Are All Religions Really the Same?

QUESTION:

Dear Father Michael:

A relative of mine has been trying to convince me for some time that all religions are really the same.  He tries to show me different stuff written by experts that claim that one religion is just as good as any other religion.

I do not know how to respond to some of his so-called proofs.  Not only that, but he gets me so confused.  Could you please consider this as a topic for your "Question Box"?  I would really appreciate having the chance to send him to your web site to do what I can't do.  I really wish you could put him in his place.

Thanks for your help and God Bless you and your fine work!

P.L,
 

ANSWER:

Dear P.L.

Thank you for writing.

First of all to clarify - my responsibility is not to put anyone in their place, as you had hoped I would do.

Rather, one must objectively ascertain the Truth in this matter, whatever it is.

This might tend to make some people feel insecure?  At least this is what I have been told in the past by various people because they are afraied that the Truth might not be on their side!

Truth does not have any "sides" to it.  It is what it is - no more but no less.

Truth is not the "box" that some people think it is.

Perhaps a very brief review of Truth would be helpful before I answer your question?

Instead of re-inventing the wheel, as the old saying goes, I will simply quote from those whose are knowledgeable about such things and whose credibility has been accepted for many centuries; in other words, it has been time-tested.

It should already be clear that all Religions are not the same because Truth and error are not the same thing just as Faith and unbelief are not the same thing.

There is no division with God.  The Almighty, Infinite Triune God revealed only one true Religion.  You either believe that one true Religion or you do not.  You cannot sit on the proverbial fence:  He that is not with Me, is against Me; and he that gathereth not with Me, scattereth; Because thou art lukewarm and neither cold, nor hot, I will begin to vomit thee out of My mouth.

Anything which is not the whole or entire Truth is neither Truth nor half-Truth because there are no degrees of Truth.  Truth is, properly and formally, the conformity of thought and thing, of mind and object, of judgment and the relation judged.  Such conformity either exists or it does not exist; there is nothing further to be said of it; it cannot be somewhat existent or a little absent.  Truth, formally considered, is an ABSOLUTE thing.  It admits of no degrees or comparisons.  It is as absolute as life or death.  For example, you don't speak of a person as “more or less living” or as “somewhat dead”.  Therefore, the same with Truth.  It either is there or it is not there.

Therefore, a particular Religion either has the whole Truth or it does not.  If it does not, it is only an imitation of the One True Religion.  But nobody claims that an imitation is just as good as the authentic thing.  A fake diamond ring is not a real diamond ring, even though at first glance it might look like a diamond ring.  Yet it is even more illogical and unreasonable to claim that any and all fake and phony religions made up by finite men, are just as good as the One Real Religion founded by the Infinite God.

From the moment God created the first man there has been only one true Religion.  From the creation of Adam to the coming of Christ, this one true Religion was preserved by the Old Testament patriarchs, prophets and others who were chosen by God to keep the knowledge of the promised Redeemer intact.

The only one true Religion was kept by the “chosen people”, the Jews, before the coming of Christ.  All other nations had degenerated and worshipped pagan idols and other false gods.  But the religion of the Old Testament preserved by the Jews was full of the imperfections of its incompleteness. Although it was always the only one true Religion, it was also only a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things  Thus it foreshadowed its own fulfillment and perfection in the perfect Religion established by God the Son, Jesus Christ, Who abrogated the Jewish Faith of the Old Law and replaced it with the Perfected Faith of the New Law of the New and Eternal Covenant.

Therefore, it is ABSURD to assume and to otherwise suppose that the Almighty, Infinite Triune God does not care whether or not every person either ignores or denounces God the Son, Jesus Christ, as an imposter or a blasphemer or rightly worships Him as God.

Why should Christ, and after Him, the Apostles, and after them a long, long line of believers, have suffered so much and resisted persecution so firmly, if it were of no importance what a person believed?  On the contrary, St. Peter told the Jews:  There is no other name under Heaven given to men whereby we must be saved.

Jesus Christ commanded His Apostles to teach a very specific, definite Gospel teaching and He condemned those who knowingly rejected it:  Preach the Gospel to every creature.  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be condemned.

