"Radical Universalism " : Does Hinduism Teach That All Religions Are The Same?

[krsna]

 

http://www.sulekha.com/expressions/articledesc.asp?cid=307498

 

INDIA, January 7, 2005: Dr. Frank Gaetano Morales' article on what he

calls "Radical Universalism," the idea that all religions are the same,

says, in part, "Of the many current peculiar concepts mistakenly

ascribed to Hindu theology, one of the most widely misunderstood is the

idea that Hinduism somehow teaches that all religions are equal. that

all religions are the same, with the same purpose, goal, experientially

tangible salvific state, and object of ultimate devotion. So often has

this notion been thoughtlessly repeated by so many -- from the common

Hindu parent to the latest swamiji arriving on American shores yearning

for a popular following -- that it has now become artificially

transformed into a supposed foundation stone of modern Hindu teachings.

Many Hindus are now completely convinced that this is actually what

Hinduism teaches. Despite its widespread popular repetition, however,

does Hinduism actually teach the idea that all religions are really the

same? Even a cursory examination of the long history of Hindu

philosophical thought, as well as an objective analysis of the ultimate

logical implications of such a proposition, quickly makes it quite

apparent that traditional Hinduism has never supported such an idea."

For the complete and very long article, click "source."