Which religion offers the right path to God?

[logician]

Before you can find a path to something, you have to have a clear definition of what that something is. Saying all religions are a "path to god" is absurd.

 

[Madhuri]

Before you can find a path to something, you have to have a clear definition of what that something is. Saying all religions are a "path to god" is absurd.

I disagree. God represents truth. For me personally, God might be nothing more than energy though I do not believe it. A path is a person's journey toward truth. No definition is necessary. It is a search, a discovery. We learn along the way. If God does exist, then any genuine seeking will guide one to Him in which case, almost all religions (if not all) are in some way leading to the discovery of truth. That includes a dedication to scientific search, imo.

 

[Gharib]

What I feel is summed up in both the Rig Veda and Guru Granth Sahib.
Basically, I don't believe that religion is a case of true or false, but I believe every religion is 'right', and all religions offer the right path to God - it all depends on what you are attracted to. Religion is not a one-size-fits-all. Some people are more interested in ascesticism, others are more interested in being homemakers, others are more interested in actions to helping humanity, others prefer a life worship.

and everyone has to live life one way or another, one size fits all.

one problem i have with saying "all religions offer the right path to god". even though i kind of agree, in the sense that we will all die and end up before god one day, whom ever that god may be, i believe it will be Allah.

but the biggest problem (concern) i have is that, all religions have a different concept of god. therefore there is only one specific way to that one god. for example, in islam Allah has told us about himself what he's wanted us to know, and the only way to Allah and his reward is thruogh islam. ruling out the belief "all religions offer the right path to god"

All religions are human attempts at connecting to, and explaining, the Ultimate Source, whatever one calls it (I'm not after a debate about Buddhism and Jainism here) - and living morally. Since all theistic religions believe that God is indescribable, how can God be described, His existence penned, His Will explained? How can God be confined to just -one- religion? It makes no sense to me to believe that God, the Creator of the world, would bring his (successful) messengers into only one area.

Muhammed (saws) was not brought only to only one area. he was brought for all mankind. if thats what you are asking.

Isn't it interesting how religions that are near to one another tend to have similar things in common? For example, Judaism, Christianity and Islam are all monotheistic religions and exclusive in their view of God, and (mainstream anyway) don't believe in reincarnation.

all the religion have a scripture revealed form the one god. but as you know muslims believe they have have altered theri scriptures and are somewhat different to islam, but very similar.

In the East, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism all have dharma and reincarnation, and an inclusive view of religions. Religions in Europe were polytheistic prior to Christianization, the Romans and Greeks had very personal human gods. Why would this be? Because these religions are close to one another, and things are borrowed from each other.

i really don't think that explains it. in arabia polytheism was practised, so why did islam come out to be monotheisitc?

In my view, it's a case of the blind men and the elephant. Each one touches only one part, and they compare notes to what they felt, and their views are different from one anothers, because none of them have the whole explanation of the elephant. It's the same with my view of God. Many colours, but the same spectrum. All religions have aspects of Truth, and all religions have aspects of falsehood and man-made traditions in them, they have all made one aspect less important and made another more important.

exactly why you don't let a common person touch the elephant, but instead you let the experts do it.

No religion is ultimately 'pure' nor 'superior' to another one, because all religions were revealed by mankind, and mankind has been responsible for spreading and raising them, as well as coming up with new philosophies such as "is blood transfusion allowed?", for example.

but if religion was from man, howcome man has explained everything appart from god. why has man left the biggest peice to the puzle out?

Just my $0.02 on this one.

(I know it's untidy (sorry!) but I've just wrote it all in one go. You'd hate to be in this head, eh? It's all cluttered!)

don't think there was a problem with it.

 

[Gharib]

What is meant by "path to God"? What does it mean to have a path to God? Does that mean you are going to take this path to get to God? What good does it do a person to have a "path to God." Should we not be more focused on pleasing God by doing that which He desires of us?

you have answered your own question: "Should we not be more focused on pleasing God by doing that which He desires of us?".

the term "path to god" means doing the things that god commands, obeying his orders. so one must find out which religion offers the right teachings of the one god we are destined to go to (appear before him) one day.