Christ prophesied that many would gainsay His teaching, but He denounced them in unmeasured terms:  Beware of false prophets who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Everyone therefore that shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father Who is in Heaven.  But he that shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father Who is in Heaven... He that loveth father or mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me, is not worthy of Me.  And he that taketh not up his cross, and followeth Me, is not worthy of Me.  He that findeth his life, shall lose it; and he that shall lose his life for Me, shall find it.  He that receiveth you, receiveth Me; and he that receiveth Me, receiveth Him that sent Me.

The history of the Catholic Church proves that the “doctrine” of Indifferentism is contrary to Christ's teachings.  Historically, Indifferentism was first popularized by the English Deists and the French Rationalists of the 17th Century.

But it was different in the beginning when tens of thousands of sincere Catholics died by martyrdom, beginning with the persecution of Nero in 64 A.D.  The deaths of the first martyrs eloquently and courageously speak of and testify to their profession of the Catholic Faith.  The holy martyrs chose to make a Profession of Faith by their death rather than to save their lives by a Profession of Indifferentism.  The Catacombs prove that Catholics died professing the True Faith.

Catholic martyrs were frequently asked to sacrifice to the pagan gods of Rome, or at least to allow their names to be written down by their relatives or friends as having sacrificed to such false gods.  Sometimes it was the pagan police or sheriff's officers, at other times the Roman military or various courts presided over by pagan judges or even the pagan Roman emperors who demanded that these faithful Catholics sacrifice to their pagan gods under the penalty of death.

Their pagan relatives or friends or the pagan police or the pagan judges asked them:  “What difference does it make?”

The difference was that they lived and died by the words of Christ:  Every one therefore, who shall confess Me before men, I will confess him before My Father Who is in Heaven.  But he that shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father Who is in Heaven.  Obviously the martyrs were not Indifferentists were they!?

But what does MARTYRDOM mean to you?  Perhaps a few random examples from THE ROMAN MARTYROLOGY will help you to better understand the meaning of martyrdom and what martyrdom SHOULD MEAN to you!?
 
 

The sixth day of January:  In the Diocese of Rheims, the martyrdom of St. Macra, virgin, who, in the persecution of Diocletian, was cast into the fire by order of the governor Rictiovarus.  As she remained uninjured, she had her breasts cut away, was imprisoned in a foul dungeon, rolled upon broken earthenware and burning coals and finally she gave up her soul while engaged in prayer.

The nineteenth day of January:  At Rome on the Cornelian Road, the holy martyrs Marius and his wife Martha, with their sons Audifax and Abachum, noble Persians, who came to Rome through devotion in the time of Emperor Claudius.  After they had been beaten with rods, tormented on the rack and with fire, lacerated with iron hooks and had endured the cutting off of their hands, Martha was put to death in the place called Nympaha; the others were beheaded and cast into the fire...

At Smyrna, under Marcus Antoninus and Lucius Aurelisu, the birthday of blessed Germanicus, martyr, who, in the bloom of youth,  being strengthened by the Grace of God, and banishing all fear, provoked the beast which, by order of the judge, was to devour him.  Being ground by its teeth, he deserved to be incorporated into the True Bread of Life, Christ Jesus, for Whom he died...

At Spoleto, in the days of Emperor Antoninus, the passion of St. Pontian, martyr, who was barbarously scourged for Christ by the command of the judge Fabian and then compelled to walk barefoot on burning coals.  As he was uninjured by the fire, he was put on the rack, was torn with iron hooks, then thrown into a dungeon, where he was comforted by the visit of an Angel.  He was afterwards exposed to the lions, had melted lead poured over him, and finally died by the sword...

The tenth day of February:  At Rome, on the Appian Way, St. Soter, virgin and martyr, descended of a noble family; but, as St. Ambrose mentions, for the love of Christ, she set at naught the consular and other dignitaries of her people.  Upon her refusal to sacrifice to the gods, she was for a long time cruelly scourged.  She overcame these and various other torments, then was struck with the sword, and joyfully went to her Heavenly spouse...

The first day of March:  At Rome, two hundred and sixty holy martyrs condemned for the name of Christ.  Claudius ordered them to dig sand beyond the Salarian Gate, then to have soldiers in the amphitheater shoot them with arrows...

