all religions are essentially the same

[true 1]

I think that all religions have said essentially the same things. They all lead the path to enlightenment in different ways. I think Jesus' words have been the most misinterpreted; he said things like "if you think the kingdom of God is in the sky, the birds will get there before you, know that the kingdom of heaven is within you and all around you". He also said "the kingdom of heaven is strewn about the earth but men do not see it". Hindus and Buddhists say you are reincarnated (like evolution) until you escape the cycle of suffering, and that you have to know yourself to transcend and go to Nirvana. A concept that is in all religions is the concept of surrender, because true surrender is giving up yourself. We carry around a lot of heaviness and what we have accumulated in our minds, and to give that up we would become "enLIGHTened", if we learned how to surrender.

I found this book online that explains it better: it is on www.thetruthcontest.com and it is called "the present" (with religion)

[Jethro Tull]

I took a look at that book and I see what you mean. Thank you for sharing it! This book will bring people together, because it shows that all religions have pieces to the puzzle. The real truth brings people together instead of further separating us. This book will change the world if it reaches enough people.

[MMK]

Oh, but there is a huge difference between the religions!!! Christianity is the ONLY one that offers grace!! Salvation is a free gift, it CANNOT be earned. No other religion offers that!! All that is required is to believe that Jesus is who He says He is, and did what He says He did. In other words, that He is the son of God, died on the cross for us and was risen from the dead. Tell him you are a sinner and want that grace!! A free gift has to be accepted!!

[Castle Woods]

You obviously don't mean to say that ALL religions give the same message. I think we would agree that the Aztec religious belief, that the only way to ensure the sun will rise tomorrow is to cut out the hearts of human beings in sacrifice, is both fundamentally different and fundamentally wrong.

We all believe in some form of right and wrong. That some beliefs are more right than others. The fact that certain religions are similar or lead in similar directions does not necessarily make them all right. Truth is specific while falsehood is very general. I won't tell you what I believe or what you should believe. But if we believe different things, either one of us is wrong and one of us is right or both of us are wrong. We cannot both be right.

[Grandpasmurf952]

MMK said "Oh, but there is a huge difference between the religions!!! Christianity is the ONLY one that offers grace!! Salvation is a free gift, it CANNOT be earned. No other religion offers that!! All that is required is to believe that Jesus is who He says He is, and did what He says He did. In other words, that He is the son of God, died on the cross for us and was risen from the dead. Tell him you are a sinner and want that grace!! A free gift has to be accepted!! "
Are all religions the same?
The above post reveals the danger in that statement.
Not all religions are conducive to spiritual growth!
In fact some are actually a detriment and can be viewed as a cancer of our society.
The 38000 or so patriarchal religions based on the teachings formulated at the council of Nicaea is a perfect example.
Jesus was in accord with many other mystics when he said "The kingdom of God is within you"
This is a mystical statement that is not in harmony with the Patriarchal Religious Military Industrial Complex and it's teachings of a violent god of judgment that selects few and condemns the rest.
This god is incapable of unconditional LOVE and is responsible for the insanity of the Patriarchal Religious Military Industrial Complex.
This statement in the book of Luke slipped by the council. Most of what would imply a mystic nature to the message of Jesus was replaced with so called scriptures that confirmed the oppressive teachings of the volcano god that Jesus was trying to expose.
Fortunately archeologists are slowly uncovering earlier manuscripts to help us understand just how evil the decisions made at Nicaea are and how it has contributed to the eleven hundred year period of the dark ages.

(continued in next post)

[Grandpasmurf952]

(continued from previous post)

This anthropomorphism is of a patriarchal nature with a hierarchy of control that puts women at the bottom of the tier with no hope of climbing it and men in charge of the women as their reward for compliance with the structure with those who appear to merit it, increases in rank within the patriarchal order.
Today science is beginning to confirm the truth of the mystical experience of Jesus and many other mystics.
God is All of US projecting the illusion that we consider reality! Once we acknowledge our involvement it becomes possible to become conscious of our part in the eternal pageant of LOVE that Jesus pointed towards.
It appears that the true nature of the Cosmos is of a holographic nature and this universe is just one of an infinite number of universes all projected by Us!
here is an interesting discussion of the work of quantum physicist David Bohm and the HOLOMOVEMENT:
http://www.bizcharts.com/stoa_del_sol/plenum/...
Currently several people are formulating new cosmologies based on the evidence presented by David Bohm. It appears that most if not all western religions have built their cosmologies on a misunderstanding of the true nature of reality.
Today science is confirming what mystics around the globe already know.
This Cosmos, in which we are all intimately involved is that which projects universes beyond measure!
This space time continuum that so may primitive religions base their cosmology on is a complete illusion of a temporary nature just as has been observed by eastern mystics and is being confirmed now by science.
Primitive Abrahamic religions on the other hand are in their death throes which is getting increasingly more nasty as it sinks in which probably accounts for the dramatic increase in homophobia by the fundamentalists.
In conclusion I would have to vehemanatly disagree with the premise of the author of this thread.
I see the Patriarchal Religious Military Industrial Complex as the threat to everyone on the planet that should be dismantled while we still have a planet to live on. Here is a simple and safe method to start dismantling this insane edifice:

http://grandpasmurf9520.wordpress.com/2009/07...