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Option One: All Paths Lead to the Same Destination Some claim that all religions represent differing, yet equally valid, routes to the same destination. Though each religion may choose its own path, all paths converge at the top of the same mountain. Advocates of this position are aware of the diversity of belief and practice that separate all religions. Nevertheless, they typically offer the following points in support of their thesis: First, it is intollerant to say that one religion is true and the others, which disagree, are false. Second, the contrasting claims of different religions do not prove that one religion is true and the others false. Instead it suggests that none of them possesses the entire truth but only bits and pieces of it. Imagine three blind men touching an elephant. The first blind man is holding the leg and explains "I think the elephant is like the trunk of a great tree." The second disagrees as he is holding the trunk. "No I believe an elephant is like a snake." The third blind man exclaims "No, you are both wrong, an elephant is like a wall." as he touches the side of the elephant. Each thinks he is right and the others wrong and in a similar way is it not possible that all religions are in contact with the same ultimate reality but simply describe it in different ways? Finally, all religions share a common ethical core. Each of the religions has traditions which produce a similar moral / ethical transformation in the lives of its followers. It would be seeming difficult to prove that one religious tradition is more effective than others in transforming the lives of its followers. These three arguments may sound good but the assumption that all paths lead to God has a problem of conflicting truth claims. Every religious tradition makes truth-claims and some of these truth-claims contradict those of other religions. Let's look at two of those areas of disagreement. 1. The Nature of the Ultimate Reality (such as God) Very quickly when one looks at different religions you discover there is a vast divide between the monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) and the pantheistic religions (such as Hinduism and Buddhism). Muslims believe that there is only one God, Allah, who created the universe from nothing. Some Hindus, on the other hand, believe not in a personal creator but in an impersonal absolute reality (Brahman) which permeates all things. Other Hindus believe that there are millions of deities which are manifestations of Brahman. 2. The Contradiction of the fate of Individuals at death. Islam teaches that each person will die once and then face judgement by Allah. Depending on Allah's judgment, a person will either spend eternity in heaven or hell. In contrast many Hindus believe that the conditions of a persons past and future existence are determined by the cosmic laws of karma. Following death each of us is reincarnated into a different form (human, animal, etc.). These conflicting claims about the nature of the Ultimate and the fate of individuals at death are only a couple of the conflicting assertions made by different religions. These conflicts render invalid the assumption that all paths lead to the same destination. Consider this: - On the 10th of April 1912 the Titanic set off on it's maiden voyage. - On the 10th of April 1912 the Titanic did not set off on it's maiden voyage. Both of these statements cannot be correct at the same time. Two contradictory assertions cannot both be correct. On the same path if two religions make truth-claims with contradict each other, they cannot both be right. One religion cannot claim there are many Gods and another claim there is only one. One of them must be wrong. In light of the conflicting truth-claims of various religions it does not seem rational to believe that all paths lead to the same destination. Option Two All Paths Do Not Lead to the Same Destination At first glance this position may seem unreasonable and intolerant. If there is only one path that is "valid" how could it ever be identified?
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