What would the world look like if religions became friends?

[loverofhumanity]

Hey guys! The title I really wanted but it wouldn’t fit was...

“What would the world look like if the followers of all religions consorted with each other in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship”? (Baha’u’llah) What would it look like on the ground?

One example I know of is a recent and current experience .........

A few months ago we met a couple of beautiful Catholics who have become close friends. They visit us daily and we go out with them and to mass also sometimes. Neither of us has encroached upon the others right to practice their own faith and beliefs while both visiting each other’s churches unasked. We love mixing with them and going to mass with them and they also have occasionally visited the Baha’i Temple in Sydney.

We get invited to birthdays and they are always bringing food to us. And we have met dozens more wonderful people through them. Also we have made good friends with the local priest and we have become collaborators instead of competitors.

I am finding that the effect goodwill between religions produces is amazing and from this personal experience I am led to believe that it’s not happening because we, human beings are not trying hard enough to make it happen.

If we don’t make a deliberate effort to improve relations between religions, races and nationalities then who is and how is the world going to become a better place if we don’t make the effort?

I believe it’s up to you and me to change our world through being free from prejudice and becoming a true friend to all humanity and if we don’t do it that nothing will change.

What do you think? Can we change our world if we all become lovers of all humanity and religions by our actions and not just words?

So imagine then. What would our world look like on the ground if all religions became friends?

 

[dianaiad]

Hey guys! The title I really wanted but it wouldn’t fit was...

“What would the world look like if the followers of all religions consorted with each other in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship”? (Baha’u’llah) What would it look like on the ground?...

(grin)

Utah.

 

[sun rise]

What would our world look like on the ground if all religions became friends?

Your OP reminded me of one of my all time favorite quotes from the creator of Babylon 5, J. Michael Straczynski, who wrote these words into an episode. And it's remarkable given that he's an atheist that what he wrote is so close to my belief about what God is leading us ever closer to experiencing and living:

The Universe speaks in many languages, but only one voice. ...It speaks in the language of hope; It speaks in the language of trust; It speaks in the language of strength, and the language of compassion. It is the language of the heart and the language of the soul. But always, it is the same voice. It is the voice of our ancestors, speaking through us, And the voice of our inheritors, waiting to be born. It is the small, still voice that says: We are one. No matter the blood; No matter the skin; No matter the world; No matter the star; We are one. No matter the pain; No matter the darkness; No matter the loss; No matter the fear; We are one....we agree to recognise this singular truth, and this singular rule: That we must be kind to one another, because each voice enriches us and ennobles us, and each voice lost diminishes us. We are the voice of the Universe, the soul of creation, the fire that will light the way to a better future. We are one.

 

[Spirit of Light]

Hey guys! The title I really wanted but it wouldn’t fit was...

“What would the world look like if the followers of all religions consorted with each other in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship”? (Baha’u’llah) What would it look like on the ground?

One example I know of is a recent and current experience .........

A few months ago we met a couple of beautiful Catholics who have become close friends. They visit us daily and we go out with them and to mass also sometimes. Neither of us has encroached upon the others right to practice their own faith and beliefs while both visiting each other’s churches unasked. We love mixing with them and going to mass with them and they also have occasionally visited the Baha’i Temple in Sydney.

We get invited to birthdays and they are always bringing food to us. And we have met dozens more wonderful people through them. Also we have made good friends with the local priest and we have become collaborators instead of competitors.

I am finding that the effect goodwill between religions produces is amazing and from this personal experience I am led to believe that it’s not happening because we, human beings are not trying hard enough to make it happen.

If we don’t make a deliberate effort to improve relations between religions, races and nationalities then who is and how is the world going to become a better place if we don’t make the effort?

I believe it’s up to you and me to change our world through being free from prejudice and becoming a true friend to all humanity and if we don’t do it that nothing will change.

What do you think? Can we change our world if we all become lovers of all humanity and religions by our actions and not just words?

So imagine then. What would our world look like on the ground if all religions became friends?

To be friends with people from any religon is not a problem but we should avoid mixing each others scripture. Discussion is ok across the relgions

 

[Aupmanyav]

What would our world look like on the ground if all religions became friends?

Like Europe in Middle Ages or in 20th Century fighting two World Wars. Or like the Middle East with one religion, Islam.
Bahaollah cannot be friendly even with Abrahamic religions. He denied the divinity of Jesus and finality of Mohammad.

 

[Deeje]

Hey guys! The title I really wanted but it wouldn’t fit was...

“What would the world look like if the followers of all religions consorted with each other in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship”? (Baha’u’llah) What would it look like on the ground?

