Peace through Religion:
A Compact for the Ages
Lofty introduction…
Believe in whatever the truth is. Radiate a spirit of good will. Do to others what you would have them do to you.
If we are to live in peace, we would do well to find common ground among the world's religions. Wars have been fought over religion, so we need to take it seriously.
People may believe there is no God, one God, a Trinity, or multiple gods. If we see one God with many facets, or multiple gods rolled up into one, we may find common ground. If we believe in whatever the truth is, at the very least, we have the quest for the truth.
People may believe there is no Heaven or Hell, one Heaven and one Hell, multiple levels of Heaven and Hell, or multiple lifetimes with a Heaven at the end. If we see a Heaven with many rooms, or limitless sight across many rooms, or many rooms rolled up into one, we may find common ground. If we see a single lifetime with many lessons, or multiple lifetimes rolled up into one, we may find common ground. If we radiate a spirit of good will, we can try to move the world toward positivity, peace, and justice. At the very least, we can say that Heaven is with us wherever we are, and if we exist once, we can exist again.
People may believe the way to Heaven is through good deeds, through faith in a gracious God, or both. If we see good deeds leading us to God’s grace, or God’s grace leading us to do good deeds, we may find common ground. If we do to others what we would would have them do to us, hopefully the good deeds and the grace will follow. At the very least, we can look back at a life well-lived.
Points of Convergence…
WorldAtlas observes, “The shocking reality about each faith, side to side, is that they tend to possess more similarities than differences. For instance, students of each belief spend years honing their self-control and ability to grow through introspection.”
Most religions have some variation of the Golden Rule, do to others what you would have them do to you (Matt. 7:12).
Many religions have been influenced by other religions. Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism share the concepts of satya (truth), dharma (virtuous behavior) and karma (consequences of behavior). Sikhism is a blend of Hinduism and Islam. Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Rastafari all claim to have the ancestor Abraham in common. These Abrahamic religions were preceded by Zoroastrianism, which shared the principles of monotheism (one God), free will to choose between good and evil, and judgement after death. Confucianism and Taoism share the concept of yin and yang, opposite but interconnected, mutually perpetuating forces. Shintoism has aspects of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Christianity. Cao Dai and Tenrikyo have eastern and western influences. Unitarian Universalism searches for truth, meaning, and spiritual growth among atheists, agnostics, deists, and theists. And the Baha'i Faith teaches that unity is the fundamental social purpose of religion.
(Revision: The Iroquois Confederacy influenced the U.S. Constitution, and had the idea of thinking ahead seven generations. This may be spiritual as well as political.)
Points of Divergence…
But there are bound to be points of divergence. What those are may be a matter of opinion, or not. Let’s look at some of those through a lens of truth, good will, and fairness, with an eye toward achieving world peace, and I would add conquering evil, because peace without conquering evil is not real peace.
As mentioned above, Hinduism has concepts of satya, dharma, and karma, which sound pretty good to me. Hinduism is polytheist (multiple gods). One goddess, Kali, is particularly violent, even more so than her husband, Shiva The Destroyer. While she typically does not inspire violence among Hindus, it occurred in recent centuries with the Thuggee, a criminal gang who would strangle travelers. It is where the word “thug” came from. Hindus have an overall God named Brahman, who, if emphasized, might lead to common ground with monotheists. They also have Rama, God of Truth and Virtue, who, if emphasized, might lead to common ground with problem solvers everywhere.
Jainism values nonviolence, non-possessiveness, and non-absolutism. Nonviolence is what we want, except when we need to defend ourselves from violence. Non-possessiveness is mostly good, though I can see how we all benefit from economic rewards for ingenuity and productivity. Non-absolutism I have concerns about. I get that people have different perspectives, but that doesn’t mean there are different truths. There is only one truth. And even if there was no absolute truth, then that would be the absolute truth. With non-absolutism I feel there is a risk of muddying the waters on important issues. I believe we will find peace by finding the truth, wherever it leads. And if I’m wrong, if quantum mechanics turns out to show multiple realities, I hope we can at least find truth in this reality.
