Tag: World Religions

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Do All Religions Come From the Same God?

This week, we’re dealing with a very specific question, so keep reading before drawing any conclusions. We’re not asking “Do all religions worship the same God?” or “Do all religions lead to the same God?”. Those questions work from the bottom-up, i.e. viewing God through the lens of a man-made construct. Remember, we want to base our ideas and beliefs on who we say God is rather than trying to conform our conception of God into something that aligns with what we already believe to be true. We’re asking a top-down question, i.e. has God used religion, in general, as a way of revealing the character of God to humanity and guiding all of us to the same ultimate purpose or goal?

Here’s what we know:

  1. The Baháʼí Faith is a religion teaching the essential worth of all religions, and the unity and equality of all people. Many indigenous people throughout the Americas are members of the Baháʼí Faith.
    • Baháʼí teachings are in some ways similar to other monotheistic faiths: God is considered single and all-powerful. However, Baháʼu’lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, taught that religion is orderly and progressively revealed by one God through Manifestations of God who are the founders of major world religions throughout history; these include Abraham, Krishna, Zoroaster, and Moses, with Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad being the most recent in the period before the Báb and Baháʼu’lláh.
    • Baháʼís regard the major religions as fundamentally unified in purpose, though varied in social practices and interpretations. Baháʼu’lláh taught that the religions of the world come from the same God and are in essence successive chapters of one religion from God.
  2. In 1997, Billy Graham gave a television interview, in which he said: “Well, Christianity and being a true believer–you know, I think there’s the Body of Christ. This comes from all the Christian groups around the world, outside the Christian groups. I think everybody that loves Christ, or knows Christ, whether they’re conscious of it or not, they’re members of the Body of Christ. And I don’t think that we’re going to see a great sweeping revival, that will turn the whole world to Christ at any time. I think James answered that, the Apostle James in the first council in Jerusalem, when he said that God’s purpose for this age is to call out a people for His name. And that’s what God is doing today, He’s calling people out of the world for His name, whether they come from the Muslim world, or the Buddhist world, or the Christian world or the non-believing world, they are members of the Body of Christ because they’ve been called by God. They may not even know the name of Jesus but they know in their hearts that they need something that they don’t have, and they turn to the only light that they have, and I think that they are saved, and that they’re going to be with us in heaven.”
  3. In Acts 10:34,35, the Apostle Peter said, “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.”
  4. In Romans 2:11-14, the Apostle Paul said, “For God shows no partiality. For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.”

The answer to this question bears heavily on the idea that members of any particular faith should be encouraged, or even required, to convert others. This is especially true in places where there is an established state religion or attempts at establishing a state religion and exercise of other religions is discouraged and/or suppressed. Further, it requires us to examine the meaning of life and why we are all here. If God is the creator, what purpose does God have for our existence and how does religion further that purpose? Is there only one religious avenue by which to fulfill that purpose, and is our ability or dedication to following that one avenue God’s ultimate goal and priority for us? Or is purpose the priority, with religion and spirituality being provided as tools to enable us to fulfill that purpose?

What do you think? Do all religions come from God? Is religion a means to an end, or is it the priority? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

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The Golden Rule: Can Religions Work Together?

“I’d been reading up on comparative religion. The thing is that all major religions have the Golden Rule in Common. ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ Not always the same words but the same meaning.”

— Norman Rockwell

The concept of the “Golden Rule” is taught in all major world religions. It is a statement, in summary, of the basic requirements for all human behavior. While the sentiment may be expressed in different ways, the message is the same: treat others the way you would want to be treated. The concept may seem simple enough, but oftentimes, it appears to be easier said than done. Although the Golden Rule is a fundamental obligation in all religions, as Blaise Pascal put it, “[m]en never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.” This week, we’ll be thinking about whether or not truly adopting the Golden Rule can allow people from different religious backgrounds and beliefs to work together to make the world a better place.

Studies have shown that religion can have a positive influence on many aspects of society, and throughout human history, nations have made religion a part of their governmental systems. For example, Judaism teaches that when God established Israel as a nation, He gave them a theocracy to help govern them. Currently, 20% of the countries in the world have an established state religion. However, in almost all of the countries where state religions exist, a variety of abuses and atrocities have taken place. Religion has been used to control people rather than to serve them.

