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Can all religions lead to God?

Many people who are considered humble and tolerant will say that all religions are useful for "bettering" oneself and have a similar core message: kindness and love toward your neighbor. Proselytizing is considered to be cruel and intolerant.

1. Isn't this avoiding the "truth" question? They cannot all logically be completely true if they contradict each other on core thing such as who "God" is?

2. Is it really arrogant and intolerant for someone to believe that he knows the truth and that it is loving to share that truth with others?
 

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
1. No. I can simultaneously believe my religion is the true one and also believe that other religions can help better people and help them have a relationship with G-d.

2. Not sure what you mean here, but sharing one's truth is different to proselytising and I have no problem with that. I do think it is uncalled for to stand on street corners and preach your religion; it just seems rude, when no-one asked for it.
 

Brickjectivity

Turned to Stone. Now I stretch daily.
Staff member
Premium Member
Many people who are considered humble and tolerant will say that all religions are useful for "bettering" oneself and have a similar core message: kindness and love toward your neighbor.
Not I. Each religion must prove its worth.

Proselytizing is considered to be cruel and intolerant.
Not cruel and intolerant, but there is a stupid and arrogant way to go about it. Not everything that is called proselytizing truly is, and people commonly mistake arguing for preaching. I should clarify that on RF in our rules the word 'Proselytize' means something negative, but there is no rule against being a good example and showing people how to be through one's example. Obviously there is more than one idea about what proselytizing is.

1. Isn't this avoiding the "truth" question? They cannot all logically be completely true if they contradict each other on core thing such as who "God" is?
Logic is a formalism. You start with certain assumptions and then place those assumptions into word forms, such as if-then statements. The assumptions themselves are never provable. The problem of truth is that it changes if you change the context in which it is spoken. Instead start with morality and love, and then I think that you have the best chance of finding truth. I've known so many people, including myself, sure of truths which they then later decided were not truths. In my experience word-truth is the 'Sand' in Jesus parable and is a stone made with hands. The stone made without hands is the greater truth -- the truth that God reveals truth to people which we can only partially understand.

2. Is it really arrogant and intolerant for someone to believe that he knows the truth and that it is loving to share that truth with others?
I think arrogance is a matter of the heart and of personality. Everybody has it. It is one of the 'Issues' which seep out of the heart which has to be suppressed, covered and cleaned up after. Arrogance finds ways to express itself, just like anger does or hate. Evil comes from within seeking to be expressed using almost any excuse. Whether it is through argument or whatever does not matter. Christians have a real gem which talks about this called the book of James, but though its expressed eloquently in James its also evidently important in the gospels and other writings in the Christian scripture. For example Jesus talks about little children being the kingdom of God. There are numerous examples of Jesus swatting down the importance of arguments and the false importance of getting everyone to agree about doctrines.
 

MonkeyFire

Well-Known Member
Many people who are considered humble and tolerant will say that all religions are useful for "bettering" oneself and have a similar core message: kindness and love toward your neighbor. Proselytizing is considered to be cruel and intolerant.

1. Isn't this avoiding the "truth" question? They cannot all logically be completely true if they contradict each other on core thing such as who "God" is?

2. Is it really arrogant and intolerant for someone to believe that he knows the truth and that it is loving to share that truth with others?

I think all religions can be one religion, and that one religion can show you the path to God.
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Many people who are considered humble and tolerant will say that all religions are useful for "bettering" oneself and have a similar core message: kindness and love toward your neighbor. Proselytizing is considered to be cruel and intolerant.

1. Isn't this avoiding the "truth" question? They cannot all logically be completely true if they contradict each other on core thing such as who "God" is?

2. Is it really arrogant and intolerant for someone to believe that he knows the truth and that it is loving to share that truth with others?
I intend to go along with the words that talk is cheap.

Talkin about what you think is truth and actual truth can make for quite a contrast.
 

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
Many people who are considered humble and tolerant will say that all religions are useful for "bettering" oneself and have a similar core message: kindness and love toward your neighbor. Proselytizing is considered to be cruel and intolerant.

