The cross of the war memorial (Church of England) and a menorah (Judaism) coexist at the north end of St Giles' in Oxford, England
Religious pluralism is an attitude or policy regarding the diversity of religious belief systems co-existing in society. It can indicate one or more of the following:
- As the name of the worldview according to which one's own religion is not held to be the sole and exclusive source of truth, and thus the acknowledgement that at least some truths and true values exist in other religions.
- As acceptance of the concept that two or more religions with mutually exclusive truth claims are equally valid, this may be considered a form of either toleration (a concept that arose as a result of the European wars of religion) or moral relativism.
- The understanding that the exclusive claims of different religions turn out, upon closer examination, to be variations of universal truths that have been taught since time immemorial. This is called Perennialism (based on the concept of philosophia perennis) or Traditionalism.
- Sometimes as a synonym for ecumenism, i.e., the promotion of some level of unity, co-operation, and improved understanding between different religions or different denominations within a single religion.
- As a term for the condition of harmonious co-existence between adherents of different religions or religious denominations.
- As a social norm and not merely a synonym for religious diversity.
Definition and scopes
Congress of Parliament of the World's Religions, Chicago, 1893
Religious pluralism, to paraphrase the title of a recent academic work, goes beyond mere toleration. Chris Beneke, in Beyond Toleration: The Religious Origins of American Pluralism,
explains the difference between religious tolerance and religious
pluralism by pointing to the situation in the late 18th century United States. By the 1730s, in most colonies religious minorities had obtained what contemporaries called religious toleration:
"The policy of toleration relieved religious minorities of some
physical punishments and some financial burdens, but it did not make
them free from the indignities of prejudice and exclusion. Nor did it
make them equal. Those 'tolerated' could still be barred from civil
offices, military positions, and university posts." In short, religious toleration is only the absence of religious persecution, and does not necessarily preclude religious discrimination. However, in the following decades something extraordinary happened in the Thirteen Colonies, at least if one views the events from "a late eighteenth-century perspective".
Gradually the colonial governments expanded the policy of religious
toleration, but then, between the 1760s and the 1780s, they replaced it
with "something that is usually called religious liberty".
Mark Silka, in "Defining Religious Pluralism in America: A Regional
Analysis", states that Religious pluralism "enables a country made up of
people of different faiths to exist without sectarian warfare or the
persecution of religious minorities. Understood differently in different
times and places, it is a cultural construct
that embodies some shared conception of how a country's various
religious communities relate to each other and to the larger nation
whole."
Religious pluralism can be defined as "respecting the otherness
of others". Freedom of religion encompasses all religions acting within
the law in a particular region. Exclusivist
religions teach that theirs is the only way to salvation and to
religious truth, and some of them would even argue that it is necessary
to suppress the falsehoods taught by other religions. Some Protestant sects argue fiercely against Roman Catholicism, and fundamentalist Christians of all kinds teach that religious practices like those of Paganism and witchcraft are pernicious. This was a common historical attitude prior to the Enlightenment, and has appeared as governmental policy into the present day under systems like Afghanistan's Taliban regime, which destroyed the ancient Buddhas of Bamyan.
Giving one religion or denomination special rights that are
denied to others can weaken religious pluralism. This situation was
observed in Europe through the Lateran Treaty and Church of England.
In modern era, many Islamic countries have laws that criminalize the
act of leaving Islam to someone born in Muslim family, forbid entry to
non-Muslims into Mosques, and forbid construction of Church, Synagogue
or Temples inside their countries.
Relativism,
the belief that all religions are equal in their value and that none of
the religions give access to absolute truth, is an extreme form of inclusivism. Likewise, syncretism,
the attempt to take over creeds of practices from other religions or
even to blend practices or creeds from different religions into one new
faith is an extreme form of inter-religious dialogue. Syncretism must not be confused with ecumenism,
the attempt to bring closer and eventually reunite different
denominations of one religion that have a common origin but were
separated by a schism.
History
Front page of the 1555 Peace of Augsburg, which recognized two different churches in the Holy Roman Empire.
Cultural and religious pluralism has a long history and development that reaches from antiquity to contemporary trends in post-modernity.
