TanyaAlvarado

SuzanneJacobs
WorldReligions
August5,2016
AreAllReligionsTheSame?

AreAllReligionsTheSame?ItisreallydegradingtosayyesbutIcannotcompletelysay
noeither.Thisquestioninallitsseriousnessisheavy.Itsnearlyimpossibletoanswerbecause
therearesomanyideasattachedtoit.Religionissomethingonlyhumanslongfor.Sincethe
verybeginningwehaveseekedforanswerstounknownphenomenonsandtheresultisreligion.
Forsomeonewhodoesnthaveareligionhe/shefollowsperhapsfeelthisquestionisnot
intimidatingatallbecausethetruthistherearemanysimilaritieswithinallreligions.Auniversal
definitionofreligionis,Asystemofsymbols(creeds,codes,cults)throughwhichpeople(a
community)orientthemselvesintheworldwithreferencetoultimatereality.Ifyouthinkof
religioninthiswaythenyes,therearemanysimilaritieswithindifferentreligions.Thereis
alwaysacreedandananswertotheexistentialquestionsweinevitablysearchfor.Allreligions
aimtocompletethepersoninasense.Theyofferspecificguidelinesforpeopletolivethe
correctway.Humansseemtoneedthesekindsofguidesormoralsinordertohavepurposefor
doingallotherlifeendeavors.Thatisthesimilarityinreligion,thefactthattheyallservea
purposeforpeopletoleadthebestkindoflife.(hopefully)
Admiration

ThereasonIsaythatbluntlyagreeingwiththestatementthatallreligionsarethesameis
degradingandinsomewaysdisrespectful,isbecauseeachreligionholdssomedignityinitself.
Ifonesetsouttolearnabouteachmajorreligionwithinaregion,theywillfindbeautyandtruth
ineach.Thereisnootherwayofputtingit.Thestoryofhowacertainreligioncametobe
usuallyinvolvesastruggle,agroupofpeoplecomingtogetherandalsoapart,loveisoftena
commoninterestinmanyreligions.Forexample,Buddhismteachesoftheimportanceoflove
andalthoughChristianityisverydifferentinitspracticesitalsoteachestheimportanceoflove.
Bothreligionsacceptthataunionofallpeopleforthesakeofloveisoneofthemostimportant
attributestheworldshouldgain.Ontheotherhand,BuddhismunlikeCatholicismissimplein
thewaythatitdoesnthavespecificprayersorsaintsandtemplesareplain,livingaBuddhist
lifestyleusuallyinvolvesbeingveryunattachedtothematerialworld.Catholicismhas
undergonemanyphasesthroughouthistory.Ithasbeenontopofitallandnowisstrongbutnot
comparedtohowitusedtobe.ThechurchesandchapelsofCatholicshavemuralsandbeautiful
structures.Theyhavesaintsofthisandthat.Thebibleismuchlongerandnotasambiguousas
theTripitaka.CatholicismhasmanyritualsandBuddhismdoesntbelieveinrituals.Catholicism
tendstofocusonaestheticsalotmorethanBuddhists.Consideringallthis,thereismany
differencesinthesetworeligionsbuthowcanonenotappreciatethepeacefulwaysof
Buddhism.Thereisbeautyinsimplicityandinsomewaysismuchmoreclearandtransparent
thanCatholicism.Although,walkingintoagreatchurchliketheSixteenthChapelonecanthelp
butfeeltherichnessofhistoryinCatholicism.Onecantignorethedevotion,reverence,andlove
forgod.Religionhasdrivenmovementsandprogressioninarchitecture,art,music,food,so
manywonderfulthings.So,sayingallreligionarethesameisignoringalltherichnessin

diversityandideasweseetoday.Theworldhasgreatadmirationforthepaintingof
MichelangeloandalsothegreatstatuesofBuddhainHongKongandThailand.Nomatterwhat
religiononefollows,weareinawewithitsaccomplishments.
InIslamicreligion,theybelieveinonegodlikeChristianitybuttheydontdiscreditwhat
christianityofferseither.TheybelievethatGodoffershisholinesstodifferentpeopleindifferent
ways.ItwasthefirsttimeIlearnedofareligionalsoacceptinganotherwithouthavingto
practiceitthesameway.
Acceptance
Otherreligionshavethissamemessagebutcometoitindifferentways.Forexample,
Hinduismisaveryacceptingreligionbecauseitdoesntjudgeindividualsonhowstrictlythey
arefollowingtheteachingsoftheVedasbecausetheyunderstandthepathoftheindividualis
personalandeachisdoingwhathe/shebelievesistherightthingatthemoment.Sotheytoo,do
notjudgeotherfaithsandrespectthemjustlikeMuslimsdontjudgeandrespectotherfaithsas
well.EvenThough,bothofthesereligionscometothesameconclusion,theirreasonsfor
comingtoitarenot.Hinduismbelievesinpeoplehavingmanylivesandifanindividualchooses
todevotetheirtimetoworkingandbecomingsuccessfulthatisokaybecausemaybeintheirnext
lifetheywillbedevotedtoreachingMokshawhichistheultimategoalofaHindu.Muslimsalso
understandthatthepathoftheindividualispersonalandonecannotcomparetheirdevotionto
theotherbecauseitsrelative.Muslimsdoasktheindividualtocompletecertaintaskswithin
theirlifetolivelikeatrueMuslimbutalso,donotforceitunlesstheindividualisready.Taking
allthatinconsideration,wecanconcludethattherearecorevalueswithindifferentreligionsbut
thereasoningbehindthesecorevaluesarenotthesameandstillthereisroomforacceptance.

