WaPo 'On Faith': All Religions Are Not The Same To You

The Washington Post:

A certain kind of "all religions are one" theory is obviously untrue; it is disrespectful since it doesn't allow for true variety in religions and doesn't respect others' religious choices; and it is dangerous, because it quickly leads back to the long established dangers of religious fanaticism and the lethal intolerance or crusaders.

Read the whole story: The Washington Post

Comments

[jozzie]

09:08 AM on 07/17/2010

Excellent points by Dr. Thurman. And a genius resolution at the end of his article.

[chandran007]

10:42 AM on 07/10/2010

The difference between Christiand and Islam vs a vis other faiths is this

"Christianity was not content with erecting an altar of its own. It had first to destroy the pagan altars. It was only in virtue of this passionate intolerance that an apodictic faith could grow up. And intolerance is an indispensable condition for the growth of such a faith. "

[monthofmay]

12:55 PM on 07/10/2010

You mean the pagan altars where young boy and girl prostitutes were kept for the worshippers?
The Roman paganism wasn't all Marcus Aurelius and Disney's Fantasia.

[chandran007]

02:22 PM on 07/10/2010

No. I mean "pagan" alters such as Buddhism, New Age, Hindusim, Sikhism, Judaism etc...why try to convert them? They have not done anything in the scale of what christianity has done (Ethnic cleansing of American Indians, Slavery for over 300 years, Iynchings, Jim Crowe, The Martin Luther's rantings of anti semtisim which was the impetus for the HoIocaust!

Why are even catholics and Protstants trying to convert each other in Latin America (Flock stealing)?

[ThinkCreeps]

02:53 AM on 07/10/2010

They are to me, give or take their varying levels of offensiveness.

[khanti]

05:25 PM on 07/09/2010

The sameness in all religion or even atheism has one common ground - doing good.

[monthofmay]

06:16 PM on 07/09/2010

Unless they listen to Rush Limbaugh. There's a reason for anathema.

[khanti]

07:14 PM on 07/09/2010

Boredom?

[Pandaforum]

09:19 PM on 07/09/2010

you're clueless.

[Bryan Elliott]

03:30 PM on 07/10/2010

"The sameness in all religion or even atheism has one common ground - doing good"

There's evolutionary basis for such altruism; why infect such elegance with needless superstition?

[khanti]

12:12 AM on 07/11/2010

Not necessarily. Minus out the beliefs in religion and there is still the constant of goodness.

[Dharmakitri]

02:57 PM on 07/15/2010

For those interested:
The Dalai Lama has been conducting the Mind & Life Dialogues for something like 20 years...dialogues between buddhism and science.
Mind & Life Dialogue XIV spent a good part of a day discussing the topic above...whether or not current evolutionary models can account for altrusim/compassion. It is a very interesting discussion (or at least, I found it to be interesting). The discsussion is led by
http://www.dalailama.com/webcasts/post/11-mind-and-life-xiv---dialogues-on-the-universe-in-a-single-atom
Coversations regarding evolution and altruims start on Day 4.

[Tulka2]

04:32 PM on 07/09/2010

"By the way, the Buddhist teacher Maitreyanatha famously wrote words to the effect that "We never say that buddhas are many, or that buddhas are one. We do not say they are many, because in the ultimate truth they cannot be differentiated. But we do not say they are one, because each buddha gets to enjoy individually the inconceivable unity of all." - From the article above.

Genius.

[The Dood]

10:05 PM on 07/09/2010

Like it! Fan and Fav!
Namo A Di Da Phut!

[maslin]

11:26 PM on 07/09/2010

Reminds me a little of Christian Trinitarian mysteries.

I need to make a serious study of religion. I have only dabbled.

[Weirdwriter]

12:26 AM on 07/10/2010

Good neutral place to start for a general overall descriptions of religions and related facts: http://www.adherents.com/

[chandran007]

03:50 PM on 07/09/2010

“The modern day bible (2000 years) like the ancient Rig Vedas or the Upanishads are also intuitive observations about the celestial and natural world by seers (Yes, the bible was also written by contemplating men. Its not a word of God) .

The difference between something like the Rig Veda;s and the bible or the quran are these

1) The bible/Quran insists they are word of God and that these are absolute truth and goes on to insist that if you question them, you would be punished and tortured even after death into eternity.

2) The Rig Vedas have also mused about life and the celestial world but nowhere do they claim its the absolute truth let alone they are word of god nor are there any intrinsic threat of any kind if you do not buy into the rig Vedas. They are mere opinions. What they have observed and written about have far more depth and seem far more reasonable and closer to today's scientific conclusions than the biblical geocentric flat earth kind of thinking that were written by some goat herders of the middle east.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EyAKFi3_Xg””

[Pandaforum]

09:23 PM on 07/09/2010

The Bible and the Koran are nothing alike. The Bible is only for those who have eyes to see. You shouldn't talk about something you know nothing about.