German philosophers of religion Ludwig Feuerbach and Ernst Troeltsch concluded that Asian religious traditions, in particular Hinduism and Buddhism, were the earliest proponents of religious pluralism and granting of freedom to the individuals to choose their own faith and develop a personal religious construct within it; Jainism, another ancient Indian religion, as well as Daoism
have also always been inclusively flexible and have long favored
religious pluralism for those who disagree with their religious
viewpoints. The Age of Enlightenment in Europe triggered a sweeping transformation about religion after the French Revolution (liberalism, democracy, civil and political rights, freedom of thought, separation of Church and State, secularization), with rising acceptance of religious pluralism and decline of Christianity. According to Chad Meister,
these pluralist trends in the Western thought, particularly since the
18th century, brought mainstream Christianity and Judaism closer to the
Asian traditions of philosophical pluralism and religious tolerance.
Bahá'í Faith
1st row: Bahá'í Faith, Buddhism, Cao Dai, Christianity
2nd row: Druidism, Eckankar, Hinduism, Islam
3rd row: Jainism, Judaism, Raëlism, Satanism
4th row: Shinto, Sikhism, Taoism, Tenrikyo
5th row: Thelema, Unitarian Universalism, Wicca, Zoroastrianism
2nd row: Druidism, Eckankar, Hinduism, Islam
3rd row: Jainism, Judaism, Raëlism, Satanism
4th row: Shinto, Sikhism, Taoism, Tenrikyo
5th row: Thelema, Unitarian Universalism, Wicca, Zoroastrianism
Bahá'u'lláh, founder of Bahá'í Faith, a religion that developed in Persia, though not a sect of Islam,
urged the elimination of religious intolerance. He taught that God is
one, and has manifested himself to humanity through several historic
messengers. Bahá'u'lláh taught that Bahá'ís must associate with peoples
of all religions, showing the love of God in relations with them,
whether this is reciprocated or not.
Bahá'í's refer to the concept of Progressive revelation,
which means that God's will is revealed to mankind progressively as
mankind matures and is better able to comprehend the purpose of God in
creating humanity. In this view, God's word is revealed through a series
of messengers: Abraham, Krishna, Moses, Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, and Bahá'u'lláh (the founder of the Bahá'í Faith) among them. In the Kitáb-i-Íqán (Book of Certitude),
Bahá'u'lláh explains that messengers of God have a twofold station, one
of divinity and one of an individual. According to Bahá'í writings,
there will not be another messenger for many hundreds of years. There is
also a respect for the religious traditions of the native peoples of
the planet who may have little other than oral traditions as a record of
their religious figures.
Buddhism
The earliest reference to Buddhist views on religious pluralism in a political sense is found in the Edicts of Emperor Ashoka:
All religions should reside everywhere, for all of them desire self-control and purity of heart. Rock Edict Nb7 (S. Dhammika)
Contact (between religions) is good. One should listen to and respect the doctrines professed by others. Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadasi, desires that all should be well-learned in the good doctrines of other religions. Rock Edict Nb12 (S. Dhammika)
When asked, "Don’t all religions teach the same thing? Is it possible to unify them?" the Dalai Lama said:
People from different traditions should keep their own, rather than change. However, some Tibetan may prefer Islam, so he can follow it. Some Spanish prefer Buddhism; so follow it. But think about it carefully. Don’t do it for fashion. Some people start Christian, follow Islam, then Buddhism, then nothing.
In the United States I have seen people who embrace Buddhism and change their clothes! Like the New Age. They take something Hindu, something Buddhist, something, something… That is not healthy.
For individual practitioners, having one truth, one religion, is very important. Several truths, several religions, is contradictory.
I am Buddhist. Therefore, Buddhism is the only truth for me, the only religion. To my Christian friend, Christianity is the only truth, the only religion. To my Muslim friend, [Islam] is the only truth, the only religion. In the meantime, I respect and admire my Christian friend and my Muslim friend. If by unifying you mean mixing, that is impossible; useless.
Classical civilization: Greek and Roman religions
For the Romans, religion was part of the daily life. Each home had a household shrine at which prayers and libations
to the family's domestic deities were offered. Neighborhood shrines and
sacred places such as springs and groves dotted the city. The Roman calendar was structured around religious observances; in the Imperial Era, as many as 135 days of the year were devoted to religious festivals and games (ludi). Women, slaves,
and children all participated in a range of religious activities. Some
public rituals could be conducted only by women, and women formed what
is perhaps Rome's most famous priesthood, the state-supported Vestal Virgins, who tended Rome's sacred hearth for centuries, until disbanded under Christian persecution and domination.
