Why there is not one religion??????

[Nick the Pilot]

There are different kinds of people. We need different kinds of religions for different kinds of people.

Also, great people come to establish new religions. But as the centuries go by, regular people become power hungry, grab power in the religion, and change it for their own personal gain. The original teachings then are modified and eventually lost. For this reason, great leaders must appear from time to time to re-introduce the original teachings.

 

[Kenneth]

I am confused. If God is one then why are there so many religions. The main problem is not of religion but they all has different views about creation of universe/multiverse and life on Earth. Every religion has its own theory of creation of life and it looks true only if we see from that religion but if we study other religions we will find out that they also have their own theories which looks true only from their point of view. It is not possible that all are true. Please help.

Nothing happens without God's will and experience of the world through his creation including human beings.

Just imagine a situation where GOD creats a world, where there is only one religion, one thinking, everybody speak of the same thinking and do not know anything else, only one concept of good prevails and the other side of the coin is not known at all.

Life can sustain only in a place where there is diversity, different factors contribute and form one whole.

God knows that we have to understand and experience diversity in everything in all its different forms first, before we move forward and everybody will understand the real truth when everything is very clear some time in the distant future.

But that too cannot sustain for long. It has to get destroyed and everything has to start all over again with a totally different set of creation and life-style and thinking for life to begin all over again. Who knows this may have happned several times in the past.

It beleive that it is enough if we understand this and that it is a mystery and cherish it rather than trying to know the truth which is not necessary and possible.

 

[Manichean]

maybe because there's more than one God??

I personally believe God's true faith has been mostly destroyed by the powers of the world and forces of evil.. until the end of time when all will be revealed

 

[Saltmeister]

I believe it's because every religion but one is a temporary religion. The religions we have today exist for the purpose of preparing them for the one that will either entrench itself permanently in the world or will be the last independent religion remaining before the beginning of the next age. All other religions will surrender their sovereignty to this religion either before or shortly after the beginning of the next age. The last religion will guide the rest of us through the difficult transition into the next age.

 

[Nick the Pilot]

Salty,

I agree. I have heard that thousands of years in the future we will all become psychic. At that time, it will become clear to us what the one 'true' religion is. I am very much looking forward to it.

 

[Snoopy]

If God is one

and there you have your answer.

If...

I'm sure there is at least one person in the world that does not agree with your opening assertion, and hence has a basis for an alternative world view / religion than yours.

(and hello )

 

[iBrian]

There is One God like there is One Sky and One Earth etc etc.

The difference is, humanity has developed in very different cultural ways - just think of all the many different environments that human civilisations have developed in, such as Europe, Middle East, China, South America.

Therefore very different cultural ways will be used to describe God.

But the description remains strictly cultural, as God is beyond limitation, and beyond the bounds of human understanding.

Therefore many cultural descriptions will seek to use analogies and metaphors that those within the same culture can relate to best.

 

[The Undecided]

I've been struggling with this question myself recently. How can I pick a religion if doing so means that I am saying that one religion is more true/right than the rest? I have come to the conclusion that all religions have truth within their sacred texts but none of them are the truth. I have also been going to a Unitarian church for a few years and I enjoy being part of this community, because Unitarians have no creed, only the wish to gain a spiritual understanding through the teachings of Jesus and other religious sources. This, I feel, is a good way to look at religion, a collection of traditions which contain wisdom and truth that can help us live spiritual and fulfilling lives, rather than following one religion and be restricted to one creed.

I agree with I, Brian that the cultural routes of our many religions are the reason that they are so different. I would also say that the problem of religious conflict comes about because when we decide to follow a particular religion, this very act denounces all of the other religions as less true than the one we have picked, and a self defensive mechanism can take affect were coming into contact with other religions can make us feel insecure about our own religion and feel the need to defend it as truth, which can mean describing the other religions as false.

Going back to the routes of religions I have a possible path that humans might take when forming a religion:

1) An understanding of their reality and habitat (climate/landscape/animals)
2) Concepts derived from this understanding (There is a power behind the weather, sun and rain, behind whether food is available or not, etc)
3) Imagery created to illustrate/visualize these concepts (Cave paintings, storytelling, etc).
4)Theology developed from these concepts and imagery.
5) Production of iconography and/or literature from the theology (Holy texts, paintings, religious symbols like the cross or star of David).
6) Religion is formed.
7) The idea that the chosen/developed religion is the correct view of nature and reality.


This, of cause, is just my own opinion derived from my own musings.

