A belief in one fundamental truth is another important tenet in universalism. The living truth is seen as more far-reaching than the national, cultural, or religious boundaries or interpretations of that one truth. As the Rig Veda states, "Truth is one; sages call it by various names." Vedanta Society of Southern California Harmony of Religions A community that calls itself universalist may emphasize the universal principles of most religions, and accept others in an inclusive manner. The fundamental idea of Christian universalism is universal reconciliation – that all humans will eventually be saved. They will eventually enter God's kingdom in Heaven, through the grace and works of the lord Jesus Christ. Christian universalism teaches that an eternal Hell does not exist, and that it was not what Jesus had taught. They point to historical evidence showing that some early fathers of the church were universalists, and attribute the origin of the idea of hell as eternal to mistranslation. The Salvation Conspiracy: How Hell Became Eternal Mistranslations Christian universalists point towards the mistranslations of the Greek word αιών (Lit. aion), as giving rise to the idea of Eternal Hell, and the idea that some people will not be saved. "Eternal" Punishment (Matthew 25:46) Is NOT Found In The Greek New Testament.A look at the word "aionion" Catholicism The first use of the term "Catholic Church" (literally meaning "universal church") was by the church father Saint Ignatius of Antioch in his Letter to the Smyrnaeans (circa 100 AD).John Meyendorff, Catholicity and the Church, St Vladimirs Seminary Press, 1997, , p. 7 The Catholic church believes that God judges everyone based only on their moral acts, Catechism of the Catholic Church 2516 that no one should be subject to human misery,Catechism of the Catholic Church 2448 that everyone is equal in dignity yet distinct in individuality before God, Catechism of the Catholic Church 1935-1937 that no one should be discriminated against because of their sin or concupiscence, Catechism of the Catholic Church 2358 and that apart from coercionCatechism of the Catholic Church 311 God exhausts every means to save mankind from evil: original holiness being intended for everyone, Catechism of the Catholic Church 405 the irrevocable Old Testament covenants, Catechism of the Catholic Church 123Catechism of the Catholic Church 71 each religion being a share in the truth, Catechism of the Catholic Church 839-845 elements of sanctification in non-Catholic Christian communities, Catechism of the Catholic Church 819 the good people of every religion and nation, Catechism of the Catholic Church 761 everyone being called to baptism and confession, Catechism of the Catholic Church 1246Catechism of the Catholic Church 1446 and Purgatory, suffrages, and indulgences for the dead. Catechism of the Catholic Church 1030-1031Catechism of the Catholic Church 1032Catechism of the Catholic Church 1479 The church believes that everyone is predestined to Heaven, Catechism of the Catholic Church 381 that no one is predestined to Hell, Catechism of the Catholic Church 1037 that everyone is redeemed by Christ's Passion, Catechism of the Catholic Church 605 that no one is excluded from the church except by sin, Catechism of the Catholic Church 1443-1445 and that everyone can either love God by loving others unto going to Heaven or reject God by sin unto going to Hell. Catechism of the Catholic Church 1033Catechism of the Catholic Church 1861 The church believes that God's predestination takes everything into account, Catechism of the Catholic Church 600 and that his providence brings out of evil a greater good, Catechism of the Catholic Church 312 as evidenced, the church believes, by the Passion of Christ being all at once predestined by God, Catechism of the Catholic Church 599 foretold in Scripture, Catechism of the Catholic Church 601 necessitated by original sin, Catechism of the Catholic Church 410-412 authored by everyone who sins, Catechism of the Catholic Church 598 caused by Christ's executioners, Catechism of the Catholic Church 597 and freely planned and undergone by Christ. Catechism of the Catholic Church 610Catechism of the Catholic Church 621 The church believes that everyone who goes to Heaven joins the church, Catechism of the Catholic Church 1024Catechism of the Catholic Church 962 and that from the beginning God intended Israel to be the beginning of the church, Catechism of the Catholic Church 761-762 wherein God would unite all persons to each other and to God. Catechism of the Catholic Church 775 The church believes that Heaven and Hell are eternal. Catechism of the Catholic Church 1051-1053Catechism of the Catholic Church 1056-1058 Hinduism Author David Frawley says that Hinduism has a "background universalism" and its teachings contain a "universal relevance."Pluralism and Universalism Within Hinduism "Hindu teachings were also denigrated accordingly and the deeper philosophies of Hinduism were often ignored, especially their universal relevance. For conversion purposes it was easier to define Hinduism in a limited way as a local phenomenon only. Yet the universality of Hindu teachings continued, though few outside of India understood this until recent years. This background universalism of Sanatana Dharma affords Hinduism a synthetic tendency, an ability to incorporate within itself a diversity of views and approaches, including at times those from groups outside of Hinduism or even opposed to Hinduism. Because of this syncretic view, sometimes Hinduism is equated with a blind universalism that accepts without discrimination anything that calls itself religious or spiritual, as if differences of spiritual teachings did not matter in any way. While this may be true of some Hindus, the Hindu tradition also contains a lively tradition of free debate on all aspects of theology, philosophy and metaphysics, showing