The Romans are known for the great number of deities they honored. The presence of Greeks on the Italian peninsula
from the beginning of the historical period influenced Roman culture,
introducing some religious practices that became as fundamental as the
cult of Apollo. The Romans looked for common ground between their major gods and those of the Greeks, adapting Greek myths and iconography for Latin literature and Roman art. Etruscan religion was also a major influence, particularly on the practice of augury, since Rome had once been ruled by Etruscan kings.
Mystery religions imported from the Near East (Ptolemaic Egypt, Persia and Mesopotamia), which offered initiates salvation through a personal God and eternal life after the death, were a matter of personal choice for an individual, practiced in addition to carrying on one's family rites
and participating in public religion. The mysteries, however, involved
exclusive oaths and secrecy, conditions that conservative Romans viewed
with suspicion as characteristic of "magic", conspiracy (coniuratio),
and subversive activity. Sporadic and sometimes brutal attempts were
made to suppress religionists who seemed to threaten traditional Roman
morality and unity, as with the Senate's efforts to restrict the Bacchanals in 186 BC.
.JPG)
Marble relief of Mithras slaying the bull (2nd century, Louvre-Lens); Mithraism was among the most widespread mystery religions of the Roman Empire.
As the Romans extended their dominance throughout the Mediterranean world, their policy in general was to absorb the deities and cults of other peoples rather than try to eradicate them, since they believed that preserving tradition promoted social stability.
One way that Rome incorporated diverse peoples was by supporting their religious heritage,
building temples to local deities that framed their theology within the
hierarchy of Roman religion. Inscriptions throughout the Empire record
the side-by-side worship of local and Roman deities, including
dedications made by Romans to local Gods. By the height of the Empire, numerous international deities were cultivated at Rome and had been carried to even the most remote provinces (among them Cybele, Isis, Osiris, Serapis, Epona), and Gods of solar monism such as Mithras and Sol Invictus, found as far north as Roman Britain. Because Romans had never been obligated to cultivate one deity or one cult only, religious tolerance was not an issue in the sense that it is for competing monotheistic religions. The monotheistic rigor of Judaism
posed difficulties for Roman policy that led at times to compromise and
the granting of special exemptions, but sometimes to intractable
conflict.
Christianity
Some Christians have argued that religious pluralism is an invalid or self-contradictory concept based upon passages of the Bible such as:
Acts 4:12 (KJV): 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
1 Timothy 2:5 (KJV): 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
John 14:6 (KJV): 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Acts 17:29 (KJV): 29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
Exodus 20:3 (KJV): 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Exodus 34:14 (KJV): 14 For thou shalt worship no other god; for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:
Mark 12:32 (KJV): 32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
Isaiah 42:8 (KJV): 8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
Maximal forms of religious pluralism claim that all religions are
equally true, or that one religion can be true for some and another for
others. Some Christians hold this idea to be logically impossible from the Principle of contradiction.
Other Christians have held that there can be truth value and salvific value in other faith traditions. John Macquarrie, described in the Handbook of Anglican Theologians (1998) as "unquestionably Anglicanism's most distinguished systematic theologian in the second half of the twentieth century", wrote that "there should be an end to proselytizing but that equally there should be no syncretism of the kind typified by the Baha'i movement" (p. 2).
In discussing 9 founders of major faith traditions (Moses, Zoroaster,
Lao-zu, Buddha, Confucius, Socrates, Krishna, Jesus, and Muhammad),
which he called "mediators between the human and the divine", Macquarrie
wrote that:
I do not deny for a moment that the truth of God has reached others through other channels - indeed, I hope and pray that it has. So while I have a special attachment to one mediator, I have respect for them all. (p. 12)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also teaches a form of religious pluralism, that there is at least some truth in almost all religions and philosophies.
Classical Christian views
Before the Great Schism, mainstream Christianity confessed "one holy catholic and apostolic church", in the words of the Nicene Creed. Roman Catholics, Orthodox Christians, Episcopalians and most Protestant Christian denominations still maintain this belief. Furthermore, the Catholic Church makes the claim that is the one and only true Church founded by Jesus Christ, but the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches also make this claim in respect to themselves.
