Why should diversity of religion exist?

[Spirit of Light]

Although religion is meant to create love and unity it represents probably the largest group of ‘us and thems’ on the planet.

Some religions instead compete with one another for the number 1 spot and some leaders teach their followers that any other religion but theirs is satanic thus creating prejudices and hate between religions. There have even been wars so deep has the prejudice and hatred become.

But does it have to be like this?

Outwardly the different religions have different customs and traditions but inwardly they all strive for a higher purpose.

What would be the harm if we prayed and meditated and visited each other’s places of worship? In my travels I’ve visited Hindu Temples, Christian Churches, Muslim Mosques, Jewish Synagogues and Buddhist Pagodas and I found they all believe in truth and goodness.

So why don’t the religionists visit and worship together and establish friendship and fellowship because they all teach love and unity?

My wife and I who are of a different Faith have been visiting our local Catholic Church and we have made so many friends. They are so welcoming and loving. I believe if each religion extends true friendship to the other religions the time will come when diversity of religion will cease and we will be as one family.

What do you think?

In my understanding, the reason we normally do not go into other religious houses to worship is that their God or their Buddha does not teach the same path as the one we follow ourselves. So if we mix the teachings or even just by a little begin to use some of the other belief systems teaching into our own, we will mess up the teaching and mechanism that our own teacher or master (God or Buddha) has put forth for us to cultivate. When mixing teachings we mix also the mechanics that we normally can not see if we do not have our third eye opened to wisdom level.
This is why I see it as important not to mix teachings across the different spiritual paths or religions.
But there is one exception, if the God or Buddha or master used aspect from Buddhahood, Godhood, and Daohood within their teaching the first time the teaching was created, then it is natural to use this teaching toward Enlightenment, or what the goal in each spiritual path is set to be.

My understanding does not hold the full truth to how things actually are, my understanding of this topic is only to be seen as my level of understanding. So yes there can be faults in my answer.

 

[loverofhumanity]

And what are those barriers? One of them has to be that some religions think theirs is the only one that has the truth. Do they? I think a lot of people these days are questioning that and going beyond thinking that their religion is the only one right.

Unfortunately, as I remember, God told Jews not to associate with their neighbors or to intermarry. And, I always bring up that God had Elijah kill all the prophets of another religion. Why? Because they believed in a "false God." I'm glad "prophets" of other religions aren't doing that to the "prophets" of other religions.

So today is different. Today, kind of like what the Baha'is are saying, get rid of those religious beliefs that separate people and cause animosity between them. But, are those beliefs that easy to dispose of?

Hi CG. In my view one of the main barriers is intolerance and sometimes hostility and shunning of other religionists because of a belief that they are satanic and also that only their religion is the true one.

I believe if people develop bonds of friendship between faiths then conflict is made much harder. Israel and the Palestinians come to mind where some individual Jews and Muslims have come together to try and end the deep seated ill feeling by becoming friends. I think the real solution for them is to recognise their common humanity.

True love and friendship I believe can overcome all obstacles to peace between religions.

 

[loverofhumanity]

In my understanding, the reason we normally do not go into other religious houses to worship is that their God or their Buddha does not teach the same path as the one we follow ourselves. So if we mix the teachings or even just by a little begin to use some of the other belief systems teaching into our own, we will mess up the teaching and mechanism that our own teacher or master (God or Buddha) has put forth for us to cultivate. When mixing teachings we mix also the mechanics that we normally can not see if we do not have our third eye opened to wisdom level.
This is why I see it as important not to mix teachings across the different spiritual paths or religions.
But there is one exception, if the God or Buddha or master used aspect from Buddhahood, Godhood, and Daohood within their teaching the first time the teaching was created, then it is natural to use this teaching toward Enlightenment, or what the goal in each spiritual path is set to be.

My understanding does not hold the full truth to how things actually are, my understanding of this topic is only to be seen as my level of understanding. So yes there can be faults in my answer.

Hi Amanaki. I don’t mean the mixing or changing of any religious doctrines but friendship and fellowship between the followers of religions.

For instance, when I was in Burma my wife and I studied meditation for a week at one of the largest monasteries and we visited and meditated at many pagodas and made many Buddhist friends although we are not Buddhists. But Buddhists are fellow human beings so just because they have a different belief doesn’t mean we should not be friends with them.

