What are religionists being taught about other religions?

dfnj · Nov 8, 2019

loverofhumanity said:
Do you think we should try and build bridges between the religions or keep aloof from one another? Isn’t it time the religions of the world came together to eliminate the hatreds that have caused bitter wars between them and find common ground to get along with one another?

What does your religion teach you about other religions? What if anything is mentioned in your Holy Books regarding other Faiths?

I do not like religions that have a "chosen" people. I think this is the antithesis of having a God of unconditional love. What is a belief in God if it is not a belief under all the hatred is love. And underneath the individual is a oneness with everyone else and all of existence. And so one must strongly conclude what we do to one another we do to ourselves.

But we have also seen there are always enough ambiguity and interpretation in the Bibles of the most popular religions for people to justify genocide even though I personally cannot fathom how such a conclusions of hatred can ever be met. But it is important we concentrate and focus on the positive because as a collective mind what we focus on has consequences. Energy follows thought is the expression. Here is list showing how every major religion has some form of the golden rule:

Buddhism
Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.
The Buddha, Udana-Varga 5.18

Christianity
In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.
Jesus, Matthew 7:12

Confucianism
One word which sums up the basis of all good conduct … loving-kindness.
Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself.
Confucius Analects 15.23

Hinduism
This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you.
Mahabharata 5:1517

Islam
Not one of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for yourself. The Prophet Muhammad, Hadith
Book 001, Number 0072:
It is arrested on the authority of Anas b. Malik that the Prophet (may peace and blessings be upon him) observed: one amongst you believes (truly) till one likes for his brother or for his neighbour that which he loves for himself.

Jainism
One should treat all creatures in the world as one would like to be treated.
Mahavira, Sutrakritanga

Judaism
What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour. This is the whole
Torah; all the rest is commentary. Go and learn it.
Hillel, Talmud, Shabbath 31a

Native Spirituality
We are as much alive as we keep the earth alive.
Chief Dan George

Sikhism
I am a stranger to no one; and no one is a stranger to me. Indeed, I am a friend to all.
Guru Granth Sahib, p. 1299

Taoism
Regard your neighbour’s gain as your own gain and your neighbour’s loss as your own loss.
Lao Tzu, T’ai Shang Kan Ying P’ien, 213-218

Unitarianism
We affirm and promote respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
Unitarian principle

Zoroastrianism
Do not do unto others whatever is injurious to yourself.
Shayast-na-Shayast 13.29

Baha’i Faith
Lay not on any soul a load that you would not wish to be laid upon you,
and desire not for anyone the things you would not desire for yourself.
Baha’u’llah, Gleanings

Although atheists and nihilists do not have any religious texts, my atheist and nihilists friends assure me religion is not necessary in order to be a moral person or to value having morals. I'm not the biggest fan of nihilism. And I find most atheists to lack humility when it comes to the premises of their own dogmas. However, let's hope my friends are right about the inherent goodness of people who do not value the World or people as being sacred.

wizanda · Nov 8, 2019

loverofhumanity said:
Do you think we should try and build bridges between the religions or keep aloof from one another?

Building bridges without understanding architectural structural design is stupid, and leads to further exclamation of errors, until all bridges collapse.

Thus Baha'i will lead to war, as they don't know how to fix bridges, they're not looking at the mechanisms, and are actually making the bridges heavier by adding to the causes, without studying the structural diagrams.

The Bible has exact criteria using a Plummet Line, a Cornerstone, a Measure, etc, without understanding each of the metaphors, we might as well be throwing each others books away to build a bridge of peace...

Instead we should use the books to build solid foundations, to understand how the different bridges function, then it will be crossable.

loverofhumanity said:
What does your religion teach you about other religions?

Yeshua blessed the Centurion, and said he'd be in the Kingdom, whereas the religious Zealots who didn't listen won't (Matthew 8:5-13).