What you are suggesting is compromise, by the sounds of it. I do not believe that God approves of compromise or of giving even tacit support to worship that he would find offensive. If you read the Hebrew scriptures, you will see that Israel consorted with those who practiced false worship (which was against God's strict instructions) and it led to them adopting beliefs and practices that invited his punishment. So all worship is NOT acceptable to the God of the Bible.

If we don’t make a deliberate effort to improve relations between religions, races and nationalities then who is and how is the world going to become a better place if we don’t make the effort?

According to the scriptures, humans will never be able to accomplish this on their own. They simply do not have the means or the will to bring it about. The reason being that someone is controlling things from behind the scenes, "blinding" people to the real solution. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)

Your intentions in suggesting this are obviously noble, but not realistically achievable. Humans will always allow hatred and religious differences to prevent any real efforts for peaceful co-existence. And from my perspective, I believe that the division or separation caused by religion, is used by God for a very good reason. He is, at this very troubled time in man's existence, separating out the citizens for his incoming Kingdom, choosing them by using his own stated criteria. His first requirement is reflected in the First Commandment..."You must not have any other gods but me." and they were not permitted to worship in any other way than what God prescribed. (Exodus 20:3-5)

Jesus made God's Kingdom the theme of his entire ministry....yet those who claim to follow the teachings of Jesus don't really have a clear definition of what it is, and what it will do for humanity and the planet.

If Jesus taught us to pray for God's Kingdom to "come" and for his will to be "done on earth as it is in heaven", then no efforts by man will establish God's will or Kingdom on earth. The Kingdom will not "come" peacefully by man's efforts, according to the Bible. It will come by force, (Daniel 2:44) showing humans who have scoffed and ridiculed the Creator, just who is in charge of this situation and what he intends to do about the choices we have all individually made in the time he gave us.

Acts 14:16-17
"In past generations he permitted all the nations to go on in their ways, 17 although he did not leave himself without witness in that he did good, giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying you with food and filling your hearts with gladness.”

He has given us all ample proof of his existence and his generosity and kindness, yet his patience with humanity will come to an end...as it must in order for God to finish what he started.

I believe it’s up to you and me to change our world through being free from prejudice and becoming a true friend to all humanity and if we don’t do it that nothing will change.

Nice thought, but an impossibility in reality. The Bible foretells one last form of rulership that man will try in an attempt to restore control and order in a world that is clearly falling apart.
A "one world government" that will rule for a very short time. They will promise "peace and security"....but just the opposite will happen.....once people realize that they will lose all their freedoms, and be forced to live under a totalitarian regime, the greatest tribulation in the history of the world will take place. And as a climax to that period, Jesus will come as judge and finish what his Father started. He will render judgment among mankind and "separate the sheep from the goats" permanently.

He will then usher in the rule of his Kingdom so that as it says in the Revelation...
"I also saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them. 4 And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:2-4)

The pain and suffering that we have been enduring all this time is nothing like the life that God planned for us originally....so he will get rid of all the rot and restore his obedient worshippers back to the paradise conditions that they lost in Eden. This is not something we can do by ourselves.

What do you think? Can we change our world if we all become lovers of all humanity and religions by our actions and not just words?

So imagine then. What would our world look like on the ground if all religions became friends?

JW's imagine it all the time....and are counting the days, waiting for a restoration of paradise conditions on earth and an obedient brotherhood of people from all nations serving the true God Jehovah and helping to restore what he intended for the human race at the beginning. (Isaiah 55:11) God always finishes what he starts.

We cannot reconcile all religions because it is this very divide that is allowing God to select from among us, those who are portrayed in Revelation 7:9-10; 13-14.....
"After this I saw, and look! a great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes; and there were palm branches in their hands. 10 And they keep shouting with a loud voice, saying: “Salvation we owe to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb.”. . . .
In response one of the elders said to me: “These who are dressed in the white robes, who are they and where did they come from?” 14 So right away I said to him: “My lord, you are the one who knows.” And he said to me: “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

This great crowd of humanity have not compromised their worship and sacrificed it for the sake of peace.....they have stood firm in their steadfast conviction to separate from false worship and to promote the true worship of God, which cannot include beliefs and practices that God's word condemns.

 

[Heyo]

So imagine then. What would our world look like on the ground if all religions became friends?

We'd have a vast majority of non-believers two generations later.
If all religions are viewed as valid beliefs by all believers, no religion would be worth fighting for, no religion would give people an illusion of superiority, no religion would have meaning more than any other or no religion at all.