Also, although this process, I believe, is the general route of our religions, the wisdom that is evident in each of them has a commonality that shows that this wisdom is universal and that religious enquiry is a process that allows us to decipher it. This wisdom, once fully understood, should be beyond classification by religion, or any other means. There would be no boundaries and no prejudices. There will not be one religion, there will be no religion, only one understanding of reality.

TU

 

[arthra]

I am confused. If God is one then why are there so many religions. The main problem is not of religion but they all has different views about creation of universe/multiverse and life on Earth. Every religion has its own theory of creation of life and it looks true only if we see from that religion but if we study other religions we will find out that they also have their own theories which looks true only from their point of view. It is not possible that all are true. Please help.

The Baha'i view is that God is one and all the religions agree.. that they have a common Source. Also that there is one religion of God but (1) as there have been many cultures over the millenia and there were geographical limitations so in an outward sense they differed..also (2) there were different social ordinances that were required to deal with unique situations that obtained.


Religion is the outer expression of the divine reality. Therefore it must be living, vitalized, moving and progressive. If it be without motion and non-progressive it is without the divine life; it is dead. The divine institutes are continuously active and evolutionary; therefore the revelation of them must be progressive and continuous. All things are subject to re-formation.

~ Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith, p. 224

Alas! that humanity is completely submerged in imitations and unrealities notwithstanding the truth of divine religion has ever remained the same. Superstitions have obscured the fundamental reality, the world is darkened and the light of religion is not apparent. This darkness is conducive to differences and dissensions; rites and dogmas are many and various; therefore discord has arisen among the religious systems whereas religion is for the unification of mankind. True religion is the source of love and agreement amongst men, the cause of the development of praiseworthy qualities; but the people are holding to the counterfeit and imitation, negligent of the reality which unifies; so they are bereft and deprived of the radiance of religion. They follow superstitions inherited from their fathers and ancestors.

~ Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith, p. 237

 

[wil]

All of course my opinon, my thoughts, till new information changes them...

I believe it's because every religion but one is a temporary religion.

Interesting, have you read Spong's latest books?

Salty,

I agree. I have heard that thousands of years in the future we will all become psychic. .

Again, interesting, don't you think we were...and forgot? Got to caught up in ego to allow...

There is One God like there is One Sky and One Earth etc etc.

The difference is, humanity has developed in very different cultural ways - just think of all the many different environments that human civilisations have developed in, such as Europe, Middle East, China, South America.

Because there's more than one truth.

Yes do to the above...there is only one truth, just differing viewpoints of it, due to cultural differences.

 

[Nick the Pilot]

Wil,

I definitely believe we all used to be psychic but we lost that abiity. (This is a key point in my belief system.)

 

[Saltmeister]

All of course my opinon, my thoughts, till new information changes them... Interesting, have you read Spong's latest books?

Nah. I haven't read any of his books. I've been reading the Internet. I get my "religious education" for free. I could well go and buy books on religion in a bookshop, but I can't afford them right now. So it looks like everyone else is a bookworm here. I, on the other hand are an Internetworm. There isn't much room for books in my home, but there's plenty of room for the Internet.

I've heard of Spong, but I'm not aware of him saying anything about "temporary religion." As far as I know, his ideas are unorthodox but I don't know anything else.

Again, interesting, don't you think we were...and forgot? Got to caught up in ego to allow...

Psychic? Didn't think of that.

Yes do to the above...there is only one truth, just differing viewpoints of it, due to cultural differences.

The idea of truth is overrated and misleading. Truth should never become more important than people and humanity. We must never forget what makes us human.

 

[Lunitik]

There is only one religion, men only pick and choose their favorite teachers because they do not understand religion. Was the truth which Jesus taught different from a Sufi? Was the truth which Krishna taught different from Buddha? These are all just paths down the same road, but by listening to each exclusively no one will ever discover truth.

Religion organizations will always exist because most want instruction, most want to be told what the truth is without working for it - all that results is delusion. Deluding the masses is quite profitable, but alas, even the one profiting is deluded.

 

[Lunitik]

The idea of truth is overrated and misleading. Truth should never become more important than people and humanity. We must never forget what makes us human.

Can you understand what a human truly is without discovering the truth? I do not think so. I will test this theory by asking you a seemingly simple question:

What makes us human?

If you never knew in the first place, how can you forget? It is the whole point of religion, this is the sole question being asked, and you can find the answer if you look deep enough. There is nothing special about any religious leader or group, they are worse than the atheist in fact because they are sure they know. At least the atheist is sure he doesn't.

 

[Saltmeister]

Can you understand what a human truly is without discovering the truth? I do not think so.

