Christians say, this is the only way. Hindus say, this is the only way?

Question

Muslims say, this is the only way. etc etc etc
Everyone says the same thing --"My way is the only way".

So how can they all be right at same time? Its impossible?

How can a reasonable person choose between many completely contradictory paths toward God?

You cannot choose which country you are born in, so it is obvious that Christians are Christians cause they were born in USA or a weternized country. Hindus are Hindus cause they were born in India or similar. Muslims are Muslims ccause they were born etc etc etc.

So obviously if your religion is decided by where you are born, then religion is just a cultural thing.

What do you think?

Answer 1

Correction---- Eastern Philosophy is opposite of Western ideology. They don't say ," Mine is the only way."
Hinduism doesn't preach that they are the only way to reach God. Why do you think Eastern religions have never forced converted anyone in the history? They believe in multiple ways to get to God.

The only religions like that are Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Mormons.

Answer 2

If all religious doctrines are different as you say, and contradict each other (which is true by the way) and all inherently claim to be the "true path" (which is in fact what any doctrine of faith is: a statement of truth.), then there is a dilemma...

All religions are taught as "the truth"...even one that claims there are many paths to heaven contradicts those that say there is only one path...

That none are right is certainly a possible conclusion, however, if you accept this, you must accept that another conclusion is just as possible: that if one "is" right, then all others "must" therefore be false because of the contradictions in their fundamental tenets of faith.

Being born in Pakistan does not mean you must be Muslim, just as being born in India does not mean you will die a Hindu. And being born in the USA does not mean you will be a Christian. This premise is false. There are those who practice many different religions within most countries, even where the indigenous culture and religion does not permit such diversity or freedom of religion.

International travel and mixing of cultures is depending on the way you perceive it, to blame or the blessing for this diversity.

Religion is a choice. Faith is a choice. No one can force you to believe, and even if people are stolen and enslaved to become followers of a specific doctrine, those people can reject it, and have the ability to think and discern, and to willingly rebel against the teaching, even if it is within their own minds according to their own conscience.

Religion can be cultural, and it can be used to indoctrinate, but faith comes from understanding, and when people get to the age of understanding, they will have a choice to seek God in truth. If they doubt, and if they do not agree with a religious doctrine they can always question it or reject it...in many non Western countries there are penalty of imprisonment, physical pain or death for doing so, but they have the choice to reject what they know in their hearts to be wrong.

Culture to an extent is certainly a factor, but it is not the determining factor of how a person lives their lives.

God Bless!


Addition: This for anyone who says their religion doesn't say it is "the only way"....This statement alone is a statement of truth, that your religion implies, or leaves the door open that there may be another way.

If another religion says it is the "only way," and yours implies that it is not the "only" way, then inherently, those two religions contradict each other and cannot both be true.

If one is right, then the other is wrong.

Answer 3

Assuming you believe there is a truth out there to be found, all others which are false are more than likely going to be greatly influenced by the local culture they were thought up in.

I really like the answers a lot of the other Christians here have given and it is an answer that more people should give instead of getting into spats with athiest who want to do nothing more than berate Christians. Ask God. Seek and you will find, ask and you will be answered. Start your own search. The list of books mentioned previous to my post are excellent, especially I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Athiest.

And your religion isn't "obviously" decided by where you are born. Those are converts in the Middle East, just like there are Christians in America who have decided to become Muslim. Catholics in the US who have decided to follow Eastern religions.

Btw, don't let people mislead you. We all think our way is the right way or else we wouldn't be on that path. Orthodox jews believe in one God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They believe they are the chosen people and suffer on this earth because of it, but their reward will be much greater upon the coming of the Messiah. Just because a jewish rabbi won't ever verbalize that another religion is wrong, doesn't mean he doesn't believe it. Ask that Rabbi if the polytheistic religion of Hinduism is a valid path to follow.

Answer 4

I agree Nobody can prove their religion is the true religion because they all say theirs is the best. Thats why I don't follow any of the so called "reveled" religions. I am Deist because I feel the only way to see God that no one can argue about is through the creation he made. Everyone can see the things God created the same way. You don't need a book to tell you how to live, God gave us a brain with reasoning to know what is right and wrong and there is no books to contradict and fight about whos religion is better

Answer 5

I agree. Every religion says their beliefs is the right way of life, the correct path. And although religion is mostly inherited, in my opinion religion is a choice. If you are not satisfied with your religion, then wouldn't you be tempted to explore and learn about other religions? Religion, aka a way of life, is a CHOICE. I inherited Islam from my parents, but i took the initiative to actually learn about it's beliefs. And honestly, i am satisfied with Islam, and agree with most of it's concepts. I am muslim. But who are you? Or more importantly, who are you going to CHOOSE TO BE?

Answer 6

Actually I don't think Hinduism says Hinduism is the only way. And I'm Jewish so I know Judaism doesn't say it's the only way. Don't assume just because Islam and Christianity say they are the one truth path that all religions are like that. That gives those 2 a free pass to be like that when they shouldn't be.

Answer 7

I think that two statements that contradict one another cannot both be true. However, that doesn't mean that one of them is not true.

Jesus said that He was the way, the truth and the life and that no one could come to the Father apart from Him. The Bible teaches that all have sinned and fallen short of God's perfect standard of righteousness except for Jesus who was the only one who could offer up his life as a sacrifice for others because He didn't have a sin debt of his own to pay.

When you investigate other religions except for the Jewish religion, you find that their texts are contradictory and filled with things that are obviously wrong and of human imagination. For instance the Hindus believed that the earth rested on the back of a giant turtle while the Bible says that God hung the earth on nothing. The Bible is divinely inspired and if you want proof of that then check out this link http://www.jesus-is-lord.com/divine.htm

Answer 8

In the practice of religion there are many different ways.
There are things beyond words,that no book ever says.
Fools gather in large numbers,to talk about what they believe,
Whilst sages turn away,from idle gossip and leave.

It's easy for the talkers,where religions build their halls,
But outside in the shadows,far out beyond their walls,
I just take my chances,in the pale moonlight,
Where ways meet as one,at the crossroads at midnight!

Answer 9

Yes, yes and there is money all around but how many people actually become millionaires? Only a few get their hands on the wealth that's lying around and become rich, the others simply make do. God has left the richest legacy of His existence through the Hebrews, it was God's choice not theirs. However just because you can't be a millionaire doesn't mean you can't be a nice person.

Answer 10

Christianity has spread to almost every nation but I'd say that a lot of religions are culturalized.