The third day of March:  At Caesarea in Palestine, during the persecution of Valerian, the holy martyrs Marinus, soldier, and Asterius, senator.  The former was examined by the judge on the charge laid against him by his fellow soldiers of being a Christian, and as he admitted the accusation in a firm tone of voice, he was beheaded and thus received the crown of martyrdom.  His mutilated body was taken by Asterius on his own shoulders, and wrapped in the garment which he himself wore.  This service at once gained for Asterius the palm of martyrdom as a reward for the honors which he had given to a martyr...

The eight day of March:  At Nicomedia, St. Quinctilis, Bishop and martyr... In Africa, the martyred Saints Cyril, a Bishop, Rogatus, Felix, another Rogatus, Beata, Herenia, Felicitas, Urban, Silvanus and Mamillus... At Antinonus, a city of Egypt, the birthday of the holy martyrs Apollonius, the Deacon, and Philemon.  They firmly refused to sacrifice to the idols, and when arrested and brought to the judge, they had their heels pierced, were barbarously dragged through the city, at last completing their martyrdom by being slain by the sword...

The fifteenth day of April:  At Rome, the Saints Basilissa and Anastasia, noble women who were disciples of the Apostles.  Because they persevered courageously in the profession of their faith during the time of Emperor Nero, they had their tongues and feet cut off, were put to the sword, and thus obtained the crown of martyrdom.

The sixteenth day of April:  At Saragossa, St. Encratis, virgin and martyr, whose body was lacerated, her breasts cut away, and her bowels torn out.  Still alive after these torments, she was confined in prison until her body, covered with wounds, began to decompose.

The second day of May:  At Alexandria, the birthday of St. Athanasius, bishop of that city, Confessor and Doctor of the Church, most celebrated for sanctity and learning.  Although almost all of the world had formed a conspiracy to persecute him, he courageously defended the Catholic Faith, from the reign of Constantine to that of Valens, against emperors, governors and a multitude of Arian Bishops, whose underhanded attacks forced him to wander as an exile over the whole earth without finding a place of security. At length, however, he was restored to his church, and after overcoming many trials, and winning many crowns by his patience, he departed for Heaven in the forty-sixth year of his Priesthood, in the time of the Emperors Valentinian and Valens.

The third day of May:  In Thebais, the holy martyrs Timothy and his wife Maura.  The Arian prefect caused them to be tortured, and then fastened to a cross, on which they remained alive for nine days, encouraging each other to persevere in the faith, until they completed their martyrdom.

The sixth day of May:  At Rome, the Apostle and Evangelist St. John before the Latin Gate.  He was bound and brought to Rome from Ephesus by the order of Domitian and the senate condemned him to be taken to that Gate and placed in a cauldron of boiling oil, from which he came out more healthy and vigorous than before...

At Damascus, the birthday of St. John Damascene, Priest and Doctor of the Church, renowned for sanctity and learning.  By means of his writing and preaching, he courageously resisted Leo the Isaurian in defending the veneration paid to sacred images.  By order of this emperor his right hand was cut off, but commending himself before an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which he had defended, his hand was immediately restored to him, entire and sound.  His feast day is the 27th of March.

The second day of June:  In Compania, during the reign of Decius, St. Erasmus, Bishop and martyr, who was first scourged with leaded whips and then severely beaten with rods.  He also had resin, brimstone, lead, pitch, wax and oil poured over him, without receiving any injury.  Afterwards, under Maximian, he was again subjected to various and most horrible tortures at Mola, but still was preserved from death by the power of God in order to confirm others in the Faith.  Finally, celebrated for his sufferings, and called by God, he closed his life by a peaceful and holy death.  His body was afterwards transferred to Gaeta.

The eighteenth day of June:  At Rome, on the Ardeatine Way, in the persecution of Diocletian, the birthday of the saintly brothers Mark and Marcellian, martyrs, who were arrested by the judge Fabian, tied to a stake, and had sharp nails driven into their feet.  Because they would not cease praising the name of Christ, they were pierced through the sides with lances, and thus went to the Kingdom of Heaven with the glory of martyrdom.