differences as well as similarities, and not simply equating all teachings as they are. A good example of this is the debates between the dualistic and non-dualistic schools of Vedantic philosophy, but many other examples exist as well. The different sects within Hinduism have always been free to disagree, though each sect has its particular guidelines and there is an overall respect for Dharma." Hinduism is also naturally religiously pluralistic. Hindu American Foundation "Hinduism Basics" A well-known Rig Vedic hymn says: "Truth is One, though the sages know it variously."Rig Veda 1.164.46 Similarly, in the Bhagavad Gītā (4:11), God, manifesting as an incarnation, states: "As people approach me, so I receive them. All paths lead to me."Page 194 in Eknath Easwaran (2008). Timeless wisdom: Passages for meditation from the world's saints & sages (see article). Tomales, CA: Nilgiri Press. . Similar to Eknath Easwaran (2007). The Bhagavad Gita, 2nd ed. Tomales, CA: Nilgiri Press, p. 117. ISBN 1586380192 (which substitutes "they" for "people"). Transliteration from Winthrop Sargeant (1984). The Bhagavad Gita. Albany: State University of New York Press, p. 211. , which translates the same passage as "They who, in whatever way, take refuge in Me, them I reward." The Hindu religion has no theological difficulties in accepting degrees of truth in other religions. Hinduism emphasizes that everyone actually worships the same God, whether one knows it or not.See Swami Bhaskarananda, Essentials of Hinduism (Viveka Press 2002) While Hinduism has an openness and tolerance towards other religions, it also has a wide range of diversity within it. Hindu American Foundation Hinduism Basics "It is a richly diverse family of philosophies, traditions, and practices that have been followed primarily throughout Asia for thousands of years." There are considered to be six orthodox Hindu schools of philosophy/theology, "Shat-darshana: The Philosophical Schools of Sanatana Dharma" as well as multiple unorthodox or "hetrodox" traditions called darshanas. Indian Philosophy: Orthodox and Heterodox Schools Hindu universalism, also called Neo-VedantaFrank Morales, Neo-Vedanta : The problem with Hindu Universalism and neo-Hinduism, is a modern interpretation of Hinduism which developed in response to western colonialism and orientalism. It denotes the ideology that all religions are true and therefore worthy of toleration and respect.
A belief in one fundamental truth is another important tenet in universalism. The living truth is seen as more far-reaching than the national, cultural, or religious boundaries or interpretations of that one truth. As the Rig Veda states, "Truth is one; sages call it by various names." A community that calls itself universalist may emphasize the universal principles of most religions, and accept others in an inclusive manner. The fundamental idea of Christian universalism is universal reconciliation – that all humans will eventually be saved. They will eventually enter God's kingdom in Heaven, through the grace and works of the lord Jesus Christ. Christian universalism teaches that an eternal Hell does not exist, and that it was not what Jesus had taught. They point to historical evidence showing that some early fathers of the church were universalists, and attribute the origin of the idea of hell as eternal to mistranslation. Mistranslations Christian universalists point towards the mistranslations of the Greek word αιών (Lit. aion), as giving rise to the idea of Eternal Hell, and the idea that some people will not be saved. Catholicism The first use of the term "Catholic Church" (literally meaning "universal church") was by the church father Saint Ignatius of Antioch in his Letter to the Smyrnaeans (circa 100 AD).John Meyendorff, Catholicity and the Church, St Vladimirs Seminary Press, 1997, , p. 7 The Catholic church believes that God judges everyone based only on their moral acts, that no one should be subject to human misery,Catechism of the Catholic Church 2448 that everyone is equal in dignity yet distinct in individuality before God, that no one should be discriminated against because of their sin or concupiscence, and that apart from coercion God exhausts every means to save mankind from evil: original holiness being intended for everyone, the irrevocable Old Testament covenants, each religion being a share in the truth, elements of sanctification in non-Catholic Christian communities, the good people of every religion and nation, everyone being called to baptism and confession, and Purgatory, suffrages, and indulgences for the dead. The church believes that everyone is predestined to Heaven, that no one is predestined to Hell, that everyone is redeemed by Christ's Passion, that no one is excluded from the church except by sin, and that everyone can either love God by loving others unto going to Heaven or reject God by sin unto going to Hell. The church believes that God's predestination takes everything into account, and that his providence brings out of evil a greater good, as evidenced, the church believes, by the Passion of Christ being all at once predestined by God, foretold in Scripture, necessitated by original sin, authored by everyone who sins, caused by Christ's executioners, and freely planned and undergone by Christ. The church believes that everyone who goes to Heaven joins the church, and that from the beginning God intended Israel to be the beginning of the church, wherein God would unite all persons to each other and to God. The church believes that Heaven and Hell are eternal. Hinduism Author David Frawley says that Hinduism has a "background universalism" and its teachings contain a "universal relevance."Pluralism and Universalism Within Hinduism "Hindu teachings were also denigrated accordingly and the deeper philosophies of Hinduism were often ignored, especially their universal relevance. For conversion purposes it