Church unity for these groups, as in the past, is something very
visible and tangible, and schism was just as serious an offense as
heresy. Following the Great Schism, Roman Catholicism sees and
recognizes the Orthodox Sacraments as valid but illicit and without
canonical jurisdiction. Eastern Orthodoxy does not have the concept of
"validity" when applied to Sacraments, but it considers the form
of Roman Catholic Sacraments to be acceptable, and there is some
recognition of Catholic sacraments among some, but not all, Orthodox.
Both generally mutually regard each other as "heterodox" and "schismatic", while continuing to recognize each other as Christian, at least secundum quid.
Modern Christian views
Some
other Protestants hold that only believers who believe in certain
fundamental doctrines know the true pathway to salvation. The core of
this doctrine is that Jesus Christ was a perfect man, is the Son of God
and that he died and rose again for the wrongdoing of those who will
accept the gift of salvation. They continue to believe in "one" church,
believing in fundamental issues there is unity and non-fundamental
issues there is liberty. Some evangelicals
are doubtful if Roman Catholicism or Eastern Orthodoxy are still valid
manifestations of the Church and usually reject religious (typically restorationist) movements rooted in 19th century American Christianity, such as Mormonism, Christian Science, or Jehovah's Witnesses as not distinctly Christian.
Hinduism
Hinduism is naturally pluralistic. A well-known Rig Vedic hymn says: "Truth is One, though the sages know it variously" (Ékam sat vipra bahudā vadanti). Similarly, in the Bhagavad Gītā (4:11), God, manifesting as an incarnation, states: "As people approach me, so I receive them. All paths lead to me" (ye yathā māṃ prapadyante tāṃs tathāiva bhajāmyaham mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ). The Hindu religion has no theological difficulties in accepting degrees of truth in other religions. Hinduism emphasizes that everyone actually worships the same God, whether one knows it or not. Just as Hindus worshiping Ganesh is seen as valid by those worshiping Vishnu, so someone worshiping Jesus or Allah is accepted. Many foreign
deities become assimilated into Hinduism, and some Hindus may sometimes
offer prayers to Jesus along with their traditional forms of God.
Islam
Religious pluralism is a controversial subject in Islam. The primary sources that guide Islam, namely Quran and hadiths, offer contradictory positions on religious pluralism.
Some verses support religious pluralism, while others discourage it.
The acceptability of religious pluralism within Islam remains a topic of
active debate.
In several Surah,
Quran asks Muslims to remain steadfast with Islam, and not yield to the
vain desires of other religions and unbelievers. These verses have been
interpreted to imply pluralism in religions. For example, Surah Al-Ma'idah verses 47 through 49 state:
Let the people of the Gospel judge by what Allah hath revealed therein. If any do fail to judge by the light of what Allah hath revealed, they are no better than those who rebel. To thee We sent the Scripture in truth, confirming the scripture that came before it, and guarding it in safety: so judge between them by what Allah hath revealed, and follow not their vain desires, diverging from the Truth that hath come to thee. To each among you have we prescribed a law and an open way. If Allah had so willed, He would have made you a single people, but His plan is to test you in what He hath given you: so strive as in a race in all virtues. The goal of you all is to Allah; it is He that will show you the truth of the matters in which ye dispute; And this (He commands): Judge thou between them by what Allah hath revealed, and follow not their vain desires, but beware of them lest they beguile thee from any of that (teaching) which Allah hath sent down to thee. And if they turn away, be assured that for some of their crime it is Allah's purpose to punish them. And truly most men are rebellious. (Quran 5:47–49)
Surah Al-Ankabut verse 45 through 47 state:
Recite what is sent of the Book by inspiration to thee, and establish regular Prayer: for Prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds; and remembrance of Allah is the greatest thing in life without doubt. And Allah knows the deeds that ye do. And dispute ye not with the People of the Book, except with means better than mere disputation, unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong (and injury): but say, "We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; Our Allah and your Allah is one; and it is to Him we bow in Islam." And thus it is that We have sent down the Book to thee. So the People of the Book believe therein, as also do some of these pagan Arabs: and none but Unbelievers reject our signs. (Quran 29:45–47)
Surah Al-E-Imran verses 62 through 66 state:
This is the true account: There is no god except Allah; and Allah-He is indeed the Exalted in Power, the Wise. But if they turn back, Allah hath full knowledge of those who do mischief. Say: "O People of the Book! come to common terms as between us and you: That we worship none but Allah; that we associate no partners with him; that we erect not, from among ourselves, Lords and patrons other than Allah." If then they turn back, say ye: "Bear witness that we at least are Muslims bowing to Allah's Will. Ye People of the Book! Why dispute ye about Abraham, when the Law and the Gospel Were not revealed Till after him? Have ye no understanding? Ah! Ye are those who fell to disputing even in matters of which ye had some knowledge! but why dispute ye in matters of which ye have no knowledge? It is Allah Who knows, and ye who know not! (Quran 3:62–66)
Surah Al-Kafiroon verse 1 through 6 state:
Say : O ye that reject Faith! I worship not that which ye worship, nor will ye worship that which I worship. And I will not worship that which ye have been wont to worship, nor will ye worship that which I worship. To you be your Way, and to me mine. (Quran 109:1–6)
Several verses of the Quran
state that Islam rejects religious pluralism. For example, Surah
Al-Tawba verse 1 through 5 seems to command the Muslim to slay the pagans (with verse 9.5 called the 'sword verse'):
A (declaration) of immunity from Allah and His Messenger, to those of the Pagans with whom ye have contracted mutual alliances:- Go ye, then, for four months, backwards and forwards, (as ye will), throughout the land, but know ye that ye cannot frustrate Allah (by your falsehood) but that Allah will cover with shame those who reject Him. And an announcement from Allah and His Messenger, to the people (assembled) on the day of the Great Pilgrimage,- that Allah and His Messenger dissolve (treaty) obligations with the Pagans. If then, ye repent, it were best for you; but if ye turn away, know ye that ye cannot frustrate Allah. And proclaim a grievous penalty to those who reject Faith. But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem of war; but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practise regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. (Quran 9:1–5)
However, this verse has been explained:
Hostilities were frozen for a three-month period during which the Arabs pledged not to wage war. Prophet Muhammad was inspired to use this period to encourage the combatants to join the Muslim ranks or, if they chose, to leave the area that was under Muslims rule; however, if they were to resume hostilities, then the Muslims would fight back until victorious. One is inspired to note that even in this context of war, the verse concludes by emphasizing the divine attributes of mercy and forgiveness. To minimize hostilities, the Qur'an ordered Muslims to grant asylum to anyone, even an enemy, who sought refuge. Asylum would be granted according to the customs of chivalry; the person would be told the message of the Qur'an but not coerced into accepting that message. Thereafter, he or she would be escorted to safety regardless of his or her religion. (9:6).(Template:Cite Hathout, Jihad vs. Terrorism; US Multimedia Vera International, 2002, pp.52-53)
Bernard Lewis presents some of his conclusions about Islamic culture, Shari'a law, jihad, and the modern day phenomenon of terrorism in his text, Islam: The Religion and the People.
He writes of jihad as a distinct "religious obligation", but suggests
that "it is a pity" that people engaging in terrorist activities are not
more aware of their own religion:
Muslim fighters are commanded not to kill women, children, or the aged unless they attack first; not to torture or otherwise ill-treat prisoners; to give fair warning of the opening of hostilities or their resumption after a truce; and to honor agreements. ... At no time did the classical jurists offer any approval or legitimacy to what we nowadays call terrorism. Nor indeed is there any evidence of the use of terrorism as it is practiced nowadays."
In Surah Al-Tawba, verse 29 demands Muslims to fight all those who do
not believe in Islam, including Christians and Jews (People of the
Book), until they pay the Jizya, a tax, with willing submission.
Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, even if they are of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. (Quran 9:29)
Some people have concluded from verse 9:29, that Muslims are
commanded to attack all non-Muslims until they pay money, but Shaykh
Jalal Abualrub writes:
These Ayat (Quranic verses) stress the necessity of fighting against the People of the Scripture, but under what conditions? We previously established the fact that the Islamic State is not permitted to attack non-Muslims who are not hostile to Islam, who do not oppress Muslims, or try to convert Muslims by force from their religion, or expel them from their lands, or wage war against them, or prepare for attacks against them. If any of these offenses occurs, however, Muslims are permitted to defend themselves and protect their religion. Muslims are not permitted to attack non-Muslims who signed peace pacts with them, or non-Muslims who live under the protection of the Islamic State.(Template:Source=Abualrub, Holy Wars, Crusades, Jihad)
In Surah Al-Nisa, verse 89 has been misquoted to seem that it says to slay the apostates. In actuality, it only commands Muslims to fight those who practice oppression or persecution, or attack the Muslims.