 

[Mock Turtle]

We'd have a vast majority of non-believers two generations later.
If all religions are viewed as valid beliefs by all believers, no religion would be worth fighting for, no religion would give people an illusion of superiority, no religion would have meaning more than any other or no religion at all.

And to add to this - many religious believers would have no expectations that their particular views would dominate in the future over all others - which is perhaps what many still do think.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Well, Bahais think so - under their banner. We will all have to abandon our banners.

 

[loverofhumanity]

Like Europe in Middle Ages or in 20th Century fighting two World Wars. Or like the Middle East with one religion, Islam.
Bahaollah cannot be friendly even with Abrahamic religions. He denied the divinity of Jesus and finality of Mohammad.

I find it impossible to see how viewing all.humans as equal and the human race as one family is a destructive belief? I have found that it has only created and opened doors upon doors of friendships with all whom i meet. How will such welcome friendship with all on earth lead to wars? Beliefs are just beliefs but the way we treat each other is the most important thing and what I’m speaking about here is not the differences of belief but that people all across the world become friends with one another based on our common humanity. I don’t see any problem with befriending all people without prejudice.

 

[loverofhumanity]

Well, Bahais think so - under their banner. We will all have to abandon our banners.

No! You keep your banner. I make friends with you not your banner. It’s you as a person and human that matters not your banner.

 

[loverofhumanity]

We'd have a vast majority of non-believers two generations later.
If all religions are viewed as valid beliefs by all believers, no religion would be worth fighting for, no religion would give people an illusion of superiority, no religion would have meaning more than any other or no religion at all.

I think we’d have peace and with the monies saved from armaments then we’d have enough to make sure all had proper health care, food, shelter, education and employment.

 

[loverofhumanity]

What you are suggesting is compromise, by the sounds of it. I do not believe that God approves of compromise or of giving even tacit support to worship that he would find offensive. If you read the Hebrew scriptures, you will see that Israel consorted with those who practiced false worship (which was against God's strict instructions) and it led to them adopting beliefs and practices that invited his punishment. So all worship is NOT acceptable to the God of the Bible.



According to the scriptures, humans will never be able to accomplish this on their own. They simply do not have the means or the will to bring it about. The reason being that someone is controlling things from behind the scenes, "blinding" people to the real solution. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)

Your intentions in suggesting this are obviously noble, but not realistically achievable. Humans will always allow hatred and religious differences to prevent any real efforts for peaceful co-existence. And from my perspective, I believe that the division or separation caused by religion, is used by God for a very good reason. He is, at this very troubled time in man's existence, separating out the citizens for his incoming Kingdom, choosing them by using his own stated criteria. His first requirement is reflected in the First Commandment..."You must not have any other gods but me." and they were not permitted to worship in any other way than what God prescribed. (Exodus 20:3-5)

There was a time when slavery and racism were the norm. But as the earth becomes changed these things too are being rejected as we humans evolve and mature.

What we still have yet to achieve amongst ourselves is to view humanity as God views us all. God doesn’t discriminate against us if we are black or white, Jew or Buddhist or American or Russian. He loves us all and provides the sun and rain for both the good and the wicked.


I think humanity, as it was potentially created in the image of God can eventually become mature enough to reflect God’s attributes of love for all humankind regardless of race, nationality or religious affiliation.


And in this age, the fact we even speak of such matters is a wondrous thing in itself I believe as previously religions went to war and killed one another but today we speak of reconciliation and living peacefully side by side as the wolf and the lamb.

This has nothing to do with compromise but everything to do with loving all who cross our path without judging or discriminating. Just loving and accepting all people the way they are.

 

[loverofhumanity]

There was a time when slavery and racism were the norm. But as the earth becomes changed these things too are being rejected as we humans evolve and mature.

What we still have yet to achieve amongst ourselves is to view humanity as God views us all. God doesn’t discriminate against us if we are black or white, Jew or Buddhist or American or Russian. He loves us all and provides the sun and rain for both the good and the wicked.


I think humanity, as it was potentially created in the image of God can eventually become mature enough to reflect God’s attributes of love for all humankind regardless of race, nationality or religious affiliation.


And in this age, the fact we even speak of such matters is a wondrous thing in itself I believe as previously religions went to war and killed one another but today we speak of reconciliation and living peacefully side by side as the wolf and the lamb.

This has nothing to do with compromise but everything to do with loving all who cross our path without judging or discriminating. Just loving and accepting all people the way they are.[/QUOTE]

 

[loverofhumanity]

To be friends with people from any religon is not a problem but we should avoid mixing each others scripture. Discussion is ok across the relgions

It’s all about accepting all people the way they are and not judging others by their beliefs, colour of nationality. So you and I be good friends.