A lot of the texts state read all the religions, people decide to limit reading to one book, and call that religion.

Every religious texts warn about similar things: not to make idols of the Source of reality; that people are arrogant, and mock other religions rather than study the different messages delivered to them as One.

loverofhumanity said:
What if anything is mentioned in your Holy Books regarding other Faiths?

There is only one faith allowed, that we have to trust in the Source of reality, deviation from this will be idolatry somewhere.

In my opinion.

Deeje · Nov 8, 2019

ADigitalArtist said:
But I was JW for decades, never baptized, attended two meetings and a bible study...weekly.

Well this made me smile.....you were not ever a JW if you were not baptized. You attended two meetings and a Bible study...weekly (or was that weakly) for decades but never committed yourself? Why did you bother? :facepalm:

Was that pioneer a family member by any chance?

I am still trying to process this information....now I know you may have danced around the fringes for years but there is no way that you were ever a JW.

I am thinking that you were probably raised a JW but your heart was never in it? Your story makes no sense otherwise.
That’s like saying you traveled around with a doctor and even went into the operating theatre with him...so now you think you are a doctor.

Who told you you were a JW? :shrug:

Deeje · Nov 8, 2019

Tumah said:
Would you believe that out of respect for my parents, I never say their names? You would, because I've told you this before. That's one way to show respect in Judaism. So perhaps what you mean to say is, "In my community as a JW, we specifically use the names of people we hold in esteem".

I also wonder what the popular perception is. Maybe other RFers can chime as, as I don't know, myself:

In TV shows and movies is it common for people to refer to others that they are assumed to respect (parents, kings, judges, heads of state/government, etc.) by their titles (dad, mom, my liege, your honor, Mr. President) or their names?

Can you tell me why the Bible writers like King David had no qualms whatsoever about addressing God by his name? If he did not want his name to be used by his people, then why did he reveal it to Moses with the command that it be used in every generation? (Exodus 3:14-15)

It seems to me disrespectful not to use it in that case. The command was not to “take God’s name in vain”.....meaning to use it in a worthless way or to be irreverent about its use.

Abraham was called “Jehovah’s friend”....it was an intimate relationship, so why not use God’s name? I never once saw a scriptural admonition to refrain from using it.....do you have one?

loverofhumanity · Nov 8, 2019

dfnj said:
I do not like religions that have a "chosen" people. I think this is the antithesis of having a God of unconditional love. What is a belief in God if it is not a belief under all the hatred is love. And underneath the individual is a oneness with everyone else and all of existence. And so one must strongly conclude what we do to one another we do to ourselves.

But we have also seen there are always enough ambiguity and interpretation in the Bibles of the most popular religions for people to justify genocide even though I personally cannot fathom how such a conclusions of hatred can ever be met. But it is important we concentrate and focus on the positive because as a collective mind what we focus on has consequences. Energy follows thought is the expression. Here is list showing how every major religion has some form of the golden rule:

Buddhism
Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.
The Buddha, Udana-Varga 5.18

Christianity
In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.
Jesus, Matthew 7:12

Confucianism
One word which sums up the basis of all good conduct … loving-kindness.
Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself.
Confucius Analects 15.23

Hinduism
This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you.
Mahabharata 5:1517

Islam
Not one of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for yourself. The Prophet Muhammad, Hadith
Book 001, Number 0072:
It is arrested on the authority of Anas b. Malik that the Prophet (may peace and blessings be upon him) observed: one amongst you believes (truly) till one likes for his brother or for his neighbour that which he loves for himself.