Why should ye be divided into two parties about the Hypocrites? Allah hath upset them for their (evil) deeds. Would ye guide those whom Allah hath thrown out of the Way? For those whom Allah hath thrown out of the Way, never shalt thou find the Way. They but wish that ye should reject Faith, as they do, and thus be on the same footing (as they): so take not friends from their ranks until they forsake the domain of evil in the way of God (from what is forbidden). But if they revert to [open] enmity, seize them and slay them wherever ye find them; and (in any case) take no friends or helpers from their ranks. Except those who join a group between whom and you there is a treaty (Of peace), or those who approach you with hearts restraining them from fighting you as well as fighting their own people. If God had pleased, He could have given them power over you, and they would have fought you: therefore if they withdraw from you but fight you not, and (instead) send you (guarantees of) peace, then God hath opened no way for you (to war against them). Others you will find that wish to gain your confidence as well as that of their people: every time they are sent back to temptation, they succumb thereto; if they withdraw not from you nor give you (guarantees) of peace besides restraining their hands, seize them and slay them wherever ye get them; in their case We have provided you with a clear argument against them (Quran 4:88–91)
In Surah Al-Bayyina verses 6 through 7 calls People of the Book and
Polytheists who reject truth revealed by Islam, the worst of creatures,
but the verse has very little to do with the subject of Religious
Pluralism:
Those who reject Truth [Islam], among the People of the Book and among the Polytheists, will be in Hell-Fire, to dwell therein for aye. They are the worst of creatures. Those who have faith and do righteous deeds - they are the best of creatures. (Quran 98:6–7)
Sufism
The Sufis
were practitioners of the esoteric mystic traditions within an Islam at
a certain point. Sufism is defined by the Sufi master or Pir (Sufism) or fakeer or Wali
in the language of the people by dancing and singing and incorporating
various philosophies, theologies, ideologies and religions together
(e.g., Christianity, Judaism, Paganism, Platonism, Zoroastrianism,
Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism and so forth with time). Famous Sufi masters
are Rumi, Shadhili, Sheikh Farid, Bulleh Shah, Shah Hussain, Shams Tabrizi, Waris Shah, Ghazali, Mian Mir, Attar of Nishapur, Amir Khusrow, Salim Chishti.
The Sufis were considered by many to have divine revelations with
messages of peace, tolerance, equality, pluralism, love for all and hate
for no one, humanitarians, philosophers, psychologists and much more.
Many had the teaching if you want to change the world, change yourself
and you will change the whole world. The views of the Sufi poets,
philosophers and theologians have inspired multiple forms of modern-day
academia as well as philosophers of other religions. See also Blind men and an elephant.
But undoubtedly, the most influential Sufi scholar to have embraced the
world is Jalaluddin Muhammad Rumi. He was born in 1207 AD in a northern
province of Afghanistan, however, he later had to seek refuge in Turkey
following the invasion of Afghanistan by Mongols.
Rumi, through his poetry and teachings, propagated inter-faith harmony
like none other. He served as a uniting figure for people of different
faiths and his followers included Muslims, Christians and Jews. Even
today, Rumi’s popularity does not cease to exist within the Sufi Muslim
community and his message of peace and harmony transcends religious and
geographical boundaries.
Rumi says:
I looked for God. I went to a temple, and I didn't find him there. Then I went to a church, and I didn't find him there. And then I went to a mosque, and I didn't find him there. And then finally I looked in my heart, and there he was.
Rumi also says:
How many paths are there to God? There are as many paths to God as there are souls on the Earth.
Rumi also says:
A true Lover doesn't follow any one religion, be sure of that. Since in the religion of Love, there is no irreverence or faith. When in Love, body, mind, heart and soul don't even exist. Become this, fall in Love, and you will not be separated again.
Ahmadiyya
Ahmadis recognize many founders of world religions to be from God,
who all brought teaching and guidance from God to all peoples. According
to the Ahmadiyya understanding of the Quran, every nation in the history of mankind has been sent a prophet, as the Quran states: And there is a guide for every people. Though the Quran mentions only 24 prophets, the founder of Islam, Muhammad
states that the world has seen 124,000 prophets. Thus other than the
prophets mentioned in the Quran, Ahmadis, with support from theological
study also recognize Buddha, Krishna, founders of Chinese religions to be divinely appointed individuals.