1. Isn't this avoiding the "truth" question? They cannot all logically be completely true if they contradict each other on core thing such as who "God" is?

No. Why not? Let's think of "truth" as a destination. Many roads can lead there originating from many different places. Some roads may be longer; some roads may be shorter. Some roads may be dead ends where one has to backtrack and get on another road.

If you don't like that analogy, here's another. Think of "truth" as the summit of a mountain. One can start at any point at the base of the mountain and begin climbing. Some mountain faces may be quicker and easier to climb. Some may be more vertical and have more difficult formations, some may flat out impossible to scale and a require a detour. But paths will lead to the summit.

2. Is it really arrogant and intolerant for someone to believe that he knows the truth and that it is loving to share that truth with others?

Unsolicited? Yes, especially if that someone doesn't know they know the "truth". ;)
 

Jainarayan

ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय
Staff member
Premium Member
Many people who are considered humble and tolerant will say that all religions are useful for "bettering" oneself and have a similar core message: kindness and love toward your neighbor.

I don't believe that. I use the extreme example of Mesoamerican religions: Aztec, Maya, and their predecessors who practiced human sacrifice. They certainly had no love for neighboring tribes since conquest for the purpose of human sacrifice was their goal. The goal of said human sacrifice was not for their betterment or for union with their gods, but rather to appease their gods so the gods didn't wreak havoc on them.

1. Isn't this avoiding the "truth" question? They cannot all logically be completely true if they contradict each other on core thing such as who "God" is?

There's a line in Childhood's End (the tv version, anyway; I never read the book) in which Karellan, the alien governor of Earth tells one of the characters, a deeply religious and now confused woman, “...all the world’s religions cannot be right, and they know it. Sooner or later man has to learn the truth:”

Gandhi, on the other hand said “I came to the conclusion long ago that all religions were true and that also that all had some error in them, and while I hold by my own religion, I should hold other religions as dear as Hinduism. So we can only pray, if we were Hindus, not that a Christian should become a Hindu; but our innermost prayer should be that a Hindu should become a better Hindu, a Muslim a better Muslim, and a Christian a better Christian.”

My take-away lesson from that is that every religion is true for its followers and adherents. But their stated goals are not the same.

2. Is it really arrogant and intolerant for someone to believe that he knows the truth and that it is loving to share that truth with others?

Yes. As we have here, with which I agree wholeheartedly:

but sharing one's truth is different to proselytising and I have no problem with that. I do think it is uncalled for to stand on street corners and preach your religion; it just seems rude, when no-one asked for it.

I will happily talk about Hinduism and explain what I know to the best of my knowledge IF someone asks. Which they have done. The pranava ( aka oṁ ) pendant I wear is sometimes visible, which sometimes prompts someone to ask what it is. One of the cashiers at the supermarket who knows me as a regular once commented that the flowers I had were beautiful, and that she noticed I buy several bunches every week. I explained why, which prompted a short conversation she found fascinating.

On the other hand, I've encountered people (as currently in a Facebook "discussion") telling me that Jesus is "the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me"; that I will one day have to face God (yes, happily ;) ); that the devil is doing a happy dance for me (really, the person said that); that I will regret my life's "choices"... i.e. being an idol-worshiping sodomite. Seriously, even I can make this stuff up. o_O
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
What do you mean by 'lead to God'? Religions vary on just exactly what that means. So taken within their own definition of what that means, sure, unless there is no such construct within the religion.
 

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
Many people who are considered humble and tolerant will say that all religions are useful for "bettering" oneself and have a similar core message: kindness and love toward your neighbor. Proselytizing is considered to be cruel and intolerant.

1. Isn't this avoiding the "truth" question? They cannot all logically be completely true if they contradict each other on core thing such as who "God" is?

2. Is it really arrogant and intolerant for someone to believe that he knows the truth and that it is loving to share that truth with others?

