Sunday 17 April 2011

To have the truth & then squander it in exclusivity - sad?

Do doctrinal differences between various sects have any relevance since, according to some belief systems, we are all headed for the same Ultimate Destiny anyway?

I believe that the sum of all the information we have covered in this book creates a serious theological hurdle for those who believe ‘all religions are one.’ At this juncture, most likely, we are in full agreement that ONLY ONE of the following two conclusions can be embraced:

(1) A person’s religious belief system is relatively unimportant (because all the varied doctrines and rituals are just shadowy representations, often misrepresentations, of some Ultimate Reality into which all will eventually be absorbed anyway),

OR…

(2) A person’s religious belief system is of absolute importance (because there is only one correct interpretation of truth, one path that leads from this present existence into that Ultimate Destiny which is eternal and glorious).

If the former is true, it would be impossible for the adherents of various sects to place their complete trust in any religious book: the Qur’an of Islam, the Bible of Christianity, the Torah of Judaism, the Adi Granth of Sikhism, the Avesta of Zoroastrianism, the Tao Te Ching of Taoism or the Vedas of Hinduism. None of these ‘holy writings’ can be taken literally anyway. There is no standard by which to judge the truthfulness of the doctrinal claims of any religious group. Totally contradictory beliefs can all be blended together into one homogenous whole. Exploring different religious theories may satisfy the intellectual curiosity of the ‘seeker for truth,’ but no dependable, lasting conclusions can ever be reached.

If the latter is true, it is absolutely essential to discover that unchanging standard of unquestionable truth that grants a successful passage from time into eternity. Yes, the vital essence of life is to identify the "True Light" and walk in its brilliance all the days of our earthly sojourn. The next section in this book will help you do that very thing.

Massive but old-fashioned site, brilliantly assembled and well-argued. You need to click on link and dive in. My sadness is that he had enlightenment and then squandered it on the 'cross' of exclusivity.

See what you think - or feel.

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