The Second Khalifatul Maish of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
writes:
"According to this teaching there has not been a single people at any
time in history or anywhere in the world who have not had a warner from
God, a teacher, a prophet. According to the Quran there have been
prophets at all times and in all countries. India, China, Russia,
Afghanistan, parts of Africa, Europe, America—all had prophets according
to the theory of divine guidance taught by the Quran. When, therefore,
Muslims hear about prophets of other peoples or other countries, they do
not deny them. They do not brand them as liars. Muslims believe that
other peoples have had their teachers. If other peoples have had
prophets, books, and laws, these constitute no difficulty for Islam."
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community wrote in his book A Message of Peace:
"Our God has never discriminated between one people and another. This is
illustrated by the fact that all the potentials and capabilities
(Prophets) which have been granted to the Aryans (Hindus) have also been
granted to the races inhabiting Arabia, Persia, Syria, China, Japan,
Europe and America."
In modern practice
Religious
pluralism is a contested issue in modern Islamic countries. Twenty
three (23) Islamic countries have laws, as of 2014, which make it a
crime, punishable with death penalty or prison, for a Muslim, by birth
or conversion, to leave Islam or convert to another religion. In Muslim countries such as Algeria, it is illegal to preach, persuade or attempt to convert a Muslim to another religion. Saudi Arabia
and several Islamic nations have strict laws against the construction
of Christian churches, Jewish synagogues, Hindu temples and Buddhist
stupas anywhere inside the country, by anyone including minorities
working there. Brunei in southeast Asia adopted Sharia law in 2013 that prescribes a death penalty for any Muslim who converts from Islam to another religion.
Other Islamic scholars state Sharia does not allow non-Muslim
minorities to enjoy religious freedoms in a Muslim-majority nation, but
other scholars disagree.
Jainism
Anekāntavāda, the principle of relative pluralism, is one of the basic principles of Jainism.
In this view, the truth or the reality is perceived differently from
different points of view, and no single point of view is the complete
truth.
Jain doctrine states that an object has infinite modes of existence and
qualities and they cannot be completely perceived in all its aspects
and manifestations, due to inherent limitations of the humans. Only the Kevalins—the
omniscient beings—can comprehend the object in all its aspects and
manifestations, and all others are capable of knowing only a part of it.
Consequently, no one view can claim to represent the absolute
truth--only relative truths. Jains compare all attempts to proclaim
absolute truth with andhgajnyaya or the "maxim of the blind men and elephant",
wherein all the blind men claimed to explain the true appearance of the
elephant, but could only partly succeed due to their narrow
perspective.
For Jains, the problem with the blind men is not that they claim to
explain the true appearance of the elephant; the problem is doing so to
the exclusion of all other claims. Since absolute truth is many-sided,
embracing any truth to the exclusion of others is to commit the error of
ekānta (one-sidedness). Openness to the truths of others is one way in which Jainism embodies religious pluralism.
Judaism
The Mosaic law categorically warns the Jews to refrain from
polytheism. First and the second commandment, you shall not have another
God except me, worship your God with all your heart and with all your
soul. Throughout the Hebrew Bible the sovereignty of Yahweh as the only
God is the key pillar of a chosen community of Israel.
Sikhism
The Sikh Gurus (religious leaders) have propagated the message of "many paths" leading to the one God and ultimate salvation for all souls who treading on the path of righteousness. They have supported the view that proponents of all faiths, by doing good and virtuous deeds and by remembering the Lord,
can certainly achieve salvation. Sikhs are told to accept all leading
faiths as possible vehicles for attaining spiritual enlightenment,
provided the faithful study, ponder and practice the teachings of their
prophets and leaders. Sikhism had many interactions with Sufism as well as Hinduism, influenced them and was influenced by them. See Islam and Sikhism and Hinduism and Sikhism.