Adversity
DelvingintoreligionalwayscomeswiththediscussionoftheAdversityitbringsupon
theworldandtheharmithasdone.Justlikediscreditingthediversityandbeautywithineach
religionweshouldstatetheproblemotherpeoplehavewithitalltogether.Itsundeniablethat
religionhasbroughtwarandhatebetweenpeople.ManyoftheAtheistsandAgnosticpeople
Ivediscussedwithreplythatreligionissomethingnooneistrulysureaboutandyetwefight
andkilleachotherforit.Theuncertaintyisalwaysthedealbreakerforsomepeople.Itsafair
dealbreaker.Justlikemostreligionsteachtoacceptothersregardlessoftheirdifferentideas,we
needtoincludepeoplewhothrowreligionoutthewindow.Partofanythingistheabsenceofit
aswell.Isperhapsnotbelievinginacertainreligionalsoareligion?Itcarriesitsownideastoo.
Sciencecanbeseenasareligionornotbutitalsooffersanswersforpeopleinthesameway
religiondoes.Nothingiscertainbuthereistheevidenceforwhyitworksthewayitdoes,isthat
notwhatreligionalsosays?Mypointis,adversityhelpsdifferentideassolidifyorfallapart.
Religionisthesameinthewaythatithasitsdoubtsjustlikeanythingelsebutpeoplearewilling
tofightfortheheartoftheirideaswithpride.
Augment
AllReligionsarenotthesameifwearelookingthroughthelenseofhistory.Some
religionshavebeenresilientordiminished.Although,neverdoreligionsstayexactlylikethey
wereinthebeginning.Allreligionsaresubjecttochange.Thechangecanbecausedby
migrations,colonialism,missionarymovements,andjustallaroundtimeandtheadvancesit
brings.Sometimesithasconvertedintosomethingelse.IfweweretoputJudaisminatimeline
andmagnifyeachyear,wewouldseehowmuchishaschanged.Judaismhasgrownand

lessenedinnumbersthroughoutthecenturiesduetowars,oppression,andvictoriousaswell,
likeinthetimeofKingDavid.TribesinIslambeforeGodrevealedhimself,werepolytheistic.
NowMuslimspridethemselvesintheirdevotiontoonlyoneGod.Theyhaveprophetswhom
theyuseasexamplesofrighteousMuslimslikeMuhammadbutdonotworshipatthesamelevel
asGodwhoisalmighty.Somereligionshavepurposelyreformed.Forexample,Roman
CatholicssetouttoonceandforallUpdateandenergizethechurchandmaketoservethe
peoplebetterasalivingforceinthemodernworldratherthanbeinganoldembattledcitadel.In
theSecondVaticanCouncilof1962.
Therefore,religionisalwayschangingitdoesntstaythesame.Contemporarytimeslike
todayhavebroughtgreatquestionsandchallengedreligions,forcingsometobreakawayand
seekanswerselsewhere.TheterroristattacksthathavetargetedMuslimshavecalledIslamto
speakoutandclarifywhatitmeanstobeaMuslims.TheLDSChurchandtheCatholicChurch
havealsobeendemandedtoanswertheirrealviewsonLGBTpeople.Thereligionsoftheworld
donotanswerinthesamewaysanddonotviewthesecontemporaryissuessimilarlybutmostof
themorganizetoanswerforthesakeoftheirdevotees.
Appreciation
Iapplaudreligionsthattakeaccountabilityinknowingitspeoplelooktothemforpeace
andanswersofeverydaylife.Iapplaudthehopetheybringtopeople.Therearemanypeople
whohavechangedtheirlifebecauseofreligion.Onapaththathasmanydirectionstopickfrom
religiongivesyouapathtofollowwithsafeguard.
KristaTippett,anAmericanjournalist,author,andentrepreneursaysthatalthough
religiondoesindeedbringadversity,itdoessomethingforusthatwecannotdiscredit.Itbrings

sanctuarytoourconstantsoulsearching,itbringsunityjustasmuch,itoffersopenarmstoour
feelingsofdivinerealityanditcourageouslyoffersanswerstowhatwealoneareafraidtoask.
Itstheonlyplacewherereasonandlogichavelittletoofferandfidelityoftheunknownis
celebrated,howniceisthat.
Isitstillsoeasytosayallreligionsarethesameafterknowingwhatmakesthem
different?Thatiswherethebeautyreallyis,itisinthedifferences.Itslikesaying,weshouldall
loveeachotherbecauseweareallthesame.Yes,weshouldallloveeachotherbutnotbecause
wearethesame.Weshouldloveeachotherbecausewearenotallthesame,thedifferentthings
weofferarevaluable,itswrongtoignorethat.Ourcustomsandculturesarebeautifulbecause
theyaredifferent.WecanunderstandwhyBuddhalefthislifeofluxurytofindsomething
biggerthanhimself.Well,everyreligionistryingfillthatvoidthatBuddhafelt.Hefounditand
sharedit.Someoneelsehasfounditaswell,andsharedit.Wesearchtofillthatvoidjustthe
samebutdontfillitwiththesamethings.Thereforeallreligionsarethesameandyetnotthe
same.

References

Fisher,MaryPat.LivingReligions.UpperSaddleRiver,NJ:PrenticeHall,1999.Print.

Tippett,Krista.BecomingWise:AnInquiryintotheMysteryandArtofLiving.N.p.:n.p.,
n.d.Print.