Jainism
One should treat all creatures in the world as one would like to be treated.
Mahavira, Sutrakritanga

Judaism
What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour. This is the whole
Torah; all the rest is commentary. Go and learn it.
Hillel, Talmud, Shabbath 31a

Native Spirituality
We are as much alive as we keep the earth alive.
Chief Dan George

Sikhism
I am a stranger to no one; and no one is a stranger to me. Indeed, I am a friend to all.
Guru Granth Sahib, p. 1299

Taoism
Regard your neighbour’s gain as your own gain and your neighbour’s loss as your own loss.
Lao Tzu, T’ai Shang Kan Ying P’ien, 213-218

Unitarianism
We affirm and promote respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
Unitarian principle

Zoroastrianism
Do not do unto others whatever is injurious to yourself.
Shayast-na-Shayast 13.29

Baha’i Faith
Lay not on any soul a load that you would not wish to be laid upon you,
and desire not for anyone the things you would not desire for yourself.
Baha’u’llah, Gleanings

Although atheists and nihilists do not have any religious texts, my atheist and nihilists friends assure me religion is not necessary in order to be a moral person or to value having morals. I'm not the biggest fan of nihilism. And I find most atheists to lack humility when it comes to the premises of their own dogmas. However, let's hope my friends are right about the inherent goodness of people who do not value the World or people as being sacred.

Thank you very, very much for this wonderful contribution and all the trouble you went to to emphasise the common thread between religions and their oneness and unity. In all these religions there is truth. This post is the best post I’ve come across in a long, long time. I’ve copied all your entries to keep and show others.

Imagine instead of being indoctrinated to only accept one religion as supreme over all the others, children were taught and shown the common teachings in all faiths that support each other. We might have a chance to raise a generation of youth who would be free from hatred and prejudice.

I view any post like yours as a service to humanity as it is educating people about what we have in common instead of trying to create conflict. I believe we can all live in harmony but not while we claim we are the sole custodians of truth. Truth is everywhere, in religion, science, philosophy, in every person not just in one belief or religion. Atheists and agnostics know a lot of truth too and we can learn a lot from them as they look on disillusioned with this ego trip of each religion claiming it is the only truth. Thank you.

loverofhumanity · Nov 8, 2019

This is a most beautiful tribute to Christ by Baha’u’llah Who says any man who turns to Jesus is blessed.

Know thou that when the Son of Man yielded up His breath to God, the whole creation wept with a great weeping. By sacrificing Himself, however, a fresh capacity was infused into all created things. Its evidences, as witnessed in all the peoples of the earth, are now manifest before thee.

The deepest wisdom which the sages have uttered, the profoundest learning which any mind hath unfolded, the arts which the ablest hands have produced, the influence exerted by the most potent of rulers, are but manifestations of the quickening power released by His transcendent, His all-pervasive, and resplendent Spirit.

We testify that when He came into the world, He shed the splendor of His glory upon all created things. Through Him the leper recovered from the leprosy of perversity and ignorance. Through Him, the unchaste and wayward were healed. Through His power, born of Almighty God, the eyes of the blind were opened, and the soul of the sinner sanctified.

Leprosy may be interpreted as any veil that interveneth between man and the recognition of the Lord, his God. Whoso alloweth himself to be shut out from Him is indeed a leper, who shall not be remembered in the Kingdom of God, the Mighty, the All-Praised. We bear witness that through the power of the Word of God every leper was cleansed, every sickness was healed, every human infirmity was banished. He it is Who purified the world. Blessed is the man who, with a face beaming with light, hath turned towards Him.

Tumah · Nov 8, 2019

Deeje said:
Can you tell me why the Bible writers like King David had no qualms whatsoever about addressing God by his name?

How do you know that he had no qualms about addressing G-d by His Name? We also write His Name on religious documents. And I believe that parents, kings, judges and leaders are also referred to by their names on documents as well. They're names are just not used to their faces. G-d's face is everywhere and He's certainly deserving of an added degree of honor than flesh and blood leaders.

If he did not want his name to be used by his people, then why did he reveal it to Moses with the command that it be used in every generation? (Exodus 3:14-15)

That's not what it says there. Although it would be nice if it did, because that would prove the opposite - a command to use something indicates that it otherwise shouldn't be used.

