RELS-2300

World Religions
Are all religions ultimately the same?

[Author name]
12-7-2017
Religion is a word that can be interpreted a number of different ways. Many refer to religion as a

belief system that follows a structured worship and provides a guide for living ones life in the

purest form. Others view religion as a negative connotation due to a strict guide of implemented

restrictions or finding it difficult to believe in something so intangible. While there is truth in

each opinion, I understand all forms of religion to ultimately resemble one another and to share

the same foundational principles, even religions as seemingly different as Hinduism and Islam.

I believe all religion fundamentally performs within the same confines and follows a similar

guide to living an honest life, full of respect and compassion, striving to one day be in a state of

complete peace. Although there are many different religions in our world, with differing surface

ideas and guidelines as to what is believed to be living a pure life, the basis of the following

religions all believe an immaterial higher power, that supports and guides its followers to a

supreme life of happiness.

Hinduism
Hinduism is the third largest world religion and is one of the more diverse religions in the sense

that Hindus worship 330 million deities in India, the feeling is that the divine has countless

faces. (Chapter 3) This is uncommon while other religions usually praise a single being or no

specific being at all for that matter. Hinduism does not have a known founder or prophet but

instead refers to a polythetic way of ritual. Followers of Hinduism study Brahmanas which

provide guidance in the way of sacrifice to the deities and the Vedas which outline the

foundation of Hinduism. Reincarnation and karma are very important aspects of the Hinduism

practice because every act we make, and even every thought and every desire we have, shapes

our future experiences. Our life is what we have made it. And we ourselves are shaped by what

we have done: As a man acts, so does he become. A man becomes pure through pure deeds,
impure through impure deeds. The ultimate goal is to escape samsara (rebirth) and achieve

Moksha (liberation) and to break free from the limitations of space, time, and matter through

realization of the ultimate reality. Many outsiders do not understand this religion and assume

very misleading facts aimed at discrediting their historical foundation. I used to think in a similar

manner, making assumptions and judgements before obtaining the correct information or

experiencing their belief first hand, that is, until I attended a Hindu service in my community

which was very enlightening and enriching to experience such a different worldview. The people

were friendly and welcoming and seemed happy to be there. Everyone was participating in some

capacity, music was playing, people were chanting prayers and honoring their Gods. The

atmosphere was uplifting and inspiring, childrens laughter filled the room as others rang the

large bell hanging from the ceiling as one entered. Even though I did not understand their

language and what their prayers meant, I could feel their devotion in their presence. Any thought

I had before had completely been reshaped during my visit. Regardless of how one worships, the

idea is that worship is taking place, people are striving to live a more fulfilled and truthful life,

whether thats answering to 330 million deities or just one, the concept is ultimately the same. I

was humbled and appreciative for the invaluable experience.

Jainism
Jainism does not believe in a creator God but instead worship the 24 Tirthankaras or teachers

with daily prayer. This religion is smaller than most but is supported by a mighty belief. To me,

this religion is a very stripped-down version of other religions with ideas like, the path to

happiness, truth and self-realization is actually a path to restraint. Happiness is not the product of

doing, but of not doing. Embracing the world but disengaging from it. (Jainism) The idea of

attachment is considered negative because it aides in the connection of samsara, which the Jains
work hard to break free from by adhering to the three basic principles, which are ahimsa

(nonviolence), aparigraha (nonattachment) and anekantwad (nonabsolution). The principle of

nonviolence ahimsa is very strong in Jain teachings, and through Jainism it also influenced

Mahatma Gandhi. Jains believe that every centimeter of the universe is filled with living beings,

some of them minute. A single drop of water contains 3,000 living beings. All of them want to

live. Humans have no special right to supremacy; all things deserve to live and evolve as they

can. To kill any living being has negative karmic effects. (Ahimsa) The goal of Jainism is to

live with the utmost ethical standards without the need for items to ensue happiness. This belief

is very straight forward in its ideas, very black and white with little gray area for interpretations

with sayings such as, It has never condoned war or the killing of animals for any reason. Jain

teachings recognize that we humans are imperfect, but hold out the promise that through careful

control of our senses and thoughts we can attain perfection, freedom, and happiness. While

differences are apparent with the Digambaras and the Shvetambaras, the root of this religion, is

shared among many others.