That said, it is important to consider how and why something born of pure intentions becomes corrupted. How do we go from the Golden Rule to religion being used as justification for hurting and/or controlling people? Perhaps it is because of some combination of humans being imperfect, ignorance, and self-serving interests that religion can be turned into a curse rather than a blessing. Perhaps it relates back to a person’s perception of God being based more on condemnation and judgment than love. Perhaps religion is seen by many as a means to an end rather than a journey of growth and enlightenment. It’s important for us to ask ourselves what, if anything, we want to accomplish by believing and to assess how that agenda impacts us and the world around us.

If the Golden Rule is fundamental for everyone, is it so impossible that we could find a way to co-exist peacefully in purpose, even if not in belief? If nations or different ideologies wanted to become allies against anything that violated the Golden Rule…the Rule of Love…is it so impossible that they could do it as “equal-but-different” partners? Instead of pushing conformity to one thing over the other, is it possible to learn to accept and respect the fact that there will always be differences? Different people may be pursuing or encouraging different final goals, but why can’t the Golden Rule be the metric by which we gauge how we interact with each other right now? Couldn’t it be possible for everyone to encourage each other to achieve the best that their different traditions require of them while working together to oppose the negative things we can agree on?

The “fish-run principle”, which Zen Buddhists derive from Chuang-Tzu, states: “A fish-run is constructed to catch fish: we should keep the fish and forget the run. A snare is to catch a rabbit: we should keep the rabbit and forget the snare. Words are to transmit meaning: we should keep the meaning and forget the words.” We may not all speak the same languages or come from the same cultures or believe in the same things, but it isn’t impossible for different people to find common ground. If we can agree on things like compassion, love, respect, humility, empathy, and just treating others the way we want to be treated, who knows what kind of impact that collective mission and purpose could have.

What do you think? Is the Golden Rule fundamental? Is it possible for people from different religious backgrounds to work together? What areas of common ground do you think exist? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

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Does Humanity Need a Messiah?

In exploring Western Christianity’s teaching of original sin and the impact sin has on the human condition, a question that needed to be considered was: do other religions teach the need for a savior? While most religious groups outside of Western Christianity do not teach that humanity needs to be saved from inherent sinfulness, many groups do teach the existence of a “Messiah” figure that saves humanity from the effect sin has had on the world. A Messiah is “the promised deliverer of the Jewish nation prophesied in the Hebrew Bible” or “a leader or savior of a particular group or cause.” All three Abrahamic religious groups, amongst others, believe in a Messiah.

Here’s what we know:

  1. In Jewish eschatology, the term mashiach, or “Messiah”, refers specifically to a future Jewish king from the Davidic line, who is expected to save the Jewish nation, and will be anointed with holy anointing oil and rule the Jewish people during the Messianic Age. Orthodox views hold that the Messiah will be descended from his father through the line of King David, and will gather the Jews back into the Land of Israel, usher in an era of peace, build the Third Temple, re-institute the Sanhedrin, and so on.
  2. While the term “messiah” does appear in Islam, the meaning is different from that found in Christianity and Judaism. The Quran identifies Jesus (Isa) as the messiah (Masih), who will one day return to earth. Jesus is believed to have been anointed by Allah at birth with the specific task of being a prophet and king. The Mahdi will appear and unite all Muslims, ridding the world of evil. After the death of Mahdi, Jesus will reign as the Messianic king, bringing eternal peace and monotheism to the world and eliminating all religions besides Islam. Unlike Christians, Muslims see Jesus as a prophet, but not as God himself or the son of God. Like all other prophets, Jesus is an ordinary man, who receives revelations from God. The Quran also denies the crucifixion of Jesus, claiming that he was neither killed nor crucified
  3. Within Christianity, Jesus is believed to be the Messiah, based on the Christian interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures. Christians believe that messianic prophecies were fulfilled in the mission, death, and resurrection of Jesus and that he will return to fulfill the rest of the messianic prophecies. When he returns to earth, he will destroy all evil and establish eternal peace on earth through his Messianic religion. The majority of historical and mainline Christian theologies consider Jesus to be the Son of God and God the Son, a concept of the Messiah fundamentally different from the Jewish and Islamic concepts.
  4. See also Buddhism (Maitreya), Java (Satrio Piningit), Taoism (Li Hong), and Hinduism (Kalki)