It seems to me disrespectful not to use it in that case. The command was not to “take God’s name in vain”.....meaning to use it in a worthless way or to be irreverent about its use.

That's a command not to take false oaths in court using G-d's Name. Oaths were taken in G-d's Name in court, usually for monetary or property issues. This is a commandment not to do so falsely.

Abraham was called “Jehovah’s friend”....it was an intimate relationship, so why not use God’s name?

How does the king's own blood, his child, refer to him?

I never once saw a scriptural admonition to refrain from using it.....do you have one?

Deut. 10:20

firedragon · Nov 8, 2019

loverofhumanity said:
Once I had some religionists knock on my door and I welcomed them and invited them in my home to say prayers for humanity. They replied that their elders had forbidden them to mingle or become friendly with people from other Faiths because they might catch a ‘spiritual disease ‘.

I would love to be a fly on the wall to hear what is really being taught to such people to instill prejudice against people of different Faiths and where is their justification for promoting such prejudices.it does not come from the Holy Books.

Does it make any difference where we pray and meditate whether it be a pagoda, a church, temple, mosque or synagogue? What harm is there in going to each other’s churches and temples to pray, meditate and mingle?

In our Faith we have no such restrictions. We are encouraged to ‘consort with the followers of all religions with friendship and fellowship’ and again ‘“Consort with all religions with amity and concord, that they may inhale from you the sweet fragrance of God”

In our Houses of Worship each week all over the world we read from the Holy Books of all Faiths Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Islam as well as our own Faith and participate in interfaith.

Do you think we should try and build bridges between the religions or keep aloof from one another? Isn’t it time the religions of the world came together to eliminate the hatreds that have caused bitter wars between them and find common ground to get along with one another?

What does your religion teach you about other religions? What if anything is mentioned in your Holy Books regarding other Faiths?

Fundamentally, in religious institutions (not scripture), it is taught this way.

1. Muslims (Sunni) are taught that Christian, Jews are ahlul kithab so men can marry their women provided you give them the dowry and they can pray in your mosques. You can pray in Jewish synagogues freely but not at Christian churches unless you are deprived of an islamic mosque because the Christian church practices the trinity.

2. Jews are also taught that they can pray in Islamic mosques freely but not at Christian churches due to their trinity doctrine.

These are taught in the religious institutions. Religious institutions are man made. Nothing really to do with scripture. It also has various variations of course.

Vinayaka · Nov 8, 2019

spirtual-philosophy said:
Maybe so. But these open ideas are dangerous nevertheless, and should be opposed.

For sure, when they can cause harm. I'm not at all against just belief though ... those that don't lead to acting on it.

Vinayaka · Nov 8, 2019

dianaiad said:
"friendship evangelism' implies that one is friendly only as long as there is a possibility that the one being befriended will join the faith. That's just stupid. The idea, one hopes, is to just be friends. Period. IF the befriended finds something valuable in what one believes, that's wonderful. For us, that's the golden prize...but making friends is the OTHER golden prize. If one abandons a friend because s/he doesn't immediately convert, well....that's not being a friend now, is it?

Indeed. Just remember: for many people, their faith is a huge part of who they are. If you aren't willing to accept that, you aren't accepting them. By the same token, YOUR lack of religious belief might be a large part of who YOU are. Accepting that is also important.

But nothing stops either of you from attempting to change the other's mind Doing so is good for the theist AND good for you, if you can keep the 'nasty' out of it. Not everybody can.

In many years of interacting with members of your faith, (There was a missionary house across my back fence, we invited them over for a meal a few times.) I discovered friendship evangelism was an individual thing. Some were truly just being friends, in our chats across the fence. Others would put in a religious 'dig' once in a while.

I accept a person's faith as part of them, but I can choose to avoid them if it's worn on the sleeve constantly.