We go to church regularly with some Christian friends to show our friendship and love but nobody is being changed or converted. We now have made so many beautiful Christian friends.

 

[loverofhumanity]

There's a good argument that religion was used to keep the status quo within a society or culture. Ethnic identity seemed to be tied in with religion in ancient times all the way to fairly recent times.




To find unity, friendship and love, sometimes it seems necessary to go beyond ones religious beliefs. The Baha'is concept of the oneness of humanity is fine. But, to say all religions are one, is a problem. If love and peace and unity and acceptance of all people is the main doctrine of a religion, then that would be different. But it ain't. Most religions have conflicting doctrines that makes them separate from the other religions.

For the sake of peace and unity, then why not dump those religions that have those divisive kinds of doctrines?

The religions are not the problem I don’t believe. Religionists of differing faiths are not taught to mix with one another which is not against the teachings of any faith as all of them teach love and compassion towards all human beings.

 

[Spirit of Light]

Hi Amanaki. I don’t mean the mixing or changing of any religious doctrines but friendship and fellowship between the followers of religions.

For instance, when I was in Burma my wife and I studied meditation for a week at one of the largest monasteries and we visited and meditated at many pagodas and made many Buddhist friends although we are not Buddhists. But Buddhists are fellow human beings so just because they have a different belief doesn’t mean we should not be friends with them.

We go to church regularly with some Christian friends to show our friendship and love but nobody is being changed or converted. We now have made so many beautiful Christian friends.

You actually touch exactly at what I see as a bigger problem that happens in many religions and spiritual practices nowadays. When you listen to a Buddhist talk or a priest in a church, if you take with you even a little bit of the teaching that not belongs to your own religious faith, that is when the problem arises in my understanding.
Because for someone who let say is a Christian, go to a Hindu temple and listen to a talk, this two teachings even both hold the truth, they have a different mechanism that God or a Hindu God installs in each follower ( a form of help to the person who is a follower) and if two different mechanisms are installed in you, then which one are you using and what teaching are you actually following?
This was the point with my answer

 

[loverofhumanity]

Religions don't have relationships, people do. It's only when people let their religions define them that they have difficulty relating to people of other religions.

Yes I agree totally. People unfortunately have misused religion as a pretext for wars and conflict but in this age I think humanity is mature enough for the followers of different religions to develop good friendships based on their common humanity.

 

[Vinayaka]

Regardless of why diversity exists, it simply does, and it has, for thousands of years. It's not about to change. That diversity is expanding as well. When two groups try to 'merge' usually it creates 3 groups, the original 2, and the third mixed one. I cherish diversity, even though on a personal level, my faith is very one pointed and precise. As Amanaki is suggesting, there is no confusion this way.

 

[loverofhumanity]

You actually touch exactly at what I see as a bigger problem that happens in many religions and spiritual practices nowadays. When you listen to a Buddhist talk or a priest in a church, if you take with you even a little bit of the teaching that not belongs to your own religious faith, that is when the problem arises in my understanding.
Because for someone who let say is a Christian, go to a Hindu temple and listen to a talk, this two teachings even both hold the truth, they have a different mechanism that God or a Hindu God installs in each follower ( a form of help to the person who is a follower) and if two different mechanisms are installed in you, then which one are you using and what teaching are you actually following?
This was the point with my answer

But if we look past these things and only see our common humanity?

I met with a Bishop and two priests last night and had dinner with them and we all got along fine because we looked towards our common humanity. We had a wonderful evening with peace and love reigning.

 

[loverofhumanity]

Regardless of why diversity exists, it simply does, and it has, for thousands of years. It's not about to change. That diversity is expanding as well. When two groups try to 'merge' usually it creates 3 groups, the original 2, and the third mixed one. I cherish diversity, even though on a personal level, my faith is very one pointed and precise. As Amanaki is suggesting, there is no confusion this way.

It’s not about merging but accepting our common humanity.

 

[Spirit of Light]

Regardless of why diversity exists, it simply does, and it has, for thousands of years. It's not about to change. That diversity is expanding as well. When two groups try to 'merge' usually it creates 3 groups, the original 2, and the third mixed one. I cherish diversity, even though on a personal level, my faith is very one pointed and precise. As Amanaki is suggesting, there is no confusion this way.

