What would happen if all religions were right?

[AxisMundi]

You don't know much about Hinduism, do you?

"O son of Kunti! Those devotees who worship even other deities with deep faith, they also are worshiping Me alone, though contrary to injunctions." (Srimad Bhagavad-Gita 9:23)

Though, yes, several Hindu religions are polytheistic, virtually all Hindus regard them as aspects of the One God (Brahman/Visnu/Purusa/Parasiva/Narayana/etc.) Some are pretty much strictly monotheistic, such as Gaudiya Vaisnavites.

This is very different from the strict polytheism of the Greeks and Norse.

Thanks for elaborating and expanding my post. I felt it unneccessary to go into great detail.

 

[BruceDLimber]

Personally, I don't see how all religions could be right. There are enough conflicting and mutually exclusive claims there that it just couldn't work.

We disagree. IOV the apparent differences, exclusivity statements included, are quite reconcilable!

Best regards,

Bruce

 

[xkatz]

Well all religions are true in my opinion. They all pretty much exalt the same things just in different manners.

 

[AxisMundi]

We disagree. IOV the apparent differences, exclusivity statements included, are quite reconcilable!

Best regards,

Bruce

Well all religions are true in my opinion. They all pretty much exalt the same things just in different manners.

So you two are stating that Zeus is perfectly compatable with Jehovah, for one example?

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

We disagree. IOV the apparent differences, exclusivity statements included, are quite reconcilable!

How exactly do you reconcile "there is no salvation outside the Church" with any salvation claims outside whatever church we're talking about?

How do you reconcile the Christian claim that Jesus Christ is God the Father's only-begotten son with the Muslim claim that God has not begotten any son?

How do you reconcile Abrahamic Heaven, Hell and Final Judgement with Dharmic Karma and reincarnation?

How do you reconcile the Muslim claim that the Bab and Baha'u'llah are false prophets with Baha'i belief?

How do you reconcile the Westminster Confession of Faith's claim that the Pope is the Antichrist with the Catholic claim that the Pope is the successor of St. Peter?

Edit: apart from dismissing one or the other conflicting claims as wrong, of course.

 

[tumbleweed41]

Just for fun...


I think the universe would implode.

Like dividing by zero:nightcraw:

 

[BruceDLimber]

So you two are stating that Zeus is perfectly compatable with Jehovah, for one example?

Apples and oranges.

There's only one God, and man-made stuff like the Roman pantheon isn't part of the actual picture.

I'm speaking of the great religions now in existence, of which we count nine, and the teachings they've promulgated.

Peace,

Bruce

 

[BruceDLimber]

I'm not speaking of any subgroup's doctrines nor of any man-made doctrines.

I'm referring to the teachings in the actual scriptures of the religions in question.

The "only way" thing is a good example because MOST IF NOT ALL the great religions contain this same teaching, thus indicating that it means something other than its literal meaning.

In this case, these statements mean the Spirit is the only way, and since IOV the Spirits invest all these religions with Its (and their) truth, they are all valid and speak truly of being parts of this same Only Way.

And we stipulate, for example, Christ's crucifixion and that the Qur'an means the attempt to extinguish Christianity was doomed to fail. (Please see our scriptures for the exact details of this the volume titled Some Answered Questions is an excellent place to start!)

Other apparent contradictions have similar explanations.

In general, spritual teachings are universals across religions and don't change.

Social teachings, in contrast, are intentionally temporary and may be altered by any later Divine Messenger (though not by us). Christ's alteration of certain Jewish laws (in the Sermon on the Mount and elsewhere) are a good example.

Peace,

Bruce

 

[Forkie]

Just for fun...


I think the universe would implode.

There would be a new sport on to watch on TV- GOD WARS!:

FRIDAY NIGHT!
Ares and the Warlords Vs. Jupiter's Junglist Massive!

SATURDAY NIGHT!
Amun and his Egyptians Vs. The Thor-sauruses!

SUNDAY NIGHT TAG TEAM!
Zeus & Hades Vs. Yahweh & Lucifer!

The ring could be built covering the Pacific Ocean (because the gods are GIGANTIC, of course) and the stadium seats would be set up along the coasts of the Western USA, Eastern Russia and China and Antarctica (the cheapest seats).

 

[Wannabe Yogi]

I do not believe that all religions are the same. I see no reason to believe
this to be true. Any faith has two sides to it, the exoteric and the esoteric teachings. When you read the esoteric experiences from around the world you find a great deal of similarity between people of different belief systems. An example of this is St John of the Cross who describes a Kundalini experience much like that of a Hindu.

How exactly do you reconcile "there is no salvation outside the Church" with any salvation claims outside whatever church we're talking about?

For most of human History most people came in to contact with one belief system eg muslims for the most part were around muslims and Christians were around Christians. Survival was never a given for most people, most of the time. Most had to work hard and long hours just to live.( After the hunter gathers stage people seemed to have a less time )

The Exoteric side of Religion was used to suppress the poor.The teachings are both different from other faiths and have been hurtful to people... But... if the the claims of the mystics are true. ( As I know parts of them to be true from my personal experiments in the area of meditation ) The esoteric side of faith is a help to make life have more meaning.
If one is to learn the path of the mystic we must make a considerable investment of time. For a Christian to experience what the Lord Jesus said "I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly" (John 10:10). He had to follow the methods of the Christian Mystic. The same is true of a Muslim Sufi on the path of Islam. There was not so much time to learn the ways of others they did not come from the same culture or understand the same language.

