Some people say that there would be peace if only everyone followed their religion. To those who say that there are many paths to God they say “if you believe that all religions can be a path to God, then why not be a Christian (or Muslim or whatever), because then there would be peace”. Of course believing that all religions can be paths to God is not the same as believing that all religions are equal. Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami said:
I explain that there are many paths to the top of the mountain, some lead to the top and others half way up.
In my view Hinduism gives the best means, example and motivation for spiritual advancement, as I describe more fully in my blog entry “What Hinduism has to offer“. Even so, could it be true that if by some chance everyone converted to one of the exclusive religion there would be peace? At first glance it sounds like a strong argument, but look a little deeper and you will see that it is not so.
It is the nature of exclusive religions to become more exclusive, and to split into more and more sects. In the Iran Iraq war alone, in which Shia and Sunni Muslims fought had a death toll of a million. According to one site, 11,000,000 Muslims have been violently killed since 1948, of which 35,000, or 0.3 percent, died during the sixty years of fighting Israel, or just 1 out of every 315 Muslim fatalities. In contrast, over 90 percent of the 11 million who perished were killed by fellow Muslims.
Christians have also fought other Christian denominations, with the Albigensian Crusade killing 85,000 “heretics”. The Northern Ireland troubles had a religions element of Catholic against protestant,. Neither Christianity nor Islam are one happy family. This is an obvious contrast to Hinduism, where Shaivite, Vishnava and Shakti cherish each others differing beliefs. In fact, you could say to people of exclusive religions “if everyone became a Hindu there would be peace and you could still worship Jesus or Allah”.
In addition to these large scale conflicts between groups, exclusive religions have a track-record of persecuting individual heretics. The mystic Mansur Al-Hallaj was killed after torture for saying “Truth is me”, “I am God”, and “There is nothing wrapped in my turban but God”. Christians also persecuted Christian heretics, for example Jerome of Prague was killed for challenging the divine rights of the clergy. Whereas Hinduism cherishes seers, exclusive religions see them as a thereat do their divine right.
Why should so many seers and mystics come up with ideas that are common in Hinduism, that God is in everything, Reincarnation, that people are responsible for their own destiny? Surely it is because this is true spiritual knowledge, before stories have been changes and texts selected, altered and interpreted for political gains.
So, far from being peaceful, a world in which everyone followed an exclusive religion would end up with multiple sects fighting. Holy men who saw the real truth would be persecuted and silenced. The idea that all could be peaceful once everyone converted is the opposite of the truth. Peace can only come through understanding and acceptance of differences, and of cherishing spiritual insight.
Western Hindu 
Loved reading your post, what you say is so true!
Hi Chris,
If you have found the peace within yourself by following our beliefs, treasure it. You will never get anyone to understand or accept it.
The world will never become Hindu, for it can never be used to justify wars and violence, for extreme selfish motives.
I really want to know what awaits us when this life ends.
What, if at all any, is there waiting for us, and if it is truly different for the different religious sects.
Hi Littleindian,
Sorry that it has taken me so long to reply, I have been busy with other things lately. I agree with you that the world will never become Hindu, at least in this age. I think the important thing is for Hinduism to hold out against the evangelical religions. These are modern “fast food” religions, which say that all you have to do is sign up and believe, then carry on the way you are. No need for change, spirituality or improvement.
Personally I believe that if God is good and caring there will not be any difference. What happens will depend on your nature, and how well you lived. I cannot believe that a good, all powerful God would condemn some for eternity for what they believed in a few short years.
Pingback: Why Hinduism is the “Eternal way”, the true religion. « Westerner Interested in Hinduism
To discount Christianity because ‘it began with Christ’ is a shallow understanding of Christianity. Jesus Christ said “I am the beginning and the End, the Alpha and the Omega, there is none before and none after”.
So in the beginning when God created, Jesus was already there. In fact, Christianity is truly nothing less than Judaism unveiled. And Judaism begins with God and man in the garden, not with father Abraham.
