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Common ground for religions/faiths/beliefs - DD11 has a question for you


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We were talking about different faiths/belief systems - not just theistic - the other day (big subject, as there are so many!).

 

My DD observed that some Christian religions have "doctrines"; other faiths have "beliefs" / "truths" / "precepts", iykwim. She asked whether there was any one - or maybe more? - common beliefs which are held by most or all faiths, and I don't know the answer. Can you help us?

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Immaculate conception, miracles, and resurrection are all common beliefs going back thousands of yeas before Christianity or Islam. Cynically, I would add that most religions "preach" brotherly love but adherents don't necessarily put that into practice in a lot of cases.

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The Golden Rule -

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

 

This is not a Christian concepts - been around as long as we have any sort of written documentation - and while it isn't always practiced by the different faiths, it is usually a part of their beliefs, doctrines, etc.

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Immaculate conception, miracles, and resurrection are all common beliefs going back thousands of yeas before Christianity or Islam. Cynically, I would add that most religions "preach" brotherly love but adherents don't necessarily put that into practice in a lot of cases.

I don't think Mary's conception without sin (the Immaculate Conception) is something believed in by all Christians, much less all faiths.

 

The Golden Rule, in one form or another, would probably be closest to something that all people believe, but at the same time not every one of the 6 billion people on the planet believe/live it.

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We were talking about different faiths/belief systems - not just theistic - the other day (big subject, as there are so many!).

 

My DD observed that some Christian religions have "doctrines"; other faiths have "beliefs" / "truths" / "precepts", iykwim. She asked whether there was any one - or maybe more? - common beliefs which are held by most or all faiths, and I don't know the answer. Can you help us?

 

Have her Google Norman Rockwell The Golden Rule. It gives a good visual that most groups have teachings relating to loving one another.

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It will be easier to find common ground in practical matters - how to treat others, show respect, etc... Morality tends to have more overlap between religious faiths/belief systems.

 

The philosophy/theology behind different faiths is much hard to find universal common ground on. If you're trying to find 'these 10 religions share a common belief about ________' it will be difficult in that realm b/c by definition their varying beliefs about God (or no god), humanity, what is the cause of suffering in the world, how people should relate to deity, what is the remedy for shame/guilt/sin, and what happens after you die are what leads to different religions over time.

 

The above is why it is fairly easy for interfaith groups to work together on a shared practical issue but having interfaith religious celebrations are more challenging (unless the groups are having some sort of 'all religions are different paths to the same goal so our differences don't matter - which is a separate subset of religious belief).

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I don't think Mary's conception without sin (the Immaculate Conception) is something believed in by all Christians, much less all faiths.

 

 

 

Totally agreed that not all Christians believe in Mary's Immaculate Conception, but I imagine that the PP was not just referring to Mary... there are a variety of other traditions that have non-sexual conception stories. Stories from India, Mexico, Persia, Greece, Egypt, and China, include non-sexual conception, though clearly most of those traditions with those stories are not the traditions we see practiced heavily anymore.

 

If I were looking for the deep connections between the various faith traditions, I would look toward the mystical traditions of all of them. There are Roman Catholic monks who are also Buddhist monks (I know some in Colorado -- if you look for Trappists you're more likely to track them down). But the mystical traditions of Christianity, Judaism, Islam (look for the Sufi tradition), Buddhism, Hindusim (Sankara is an example), Ba'hai, etc. all have areas which resonate with each other.

 

Have fun with your search!

:)

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Right, but I wasn't talking "The Immaculate Conception", just immaculate conception. ;) Virgin birth was common to many pre-christian belief systems. Here's a link:

 

http://freetruth.50webs.org/B1c.htm

Ah, totally not thinking pre-Christian here. I was thinking modern peoples. Now if we are talking in all the history of humanity...

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Right, but I wasn't talking "The Immaculate Conception", just immaculate conception. ;) Virgin birth was common to many pre-christian belief systems. Here's a link:

 

http://freetruth.50webs.org/B1c.htm

 

Ah, totally not thinking pre-Christian here. I was thinking modern peoples. Now if we are talking in all the history of humanity...

 

But the phrase immaculate conception does not refer to virgin birth. I can find no reference to the phrase at all, outside of Christian tradition. Virgin birth and the concept of incarnation is pre-Christian, but so far the phrase "immaculate conception" seems to refer only to Mary's being conceived without sin. She herself was NOT born of a virgin, though SHE gave birth as a virgin.

