Is There Only One True Religion?
By admin • Mar 15th, 2023 • Category: Lectures, Quran StudySession 31. Religious diversity is a fact of history. Religions are quite different in their belief systems and ritual practices, which makes it hard to imagine that they are all equally “true” / “valid”. Philosophers of religion tell us that there are three distinct views on “truth” of religion: exclusivism, inclusivism and pluralism. For whatever reason, exclusivism has always been the dominant position among religious people around the world. Each religious community believes that it has a monopoly over truth / faith / salvation: only my religion is true, only my religion offers a true path to God, only my religion is blessed by God, people who follow other religions are misguided! This sense of religious superiority creates a fertile ground for hatred and bigotry; it can easily be exploited to shed blood in the name of God and His “true” religion. In this presentation, we will discuss what exclusivism, inclusivism and pluralism mean.