As mentioned above, Confucianism and Taoism have concepts of yin and yang. While there might be a cosmic balance to everything in the universe, when it comes to good versus evil, I want there to be an imbalance in the favor of good. I don't see why we can't always stand squarely on the side of good.
If Confucianism is more active and Taoism is more inactive, I would say that we need to be active in the fight against evil, and once that is completed and maintained, then we can be more inactive. If Taoism and Shintoism revere nature, I'm all in favor of that. And resting every seven days is compatible with the Abrahamic religions.
Confucianism has a lot of wise concepts, including obedience to mentors. I would say that's good as long as the mentor is good. However, if the mentor is not good, you need to think for yourself, and you need to disobey the mentor.
Buddhism also has a lot of wise concepts. Interestingly, Buddha was a man, not a god, so you can apply some of the concepts while keeping another faith. Buddha went from extreme pampering to extreme deprivation, and realized that neither led to all the spiritual answers. He was concerned with overcoming suffering and dissatisfaction. He believed in reincarnation, but the ultimate goal is Nirvana, which sounds like heaven. We need to look within.
A big part of Buddhism is coming to grips with impermanence, the idea that nothing lasts forever. That may be, but I still want the victory of good over evil to be as permanent as possible. I don't see why we can't strive for good to predominate until the sun explodes.
Let’s look at some minor religions before tackling the main western religions.
Deism sees God as a divine watchmaker. He created the Universe, set the wheels in motion, gave us free will, but has left us to our own devices and has taken a hands-off approach. This appears to be the most accurate explanation of my observable world, and I have identified as a Deist over the years. But it is quite possible that God has had a hand in everything, and I just can’t see it. The fog that saved the Continental Army at the Battle of Brooklyn could have been Divine Providence. (Interestingly, we had fog later the same day I wrote this, 1/28/2024, which is not super common here in the Minneapolis area.) Or God could be working through people continually to nudge things in a positive direction. Perhaps “God is in control” through human agency.
Rastafarians believe that Jah, or God, resides within each individual. This might be compatible with the idea that all Christians are part of the body of Christ. There might also be some common ground with Gnosticism, in the idea that you must have something within (Thom. 70). If some Rastafarians deify the late Emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie I, that could be a point of divergence.
Spiritualism is the belief that people can communicate with the dead. Spiritism is a branch which focuses on reincarnation. These beliefs are likely at odds with religions where God is in charge of the spirit world, though perhaps angels might be a source of some commonality. Some fraudulent mediums were exposed by the great magician Harry Houdini. For those who are well-meaning, it seems these beliefs are not at odds with world peace.
African religions venerate the dead, as do Catholic, Buddhist, and many other religions. Some African religions practice magic and traditional African medicine. Ubuntu means humanity in Bantu, and is a philosophy emphasizing interconnectedness with societal and physical worlds.
Tribal cultures worldwide, from Africa, America, and Asia, and Shamanism oftentimes have a belief in animism, the idea that all things are alive with a spiritual essence: Animals, plants, rocks, rivers, etc. Gnosticism mentions Jesus as being in a piece of wood or under a stone (Thom. 77). In modern times, I suppose animism would extend to machines, robots, and Artificial Intelligence. It may become more and more challenging to protect our mental health as questions arise about whether these objects are sentient, and how to interact with them.
Paganism practices pre-Christian traditions. It is diverse, with no set standards, so I suppose it can be either good or bad. Wicca is a branch of paganism whose name is derived from the Old English term for witch. Witchcraft is not always practiced, but if any magic is ever successful, I would think everything depends on whether it draws from positive or negative energies.
I’m not sure there can be any common ground found with Satanism, except perhaps to the extent that it is not taken seriously. If Satanism is the worship of self, then maybe get some self help books. If you have to love yourself before you can love others, then love yourself, then love others.
Freemasons and other secret societies: I don’t trust them because they are not transparent.
There are many religions. Apologies to those I have left out.
Judaism is the oldest of the Abrahamic, western religions. It is where we get the Ten Commandments, familiar rules against killing, stealing, lying, cheating, and so on. Rules like these are an essential foundation of a peaceful civilization. Other rules having to do with ritual, diet, hygiene, and so on, might be excessive, but they don’t interfere with peace to the best of my knowledge.