Are you implying I have no faith by saying 'YOUR lack of religious belief' or were you merely talking about people in general?

shmogie · Nov 8, 2019

Deeje said:
The quoted scriptures are also cited.....so feel free to look them up in any Bible....

Are you referring to the use of Jehovah's name in these quotes perchance? Look the OT scriptures up in the Jewish Tanach....the divine name is there. And when the NT Bible writers quoted OT scripture and the divine name was in the original text...you will find Jehovah's name in the NWT where I quoted from....(as if you didn't know )

Let me demonstrate.....

Exodus 20:2
"I am the Lord, your God, Who took you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
באָֽנֹכִ֨י יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֽוֹצֵאתִ֩יךָ֩ מֵאֶ֨רֶץ מִצְרַ֜יִם מִבֵּ֣ית עֲבָדִ֗ים:"

Exodus 20:5
"You shall neither prostrate yourself before them nor worship them, for I, the Lord, your God, am a zealous God, Who visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons, upon the third and the fourth generation of those who hate Me,
הלֹֽא־תִשְׁתַּֽחֲוֶ֣ה לָהֶם֘ וְלֹ֣א תָֽעָבְדֵם֒ כִּ֣י אָֽנֹכִ֞י יְהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ֙ אֵ֣ל קַנָּ֔א פֹּ֠קֵ֠ד עֲוֹ֨ן אָב֧וֹת עַל־בָּנִ֛ים עַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁ֥ים וְעַל־רִבֵּעִ֖ים לְשֽׂנְאָ֑י: "

The divine name is not translated in English...but it is clearly there in the Hebrew....יְהֹוָ֤ה ("YHWH" "Yahweh" or "Jehovah" in English)

Now what about the quote from 2 Corinthians 6:14-18?

Paul was quoting from the OT....

"Turn away, turn away, get out of there, touch no unclean one; get out of its midst, purify yourselves, you who bear the Lord's vessels.
יאס֚וּרוּ ס֙וּרוּ֙ צְא֣וּ מִשָּׁ֔ם טָמֵ֖א אַל־תִּגָּ֑עוּ צְא֣וּ מִתּוֹכָ֔הּ הִבָּ֕רוּ נֹֽשְׂאֵ֖י כְּלֵ֥י יְהֹוָֽה:"

So, I hope that wasn't your point because God's name was to be sanctified by the followers of Jesus. (Matthew 6: 9; John 17:25-26) You can hardly hold God's name in high esteem if you never use it. Quibbling over pronunciation to the God who invented language is pretty silly. You think God's name is only translated into English? God knows his name in any language. Why wouldn't he?

Here is a list of the laguages that translate the divine name.....

Awabakal - Yehóa

Bugotu - Jihova

Cantonese - Yehwowah

Danish - Jehova

Dutch - Jehovah

Efik - Jehovah

English - Jehovah

Fijian - Jiova

Finnish - Jehova

French - Jéhovah

Futuna - Ihova

German - Jehova

Hungarian - Jehova

Igbo - Jehova

Italian - Geova

Japanese - Ehoba

Maori - Ihowa

Motu - Iehova

Mwala-Malu - Jihova

Narrinyeri - Jehovah

Nembe - Jihova

Petats - Jihouva

Polish - Jehowa

Portuguese - Jeová

Romanian - Iehova

Samoan - Ieova

Sotho - Jehova

Spanish - Jehová

Swahili - Yehova

Swedish - Jehova

Tahitian - Iehova

Tagalog - Jehova

Tongan - Jihova

Venda - Yehova

Xhosa - uYehova

Yoruba - Jehofah

Zulu - uJehova

Should they all be altered because some people trip over the pronunciation? Seriously?
Would you like to change every Bible name starting with "J", seeing as how there is no "J" in Hebrew?

Was that your point?

Of course you know the word Jehovah is a representation of the tetragrammaton. Jehovah is a guess as to the original word.

