Which religion offers the right path to God?

[Madhuri]

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.

That wasn't the best logic I've ever come across...

 

[Breathe]

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.

What makes you believe that no religion currently speaks the truth and offers the best path?
And what do you mean by currently?

 

[ThereIsNoSpoon]

What makes you believe that no religion currently speaks the truth and offers the best path?

I haven't seen any religion yet that did not contain errors or contradictions which only its believers "interpreted" away.

And what do you mean by currently?

Might be that God exists and chooses to revea himself tomorrow after i had a shower

That wasn't the best logic I've ever come across...

That was no logical argument at all my friend. Just a two sentence opinion. But i a mglad that you already have seen something better

 

[K.Venugopal]

…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"

Yes … unfortunately.

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.

I think there is a double sin about Islam – not only does it teach that it is the only true religion, but it also teaches that the scriptures of other religions are not authentic.

 

[Zardoz]

Yes … unfortunately.



I think there is a double sin about Islam – not only does it teach that it is the only true religion, but it also teaches that the scriptures of other religions are not authentic.

I agree. However, just about the exact same thing can be said by a Christian about Jesus and Christianity. Same 'we're good and you're evil' stand. So on we go, without peace in the world.

 

[YmirGF]

Yes … unfortunately.

What I don't get is why they feel a need FOR REWARDS?

I think there is a double sin about Islam – not only does it teach that it is the only true religion, but it also teaches that the scriptures of other religions are not authentic.

Just so. Aspersions have a tendency to boomerang back on the caster.

 

[K.Venugopal]

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?

For example when it is said in the Quran that there is no god but God, I would tend to interpret it as there being nothing other than God and therefore expressing the oneness of existence. I think the Muslim presentation of this fundamental and basic verse of Quran - as there being One God - is questionable. (I can give you a link to at least one Muslim sect which interprets it as oneness of existence.)

Why should it be that there is only one path to Allah? Doesn’t all roads lead to Rome?

You can’t compare faith with roads just as you can’t compare Allah to rome.
i said look at the principal. not to compare Allah with some human.

I was saying that you consider my comparison invalid but expect me to validate your comparison.

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?

The understanding is that the more spiritual your are (by which I mean the less you are psychologically dependent on anything) the more you enjoy life.

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

Not only nature, everything is God in essence and different in expression.

Ever wondered how God himself is in perfect order?

not really. what do you think about it?

Isn’t God in perfect order, even without a creator? So why can’t “creation” (existence, actually) be in perfect order without a creator?

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?

“Creation” is actually formless existence taking on forms. (And not a bringing forth of that which never existed before in essence.) Idols are made by man to concentrate upon the formless. As it is believed that man can attain the formless through idol worship, the role of idols become divine.

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

Man procreates, which is different from creation.

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).

Though Allah says thus, it appears that He is unable to bear anyone worshiping “another God” except Him. So it is not as if nothing affects Him.

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

When man realizes his divinity, worship becomes superfluous.

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.

Your response is great. That’s the whole point. Each man’s religion makes sense to him. Therefore it is not fair on the part of Islam to say other religions are wrong.

 

[K.Venugopal]

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.

Congratulations. This is the right approach. Conceeding that your perspective is just an Islamic perspective leaves scope for other perspectives also to be valid.

 

[K.Venugopal]

well if i'm right then everyone else is wrong.

Dear eselam, Others would be wrong if you are right only if what others say is different from what you say. It should not always be concluded that others are saying something wrong just because their expressions may be different.

 

[K.Venugopal]

What I don't get is why they feel a need FOR REWARDS?

It is ironic that Allah promises creature comforts. Sort of 5-star (or is it 7-star?) life in our world. Allah seems to be ignorant of the bliss of a spiritual life - where bliss is just in the be-ing.

 

[YmirGF]

Allah seems to be ignorant of the bliss of a spiritual life - where bliss is just in the be-ing.

and that is something I already understand well, which makes me be extremely doubtful when other human animals attempt to explain this kind of thing to me -- especially when their thinking is at variance to that "feature" of reality.

 

[TheGodless1]

Submission....very interesting. Both Islam and Christianity as a whole believe the same things yet criticize each other for it. I dont believe there is any one "Right" religion rather you must only find the one that is "right" for yourself. And the key to that being the right one is submission. When you worship something aren't you being submissive and giving your entire self to that belief or ideal? As a student of Ancient Religions and anthropology I have found that all religions are based upon the same thing...love and respect for one another and basic laws by which to abide ensuring passage into the afterlife for eternity. All religions are beautiful. I am happy I'm an atheist looking for faith. If not I might be stuck on one ideal and try to find all other beliefs not worthy or right. at least with a lack of beliefs I have seen the beauty in all religions and found a new respect for them. Different rules but similar teachings.