I was surprised to learn that Judaism doesn’t have a cohesive vision of the afterlife, just a deep sleep called "Sheol" for both the righteous and unrighteous. Some might argue that without the incentive of a positive afterlife, people will not act morally. Secular Humanists and Atheists argue that people can behave morally without having a belief in the afterlife. I am willing to take them at their word, but I won’t be surprised if they eventually start acting as if they have nothing to lose.
Pascal’s wager involves the decision whether to believe in God and live accordingly. If you believe and you are wrong, you are only out a finite set of pleasures and luxuries. But if you don’t believe and you are wrong, you face dire consequences in the afterlife. Interesting that some might believe in God without Heaven. Living morally, one might hope for rewards in this life, in addition to it just being the right thing to do.
On to Islam. With the Quran, a lot depends on which translation you follow, and which parts of the Quran you follow. If the Quran (8:30) says that Allah is the best planner, that sounds ok. If it says that Allah is the best deceiver, then we have a problem. If the Quran (8:39) says to kill off all other religions until only Islam remains, then we have a problem.
The Quran has good things to say about “People of the Book” including Jews and Christians (5:65). Non-Muslim believers are mentioned positively (5:69) and negatively (3:85). Conflict may be defused when Muslims see others as believers. If polytheists roll their gods into one, they become believers. That would leave atheists, but if atheists agree to believe in whatever the truth is, that ought to relieve all religious tension.
I’ve saved my home religion, Christianity, for last. It might be the trickiest because its central tenet is that you must accept Jesus as savior (John 3:16). When compared to the Quran, which says the opposite (4:171), I sometimes wonder if these religions were designed to keep people at war with each other.
Also tricky is doubt over whether seeking peace is even ok. The Bible says that the antichrist will be a peacemaker (Dan. 9:27). However, it also says blessed are the peacemakers (Matt. 5:9), and to love your enemies (Matt. 5:44).
It’s unifying to think that all religions are worshipping the same God with different names: Jehovah, Yahweh, Allah, Brahman, El/Eloah/Elohim, and so on. And Jesus Christ has different names in different languages: Yeshua, Iesous, Yesu Jidu, Jesucristo, Isa, Yisu Masiha, and so on. When Christians “pray in Jesus’ name”, they are being pretty specific, but there are different names to choose from. Would Jesus be a stickler for how you say His name? And what about the teachings of Jesus? Doesn’t Jesus stand for something that transcends language?
In the Bible, Jesus says He is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one gets to heaven except through him (John 14:6).
Here is the keystone of this compact. If we take Jesus at his word, then Jesus and the truth are one and the same. So, if you believe in the truth, then you believe in Jesus. And if your heart is in the right place, I pray that this is sufficient to get you into Heaven.
If it is not sufficient, I would say the safest bet is just to convert to Christianity. This might be possible as you are dying. In the movie “After Death", one guy had a near death experience and found himself descending into hell, until he remembered his Christian upbringing, and then he was spared. I know this is cutting it awfully close, but it is something to consider.
And if all else fails, if science disproves everything, or if there are extraterrestrials, I would say continue to keep the faith. We could be living in a simulation, in a virtual reality, in a matrix. Now, if someone uses magic to do good, like healing the sick, then you need to give credit where credit is due. It could be the Holy Spirit (Matt. 12:32). However, if someone uses magic to do evil, I would say you don't need to give credit, you can just condemn it.
Lofty Conclusion…
We have scratched the surface as part of a whirlwind roundup of the world's religions. We have seen there is much common ground among the world’s beliefs, and where there is not, we have offered some possible ways to bridge the gaps. If we are open to the possibility that people from other backgrounds are not doomed by God, it is easier to see their humanity and make peace with them.
Believe in whatever the truth is. Radiate a spirit of good will. Do to others what you would have them do to you.
Bottom line, no matter what, keep the faith, and try to keep the peace.
Postscript: I was unable to confirm that the Zoroastrian devil "Angra Mainyu" was the origin of the word "angry", though I understand it could be.