[emmanuel goldstein]

11:16 PM on 07/09/2010

They are NOTHING alike? BS.

[maslin]

11:21 PM on 07/09/2010

Oh boy.

Let's see.

Historical books responsible for founding large monotheistic religions, mostly written by Semites in the Middle East, and containing many of the same characters, doing similar if not identical things.

Yep. Nothing alike.

[Weirdwriter]

12:28 AM on 07/10/2010

I don't know enough about the Rig Vedas or the Koran, but the Bible does not "insist that if you question (it), you would be punished and tortured even after death into eternity."

That's the interpretation of some adherent zealots.

[colamonkey]

08:40 AM on 07/10/2010

According to the writings in the bibble if you don't accept God (/Jesus) you'll burn in the firey pits. So technically you're right.

[SuperBenFranklin]

03:30 PM on 07/09/2010

Agreed. All religions are not the same. They are all designed to appeal to their particular audience. They all tell what their audience wants to hear.

But, all religions are the same in one fact: Their goal is to gain followers and power and control.

In that, all religions *are* the same.

[chandran007]

03:49 PM on 07/09/2010

Not all religions tries to gain followers. Hinduism and Judaism do not proselytize to try to gain converts.

[Ronju01]

09:20 AM on 07/10/2010

Because you've to born to those religions. Can one convert to Hinduism and claim Brahmin cast ?

[Tulka2]

04:37 PM on 07/09/2010

It's useless to argue with "the faithful" regarding matters of speculation, that is things that can neither be proved or disproved. Christopher Hittchens, Richard Dawkins, Bill Maher, are just as "faithful" to their own unprovables as is any bishop.

Put your faith in people. I have faith (little f) that the Dalai Lama and Thich Nahat Hanh are giving me the straight skinny about their own experience. I have faith in them.

[monthofmay]

06:13 PM on 07/09/2010

You have more faith in bishops than I do! Ours is joking good ol' boy more at home with the shriners. You have a good one out there, though, I heard...something of a Christian?

[maslin]

11:51 PM on 07/09/2010

Have you read "Buddha" by Karen Armstrong?

If not, it's a rewarding read.

[Asmodean1]

01:20 PM on 07/09/2010

"A certain kind of "all religions are one" theory is obviously untrue; it is disrespectful since it doesn't allow for true variety in religions and doesn't respect others' religious choices"

There were dozens of religions before 1AD that had the general story broadly speaking of the conception, birth, life, death and ressurection of Jesus the annointed. If you research this you will find its true. You will also read of "justin martyer" the first christian historian born 100 and more years after the death of J. the annointed. And his idea that the "devil" had the foresight to come before and create these religions to cast doubt.

[TheWM]

02:48 PM on 07/09/2010

"You will also read of 'justin martyer' the first christian historian born 100 and more years after the death of J. the annointed. And his idea that the "devil" had the foresight to come before and create these religions to cast doubt."

The sheer chutzpah of Christian theology is breathtaking sometimes, isn't it?

[hoppingestfrog]

10:49 AM on 07/09/2010

Did anyone else think it's strange that the linked article was by Robert Thurman regarding something Steve Prothero was discussing. Does Huffpo even read the articles they post? Oh well, regardless, interesting read.

[jjdrma]

10:29 AM on 07/09/2010

Agree. All religions are not same. The element of intolerance is striking in very core doctrines of those religions which indoctrine their coreligionists of the scary concept. The concept that ' their own god' created a paradise for them exclusively, and a hellfire for all those who have not converted to their faith. This belief will haunt the humble abrahamists forever and they ease off from the very same religions they were baptised into. Interfaith dialogue is impossible if the religion says our way or the highway. Sorry if Iam hurting some ones feelings here, no choice at this critical juncture of our existence. Interfaith dialogue and tolerance are the way to go forward to have our future generations live in peace

[NeutralLight]

04:25 PM on 07/09/2010

The only Abrahamists who were baptized into their religion were the Christians; baptism is not part of Judaism or Islam. Only two of the three main ones have hellfire. Judaism does not have a concept of eternal damnation. Some Christians and Muslims who do believe that, also believe that other people can be "saved" from that eternal damnation in various ways.

I don't think you are hurting anyone's feelings, but if you want an interfaith dialogue, perhaps include adding some further study to your own preconceptions.

[monthofmay]

06:13 PM on 07/09/2010

Good reply, and respectful. And please,please stop obsessing over the far right fundys. It seems to be the only religion some people know...and get stuck on!