The holy book of the Sikhs (the Sri Guru Granth Sahib) says:
Do not say that the Vedas and the Koran (semitic books i.e. Bible, Torah and Q'uran) are false. Those who do not contemplate them are false. (Guru Granth Sahib page 1350)
As well as:
Some call the Lord "Ram, Ram", and some "Khuda". Some serve Him as "Gusain", others as "Allah". He is the Cause of causes, and Generous. He showers His Grace and Mercy upon us. Some pilgrims bathe at sacred shrines, others go on Hajj to Mecca. Some do devotional worship, whilst others bow their heads in prayer. Some read the Vedas, and some the Koran. Some wear blue robes, and some wear white. Some call themselves Muslim, and some call themselves Hindu. Some yearn for paradise, and others long for heaven. Says Nanak, one who realizes the Hukam of God's Will, knows the secrets of his Lord Master. (Sri Guru Granth Sahib Page:885)
One who recognizes that all spiritual paths lead to the One shall be emancipated. One who speaks lies shall fall into hell and burn. In all the world, the most blessed and sanctified are those who remain absorbed in Truth. (SGGS Ang 142)
The seconds, minutes, and hours, days, weeks and months and various seasons originate from One Sun; O nanak, in just the same way, the many forms originate from the Creator. (Guru Granth Sahib page 12,13)
The Guru Granth Sahib also says that Bhagat Namdev and Bhagat Kabir, who were both believed to be Hindus, both attained salvation though they were born before Sikhism
took root and were clearly not Sikhs. This highlights and reinforces
the Guru's saying that "peoples of other faiths" can join with God as
true and also at the same time signify that Sikhism is not the exclusive
path for liberation.
Additionally the Guru Granth Sahib says:
First, Allah (God) created the Light; then, by His Creative Power, He made all mortal beings. From the One Light, the entire universe welled up. So who is good, and who is bad? ||1||
Again, the Guru Granth Sahib Ji provides this verse:
Naam Dayv the printer, and Kabeer the weaver, obtained salvation through the Perfect Guru. Those who know God and recognize His Shabad ("word") lose their ego and class consciousness. (Guru Granth Sahib page 67)
Most of the 15 Sikh Bhagats
who are mentioned in their holy book were non-Sikhs and belonged to
Hindu and Muslim faiths, which were the most prevalent religions of this
region.
The pluralistic dialogue of Sikhism began with the founder of Sikhism Guru Nanak after becoming enlightened saying the words Na koi hindu na koi musalman
- "There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim". He recognized that religious
labels held no value and it is the deeds of human that will be judged
in the hereafter what we call ourselves religiously holds no value.
Sikhs have been considered eager exponents of interfaith dialogue
and will not only accept the right of others to practice their faith
but have in the past fought and laid down their lives to protect this
right for others. See the sacrifice of the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadar
who on the final desperate and heart-rending pleas of a pandit of the
Kashmiris, agreed to put up a fight against a tyrannic Moghul empire
that was forcing them to convert to Islam, in order that they might gain
the freedom to practice their religion--one other than his own.
Religious pluralism and human service professions
The
concept of religious pluralism is also relevant to human service
professions, such as psychology and social work, as well as medicine and
nursing, in which trained professionals may interact with clients from
diverse faith traditions. For example, psychologist Kenneth Pargament has described four possible stances toward client religious and spiritual beliefs, which he called rejectionist, exclusivist, constructivist, and pluralist. Unlike the constructivist stance, the pluralist stance:
...recognizes the existence of a religious or spiritual absolute reality but allows for multiple interpretations and paths toward it. In contrast to the exclusivist who maintains that there is a single path "up the mountain of God," the pluralist recognizes many paths as valid. Although both the exclusivist and the pluralist may agree on the existence of religious or spiritual reality, the pluralist recognizes that this reality is expressed in different cultures and by different people in different ways. Because humans are mortal and limited, a single human religious system cannot encompass all of the religious or spiritual absolute reality.... (p. 167)
Importantly, "the pluralistic therapist can hold personal religious
beliefs while appreciating those of a client with different religious
beliefs. The pluralist recognizes that religious value differences can
and will exist between counselors and clients without adversely
affecting therapy" (p. 168).
The stances implied by these four helping orientations on several key
issues, such as "should religious issues be discussed in counseling?",
have also been presented in tabular form (p. 362, Table 12.1).
The profession of chaplaincy,
a religious profession, must also deal with issues of pluralism and the
relevance of a pluralistic stance. For example, Friberg (2001) argues:
"With growing populations of immigrants and adherents of religions not
previously seen in significant numbers in North America, spiritual care
must take religion and diversity seriously. Utmost respect for the
residents' spiritual and religious histories and orientations is
imperative" (p. 182).
