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Do doctrinal differences between various sects have any
relevance since, according to some belief systems, we are all headed for the
same Ultimate Destiny anyway?
I believe that the sum of all the information we have
covered in this book creates a serious theological hurdle for those who
believe ‘all religions are one.’ At this juncture, most likely, we are
in full agreement that ONLY ONE of the following two conclusions can be
embraced:
(1) A person’s religious belief system is
relatively unimportant (because all the varied doctrines and rituals
are just shadowy representations, often misrepresentations, of some
Ultimate Reality into which all will eventually be absorbed anyway),
OR…
(2) A person’s religious belief system is of
absolute importance (because there is only one correct
interpretation of truth, one path that leads from this present existence
into that Ultimate Destiny which is eternal and glorious).
If the former is true, it would be impossible for the
adherents of various sects to place their complete trust in any religious
book: the Qur’an of Islam, the Bible of Christianity, the Torah of
Judaism, the Adi Granth of Sikhism, the Avesta of Zoroastrianism, the Tao Te
Ching of Taoism or the Vedas of Hinduism. None of these ‘holy writings’
can be taken literally anyway. There is no standard by which to judge the
truthfulness of the doctrinal claims of any religious group. Totally
contradictory beliefs can all be blended together into one homogenous whole.
Exploring different religious theories may satisfy the intellectual
curiosity of the ‘seeker for truth,’ but no dependable, lasting
conclusions can ever be reached.
If the latter is true, it is absolutely essential to
discover that unchanging standard of unquestionable truth that grants a
successful passage from time into eternity. Yes, the vital essence of life
is to identify the "True Light" and walk in its brilliance all the
days of our earthly sojourn. The next section in this book will help you do
that very thing.
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