The fifth day of July:  At Cyrene in Lybia, St. Cyrilla, a martyr, in the persecution of Diocletian.  She held burning coals with incense on her hand for a long time, lest by shaking off the coals, she should seem to offer incense to the idols.  She was afterwards cruelly scourged, and went to her spouse adorned with her own blood.

The ninth day of July:  At Rome, at the ever-flowing spring, the birthday of St. Zeno and ten thousand two hundred and three other martyrs...

At Gortyna in Crete, in the persecution of Decius, under the governor Lucius, Bishop St. Cyril. When he was thrown into the flames the bonds were burned, but he was not injured.  The judge, struck with awe at so great a miracle, set him at liberty, but as the Saint began again immediately to preach with zeal the Faith of Christ, he was beheaded...

The twenty-fourth day of August:  At Carthage, three hundred holy martyrs, in the time of Valerian and Gallienus.  Among other torments inflicted on them, a pit filled with burning lime as prepared by order of the governor, who, live coals with incense being brought to him, said to the confessors:  “Choose one of these two things; either offer incense to Jupiter upon these coals, or be thrown into the lime.”  Armed with Faith, and confessing Christ to be God the Son, they quickly threw themselves into the pit, and amid the vapors of the lime were reduced to dust.  From this circumstance, this white-robed company of the blessed earned for itself the name of the white mass.

The third day of September:  At Nicomedia, the passion of St. Basilissa, virgin and martyr, in the persecution of Diocletian, under the governor Alexander.  At the age of nine years, after having, through the power of God, overcome scourging, fire and the beasts-by which she converted the governor to the Faith of Christ-she at length gave up her soul to God while at prayer outside the city.

The twelfth day of September:  In Bithynia, St. Autonomus, Bishop and martyr, who went to that country from Italy to avoid the persecution of Diocletian.  After he had converted many to the Faith, he was killed at the Altar by the furious heathen while celebrating the sacred mysteries [Mass], and thus he became a victim for Christ.

The thirteenth day of October:  At Thessalonica, St. Florentius, a martyr, who, after enduring various torments, was burned alive.

The fourteenth day of October:  At Caesarea in Palestine, St. Fortunata, virgin and martyr, the sister of the martyrs Carponius, Evaristus and Priscian.  After having been subjected to the rack, to fire, to the teeth of beasts and other torments during the persecution of Diocletian, she gave up her soul to God.  Her body was afterwards conveyed to Naples in Campania.

The twenty-fourth day of October:  At Nagran in Arabia Felix, the passion of St. Aretas and his companions, to the number of three hundred and forty, in the time of Emperor Justin, under the Jewish tyrant Dunaan.  After them, a Christian woman was burned alive, whose five-year-old son confessed Christ in a lisping voice and could not be prevented by caresses or threats from rushing into the fire in which his mother was burning.

The twenty-ninth day of October:  At Sidon in Phoenicia, St. Zenobius, a Priest.  When the last persecution was raging, by exhorting others to martyrdom, he himself was deemed worthy of it.

The seventh day of November:  At Perugia, St. Herculanus, Bishop and martyr... At Amphipolis in Macedonia, the holy martyrs Auctus, Taurio and Thessalonica... At Ancyra in Galatia, the martyrdom of Saints Melasippus, Anthony and Carina, under Julian the Apostate.

The twenty-eighth day of November:  At Constantinople, in the time of Constantine Copronymus, the holy martyrs Stephen the Younger, Basil, Peter, Andrew, and their companions, numbering three hundred and thirty-nine monks, who were subjected to diverse torments for the veneration of holy images, and confirmed the Catholic Truth with the shedding of their blood.

The thirteenth day of December:  At Syracuse, in Sicily, the birthday of St. Lucy, virgin and martyr, in the persecution of Diocletian.  By order of the proconsul Paschasius, she was delivered to profligates, that her chastity might be insulted by the people; but when they attempted to lead her away they were not able to move her, either with ropes or by means of many yoke of oxen.  Then having hot pitch, resin and burning oil applied to her body without being injured, she finally had a sword driven through her throat, and thus completed her martyrdom.

