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Primitive Christianity Revived, Again

Emerging Quaker: Quakers and Universalism

Emerging Quaker: Quakers and Universalism. I'm glad more and more people are challenging the truism that "all religions are the same." As both a Quaker and a religion reporter I chose to bite my tongue more than once when an older white male leaned over to me and said, as if revealing the secret of the ages: "Buddha and Jesus believed the same things" or "all religions are the same." After hearing the "revelation" about 50 times, I found myself having to suppress sarcasm: "Wow! Is that so? I never thought of THAT!" I've often wondered how otherwise intelligent people have gotten stuck on that groove or morphed the idea that some religions share some common tenets into a history-denying and specificity-erasing truth claim all faiths are the same.

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Related on QuakerQuaker:
Diane Reynolds' Profile
Universalism & Other Faiths
Christianity

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Comment by Nanna Kapp on 7th mo. 15, 2010 at 5:41pm: Isn't that the truth!

Comment by Tom Smith on 7th mo. 15, 2010 at 7:52pm: I believe we need to recognize and celebrate the differences among the various religions. However, it seems that in much of our society today, different is meant to be excluded. It seems that if we make different less than "we are," then saying others are the same isn't so bad. We need to recognize that in all people of whatever religion, there is an Inward Teacher that can speak in the language of that individual. I believe that the Inward Teacher is the same for all and thus in a sense is "universal." Are the "languages" and outward manifestations of the Teachings the same? Obviously and profoundly not.

Comment by Stephanie Stuckwisch on 7th mo. 17, 2010 at 12:18pm: Years ago Douglas Steere wrote of Mutual Irradiation. It was a concept of staying anchored in the roots of you own religion and yet able to recognize, respect and learn from the wisdom of other religions.

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