Just Human Podcast

How can all religions believe in one god? Some traditions within Hinduism and other faiths hold a monistic view where all realities are seen as unified under a single divine essence. This is the case in Hinduism with the belief in Brahman. Many spiritual traditions recognize a supreme transcendent reality that they may describe and relate to differently. Religions like Islam, Christianity and Judaism are strictly monotheistic, believing in one all powerful god.

There are common shared values among all religions, which are core ethical teachings, such as the importance of justice, honesty, respect, and compassion for others. This can be seen as reflections of a common divine principle rooted in our human consciousness. Though cultures and languages may vary, a thread of universal love and morality ties all faces of the divine together. The principle of treating others as one would wish to be treated is present in many faiths and can serve as a common ethical foundation for human flourishing. This connects to the mystical realization in some traditions of the interconnectedness of all beings, that we are all parts of the same divine fabric of existence.

Recognizing that different religious traditions offer various paths to understanding the divine can help promote mutual respect and temper rigid exclusivist claims. History has shown that this sense of openness has the power to overcome embedded divisions. Furthermore, the perennial philosophy suggests that all religions point to the same ultimate reality, much like different trails lead to the same mountain peak. They do so in different languages and cultural contexts, but the essence is one: there is unity and diversity. Mystical traditions within many religions speak of the direct and personal experience of the divine that transcends narrow doctrinal differences.

Those who have walked these less traveled mystical paths often report a dissolving of boundaries and an awareness of oneness with all. Some religions adopt an inclusivist stance acknowledging the validity of other paths to the divine. Certain branches of Hinduism and Buddhism anuphor, they're open and harmonious perspectives, seeing truth in all genuine spiritual pursuits of humanity. This resonates with the essence of interfaith dialogue.