I sincerely hope you're not nitpicking here. I was just speaking my mind about what I regarded as important.

It isn't a question of what a human "truly is" because you're assuming that there is a "truth" to be known about humans. Different people have a different answer to that. It is much better to trust your instincts and emotions. What stops us from hurting each other is love and respect. This is what it means to be "human" -- to love and respect others. A person who doesn't is a sociopath or psychopath.

I will test this theory by asking you a seemingly simple question:

What makes us human?

What makes us human is our weakness and vulnerability, our need for love and compassion and the respect that we have for other's sense of vulnerability and their need for love and compassion. It is knowing how to love yourself and by doing so, to love others.

If you never knew in the first place, how can you forget?

That's the problem. A lot of people who think they have found the truth are sociopaths. They either forgot what it meant to be human or never knew.

It is the whole point of religion, this is the sole question being asked, and you can find the answer if you look deep enough. There is nothing special about any religious leader or group, they are worse than the atheist in fact because they are sure they know. At least the atheist is sure he doesn't.

Well, I hope we don't become sociopaths in the process of finding "truth." The truth just isn't worth finding if you lose your humanity in the process.

I prefer to discover "limited truths" that have a narrower context, like reading about the history of a place, country or group and educating myself -- slowly accumulating knowledge but not thinking "this is all there is." There is always more to know. You can never know enough.

 

[wil]

Wil,

I definitely believe we all used to be psychic but we lost that abiity. (This is a key point in my belief system.)

Psychic? Didn't think of that.

I think we did communicate with each other before language, and as language became more prevelant, and then the written word, the ability slowly slipped away as not required. I think we often do it today on the peripheral, those notions we discount, those 'intuitions' we don't apply...

Nah. I haven't read any of his books. I've been reading the Internet. I get my "religious education" for free. I could well go and buy books on religion in a bookshop, but I can't afford them right now. So it looks like everyone else is a bookworm here. I, on the other hand are an Internetworm. There isn't much room for books in my home, but there's plenty of room for the Internet.

and it appears a mighty fine job you do! I haven't read the latest ones, I read earlier ones (ones I can get for less than the price of shipping off the net.)

I've heard of Spong, but I'm not aware of him saying anything about "temporary religion." As far as I know, his ideas are unorthodox but I don't know anything else.

I had the opportunity to hear him speak and then speak with him over meals and late into the night...he believes religions as they are will evolve or die...and that what will come to be will have pieces of the old but be unrecognizable by most...

The idea of truth is overrated and misleading. Truth should never become more important than people and humanity. We must never forget what makes us human.

agreed...

 

[Ahanu]

Nah. I haven't read any of his books. I've been reading the Internet. I get my "religious education" for free. I could well go and buy books on religion in a bookshop, but I can't afford them right now.

You don't have a public library nearby?

I haven't read the latest ones, I read earlier ones (ones I can get for less than the price of shipping off the net.)

You don't have a public library nearby either?

lol

 

[wil]

You don't have a public library nearby either?

lol

yup, I've got a library....they just haven't made it to the top of the queue yet....there are a lot of books out there, and I only read five or six at a time...

 

[Nick the Pilot]

Wil,

You said,

"I think we did communicate with each other before language, and as language became more prevelant, and then the written word, the ability slowly slipped away as not required."

--> I think that we used to be conscious on higher, spiritual levels. But we have gradually descended further "down" into the physical world, and we have slowly lost touch with our spiritual roots and previously-held psychic abilities. Fortunately, I think we hit rock-botton a while back, we have turned the corner, and we are now attemping to move "back up the ladder," regain our consciousness on higher, spiritual planes, and eventually leave this physical world behind forever as not needed anymore. Believe it or not, we are making progress.

 

[wil]

Wil,

You said,

"I think we did communicate with each other before language, and as language became more prevelant, and then the written word, the ability slowly slipped away as not required."

--> I think that we used to be conscious on higher, spiritual levels. But we have gradually descended further "down" into the physical world, and we have slowly lost touch with our spiritual roots and previously-held psychic abilities. Fortunately, I think we hit rock-botton a while back, we have turned the corner, and we are now attemping to move "back up the ladder," regain our consciousness on higher, spiritual planes, and eventually leave this physical world behind forever as not needed anymore. Believe it or not, we are making progress.

Oh I believe were risin in consciousness but interesting your thought of rock bottom, never thought of it that way. But that is our human nature, we don't change till we perceive and accept rock bottom, whether it is individually with alcohol or drugs, or collectively with pollution or gov't intervention, as long as the majority is whiningly moderately accepting the status quo it continues...