The original Koine Greek NT did not use the tetragrammaton, or the word Jehovah anywhere in any books.

shmogie · Nov 8, 2019

ADigitalArtist said:
I'm betting it's the NWT, since it's the standard translation JW use.

Yep. A translation that isn´t a translation, but a paraphrase, massaged and manipulated to support specific theological ideas.

Vinayaka · Nov 8, 2019

spirtual-philosophy said:
If an idea put into practice harms others and society, it should be opposed. How can such an idea be true and good?

Who gets to decide what's harmful and what isn't?

Aupmanyav · Nov 8, 2019

loverofhumanity said:
Truth is everywhere, in religion, science, philosophy, in every person not just in one belief or religion.

And a lot of falsehood too. Only science is pure truth.

loverofhumanity said:
This is a most beautiful tribute to Christ by Baha’u’llah ..

But he is not the Son of any God. And his message has been modified by Allah in words of Bahaullah. And Christians must accept Bahaullah as a manifestation of God, otherwise they go against Allah's wish.

Vinayaka said:
Who gets to decide what's harmful and what isn't?

Society or the people who have suffered harm.

syo · Nov 8, 2019

loverofhumanity said:
What does your religion teach you about other religions?

That they are true.

Vinayaka · Nov 8, 2019

Aupmanyav said:
Society or the people who have suffered harm.

What's harm? I agree it is the victim that gets to decide, but it's not always obvious either. Many situations are vague.

ADigitalArtist · Nov 8, 2019

Deeje said:
Well this made me smile.....you were not ever a JW if you were not baptized. You attended two meetings and a Bible study...weekly (or was that weakly) for decades but never committed yourself? Why did you bother? Was that pioneer a family member by any chance?

I am still trying to process this information....now I know you may have danced around the fringes for years but there is no way that you were ever a JW.

I am thinking that you were probably raised a JW but your heart was never in it? Your story makes no sense otherwise.
That’s like saying you traveled around with a doctor and even went into the operating theatre with him...so now you think you are a doctor.

Who told you you were a JW?

Nope, I was not raied JW nor were my parents JW, and the pioneer was not a family member. I began studying of my own accord and never became baptized because for the bulk of that time I was a teen. And by the time I was old enough to feel ready, I realized that I did not believe what I was being told. I don't subscribe to the 'you were never a JW if you were never baptized' malarkey, any more than the 'you were never committed unless you never separate malarkey. Or do you tell kids in the church that they're not 'really JW'?

I tell JW I wasn't baptized to forestall the cultish behavior of shunning and ignoring disfellowshipped but honestly I wish you would ignore me I have no more desire to associate with you than you do me. So go in peace.

dianaiad · Nov 8, 2019

Vinayaka said:
In many years of interacting with members of your faith, (There was a missionary house across my back fence, we invited them over for a meal a few times.) I discovered friendship evangelism was an individual thing. Some were truly just being friends, in our chats across the fence. Others would put in a religious 'dig' once in a while.

I accept a person's faith as part of them, but I can choose to avoid them if it's worn on the sleeve constantly.

Are you implying I have no faith by saying 'YOUR lack of religious belief' or were you merely talking about people in general?

In a public forum such as this, when I use 'you,' it is general unless I make it very clear that I'm being specific. English does not, you realize, have a plural form of 'you.' The closest we come is 'y'all' and I keep getting criticized for mocking people when I use that. (sigh) Can't win.

Vinayaka · Nov 8, 2019

dianaiad said:
In a public forum such as this, when I use 'you,' it is general unless I make it very clear that I'm being specific. English does not, you realize, have a plural form of 'you.' The closest we come is 'y'all' and I keep getting criticized for mocking people when I use that. (sigh) Can't win.

Thanks for the clarification.

TransmutingSoul · Nov 8, 2019

Vinayaka said:
Who gets to decide what's harmful and what isn't?

Each of us.

Regards Tony

What are religionists being taught about other religions?

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