The twenty-fifth day of December:  At Nicomedia, many thousand martyrs, who had assembled for Divine Service [Mass] on our Lord's Nativity.  When Emperor Diocletian ordered the doors of the church to be closed, fire to be kindled here and there, a vessel with incense to be put before the entrance, and a man to cry out that those who wished to escape from the fire should come out and burn incense to Jupiter, all with one voice answered that they preferred to die for Christ.  They were consumed in the fire, and thus merited to be born in Heaven on the day on which Christ vouchsafed to be born on earth for the salvation of the world.

Thus a brief sampling from THE ROMAN MARTYROLOGY which has many entries for every day of the year.  During the course of time additional names have been added to those of the first martyrs.

Therefore, it should be self-evident that the Martyrs were NOT Indifferentists.  On the contrary, the Martyrs in particular and martyrdom in general confound the false philosophy of secular humanism so rampant in Indifferentism.

Right conduct is the one thing which is essential for every rational soul.  The powers of the soul are the intellect and will.  The object of the intellect is that which is True.  The object of the will is that which is Good.  This is why the One, True Faith, which is the inspiration and support of right conduct, must be attained by the powers of the soul to some degree.  This varies depending upon how well the various supernatural mysteries of the One, True, Faith are apprehended by the intellect and explains why each person who sincerely seeks this One, True Faith must do so with the powers of their soul and must humbly seek that One Faith which is both True and Good.  This True and Good Faith is the very foundation stone of the supernatural life.

THIS IS WHY A GOOD PERSON WILL ACCEPT GOD'S WORD IN ITS ENTIRETY, ONCE THEY KNOW IT.  A good person has the responsibility to search for the genuine and true Revelation of God, even if they are a member of the “religion” of paganism or agnosticism or atheism.

It is a sin to commit murder or adultery.  But IT IS ALSO A SIN FOR ANYONE TO DENY THE KNOWN REVEALED TRUTH OR TO BE INDIFFERENT IN ITS SEARCH.  This basic Truth has been forgotten by the modern world.  It is a Truth that the True Church is always trying to drive home to every heart and mind.  The True Church appeals to all men, women and children, however deluded by error or debased by sin, in a spirit of charity, kindness, sympathy, tact and patience.  But the Church does not dare to change, in any way, one jot or tittle of the Divine messages which God the Son, Jesus Christ, gave to His Mystical Body, the True Church, for the healing of the nations.

Hence, Indifferentism is culpable if it is due to the fact that a person, who does have the opportunities to do so, does not make an honest and sincere effort to humbly pray to God the Holy Ghost for guidance to try to objectively examine the claims, credentials and teachings of each religion in an effort to determine which is the One, True Religion.  To brush aside religion as being of no account, especially the One True Religion, for which millions of martyrs have willingly sacrificed not only all of their material possessions, but also their very lives, as witnessed by the Roman Catacombs and chronicled by the Roman Martyrology, is to act with a culpable degree of unreasonableness which no one would be guilty of in other matters of life.

THIS IS WHY THOSE WHO DO NOT BELIEVE ARE PUNISHED BY GOD EVEN IN THIS LIFE:  WOE TO THEM THAT ARE FAINTHEARTED, WHO BELIEVE NOT GOD; AND THEREFORE THEY SHALL NOT BE PROTECTED BY HIM.  And to whom did He swear, that they should not enter into His rest; but to them that were incredulous?  And We see that they could not enter in, because of unbelief.

Therefore, it is self-evident not only that all Religions are not the same because Truth and error are not the same thing just as Faith and unbelief are not the same thing, but also because Jesus Christ established only ONE Church because there is only ONE Triune God of ONE Truth to which the Apostles bore witness by their very lives and more especially by their deaths by martyrdom.

Jesus Christ and His Apostles and the many tens of thousands of Catholic martyrs were not Indifferentists who made a profession of unbelief, i.e. a Profession of Indifferentism, but rather they made a Profession of Faith by their holy deaths.  How many people today would ever be ready, willing and able, by that Grace of God known as an Heroic Act of Faith, to die the death of a martyr for their Holy Catholic Faith and thereby go straight to Heaven?!