I do agree with you here @Vinayaka, When i converted to Falun Gong from Buddhism i have now not touched the Buddhst suttas because even Theravada Buddhism and Falun Gong Both belong to Buddha school they are two different teachings with two different masters. And to mix them would make me not follow any of them. Spiritual teachings are very specific to each teacher/master

 

[loverofhumanity]

Protestants do not have statues in their churches. That is a Catholic thing and one reason w

To me I see no statues. I see only loving hearts and my focus is on our common humanity.

 

[Spirit of Light]

But if we look past these things and only see our common humanity?

I met with a Bishop and two priests last night and had dinner with them and we all got along fine because we looked towards our common humanity. We had a wonderful evening with peace and love reigning.

To be friends with people from all walk of life is, of course, fine, But to take part in each others practice could lead us astray because even the teachings look the same, they have been cultivated by the founder or prophet, and they have not followed the same cultivation practice. So they will be teaching differently. and at a different levels of wisdom.

 

[loverofhumanity]

I do agree with you here @Vinayaka, When i converted to Falun Gong from Buddhism i have now not touched the Buddhst suttas because even Theravada Buddhism and Falun Gong Both belong to Buddha school they are two different teachings with two different masters. And to mix them would make me not follow any of them. Spiritual teachings are very specific to each teacher/master

Im talking about the people of differing faiths mingling with each other. It doesn’t matter what a person believes or doesn’t believe, they are still human aren’t they and worthy of being loved and treated with dignity and respect?

 

[loverofhumanity]

To be friends with people from all walk of life is, of course, fine, But to take part in each others practice could lead us astray because even the teachings look the same, they have been cultivated by the founder or prophet, and they have not followed the same cultivation practice. So they will be teaching differently. and at a different levels of wisdom.

I go to church with Christians. Not a problem.

 

[Spirit of Light]

Im talking about the people of differing faiths mingling with each other. It doesn’t matter what a person believes or doesn’t believe, they are still human aren’t they and worthy of being loved and treated with dignity and respect?

Yes as in community where we live we will be speaking with all kind of people and that is fine

 

[loverofhumanity]

To be friends with people from all walk of life is, of course, fine, But to take part in each others practice could lead us astray because even the teachings look the same, they have been cultivated by the founder or prophet, and they have not followed the same cultivation practice. So they will be teaching differently. and at a different levels of wisdom.

I think it depends on what one focuses on. If one focuses on differences one will see conflicts but if one focuses on our common humanity one will see friends everywhere.

 

[Spirit of Light]

I go to church with Christians. Not a problem.

Ok, then it is not a problem for you, And I do not say it is wrong to walk into a church or mosque or temple but to listen to the sermon or take part in their prayer would not be the right effort in my understanding. But of course, you do as you feel is right for you

 

[Spirit of Light]

I think it depends on what one focuses on. If one focuses on differences one will see conflicts but if one focuses on our common humanity one will see friends everywhere.

Yes, as I said, to be friends with people from different religions or practices is no problem, but if we start to practice even just a little from their religion into what we ourselves have started to follow or cultivate, that is when the problem can occur. But friendship are ok

 

[Vinayaka]

I do agree with you here @Vinayaka, When i converted to Falun Gong from Buddhism i have now not touched the Buddhst suttas because even Theravada Buddhism and Falun Gong Both belong to Buddha school they are two different teachings with two different masters. And to mix them would make me not follow any of them. Spiritual teachings are very specific to each teacher/master

For sure, I'm under vows to that effect. It's okay to have cursory looks at stuff, like we all do here on RF just by reading, but to go into into any great degree would be disloyal to your own teachings. For me it's very simple. But if others want to do multi-study, that's up to them. I also think it's sort of subtle and hopeful proselytising, suggesting you read something, hoping some idea will stick with you. A Father Brown of Sri Lanka back in the 30s iput it this way ... "our work with Hindus may not convert them to Catholicism, but neither will they remain good Hindus." It's the idea of placing a doubt.

 

[loverofhumanity]

I think the problem will be solved when people stop being religious (or at least stop taking their beliefs too serious). Once you realize that beliefs aren't knowledge, it's harder to derive privileges from hem or dismiss other beliefs. In the industrialized world we already see such a trend and churches are closing. I don't expect religion to go away anytime soon but te trend is there.

My understanding is that religion was always intended to foster friendship and love between people and that if it is a cause of wars and hatred then it would be better to be without it.