Are All Religions The Same, Or Different Paths to God?

This is basically my take on the old religious pluralism question. I think I have a unique spin on it though. Even though the religions of the world cant all be true (because they claim contradictory things about basic issues) there is a sense in which they are all the same. Namely that they are all dealing with the problem of personal sin, and recognize that it is what keeps us in bondage. I first prove that point, then argue that none of the religions deliver on their promises. You might call it an argument about effectiveness. I also point out that a changed heart and changed nature is not only possible with Christianity, but in fact the norm, but unlike all the religions that work to God Christianity is the only one where boasting in this way is excluded.

Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. There is no other way.

Religion is for Squares. Thats why only Squares are religious. Catch my drift?

I have often wondered the same. I'm a Christian too but i recognized that what is universal between most religions, is the search for and practise of the good. If one pursues happiness through positive thinking, being good to others anf many other universal religious teachings, that person will get a more valuable and happy life all together. I often head Christian tell me that the bible is guidelines, and this is effectivly what they are. Almost no matter which religion you choose, if everybody lived by the guidelines we would have Nirvana on earth

Originally posted by TsukiLunar

Religion is for Squares. Thats why only Squares are religious. Catch my drift?

I take this as a complement. A square is a rectangle with all sides equal. The religions of the world cannot create equality. Equality is what the Gospel of Christ achieves by removing the pride that elevates one side against another. When sides are unequal, equilibrium is not present. Apart from equilibrium, competing influences are not balanced. All systems in life seek balance. As the video points out, all religion seeks to balance desire so that life is equally accessible for the many. This can never be achieved by works alone. When life is unequally accessible to the many, this indicates that all sides of the geometry of life are out of equilibrium. This is the direction that works and dogma lead.

Newton's laws of motion are at work here.

First Law: The velocity of a body remains constant unless the body is acted upon by an external force. Jesus was the unbalanced force acting against conventional human wisdom. Jesus message rectifies balanced and unbalanced forces moving together toward truth. When all religions are examined, only one stands steadfast and true against an unbalanced world.

Second Law: The direction of the force vector is the same as the direction of the acceleration vector. We are all moving the same direction. When all influences in life are examined, only one stands as truth.

Third Law: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. All religions attempt actions to change the heart. Only a force acting on the heart is capable of molding the heart of man from pride to humility; from objectivism to altruism.

The influence that causes a object to undergo a change in speed, a change in direction, or a change in shape is the same force that created the universe and all life in it. I humbly admit that I am being shaped by the work of Holy Spirit of God.

Being a balanced square is noting to be ashamed of.

reply to post by SuperiorEd



However... That metaphor makes no sense.

They sure are!! And absolutely devoid of reality!! Just b.ll...s

No religion = more harmony
Eradicate religion and put humanity back on the right track

I wonder this myself. I am Catholic. A few things have shaken up my faith over the years, but I still revert back to my beliefs. One things that really got to me was when a friend passed away. He was Muslim. During his funeral, I was watching all the Muslim traditions and their prayers. Watching those people pray and worship... they were more dedicated to their God than I was at that point to mine. And according to what I believe, all these people were going to go to "hell". So that really made me question all faiths. I dove into reading as much as I could about most religions and they all have parallels. Similar stories about floods, etc.
So maybe, just MAYBE a creator exists who realized that one concrete religion wouldn't fit everyone.
Eventhough I'm Catholic, I look at my faith as more of following Christ's teachings. After doing that, I calmed down a little. I was having quite the religious identity crisis! But loving your neighbor, not judging people no matter what walk of life they come from, helping in the areas you are blessed, ---I'm not being one of those people who thinks they have it all figured out. I still go back and forth... do I go back to a strict Catholic belief system or continue doing what I'm doing. I think people have to do what works for them. The latter works for me. I feel quite peaceful when having that mentality.
I also spent about 3 years not really believing in God. So I kinda weighed everything out. I am very much an over thinker and a logical thinker when it comes to the Christian religion and I STILL have a hard time accepting that there is a Creator who did EVERYTHING and I'm suppose to just hope and wait.
BUT. The teachings of Christ stand out to me and they are beautiful once you take your filters about the Christian religion off.

There is only ONE way to God and that is Jesus Christ. Then why all the other religions? I hear this question a lot and I will answer it the same way i do everytime. We live in a fallen world ruled by a fallen Angel named Lucifer also known as Satan or The Devil. Satan wants to be God so he poses as many different Gods in order to delute the real God. its the proverbial needle in a haystack. You produce enough religions then most likely people will not find the true religion. But he also knows that those that find the true religion find true power over him because the power was taken and given to the believer by Jesus Christ when he defeated Satan on the Cross. So now its all about propaganda. Those that believe in Islam,Darwinism,Atheism,Agnosticism,Buddism etc.. are all following doctrines of demons for the intent and purposes of propaganda and to take worship unto themselves false Gods. This is spiritual warfare. The war we are fighting is a war for souls. All those that believe in Jesus will be saved and all those that don't believe will not be saved. God said Life and Death have I laid before you, Choose you this day what it shall be. What it comes down to is you are either for God or Against God there is no in the middle. Keep in mind that Christianity is the only religion in the world where God himself incarnated as a man and died in mans place so he can be saved and took upon himself the sin and infirmity of the world and gives salvation freely. The other religions demand you work for them and still give you uncertainty about your salvation. We believe in Jesus and are saved, we do good works because its our nature and we love God.

