it's part of the religion that "revelations can occur as required" as that's not unique to LDS and speaks to my point about religions and their only two options: change being the option focused on here

Things are OK until they aren't, then the religion changes to catch up with the times. It isn't even just polygamy, but also other things as well such as black people being black because of the mark of Cain and the curse of Ham

Black people and Mormonism - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

That's monstrous, but it speaks to the culture of the time and place that the religion originated in. The religion then has to contend with the cultural baggage it has. That's expected and it's good for change to occur, but it then can't really be universal as it's really just reactively changing according to what's locally acceptable to do at the current place and time. We see this happen all the time as denominations and whole religions split in accordance to the changes it's congregants face. Even LDS has faced denominational splits due to this phenomenon

List of denominations in the Latter Day Saint movement - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Secret Chief]

I'm asking a rhetorical question.

If you think that why did you ask the question?

 

[Rival]

If you think that why did you ask the question?

I'm making a distinction between what's classed as a universal religion (Abrahamics, usually, which is not universal in that it's attached to ancient Hebrew living) and what could actually be a universal religion by some other people's definition, but I'm asking if that would not just be a sterile philosophy using clinical terms like 'The Deity'.

 

[Secret Chief]

I'm making a distinction between what's classed as a universal religion (Abrahamics, usually, which is not universal in that it's attached to ancient Hebrew living)

How are Abrahamics classed as universal? (Which I agree are not)

 

[Rival]

How are Abrahamics classed as universal? (Which I agree are not)

It's classed as universal as opposed to 'folk religions' that are not usually practiced outside of designated areas; nor is it classed as 'Oriental' in the way that Dharmic religions are etc. Christianity and Islam dominate the numbers so apparently that's good enough.

I don't think it's universal but everyone on this thread seems to be completely misunderstanding what I mean by that for some reason. I think it's fairly clear that Christianity is based on ancient Jewish practice and is not relevant except if imported into other cultures and learned academically, as it had to be by European natives. I don't know why most Brits, for example, need to know or care about a 3000+ year old legal system from the Levant, but Christianity wouldn't make sense without it, so it's not really universal as you have to understand a particular, rather niche at that, culture to get it.

 

[Secret Chief]

It's classed as universal

By whom? You mean as....? ...

- World religions - Wikipedia


though I note:

"Since the late 20th century, the paradigm has faced critique by scholars of religion like Jonathan Z. Smith, some of whom have argued for its abandonment. Critics have argued that the world religions paradigm is inappropriate because it takes the Protestant form of Christianity as the model for what constitutes "religion"; that it is tied up with discourses of modernity, including modern power relations; that it encourages an uncritical understanding of religion; and that it makes a value judgment as to what religions should be considered "major". Others have argued that it remains useful in the classroom, so long as students are made aware that it is a socially-constructed category."

 

[Rival]

By whom?

........

By it's adherents, by wider Western society.

Are you somehow unaware of this?

Basic Wikipedia search will tell you.

 

[☆Dreamwind☆]

Yes and no. Any religion has and will catch on in many parts of the world, but they will always be deeply tied to their culture of origin.

 

[Secret Chief]

........

By it's adherents, by wider Western society.

Are you somehow unaware of this?

Basic Wikipedia search will tell you.

Yes I am aware, edited my post. I was asking because I was interested in your take on it. (Given you think your OP question is rhetorical).

 

[Rival]

Yes I am aware, edited my post. I was asking because I was interested in your take on it.

Brother, my whole OP is my take on it.

That's the point.

It's....




I give up.

 

[LuisDantas]

Salam

Quran allusions to what is in the Tao makes me believe Tao is from God. I should make a thread about it.

If you believe that Taoism comes from Allah, do you have any idea on why Taoism does not call for Allah's worship?

 

[Secret Chief]

Brother


I give up.

So do I.

 

[Link]

If you believe that Taoism comes from Allah, do you have any idea on why Taoism does not call for Allah's worship?

From the passages I read and the book “the Tao in Islam” this not the case.