What effect do you think religious pluralism and the interfaith movement will have on the future of organized?

Question

What effect do you think religious pluralism and the interfaith movement will have on the future of organized religion? Explain your answer.

Answer 1

I think religious pluralism and interfaith movements will have a good effect not just on oraganized religion but on society as far as helping to curtail the problem of fundamtenalism and the quest for religious dominance.

For many organized religious groups, it’s not about helping people gain personal spiritual empowerment but blind and swift indoctrination and total dependency on THEIR way, often touted as “GOD’S WAY”. If a religion’s or philosophy’s ultimate goal is that the whole world must accept it as absolute truth, no action is too inconsiderate, inhumane or desperate, from noise pollution on a Sunday morning to mass cover-ups of child molestation to suicide bombing a bustling sidewalk café in Tel Aviv.

But nobody knows God’s mind except God. All humans can do is have faith right? No Christian can empirically prove a virgin birth of a Man-God Savior Jesus really happened any more than a Hindu can prove Monkey Gods really flew. They can only point to their ancient and mystical texts and ask you to have faith that it’s true and infallible. What convinces ONE person raises a million questions for someone else. It all depends on the individual. No one religion satisfies all people. No one religion answers all the questions. No one religion gives everyone a way to live that makes them happy and hopeful. That is why there are so many religions. That is why people change from Christian to muslim or hindu or pagan or perhaps join different sect within the same general religion and visi versa.

Interfaith interaction helps to foster this kind of spiritual humility. It encourages critical thinking, helps find common ground and helps people separate their subjective beliefs from universal respect for human rights and freedoms, thus making it possible for them to live peaceably with all people. This is vital as the world becomes more integrated and universal human rights and religious tradition is being separated.

Personally I look forward to a time when more people are humble and recognize that belief is an ongoing personal journey. They are not stagnant and immobile but able to handle increasingly complex issues. They don’t panic when something does not fit into the black and white edicts of their religion, beliefs or traditions. They are empowered and intelligent enough to decipher shades of gray. If they had to choose between a religious rule even one from a holy book and love for humanity, love is always chosen! They do not justify unfair or inhumane treatment of others, be it jihad, discrimination or unequal gender rights with, “Well my holy book says so or my pope, pastor, pundit or imam or government says so”. They humbly accept that no single religion or belief is perfect nor fulfills the needs of everyone, thus the billions outside their chosen faith are not seen as lost misled souls or evil infidels. They do not buy into a segregated “Us vs. The Evil World” mode.

Answer 2

Well I believe it will have a quite positive effect on the future of organized religions due to the negative effect it has presently in organized religion.

First of all, there has been a few adherents to a particular faith that have remained loyal to that faith but is a religious pluralist. Secondly, there have been those who have left their "organized" religion for an interfaith movement (i.e. Bahai) only to be into another organized religion.

I will speak now specifically regarding Christianity. Since I am a leader in the Christian religion. Churches have become less and less doctrine focused. This has been a result of cultural change. Thus when people visit a congregation they are less worried about the doctrinal issues and more concerned on how the Church can meet their personal needs.

I believe there is a movement now in Churches across America that is reactionary to this move away from doctrine. And many Churches have re-emphasized the importance of biblical doctrine. And many of these churches are growing and successful in ministry.

So though the immediate effect on Christian Churches accross the states has lead some to be less focused on doctrine. I believe that the future effect will drive more and more Churhces to emphasize Biblical doctrine.

From an individual to individual case, currently more and more Christians are being religious pluralist. Though they accept Christ as the Son of God. Surverys have shown that more and more Christians believe that Jesus is not the only way to heaven. (or an ideal afterlife experience, enlightment, etc)

Answer 3

As a Christian, I only worry about this in terms of its effect on Christianity. I don't think it is a good thing because if Christianity loses ANY of its essential docterines and adopts others, it will no longer be Christianity.

In general, the concept of "religious pluralism" doesn't make sense at all, considering the major religions abide by different docterines. It's weird that it's even happening. If the religions do combine in some way (and I think they eventually will for "world peace"), there will probably no longer be "seperation of Church and State" anywhere in the world and there will be a Theocracy, like the Roman Empire was after Constantine.

Answer 4

With the advent of the information age all of those Catholic children who were scared into believing anything a priest or nun would say you saw them all defecting into any other type of different organized religion sometimes born again Christians, sometimes Buddists, Muslims, Jews & off the wall types as well. As people learn to think for themselves & not follow blindly like sheep organized religions will star to merge but will never die out. People will be able to choose any belief they think fits them, because even though we are all allegedly human beings we do not all act alike nor think alike. I do not believe it is faith that guides ones religion but fear. Even in this century some people will blindly give every last cent they have to the church for whatever reason. Only people with open minds will truly understand, all cannot be focused on a series of principles which guide every religion because if it were true we would have no war, no poor, no hatred. This is the basic principle every organized religion is based on.

Answer 5

I don't think, I know, because the Bible tells me so. A false prophet is coming who will force the world into a One World Religion. I understand that he is coming as a Pope from the catholic church and this is not only the richest man in the world, but a faith leader in many nations. It seems we do not learn from history that the Pope can be a very dangerous man. Behind the false prophet is the most evil antichrist of which the spirit of antichrist is walking throughout the world today. We are being set up for these evil two now.

Continually on YA people are saying religions should be done away with. All religions especially Christianity are mentioned. They say religions cause wars and have always caused wars. They think without religions the wars will cease and peace will come. The antichrist has them living in deceit and confusion. He is a master of this because his boss is none other than Satan himself. The spirit of antichrist increases daily. If you have ears to hear, you will hear. If you have eyes to see, you will see.

Answer 6

It will be the same effect it has always been. Some will believe the truth while other religions will reject the truth as heresy.

