What does "all paths lead to the same place" or "you just have to find what works for you" mean?

Question

I mean God is what He is, right? If He describes Himself the way He does in the Bible, He can't also be like the descriptions of Shiva. He can't simultaneously be satan's brother/created (like in Mormon theology) and having no beginning and no end like in the Bible. Outside of outright polytheism, how can something like this be a logical statement?

Either grass is green or it isn't. It isn't made green because you believe it is. So I'm curious, lay out for me what the logical argument would be for 'all paths lead to the same place' or 'just find what works for you'?

Answer 1

That means "I don't want to think about this too much, but take this little nugget and stop asking hard questions."

Your avatar is great.

Answer 2

It is not a logical statement.

Truth is absolute and knowable. Two statements that contradict each other cannot be true at the same time. Grass is green, no matter what shade. It is not red. Even if I believe it is red.

Jesus said "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
If this is true then all other faith systems cannot be true.

So the question now becomes: on what basis do we believe this claim by Jesus is true?

The simplistic answer (yes, there is a more complicated very long answer) to this is that the Bible is trustworthy. It is not just a book of mysticism or spirituality; it is a book that also gives geographical truths and historical truths and it is calling you to a real Person.

The apostle Peter said, "We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty."

Answer 3

Well using your own logic God is not the true God just because you believe it.

Okay here is the truth. Religion is humankinds feeble attempt to explain that whch cannot be explained and that includes the christian religion and judiasm etc.

The difference between you and us pagans is we acknolwedge that there is no absolute truth and that all paths lead to diety. We accept your truth as YOUR TRUTH not ABSOLUTE TRUTH. Absolutes can be proved God gods Goddesses religion cannot be proved all religion is faith.

You know if Christians were united and if all Christians spoke where the bible speaks and were silent were the bible is silent then you would have a better argument but as it is the Southern Baptist claim the Missionary Baptist are wrong the United Pentecostal, Jesus only claim all but them are wrong. and I could go on and on and even when different churches claim others are right with God their doctrines are directly oppossed to each other. According to the bible there is only one truth, one church, one Lord, One faith etc etc. how many is one? There are hundreds of different Baptists and about as many tongue speakers.

I will honor your truth but you must honor mine also. Your arguement does not hold water because the bible believers believe everything but the bible. They are the most divided bunch of people on earth. Again if all christians were united and actually believed the bible and kept it then I might say you have a point but sorry to burst your bubble you can't use that logic and not expect me to use the same logic.

Just because you have a book that claims to be from the one and only God does not make it so. Do you acknoledge the Quran, or the Book of Mormon? These are books and each claim to be Gods word. What makes the bible any different? It is your belief which again using your own logic does not make it so.
BB

Answer 4

I do not believe that all paths lead to the same place, but I do believe that many paths can lead to the same place. (Some paths seem to just spin in circles.)

Since you're speaking from a Christian perspective, I'll start with that. Your view of God is limited to what is described in the Bible (by your own explanation). But isn't God limitless? How can you say that God only looks one particular way? God is limitless, yet humans are limited...and the Bible was written by humans in the language of humans so humans could understand it. Humans can't possibly understand the full magnitude of God. They can only understand a portion of God. So who's to say that Shiva worshippers are not understanding another portion of God? And the reason Shiva seems so un-Godlike to you is precisely because of your limited understanding.

As to your second point, at least when I say that you have to find what works for you, I'm not making a truth judgement. I can't tell you whether your path is right, because I don't know everything you've experienced. I don't believe in angels, but I've never seen one either. If someone saw an angel appear and speak to them, that seems like a good reason for them to believe in angels....but at the same time, it doesn't convince me angels exist. So you have to find the path that makes sense to you, because you following my path would be silly, even though I think mine is right. I don't think that finding your own path guarantees you find the truth, but I also think its the only thing that gives you a chance of finding the truth.

Answer 5

GOG IS GOD - this is true.
NO human will understand GOD is also true.

So humans are stuck with 60 billion plus different explanations of GOD, heaven and hell. ALL wrong.

"All paths lead to GOD" - because GOD will ask for an accounting of what actions to concerns were taken when a persons conscience asked for action. (Everyone has a conscience - how well do we listen to it is key.)
"You just have to find what works for you" - means one life's path of one does not fit all. Dancers usually don't weld or stuff like that - because the passion is not there, nor the discipline.

Answer 6

I have an unshakable belief in a Higher Power, the Great Spirit, or whatever name you chose to call HIM/HER. The reason I believe is because I have felt HIS/HER presence in my life. The reality is that the Great Universal Higher Power has so many faces to so many people of different ethnic, and religious traditions, our concept of HIM/HER is mind-boggling. It doesn't matter to me what name you chose to label that Higher Power or how you chose to worship that Higher Power. As long as your tradition (whether it is of ethnic or religious origin) harms none and contributes to the greater good. . . who am I to judge the path you chose to take to get to this realization? The fact is, some things are true whether you believe in them or not. To feel the presence of this Glorious Higher Power/Creator/Great Spirit takes an open mind, an open heart and faith. Chose a name, tradition, and mode of worship that resonates with you. Some find the road difficult and fight it every step of the way. Others find the road filled with blessings. The point is: everyone gets there eventually, even if it's after you've "crossed over." Hopefully it won't take that long.

"Non-believers" are people who have not yet personally felt the HIS/HER presence in their lives. To attempt to provide "proof" to these people seems futile. One can only provide opportunities which will allow them to (hopefully) experience the ONE Divine Source.

Answer 7

I just don't believe all paths lead to the same place (like all roads lead to Rome)...different paths lead to different places and people will tell you "whatever works for you" if they don't have anything that work for them. When people have something that works for them, they want to share it. If you wanted to get to Chicago, would you take Interestate 2? No. If you were seeking God, would I tell you to try Satanism? Of course not! What I don't understand is if you believe there is a supreme force, greater than anything, all-loving, all powerful, all-knowing, why would you want anything less?

Answer 8

grass is green, this what it is called by some people using the English language. Other people call the color in some other name, it all pours in the same meaning that the grass is green but using different words!

We all used the language that worked best for us according to our geographical and environmental position on earth to indicate a common meaning and agreement that the grass is actually green in color.

Answer 9

The gospels record Satan's temptation of Christ and in each account He, Satan, is never specific about the act of worship he requires from Christ. Maybe, we would be a bit more concerned about our method and heart than we currently think we should. Food for thought

Answer 10

The first fact you must face is that this statement was made thousands of years before there was even a verse of the old or new testaments having be written.

Answer 11

My gods have nothing what so ever to do with the Hebrew god. The path to them leads to one place. To Them. Through out ancestors. We don't believe in aspects and all that crap.