 

[look3467]

Submission....very interesting. Both Islam and Christianity as a whole believe the same things yet criticize each other for it. I dont believe there is any one "Right" religion rather you must only find the one that is "right" for yourself. And the key to that being the right one is submission. When you worship something aren't you being submissive and giving your entire self to that belief or ideal? As a student of Ancient Religions and anthropology I have found that all religions are based upon the same thing...love and respect for one another and basic laws by which to abide ensuring passage into the afterlife for eternity. All religions are beautiful. I am happy I'm an atheist looking for faith. If not I might be stuck on one ideal and try to find all other beliefs not worthy or right. at least with a lack of beliefs I have seen the beauty in all religions and found a new respect for them. Different rules but similar teachings.

The reason for submission is because we are a lesser god.
The one and only God is the father of all gods.

Because we are made in the image (likeness of) in the ability to know both good and evil, and in the flesh, we are the weaker, the lesser gods.

Throughout the history of mankind, mankind has sought to identify that which they were conscience of, but did not understand what it was, and went about to identify themselves via submission to what they thought or believed to what they envissioned of a god.

It was not until Abraham that "the God" begin to make Himself known to mankind via prophets.
It culminated with Jesus, as the fulfill-er of all those prophecies to the end that made the lesser gods remain gods without penalty under Jesus via submission.

It was a designed flaw, but not a flaw as we think of it, but a flaw that was necessary for God to allow us to be like Him and not be alienated from Him because of our god status.

What I just explained fell/falls to every living soul that ever lived without distinction to beliefs.

It has been a progressive, trial and error experience for humanity in learning to understand the God of creations in ways that will benefit mankind.

Lots of trials and lots of errors in the process, but ultimately, each generation adds to the understanding as the body of believers matures.

The freedom to learn under harsh life's conditions is a privilege because the penalty for being a lesser god (separation = death of the soul) has been removed.

Having been removed, now allows us to experience all the workings of different beliefs without condemnation.

That is the works of God in our behalf.

Blessings, AJ

 

[Gharib]

Congratulations. This is the right approach. Conceeding that your perspective is just an Islamic perspective leaves scope for other perspectives also to be valid.

not really. an islamic perspective is the only valid perspective. we don't consider other perspectives to be correct and doubt ours.

do you doubt the perspectives of hinduism?

 

[Bismillah]

Allah seems to be ignorant of the bliss of a spiritual life - where bliss is just in the be-ing.

Muslims live in accordance to the teaching of Islam. I find that we live our lives on Earth, ideally, as spiritually as possible. This doesn't change when we enter Heaven.

It is also said that the greatest gift in Heaven is the ability to live alongside Allah. Thus, one of the most important aspects of Heaven is building and elevating the spiritual connection between God and Man. to a level previously unattainable.

 

[K.Venugopal]

Submission....very interesting. Both Islam and Christianity as a whole believe the same things yet criticize each other for it. I dont believe there is any one "Right" religion rather you must only find the one that is "right" for yourself. And the key to that being the right one is submission. When you worship something aren't you being submissive and giving your entire self to that belief or ideal? As a student of Ancient Religions and anthropology I have found that all religions are based upon the same thing...love and respect for one another and basic laws by which to abide ensuring passage into the afterlife for eternity. All religions are beautiful. I am happy I'm an atheist looking for faith. If not I might be stuck on one ideal and try to find all other beliefs not worthy or right. at least with a lack of beliefs I have seen the beauty in all religions and found a new respect for them. Different rules but similar teachings.

If submission means getting rid of our ego, it is a sine qua non for being spiritual. But if submission means “falling in line”, then the enterprise would turn out to be a fascist one.

 

[K.Venugopal]

not really. an islamic perspective is the only valid perspective. we don't consider other perspectives to be correct and doubt ours.

do you doubt the perspectives of hinduism?

The question is not about doubting perspectives, but of accepting that there could be more than one perspective to a thing.

 

[K.Venugopal]

Muslims live in accordance to the teaching of Islam. I find that we live our lives on Earth, ideally, as spiritually as possible. This doesn't change when we enter Heaven.

It is also said that the greatest gift in Heaven is the ability to live alongside Allah. Thus, one of the most important aspects of Heaven is building and elevating the spiritual connection between God and Man. to a level previously unattainable.

What to you mean by spiritual connection between God and Man?

 

[Bismillah]

What to you mean by spiritual connection between God and Man?

The connection between the believer and God. This faith inspired connection would only be elevated to proportions unimaginable when the believer would be allowed to reside in and alongside Allah.

 

[look3467]

Muslims live in accordance to the teaching of Islam. I find that we live our lives on Earth, ideally, as spiritually as possible. This doesn't change when we enter Heaven.

It is also said that the greatest gift in Heaven is the ability to live alongside Allah. Thus, one of the most important aspects of Heaven is building and elevating the spiritual connection between God and Man. to a level previously unattainable.

I appreciate the seriousness of your beliefs and you do have a good point.
I would like to add my understanding, verses your understanding of this your 4 words: "to live alongside Allah", by adding that not standing next to Allah but "in " Allah.

Blessings, AJ