I've heard it reported that Sydney is the most multicultural city in the world.
I'd believe it. People come to Australia from all over the world and it's a good thing. In fact they've been coming here from every continent from the late 1700s when Australia was first settled.
All of this makes for an amazing mix of food and culture. Yum!
Which is what makes the urban myth I want to talk about so interesting. It's always surprised me how such a diverse country can entertain this idea. Anyhow, here it is...
"All religions are the same"
The thinking behind this myth is that all religions are about the same thing and end up in the same place. There are a host of problems with this. Because every religion has different claims. So let me pick a few basic ideas and line them up against the teachings, as I understand them, of the four mainline religions; Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism.
(I don't believe Christianity is actually a 'religion' per se, but for the sake of the exercise, we'll use the word to avoid confusion.)
What/who is God?
Christianity; 1 God in 3 persons, Father, Son (Jesus) & Holy spiritIslam; 1 god, Allah
Hinduism; 1000s of gods
Buddhism; god is in all, and all is one
Why do we experience suffering/pain?
Christianity; caused by men's rebellion again God, ie sinIslam; Allah does as he wills and this life is a test
Hinduism; Living out negative "karma" from previous lives
Buddhism; It is an illusion
What will heaven/eternal paradise be like?
Christianity; living with God in the new creation for eternityIslam; a sensual paradise with multiple wives (for men)
Hinduism; there is no heaven, constant reincarnation until you reunite with nature
Buddhism; there is no heaven, constant reincarnation until you become one with all things
As you can see, things are not all the same even if they appear similar. The different groups believe quite different things about who God is. They also have different explanations for suffering and how we reach the afterlife if at all.
Some religions have no real concept of a heavenly place.
Respectfully, the thing that has always confused and confounded me about Buddhism is that it seems to say my experience of life is not real. Ie. we sort of don't even exist as individuals. A polar opposite to the others.
To further this let me show what these faiths have to say about Jesus...
Who is Jesus?
Christianity; Son of God, Lord over all creation.Islam; prophet, good teacher.
Hinduism; one of many gods.
Buddhism; not really relevant.
This is just another illustration of the huge differences in between different "religions" as it were. At the heart of it lies this question... an important question.
Which one is right? Or. Which one is telling the truth?
Ah, right. Now it's gets sticky. Coz we want a real answer, but we don't want to disrespect others. I totally get that. At the same time, I want a real answer. I want to know which is true.
One answer to this problem has been to say, "they're all the same aren't they?"
There are the problems with this comment. Firstly, it's not true. You can see this just by looking at the examples I've provided above. They are distinctly different and the examples I've given are just the basics. Secondly, when you say it to people who are genuine about any of these beliefs, it's pretty insulting.
Try telling a Hindu he's basically the same as a Muslim and watch the look on their face.
Lastly, and this is the sad bit. If you say, "they're all the same", it will mean you don't look for a real answer about who God really is. You won't look for the real answer about the nature of life after death. About forgiveness. About a life well lived. About purpose, meaning and love. You want that answer. The stats say 68% of us believe in God, but most don't even know him.
You want an answer. You want the truth. You deserve to hear it.
When I found the truth, it set me free. John 8:30-32
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