was easier to define Hinduism in a limited way as a local phenomenon only. Yet the universality of Hindu teachings continued, though few outside of India understood this until recent years. This background universalism of Sanatana Dharma affords Hinduism a synthetic tendency, an ability to incorporate within itself a diversity of views and approaches, including at times those from groups outside of Hinduism or even opposed to Hinduism. Because of this syncretic view, sometimes Hinduism is equated with a blind universalism that accepts without discrimination anything that calls itself religious or spiritual, as if differences of spiritual teachings did not matter in any way. While this may be true of some Hindus, the Hindu tradition also contains a lively tradition of free debate on all aspects of theology, philosophy and metaphysics, showing differences as well as similarities, and not simply equating all teachings as they are. A good example of this is the debates between the dualistic and non-dualistic schools of Vedantic philosophy, but many other examples exist as well. The different sects within Hinduism have always been free to disagree, though each sect has its particular guidelines and there is an overall respect for Dharma." Hinduism is also naturally religiously pluralistic. A well-known Rig Vedic hymn says: "Truth is One, though the sages know it variously."Rig Veda 1.164.46 Similarly, in the Bhagavad Gītā (4:11), God, manifesting as an incarnation, states: "As people approach me, so I receive them. All paths lead to me."Page 194 in Eknath Easwaran (2008). Timeless wisdom: Passages for meditation from the world's saints & sages (see article). Tomales, CA: Nilgiri Press. . Similar to Eknath Easwaran (2007). The Bhagavad Gita, 2nd ed. Tomales, CA: Nilgiri Press, p. 117. ISBN 1586380192 (which substitutes "they" for "people"). Transliteration from Winthrop Sargeant (1984). The Bhagavad Gita. Albany: State University of New York Press, p. 211. , which translates the same passage as "They who, in whatever way, take refuge in Me, them I reward." The Hindu religion has no theological difficulties in accepting degrees of truth in other religions. Hinduism emphasizes that everyone actually worships the same God, whether one knows it or not.See Swami Bhaskarananda, Essentials of Hinduism (Viveka Press 2002) While Hinduism has an openness and tolerance towards other religions, it also has a wide range of diversity within it. There are considered to be six orthodox Hindu schools of philosophy/theology, as well as multiple unorthodox or "hetrodox" traditions called darshanas. Hindu universalism, also called Neo-Vedanta and neo-Hinduism, is a modern interpretation of Hinduism which developed in response to western colonialism and orientalism. It denotes the ideology that all religions are true and therefore worthy of toleration and respect.
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Vedanta Society of Southern California Harmony of Religions
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The Salvation Conspiracy: How Hell Became Eternal
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"Eternal" Punishment (Matthew 25:46) Is NOT Found In The Greek New Testament.A look at the word "aionion"
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 2516
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 1935-1937
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 2358
R
coercionCatechism of the Catholic Church 311
coercion
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 405
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 123Catechism of the Catholic Church 71
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 839-845
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 819
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 761
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 1246Catechism of the Catholic Church 1446
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 1030-1031Catechism of the Catholic Church 1032Catechism of the Catholic Church 1479
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 381
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 1037
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 605
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 1443-1445
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 1033Catechism of the Catholic Church 1861
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 600
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 312
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 599
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 601
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 410-412
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 598
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 597
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 610Catechism of the Catholic Church 621
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 1024Catechism of the Catholic Church 962
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 761-762
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 775
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 1051-1053Catechism of the Catholic Church 1056-1058
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Hindu American Foundation "Hinduism Basics"
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Hindu American Foundation Hinduism Basics "It is a richly diverse family of philosophies, traditions, and practices that have been followed primarily throughout Asia for thousands of years."
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"Shat-darshana: The Philosophical Schools of Sanatana Dharma"
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Indian Philosophy: Orthodox and Heterodox Schools
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Neo-VedantaFrank Morales,
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: The problem with Hindu Universalism