 

[Gharib]

First no one can prove the existence of God,then how can u prove the existence of exclusionary paths?How can religion be institutionalized?

Moreover,i dont need a religion that tells me how much sugar to put in coffee.

so why do you need a doctor that tells you what to eat??

 

[Madhuri]

You see Esalam, the people who say that all religions lead to God tend to be people of eastern religion. Particularly Hinduism allows for this idea. We believe that God comes in many forms and teaches through many people in different societies and histories for various purposes. So we see God's hand in all spiritualities. From a Hindu perspective, Muhhamed gave the Qur'an for a purpose and a people, Jesus and the Bible for another purpose and people and so on. From a Hindu perspective, the depths revealed within each religion is suitable to the individual's spiritual progess and consciousness. I also feel that the diversity we see in the world is very valuable. For example, without learning about the concepts of Buddhims, Christianity, Wicca etc. I would be a much mroe narrow minded person. I would not be the person that I am today. Everything I see and learn helps me to grow as a person and I feel that it is meant to be this way.

I could never believe that God is present in only one very specific religion. He is everyrwhere and in every thing. He can reveal himself from any angle. That is what I believe.

 

[blackout]

The less traveled path
is the path of the individual.

gOd takes many forms.
As many as you can imagine.

Some paths end stunningly at "form"...
or a "View" with a vast and beautiful "overlook".
Some paths dead end, at dead formations.
(usually pre-installed by the paths owner/s, or overlord/s)

Other paths are forged as they are walked,
simply to be forged, walked, conquored and enjoyed
and ARE the destination itself.

 

[YmirGF]

If all religions do not lead to "god" then god is not omnipresent.

 

[Gharib]

Dear eselam, I see that you are a marathon runner and I may not be able to catch up with you. With foot-soldiers of indomitable spirit like you, Allah’s Army sure looks invincible. But then I am not fighting Allah’s army. Proof is that you are my friend.

i only said that to tell you and everyone that i do not know everything there is to know about islam. and when a muslim does not know about some things about islam, he must not speak about it in order not to give someone the wrong teaching or perspectives of islam.

Do not get too literal when examples are quoted. Though comparisons are odious (as Jiddu Krishnamurthi used to say) we often cannot do without it.

i understand. but the comparison wasn't all what it could have been.

I am not prejudiced against the Quran. But often the logic with which its verses are presented by Muslims tend to be questionable.

why do you think that?

There you go, comparing the boss of my company with Allah!

i said look at the principal. not to compare Allah with some human.

The purpose of life is to enjoy life.

so why does hinduism teach that one must reach some level of great spirituality?
if life is to be enjoyed then don't you find many things of this life kind of life a rock in your shoe?

God may not have human qualities (except when He decides to descend and have some fun among humans) but humans have God-qualities (or divine qualities).

yes i understand thats the perspective of hinduism. but not islam.

By nature I mean everything that has not been corrupted by man by his fragmented mind.

so how do you applie the notion that nature is god?

Ever wondered how God himself is in perfect order?

not really. what do you think about it?

The poor Imam, living in the Middle Ages, did not know about auto-pilot.

same thing can be said about the idols though. if they are divine (have the divinty in them) why don't they create themself but rather require man to create them?

look at man, he creates himself. he is divine (hinduism perspective) so why can't an idol create itself if it divine like man.

i don't mean this in a rude way, i appologise if it may seem so. i'm just curious about how hinduism explains it.

Just as beauty is in the beholder, the beholder sees the divine in the idol. If man does not behold, would Allah exist?

whether man beholds or not does not affect Allah. nothing of his creation can harm him nor bring good to him:

3:176 And be not grieved by those who vie with one another in denying the truth: verily, they can in no wise harm God. It is God's will that they shall have no share in the [blessings of the] life to come; and tremendous suffering awaits them.