 

The phrase is commonly used interchangeably with virgin birth/incarnation, but doing so completely mucks up its intended use.

Edited by Zuzu822
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But the phrase immaculate conception does not refer to virgin birth. I can find no reference to the phrase at all, outside of Christian tradition. Virgin birth and the concept of incarnation is pre-Christian, but so far the phrase "immaculate conception" seems to refer only to Mary's being conceived without sin. She herself was NOT born of a virgin, though SHE gave birth as a virgin.

 

The phrase is commonly used interchangeably with virgin birth/incarnation, but doing so completely mucks up its intended use.

There was one. Egyptian, I think. It is commonly used as a reference to uphold that the Catholic Church is the cult of the sun god. Maybe Ra? Or maybe I have it mixed up and it is a virgin birth referred to. I could look but I'm in the middle of helping dd with spelling.

 

I do know that in caps the Immaculate Conception refers to the BVM and her conception without sin. Sadly not even all Catholics know this, and commonly think it refers to Jesus' birth.

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In my college-level World Religions class we learned that in each of the major world faiths (Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism) there is a belief in one "God" or energy force.

 

Sort of but Buddhism is classically non theist- and doesnt even really talk about a life force...it's more emptiness. Although that does vary between Theraveda and Mahayana buddhism.

Taosim is certainly into an energy force- the Tao.

The others, even Hinduism, are more into the One God (Hinduism has many "aspects" of that one God, though, in the form of gods and goddesses. )

 

I have been interested in this topic my whole life and I think the further you go into doctrine and dogma, the less you can usually find in common.

What I do think they all have in common is a foundation of trying to explain the great Mystery of life such that ordinary people can be uplifted, as well as try to provide a moral framework for people. I think all religions have their foundations in something healthy and deep and beautiful, and yes, an understanding of the Oneness of life, however they try to name it. They all try to inspire us to know that Oneness and to be more loving and to know our true nature.

But it is rare that religion itself doesn't instead create greater divisiveness and exclusion, due to human nature.

I do think all religions at their heart, stripped of all dogma, try to point to the Truth, but we generally cant hear it or see it because we are so conditioned, especially by religion. One has to really want to see beyond the surface to find the real value.

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Right, but I wasn't talking "The Immaculate Conception", just immaculate conception. ;) Virgin birth was common to many pre-christian belief systems. Here's a link:

 

http://freetruth.50webs.org/B1c.htm

"Virgin birth" and "immaculate conception" are not the same thing, though. "Immaculate conception" refers specifically to Mary's being born without original sin, not the virgin conception of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit.

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The Golden Rule -

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

This is not a Christian concepts - been around as long as we have any sort of written documentation - and while it isn't always practiced by the different faiths, it is usually a part of their beliefs, doctrines, etc.

:iagree:

 

We're Baha'is (the 2nd-most widespread religion in the world - not numbers, just widespread).

Although most world religions believe in monotheism, etc. - and in fact, have many spiritual beliefs in common, the Golden Rule is pretty much universal.

This is a version of what we have in our classroom. Thought to share.

 

dp-if.jpg

 

Just to add, in case anyone is curious, we believe in:

The Oneness of God (there is one God)

The Oneness of Religion (all religions are in essence, one)

The Oneness of Mankind (we are all one - and to do away with all forms of racial, national, gender, etc. prejudice)

Edited by Negin in Grenada
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Thank you for your thoughts! Wonderful! DD11 is so pleased; for some reason she got hung up on this one (I'm not sure exactly why). I wonder whether she was finding the diversity of faiths overwhelming. She's the kind of child that loves to see everyone at peace with each other.

 

TWTM forum saves the day! :w00t:

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:thumbup:

As the Jews say, "The rest is commentary!"

 

We're Baha'is (the 2nd-most widespread religion in the world - not numbers, just widespread).

Although most world religions believe in monotheism, etc. - and in fact, have many spiritual beliefs in common, the Golden Rule is pretty much universal.

 

Sounds like deists have a lot in common with both of your faiths :)

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Just to clairfy - Mary's Immaculate Conception refers to her own birth - not Jesus'. :)

 

Mary was the fulfillment of the OT prophecy:

 

 

 

  • Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign: Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

 

Isaiah 7:14

 

 

 

Regarding what is common to all faiths, as you're looking at faiths outside the "usual" ones, maybe it's that there is something greater than ourselves and the universe does not revolve around us individually and that we are called to love one another. :)

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