 

[loverofhumanity]

Your OP reminded me of one of my all time favorite quotes from the creator of Babylon 5, J. Michael Straczynski, who wrote these words into an episode. And it's remarkable given that he's an atheist that what he wrote is so close to my belief about what God is leading us ever closer to experiencing and living:

The Universe speaks in many languages, but only one voice. ...It speaks in the language of hope; It speaks in the language of trust; It speaks in the language of strength, and the language of compassion. It is the language of the heart and the language of the soul. But always, it is the same voice. It is the voice of our ancestors, speaking through us, And the voice of our inheritors, waiting to be born. It is the small, still voice that says: We are one. No matter the blood; No matter the skin; No matter the world; No matter the star; We are one. No matter the pain; No matter the darkness; No matter the loss; No matter the fear; We are one....we agree to recognise this singular truth, and this singular rule: That we must be kind to one another, because each voice enriches us and ennobles us, and each voice lost diminishes us. We are the voice of the Universe, the soul of creation, the fire that will light the way to a better future. We are one.

That’s a very beautiful quote. Thanks for that.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

We'd have a vast majority of non-believers two generations later.
If all religions are viewed as valid beliefs by all believers, no religion would be worth fighting for, no religion would give people an illusion of superiority, no religion would have meaning more than any other or no religion at all.

Interesting take.
Here is another take:
Unitarian Universalist Association

 

[Aupmanyav]

No! You keep your banner. I make friends with you not your banner. It’s you as a person and human that matters not your banner.

That is an improvement. Bahaollah talked about the whole world under his banner, himself being the mirror image of his Allah. My banner is atheism. I do not believe in any Allah or prophets / messengers / sons / manfestations / mahdis sent by him. I take them to be pretenders. Bahaollah condemned the likes of me. Is that not true? How then, you hope for peace when you are against some people?

You think beliefs are just beliefs (post # 10) and there is no substance in them? Are they false beliefs? Then why have such false beliefs?

 

[Erebus]

No! You keep your banner. I make friends with you not your banner. It’s you as a person and human that matters not your banner.

I hope you understand why people can be a bit wary when somebody suggests that all religions should get along. The next step is usually something along the lines of, "Of course, there will need to be compromises. As luck would have it our group has a plan for exactly which compromises should be made." The one suggesting unity never seems to be the one who has to make compromises.

I'm not saying that this is your argument. However, it's something I've seen multiple times before and it was the first thing I thought when I read the thread title.

In general terms, I do feel that a greater understanding of the beliefs and perspectives of others is beneficial. At the same time though, there is a limit to tolerance. There are some views and practices that I will always oppose.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Hey guys! The title I really wanted but it wouldn’t fit was...

“What would the world look like if the followers of all religions consorted with each other in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship”? (Baha’u’llah) What would it look like on the ground?

One example I know of is a recent and current experience .........

A few months ago we met a couple of beautiful Catholics who have become close friends. They visit us daily and we go out with them and to mass also sometimes. Neither of us has encroached upon the others right to practice their own faith and beliefs while both visiting each other’s churches unasked. We love mixing with them and going to mass with them and they also have occasionally visited the Baha’i Temple in Sydney.

We get invited to birthdays and they are always bringing food to us. And we have met dozens more wonderful people through them. Also we have made good friends with the local priest and we have become collaborators instead of competitors.

I am finding that the effect goodwill between religions produces is amazing and from this personal experience I am led to believe that it’s not happening because we, human beings are not trying hard enough to make it happen.

If we don’t make a deliberate effort to improve relations between religions, races and nationalities then who is and how is the world going to become a better place if we don’t make the effort?

I believe it’s up to you and me to change our world through being free from prejudice and becoming a true friend to all humanity and if we don’t do it that nothing will change.

What do you think? Can we change our world if we all become lovers of all humanity and religions by our actions and not just words?

So imagine then. What would our world look like on the ground if all religions became friends?

They'd probably be less wars. People can marry and be intimate with who they choose to be with without Christian US laws to say otherwise. People may support their expression of love rather than redefiing it. Love is love?

There'd probably be more interfaith conferences. I went to a couple with my church. They put it together. It was nice.

People wouldn't "love their enemies" because there would be none. The word would not exist.

Friendliness spirit isn't the same as the creators spirit. If all people where friendly, our spirits would work together. Humanity is like that.

How does one make humanity one without changing the core beliefs of theistic religions?

They would need to compromise their/your religion to have the foundation one/unity