Crossed1,
I understand what you say, but from this view Christianity is not an eternal religion, though Christ and God would be. Christianity is only a phase valid between the birth of Christ and judgement day. It begs the question, why were people denied Christ from the beginning of the world to the birth of Christ? And why are faith and belief so important now if they will count for nothing after judgement? See the link Hinduism is the eternal way and true religion for more details.
Chris,
I’d like to compliment you on one of the best interpretations I’ve read to date.
Relative to the different sects that have evolved in the various religions throughout human history, it would seem that these factions only serve to illustrate that darker hidden side of each of us that we can only seem to express our derision for by wiping the opposing factions off the face of the planet. In another sense, Islam is Christianity’s brother and vice versa, just like the Sunni and Shiite factions of Islam and the Protestant and Catholic sects, as you spelled out. Each pair of rivals is but a set of individuals who have polarized themselves into sects of unawareness, if that makes sense.
When we kill anyone in the name of God, we have only lengthened our path because, by killing our brother, we kill a part of ourself. For anyone to argue that they had to “protect” themselves and their families only serves to illustrate how quickly one’s ego can convince them to abandon their own faith. It’s a challenge, to be sure.
After trying to find at least someone on the internet who finally understood, your post was a breath of fresh air.
Chris,
Also, I wanted to emphasize that by virtue of the need for some individuals to be attracted to these sect oriented religions (Chistianity/Islam, for example), they are, by necessity, having to use other sects as a scapegoats for everything that is wrong in their own individual lives (and their religion). This is where religion becomes a crutch, because its members become stuck and incapable of seeing the larger picture.
It is no different than two sibling brothers arguing with each other throughout their youth, only to find that, as they both mature, that they have so much more in common than not. The bottom line is that we all have God (in whatever form he, she, or it shows itself) in common.
Thanks again.
Pingback: The Pope’s Visit to the UK | Western Hindu
I would like to add a deeper insight to this equation.
http://veda.wikidot.com/fundamentals-of-indology-wrong
Read how ” Max muller” was involved in distorting history of Sanatan Dharma, creating the fake Aryan invasion theory( also Aryan – Dravdian divide- Classic divide and rule policy). and he was the one who propagated the term Indo-European to the language Sanskrit that is the oldest of all languages and said to be the mother of all languages.
When the jesuits ( the god’s mallitia) arrived in Goa 450 years ago, their main aim was clear, to assimilate us. They realized the commonality between Greek, Latin and other old languages had a lot in common with sanskrit. However sanskrit was much more comprehensive. To establish their civilization, we had to be destroyed and assimilated, that was a clear aim.
After reading the link i have shown think about this:
Why was Max muller the one who refuted ” Jesus lost years” which was written while he was alive in the 1800’s.
1800’s was a vortex of evil – it has seen the rise of many evil people like hitler, stalin, etc etc
There is much i want to show u, this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Look at the picture in the link below
It is the vatican Square, its shape is exactly same to the Shiva lingum.
Look at the next pic of a mayan site, btw – the word Maya is a word of Sanskrit
Answer is clear as Day light, the “pagans” that lived at the vatican before were non other than the people of Sanatan Dharma, who were assimilated and transformed. The shiva lingum is the representation of the formless God Shiva- the god of knowledge. Shiva lingum also represents a point of creation as well.
The reason why older version of Christianity had “pagan” rituals, because they had assimilated the people who used to live there.
It is time to reveal the truth, let truth set us free from lies and deception
info on Sanskrit:
[Tandava: inline video changed to link] http://goo.gl/vTbUc
About Hinduism, please don’t mind the title:
[Tandava: inline video changed to link] http://goo.gl/jl4jC
Thanks for watching, please watch all three parts of both videos !
I hope you are doing Good Tandava!
Curious:- You are right Max Muller has mis interpreted many things..He misinterpreted texts of Vedas and thanks good Aryan Invasion theory has been refuted and dead now..The Great thing is NOw AryaSamajis (Sanatan Dhamrmis ) are compiling The Vedas in English to they are the english scholars..However sometime one need to learn Hindi or Sanskrit to understan Vedas as There are many Sanskrit word which one can’t define in english…Anyway a Good Guru is always a help to understand the concepts..
Chris
Great Article..
Aum Shanti Shanti Shanti