No. The results of practice are similar since our religious practices tend to have the same results: more awareness, kindness, inner peace and ideally interaction with others are more humble or expressive.

Sacrifice for a buddhist would be based on one's actions in humility and service

Sacrifice for a christian would be the death of a person to lead him to be in humility and service

One is based on life and the other death. Yet they ideally bring about or teach to bring about the same surface results: kindness, humility, love. Yet their core results are totally different: enlightenment/sansara or salvation/end destination.

Traditions shape most abrahamic traditions in their own individual rights. You can't mix catholic and jewish traditions to say they both see the same point of view because their traditions shape their religion and their religion shape what they mean by kindness, love, and humility.

The best we can hope for is that religions are healthy for the people who follow them and they don't harm children, people, etc by the people who are representatives of the teachings that are suppose to teach love and kindness.

1. There is no one truth: one path (nor one garden and many colors) or anything like that. No one elephant. All different types of animals everywhere.

2. Yes. My issue is why follow religions that bring about unhealthy views of people?

I only practiced one religion in its totality tradition and all. Others I've practiced but had no guide to weed out and teach practices congruent of that religions teachings.

Here are some similarities to religions. Since we are all human, we can replace whatever word or tradition need be, the idea is the same.

 

danieldemol

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Many people who are considered humble and tolerant will say that all religions are useful for "bettering" oneself and have a similar core message: kindness and love toward your neighbor. Proselytizing is considered to be cruel and intolerant.

1. Isn't this avoiding the "truth" question? They cannot all logically be completely true if they contradict each other on core thing such as who "God" is?

2. Is it really arrogant and intolerant for someone to believe that he knows the truth and that it is loving to share that truth with others?
1 Is an interesting question, but ultimately I believe it is virtuous behaviour that saves us, and not what we believe about God that saves us.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
Many have offered this perspective, this time I'll use this answer from Judaism:

“Aren’t all religions equally true? No, all religions are equally false. The relationship of religion to truth is like that of a menu to a meal. The menu describes the meal as best it can. It points to something beyond itself. As long as we use the menu as a guide we do it honor. When we mistake the menu for the meal, we do it and ourselves a grave injustice.”

Rabbi Rami Shapiro
 

Dawnofhope

Non-Proselytizing Baha'i
Staff member
Premium Member
Many people who are considered humble and tolerant will say that all religions are useful for "bettering" oneself and have a similar core message: kindness and love toward your neighbor. Proselytizing is considered to be cruel and intolerant.

Promoting and encouraging virtues is a core aspect of the main world religions. From a Baha’i perspective I would see religion as being like a healing medicine that can unite people and promote bonds of love and fellowship. If it does the opposite and leads to estrangement and antipathy then that religion is like a poison that aggravates the disease. To leave such a religion would be a truly religious act.

1. Isn't this avoiding the "truth" question? They cannot all logically be completely true if they contradict each other on core thing such as who "God" is?

Many differences have resulted from the core message becoming altered and distorted with time. With the capacity to view several thousand years of religious history where different faiths have emerged from vastly different cultures and histories then naturally religions appear contradictory.

2. Is it really arrogant and intolerant for someone to believe that he knows the truth and that it is loving to share that truth with others?

Many of us have experienced adherents of various religions who believe their religion is true and other religions are false. Actions speak louder than words.
 

TransmutingSoul

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Many people who are considered humble and tolerant will say that all religions are useful for "bettering" oneself and have a similar core message: kindness and love toward your neighbor. Proselytizing is considered to be cruel and intolerant.

1. Isn't this avoiding the "truth" question? They cannot all logically be completely true if they contradict each other on core thing such as who "God" is?

2. Is it really arrogant and intolerant for someone to believe that he knows the truth and that it is loving to share that truth with others?

Jesus the Christ gives a sound test. By the fruits you shall know them.

Also a True Faith passes the test of time and builds strong loving communities.

The issue is seperating what man does to a Faith from their own ideas, from what is lawful to do within that Faith.

Regards Tony
 
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