How do you reconcile the Christian claim that Jesus Christ is God the Father's only-begotten son with the Muslim claim that God has not begotten any son?

This is not the whole story. A Sufi Muslim seeker may be led to abandon all notions of dualism or multiplicity, including a conception of an individual self, and to realize the Divine Unity. They have divine union with God in this life. A Christian mystic goal is to have communion, identity, or conscious awareness of God through direct experience, intuition, and insight. If both the sufi and christian mystics want the same thing. Maybe the the external doctrines are not so important. Because both can become One with God.

How do you reconcile Abrahamic Heaven, Hell and Final Judgement with Dharmic Karma and reincarnation?

Many orthodox Jews today and in the past believe in a kind of reincarnation. Many Hindu's and Buddhist believe in some kind of Hell and Heaven. There is some overlap in this area. Thats not the point to the Mystic. Christ said the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Paul said It is not I who live but Christ who lives with in me. Dirict experience of the divine in the here and now is the point of all the world mystics. To many Hindu's reincarnation is just an illusion of the mind.


When you divide religion into two camps the esoteric and exoteric. For us Hindu's with our interests of unity, it makes a lot of sense and It helps us to be much less judgmental of others. I think it is a very healing view of the world of religion.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

What would happen if all religions were right?

Then we would have the exact opposite situation that exists now.

 

[Riverwolf]

So you two are stating that Zeus is perfectly compatable with Jehovah, for one example?

Mythological details.

Different names, different forms, same essence.

 

[Riverwolf]

There's only one God, and man-made stuff like the Roman pantheon isn't part of the actual picture.

Zeus is Greek. Jupiter was Roman. ^_^

 

[Wannabe Yogi]

Apples and oranges.

There's only one God, and man-made stuff like the Roman pantheon isn't part of the actual picture.

I think if you read a Roman pagan like Plotinus you will find the Highest truth.
How can God be limited to only the "9 true faiths".

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I'm not speaking of any subgroup's doctrines nor of any man-made doctrines.

I'm referring to the teachings in the actual scriptures of the religions in question.

IOW, when you say that all religions are reconcilable, you mean that they're reconcilable once you pick and choose from among their doctrines to decide which ones you'll reconcile.

The "only way" thing is a good example because MOST IF NOT ALL the great religions contain this same teaching, thus indicating that it means something other than its literal meaning.

Or it means that it really does mean its literal meaning, but that all these religions are making mutually exclusive claims.

 

[AxisMundi]

Apples and oranges.

There's only one God, and man-made stuff like the Roman pantheon isn't part of the actual picture.

I'm speaking of the great religions now in existence, of which we count nine, and the teachings they've promulgated.

Peace,

Bruce

Firstly, unless you are speaking of "great" as in numbers, you are far from shore with no paddles on that one. And even among those "nine" the deities are simply too far apart in make up to be comparable.

Secondly, each and every myth in your scriptures is easily disproved by simple sciences, and basic rational thought, especially Genesis.

You can eliminate that as proof that Jehovah is the "one and only god" and/or some sort of demiurge.

Secondly, looking at the archaeological and archival library of the history of mankind, we see that your god doesn't show up until the rise of Judaism. We have examples in those media of the nearly 2,000 other gods, goddesses, and others that pre-date your deity by millennium.

Also of special interest in this debate is the time line of the rise of Judaism and the fall of Ramses III. That Pharaoh was also known as Atenaken, who decreed that the entire Egyptian pantheon was to be laid aside in favor of his Sun God. When Atenaken died, Egypt reverted back to it's traditional gods. This occurred pretty close, historically speaking, to the rise of Judaism, more than enough time for an underground cult to form around the "forbidden" god of a Pharaoh popular with the slaves.

The oldest examples of Torah also contain burial rites that match, word for word, Egyptian burial spells as well.

The name of this Sun God?

Amen.

 

[AxisMundi]

Mythological details.

Different names, different forms, same essence.

Hardly.

Zeus was a lusty fellow.

Jehovah not so much.

 

[xkatz]

So you two are stating that Zeus is perfectly compatable with Jehovah, for one example?

Well in terms of the roles they fill, not physically. Both are sort of "leaders" and "guide" us.

 

[footprints]

Just for fun...


I think the universe would implode.

What a negative thought.

I would say it would be the biggest party, heaven ever saw.

 

[Caladan]

Also of special interest in this debate is the time line of the rise of Judaism and the fall of Ramses III. That Pharaoh was also known as Atenaken, who decreed that the entire Egyptian pantheon was to be laid aside in favor of his Sun God. When Atenaken died, Egypt reverted back to it's traditional gods. This occurred pretty close, historically speaking, to the rise of Judaism, more than enough time for an underground cult to form around the "forbidden" god of a Pharaoh popular with the slaves.

The oldest examples of Torah also contain burial rites that match, word for word, Egyptian burial spells as well.

The name of this Sun God?

Amen.

You seem to be a bit confused. his name was Akhenaten also known as Amenhotep IV. as for popular with the slaves, the worship of the Aten or the sun disk at large was not that important for the common Egyptians.