Some may find it interesting that while only the concept of original sin necessitates salvation from sin itself, most world religions still teach of a messiah figure who comes and makes the world better in one way or another. Another point to consider is that every “Messiah” is coming for the benefit of those who believe in that particular religion/conception of God. There is no universal “Messiah” who comes for the benefit of everyone.

What do you think? Does humanity need a Messiah rather than a savior? Are the concepts of “Messiah” and “savior” more or less the same? Has the Messiah already come, or are we still waiting? If he has come, will he return…and when? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

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Spirituality Vs. Religion

Now that you’ve established your thoughts regarding religion and its place in the world, it’s time to think about the “Spirituality vs. Religion” debate and what that means for you. We’re sure that you’ve heard people say, “I’m spiritual, but not religious.” Nowadays, an increasing number of people use that phrase as a way of challenging the idea that organized religion is the only or the most valuable way to further spiritual growth. Historically, the words religious and spiritual have been used interchangeably to describe all the various aspects of the concept of religion. Recently, however, spirituality more often refers to the interior life of the individual, emphasizing a personal relationship with God or a higher being and personal exploration/growth/conviction, while religion generally refers to organizational or communal culture and doctrinal beliefs. So which is better? Or does it matter?

Here’s what we know:

  1. Spirituality is “the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.” “Religion” usually refers to “a particular system of faith and worship,” but it can also be broadly defined as “[t]he belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.”
  2. According to a study conducted by Pew Research Center in 2012, the number of Americans who do not identify with any religion increased from 15% in 2007 to 20% in 2012, and that number has continued to grow. One-fifth of the U.S. public and a third of adults under the age of 30 were reportedly unaffiliated with any religion but identify as being spiritual in some way. Of those religiously unaffiliated Americans, 37% classified themselves as spiritual but not religious, while 68% said they did believe in God, and 58% feel a deep connection to the Earth.
  3. Linda A. Mercadante categorizes people who identify as “spiritual but not religious” into five distinct categories (Mercandante, Linda A. (2014), Belief without borders: inside the minds of the spiritual but not religious, New York, NY: Oxford University Press, p. 35-67):
    1. “Dissenters” are the people who, for the most part, make a conscious effort to veer away from institutional religion. “Protesting dissenters” are those who have been ‘turned off’ by religious affiliation because of adverse personal experiences with it. “Drifted Dissenters” refers to those who, for a multitude of reasons, fell out of touch with organized religion and chose never to go back. “Conscientious objector dissenters” refers to those who are overtly skeptical of religious institutions and are of the view that religion is neither a useful nor necessary part of an individual’s spirituality.
    2. “Casuals” are the people who see religious and/or spiritual practices as primarily functional. Spirituality is not an organizing principle in their lives. Rather they believe it should be used on an as-needed basis for bettering their health, relieving stress, and for emotional support. The spirituality of “Casuals” is thus best understood as a “therapeutic” spirituality that centers on the individual’s personal wellbeing.
    3. “Explorers” are the people who seem to have what Mercandante refers to as a “spiritual wanderlust”. They find their constant search for novel spiritual practices to be a byproduct of their “unsatisfied curiosity”, their desire for journey and change, as well as feelings of disappointment. Explorers are best understood as “spiritual tourists” who take comfort in the destination-less journey of their spirituality and have no intention of ultimately committing to a spiritual home.
    4. “Seekers” are those people who are looking for a spiritual home but contemplate recovering earlier religious identities. They embrace the “spiritual but not religious” label and are eager to find a completely new religious identity or alternative spiritual group that they can ultimately commit to.
    5. “Immigrants” are those people who have found themselves in a novel spiritual realm and are trying to adjust themselves to this newfound identity and its community. “Immigrants” can be best understood as those who are “trying on” a radically new spiritual environment but have yet to feel completely settled there. It is important to note that for them, although they are hoping to become fully integrated in their newfound spiritual identities, the process of acclimation is difficult and often disconcerting.

