So I thought this was an interesting discussion. Do you think all faiths lead to God, in the 21st century it seems like everyone is coming to the conclusion that all faiths lead to the same God which is a nice thought and everything but lets look at this realistically. Some religions say one thing is OK others do not. Christians believe that Jesus was the literal son of God Muslims do not. Christians believe Jesus was executed Muslims do not. I wont go on about difference in beliefs I don't want to make this thread a Christian -VS- Muslim war I simply want to raise some questions to be considered. If there are such huge differences how can all religions lead to God like I said initially while this is a lovely thought and makes a good quote for world peace it isn't logical. For example something can not be dark and light or black and white at the same time. Surly you know what I'm getting at people can't have it both ways religions condemn one another and don't fit or go together so then how can all religions be right surly one has to be right and others wrong. If we come to this conclusion how then do we find what religion is right?
oh joy religion.....the world's best excuse to go around murdering people. All religions boil down to 'god' in one shape or another - everyone has come up with their 'version' who god is and how he has influenced ones life. The only thing that really separates the god of one religion from another is the background story on how god came to be. Outside that you find that 'god' is described to be just about the same from one religion to another. god is loving, god takes care of us, god is all knowing, etc etc etc - everything you could want from a superior being. Is it right to say that all religions believe in the same god, most likely not, do they all believe in the same basic principles, yes. .....also keep in mind about 85% of all religions have the same roots...they all came from the same one religion and broke apart as people decided to believe different things. .....imagine what we would know and how awe shocked we would all be if we had the scrolls from the library of Alexandria - since we don't all religions are closer to magic than they are to truth....but hey if people need something to believe in to keep them moving, more power to them, just don't drawn others in your beliefs.
I think we need to be very careful not to derail this thread the question being asked her Turkeysub isn't whether there is a God but how can all religions lead to the same God. I personally believe there is a God and I can accept there is a possibility there isn't a God because I am very open minded and can say "yes I can sometimes get it wrong" but I think it takes someone very arrogant to say there is no good and laugh at those who have faith. Like I said though I don't want to de-rail this thread maybe I can create a thread on whether God actually exists because that's a whole different argument I could debate forever. As for the question at hand can all religions lead to God I think you raise a valid point 247j and would have to say no it's not logical at all that all faiths lead to God as they contradict one another to much that being said I can't see anyway possible that we can know which religion is completely true. Muslims say we will suffer when we die if we're none Muslim so do Christians and other faiths as well so either way it seems we are doomed to suffer. To me this doesn't seem right God in my eyes can see that it's almost impossible to find that religion that is 100% truth.
I heard this story once of three people arguing over an elephant. One person said, "It is an elephant because of the long tail!" The second person said, "No, no, it is an elephant because of the big ears!" The third person said, "You are all wrong! It is an elephant because of the tusks!" You see, they were arguing over the same damn thing, just about why it was an elephant. This is basically my view on God: If it works, then it is alright for you. I don't have a defined Higher Power (God, if you will), but when I pray and meditate, I know that something out there is helping me!
Back to the basics.. All religions have 1 god, the other stories such as, Jesus, virgins, angels, heaven and hell.. All are just side stories to the main story, GOD.
If we really believe that all religions in this chaotic world are all pointing to the real God then I must conclude that God is the author of great confusion and conflict -- which is against the very nature of God! Forgive my sharing this but I believe that at the end the real religion will be revealed and that is when all of us will be given the real chance to straighten our ways. But for now, all of this religious confusion is only leading to more hatred and even war.
I don't view any religion as right, wrong, good or bad. I see religion as a vehicle that is designed to lead people to a spiritual place where they can develop faith, love and the ability to forgive; among other things. Every religion has it's own flavor and I believe the religion you choose is all about personal choice. The religion I will never completely understand is the one where people play with snakes. No...thank you!
As far as religions leading to God: I say it depends what God you are talking about. I believe there is only one God, and He is called by many names. However, I only believe in the one that ruled over Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and of course all others mentioned in the Bible. I also believe in the one who sent Christ as his son to take the burden of all our sins.
Yes, I do- regardless of what you call it though I will say that the term god is a theistic statement meaning masculine divinity and thus without a feminine counterpart is somewhat limiting of a term. Actually, not all Christians believe this. Christianity is very diverse. Sure it is, but you can't solve a problem with the same mentality that created it. Nature is diverse and yet still interconnected- there are different dimensions of unity. You have many sides to your self and you are seen differently by the various people you are in relation to. The only thing preventing you from getting there is your relationship to all things which what religion is. As long as you don't imprison yourself within the mind-set of a "one true way" attitude you will be fine. Actually it can, and to be whole you need both sides of yourself. I suggest studying either Taoism, The Kabbalah, or Wicca for more insight on this. Also there is an excellent episode of Star Trek: TOS that deals with this called "The Enemy Within" Religions don't condemn each-other, their followers do. Often that means religious texts get corrupted and abused but if you go back far enough you will find that there is not one religion rooted in this behavior. As far as I'm concerned it is not seeking healthy relationship therefore it is not religion but an institution under the guise of religion. You won't, if you have made that conclusion. It's not about universal truth but rather your relationship to universal truth. I get your point but this is actually not so. "god" is a theistic statement of deity - not all religions are theistic. As far as the mentioned characteristics- yes, generally, but some deities can be very harsh but then their job is usually to maintain balance. These deities aren't usually the supreme deity in their religion to be fair but the point is that not all deities are sunshine and rainbows. The theistic nature of Gods attributes varies as well. I believe that it is the same divinity ( oneness is an attribute of divinity after all) but am hesitant to say the same god because of the theistic nature of the term. In essence, yes however the god-form and the relationship of that form with the individual... not so much. Yes but just because they have the same roots doesn't mean they don't have significant differences . Also I am curious as to where you got that percentage- are you accounting for the various denominations and traditions of various religions and if so which ones? Those scrolls don't pertain to all religions nor are all religions so fragmented. And sometimes magic is the point, magic is a transcendent quality in which all truths are but half-truths.... it is the fusion of the subjective and objective and is thus called the mystery. That's like taking a poem and treating it like arithmetic. Allot of that is fear of the "other". Islam may be less debatable, I'm not sure where all its components of suffering are rooted in however eternal damnation wasn't actually part of original Christianity. Also many religions don't make that claim (sadly many do) so rejoice for that. *nods*, In the original a wise Emperor makes that exact same point by asking 5 (was it 5 or 6?) blind men to describe an elephant. If I can remember the associations: Tusk - spear Tail - rope Ear - fan Hide - drum Leg - Tree Yep I think it was five, thought you'd like hearing this version Incorrect, most religions have many gods and goddesses. Hinduism probably has the most. The true religion is love- I cannot think of any religion that does not say or allude to this in some way. With the exception of Satanism (which generally doesn't involve worship of Satan) and other Hedonistic practices which put an individualistic notion on the self. You could say self-love but you could argue that isn't the nature of love..... You could even argue that because Satanism isn't focused on relation that it isn't a religion in the traditional sense of the word but instead only in the modern sense. It does depend on the form of satanism though and ultimately the Satanist. *note: This does not mean that satanists are incapable of expressing love, they are still human. That's a throwback to the old Pagan religion of Ireland. Snakes were extremely sacred to the Celts as a symbol of esoteric/divine wisdom. When you hear of St. Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland what that actually refers to is the conversion and driving out of the Pagans. Many people from the south are of Irish descent and the tradition as survived as can be seen in some Southern Baptist congregations.