Buddhism
Buddhism has a large following of believers and considered a nontheistic religion. There is no

personal God who created the world or to whom prayers can directed. Although Gods are

mentioned in Buddhist, as when they make the four sights appear to young Siddhartha, they

are not able to help people attain spiritual awakening. Buddhism is not a religion of God.

Buddhism is a religion of wisdom, enlightenment and compassion. (The Dharma) The Four

Noble Truths, followed by the Noble Eightfold Path are provided as instructions to lead one to

Nirvana, which in Buddhism, is the ultimate goal of achieving pure happiness. Even with the

focus revolved around the study within oneself, instead of on a divine being, the purpose of
achieving liberation is still similar to other religions such as Christianity, where compassion and

truth is prevalent.

Christianity
Christianity is the largest religion in the world. Christians believe in one deity, God. They also

believe in the son of God, Jesus and believe he resurrected conveying his true message before

rising into Heaven. Followers of the Christian faith worship Jesus as Savior, as the incarnation

of a merciful God, they also see him as a human being. His own life is seen as the perfect model

for human behaviors. This is the central mystery of Christianity: that God became human in

order to lead people back to God. (Fisher) Christians attempt to live a life of compassion and

honesty while rejecting sin and temptation. Christianity is quite broad in terms of types of

worship and how to devote ones self to God. One religion that is surprisingly similar in

historical reverent is Islam and how the ideas and goals of Mohammod mirrored those of Jesus,

to lay down a path of a self-disciplined in a divine state.

Islam
The word Islam means peace, voluntary surrender to the will of God, and obedience to Gods

law which I am sure is unknown by many. There is so much more to this religion than just

extremists, which many Muslims try and distance themselves from. I was most curious to learn

about was the Islam religion. I believe it must be one of the most misunderstood religions of this

time, with people claiming to follow the righteous path, all while hurting others. The radicals that

have made a name for themselves have completely overshadowed any positivity that the Islam

religion has to offer, which is why I was happy to learn about this controversial religion. While it

can be difficult not to group the people together as one, they are in fact practicing two different

interpretations of their belief system. Islam is the second largest religion just behind Christianity
and continues to grow at an astonishing rate. Followers of Islam are referred to as Muslim, and

practice a monotheistic approach with one deity, God or Allah and refer to Prophet Muhammad,

who is considered the Messenger of God. Muslims live a strict day to day life to please the

Prophet and honor his path where pure monotheism one is enjoined not to worship anything but

God not natural forces, or mountains, or stones or incarnations of God, or lesser deities, or

human rulers. (Islam) This view differs from that of Jainism who believe there is no creator and

that believing in such a thing is attaching oneself to an idea that will in turn bring about the cycle

of samsara. However, even with these surface differences, the similarities lie deep within the

foundational work of each belief. Whether a specific being is recognized or not, the practices of

focusing on the positivity, free of burden and filled with bliss is always the goal.

There are many analogies for religion but one that comes to mind is how it can be compared to a

store. There are many stores, large and small, some that sell clothes while others sell electronics,

and some who offer discounts while others do not. All are minor differences while the structural

similarities are plentiful. Most stores function with the same basic principles of selling an item,

hiring employees, advertising the business, and all to make a lucrative profit. The outcome for

each store is mostly the same, as it also is for religions. To believe in a higher power, whether it

one God or many Gods, the belief is present, the want and the need are apparent, and the

outcome is to somehow receive guidance to live a purer life, free of judgement and full of love

and happiness. The goal of religious practice is to feel a connection where not all religious

behavior occurs within the institutional confines. The inner dimensions of religion such as

experiences, beliefs, and values can be referred to as spirituality. This is part of what is called

religion, but it may occur in personal, non-institutional ways, without the ritual and social

dimensions of organized religions. A brief glance of a religion may give the impression that it is
different from others but learning about the origin of a religion and what the true message is

connects all religions on many platforms.

Works Cited

Fisher, Mary Pat Living Religions 10th Edition, Pearson Publishing, 2015 (3.1)

Class observation, Sir Ganesha Hindu Temple of Utah, October 8th, 2017