Spirituality and religion are both difficult to box into just one perspective or way of thinking. It seems that many people struggle to nail down and define exactly what they believe, even those who belong to organized religious structures. There are many people who label themselves something, but when they really have to think about it, they find themselves explaining the aspects of that belief system or ideology that they don’t necessarily agree with. There are also people who don’t label themselves or subscribe to anything at all, and subsequently “get lost in the sauce,” i.e. they don’t have any sort of foundation to ground themselves in.

No matter what you call yourself, the important thing to remember is who you are, the kind of person you want to be, what you stand for, and why. If your religion or your spirituality or lack thereof aren’t making you a better person and inspiring you to have a positive impact on the world around you, that’s what you should consider re-evaluating. Having a community to hold you accountable can be beneficial, but if you aren’t motivated to hold yourself to a certain standard regardless of who you think may be watching, how effective can you say that community is? And who says it has to be one or the other? If the goal is personal growth and accountability, the way you pursue that may be less important than the pursuit itself.

What do you think? Is spirituality or religion preferable to the other, or are they really the same thing? If you consider yourself to be “religious,” what does that mean to you and why? If you consider yourself to be “spiritual,” what does that mean to you and why?

Further Reading:
Are there dangers in being “spiritual but not religious”? by John Blake

Criticisms of Spirituality without Religion:
Viewpoint: The Limitations of Being ‘Spiritual but Not Religious’ by Rabbi David Wolpe
Spiritual But Not Religious – Not so Fast! by James Martin
Spiritual but Not Religious: The vital interplay between submission and freedom by Amy Hollywood

Criticism of Organized Religion:
Criticism of Religion Wiki (links to a variety of sources on a wide range of criticisms regarding several different religions)
Problems of Organized Religion by Paul Brunton
A Historical Outline of Modern Religious Criticism in Western Civilization by R.G. Price

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What Role Does Religion Have in the World?

We’ve reached the point where we discuss a topic that most people have opinions on but they either don’t like to talk about or can’t talk about without arguing: Religion! Right now, more than 75% of the world’s population is a part of some religious community. The word “religion” is perhaps derived from the Latin word “religare”, meaning “bind together”. Historically, one positive aspect of religion has been its ability to unite people in common beliefs and practices for a shared common goal. However, that unity has also been known to become warped, with religion being used to justify doing harm rather than good. So what does that mean for us? Is religion good, bad, irrelevant, or obsolete?

Here’s what we know:

1. No one really knows where “religion” originated. According to anthropologists John Monaghan and Peter Just, “Many of the great world religions appear to have begun as revitalization movements of some sort, as the vision of a charismatic prophet fires the imaginations of people seeking a more comprehensive answer to their problems than they feel is provided by everyday beliefs (Monaghan, John; Just, Peter (2000). Social & Cultural Anthropology. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 126).”

2. Religious development has taken different forms in different cultures. Some religions emphasize practice, while others emphasize beliefs or doctrines. Some religions prioritize people having their own personal (subjective) religious experiences, while others consider the activities of the religious community as a whole to be the most important thing. Some religions claim to be universal, believing their laws must be (or eventually will be) followed by everyone, while others are designed to only be practiced by a select group (Monaghan, John; Just, Peter (2000). Social & Cultural Anthropology. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 124).

3. Anthropologists John Monoghan and Peter Just also state that “it seems apparent that one thing religion or belief helps us do is deal with problems of human life that are significant, persistent, and intolerable. One important way in which religious beliefs accomplish this is by providing a set of ideas about how and why the world is put together that allows people to accommodate anxieties and deal with misfortune (Monaghan, John; Just, Peter (2000). Social & Cultural Anthropology. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 124).”

Very few human communities have existed without some sort of religious belief system being incorporated into their culture. Although many people would deny that they are religious, with an estimated 4,200 different religions currently in practice worldwide, others would argue that religion is as intrinsic to human beings as is breathing.

What do you think? Do we need religion? If so, why? If not, why? Is there a way to incorporate the good things religion has to offer into our lives without taking on the bad? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!