In a Hadith Qudsi, Allah says:
‘O my servants, you could never attain my harm and so harm me, nor attain gain my benefit and so benefit me. O my servants, if the first and last of mankind and the jinn were as pious as the most pious of you, it would not increase my Kingdom anything. O my servants, if the first and the last of mankind and the jinn were as evil as the most evil of you, it would not decrease my Kingdom anything. O my servants, if the first and last of mankind and the jinn stood together in one place and asked of me, and I were to give to each of you his desire, it would not decrease what I have, any more than the sea is decreased when a needle is dipped into it. O my servants, it is nothing but your needs that I reckon for you and recompense you for, so let he who finds good praise Allah, and he who finds other than it, he has no one to blame but himself.’ (Narrated by Muslim).

And about idols worshiping man, its creator – idol worshippers would tell you that’s what is being done all the time prayers offered to the idols are granted.

but why doesn't man praise (worship) himself if he is god or a part of god (divine).

Look eselam, if you understand the phrase “essence and expressions”, you will understand this basic teaching of Hinduism. Everything has an essence, which essence is the same as every other essence. And the expressions of the essence are innumerable, which gives us our multiverse. Further, the link between essence and expressions brings up the theory of involution and evolution. This theory was brilliantly exposited by Aurobindo, a modern day mystic.

i can't say i understand it that well. but i'm sure it makes sense to a hindu.

 

[Gharib]

You see Esalam, the people who say that all religions lead to God tend to be people of eastern religion. Particularly Hinduism allows for this idea. We believe that God comes in many forms and teaches through many people in different societies and histories for various purposes. So we see God's hand in all spiritualities. From a Hindu perspective, Muhhamed gave the Qur'an for a purpose and a people, Jesus and the Bible for another purpose and people and so on. From a Hindu perspective, the depths revealed within each religion is suitable to the individual's spiritual progess and consciousness. I also feel that the diversity we see in the world is very valuable. For example, without learning about the concepts of Buddhims, Christianity, Wicca etc. I would be a much mroe narrow minded person. I would not be the person that I am today. Everything I see and learn helps me to grow as a person and I feel that it is meant to be this way.

I could never believe that God is present in only one very specific religion. He is everyrwhere and in every thing. He can reveal himself from any angle. That is what I believe.

what i said was just an islamic perspective. however i cannot force islams teachings upon other people or religions. hinduism itself has it's perspectives on things and the above explains hinduisms perspective on the issue. and thank you for sharing that.

 

[imaginaryme]

An entirely beautiful thread. You are all right. I know this because I know the tao, and everybody knows there ain't no knowing no tao.

To quell the logicians of the world, just remember that reality trumps logic.

 

[Madhuri]

what i said was just an islamic perspective. however i cannot force islams teachings upon other people or religions. hinduism itself has it's perspectives on things and the above explains hinduisms perspective on the issue. and thank you for sharing that.

No worries and kudas for a good thread! Very interesting topic

 

[Gharib]

An entirely beautiful thread. You are all right.

well if i'm right then everyone else is wrong. thanks for sharing your views though.

I know this because I know the tao, and everybody knows there ain't no knowing no tao.

what does "tao" mean?

To quell the logicians of the world, just remember that reality trumps logic.

doesn't reality and logic go together?

 

[imaginaryme]

well if i'm right then everyone else is wrong. thanks for sharing your views though.



what does "tao" mean?



doesn't reality and logic go together?

Friend eselam, I'll surely be wrong for you to be right. I'm thinking we understand each other, even if and when our words are in conflict. Tao comes form the tao te ching, by Lao Tzu. You said a whole mouthful with the words "what does tao mean?" I knda made a joke when I said I know the tao, because there truly ain't no knowing no tao. It's about understanding things for the "thingness" of a thing, rather than the words that describe a thing. Every religion ain't for everybody, that's why we need all of them. Logic is a tool used to describe reality, but the wise remember that the world is more than a map of the world.

 

[Breathe]

and everyone has to live life one way or another, one size fits all.