Always look to the origin of a Religion to evaluate its validity.

The teaching of Jesus of Nazareth are valid and the World would be improved if they were followed.

The teaching of Gautama Buddha are valid and the World would be improved if they were followed.

The Spiritual teachings of Krishna are valid and the World would be improved if they were followed.

Spiritual Truth is Spiritual Truth, no matter of the source. Wisdom is Wisdom.

The problem with these wisdom teachings are that Religion was applied by men in an effort to control the followers of the faith. Just because men, past and present, have corrupted the Spiritual teaching with Religion does not mean that we need to ignore our Spiritual side.

WE must recognize that ALL the Worlds great Religions are corrupt and that none of the Religions follow the teachings of the Original teacher. That Religion in and of itself is a divide & conquer tactic design to divert Humanity’s Unity.

I have looked at religion myself and they are all basicly the same, it all worships one superior god, it is believed that its all to do with the sun, and there has to be an evil side in it, i am a catholic myself but i doubt it very much, i think it was just a way of explaining things in the past, such as how the world began, as people spread across the world and will have passed these beliefs down then the story will natruly have changed alot, especialy as it has been thousands of years, if you look at the main religions in the world they are alol the same but the god perhaps has a different name and they have different names of worshiping him/her

I see the creator as a diamond, and each flat surface is a religion on that diamond. They are all different ways to express the beauty of the entire gem.

We humans like to think we know it all, or at least have a good grasp on things, but the truth is, we are young children in the cosmos going through our terrible two's.

There is no one book that can hold or define what God is. Many religions try and have tried through-out mankind's history,but all fall short of the mystery of the creator.

This is what I have come to learn over the years in my own soul searching. A human has to look deep inside themselves and determine for themselves what fits comfortably into their world and go with that if it works for them.

But in the end, we all go to the same place.

reply to post by Amenti


You wrote:

["Namely that they are all dealing with the problem of personal sin, and recognize that it is what keeps us in bondage."]

You can hardly expect to get to any valid conclusions at all, if you start the whole reasoning-chain with a circular argument, which in itself contains both question and 'answer'.

This will be just another sermon.

LOL at it being the "Satan's Trap" sorry that just cracked me up. Moving on..

To me, I believe, the biggest misconception of Hinduism is that it's considered a religion to begin with. I think that Hinduism, more than a religion, is actually a philosophy of life. In many texts Lord Krishna states along the lines of "no matter what you do/who you follow, in the end, you will end up with me." Hinduism, to my knowledge, doesn't really have any forms of sin, only self realization through experiences which may be comprised of mistakes, and mistake is the best teacher.

Another take I had on the polytheistic approach of Hinduism is this; Like I stated before, Lord Krishna said "no matter what you do, who you pray to, in the end you will end up with me, the One." I deciphered the polytheistic nature of Hinduism not in literal terms but instead a bigger philosophical picture that cleared it up for me. The availability of many gods of Hinduism may represent people praying to different gods in their own particular religions, whether its Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, but in the end as long as you whole heartedly have a belief system that encompasses your entire being then it's job is getting done, it's somewhat like a guidance system.

Now yes, most religions have been exploited for profit, and Christianity is known to have stunted Science for at least a thousand years compared to where we are now but in the end we're all "praying" towards the same goal; To be one with the One. No religion is better than the other, it's all a trick presented to us by the head religious nut-jobs to keep the $$ consistent.

PS** Did you know that Christianity actually had Re-Incarnation mentioned in the bible, but the church during/before the Roman times took out the excerpts because they believed if Christians knew/believed such a thing they would search for self salvation and in turn take away the power/$$ from the Church? That to me is ridiculous! Now majority of Christianity doesn't even believe in re-incarnation so I guess job well done on their part to create drones!

it depends on how much you simplify them, on their basic levels they are about good and evil being in balance, and teaching people morals. and obviously as an athiest i beleive they are all the same because they are all created by man

Not all religons are the same although many religons have the same roots. It is easily proven that islam and christianity and judaism all stem from the same souce material. So yes... in a sence ALL FINGERS LEAD TO THE PALM AND ALL PATHS LEAD TO GOD.
Once you are able to grow up and get past the WE ARE RIGHT AND THEY ARE WRONG MENTALITY, then you may be able to understand THE SMALLEST PART of what Jesus Christ was trying to teach us.
Open your mind. Religons different from your own ARE NOT EVIL and if you are able to explore them with an open honest and non judgemental mind, you will find that all religons have some truth and wisdom to offer us.

we have only to open our hearts, thoughts and minds... and find it.

Why do you need a path to something that isn't there?

Originally posted by DaveNorris
it depends on how much you simplify them, on their basic levels they are about good and evil being in balance, and teaching people morals. and obviously as an athiest i beleive they are all the same because they are all created by man

"they are about good and evil being in balance"...?

That's funny!

reply to post by NewAgeMan


i know, i watch too much tv lol