Interesting email exchange on Pluralism

[Guest guest]

From Swaminathan

 

>Dear Jay

 

>I have a humble point to make, followed by a question

 

> Talking about pluralism, I think that many (most??) Hindus wrongly

conflate

> Jesus and his teachings with Christianity. While I can easily recognise

> Jesus as a jnani the church is far way from his teachings, in my opinion.

> For instance, in order to be a christian, going by church theology, one

has

> to agree to the following:

 

>1. That all of us are eternally damned because of the " original sin "

committed by Adam and Eve.

>2. God sent his " only son " to suffer for all our sins

>3. We can go to heaven " only " by accepting him as the savior

>4. There can be no other saviors.

 

>Each one of the above is not agreeable to us as sanatana dharmis.....<snip>

 

==============response===============

 

Pluralism does not teach that all religions are same. In fact it says that

there

are 'different' pathways to the same destination. Different pathways are

different religions. They are never the same.

 

When I deal with Christian theologians I can be very severe. I have told

them, " Hindus do not have a problem with Christ but they certainly have a

big problem with the Church " .

 

In earlier times when I used to visit a main Christian Theological College

in London to present Hinduism, they used to comment, " Please do not be

fearful that you are walking in to a lion's den " but after a few encounters,

their opinion quickly changed -- they were no longer worried about me : )

 

I am due to give two talks to Postgraduate students at the main Muslim

college in London on 13th and 20th December. I have been told that I may be

pleasantly surprised with the response I may generate.

 

This Friday we have a meeting with the main Shi'a group in London....these

people have published our article on Pluralism in their magazine! This was

a great surprise, the article had been written for a mainstream Interfaith

magazine but the Christian editors found the article too radical to publish.

That article was published by Hinduism Today magazine some time back and

from there it was picked up by this Shi'a group who published it.. I told

my Christian Interfaith colleagues, if the Shi'as can print it why can't

you? You are the real 'exclusivists'.

 

Our work in London springs many surprises. It is in London that the ideas of

pluralism will gather support and be incorporated in other world religions.

 

Pluralism suggesting different pathways to the same destination is a mere

conjecture. In order for this idea to be accepted it is necessary to present

a kind of proof. Only a personality who claims same God experience through

many different pathways can provide mankind with such a confirmation. We

wonder when will the world discover such a personality : )

 

jay

Vivekananda Centre London