True, everyone has to live the same - but then again we are all allowed opinions. Some people prefer a blue shirt, others a red one. Does it mean everyone should wear blue shirts or red shirts?

one problem i have with saying "all religions offer the right path to god". even though i kind of agree, in the sense that we will all die and end up before god one day, whom ever that god may be, i believe it will be Allah.

Allah simply means the one God, so sure - I believe that all will be before God, eventually. For some it may take a little longer with rebirths and stuff though, maybe

but the biggest problem (concern) i have is that, all religions have a different concept of god. therefore there is only one specific way to that one god. for example, in islam Allah has told us about himself what he's wanted us to know, and the only way to Allah and his reward is thruogh islam. ruling out the belief "all religions offer the right path to god"

But really, the views of differing religions of God tend to be quite similar, really. It's the life after death that tends to be different. Hinduism, Sikhism, Judaism and The Father in Christianity, all these deities are Supreme, spirit, and without a human form.

And once again, it comes down to the defiintion of 'Islam. Could this be 'Whoever wants a religion other than submission to God, it will not be accepted of him' for example?


Ultimately, I think that God will be happiest with those who try. Not those who guess correctly. Life isn't some gameshow where you pick door number 1 to door number 30, and only 1 of those doors will get you the prize. That is a horrible view of God to hold, after all.

Muhammed (saws) was not brought only to only one area. he was brought for all mankind. if thats what you are asking.

But he was in an area right next to Israel. Why was there no prophet spreading the true religion who became successful in like, Europe, or America? One who preached about Isa son of Maryam, from a land in the east whom they thought was crucified but was not. Then when the Christians came to America, they would have been all 'gasp! This Muhammad was a prophet!'. But, Muhammad was right next to Israel, and would have had a lot of contact with Christian and Jewish tribes as a merchant trader.

i really don't think that explains it. in arabia polytheism was practised, so why did islam come out to be monotheisitc?

Judaism, Zoroastrianism, and Christianity are nearby religions. Muhammad could have easily preferred their concept of the Divine. Perhaps he saw the way people prayed in front of statues, and found it to be devoid of meaning, because he could have seen that three years before someone made the statue with their own hands, and now they are there worshipping in front of it and asking for gifts.

exactly why you don't let a common person touch the elephant, but instead you let the experts do it.

But is there ever such a thing as an expert on God? We are all not capable of fully comprehending God, so letting the common person touch the elephant is more appropriate. Even if you have an expert touching only one part of the elephant, if he is blind, he still may think of it as something else.

but if religion was from man, howcome man has explained everything appart from god. why has man left the biggest peice to the puzle out?

I think the more pressing question would be: why would God leave the biggest piece out? I would not say that man has left the biggest piece of the puzzle out. All the religions that believe in God attempt to explain Him or His Virtues, after all.

How can mankind write down anything on God when He is beyond our comprehension? Even if God came down to earth or took the person up to Heaven and they met Him, stayed for dinner or something D) and spent a long time with Him, they would still be unable to explain God's Nature to those who did not know about what this person had saw, wouldn't they?

don't think there was a problem with it.

Thank you!

 

[nameless]

one problem i have with saying "all religions offer the right path to god". even though i kind of agree, in the sense that we will all die and end up before god one day, whom ever that god may be, i believe it will be Allah.

why the god who is beyond form, time and space is not beyond name?
if he has name why only the arabic word 'allah'?
is god limited to language?

 

[steve ritter]

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[steve ritter]

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[K.Venugopal]

Before you can find a path to something, you have to have a clear definition of what that something is.

Agreed.

Saying all religions are a "path to god" is absurd.

This saying is a contribution of Hinduism. They reason that if someone claims that he is on the pathway to God, why grudge him. It need not be taken as their endorsement of the veracity of each and every religion. That is for its practitioners to certify. It is simply a liberal philosophical approach.

 

[ThereIsNoSpoon]

Mr K.Venugopal and myself are having a discussion about which religion has the right path to God and what is it about that particular religion that makes it true or sets it appart from the rest.

Well i think that IF God exists then the religion that speaks the truth and offers a path is the one with the best path to him.
Which means ... currently no religion.