Ex. Gnosticism is faith in one true God and the knowledge of (not faith in) the false god i.e. the devil who rules the earth.

The Roman Catholic leaders misunderstand this to mean the belief/worship of two gods and therefore regards Gnosticism as heresy.

P.S. "Ask Mr. Relilgion" is correct. I agree with you. Even we Gnostics have in "The Gospel of Thomas" :
10. Jesus said, "I have cast fire upon the world, and look, I'm guarding it until it blazes."

16. Jesus said, "Perhaps people think that I have come to cast peace upon the world. They do not know that I have come to cast conflicts upon the earth: fire, sword, war.

For there will be five in a house: there'll be three against two and two against three, father against son and son against father, and they will stand alone."

http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/gosthom.html

Also in Revelation 17 it speaks of the great harlot and her beast. The harlot is Rome and her position on the beast 17:3 shows the Roman system supported by the Anti-christ-emperor. 17:2 speaks of Rome polluting the people with "false christianity" due to their "moral decadence." i.e. the pope. Think of all of the religious wars that were supported by Rome. The crusades, making war with the Middle East and now all kinds of religious wars from various countries in the name of God or Allah, etc. This is blasphemy which, again, is explained in Revelation 17. So, to answer your question, there will never be world peace.

*ONE OF THE FUTURE POPES WILL BE THE ANTI-CHRIST! THIS POPE OF ROME WILL UNITE ALL RELIGIONS AND WILL POISON IT!*

*Keep giving me thumbs down. It's still the truth as it is written in Revelation 17. What are you other Christians gonna do, argue with the Bible?*

What we can do is to not let ourselves be turned away from morals and ethics, especially when there is so much evil around us. As is suggested in "(The Reality of the Rulers)" (another Gnostic text):
"Our contest is not against flesh and blood; rather, the authorities of the universe and the spirits of wickedness."
http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/hypostas.html

Answer 7

According to the Bible, all false religion will soon end. False Religion . Meddles in war and politics, spreads false doctrine, & tolerates immoral sex among othe atrocities. Jesus warned: “Every tree not producing fine fruit gets cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matthew 7:19) This is the fate of false religion. the Bible book of Revelation depicts False religion as a harlot who straddles the back of the worlds political powers attempting to influence its decisions and control its direction. (Revelation 17, 18) Soon, though, an amazing event will take place. “The ten horns that you saw, and the wild beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her devastated and naked, and will eat up her fleshy parts and will completely burn her with fire.” (Revelation 17:16) In a sudden, shocking move, the world’s political powers will turn on false religion and completely destroy her! What will prompt this action? The Bible book of Revelation answers: “God put it into their hearts to carry out his thought.” (Revelation 17:17)

Answer 8

Religious pluralism ("it is ok to believe whatever you want to believe as long as you are sincere") does nothing but dilute the biblical message from God, that there is but one path to eternal redemption.

Christ makes it very clear:

Luk 12:51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.
(ESV tranlation)

To me, Christ's words disprove any theory that Jesus came to unite all humanity (godly and ungodly) into a single “universal brotherhood of man.” Rather, He divided them as they have never been divided before!

Answer 9

Jewish Messianics will be osterisized, and 9 year old children may be more than just apreciated in pluralism in interfaith the Koran or the bible? well =Mohamed married a girl in todays more mature society would have been around 6-7 years old. He rejected salvation in Jesus and said an angel told him to marry a little girl Aisha who was 9 years old when he married her and told his other wives that she was his best wife!!!

today they go to prison for this-yet while Sunni Muslims are blowing up their competitors mosques and killing their imans for over 2 years back and forth -they either come to Jesus and learn to love their enemies or else defend Mohamed and blindly say they are right.

I was taught to reject the New Testament as being corrupt till I saw I was the one that was corupt -one lie makes you a sinner-and as Jesus says "I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to heaven but by me." John 14 verse 6

well are the Muslims right is it a good thing for a 40 year old man to marry your sister when she would be 9 years old-and in todays society around6-7 in maturity?

Isaiah predicted and proof the bible is not corrupt for the first verse Jewish people would take out is this

"Unto us a child is born a son is given, and he will be almighty God, and the prince of peace." Isaiah 9:6 predicted 700 bce

the prayer that does save is -"Show me the truth please" amen

I then prayed "Jesus thanks for the truth and that your words will never pass away, I am sorry I listened to lies about you, I am sorry for my sins, come into my heart and help me be my friend, amen.

Jesus the Messiah promised "I love you, and knock on your HEART DOOR TO COME IN DELIVER FROM SIN AND BE YOUR FRIEND, WHEN YOU ASK ME IN." REVELATION 1:1 AND CHAPTER 3 VERSES 19&20

LAST CHAPTER OF REVELATION JESUS SAYS IF YOU ADD TO MY WORD YOU WILL HAVE PLAGUES=the Talmud Jewish writings that say Jesus was an iligitimate child, the Koran that says Jesus is the Messiah and the only one without sin, but that he didnt die to forgive us as Isaiah predicted chapter 52:13-53:12 Isaiah

the answer is yes or no-canibals once ate people-they said it was right-but was it??? would you be happy for a 40 year old to marry your sister of 9 years old???? in todays society she would be about 6 or 7 years old- YES OR NO PLEASE, THANKS

DO YOU REJECT THE HADITH AS one used to defend child molestation and saying Mohamad did nothing wrong. and here-saying that that book does state that she was 9 years old
I pick the bible and salvation over interfaith all being right

Answer 10

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It will promote all these aerie faerie feelings with all these, integral, liberal, progressive types. Then the religions will lose their meanings. Fundamentalists will probably try to to deny the oneness of all religions and then preserve their fundamentalism.